CHAPTER THREE
ATHENA
“Of course I couldn’t be seen driving last year’s Mercedes, so I traded it in for this year’s model. Decided to go with silver this time. What did you think of it?” He stared at me expectantly, holding his fork halfway to his mouth.
I gaped at him, trying to remember his name.
Kevin? Devon? I knew better than to date guys I matched with on dating apps.
Clearly, I was a masochist. Maybe it was time to admit to myself that I didn’t enjoy spending so much time alone while my friends were all paired off and planning their futures.
As much as I enjoyed having fun with guys, I detested the actual dating part.
What I wanted to say was, “I think I should have driven my own car.” Instead I said, “It’s really nice. Silver was a good choice.”
I didn’t give a shit about this guy’s car or the money he tried so hard to flaunt. Usually guys like this had small dicks or shit personalities. Often they had both. All the money in the world wouldn’t make up for either.
Glancing at my plate, he raised a brow. “Aren’t you enjoying your filet mignon? It looks like you’ve barely touched it.”
Probably because every word out of his mouth drained my appetite and made me question my life choices.
I wasn’t sure if Kevin/Devon really was rich or simply putting on a show.
I didn’t care. I’d been done with this date since we sat down.
Listening to him drone on about his new Rolex had almost been enough to make me throw myself out the window into the parking lot.
“No, it’s good. I had a big lunch. I’m not all that hungry.” Setting my fork down, I took a drink of the expensive wine he’d had brought to the table.
He frowned but said nothing, continuing to dig into his expensive slice of prime steak. When he excused himself to use the restroom, I pulled my phone from my purse and immediately fired off a text to each one of my friends. Someone had to save me.
While waiting for a response, I glanced down at the dress I’d worn. A black number with spaghetti straps and a slit down one leg. Nice enough for this restaurant but not the message I wanted to send to Kevin/Devon.
A response came quickly from Storm who apologized, saying she was at a family dinner and couldn’t help me out. Luna also was busy but offered to perform a fake emergency call to get me out of there. Neither Codie nor Ripley had replied by the time he returned to the table.
I shoved my phone back into my purse and took a few halfhearted bites of my meal. Smiling and nodding as he continued to talk about himself. I wasn’t sure he’d asked anything about me other than what I planned to do for a living.
I’d gone to college to become a teacher. Something I had a great passion for. The idea of spreading knowledge through the younger generations had always appealed to me. I didn’t think teachers got the credit they really deserved.
Kevin/Devon had wrinkled his nose, commenting on how limited a teacher’s salary often was. He didn’t seem to understand doing something simply because you loved it. Everything about this guy turned me off. I needed to get out of here. Maybe I would have to take Luna up on that emergency call.
My gaze strayed toward the restrooms and the back exit down the hall. Maybe I could simply walk out the back door and leave him sitting here by himself.
“Would you like to go back to my place?” he asked after polishing off the rest of his dinner. “It’s much bigger than your apartment. I think you would like it.”
Talk about getting the ick.
“That sounds great. I just need to use the restroom and freshen up a little.” I didn’t wait for his reply before shooting out of my chair and making a beeline for the restrooms.
When I was sure he wasn’t watching me, I redirected toward the back exit instead.
There was no force on this planet strong enough to make me feed this jerk’s ego any longer.
In moments I was out the door, stepping into the small staff parking lot behind the restaurant.
I’d have to order an Uber to get home. Since I didn’t want to hang around and be seen, I started walking.
My plan was to head to a different business down the block and get picked up there. I didn’t make it very far before someone approached me from behind. Expecting to see Kevin/Devon, I turned around to find a man wearing a creepy bloody bunny mask hot on my heels.
What the fuck?
I opened my mouth to scream but didn’t get a sound out before he was on me. Pressing a soaked, stinky cloth to my nose and mouth, his other arm went around me, holding me tight against him while I struggled.
My adrenaline surged but it wasn’t enough. The masked man was stronger than me. Easily holding me tight while the chemicals in the rag fogged my head. Soon I fell limp against him.
I had the vague sensation of being carried. Despite my efforts to open my eyes and speak, my body refused to follow commands. A headache began to set in, accompanied by a rolling of my stomach.
Was I in a vehicle? That couldn’t be good. Was Kevin/Devon behind this? He didn’t seem like the type.
I fought hard to swim up through the depths of unconsciousness and open my eyes. The effort felt exhausting. When my eyes finally cracked open, everything was dark. I blinked several times, trying to figure out where the hell I was.
The ground beneath me felt soft. Like grass.
Above me the sky spun, the stars twinkling overhead.
As I continued to blink in an effort to focus, everything slowed down.
Obviously, I was outside. I knew that once a captor took you to a second location your chances of survival were slim.
That didn’t mean I wouldn’t go down without one hell of a fight. I just needed to get my limbs to work.
“Are you awake yet?” A low gruff voice asked. “Can you move?”
My tongue felt heavy in my mouth. I wasn’t sure I could have answered if I wanted to. Somehow, I wasn’t sure that engaging with him would help my situation. And why did his voice sound familiar?
It definitely wasn’t Kevin/Devon. Who the hell was it? My muddled brain tried to place that voice. He spoke low and heavy, like he may have been slightly altering his voice. That meant he was someone I knew.
He nudged me with his foot before leaning over to stare into my face. Even in the dark with only the stars and moon for light, that sick bunny mask was absolutely terrifying. I shrank back away from him, which only made him press closer.
“So you are awake. Better get up, cream puff. Time to go for a run.” His sinister chuckle sent chills through my body, making me break out in goosebumps.
A run? Dear God, he really was going to kill me.
Rolling over onto my stomach, I did my best to push myself up onto my knees with shaky arms. My vision swam for a moment before focusing in on my surroundings. We were in the graveyard. The one the Kings used for their parties and business dealings. Far from town. Where nobody would hear me scream.
My captor took a few steps back, allowing me space to rise. “I’ll give you a thirty second head start. Run in any direction you like. Hell, I’ll even close my eyes to really give you the advantage.”
My heart pounded in my chest so hard I thought surely it would tear itself free. “And then what?”
I didn’t really want to know but felt like I had to ask. Despite the creepy bunny mask, I felt him smiling beneath it.
“You’ll find out. Time starts now. Better get moving, Athena.”
The way he said my name made my very bones weak. He’d just confirmed that this was no random attack. Whoever this guy was, he’d planned this.
When I didn’t immediately move, he took a menacing step toward me. That was enough to coax a small scream from me and send me running. The heels I wore with my long dress did not help. Right away I stumbled.
I thought about ditching the heels but decided my best chance of losing this guy was to flee into the trees. Running barefoot through the forest may be faster, but it would also be a lot more painful.
The sick bastard counted out loud, shouting each number.
That only induced more panic. When my heel caught on a fallen tree branch and I hit the ground hard, I decided it was worth the risk to get rid of the heels.
Taking them off, I tossed one aside and clutched the other, prepared to use it as a weapon.
Then I shoved to my feet and kept moving.
Running through the forest in the dark with only a sliver of light beaming between the trees to guide my way was not how I’d expected this night to end.
Goddammit, I should have stayed at the restaurant with Kevin/Devon.
I may have had to listen to him drone on about himself for another hour, but at least I wouldn’t be here with a maniac chasing me.
As I drew further away, the sound of his counting faded.
I wasn’t sure how much time I had before he came after me.
It couldn’t be more than a few seconds. My bare feet pounded into the ground as I ran, finding tree branches and rocks.
Things that slashed at my feet and dug into my sensitive soles.
Only the adrenaline kept me going, helping to numb the pain as I zigzagged through the trees.
Tripping over a tree root I couldn’t see in the dark, I fell down on my knees with a cry.
Immediately I slapped a hand over my mouth.
Feeling like my high heel shoe wasn’t enough, I groped about the forest floor for something else.
My hand closed around a stick with enough weight to make a decent weapon.
Doing my best to stay quiet, I stood up and listened hard.
Nothing but silence in every direction. I wasn’t sure how deep into the forest I’d gone. I could no longer see the graveyard through the trees. There was no way of knowing which way my captor would come from. No way of knowing which direction I should head. Maybe it would be safer to stay put.
Making my way to the closest tree with a thick trunk, I pressed myself against it and waited. With a stick held in one hand and my shoe in the other, I was as prepared as I possibly could be for a fight. This psychopath had no idea who he was dealing with.
I’d never been more terrified in my life, yet I didn’t plan to make any of this easy for him.
Thinking ahead, I tugged a few strands of hair free, draping them over a nearby plant.
Just in case I went missing and the authorities looked for me.
They would know I’d been here. For good measure, I also pulled off the bracelet I wore and tossed it between the trees.
For the longest time all I heard was the sound of my own heartbeat and shaky breaths. I tried so hard to breathe as quietly as possible.
My legs began to ache. It felt like I’d been standing there pressed against the tree for hours now. Maybe I’d lost him or he’d given up. Of course he’d taken my phone and I had no other way to check the time. A glance up at the moon overhead told me nothing. Shit.
Deciding to take a chance, I took a tentative step away from the tree. Then another. I wasn’t even sure how to find my way back to the graveyard. I may have to wait until sunrise.
Turning in the direction I thought the graveyard was, I walked straight into the silent figure standing in my path. A scream erupted from me as I instinctively swung the stick I still held clenched in my sore fingers. We were both surprised when my stick slammed against the side of his head.
Unfortunately, he was ready for the second swing. Catching the stick before it could hit him again, he twisted it in my grasp, sending a shot of pain blazing through my wrist as he forced me to release my weapon. That didn’t stop me from swinging the high heel.
Too bad now he was ready for a fight. He backhanded the shoe aside, sending it crashing through the trees.
“Look at you all puffed up and ready for violence.” Again the horrifying chuckle that made my skin crawl. He rubbed the side of his head where the stick had connected. “Damn that one is going to bruise. Nice job.”
Reaching into his hoodie pocket, he withdrew something I struggled to make out in the dim lighting. Moments later, the sound of tape being unrolled told me everything I needed to know. I turned to run, but he had already grabbed me, jerking me back against him.
“The time for running is over, sweetheart. You did good though. It took me a while to find you.” While I struggled and flailed about, he all too easily strong-armed me into submission. Trapping my wrists tight in one hand while using the other to secure them with heavy duct tape.
“Why are you doing this?” My voice was high and shrill. My desperation showing. “What did I do?”
The next thing I knew he’d slapped a strip of tape over my mouth, effectively silencing me. I stared at him with wide eyes, straining to see beyond the outline of his psycho bunny mask. Being unable to see his face or look into his eyes made this whole ordeal even more unnerving.
He stroked a hand over my disheveled hair, pausing to drag several strands between his fingers. “So soft.”
I trembled beneath his touch, unable to shrink away. He pressed too close, fogging me with his woodsy scent. I squeezed my eyes shut tight. I couldn’t bear to look at him anymore in that fucked up mask. Even in the dark forest light.
“I wonder,” he continued in a voice husky with menace. “How someone so beautiful can be such a bitch. You’ve made yourself some enemies, Athena. It’s time for you to learn what happens when you mess with the wrong man.”
My eyes popped open as I completely came undone. Begging and whimpering despite the tape over my mouth that muffled everything I tried to say. I didn’t deserve this. Nobody did.
Continuing to stroke my hair like an absolute maniac, he slowly guided me down to my knees on the forest floor. I braced myself for the worst. Something horrible was coming.
He crouched down in front of me, still touching me. Trailing a finger over my cheek and onto the tape covering my mouth. My entire body quivered. His soft laughter told me that he liked it.
“All right, Athena. Now we get to the part where you have a decision to make. But first, I’m going to answer the question I know you’re dying to ask.”
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone, turning on the flashlight. I squinted against the sudden harsh light as it lit up the night surrounding us. With one hand, he slowly reached for the mask, training the light on himself so I could see clearly.
My lungs froze. My breath held. I watched with trepidation as he slowly pulled the mask up to reveal his face. Almost passing out when I saw him clearly.
My abductor was Damon fucking Price.