Chapter 26 #2
“Don’t you dare scream,” Roberto Escalada said in a low, sinister tone. “If you scream, you’re dead. You got me?”
Juliana nodded as terror rippled through her and robbed her of the ability to breathe, let alone scream. She couldn’t have made a sound just then even to save her own life, which was suddenly in grave danger.
“Turn around and go back down.”
Juliana couldn’t seem to make her legs move.
“Now!”
She turned and on shaking legs went down to the lower deck and opened the door to Michael’s bedroom.
Escalada followed her inside and slid the door closed behind him. “I thought you and lover boy were never going to come home from wherever they had you stashed.”
Juliana sat on the edge of the bed and willed herself to keep breathing as she trembled uncontrollably.
He took a look around the room. “So this is where it all happens, huh? I bet you give it up to that motherfucker Maguire every night, don’t you?
You look like the kind of girl who likes to get it on.
” He came over to stand in front of her and leaned down so close she felt his breath on her neck.
“Maybe I should have me a taste of what he’s been getting. ”
“No,” Juliana whimpered. “Don’t touch me.”
“Now that’s not very friendly, Juliana, and we’re old friends, aren’t we?” He ran a finger along her neck and jaw. “Is that any way to treat a guest?”
She moved away from him, and he grabbed her arm.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“There are cops everywhere,” she whispered.
He laughed. “Cops haven’t stopped me so far, have they?
Believe me, I’d love nothing more than to be halfway across the country by now, but it occurred to me I’d left behind a juicy loose end here in Maryland.
You know I can’t have you linking me to the trial, Juliana. My clients wouldn’t appreciate that.”
Juliana began to cry as she struggled against the iron grip he had on her arm.
He smacked her hard across the face. “Shut up! Shut the fuck up!”
Falling back on the bed, Juliana saw stars and was too stunned to cry or even scream as he paced the room.
When the haze of fear cleared a bit, she realized the cops wouldn’t be checking on her again for close to an hour.
If she was going to get out of this, she was going to have to do it on her own.
“I need to go to the bathroom.”
He looked her over to see if she was up to something before he gestured for her to go ahead. “Hurry up, and no bullshit. I want to get this over with and get the fuck out of here. Leave the door open.”
Her face throbbing from where he’d hit her, Juliana did as she was told.
It took all her fortitude to get through the motions of going to the bathroom.
She was terrified he would take advantage of her half-dressed state to make good on his threat to rape her, but this was her only chance to save herself.
Slowly, so she wouldn’t attract his attention, she reached up to the tiny cabinet above the toilet paper roll.
She remembered Michael laughing when he showed her the phone the previous owner installed in this and every bathroom in the house.
Relying only on her sense of touch, she lifted the receiver and dialed 911.
Hearing the operator say, “911, please state your emergency,” she put the phone down and flushed the toilet. With adrenaline coursing through her, she pulled her pants back up and willed her shaking hands to button them. Only when she had her clothes back in place was she able to breathe again.
“What the fuck are you doing in there?”
“I’m coming.” She forced her trembling legs to move and prayed to God the 911 operator had done her job and notified the police.
Escalada grabbed her.
She whimpered at the feel of a cold metal edge resting against her throat.
He ground his erection into her back. “Mmm, mmm, mmm, I sure do wish I had time to have me some of you,” he growled against her ear. “Your boyfriend’s going to come home to a big mess tonight. No more saucy piece of ass for him.”
“Freeze!”
Juliana shifted her eyes to find three cops in the doorway with their guns drawn.
Escalada tightened his hold on Juliana. He backed them up to the sliding door and opened it with his free hand.
She felt a burning sensation against her neck and realized he had cut her.
“Let her go, Escalada,” one of the cops ordered.
He dragged her outside to the lower deck.
The cops followed them.
Her shirt became wet as a warm, sticky trail of blood accumulated in a pool at her collarbone. The combination of the cold and the fear had Juliana shaking even as she fought to remain still against the knife.
“Let her go!” the cops ordered again.
“Back off or I swear to God, I’ll kill her!”
A shot rang out, and Juliana screamed when Escalada slumped over her, knocking her down as the knife fell from his hand and clattered onto the wood deck.
He landed on top of her.
Shrieking, she clawed at him.
The cops moved quickly to free her. One of them gathered her into his arms and carried her inside while another radioed for paramedics.
“It’s okay, Juliana. We got him. You’re safe.”
She slumped against him and lost consciousness.