Her Darkest Hour

Prologue

Eve Blackburn had just enjoyed one of the most exhilarating weeks of her life. She and her husband, Tim Fischer, had returned from a trip to the Florida Keys to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. They’d been trying to conceive ever since their honeymoon the year prior and timing had lined up right during their stay in Islamorada. Eve was thrilled about the prospect of finally becoming pregnant. She longed to feel a baby moving around inside of her, to wear cute maternity clothes, and to pick out her child’s name. She looked forward to it more than anything else. She was counting the days until she could take a home pregnancy test and confirm the happy news.

Eve came from a big brood, and her three older brothers already had spouses and kids of their own. Their parents, Wilder and Phoebe Blackburn, had instilled a strong sense of family in the kids that Eve wanted to replicate. Ty, Jake, and Holden were good brothers, having watched over their little sister with the utmost loving care. Eve had been doted on. Spoiled even. She had bloomed like a flower under the adoration showered upon her. Now that Eve and Tim were settled into married life and their cozy new home on Crickett Lane, she wanted to offer the same happy childhood to a baby they’d raise together, surrounded by the positive energy of their relatives.

In the Blackburn clan, loyalty to each other and to the family business was everything. Eve enjoyed her work as an event coordinator at Brambleberry Fields, her family’s resort. She’d never dreamed about working anywhere else so, after graduating from college in Los Angeles with a degree in business, Eve had returned home to do her part. She eagerly awaited the day her little one would play in the sunshine on the property with his or her cousins and trot cheerfully behind Freckles, the farm dog.

At home in Rosemary Run on a bright February morning, Eve had recovered from jet lag and was ready to get back to her regular routine. Her family and friends would, no doubt, want to hear about her and Tim’s trip. Life was good. Spring was coming, and the young couple had a lot to be happy about. Which is why it took Eve by complete surprise when she found herself waking up in a strange man’s bed.

The shock was sudden and absolute. It moved through Eve’s body like a bolt of lightning, causing her physical pain. As she rubbed her bleary eyes, she hoped what she was experiencing was nothing more than a bad dream. Her head felt foggy, and her limbs heavy. There was an incessant ringing in her ears. The room seemed to spin around her.

She told herself to close her eyes tightly, wishing with all her might that when she opened them a second time, she’d see Tim sleeping next to her instead of a stranger she didn’t recognize.

Chapter 1

Eve screamed. She couldn’t help it. She heard the noise that came from her mouth, but it sounded far away. Foreign. It was as if she’d somehow left her body to watch what was happening from a distance. Time seemed to stand still as her blood pounded in her veins like an angry deluge.

Where am I?

She smoothed the red hair on the sides of her head in rhythmic motions, beginning at the crown and sliding downward until her fingers reached the wispy ends which cascaded around her bare bosom. She shrieked again, more sharply this time, frightened by her own nakedness. Clumsily, she grabbed a wad of sheet and flung it over top of herself.

How did I get here? I can’t remember.

The man beside her lay still and silent, in a deep sleep. Eve thanked the heavens for that much.

Her motions quickly became more frantic. She felt somehow sped up. Reaching one hand for her hair again, she pulled on a clump of strands. Tearing and destroying her own scalp, she let her fingers do the work of the rage and confusion she felt inside. She pulled and ripped so hard that blood began to drip, reaching her shoulders.

Seeing the red drops as they rolled down her body and plopped onto the sheet was a surreal experience. Eve felt disconnected from the blood, like it was coming from someone else. Just like her screams.

What’s wrong with me?

Escalating further, Eve thrashed and kicked, her naked flesh becoming exposed again. She flailed like a child having a temper tantrum. Her whole body got into the action, heaving and pushing. She was a bundle of terror, the intensity expressed in the only way her body knew how at that moment.

“What in the hell?”

The question came from the man in bed beside her. He was bleary-eyed, but alarmed by the dramatic scene unfolding around him.

Eve suddenly stopped screaming, the reality of her whereabouts flashing into focus. She looked at the man. He looked back, dumbfounded.

Eve opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Instead, she picked herself up, clawing at the clothing strewn around the floor beside the bed. She wasn’t sure it was hers. She wasn’t processing. It didn’t matter much if it was hers. Not right then. She needed to get out of there. And fast.

“Wait!” the man called.

Eve glanced at him, but didn’t stop moving. With the balled up sheet and a few items of clothing in hand, she frantically scanned the room for an exit. A set of sliding glass doors led to a backyard patio. She set her sights, then rushed forward. Only she misjudged the situation and slammed into the cool glass.

Her head took the brunt of the impact. Eve saw stars and thought she might pass out. She stumbled around, reaching an arm out to steady herself. But there was nothing to grab onto. No one to help steady her.

How badly she wanted Tim. If he were there, he would cradle her in his embrace and tell her everything would be okay. It’s what he always did when his wife got out of sorts. She needed him now. Oh, so much.

“Tim!” Eve cried as she fell to the floor, crashing down in an oppressive haze that refused to let her loose. “Tim! I need you. Come and get me, Tim.”

As her awareness faded to black, Eve saw the strange man’s feet in front of her. She couldn’t fathom who he was or what he was doing there. She just wanted her husband. He would know what to do.

And then, everything went completely black.