Let’s Go Shopping
Let’s Go Shopping
Even though her mouth had started to water, smelling the aromas of coffee and the sandwiches the man had prepared, Kate had refused both.
When her stomach had started growling the man’s eyebrows had quirked up with amusement.
But she’d waved him away, instead firing off the same question as she had done last night.
“What are you going to do with me?”
“Shopping.”
Shopping. He had been totally serious.
Her perplexed look had made the killer quirk his eyebrows. “I am quite serious.’’ Crossing his arms across his chest, his next sentence had sealed the deal. “Unless you want me to choose your underwear?”
Yes, that comment had gotten her in his black giant of a car again, voluntarily this time.
The man steered his ride with ease through the winding countryside, bypassing a car that had gotten stuck in the snow, tires screeching as the occupants, a family of five, tried to push their car out of the sludge, wheels throwing the caked-up dirt and snow against the Volvo’s side, eliciting a pained frown from Mister OCD sitting beside her.
“You might want to help them out with this big ride of yours.” Kate shot him a sideways glance.
And while at it. Let me get away screaming bloody murder.
“Ever a kind thought of you. In normal circumstances, I might have.’’ He let his gaze trail over her. “But with a lady by my side, it’s safest to stay away from strangers.”
Her tongue tingled.
Keep it to yourself, Kate. Think about last night.
“Didn’t take you for a gentleman.” That mouth of hers… so hard to control.
His finger tapped on the gear shift. Once. Twice. “There is a lot you don’t know about me yet.’’
And that needed to change. A million questions burned in her throat, begging for an escape, one climbed to the top of her mind, was he a killer for hire?
“So are you?” She blurted out, attacking the silence with her sudden outburst, but the man by her side didn’t even spook.
“Am I what?”
“A killer for hire?”
He let precious seconds pass by in silence. No doubt weighing how much he could say.
“Let’s say… I’m the one they call if someone needs to disappear.”
So it was true, someone wished them dead, no, not wished them dead. Had gone out of their way to pay someone to kill her entire family. The world tilted around her. “Why us?”
He glanced sideways at her. “It’s on a need-to-know basis.”
She thought that was it, until he murmured. “It was supposed to be easy, this one.”
Well, a lot of words could be used for what went down on Christmas. Easy didn’t cut it.
“What do you mean?”
Another glance. “No one would miss them.”
A bold statement, but true. It had racked her brain in the night, would someone miss her?
The only answer, no. No school, no work, no friends to tell the news that someone was missing from the Christmas table.
Her life had been one of seclusion. It stung, that no one would even remember her.
And foster care, when she’d reached the age of eighteen, they had wished her a good life, even though they had never lifted a finger to help create that life.
Go along for the ride, Kate. You’ve got this.
But it didn’t sit well. She should be fighting for her way out, not chit-chatting. The thoughts kept whizzing through her brain, her heart roared at her to move, move, move. While her mind told her to follow, if only for a little while, to see what would happen.
The killer on the other hand could be the epitome of relaxed. Leaning back in his chair, with one hand resting on the wheel. Black sweatpants and hoodie finished the picture. By God, they could be twins with the clothes on their backs.
And now, in the light of day… he didn’t look like a murderer.
There was no doubt in her mind that he was good looking either, with those forest green eyes and dark hair, nearly black framing his face.
And the gym… he must be a regular visitor, if the corded muscles in his neck, peeking up from his sweater, were anything to go on.
His head swiveled around, arching a single eyebrow at her staring.
She ignored him, sliding her attention back to the outside world, snow as far as the eye could see. Mansions had been built near the road they cruised down, they stood like silent watchers, the windows reflecting the black Volvo from where it hummed heavily over the deserted streets.
Where is everybody?
He turned on the road, and here… small shacks littered the green fields as if a hand had haphazardly thrown them to the Earth.
Whereas the mansions she’d seen had been clean, with an occasional Audi or Mercedes parked on the immaculate lawns, here the plaster showed cracks running down the outside walls, rusted gutter pipes clung below the gaps in the roofs, and black roof tiles littered the floor in front of one, moss had taken it over from where it was left behind to wither on the concrete.
The rich and the poor. Yet each house was weighed down by the same thick white rug.
The man flipped on his blinker and turned right, entering the parking of a… sports shop.
Red lettering stuck out from every window, screaming that they currently had a sale going on for running shoes.
Hmmm. Maybe those running shoes would be coming in handy.
Signs of civilization, she couldn’t believe her eyes.
Then again, her driver had to know she’d cling to the first person she would come across, for as deserted as this town looked there would be a person in this shop, a cashier, a sales help.
Yet the man next to her, he wasn’t stupid.
There had to be a reason for him coming to this particular place.
He cut off the engine with a click. “Surprised?”
Kate glanced at him, shivered as she took in the knowing smirk dancing across his lips. He put the car in first gear, lifting his hand in a gesture to… shake hers?
“The name’s Lucien, by the way.’’
Lucien. No more killer, or captor. Lucien.
She swallowed acid, it burned all the way down to her still sensitive throat.
On a first name basis with my would-be killer. You’ve got to be kidding me.
“I honestly couldn’t care less.” Her hand remained on the door handle, any second now.
He shrugged, the move smooth, careless. Not a man in fear of losing his mask. “Figured as much. Always striving to be a gentleman, though.’’ He hopped out of the car, elegantly striding up to the double doors where he laid his hand on the handle, waiting for her.
Kate got out, shutting the door with a harsh clang.
She froze in the middle of the parking lot, not only from the cold wind still gushing through the black clothes, but from the realization that there was no one to cling to, no cars rushed past the road they’d been on, and the parking spaces were deserted.
She set her legs in motion toward the door where he waited, dark eyes lingering on her face as he nodded and said “It’s quiet this time of year.” He graciously opened the door, gesturing for her to go inside first.
I won’t let him see the hopelessness.
So she rolled her eyes whispering. “What a true gentleman.”
He chuckled behind her as she crossed the threshold, jumping up when a bell jingled above her. “Just a bell.” Lucien… informed her.
She shot him a burning look, the hatred in it barely concealed.
He had the guts to drawl. “If only looks could kill.”
Yes. He’d be lying face-first on the ground, grasping onto his heart from where it failed.
A high pitched female voice piped up from the back of the store “Welcome!” Footsteps thumped across the dark blue carpet, heading their way.
Blonde hair bobbed up and down over the iron rows of shoes before the woman called out “Hello there!” Beside her Lucien winced when a young woman no older than herself strode toward them, wearing a smile as only those in customer care had learned to carry.
Now is as good a time as any.
Kate stepped forward, mouth opening, but the girl’s eyes widened, sidestepping Kate to see who was half hidden behind her. “Oh, look who has decided to pay us a visit. Long time no see, Lucien!’’
Kate’s teeth sang in pain as she shut them with an audible click.
The girl’s eyes were almost… starstruck, her voice high as a soprano’s when she asked Lucien. “How have you been?”
Guess that answers the question of why he took me here. His faith in her smitten state is solid.
Panic crept in, stomach rolling around like a roller coaster in an amusement park.
It pulled her this way and that, just when she thought it would stop and she could get out of its grip, set foot on the wooden planks after being rushed upside down, it rushed past the exit.
Going for another round. Only it were her own lonely screams that echoed in the din of her ears.
Don’t rush, you’ll find a way out. You have to.
She forced her heartbeat down, chest heavy but managing a faint smile as Lucien introduced her. “Clara, this is Kate. We’re out here looking for some sportswear for her.”
Grey eyes took her in, starting at her feet to end up at her tousled hair. Oh, lord where would the girl’s thoughts be going. Covered in his clothes, his scent. Bile rose up in her throat under the scrutiny. “What better place, huh?!” Clara crooned, But the tiny glance of panic was plain to see.
Lucien was catching two birds with one stone here.
He picked up a shoe, inspecting it before saying, “She’s gonna need some if she wants to keep up with hiking. Don’t you, sweetheart?”
Sweetheart.
Warmth slid past her palm, Kate glanced down, red drops falling to the floor… She’d burst the skin with her nails. So much for going easy.
“Denise! There is someone you should come and see!” Clare called out behind her. But Kate’s ears barely registered it. She backed away from both of them, Lucien’s eyes narrowed on hers, the look in them telling her to stay put.
Adios, sweetheart.
She lifted her hand in a small wave, shooting him a smile that was anything but kind before turning to dive in between the racks of clothes and shoes that littered the shop.
His voice rumbled through the store, following in her wake. “I’ll walk with her… before she gets lost between all these quality clothes! Gotta save the wallet am I right?”
Clara’s ridiculously high cackle rang out, followed by near silent footfalls over the dark carpet.
Kate’s feed sped up, crossing into the differing departments. Green, green, every store has one. She whirled around and around, peeking over the racks to locate it while the steps behind her came closer. Gods, if this place ever went up in flames, how on Earth would someone locate the damn exit!
There! The white figure on a green board, pointing ahead of her with its luminescent arrow.
She forced her still weak legs to go faster, fingers grazing past the clothes and the racks to propel herself forward.
Lucien stood in front of her, Kate came to a skidding stop, hand flying up to her heart.
He just stood with his hands hanging by his side, tilting his head at her in that predatory way of his.
Wait. He wasn’t in front, she cast a glance over her shoulders, he was right behind her, it was just his reflection in the large mirror.
Time, I still have time.
Her pulse raised as she turned a corner, leaving his reflection behind her. Laughter burst to life behind her, his. The rumbles of it echoed out through the packed store. Voices collided together behind her. “Just a little game of hide-and-seek.” he said.
A grey door emerged in front of her, the exit sign’s light beckoning her closer.
The light at the end of the tunnel. She jogged to it, feeling freedom tugging on her heart. Almost.
She tripped. Right into a warm body, wrinkled hands held onto her arms, warmth spreading below the touch.
“Oh dear, better watch where you walk.” Kate’s head shot up to see the person she’d crashed into, a woman in her mid-sixties beamed at her.
With long brown hair falling down her pale face, looking like she hadn’t seen anything but a Montana winter.
But the friendly aura of the woman with her tinkling blue eyes made her shoulders drop in relief.
Until she spoke the next words. “Hey there, hun. Lucien asked me to help you out.”
Denise. She’d tripped into Denise. Kate grabbed the older woman by the arm, tugging her closer while she whispered.
“I’ve only met him recently.” She jerked her chin to the front of the store, where she assumed Lucien now waited for her, with that smug grin on his face, thinking his well-loved persona would keep him safe.
“As you can understand, a girl has to be wary…” She trailed off.
Denise’s surprised frown turned into a look of understanding. She gave Kate a soft pat on her arm.
“I see, you’re a careful girl. Good to be in these times.” She put a hand over her heart. “I would put my hand in a fire to vouch for the man you’ve managed to land yourself. I can imagine most women in these areas feel that way about Lucien. You’ve nothing to fear with him.”