Standing by the door to my car, I heard a few quick footsteps moments before a leather gloved hand clamped over my mouth. I dropped my purse and grabbed the hand covering my mouth.

Shit! What the hell? This guy was strong and trying to shove some sort of cloth in my mouth. I shook my head violently but stopped when I felt his hand grasping my throat. He turned me around, leaning me against my car and for a fraction of a moment, I saw his ski mask. The eye holes had a gray screen over them, and I couldn’t see his eyes. A fabric band was slipped over my head, and I began to panic more.

I tried screaming over the cloth that was shoved in my mouth as I was lifted from the ground, but it was lodged so deep. With my fists, I pounded on his chest and tried swinging for the face. I made contact with what seemed like a mask. My hand that struck him was grabbed, and he squeezed it tightly in his hands.

He stopped walking and lowered me down. My body was laid to rest in what I knew to be a trunk of a car. Fuck! I wasn’t just being attacked; he was taking me somewhere!

I fought as the gloved hands grabbed my jaw and held it firmly. Suddenly, images of my grandfather grabbing my jaw came rushing into my head, and I stopped moving.

The man gathered my hands, and soon I felt cold metal cuffs wrap around my wrists before hearing them lock into place. The next sound I heard was the trunk being slammed shut.

No.

This wasn't happening.

Though my eyes were covered, I moved my eyes from side to side, stupidly hoping it would enhance my hearing. The pounding of my heart was distracting as I tried concentrating.

So many thoughts were assaulting me at a high rate of speed: who had me, what did he want, where was he taking me?

I was trying to find the lay of the road…down six winding levels of the parking garage…could this be Colt? Right turn out of the parking garage…this didn't sound like Colt’s Ferrari…stop light…the guy didn't say anything, so I don't know what his voice sounds like…car moving again…I hadn't even seen him coming, so I don't know how tall he was…stop light…he gripped my neck and jaw, but since his hands had gloves on, I couldn't tell if it was Colt’s hands. I could tell what Colt’s hands felt like. I knew those hands…another stop light.

I think I knew the basic area where we were. We were still on the main street just outside my office building. The car turned left, then made a sharp right.

Colt wouldn’t do this.

I was lost in thoughts as the car raced through the city. A few times there were sharp stops which made me roll forward.

Oh, my God…what was going on?

I really started to panic and began to cry. Quickly I realized that crying made me congested, which made it difficult to breathe. I had to stop.

I prayed that it was Colt driving.

Why would he do this, if it is him?

If it wasn’t him, what did this person want?

My head was void of any answers to these questions. Faintly, over the noise of the water spray that was coming up from the road and the wheel wells, thunder rumbled in the near distance.

The car began to slow down and then made a left turn. The rain sounded like golf balls hitting metal, pounded the trunk of the car. It was almost deafening as the car started a much slower pace in a different direction.

Slowing down wasn’t a good thing in my mind. Slowing down meant we were stopping soon. And God only knows what would happen when we stopped.

Carefully, I swallowed as to not choke on the cloth that was soaked and lodged in my mouth. The brakes were applied, and the squeaking noise that was emitted announced our arrival. I felt the car being put into park and then shut off.

No longer did I hear rain, or thunder. All I could hear was the beating of my heart as fear paralyzed me. The car softly raised as the driver got out of the car.

Oh, fuck!

The trunk flew open and freezing rain beat down on my body. I writhed around, trying to shield my face from the mix of punishing rain and ice pellets. All movement stopped when the man reached inside and wrapped his hand around my neck.