Be Careful What You Wish For(2)

A bolt of lightning flashed, followed by a loud clap of thunder. Edgar bolted down the hallway.
“Edgar, you bastard!” she screamed. Sean spun around, giving out a mighty bellow of anger. Sandra looked around desperately for some kind of weapon. The closest thing she could see was a wooden chair. She picked it up and brought it crashing down across the back of his head. He staggered to one side and she pushed past him out the door. She could hear his muttered curses as she ran down the hall, through the living room that masqueraded as a waiting room, and out the front door. There was no sign of Edgar. She jetted across the wet pavement toward her aging hatchback and fumbled in her jeans pocket for the keys. Where were they?
Fuck.
She’d left them inside.
A noise came from behind; he was coming. She needed to get away.
She took off down the street, passing boarded-up houses and small, closed businesses. Nine at night, and the entire block had shut down. Why had she agreed to an evening appointment in this part of town?
It was a cesspit, dangerous for a woman alone.
She could hear his footsteps thudding behind her. Damn, he was fast.
Lightning flashed again; rain burst from the sky, hitting the pavement in splatters. Within seconds she felt it soaking her hair and her T-shirt. She slipped and almost went down, but managed to flail her arms and pull herself back upright.
He was gaining on her. She wouldn’t be able to outrun him.
She turned a corner and a light called to her from a storefront diner? She put on an extra burst of speed and started toward it. Not fast enough. His fingers caught the back of her T-shirt, ripping at it viciously.
She almost went down, but she managed to keep to her feet, somehow tried to keep moving. Maybe she could rip the shirt and get away…
He jerked back on the fabric. Hard. She choked, falling backwards, hitting the ground with such force that she couldn’t breathe. He rolled onto her, roughly covering her mouth with his hand.
“You aren’t getting away just yet, little girl,” he said, his voice low and menacing. “I’ve worked too hard for this to let you f*ck it up. Edgar will keep his mouth shut, he’ll be too scared not to. You’re another story.”
Oh, she was scared all right. She choked back a sob, wishing desperately that she hadn’t taken the appointment. What had she been thinking?
He lay on top of her for several tense seconds as her pulse pounded in her ears. Her chest heaved against his, the hard points of her nipples flattened against his muscles. Nothing about him gave even an inch of space. She opened her mouth, gasping against his hand for air. She couldn’t get a deep breath.
One small part of her mind registered he wasn’t breathing hard at all. Bastard.
“I’m going to let you up slowly,” he said, whispered in her ear. His breath seemed hot, menacing. “You need to keep your mouth shut. If you don’t, I’ll kill you. If you do exactly what I say, you may have a chance to live. Do you understand?”
She nodded her head, her gaze darting toward the diner. Why didn’t anyone see her? Sure, it was dark and wet, but they were right in the middle of the street. Didn’t they realize she needed help?
“Look at me,” he said. “Convince me that you understand.”
She turned her eyes toward him, getting a good look at the man for the first time. Pale blue eyes met her gaze, so pale they seemed unnatural. Witch eyes, she thought, shuddering. They bore through her without a trace of warmth, two orbs of ice penetrating her soul.
“Are you going to make any noise?” he asked slowly.
She shook her head as well as she could, meaning it. She had no doubt that he’d kill her if she didn’t obey. Not that he’d enjoy it, she thought. Killing her would be no more than swatting a fly to him. He wouldn’t think twice about it.
“You keep quiet and stay next to me,” he said. “If we run into anyone, you agree with everything I say.”
She nodded, and then he leaned up on one arm. The movement pushed his hips down into her, and to her horror she felt something press against her. That same bulge she’d seen before, only much bigger. He wanted her.
Her startled gaze flew to his face again.
“If you’re good, I’ll keep you around for a while,” he said slowly. “You might have all kinds of uses.”
With that he let her go, pushing himself to his feet and then pulling her up roughly beside him. He grabbed her upper arm and marched her down the street toward Edgar’s office. As they walked, a van pulled up next to them, and for one shining moment hope filled her heart. Then the door slid open, and a black man with eyes as dead as her captor’s looked at them.
“Who the hell is she?” he asked.