Layla’s whole body stiffened. Annie took her hand away.
‘What?’ Layla whispered, scrambling up on the bed, getting into her dressing gown.
They both heard it then.
Someone was moving.
Someone was coming up the stairs.
‘What should we do?’ hissed Layla.
‘Give them a surprise,’ said Annie with more boldness than she felt.
Layla was staring at the outline of the gun in her mother’s hand. She shook her head. ‘No! I’ll call the police.’ She started to reach for the phone on the bedside table.
Annie grabbed her hand. ‘We don’t have time for that. They could hear one of the extensions pick up. And if they hear you speaking, they’ll know we’re awake. Come on.’
Keeping hold of Layla’s arm, Annie steered her to the connecting door to the master suite. They passed inside, then Annie locked that door. Which left only the main door into the hallway for anyone to come through. And they were going to be ready for that.
Annie took Layla across to the door into the hall. She tucked herself in behind it, and placed Layla behind her. She squeezed Layla’s hand. And then focused all her attention on the door.
Don’t come in here, she thought. Please, please don’t.
But the footsteps were coming closer. She froze into stillness, raised the gun – and watched the doorknob start to turn.
Layla gave a frightened gasp. Annie felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Whoever it was, they were coming in here.
Hit him with the gun or fire it?
Fire it and get herself banged up on a murder charge? No. Hit him. Hit him hard. She wished she had the kiyoga, the martial arts weapon Tony had given her years ago, but it was long-forgotten, in a cupboard somewhere.
Now the door was swinging inward.
The two women froze, held their breath.
A tall dark outline appeared, moving cat-footed on the floor of the master suite. As his head came into view, Annie struck out with the gun. But the intruder had fast reactions and must have sensed it coming. He turned his head away so that the weapon caught him only a glancing blow. Then, knowing they were there, he jammed his shoulder into the door, driving Annie back into Layla.
Caught off balance, Annie staggered, fell to her knees, dropped the gun.
Layla screamed as the intruder flung himself upon them. Annie, unable to reach the gun, resorted to kicking out at him as hard as she could, her face a mask of terror and fury. He stumbled, crashing into Layla and sending her sprawling to the floor. When she looked up, her mother was grappling with the intruder. Wild-eyed with horror, Layla thought she saw the flash of moonlight on a knife.