Paranoid(64)

So what? She was out.

She reached into her pocket for her keys.

The merry-go-round slowed, groaning to a stop.

Her heart began to race.

She started for the door to the school and heard the clank of chains. What?

Turning quickly, she swept her gaze over the entire yard to land on the pipe structure from which the swings were suspended. Of the three swings, one was broken, missing its seat, the second unmoving, and the third swaying slightly, its chains rattling as if someone had just gotten off.

That was it.

She was out of here.

Now!

Even if he was here, trying to scare her, she was over it. Their romantic trysts had been sexy and wanton, wild and dangerous, but this, being scared out of her mind like this? When someone she knew had just been murdered?

Nope.

She’d been an idiot to agree to it.

Walking quickly, she made her way to the door she’d used to enter the area, grabbed the big handle, and tugged.

The door didn’t budge.

What?

But she’d just unlocked it....

She pulled again.

Nothing.

Crap!

If he was out here and this was supposed to be some kind of a joke, she’d kill him. She decided to tell him so. “If you think this is turning me on with all this cloak and dagger stuff, you’re wrong.”

No response.

Fear skittered up her spine.

Did something move over by the chapel door, in the alcove of the doorway? Her heart clamored.

She fumbled with her keys, forced the right one into the door. The lock clicked open.

Thank God!

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump!

Faster and faster.

The sound of bats flying, whirring overhead?

No!

Footsteps, running. Gaining speed. Toward her. She pulled the door open, and— Bam! A big gloved hand shoved it closed.

The razor-sharp edge of the door scraped her finger, digging into her flesh. “Ow! Shit!”

“Nuh-uh-uh,” a voice growled at her ear, warm and heavy and not the one she’d expected.

A new fear slithered through her.

Who was this guy?

He pressed his body against hers. She felt him hard against her back. Felt his damned erection pressing into her buttocks through her clothes, gloved hands tangling in her hair, tightening.

No, oh, God, no!

She started to scream, but he slammed her forehead against the door so hard her nose cracked. Light flashed behind her eyes. Pain screamed through her brain. Blood gushed. Stunned, she sagged. Her knees buckled and she would have sunk down but his body kept her upright, pinned to the door.

Her scream was faint. A moan. She heard her keys, jarred from the lock, clink against the concrete Don’t pass out, Annessa. Do not! Fight! Scream! Yell! This guy was going to rape her or kill her or both. She opened her mouth to scream again. Tasted blood running down her throat.

Who was he? Why was he doing this?

Fight, Annessa! Fight, damn it!

Despite his weight pressed against her, she tried to twist, to squirm out of his grasp, but she could barely move. Her arms flailed uselessly; her legs were pinned against the metal door.

Another attempted scream.

Big gloved hands encircled her throat.

Don’t panic! Just get free. Somehow, get away! Now!

He shifted; her legs moved. Frantically, she kicked and swung with her arms, her hands batting wildly as she tried to scream but only wheezed as his steely fingers gripped harder. Dug into her flesh. Crushing. Woozily, she realized she was being lifted off her feet. She kicked wildly! Lost a shoe. Heard it thud against the door.

Kick him! Hit him! Bite him! Get him off you, Annessa! Don’t let him win. Do not!

Fight with all you’ve got. He’s going to kill you!

She struggled.

Her lungs burned.

The other shoe fell away.

Frantically, she tried and failed to drag in even the slightest amount of air.

Nothing!

Oh, God.

Her lungs felt as if they would explode.

Blackness pulled at her consciousness.

Please, God, don’t let me die this way. Help me!

She swung as hard as she could but her arm dropped uselessly.

The fingers around her neck pressed harder.

Through the pain she realized she was about to pass out. There was nothing she could do but give in. As the blackness came, the old prayer whispered through her. Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women....





CHAPTER 20


Her bedroom was dark.

Quiet.

Other than the frantic beating of her heart.

Come on. Do it. Now.

Holding her breath, Harper slid open the window and braced herself. She hardly dared breathe. Waiting expectantly, she didn’t hear a siren shriek or see lights flash on in warning. It worked! Dylan, that cretin, had done what she’d asked and disconnected the security alarm’s circuit running to her room.

Thank God!

She let out her breath slowly, still not convinced that she wouldn’t be caught sneaking out. But Reno didn’t start barking madly, nor did her mother’s feet hit the floor of her bedroom overhead.

So far, so good.

Heart pounding, she slipped on her running shoes, hoisted herself up on the windowsill. Balancing there, she turned herself around and slid down the side of the house. Then she pushed the window almost all of the way closed, paused just long enough to text again. Once she hit SEND, she took off, running along the hedgerow to the back of the house and then sprinting down a side street, moving quickly, just as she had in the hundred-yard dash when she was running track.