Chapter 4
?
Andrea was both excited and terrified at seeing her captor again. The fact that he had shown up at the same coffee shop blew her away. Then she had to wonder why he’d gone to that same coffee shop. Had he followed them?
When she asked Hayden, he shrugged. “It’s not all that shocking really. For all we know, he’s been trailing us this whole time. And, since they had your wallet and phone, it was no problem getting your home address, getting your local haunts.” He shot her a look. “So we can’t be at your apartment.”
Her shoulders sagged as she realized that this whole mess could drag on for a long time. He glanced over at her as they drove, and he nodded. “It’s a little sobering, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” she conceded. “It’s a whole lot more sobering than I expected. But women were being kidnapped, some women I knew, and others just women I went to college with. But does it really matter if I don’t know them personally in order to want to help them? What was I supposed to do? Just ignore it?”
“No,” he replied. “Yet you’re no longer on the outside of it all. News flash, princess. You are now one of those victims.”
Her face flushed.
“We do have your father to contend with, no matter how hard you may fight that.”
“Right,” she muttered, “of course we do. Because we need that hassle too.”
He smiled at her and added, “Anytime you want to call dear old dad and tell him to leave us alone, feel free.”
She winced. “He doesn’t take orders very well.”
“No, I don’t imagine he does. I figure he’s likely to appear without warning, just to check on you himself. I would think he’s a father, first and foremost.”
She shot him a look and nodded. “He is. And a very protective one. He didn’t want me coming to New York at all. At least not without a whole lot more in terms of protection than an unsecured apartment building—at least unsecured by his standards. And now, saddest of all, I can see why.”
“That should give you some clarity and further insight into your father.”
“Maybe, but that doesn’t make me feel any better.”
He chuckled. “Sometimes fathers are right. And sometimes, depending on the circumstances, you can understand why they demanded you do things in a certain way.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s right all the time though,” she argued.
“No, but you also know that having money means more issues are involved.”
“Exactly, and that’s why I don’t tell people, including you,” she stated, glaring at him.
He chuckled. “And now I understand better why you lied to me. I would have understood back then too, if you had just told me, if you had just trusted me. But you didn’t.
So you weren’t quite so open with me. I still don’t understand how you could think lying would be a good thing in a relationship—at least one that was serious, long-term.
” He frowned at her. “That was my take on it, at least.”
“I wasn’t sure where we were going in terms of a relationship,” she pointed out, then sighed. “I wasn’t about to expose myself to somebody who would only be around for a couple days.”
“A couple days?” he repeated. “I’m pretty sure we didn’t even come up for air for quite a few weeks.”
“I know,” she muttered. “It was a pretty unique experience.”
“But a good one,” he declared. “I don’t have any regrets.” Then he turned to her. “Do you?”
“No, not regrets,” she hedged, “but it certainly made me a little more … wary of other relationships.”
“Why?” he asked. “I’m the one who broke us up.”
“Yes, but I didn’t understand why, so I was not as open or as willing to share at the same level.”
“Wow, but you weren’t sharing at all with me,” he pointed out. “You were closed off. Something was going on, and I couldn’t trust you,” he stated.
“And you were right. I mean, I guess … somewhat.”
He burst out laughing at her stammering. “That’s a pretty begrudging affirmation.”
“Sure,” she agreed, “because I’m still trying to figure out in what way you might be right and in what way you might not have been right.”
His laughter was resoundingly clear as they parked the vehicle and headed up to the police station. As they walked inside, a shot rang out.
A split second later, he tossed her to the floor and dropped down himself. He was showered with broken glass, and there in front of him was the same man who had already attacked her once.
“She’s mine,” the Hulk snapped. “Nobody do anything, and I won’t shoot. She comes with me.”
Andrea trembled beside Hayden. He held a finger to her lips, shook his head, and turned to the Hulk. “Not happening.”
The gunman walked to her and held the gun against her head.
Andrea’s eyes widened, and she glanced helplessly at Hayden.
*
Hayden stood up slowly, realizing that half the station was gathered here, all equally pissed.
The Hulk glared at Hayden and snapped, “I don’t know who the fuck you are, but she’s with me.”
Hayden took everything in. Somehow the Hulk had taken a weapon from one of these officers. And, depending on how security was handled around here, it might not have been all that hard.
The Hulk glanced around at the gathering crowd and menacingly waved around the gun.
Hayden noted, “I sure hope you didn’t kill a cop.”
“Not yet,” he stated, “but that’s not a bad idea. I don’t give a shit if I do.”
“If you’re planning on getting out of here alive, killing a cop will be the one thing you don’t want to do.”
“No matter, I’m taking her. So either you give her up easy or”—he gave him a feral smile—“you take a bullet yourself. We’ll see how you like that.”
“You didn’t like it when she got away from you, huh? What’s the matter? Your fragile little ego didn’t like that she beat you at your own game? I mean, it was a hunt, right? You would be the big bwana and find her wherever she was trying to hide, right? Instead she bested you and got away.”
The Hulk’s face turned all shades of red.
“That must have chapped your butt, huh?” Hayden glanced around at the cops staring at him and told them, “See? That’s what this guy does.
He gives his captives a little leeway to get free, thinking they can escape, just so he can hunt them down, as if he were some big bad hunter. But this sleazy guy? She … bested him.”
Hayden laughed. “She outsmarted him and got away. Instead of letting well enough alone, the Hulk here came back for the kill. And he wants it bad enough to take a chance and to make a move while in your custody. You know why? Because the other people in his little kidnapping and trafficking group are making sure that she doesn’t talk.
That’s what his orders were … to confirm she didn’t talk. ”
Hulk declared, “She won’t talk. She’s nothing.”
“You say that, but that’s where you’re wrong. Not only did she talk, she described you in great detail. Have you seen your police sketch? Better yet, … have your bosses seen it? Because, once they realize you’ve been outed and captured, you’re toast. Nothing you do here will save your sorry life.”
“Shut the fuck up,” the Hulk yelled and then pointed the gun at Hayden’s head.
Hayden just smiled and inched forward.
The Hulk fired a warning shot at his feet. Then the Hulk smiled oddly. “You think that’ll stop me? You can’t stop me. I’m bigger than you. I’m way heavier than you.”
“You are. You’re all those things,” Hayden confirmed, “but you’re way dumber too.
” As Hayden spoke, he launched a directed kick to the Hulk’s groin, while grabbing the gun and pointing it skyward.
While the Hulk was distracted by Hayden, two cops moved in behind the Hulk and helped knock him down—taking him down and out at the same instant.
And, just like that, it was all over.