Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
“Come now, honey. You don’t need to be coy with me.”
She shot off the pew. Her heart missed a beat, and her belly twisted into knots. The handkerchief. It smelled of rose…the same smell as the linen spray her stalker used. She was going to be sick.
Josh was her stalker. His eyes had taken on a weird glow, and his expression had changed entirely. Her body was locking up, becoming paralyzed with fear. Her mind was going blank and her vision was starting to tunnel. No! She had to fight. She needed to move, get away.
“Josh,” she said as she stumbled along the pew. “Why?”
“Ral, it’s okay. I’m here now. It was my mistake. I shouldn’t have left you alone for so long. I thought you could handle it, but obviously the stress of it was too much for you. I know you used the cop to make me jealous but then he took advantage of you.” Josh got up and followed her.
She looked around wildly. The door was behind her. She’d have to get around Josh to make it out. Was there another door? There on the other side just before the altar. A fire door.
“Really, you should’ve said something to me, and I would’ve rescued you earlier.” He frowned at her.
Her heart had gone ballistic in her chest, and her breath was coming in short gasps. The organ started playing, the sound was deafening. The wedding was starting. No one would hear her if she screamed now. She made it to the main aisle and started toward the front of the chapel.
“There is nothing to be afraid of,” Josh called after her.
“We’ll just have to speed things up a bit.
I’m quite sure your family will understand completely.
Your parents, David and Bree, may I call them that?
It’s just I feel like I know them so well already.
I remember them at high school graduation.
They were so proud of you. I just know they would not want you with that ridiculous, plebeian cop.
I’m sure they will be fine with us announcing our relationship, even if it’s a tad premature. ”
High school? What the hell was he talking about? He wasn’t in her high school. Surely she would have recognized him. She raced around the front pew and hit the door at a dead run but it didn’t move and she ended up smashing her shoulder into it.
“We really don’t have a minute.” He reached into his pocket as he walked along in front of the pews.
Where could she go? The other door. She started down the aisle, but Josh ran the last few steps and grabbed her arm.
She swung around to hit him, but he blocked her punch and the pain shot down her arm to her hurt shoulder.
She tried pulling her arm free, but he yanked her back and twisted her arm behind her back.
His grip was like an iron vise. Where the hell had all his strength come from?
She tried to hit his face with her free hand, but he blocked her. She squirmed in his grasp, but the pain shooting through her twisted arm was agonizing.
She tried to punch him again, but he pushed her face first into the wall and leaned into her back, holding her there. She couldn’t reach him with her free hand. She heard plastic rustling and realized it was a bag of some sort.
“Ah, here we are,” he said loudly.
Her entire body froze for an instant—what did he mean?—and then she was all movement. She brought her foot up and slammed her heel down as hard as she could, hitting the top of his shoe. He yowled in pain.
She wrenched her arm and started to scream at the top of her lungs, but it was too late. No one could hear her. The organ was booming away.
He dropped the bag and punched her in the kidneys. She fell to her knees and couldn’t breathe or make a sound.
He stood above her, eyes bulging. “Look what you made me do! This is all your fault!”
He took a step back and bent down to rub his foot.
Raleigh pulled her feet underneath her and tried to run but he grabbed her ankle and pulled.
She hit the ground hard. “You are making me hurt you. Stop it!” He stood quickly and smoothed out his hair.
Then he picked up the bag again and brought out the syringe.
Still struggling to breath, she tried to stand and move back toward the stairwell. He grabbed her around her throat with one arm and forced the needle into her neck with the other. She tried to fight, but her limbs were getting heavy.
“There now. Just relax.”
Her vision was blurring. She tried to hit him, but her arms flailed weakly. Her body stopped cooperating, and she was having trouble staying upright.
“That’s right. Just let the ketamine take over,” he said in soothing tones as she tried to fight but couldn’t. Her feet were lead blocks, and then her legs gave way beneath her.
He caught her and laid her down on the floor.
“There we are, darling. I am sorry about this next part, but people won’t understand, and they will ask questions.
I don’t really have time for that, so we’ll go for a quick ride, and I’ll be back in time for the reception.
You, my love, will miss it. You’ll be wearing your lovely dress for our own little party later. ” He smiled and patted her cheek.
She wasn’t fully out. She stayed still, hoping she could regain her strength. Though she was awake, she couldn’t move. Couldn’t scream. Couldn’t do anything but flutter her eyelids.
The organ stopped, and Raleigh heard a scraping sound and then the sound of the door opening. He’d locked the fire door.
She wanted to scream but couldn’t make more than a few mewling sounds. The door closed and she was alone. She tried to move to make a sound but her body wouldn’t function and then the door opened again and Josh came in and then hovered over her. No. Please God no.
Josh took Raleigh’s cell phone out of her purse and left it under one of the pews.
Then he smoothed out his clothing and pasted a polite smile on his face.
He couldn’t believe his good fortune. He’d been worried about trying to get Raleigh into the little side chapel so he could smuggle her out to his car, but she’d wandered in on her own.
She’d known his plan and made it easy for him.
She could read his every thought. They were perfect for one another.
He looked at his own cell phone and sighed. He would love to leave it all behind, but he needed Calvin Clark just a bit longer. If Calvin couldn’t reach him, he would become suspicious. He wasn’t worried about anyone linking him to Raleigh. He’d done a masterful job of hiding their relationship.
He was also prepared for the inevitable questions when Raleigh turned up missing.
Lydia would be livid, but he would tell her he found Raleigh in the little chapel and she had been so upset about her fight with her boyfriend, she’d gone home.
It would damage Raleigh’s career, but he was confident he could smooth that over later.
She wasn’t going to need her job much longer.
He would tell Raleigh what to say to make it right.
Maybe Dylan hit her. He smiled for real this time.
He liked that approach. He, of course, would have to rough her up a bit to make it believable.
He opened the door. His car was parked right there, two steps away with the trunk open.
There was a small cluster of limo drivers off to the left, but they couldn’t see over his trunk lid.
He closed the door and picked up Raleigh then he reopened the door, took two steps and deposited his sweet little Raleigh into his trunk.
The organ stopped but he kept humming. He murmured, “Here comes the bride,” as he closed and then patted the trunk lid.
It would be better if he was at the church when the wedding was over, but he needed to get Raleigh settled, and she looked so pretty in her dress.
He frowned as he climbed behind the wheel and started the engine.
Calvin would be looking for him, no doubt.
The man was an imbecile. There was no way he could be mayor without Josh helping him. He drove quickly to his destination.
He parked his car and retrieved Raleigh from his trunk. He swung her over his shoulder and started down the slope. It was much more difficult because of his foot. He hadn’t expected her to fight, and her sudden attack had taken him by surprise.
There was a path of sorts, but it was in disarray. Not many people came here, which was excellent for him. He made an abrupt left and headed down another overgrown trail.
After he arrived at his destination, he glanced around to make sure he hadn’t been seen.
He mounted the stairs making sure he didn’t bump Raleigh too much.
That nastiness at the church had been her fault.
He was willing to overlook it, even her hurting his foot.
After all, he’d surprised her. He wanted her to think he was a gentleman.
Also, if he were truthful, it wouldn’t be optimal if he had to FaceTime with his soon to be in-laws and Raleigh had visible bruises.
The door swung open at his touch.