But those assurances did nothing to settle her pulse or slow the speed of her thoughts. Especially since no trees stood near the house. Besides, Pippa had once slept through a blaring fire truck siren when her neighbor had a middle-of-the-night emergency.

Another thump had Sophie snatching her phone off the nightstand, her feet sliding to the floor. That one had definitely come from the entry. She stood, clutching her phone to her chest. Should she call 911? She’d peek out her bedroom door first to see if anything was amiss. She dialed the first two numbers before making her way across the cool wood floor.

The air-conditioning kicked on, the sudden sound making her jump. Maybe that’s all the noises had been—the machinations of the cooling unit. As she inched her way to the door, she was grateful that the humming covered the sounds of her movement. But it would also hide the sounds of a potential intruder.

She eased open the door and winced as the hinges creaked. Back on the bed, Pippa remained a still shadow, huddled near the head of the bed.

Sophie peeked out the doorway and into the short hallway. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, but a little light snuck in from the windows in the living room. She’d have to go farther.

She padded down the hallway, along the right-hand wall, her breaths coming in quiet little pants now. When she reached the living room threshold, Sophie swept her gaze over the darkened space. No moving shadows that she could see.

A noise sounded to her right. The front door. The knob clicked.

She lurched for a weapon on the entry table. Her hands closed around something. She raised it over her head, wishing she’d taken time to dial that final “1.”

Too late now. A hulking shadow came through the doorway.

She brought the object down hard. It shattered on contact as a scream tore from her throat.

“What the—?”

In a blink she was knocked back against the foyer wall. Weight pressing. Arm at her throat.

She grabbed at it, pulling, but her efforts were ineffectual. He was big and strong, towering over her. A thousand pounds of pressure. Her legs trapped.

She couldn’t scream. Couldn’t breathe.

Shuffling sounds. Then a light, bright and glaring.

Her wide eyes fixed on a male face. A familiar face.

“Aiden?” she tried to say, but nothing came out.

He blinked down at her, the hardened mask slipping away. He dropped his arms and backed away. “Sophie. What are you doing here?”

Air. She dragged in a breath. Intense relief slumped her shoulders. Thank God it was only Aiden. For a minute she’d thought she was a goner. Her lungs expanded again and again, trying to keep pace with her rattled heart.

“What are you doing here?” Irritation rose over the feeling of relief. “You’re supposed to be on your way home.”