Silent Storm

By Karyn Masters

Racing down the alleyway, Sadye can hear the footsteps of the madman closing in on her. She feels his fingertips brush against her back as he reaches out to grab her. Is her nightmare coming true?  
 
It takes Sadye Rogers years to realize her fiancé, Stuart Rossell, may not be who she thinks he is. Even the devil was once an angel. Over time, she gets glimpses of his psychotic episodes and they chill her to the bone. She has to get away from him, so she does! 
 
One night, a stranger approaches her and discreetly slips a piece of paper into her hand. “I can help you get away from him,” Jeff Vedder whispers in her ear. She takes him up on his offer, but little do they know what their future holds. They would soon be hunted by a psychotic ex with a clandestine past. 
 
Knowing Stuart will never let Sadye go, Jeff turns the tables and sets out to destroy him any way he can. What he discovers after digging into Stuart’s past leaves him horrified!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Karyn Masters
• Release date: Jun 17, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386611158

Book preview

PART I:

THE PARTY

One

Sadye gave her best friend, Valerie, a hug and thanked her for inviting her to the party. I’ll see you in a few days, she said as she turned away and headed for her car. It was late, and she needed to get home. Sadye glanced down at her watch, almost three in the morning. She quickened her pace down the long, dark driveway toward her car. Everything was eerily quiet, except for the occasional rustling of leaves as the cool breeze lifted them off the ground and dropped them somewhere new. The streetlight was dim, but put out just enough light for the trees to cast frightening-looking shadows on the ground. They shifted with the wind, making it look as if they were dancing.

Sadye started to think about him again. She shook her head trying to get him out of her thoughts, but it was no use.

Could he be crouched down, hiding behind one of these cars? Maybe he’s waiting for me by my car.

She stopped walking at that thought. She could see her car sitting in the street, alongside the curb. Nothing around but the dancing shadows, but it wasn’t those shadows she was concerned with. She was searching for any shadows that were out of place.

Beastly shadows.

She scanned the rest of the street and the cars parked nearby, but there was no sign of anyone.

You’re acting ridiculous, Sadye. Just keep walking and quit thinking, she mumbled to herself as she started in the direction of her car once again. She tried to think happy thoughts, like how she’d be home safely in her bed soon, wearing her favorite pajamas and drinking a cup of hot tea. She opened her purse to dig for her keys, but then stopped dead in her tracks.

What was that noise?

She’d heard something. Did it come from behind her? She quickly spun around, but saw nothing except some leaves caught up in a whirlwind as they went swirling by her.

I need to stop this. I’m really starting to spook myself, she said trying to force a laugh. She fumbled around in her purse again and found her keys. As she pulled them out of her bag, she heard footsteps coming up behind her. No, no. It’s just my imagination playing tricks on me, she said aloud as she glanced behind her, praying to God she was right. She wasn’t. She did see someone, and he was approaching her from behind at a quick pace. This wasn’t just anybody … this was a beast-man. She couldn’t think of a better word.

Her hands started to shake and she dropped her keys. She knew this beastly man. He was only about four car lengths away from her. She leaned down to pick up her keys, the whole time keeping her eyes on the beast getting closer and closer to her. As she stood up, her entire body started to tremble uncontrollably. She tried to run, but her feet wouldn’t move. No, they were moving, but in slow motion. It was as if she were moving through clay. For some reason, she couldn’t run any faster even though she put all her might into it. She turned to look behind her and could see that the beast-man was having no problem with his speed, and would be caught up to her in no time flat.

As she approached her car, she hit the remote on her keychain, but nothing happened. No click, no beep, no flashing lights to confirm the doors were now unlocked and all she had to do was to jump inside to safety. She repeatedly hit the buttons on her remote, but still nothing. She reached out to the door handle of her car to pull it open, but it was still locked. Even though it was always this way, she hoped this time would be different. It never was though. She fumbled to get the key in the lock, but for some reason it didn’t seem to fit anymore.

What’s wrong with my key? she screamed as she tried shoving it into the lock again.

Why does it always have to be like this?

She looked behind her again as she struggled with the lock, and saw that the half-beast, half-man, was reaching out his arms for her, and his hands seemed just inches away. She tried to turn the key again, and this time it worked.

Thank God.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she opened the car door as fast as she could, which was still not much quicker than a snail’s pace, and jumped inside. As she was fumbling to lock the door, she saw the beast’s hands grabbing at the handle on the outside. She screamed as she was barely able to lock the door in time. She shoved the key into the ignition, but it didn’t fit. She looked down at the key, and even though it looked like the ignition key, it strangely wouldn’t fit.

"Maybe it is the wrong key," she said between gasps of air. No matter how many times she’d check to make sure it was the right key, it always changed when it came time to put the key into the ignition. It would never fit.

The half-beast was now yelling at her to open the door or he’d break the window. He warned her not to anger him more. He beat the glass with his fists to show her he was serious and threatened her to open the door before he really lost his temper. Even though she hated to look at him, she did anyway, and could see the fury on his face and the fire raging in his eyes. The sight of him sent cold shivers up and down her spine and she wished (as always) that she wouldn’t have looked.

He begged her not to make him hurt her, but she was not listening. She was still trying to get the darn key into the ignition. There was only one other key on the key chain and as she slid it into the ignition, she knew it was the right one. The engine turned over, and she was on her way to safety. She planned on running over the beast on her way out. She would do it several times to make sure he was dead and would not be waiting for her when she got home. She knew that he could move a lot faster than she could and would be able to make it in half the time it would take her.

With that thought, her car stalled.

Oh, God, she screamed as she turned the key in the ignition once more. Nothing happened. The car wouldn’t start and Sadye knew there was no use in trying. No matter what she did, the car wasn’t going to crank up, and she wasn’t going to get away. She looked up at the beast, still yelling at her on the other side of the door, and tears ran down her cheeks. He was laughing at her and the fact that she always believed she could get away, but never did. He’d warned her repeatedly in the past that it was impossible for her to escape him and thought it was funny she’d try anyway.

Sadye put her head down on the steering wheel and started to scream, knowing the chase was over. She heard breaking glass and looked up in horror as the beast’s hand reached in through the broken window and grabbed her by the neck, pulling her out of the car. She felt like a rag doll up against his strength. She tried not to look him in the face, but she couldn’t help herself. His face was contorted and his eyes were completely red with rage.

The beast squeezed her neck until she could no longer breathe and mumbled the same words she’d heard so many times.

I’m going to crush your heart like you did mine. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a knife and held it up to her chest right over her heart. She knew he was going to kill her because he always won. He always got his way, no matter what the circumstances. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, and he shoved the knife deep down inside her heart.

Two

Sadye sat bolt upright in her bed with sweat dripping down her face. She looked around and saw familiar objects surrounding her. Her desk sat across the room with the reading lamp still burning where she’d forgotten to turn it off before she dozed off into her troublesome sleep. Her clothes were laying across the footboard of her bed, blue blouse and black slacks, where she’d tossed them earlier when she changed into her pajamas. She looked over at her nightstand and saw the book she was reading earlier in the evening, with the bookmark placed in the same spot where she’d left it. She was a little more than halfway through it.

She was at home and safe. She looked at the clock. It was three in the morning. She tried to catch her breath and tell herself it was only a dream. It was the same dream she’d been having about Stuart since she’d left him months earlier. Nothing was ever different except for the location. Sometimes she’d be in the parking lot of the super market loading groceries into her car, or maybe at a restaurant, alone, waiting for her friends, but instead of them joining her, it would be Stuart who would show. It didn’t matter where she was, the dream would always end the same way. Stuart sticking a knife through her heart and killing her.

Sadye picked up the glass of water sitting on her nightstand and gulped down half of it. Her heart was still beating fast and hard in her chest. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and lay back down, trying to take deep, slow breaths. She felt wide awake and knew there’d be no more sleep for her that night, but she closed her eyes anyway and started to count backwards. This always helped her when she would have nightmares. Counting backwards was something her mother had taught her to do when she was a little girl and she’d wake up in the night after a bad dream.

100…99…98…97… Sadye mumbled as she tried to get the half-man, half-beast out of her mind.

Three

Sadye Rogers stepped out of the shower, flung a towel around her wet hair, and hurried to her closet. She started pulling dresses out and tossing them on the bed. She didn’t know what she was going to wear, but she had better decide fast because she was already running behind schedule. If she were to be late to the dinner party Jeff Vedder had been planning for so long, she’d never hear the end of it.

Jeff complained every time she was late, but being late was in her blood. She’d never been early, or on time, to any event she’d ever attended. Jeff, on the other hand, was a by-the-minute kind of guy. He was a striving musician who didn’t do much more than sleep, eat and breathe music, and being punctual was a necessity in his business.

Jeff first laid eyes on Sadye almost a year earlier at a nightclub where his band, Silent Storm, was performing. When he spotted Sadye that night in the audience, he knew she was the one for him. The only problem was she’d been standing hand-in-hand with his archrival, Stuart Rossell, also a musician.

After that night, Jeff started asking questions about her and Stuart to some of the local musicians who knew them, and was disappointed to find out they were engaged to be married soon. But he also found out Stuart treated her horribly, and it was even rumored that he was physically abusive to her. It seemed as though everyone shared a common prediction about their relationship, that she’d leave him before the wedding. Jeff prayed it would be true. He couldn’t get her out of his mind and would stop at nothing to meet her. Although he couldn’t stand the sight of Stuart, he started attending some of Stuart’s shows just to see her, but, much to his dismay, she was never around.

When he finally decided he had no choice but to give up, he spotted her again at a nightclub. She was coming out of the bathroom, heading toward the bar. He looked in the direction she was walking and saw Stuart standing at the end of the bar waiting for her. He knew he’d have to be sly in order to make his move. He made his way through the crowd and grabbed one of her hands as she passed him. She had jerked back and tried to pull away, but Jeff held her hand tightly and slipped her a piece of paper with his phone number on it. He leaned over to her ear and whispered, I can help you get away from him. He immediately turned and started to leave.

As he approached the exit he paused and looked toward the bar. Stuart’s eyes were burning holes right through him, and he figured he’d been caught. He didn’t think he’d ever hear from Sadye, and hoped he hadn’t gotten her into trouble. But just a few days later, he received a phone call from her wanting to take him up on his offer. She was at a coffee shop with all of her belongings and needed a ride, but had no place to go. So Jeff brought her back to his house. She had bruises on her face and arms, and looked ten years older than she really was.

Jeff let her stay with him and helped her to get her life back together. They kept their friendship a secret because Jeff heard around the clubs that Stuart was going ballistic, searching for her everywhere. They both felt she was in danger and knew she’d have to stay out of sight until things calmed down and Stuart gave up his search.

At first, Sadye had been hesitant to get involved with Jeff romantically because of the abuse Stuart put her through. She no longer trusted men. Even though Jeff was good to her, she’d sometimes jump when he touched her. But Jeff insisted upon his loyalty and she slowly learned to trust him. It was hard for her to adjust to his personality. She continued to walk on eggshells, thinking she’d be smacked if she annoyed him or said something dumb. It took several months before she realized Jeff was a man of his word, and that he was truly falling in love with her.

Sometimes he’d have late night shows or spend long hours in the studio with his band and it bothered her to be left alone for too long. When she thought she could bear it no longer, he’d come through the door, usually with a card and flowers in hand, throw his arms around her and tell her how much he’d missed her. She wasn’t used to being treated in that manner. She wasn’t used to being—loved so much.

Jeff being a romantic was one of the reasons Sadye fell in love with him, but what initially attracted her to him was his bad boy look. That was something Sadye always seemed to be attracted to—bad boys. Jeff was by no means a troublemaker, but he did have that rough look Sadye couldn’t seem to resist. With his long, wavy, dark blonde hair and masculine build, she found him very appealing. He was thirty-one-years-old, and very serious about his life’s goals; he knew exactly what he wanted and was going after it. Though he looked rough on the outside, he was a gentle and sensitive man, always putting Sadye first. He was different from the cold-hearted men in her past. It was a refreshing change for her.

When Sadye moved in with Jeff, she was afraid she might have made a mistake. She didn’t think she could handle jumping back into a relationship so soon after her breakup with Stuart. His abuse had made the three years they were together seem like a decade. She’d grown to hate him over the course of their relationship, but feared him too much to leave. He’d really done a good job of disguising his true colors in the beginning. It wasn’t until the last year, or so, of their relationship that Sadye noticed Stuart was insanely jealous, and even crazy. In fact, he was the craziest person she’d ever encountered. She was only twenty-five when they met and still had a lot to learn about men and relationships, but she didn’t want to learn all of her life lessons with him.

There was a knock on the door, and Sadye jumped.

Sadye, are you in there? What are you doing? It was Jeff. She could hear the irritation in his voice.

I’ll be down in a minute, honey, she said knowing she couldn’t possibly be ready in less than twenty. She grabbed the black strapless dress off the bed and threw it on.

As Sadye walked down the steep staircase that led to the dining room, where, no doubt, Jeff’s guests would be waiting on her, all she could think about was not tripping in her four-inch heels. She hated high heels and always felt a bit wobbly in them, but what woman in LA didn’t wear a pair of stilts when she went out? Sadye focused intently on every step she took. Halfway down the staircase, she looked up and noticed Jeff waiting for her at the bottom. He was staring at her and smiling. She stopped, embarrassed, and stared back at him.

What’s wrong? You don’t like the dress? Why are you staring at me like that? she asked feeling even more uncomfortable.

Jeff put his finger to his lips to hush her and then motioned for her to come to him. When she reached the bottom of the stairs he pulled her close, leaned over and whispered, You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever set eyes on. Don’t ever leave me. He reached for her hand and led her into the dining room where his guests were seated around the table.

Jeff introduced Sadye to a few friends she hadn’t met before, but her focus was on the man sitting in the corner. It was the man Jeff had introduced as his band manager, Peter Johnson. Sadye was sure he looked familiar. She couldn’t help but to stare. She racked her brain trying to figure out how she knew him, but was still coming up empty. It weighed on her mind throughout dinner, where she tuned out everyone’s conversation and laughter, and concentrated on the name Peter Johnson. She focused on his face, trying not to stare so much that he’d notice.

Was he someone from her past she had blocked out, and if so, why? She was a pro at blocking out memories. She’d blocked out many of the horrific details of her parent’s fatal boating accident, as well as the abuse her ex-fiancé had put her through. She had a habit of erasing any bad memories she didn’t want to think about, which caused her to be unable to recall details. But she knew Peter Johnson’s face looked familiar and she didn’t like the vibes she was receiving from him.

Earth to Sadye. Hello? What in the world are you thinking about? Sadye looked up and saw Jeff standing at her side with a confused look on his face. She quickly glanced around the room and noticed she was the only one sitting at the table.

Um, nothing. I wasn’t thinking about anything. She wiped her mouth with her napkin and then tossed it on her half-eaten plate of food.

Are you okay? Jeff asked concerned.

Um, yeah. Why do you ask? And why are you looking at me like that?

Because you were totally spaced out during dinner and you’re still acting that way now. What’s going on? Jeff asked as he pulled her chair out so she could stand up from the table.

Oh, um … I feel a little tired. That’s all. It’s nothing, really, she said knowing she didn’t sound convincing.

Who are you trying to fool? Jeff asked.

He was curious about Sadye’s odd behavior, so she tried to avoid eye contact by turning her attention to the table, stacking dirty plates and gathering silverware. Jeff had a knack for reading her just by looking into her eyes, and she was aware of his uncanny ability.

You go on into the living room with everyone else while I clear the table. They’re waiting on you, she said trying to change the subject. Jeff stood for a few seconds staring at her, then shook his head and walked out of the room.

She didn’t have anything to hide from him, at least she didn’t think so, but she wasn’t comfortable with letting him in on her thoughts until she could figure out why Peter seemed familiar to her. Jeff always took everything so seriously. He would analyze situations for hours, even days, that most people wouldn’t give a second thought to.

I knew I’d seen you before.

Startled, Sadye turned around to see where this voice was coming from and was face to face with the man she’d spent the last hour obsessing about.

Excuse me? she said confused.

I know who you are. You’re Sadye Rogers. The Sadye Rogers who was engaged to Stuart Rossell, Peter said with a sly grin on his face. Sadye immediately felt uncomfortable. Oh yeah, said Peter, I remember when Stuart introduced me to you. It was when I was still managing his band. In fact, he was performing that night.

Sadye suddenly felt ill. It was all coming back to her. Peter Johnson. No, Peter. She’d never known his last name, and only saw him briefly once or twice. He was Stuart’s band manager. She could feel a cold shiver come across her body. Just the thought of Stuart made her skin crawl and her knees go weak.

What a coincidence that I’m managing Jeff’s band now. So, are you shacking up with this guy, or what? I mean, that’s who Jeff is, right? Your boyfriend? Last I heard you and Stuart were getting married. What happened? It must’ve really been a shock to him when you dumped him, which I assume you did since you’re here with Jeff. If I know Stuart, he’s probably hunting you down as we speak. Wouldn’t you think so? Peter asked laughing. "Man, that’s why I quit managing his band. That guy has a crazy temper. I’m sure you’d agree to that, eh?"

Sadye looked up and saw Jeff standing in the doorway, staring at her, waiting for her response. He looked like he’d just been slapped in the face and was experiencing the aftershock. Apparently, he didn’t have a clue about Peter’s past. At this moment, Sadye really did feel spaced out. She felt like her head was spinning and her heart was going to jump out of her chest. She was actually at a loss for words. She stood silently still, staring back at Jeff.

Peter, your drink is empty and we don’t allow that in this house. Go help yourself to anything you’d like. There’s all kinds of bottles on the kitchen counter, Jeff said.

I’m not going to argue with that. Peter winked at Sadye and said, Well, it’s nice to see you again. He brushed past Jeff and went into the kitchen.

Jeff stood there for a moment staring at Sadye, but she didn’t dare look at him. She could feel his eyes heavy on her, watching her, trying to read her face and figure out what she was thinking. She knew he still wondered about her feelings toward Stuart. Even though he knew how badly Stuart had treated her, he still felt there was a bond between them he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Some sort of tie that maybe even Sadye didn’t realize.

Jeff eventually turned and left the room. Sadye started stacking the last of the dishes and noticed her hands were shaking. In fact, she felt as if her whole body was shaking. Just thinking about Stuart could have that effect on her. He’d really tormented her emotionally.

She flashed back to the night she and Stuart went out clubbing to celebrate his twenty-ninth birthday. He’d left their table to go to the bar to order drinks. When he returned she’d been talking with someone—a man. Some poor fool who had asked her to dance. Even though she’d declined (she wouldn’t have dared to accept the offer), Stuart still stepped between them and knocked the living crap out of the guy. The next thing she could remember was Stuart being thrown out of the club, screaming and yelling obscenities the whole way. She’d been completely humiliated.

Many club owners were familiar with his violent streak and it always hurt his band when it came to booking shows. Club owners didn’t want troublemakers hanging around, but Stuart didn’t care about his bad reputation and even bragged about it.

When they returned home, Stuart screamed and yelled at her saying it was her fault he had to knock that guy out, and that she had ruined his birthday with her sleazy ways. After attacking her verbally, he threw his beer bottle at her, hitting her in the head. She fell to the floor and blood trickled down the side of her face. She remembered sitting there on the floor until the dizziness subsided and she could stand. She looked around the room and saw Stuart was nowhere in sight. That’s when she knew she’d pack her things and leave. She planned to wait until he was asleep and then make her getaway. That was her only thought for three hours. When Stuart finally passed out, that’s exactly what she did. She packed some of her belongings—only the essentials because she had to be quick—and tiptoed toward the front door, only she hadn’t planned on him meeting her there on her way out.

Where are you going, Sadye? Just where the hell do you think you’re going? His black eyes burned into her like two hot coals.

She was almost too frightened to answer him, but she managed to squeak out a sentence. I’m going to take a few days to think about things, that’s all, she said with a shaky voice.

What kind of things? he asked.

Us and our relationship, Sadye mumbled under her breath.

What? he yelled and slammed his fist into the wall. What the hell did you just say?

She was trembling from head to toe. At that point, Stuart grabbed the bag out of her hand and pushed her down. She was aware he pulled something out of his back pocket, but was unable to see what it was. He got on top of her and held her down. She remembered feeling something cold press against her neck and realized it was a knife. She’d actually thought she was going to die. She closed her eyes and started to pray.

You’re not going anywhere. Do you understand? Once we’re committed, we’re committed. We’re meant to be together. You live for me and I live for you. You know what I mean? Don’t make me hurt you. It would kill me if I had to hurt you. If you make me kill you, then who do I have to live for? What purpose would I have in life without you?

She could feel his hot breath on her face and his heart was beating as fast as hers. She wondered what he was going to do next. She felt the cold steel slide down her neck as he removed the knife and slid it back into his pocket. He seemed to have relaxed a bit. His body was no longer tense.

Don’t do this to us, Sadye. I won’t let you. I love you and I’m not going to let you screw things up. It’s you and me together, and nobody can change that or take it away, okay? Tell me you understand and you’re gonna stay with me, and I won’t hurt you.

She’d never seen him so serious before. She remembered those cold black eyes and shivered. She took a deep breath and thanked the Lord she had Jeff, and she’d gotten out from under the claws of death. She leaned over the table and picked up the stacked plates, along with the silverware. When she turned around to head into the kitchen, she saw Stuart staring in through one of the windows at her. She immediately screamed and the dishes went crashing to