Now or Never

open. As soon as she entered the open foyer, she disarmed the security system using the same code as always. She shook her head at her mother’s predictability. Ethan would not approve.
    Her bags dropped with a thud onto the hardwood floors. She rubbed her face, feeling the exhaustion from the long drive. The faint smell of leftover sandalwood incense filled the air, and the trickle of the fish tank soothed her frayed nerves. Grayson rolled her shoulders and dropped her head, feeling the tension ease out of her.
    The living room was dark, and the kitchen was bathed in moonlight, giving it an eerie glow. She brushed a hand over the wall just inside the door, searching for the switch, and then flicked on the light. Colorful throw rugs were scattered about shiny hardwood floors, and the walls were hung with houseplants and her mother’s collection of eclectic, tribal masks from Africa. A large, comfy-looking green couch dominated the living room, and next to it, toys were piled in a box.
    Grayson looked at the clock—it was past nine. She’d assumed Luna would be here, but a quick check of all the bedrooms showed no bags or belongings to prove Luna was staying here. Grayson considered calling her sister to let her know she’d made it home, but she was exhausted. The idea of staying up all hours of the night to catch up with her sister made her eyes feel heavier. She’d call her in the morning.
    There was a note waiting for her on the table with instructions on feeding the fish, watering the plants, and letting out the cats. She looked around and didn’t see any cats. Maybe they were already outside. She shrugged and made her way to the spare bedroom down the hall, only barely noticing the photos of her childhood that lined the hallway.
    Grayson shed her clothes and crawled between the cool sheets. She was dead on her feet, but sleep wouldn’t come. She twisted and turned, trying to get comfortable in the strange bed. What gives? She thought irritably. She should have been sleeping like a baby after driving for two days.
    She wondered what Josh was doing—if he was going to come after her or let her go. As much as she hated to admit it, she was terrified, he would track her down.
    And do what? Make her leave with him? She needed to get a grip. She controlled her life, not him.
    What about the guy from the coffee shop? Just the mere thought of him made her pulse quicken. It was crazy the way he made her body come alive just from a look. She toyed with the idea of calling him, just because she could, but she tossed out that idea almost instantly. She played their meeting over and over again in her head; his sure stance, his unusual eyes, and the electricity when he touched her.
    No, she would definitely not call him.
    She must have fallen asleep, because she was jerked awake late in the night by a loud thud. She bolted upright, her heart pounding as she listened intently.
    What the hell was that?
    Grayson grabbed the blankets, and her eyes darted around the room, her heart pounding. For a moment, all was silent, but then she heard another noise that sounded like something scraping across the floor in the kitchen. She bit back a shriek, and found herself wishing Josh was with her.
    What the hell is wrong with me? Grayson gritted her teeth. She didn’t need a man to make her feel safe. She tossed the blankets off and tiptoed across the room, looking for something she could use for a weapon.
    Tension tightened her neck and shoulders as Grayson grabbed a big statue of Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of prosperity and earth. Her mom would be pissed if she broke it, but it was the best she had in the situation. She was glad that Ethan had insisted they all take self-defense classes. She knew she could hold her own against most guys. It was just hard to remember that when fear coursed through her.
    “Come on, Lakshmi. Don’t fail me,” Grayson muttered under her breath as she slid along the wall into the living room. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. It was too quiet. Maybe she imagined the noise, or dreamed it.
    Her eyes adjusted slowly as she squinted to look into the kitchen, but she didn’t see anything other than shadows dancing on the wall from the trees swaying outside—which was creepy enough. A shiver ran down her spine.
    She was so focused on looking into the kitchen; she nearly had a heart attack when she felt something brush up against her leg.
    “Holy shit!” she screeched, jumping backwards