Chapter 9
Cassandra
We closed in ten minutes and Alek hadn’t returned. Couldn’t say I was worried or disappointed. I hoped he wouldn’t come after all. That was mean of me but honestly, I just didn’t have romantic feelings for him.
Yes, Alek Kozlov was handsome. Charming. A nice diversion from the man who still owned my heart.
But at the end of the day, I only thought of him as a casual acquaintance… An interesting customer.
Gosh, I hoped I hadn’t led him on.
I’d feel horrible if I’d given him mixed signals. Then again, he had caught me wrapped up in a passionate kiss with Chris. That should have made things crystal clear for him.
“You look nice,” Lucy said as she washed her hands at the sink behind me.
“Thanks, but I not sure about dinner with Alek.” I managed to freshen up in the bathroom, washing my face and armpits. I redid my makeup and put my hair in a bun. I was presentable at best.
I prided myself on always being prepared for anything. I had a tote bag in the trunk of my car with an extra change of clothes, emergency gear, and tools in case I got a flat tire. Not that I was very good at changing flats. But as a single woman, I wanted to be able to take care of myself.
Here at work, the bottom drawer of my desk was packed full of all kinds of things: toothbrushes, mouthwash, tampons, deodorant, makeup, body spray and dry shampoo. And a bunch of other items.
Makayla and Jazz teased me about it because I rarely went out after work and I just liked to buy stuff. They weren’t wrong, I did like to shop but I was a bit of a preparedness nut.
At home, I had enough food to last a couple of months… Just in case the shit it the fan.
And hey, I needed the stuff today for my unplanned dinner with Alek. I’d call my preparedness a win.
“Maybe he won’t show up.” Lucy shrugged, drying her hands. “Ope, I spoke too soon.”
The door opened and my hopes went down the toilet.
“Good evening, ladies.” Alek entered in a dark suit and a confident strut. The door swung closed and a breeze blew his scent into my face. It was as if he’d bathed in the fragrance department at Bloomingdales.
Holy moly! Had he used a whole bottle of cologne?
“Hi.” I smiled and gathered my things, wrinkling my nose and hoping I didn’t sneeze.
Now, I appreciated a well-groomed man, but Alek had taken it a bit far. I liked some grit and the natural scent of… Chris’s face popped into my head. Yeah, the natural scent of him.
When we kissed last week, I couldn’t get enough of him. All of him. His touch. The way he tasted. His natural scent. There’d been a hint of cologne, but the way it blended with his own pheromones made me fall under his spell.
Admittedly, I was sad he hadn’t come back. But maybe I didn’t do it for him anymore and he went back to Booty Shorts Suzy.
“Where are you taking her?” Lucy asked. “It must be out of San Diablo. There isn’t anything fancy in our small town.”
“It’s a surprise,” Alek replied.
“Cass doesn’t like surprises.” Lucy frowned while collecting her things. The building was empty so we could close a few minutes earlier, which we did often.
“I didn’t know that.” Alek turned toward me. “You don’t like surprises?”
“Not really. But you know… I’ve been giving this some thought, and I don’t feel right about this.
I don’t know you well, and I’m not prepared for a fancy dinner.
” I peered down at myself. I wore a cotton T-shirt dress and black sneakers, but my outfit would never be acceptable in a fine dining establishment.
“I don’t understand. You can’t have dinner with a friend?” He laughed, moving closer to the door. “Don’t be silly. It’ll be great. You’ll see.”
Don’t be silly? How insulting.
“Maybe you can reschedule dinner,” Lucy said.
“That’s a great idea.” I nodded. “How about next weekend?”
“Oh, come on.” Alek fanned out his hands. “I’m here already and the reservation is made.”
I bit my bottom lip feeling all kinds of pressure and unease.
“Let’s go, so I can lock up.” If I could get everyone out of the building, it might be easier to tell Alek no, and I can hot-foot it to my car.
Alek and Lucy went outside to wait for me as I set the alarm system and turned the lights off.
Exciting the building, I exhaled a nervous breath. The summer evening was warm and the sky had darkened, turning a hue of fuchsia and orange as the sun began its slow descent.
We always had gorgeous sunsets, but tonight’s felt a bit ominous and I wasn’t sure why.
Don’t be a drama queen. It’s just dinner.
“All set?” Alek asked.
“Yes,” I replied. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Lucy.”
“Okay. Have fun.” She waved on her way to her car, and I watched her as always.
I had a special spot as the business owner on the side of the building, and my employees had to go around the block to a parking lot.
The seconds it took her to turn the corner had been enough for me to find my strength and resolve. I wouldn’t be going anywhere with Alek tonight or any night.
“I’m sorry, Alek but I can’t go.” I turned to face him and was met with a scowl and something poking me in the ribs.
“Walk toward that black sedan and don’t scream or try to run,” he said in a devious voice.
My blood turned cold and my heart stopped.
What was happening?
“Alek, what’s going on?” I asked as tears pricked my eyes. Images of me lying in a pool of blood on the sidewalk flashed behind my eyes. Why would he want to kill me?
I hadn’t done anything to wrong him, had I?
“Just walk.”
“Is that a gun in my side?” That was a silly question. What else could it have been?
“Quiet.”
Me and all my preparedness were useless in this situation.
I’d been meaning to take a self-defense but kept putting it off because I couldn’t take off from work.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
But I had a can of mace in my purse and a stabby flashlight thingy my dad bought my sister and me when we first started driving by ourselves.
What good they were when a man was holding a gun against my body.
An elderly couple strolled toward us with their little dog. I saw them walking every evening when I closed the café. They couldn’t possibly help me. And I wouldn’t put their lives at risk by causing a scene.
“Evening,” the old man said. His wife waved and their dog ran toward my feet.
“Good evening,” Alek replied, wrapping his arm around my waist to pull me closer. The barrel of the gun dug deeper into my side.
I did everything possible to smile as if nothing was amiss.
A downside to living in a small town of less than ten thousand people was after six o’clock it became a ghost town. People retired for the day. Aside from a couple of restaurants and a mini mart that stayed open late, everything shutdown for the night.
We passed the couple and stopped at a black BMW with the windows blacked out.
Oh God, this was so bad!
“Are you going to kill me?” I asked as my voice thickened with emotion.
“Not if you cooperate.” He opened the door for me to get into the backseat.
“Please let me go.” I tugged away from him slightly, which only made his grip on my arm tighten. “I’ll never speak of this, or you if you let me go.”
“Get in.” He shoved me into the back.
I startled when a man wearing a mask was in the driver’s seat turned around to see me.
A scream ripped from my lungs on its own accord. I kicked my legs at Alek. He might as well kill me because I wasn’t going anywhere with him.
I reached for the door handle on the other side, and it was locked.
“Help me!” I yelled at the top of my lungs. “I’m being taken it against my will!”
Alek got into the car and whipped something out of his pocket.
I saw the metal syringe, but before I could register what was happening, it went into my neck.
I started crying hysterically as my surroundings rapidly darkened to a pinpoint.
Chris, I need you… Please save me…