Chapter 5
The solid metal of the barrel pressed harder against the back of Mickey’s head. All the blood drained from her face and she squeezed her elbows to her sides, trying to make herself smaller. Not that it helped. She had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
“Put your phone down,” said the woman behind her. Her voice was full of grit, as if she’d gurgled a handful of rocks after smoking a pack of cigarettes.
Her hot breath brushed against Mickey’s ear and her stomach heaved.
Saliva filled her mouth and she swallowed hard to keep from getting sick.
Something told her the woman holding her hostage wouldn’t appreciate getting puke on her shoes.
Slowly reaching forward, she placed her phone face up on the table.
“Take whatever you want,” Mickey said in a small voice. “I don’t have much, but take it all.”
A harsh laugh raised all the hairs on her arms. “I don’t want your shit. I’m here to make sure you keep your mouth shut.”
“About what? I don’t know anything.” Tears clogged her throat.
She pushed down the panic coursing through her and tried to focus.
How the hell could she get out of this? Her eyes darted to her purse sitting on the table in front of her.
If she could reach it, she stood a chance.
But if she moved at all, she’d probably get a bullet in the brain.
“I saw the FBI agent leave here earlier. I know he was asking about Pete.” The barrel of the gun sunk into her scalp and she winced. “What did you tell him?”
“I told him he was wrong. Pete couldn’t have taken Becca. He’s a good guy.”
Holy shit. This crazy bitch knew Pete. What had she gotten herself involved in?
The woman snorted. “He’s far from a good guy. You have no idea what he’s capable of.”
Mickey’s ears tuned in to the hint of anger in the woman’s voice. Maybe she could get her to talk, calm her down and talk her into leaving her alone. “How do you know Pete? Did he lie to you, too?”
“It’s none of your damn business.” The woman lifted the gun from her head and Mickey released a pent-up breath.
“Sit down and put your hands on the table where I can see them. Don’t even think about trying anything stupid.
My partner’s waiting downstairs. If you’re lucky enough to get away from me and my gun, he’ll snag your ass as soon as your feet hit the sidewalk. ”
She did as she was told. Sweat gathered on her palms, making her hands slippery on the wooden table. She pressed her teeth together to keep them from chattering and kept her gaze glued on her purse mere inches away from her hand. Running obviously wasn’t an option. She had to get in there.
Footsteps fell behind her and traveled from one end of the kitchen to the other.
The gun wasn’t pressed against her anymore, but she had no doubt it was still trained on her.
“I didn’t sign up to kill people, but I have no choice.
Pete slipped up. I told him it was too risky getting involved with someone, even if it were only to get close to the girl. ”
Mickey’s stomach dropped and the queasiness intensified.
Her vision blurred and she blinked to keep the room in focus.
Doubt had crept in about Pete’s role in Becca’s disappearance, but now there was no hiding from the truth.
Pete had Becca, and she had to pull herself together. She had to find Becca.
She had to keep the woman talking so she could come up with a plan. “How did you get into my apartment?”
The footsteps came closer and her body tensed. “Pete gave me your spare key. How sweet of you two to decide to take the next step in your relationship. It’s too bad you didn’t ask for the key back when you broke up with him.”
A sharp clink ricocheted beside her and the spare key bounced on the table.
She’d been so excited when they’d exchanged keys.
It had been the first time she’d ever taken that step and it had cemented their relationship in her mind.
Things had progressed quickly for them, but they both had believed their meeting was fate.
What a mistake that had been.
Even when the excitement of their whirlwind romance had died down and Pete’s temper had flared, she had told herself everyone had flaws.
Maybe Suzi was right, maybe she’d kept him around too long because it was better than being alone.
Now the decision to make him a part of her life might cost her everything.
The gun came back to rest against her head and she sucked in a sharp breath.
“Breaking up with him really set him off, you know. He hates when people make decisions for him, especially women. He might have even spared poor Becca if you’d kept on screwing him.
” Moist lips rested against her ear and she choked back a sob. “He said you were an excellent lay.”
Mickey gripped the edge of the table until her knuckles turned white. Fury burned the blood flowing through her veins, heating her from the inside out. Every muscle in her body screamed to turn around and knock the bitch on her ass, but she couldn’t act yet. She needed to be smart.
The barrel twisted against her head, winding her hair into a painful knot.
“Now I have to make sure you don’t ruin everything.
You said Pete didn’t say anything, but he had to have slipped up at some point.
You two spent months together. I don’t see any other way to make sure all the loose ends are tied up before we leave town. ”
“Please don’t kill me.” Mickey hated the frantic sound of her voice. “Pete didn’t say anything. I don’t know a damn thing.”
“I wish I could believe you, but your time’s up.”
Mickey squeezed her eyes shut. At least it’d be quick. A soft rattling sound followed by muffled curses came from the door. Her eyes flew open and her heart clutched in a vise. She glanced at the clock.
Shit. Lydia’s home.
Her heart pounded in her ears. She held her breath and bit into her bottom lip as her focus returned to her purse. The rattling stopped and the door creaked open.
“Who’s there?” The gun left her skull. Now was the time to act. She jutted her elbow backward and slammed it into the soft stomach of the woman behind her. The woman grunted and stumbled backward, staggering to stay on her feet.
“Get out of here, Lydia! Now.”
The door slammed shut. Mickey’s arm shot out and her hand plunged into her bag.
Her fingers found the hard handle of her taser and she pulled it out.
Turning on the balls of her feet, she lunged at the woman, tackling her to the ground.
A primal scream tore from Mickey’s mouth and the gun fell to the floor.
The woman twisted around, but not before Mickey saw a flash of sapphire eyes and the hard lines of her face.
Long bleach-blond hair trailed down the woman’s back as she stretched out, reaching for the gun.
Mickey’s reach was longer, and she swatted the gun away.
Mickey’s arms wrapped around the woman’s waist and she pulled her back.
Keeping one arm in place as the woman clawed her way forward, she pressed the taser to the back of the woman’s neck and pulled the trigger.
Yellow sparks jumped out and the woman convulsed beneath her before falling limply to the floor.
Mickey jumped to her feet and grabbed her phone.
She turned toward the gun on the floor. She didn’t know how long the woman would be down and couldn’t risk her waking up and grabbing the gun.
Reaching down, she grabbed the butt of the gun and then ran toward her room.
She couldn’t risk running into her assailant’s partner downstairs.
Her fingers trembled as she unlocked her phone and pressed send.
Agent Grassi’s number flashed across her screen before she pressed it to her ear.
Come on. Answer the damn phone.
Her heart raced as she waited for him to answer. She closed and locked her bedroom door, and then sat on the floor with the gun pointed at the door. If the bitch came after her again, she’d be ready.
“Agent Grassi.”
“Someone’s trying to kill me! I need you to come to my apartment, or call the police, something. Just get someone here fast.” Her voice trembled and she whispered into the phone as she squeezed it between her shoulder and ear.
“Who is this?”
“It’s Mickey.” She sucked in a deep breath to calm her shaking nerves. “Please come here. She jumped me in my apartment and put a gun to my head.” Her words tumbled out faster and her beating heart slapped harder against her chest.
“Okay, calm down.” His voice softened but his breath turned ragged, as if he were running. “Where are you now?”
“In my bedroom. I knocked her out with my taser and ran to my room. I have her gun in case she comes in here.” A slight tremor rippled through her hands and she squeezed the butt of the gun to steady them. She couldn’t let fear stop her from protecting herself if need be.
“You’re still in the apartment? Where’s the woman who broke in?” The panic in Graham’s voice made her blood pressure spike.
“She’s passed out on the kitchen floor. I don’t know how long she’ll stay down.
I didn’t know what to do. I thought she was going to kill me, but then my roommate came home.
” Her breaths hitched and sharp, shallow gasps wedged in her throat.
“Oh my God, Lydia. I told her to run. What if she comes in and gets hurt?”
“I’m going to hang up and call the police. Keep your phone right beside you. I’ll call you right back. I’m close by, but I might need backup and I want them on their way.”
“Okay. Hurry.” She shifted the gun in one hand and held the phone in the other. Her gaze locked on the screen and she willed it to ring. Agent Grassi couldn’t do anything until he got there, but it made her more confident just having him on the phone.
Seconds stretched out like hours. She kept her body as still as possible, her ears tuned into every shift and groan of the old apartment. Her phone vibrated in her hand, and she swallowed back tears of relief as Agent Grassi’s number popped up on the screen.
“Hello?” The word came out on the release of a pent-up breath.
“The police are on their way. Your roommate called them.”
A million scenarios played in her head of Lydia getting caught in the middle of this mess. Becca was missing. She didn’t need Lydia getting hurt because of her too. She couldn’t live with herself.
“She’s across the street at a coffee shop waiting for the cops. She’s fine, and she did the right thing by getting the hell out of there and calling the police.” An irritated sigh sounded through the phone. “You should have gotten out of there, too.”
Irritation intertwined with her fear. “She said someone was waiting downstairs. I didn’t want to get away from one psychopath just to run into another,” she hissed through clenched teeth.
“I should be there before the police, so hold tight. Have you heard any activity?”
“I haven’t heard anything. But my door’s closed, and the kitchen is down the hall. I don’t know if I’d hear her if she moved around.”
“If she woke up and planned on coming after you, there’d be no reason for her to try and be quiet. You’d know.”
Great, just what I wanted to hear.
Her heart stopped beating for a second and she held her breath. She strained her ear toward the door. “I don’t hear anything.”
“Good. I’m turning the corner right now. I’ll be there in a couple of minutes.”
“Be careful. She has long blond hair and I don’t know if she had any other weapons on her.” The guy might be a dick, but she didn’t want him to get hurt.
“I’ll be fine,” he said with another annoying laugh. “I’m going to hang up now. I’m the first one here, and I need both hands.”
Panic tore through her. She didn’t want to get off the phone. As stupid as it sounded, he was her lifeline right now. “Why do you need both hands?”
A beat passed before he said, “In case I need my gun. Keep your phone close in case you need it. Do you know how to use a gun?”
“Point and shoot?”
“Good enough. Hang tight.”
The call disconnected and she laid her phone face up on her lap.
She wrapped both of her hands around the grip of the gun and kept her eyes locked on the door.
The front door banged open and a muffled yell floated down the hall.
Adrenaline sparked from her nerve endings, causing her teeth to clatter and her foot to bounce up and down on the shaggy rug.
Graham was here, but it didn’t mean she was safe yet.
Heavy footsteps barreled toward her. “Mickey, I’m here,” he called out.
The vise of fear squeezing her lungs loosened, but her frayed nerves stayed on high alert. She kept the gun trained on the door.
Bam!
Another door slammed open. The sudden burst of noise made her jump.
Bam!
And another. This one closer and louder. Probably the bathroom door right next to her room. Her grip tightened around the gun. Please, Lord, let that be Graham
Bam!
Her door burst open, wood splintering from the doorframe, and Graham swung into her room. His legs stood firm, his feet planted on the ground. Both arms stretched out in front of him and a gun, much like the one she held, was aimed at her. His eyes darted around the room, and he walked in slowly.
She stood. “What the hell is your problem? You could have knocked, or just opened the damn door. You scared the shit out of me.”
His intense gray eyes hardened and his jaw tightened. “Are you alone in here?”
“Yes, dammit.” She lifted her hands in frustration. “Who do you think would be in here?”
Graham dropped the gun to his side, his gaze never leaving hers. “I don’t know. But there sure as hell isn’t anyone out there.”