“I hope you didn’t rough him up too much.”
“Believe me, he deserved what he got. We used our connections to pull up a criminal history and let’s just say that what I read definitely didn’t put him on the list to receive a Christmas card from me.”
I nod.
“So now you’re free, just like all the other women he tormented. Free to do whatever you wish without the need to worry. Free to live your life on your own terms, for yourself.”
Suddenly his cell phone emits an unusual beeping sound and he steps off to the side. “Sorry, I have to take this.”
I hear him say, “Roger that,” a few times and look at his watch. Whatever this is must be serious.
He ends the call and tells me we need to go, pronto. Says that he’s going to take me to the lobby where a car will be pulling up in literally twenty seconds to pick me up and take me home. He’s got something urgent to attend to, but the man who’s driving is his right hand man…and that I’m safe.
I nod, but don’t tell him how I really feel. All I can do is look out the back windshield after I enter the long, black car and it pulls away. I just want to get a glimpse of him one last time, but the windshield is tinted…so I don’t even get that.
14
Henry
“What do you mean she’s missing?”
“I dropped her off at the house ten minutes ago, boss. Next thing I know the house is calling asking to confirm when she’ll arrive.”
“Wasn’t anyone working the gate?”
“Yes. I took her inside too. I dropped off her literally on the front steps.”
“What’s the security footage say?” I question, my mind trying to figure out what the hell’s going on. The thought of her not in my life, and even worse taken from me, crashes down on me like a ton of bricks. If anyone has her the nine circles of hell will be a pleasure compared to what I want to do to whoever did this to her.
I think where she might be, where her motivation could be. No clue. She seemed so happy, just like me, so complete. It makes no sense.
I know she doesn’t have much money to her name, but I’m not sure if she has a credit card. Hell, I’d planned to give her an Amex Black card so she could buy whatever she wanted, now I’m trying to determine if she has a credit limit big enough to allow her to purchase a plane ticket last second.
“Bus,” I say, slamming my hand on the steering wheel as I flip a U-turn in the middle of the road after confirming there’s no one behind me or in front of me. I need to keep my head and not injure any innocent people.
I hit the gas and beeline it to the bus station, where I throw the car in park and quickly run to the platform. I want to call out her name, but I don’t. If she is trying to escape and she hears me she might hide.
There are so many questions right now but no answers.
I stalk the bus station until I see someone who looks like her. It’s not an exact match, but maybe she’s done this on purpose to throw me off. I stare at the side of the person’s head on the bus that’s pulling out, running to the driver and alerting him to stop the bus, just as someone reaches across her and pulls the curtain shut.
Shit! She’s being abducted.
I board the bus and run to her seat, only to see it’s a man and hi
s daughter. “Quit staring at my daughter, you creep,” he says, and in this case I can’t blame the man for his words.
“Has anyone seen a woman who looks like this woman here at the bus station in the last couple hours?”
Crickets.
I dart off the bus and run back into the station, looking searching until I spot what has to be one of my oversized T-shirts…and it’s being worn over a pair of leggings she had on when she arrived.
Jackpot!
I race toward her, grabbing her by the shoulders and spinning her around.
“What are you doing here?” she asks, tears in her eyes.