Poppy slept for twelve wonderful, restorative hours. She would have slept for longer, but as morning crept in the window, a flurry of barking from the hallway startled her awake. She grabbed the hammer and sprang from bed. Fear gripped her groggy brain. She tugged at the knot in the baling twine, releasing the window. Instinct screamed at her to flee, but what about Duke? He’d stopped barking – why? She struggled for breath, imagining Cade kicking in the dog’s skull, leaving him a silent, quivering heap in the corner. And then she heard it – a knocking at the front door. Poppy exhaled, her panic abating. Cade wouldn’t knock. She had to pull herself together.
She crept into the kitchen. Duke was wagging his tail and scratching at the door. ‘It’s me, Levi,’ called a familiar voice.
Poppy u
