the phone down and stared at it. That was a line of bullshit if he’d ever heard one. What the hell was going on?
He picked the phone up and dialed Christian’s cell.
Probably just overreacting. But where she was concerned, he couldn’t think straight. She’d more than likely walk through the door at any minute, it was almost seven now.
When her voice mail answered, he hung up. Maybe she just turned her phone off.
Weird phone calls ... creepy phone calls...
Damn it.
He dialed her condo. If she didn’t answer this time...
It rang, and rang, and rang.
* * * *
The ringing phone startled her and she jerked.
"Help is so close," he chuckled, "yet unattainable."
The phone rang and she smelled the albuterol as it puffed uselessly in her face. Tears soaked the cloth covering her eyes.
"Don’t you just hate that? And the phone is what? Eight inches from your hand?" His cultured voice taunted her, the smile in it, the humor, the excitement whispered through. "The medicine to help you breathe? Only two inches from your face."
Her chest was so tight it hurt to even try to breathe. The puff of her inhaler sputtered.
"Oops, it appears you need to refill your prescription." She heard the inhaler drop to the floor, the sound of crushing plastic as he must have stepped on it.
One leather clad hand trailed over her chest. Christian bucked and jerked, strained against the ropes until her muscles shook.
The sound of his laughter rang in her ears as his hand traveled lower and lower.
She tried to scream, but the wheezing sound was lost in silken fabric.
* * * *
Gabe parked beside Christian’s VW bug. Geoffery and Drayson were walking to their door.
"Oh, Gabe," Geoffery’s gaze looked at the parking space and back to him. "New slot? You know tenants are supposed to park in front of their condos."
He didn’t care about proper parking rules.
"Yeah, I know. Anymore trouble next door?" he asked as Geoffery slid his key in.
"No, should there have been?" Drayson asked.
Gabe shrugged.
"Do you know anymore about that ghastly gift and strange caller?" Drayson asked.
"No." Gabe smiled and stood in front of Christian’s door. He could hear a phone ringing. And ringing.
Why didn’t she answer it? Maybe she was just in the shower.
He knocked.
"Christian!"
Nothing.
"Christian!"
Something crashed inside.
"Christian!" He moved back and noticed the long fresh groove in the door facing.
He pulled his gun and motioned to Emma. To Drayson and Geoffery he said, "Stay back, go in your condo."
He banged with his fist and again.
"Christian! Christian! Open the door. It’s the police!"
Still nothing.
* * * *
Damn it! He looked down at the woman of his fantasies, at his angel and cursed.
His erection was painful and he wanted to sink it deep inside her.
Someone banged on the door again. If only he hadn’t thrown the phone. It’d hit the wall and broke a vase.
Richard grabbed her by the throat and with the other hand, twisted the locket tighter and tighter. "If you say anything. Anything. One single word, the Kinncaids will die. The first will be Brayden and his little girl." He ripped the locket from her neck and shoved it in his pocket.
Quickly, he rose, grabbed his wet pair of gloves off the floor where he’d thrown them and hurried down the stairs.
Just as he eased out the sliding door in her kitchen into the darken courtyard, he heard the shots shattering the front door lock.
The shadows covered him as he slithered through the darkness, hopped over the back fence and hurried through the alleys. Sirens screamed in the night.
He walked a block down to his car. Inside, he pulled off the gloves.
Thrumming his fingers on the steering wheel, he tried to figure out what had gone wrong. How had the police arrived?
It didn’t matter. He’d find out.
Right now, he needed to get to the airport.
* * * *
Brayden hurried down the stairs. She hadn’t answered. At the door he
He picked the phone up and dialed Christian’s cell.
Probably just overreacting. But where she was concerned, he couldn’t think straight. She’d more than likely walk through the door at any minute, it was almost seven now.
When her voice mail answered, he hung up. Maybe she just turned her phone off.
Weird phone calls ... creepy phone calls...
Damn it.
He dialed her condo. If she didn’t answer this time...
It rang, and rang, and rang.
* * * *
The ringing phone startled her and she jerked.
"Help is so close," he chuckled, "yet unattainable."
The phone rang and she smelled the albuterol as it puffed uselessly in her face. Tears soaked the cloth covering her eyes.
"Don’t you just hate that? And the phone is what? Eight inches from your hand?" His cultured voice taunted her, the smile in it, the humor, the excitement whispered through. "The medicine to help you breathe? Only two inches from your face."
Her chest was so tight it hurt to even try to breathe. The puff of her inhaler sputtered.
"Oops, it appears you need to refill your prescription." She heard the inhaler drop to the floor, the sound of crushing plastic as he must have stepped on it.
One leather clad hand trailed over her chest. Christian bucked and jerked, strained against the ropes until her muscles shook.
The sound of his laughter rang in her ears as his hand traveled lower and lower.
She tried to scream, but the wheezing sound was lost in silken fabric.
* * * *
Gabe parked beside Christian’s VW bug. Geoffery and Drayson were walking to their door.
"Oh, Gabe," Geoffery’s gaze looked at the parking space and back to him. "New slot? You know tenants are supposed to park in front of their condos."
He didn’t care about proper parking rules.
"Yeah, I know. Anymore trouble next door?" he asked as Geoffery slid his key in.
"No, should there have been?" Drayson asked.
Gabe shrugged.
"Do you know anymore about that ghastly gift and strange caller?" Drayson asked.
"No." Gabe smiled and stood in front of Christian’s door. He could hear a phone ringing. And ringing.
Why didn’t she answer it? Maybe she was just in the shower.
He knocked.
"Christian!"
Nothing.
"Christian!"
Something crashed inside.
"Christian!" He moved back and noticed the long fresh groove in the door facing.
He pulled his gun and motioned to Emma. To Drayson and Geoffery he said, "Stay back, go in your condo."
He banged with his fist and again.
"Christian! Christian! Open the door. It’s the police!"
Still nothing.
* * * *
Damn it! He looked down at the woman of his fantasies, at his angel and cursed.
His erection was painful and he wanted to sink it deep inside her.
Someone banged on the door again. If only he hadn’t thrown the phone. It’d hit the wall and broke a vase.
Richard grabbed her by the throat and with the other hand, twisted the locket tighter and tighter. "If you say anything. Anything. One single word, the Kinncaids will die. The first will be Brayden and his little girl." He ripped the locket from her neck and shoved it in his pocket.
Quickly, he rose, grabbed his wet pair of gloves off the floor where he’d thrown them and hurried down the stairs.
Just as he eased out the sliding door in her kitchen into the darken courtyard, he heard the shots shattering the front door lock.
The shadows covered him as he slithered through the darkness, hopped over the back fence and hurried through the alleys. Sirens screamed in the night.
He walked a block down to his car. Inside, he pulled off the gloves.
Thrumming his fingers on the steering wheel, he tried to figure out what had gone wrong. How had the police arrived?
It didn’t matter. He’d find out.
Right now, he needed to get to the airport.
* * * *
Brayden hurried down the stairs. She hadn’t answered. At the door he
Similar Books
