Crush(103)

I started to move faster. The quiet of the normally bustling streets of Boston was eerie. “Logan, one more thing.”

“Yeah, sure, what is it?”

“It’s probably nothing, but when I opened the back door this morning to leave, it was covered with hundreds of black rose petals.”

“Where are you?” he asked, panicked.

He took me by surprise and I stuttered. I wasn’t exactly quite sure.

“Where are you?” he was yelling.

“I’m walking on a side street, heading toward the boutique.”

It sounded like he was moving. “Listen to me and don’t argue. Get back in the car, lock the doors, and come straight here. I’ll meet you outside.” The wobble in his voice told me to listen.

My legs buckled beneath me. “You’re scaring me.”

“I’m headed outside. I want you in your car and driving—now! Are you at the vehicle yet?”

The rain was coming down so hard it was whipping against me and it was hard to see. “No, I just turned back.”

“Reschedule my clients for the day,” I heard him say.

“I’ll call you when I’m in the car,” I said.

“No! Stay on the phone with me.”

My heart was beating erratically. “It’s just ahead.”

“Okay, keep walking as fast as you can.”

Panic like I’ve never felt gripped me. I hit the key fob and unlocked the door as fast as I could. “I’m getting inside. What’s going on?”

“I’ll tell you when you’re safely inside and the door is locked.”

“I’m in,” I said, my voice nothing more than a whisper.

“Start driving. I’m outside waiting for you.”

That woodsy, pine-like smell was still in my car. It was stronger than ever now and it no longer smelled like the outdoors, but more like the expensive aftershave I can remember my father wearing on special occasions. I wanted to gag. I couldn’t stand it.

Just as my head turned to see what it could possibly be, an arm came around and covered my mouth. Terror plagued me. I tried to scream, but all that came out was a muffled sound. My eyes darted to the rearview mirror. There was a man wearing a black ski mask in my backseat. Icy blue eyes were all I could see.

Fear assaulted me.

My pulse started to thunder out of control.

All I wanted was for my defense mechanism to kick in.

My heart beat wildly as I figured out what I had to do.

The phone fell to the ground when I raised my arms to attack. But we weren’t standing, and he had an advantage. As a result, my movements were jagged, not coordinated like they should have been. When I reached back to tear his eyes out, pull his hair, cause any bodily injury I could, he pressed something sharp against my face—a knife. “Don’t move,” he said through gritted teeth.

I knew better, but I tried to knock the knife from his hand by jabbing my elbow upward. His response was immediate and he pressed the blade harder. Along with pain, I felt warmth tricking down my face. He’d cut my cheek. How bad, I had no idea. Tears leaked from my eyes.

Then, in a rage, I went a little crazy. My hands going to my cheek, to the roof of the car, reaching behind me. My wild actions were enough to knock the knife from his grip, but in response he started to strangle me. I wasn’t going to be able to get away from him. All my training, all the strength I thought I possessed, and I wasn’t going to be able to fight him off.

“Elle?” I could hear Logan’s frantic voice.

My attacker’s hand was no longer on my mouth and I screamed, “Help! Help!”

In an instant he was covering my mouth again, this time with something thick and cottony. It smelled sweet and I immediately began to feel nauseous.

Moments later, his mouth was at my ear and I could smell the foul scent of his breath permeating my membranes even through the chemical scent. “‘They said to him, teacher this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do you say?’”

My sounds, although muffled, had to convey my fear.

“You’re much stronger than your sister. I thought you weaker. I thought I’d only have to hold on to you for a day or so. That all I had to do was convince you of the value of monogamy. I didn’t realize you were snooping into affairs that have nothing to do with you.”

I shook my head no.

He tsked. “Don’t lie. He hath punishments for those who dare do so.”

Again, I shook my head.

“I overheard your phone call. I know that you were looking around at things that are none of your business,” he said in a whisper.

I tried to deny it, but nothing came out.

He removed the cloth from my mouth. “What do you know?”

“Nothing. I swear. The only thing I care about is Clementine.”

The cotton was back in my mouth.

This time my gag reflex was triggered and I tried to push air from my mouth. I didn’t like the sound of his voice at all. It was disguised in some way. It was familiar yet not. It was like he was deliberately trying to change it.

“You’re the one who’s been calling me,” I tried to say.

Just then, everything around me became hazy. He let go of his hold on me. I wanted to open the door and run, but it was too dark. I couldn’t see anything. The sound of the rain on the roof of the car seemed to be amplified and I felt like I was drowning, like I was lying on the sidewalk and the water was rushing over me.