Devoted to Her (Dream Date Book 2) (38 page)

“I demand you to follow me!”

Amanda stood her ground.

Hilbert’s gun hand shook. He tried to squeeze the
trigger. Amanda didn’t move. Hilbert wanted to shoot her. He just couldn’t do
it.

“Go ahead. The only way I’m getting out of here is if
you shoot me, or if Nathan comes for me.”

Hilbert stared at Amanda, waiting to see if she would
obey. When she didn’t, he growled. Hilbert turned around, punching the air. He
raised his hand and shot the wall.

“Fine,” Hilbert said. He started walking out of the
bedroom. “You’ll regret your decision. Mark my words.”

Without further ado, Hilbert fled. Amanda exhaled. She
then walked to Judith. Christopher helped Amanda untie her.

“Are you all right?” Amanda asked.

“I am. You?”

“Just fine.”

Once finished, Amanda untied Emmy. She had already
regained consciousness.

“Where are we?”

“Rebecca and Hilbert got to us,” Amanda explained.
“But the police are here. They’ll take him.”

Judith looked at the body on the floor. She shrieked.

“Who’s that?”

Emmy flinched when she noticed. Christopher couldn’t
help crouching down. He touched a hand to Rebecca’s neck, and then brushed some
of her hair aside.

“She’s Rebecca. Hilbert killed her.”

A few moments later, Amanda and her group walked out
of the apartment. Hilbert had vanished.

“Let’s go over there.”

The four of them started walking down the corridor.
When they approached the stairs, they heard footsteps. Caldwell and Medina
appeared. Sutton and half a dozen police officers followed them.

“Ms. Tilley!” Sutton said when he spotted her. “Are
you okay? We heard a gunshot.”

“Yes, I’m fine. Judith and Emmy are just shaken.”

“Where is she?” Caldwell asked.

“Rebecca’s dead. Hilbert got there and killed her. He
just ran away.”

Caldwell and Medina exchanged glances.

“Hilbert was there? And he let you go just like that?”

Amanda nodded. Even Sutton was incredulous.

“I’ve got a team around the building. The place has
been surrounded for around three minutes. If he tried to get away within that
time frame, we’ll get him.”

Caldwell pulled out his cell phone.

“Condor, this is Hawk 1. Do you copy?”

After getting a response, Caldwell continued.

“We’ve got Aurora and the others. Over.”

Whoever Caldwell had contacted replied to him. After a
couple more exchanges, Caldwell pocketed his phone.

“Walkie talkie code?” Emmy asked.

“It’s our standard procedure when there’s a situation.
Let’s go outside.”

When they got out of the building, Amanda saw an
ambulance and several police cruisers. Paramedics checked Judith and Emmy.
Neither of the girls was severely hurt. Christopher stayed with them.

As soon as Amanda saw Nathan, the two practically ran
toward each other. They met in an embrace. Nathan sniffed Amanda’s hair, taking
in her scent.

“You’re here. I thought that scoundrel would hurt you.
Thank God you’re OK.”

“I’m glad to see you, too.”

Nathan leaned back to look at Amanda.

“Why did you run away from us?”

“I had to, Nathan. Rebecca had my friends.”

The two looked toward the ambulance. Neither Judith
nor Emmy showed any signs of harm. The latter waved at Amanda when she caught
her glance.

“Ms. Tilley,” a voice said. Amanda turned, seeing
Hayden. He offered his hand, which she shook. “We’re glad to see that you and
your friends are fine.”

“Thanks.”

Hayden’s phone rang. He raised it to his ear.

“Condor, this is Hawk 2. Do you copy?”

“Copy that. Over.”

“The suspect has fled in a vehicle. Hawk 1 and some
officers are in pursuit. Over.”

“Hawk 2, what’s your 20?”

“Returning to Aurora’s position. Over and out.”

Hayden ended the call.

“Medina is on his way here. He says that Hilbert
escaped. Caldwell and some cops are in pursuit.”

“Let’s hope he doesn’t get away,” Nathan said.

“I doubt he’ll ever come back if he does disappear,”
replied Amanda.

“We’re not taking any chances. Men like him just don’t
give up.”

“Nathan’s right, Ms. Tilley,” said Hayden. “I’ve
handled a few obsession cases in my former position as a police officer. They
only give up when they go to jail, or when they die.”

Five minutes passed. Just then, Nathan nodded toward a
spot over Amanda’s shoulder. She followed his line of sight. Detective Sutton
was on the phone. When the call finished, he addressed those around him.

“Good news, everybody. We’ve got him.”

Amanda exhaled. Finally, she’d be able to have peace.

“Hilbert’s going to spend a good amount of time in the
hospital, though. He ran his car into a tree.”

Emmy winced.

“That must have hurt.”

Nathan and Judith laughed.

A few seconds later, Sutton approached Amanda.

“We need to take your statements now.”

Amanda nodded.

“Okay. I’ll go first.”

Amanda followed Sutton toward his cruiser. She looked
back at Nathan. He blew her a kiss. Amanda blew him another one. Things would
be okay now.

SEVERAL WEEKS LATER

“Wake up, Amanda. We’re here,” Nathan said.

Amanda opened her eyes. She straightened her head,
looking out through her window. Nathan was driving. He was just pulling out of
Interstate 80. They had arrived at Joliet, their hometown.

“Home,” Amanda said, stretching her arms.

The school semester had ended. Amanda, Nathan, and
their friends passed all their classes. They’d stayed at Ithaca for a week
before deciding to leave.

“Your family must be eager to see you.”

“I know. Especially my brother.” Amanda thought about
Ryan, smiling. “Did you know that Ryan’s decided to enroll at Cornell?”

“No. Does he want to be with you?”

“He won’t say. I think he must have met a girl he
likes, but I can’t imagine who she might be.”

Moments later, Nathan pulled up in front of the
Tilley’s house. He killed the engine and walked over to open Amanda’s door.

“Thanks,” she said. Hand in hand, they both walked
forward. Amanda opened the gate with a key. She took Nathan’s hand again and led
him to the front door. It was just a twenty-foot walk. When they got there,
Amanda rang the bell. A few seconds later, William answered.

“Amanda!” he said. She walked forward and hugged her
father. “It’s great to see you.”

“I missed you, Dad.”

The two pulled apart. William turned toward Nathan.

“How are you doing, Nathan?”

“Great, sir. Thank you,” he replied, shaking hands
with William.

“Come on in.”

Amanda and Nathan followed her father inside. William
closed the door and then walked past them.

“Your mother is tending to the garden. I’ll go let her
know you’re here.”

William left toward the back of the house. Nathan led
Amanda to the sofa. They both sat down.

“You look tired,” Nathan said to Amanda. He brushed a
lock of hair behind her ear.

“I feel like dropping into bed and not wake up until
tomorrow. I’ll just wait until I say hello to my mom.”

The two of them waited. Shortly after, William came
back with his wife, Florence.

“You’re back!” she said. Amanda stood up and embraced
her mother. “I’m glad to see you.”

“Me too, Mom.”

Florence smiled, kissing Amanda on the forehead.

“Your father and I couldn’t wait for you to get here.
We were worried about your safety.”

“I’m fine now, Mom.”

“Enough about sad stuff,” William said. “You must feel
exhausted, Amanda. Would you like to sleep now?”

“I’ve got your room ready,” Florence told her.

Amanda turned to Nathan.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said.

“Same. Sleep well.”

“Thanks,” Amanda said. She let Florence take her up to
her bedroom.

“I’ll see you all tomorrow, Mr. Tilley,” said Nathan.

“You have a good rest of your day, Nathan. And thanks
for bringing my daughter.”

Nathan nodded. Before he could leave, Harold walked in
from the back on the house. Nathan tried not to tense.

“Good afternoon, sir.”

“Thank you,” Harold replied. It was all Nathan could
do not to raise his eyebrows. “I want to have a word with you before you go.”

Nathan’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Mr. Tilley
looked at him reassuringly before leaving.

“I want to apologize. Amanda and I talked over the
phone about everything that happened. She explained what that wretched woman
did to the both of you. I’m sorry for how I’ve treated you this whole time.”

“It’s okay, sir. I get that you were just looking
after your granddaughter.”

“Yes. My biggest regret is that I couldn’t protect her
from that harpy. You kept Amanda safe.”

“I did my best.”

Harold nodded.

“I’ll let you be on your way now. You must be tired.”

“It was a long drive.”

“Have a good day, Mr. Ferland. Oh, and thanks for what
you’ve done for my granddaughter.”

“You’re welcome, sir,” Nathan said. He turned around
and left the house. Nathan was going to stay at his father’s during his visit
in Joliet.

Nathan drove a short distance to his father’s house.
He pulled into the driveway and killed the engine. Then he walked toward the
front door.

“Dad!” Nathan said, knocking on the door. “I’m home.”

There was movement inside. Seconds later, Nathan’s
father opened the door.

“How are you, son?” Jeffrey asked. “I’m happy to see
you back.”

“Thanks, Dad,” he said. They both walked into the
house.

“Where’s your girlfriend?”

“I just dropped her off at her parents’. Amanda needed
some rest. It was a pretty long trip.”

“Do you need to sleep too, son?”

“Not yet. Is there a snack around?”

“There should be. You can check the fridge.”

Nathan walked to the kitchen. He found a bag of
chocolate chip cookies in the pantry. After pouring a glass of milk, Nathan
began eating his snack.

“Marissa called about a half hour before you came,”
Jeffrey said. He was standing in the doorway. Nathan looked up. “She said her
plane was an hour from landing.”

“Is Marissa coming here?”

“She only told me that she would be driving straight
to her hotel. Marissa said you should call her if you want to talk to or see
her.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

Jeffrey nodded. He then
left the kitchen.

Amanda woke up early the next morning. She stretched
in bed, relaxing her muscles. Then she stood up. Amanda looked at the clock on
her wall. It was a little past eight in the morning.

It’s my birthday!
Amanda thought to herself, smiling. She had eagerly anticipated that
day.

After dressing up, Amanda left her bedroom. She walked
downstairs, wondering where everyone was.

Amanda walked into the kitchen. She peered around the
refrigerator to see if her mother was there. When she saw no one, Amanda left
the kitchen. Just then, she saw her parents, grandparents, and brother in the
living room.

“Happy birthday!” they said in unison. Amanda looked
at them, feeling happy by the gesture. Florence walked forward and hugged her
daughter.

“Do you realize how special this day is?”

“It’s just my birthday,” Amanda replied. William and Mildred
exchanged glances.

“Not just any birthday, silly. You turn twenty today!
That’s a milestone, as you’re not a teenager anymore.”

Amanda thought about it. She hadn’t thought that her
teen years were behind her now. The knowledge made Amanda feel like she was
starting a new stage in her life.

Ryan walked up to Amanda and hugged her. He then
handed her a gift.

“Happy birthday, sister.”

“Thanks, Ryan.”

William hugged his daughter next. Harold and Mildred
followed, carrying their own gifts. Florence then handed Amanda two more.

“Those are from your father and me. You’re going to
have to open one early, because we want you to use it.”

Amanda looked at the gifts her parents gave her. One
of them was in a long, flat box. It looked like the kind used for dresses.

“Thank you, mom.”

“No problem, sweetheart. I guess you must be hungry.
Go put away your gifts and join us in the kitchen.”

Amanda went to her room, placing her gifts on top of
her bed. After that, she walked to the kitchen. Amanda’s eyes widened when she
saw what was on the table. Florence had made banana nut muffins and chocolate
shakes.

“Excellent, Mom!”

Florence laughed. She set the plates and then sat down
with the rest of them.

“A great day awaits you,” William said. “Nathan is
helping us with your birthday party.”

“Is it going to be here? I saw that the garden looks
well-tended.”

Florence smiled.

“No, we’re having lunch elsewhere.”

After breakfast, William told Amanda that she had half
an hour to leave.

“Where are we going? Does this have to do with my
party?”

“No,” Florence said, laughing. “It
is
a surprise,
but it’s from Nathan. He’s coming over to pick you up.”

Amanda felt a strange sensation at the thought of
seeing Nathan. She regretted doubting what he felt for her. To make up, Amanda
was going to show Nathan how much she loved him.

Thirty minutes later, the doorbell rang. Amanda was in
her bedroom. She walked out and headed for the living room. Florence was
already opening the door.

“Oh, good morning, Nathan!”

“Good morning, Mrs. Tilley.”

Florence stood aside to let Nathan inside. After that,
she closed the door. Amanda closed the distance between them.

“Hi, Nathan,” she said, a bit awkwardly. For some
strange reason, Amanda felt as if she and Nathan were falling in love all over
again.

“Would you like something to drink, dear?” Florence
asked Nathan. He shook his head.

“No, thanks.”

At that moment, Harold walked in. Amanda started to
turn around when he put his hands on her shoulders.

“Morning, Nathan. You’re here to pick up Amanda,
right?”

“Yes, sir. I’ll bring her back by noon.”

Florence nodded. Harold let go of Amanda, and she
walked toward Nathan.

“Keep her safe, okay?” Florence told Nathan.

“I will.”

“See you later,” Amanda said.

“Have fun,” Harold replied. Nathan took Amanda’s hand
and led her outside. They walked to his car.

“What’s the surprise?” Amanda asked Nathan. They were
already on the road. Nathan smiled.

“I don’t want to spoil it. You’ll know soon enough.”

Nathan drove for another few minutes. Amanda saw that
he was heading south. Joliet was a small city, so it didn’t take Amanda long to
find out where they were going. Nathan later drove past a pair of brick pillars
with a sign midway between them.

“What is this?” Amanda asked, looking around. “A race
track?”

“I felt tempted,” Nathan admitted. “But I’ll never put
you in danger. My friends and I used to come around here a lot. That was back
when we were in high school. Needless to say, Ashton particularly loved it.”

Nathan found parking. He killed the engine and stepped
out. When he was outside Amanda’s door, he opened it.

“Thanks.”

Nathan locked the car. The two of them started walking
toward a building.

“Tell me, what is this place?”

“There’s a go-kart track here. We’ll race. And maybe
we can throw turtle shells at each other.”

Amanda laughed. Nathan
took her hand. He knew she would enjoy the surprise.

A couple of hours later, Nathan drove Amanda back to
her house. They’d had a lot of fun racing on the go-karts. After an hour of
that, Nathan had taken Amanda to a few more of his favorite spots in the city.

“I had such a great time,” Amanda said. She and Nathan
were approaching her house’s front door. “Thank you.”

“It doesn’t end here,” Nathan told her. He leaned
closer to Amanda, pressing his lips to hers. He gave her a kiss that he hoped
would melt Amanda on the spot. After that, he spoke again. “The rest of your
day will be just as unforgettable. I promise.”

Nathan took Amanda’s hands in both of his. They looked
at each other, completely in love. Amanda kissed him on the cheek.

“I look forward to see what else you’ve planned.”

Nathan caressed the side of Amanda’s face.

“I have to go for now. You know, get ready. We’ll see
each other again this afternoon. Your parents already know where to go.”