CHAPTER SEVEN
Cassie snuggled into Deke’s heat. She didn’t remember him coming to bed but she was glad he was there with her. The last few weeks of sleeping alone had sucked. She’d missed just being near him. She knew they couldn’t have sex yet, but just being close to him was almost worth being so hot and bothered.
Deke shifted and wrapped his arm around her pulling her even closer. “Morning beautiful,” he whispered in her ear.
Cassie tilted her head and smiled. “Good morning.”
“How are you feeling this morning?”
“Better now that I have you back.” She kissed his shoulder.
“Been thinking about something.”
Cassie closed her eyes and buried her face in his shoulder. She didn’t know if she wanted to hear this or not. “What is that?”
“We need us a house,” Deke informed her. “The cabins are too small for a growing family and I’d like to build out of the city. There’s a spot on the other side of the clubhouse that would be perfect, all you have to do is tell me what kind of house you want.”
Cassie popped her head up, her eyes wide and surprised. “You want to build us a house? A real house?”
Deke nodded. “I don’t plan on letting you go anytime soon. We’re gonna be a family soon, and this baby will be the first of many, I hope.”
Cassie leaned up and pressed her lips to his. “A house of our own? I’ve never had a home before, well I did as a kid, but that was so long ago.”
Deke smiled. It didn’t take much to please her and he hoped she would never change. “I want to give you the world. I just want you to be happy.”
Cassie tightened her arms around his waist. “I love you,” she whispered into his shoulder.
She didn’t say the words very loud but when Deke heard them he smiled. “As much as I’d like to stay here all day and cuddle with you, I have to get to work. I’ll be back soon but I have some paperwork that won’t wait.”
Cassie sighed. “If you must, you must.”
Deke chuckled. “I must.” He threw back the covers and sat on the edge of the bed. He looked over his shoulder and reminded her, “You stay in bed today. I don’t want to hear anybody tell me you were up and walking around. Maggie said it would be a couple of days yet.”
“Yes daddy,” she grumbled then thought of something. “You heard what she said yesterday? You were awake the whole time she was here, weren’t you?”
“Yup, I was.”
“Why didn’t you let us know?” Cassie asked.
He turned and leaned toward her. “I meant everything I said. I don’t want to risk losing you. I won’t risk anything happening to you. I’m leaving Gator here today. We have too many people here and if they pester you too much, he’ll kick them out. You’ll feel better in a couple of days.”
Cassie nodded. “Okay big guy as much as I hate to follow orders, I will behave myself.”
“You’d better.” Deke stared hard at her. “You and that baby mean too much to me to take any chances.” He finished getting dressed.
“Hey the quicker you get to work, the quicker you can come home again, so git.” Cassie swatted his behind.
Deke laughed and left the room.
Cassie snuggled back down in bed and closed her eyes.
~* * * *~
Deke went out to the main room and was surprised to find Gator there alone. He sat down and poured himself a cup of coffee from the pot sitting on the table. “So, where is your lovely wife this morning?”
“She’s at home still,” Gator told him sipping his own coffee.
“That’s unusual.”
“Yeah, we kept the three kids at our place last night.”
“Oh?” Deke questioned. “Why is that?”
“Marnie brought them here to try and find a place that would take all three. They’re a family and they want to stay that way.”
“And nobody in Boston wants three kids?”
Gator shrugged. “I guess nobody wants these three. They’re a little rough around the edges for most folks.”
“And Reva does? Is that it?” Deke knew Reva had a heart of gold and she loved kids. It hurt her that Gator and her never had any. It had just never happened for them.
“Yeah I guess so.” Gator ran his fingers through his hair. He smiled. “Last night was different, man. Reva and me together, we’re doing just fine, but last night with those kids in the house that was special.”
Deke grinned. “So, you think having kids around could be a good thing?”
Gator nodded. “Could be. I might even get used to the idea of having a family around.”
“Good, I told Cassie I want more than one and less than a dozen.”
“Holy shit man!” Gator burst out laughing.
“Yeah and I’m counting on Uncle Gator and Auntie Reva to help out.”
“Uncle Gator huh? I think I could get used to that.” Gator grinned.
Deke sat back in his chair and regarded Gator. “I have to run into the club and get some paperwork done this morning. I won’t be away long, but I want you to hang out here. I don’t think there will be any trouble but I don’t want to leave it to chance either.” He shifted a bit. “I thought she’d be safe at Redemption House and she ended up getting shot.”
“I’ll keep some of the boys here too. We’ll keep her safe.”
Deke nodded. “Maybe you should keep the gate locked down and a roving patrol too. Something doesn’t feel right. I don’t know what it is but I got a feeling I don’t much care for. It feels like there’s a target painted in the middle of my back.” He sighed. “I know they said Janelle and Flynn were dead but she might have arms reaching out of hell and I’m not losing Cassie again.”
Just then, the main door opened and Reva came in with the three kids. She smiled at Deke and Gator, then headed for the kitchen.
Ben and Jack came over to the table and Ben crawled up on Gator’s lap. Gator put his arm around the boy and Ben laid his head on Gator’s chest.
Deke was suddenly struck at how domesticated the big man looked. He glanced back at the bedroom door where Cassie slept and was thinking about how in a few months’ time, he would be holding his own child.
Reva and Alaina brought them fresh coffee and Alaina had a plate of sweet rolls. She sat down and the three kids began to eat. Reva chuckled softly at the enthusiasm they displayed. She glanced at Deke.
Today, she had a twinkle in her eye he hadn’t seen before. “I’m outta here.” Deke got to his feet. Slapping Gator on the shoulder, he leaned close to Reva and gave her a peck on the cheek. “You two keep the home fires burning.”
“Get outta here, old man,” Gator grumbled.
Deke laughed all the way to the door. He got on his bike and revved the engine. Glancing over at the gate, he glared at who was on the other side. It was barely eight in the morning and these fuckers show up? He got off his bike and walked over as he frowned at who was standing there. “What the fuck are you doing here?” he growled.
Lance Sullivan and Victor Shroder stood in his path. Neither one of them moved but Gator showed up out of nowhere and stepped in behind Deke.
Lance held up his hand. “I’m not here to cause any trouble but I do need to speak to Cassie and Peaches. This has nothing to do with a case against her, but they might be able to help us with something else.”
“What makes you think she’ll even speak to you?” Deke asked in a skeptical tone.
“It might be in her best interest to do so,” Lance informed them.
“That sounds like a threat boss,” Gator replied as he crossed his arms over his wide chest. “What do you think?”
“If it helps Cassie, let the man speak his peace,” Peaches said from behind them.
Deke turned his head.
Peaches and Iceman had joined them all at the gate.
Deke let out a disgusted sigh as he backed up a step and allowed Lance and Victor inside.
They all headed to the clubhouse.
Deacon came in the back door and a few of the brothers joined them.
Marnie came in behind them and motioned her head a Reva.
Reva hustled the children into the kitchen.
Deke, Gator Lance and Victor sat down at the table Deacon, Peaches and Iceman joined them. Everyone else sat nearby.
Deke stared at Lance Sullivan. “What’s this all about?”
“Is Cassie here?” Lance asked. “She really should hear this too.”
Deke glanced at Deacon and nodded. Deacon got up and left, returning a few minutes later carrying Cassie. He placed her on the chair next to Deke.
She glanced at Lance and the other man. “Why are you here?”
Lance introduced his partner to the group. “Everyone, this is my partner, Victor Shroder. When I got back to Boston yesterday, he told me there was another young woman murdered in the city. When I saw the photos there was something disturbingly familiar about her injuries.”
Lance opened his briefcase and pulled out a file. He took a photo out and slid it over to Cassie.
Cassie studied the man for a moment then looked down at the photo. She gasped and the color drained from her face.
Deke sat up and pulled her to him. He glared over at Lance and growled. “What the fuck are you doing man?”
Lance tapped the table. “She had to see this. I know it’s horrible but I needed to see her reaction.” He leaned forward and his finger tapped the photo. “This is the eighth young woman we’ve found in the last nine years. Whoever killed her is a very sick individual.” He turned his gaze to Peaches. “Does the number twenty three mean anything to you or Cassie? Cuz that’s how many times he stabs his victims and that’s after he carves the word whore into their backs. He lets them bleed to death before he’s done with them. He shows them no mercy and the evidence proves he watches them until they all die in pain. Then he poses them in his own sick way.”
Cassie pulled away from Deke and reached out to pick up the photo. She studied it for a moment then passed it on to Peaches. With trembling hands, she pushed the hair away from her forehead. “The last few weeks we lived with Janelle, she upped her punishments with regards to me. I wouldn’t cry when she beat me with the belt and she needed to show me she still had the power over my life. One night after every else was sleeping, she came to get me and dragged me to a special room she had set up. That house had too many secrets. She tied my hands together and then she sat there and let Robbie cut me. They weren’t deep cuts but lord did they bleed. Over time, he cut me twenty three times. He did all this a couple of days before the last beating she gave me. That was when he carved the word whore in my back. A few days later, we left.”
Everyone was silent for a moment as Peaches got up and leaning over her, gave her a hug. She was weeping but she wasn’t alone.
Cassie was dry eyed though. She’d cried her tears a long time ago in private. She had learned to mask the pain she felt, she vowed never to let anyone see her cry.
Iceman got up and led Peaches back to her chair. Wrapping his arm around her, he held her tight while she cried.
“Where was this secret room?’ Victor asked. “We didn’t find it when we searched the house.”
Cassie grunted. “You wouldn’t have found it unless you knew where the door was. The door is in the kitchen. There is a cabinet door next to the fridge with a small lock. She always wore the key around her neck. The door opened into a narrow hall. The hall opened up into a special room in the back of the house. The room was sound proof and had padded walls. The windows were small and set high in the walls. Some of the openings are covered by pictures that allowed you see out, but nobody could see or hear you. She told me I could scream all I wanted, but nobody would ever hear it. The air in that room was always stale. The windows didn’t open and there was no heat or air conditioning in there…” Her words trailed off toward the end.
Again, no one said anything for a couple of minutes.
“How many of the kids knew that room existed?” Lance finally asked.
“Only those who went there ever knew it was there,” Cassie explained. “I knew it, Robbie knew it,” She shrugged. “Who else knew about it…is anybody’s guess.”
“Cassie would disappear, sometimes for hours,” Peaches spoke up. “When she would come back, she wouldn’t speak for days. She watched everyone but she couldn’t bear to speak to anyone. I would watch her but she wouldn’t let anyone including me touch her.”
“How did she control the younger kids when Social Services made their visits?” Víctor asked.
“She made everyone sit on their beds and not speak when someone came over to the house.” Peaches replied. “If we spoke any time we weren’t supposed to, we got a time out and missed the next few meals.” She shrugged. “No one broke the rules very often, except Cassie.”
Lance reached for another file in his case. “I want to show you girls something. It isn’t very pleasant but I still want, no…I need you to see it.” He opened the file and laid a photo on the table.
Cassie swallowed hard and picked up the gruesome photo. It was of a body lying on a steel table. The body was of a child and the most damage was to his face. His body was covered in bruises and she could see deep cuts near his waist. In the same general area she’d cut Robbie that night. He had his gentiles covered by a towel. Cassie glanced at Lance. “Who is this supposed to be?”
“That is a photo of Robbie Pierce’s autopsy.”
Cassie shook her head. “No it isn’t.”
“Let me see that,” Peaches said holding out her hand for the photo. She looked it over carefully and agreed with Cassie. “I don’t know who this is but it isn’t Robbie.”
“How do you know?” Victor asked.
“Robbie was a small kid, this guy is too big to be Robbie,” Peaches said.
“Let me see that again,” Cassie said. She sat up and studied the photo. Then she gasped as her eyes settled on the young man’s wrist. She looked over at Peaches and whispered a name, “Will.”
Peaches’ eyes grew big and she covered her mouth with her hand. Turning her head into Iceman’s shoulder, she trembled.
“Who is Will?” Deke asked.
“His name was Will Denison. He came there during the last year Peaches and I were there. He was a bigger kid for his age. He was a little on the slow side but he had a gentle soul.”
“He never did learn the rules fast enough for Janelle,” Peaches took over telling them about the boy. “She enjoyed making him cry. One day, Will broke a glass by accident. Janelle slammed his wrist down on the counter hard and she broke it. We all heard the bones snap and we all heard Will’s screaming but no one could move. Cassie broke the rules by going to Will. She wrapped her arms around him and led him back to his chair. She held him until he stopped crying. That was the one and only time Janelle didn’t beat her for breaking the rules.”
“I wrapped his wrist the best I could but it wasn’t good enough,” Cassie added. “He could barely use it for the longest time and when it healed it was never right again.”
“So if this isn’t Robbie, he could be very much alive,” Lance commented.
“Do you have any idea where he might be?” Victor asked.
“I would check that special room,” Cassie suggested. “He wouldn’t be too far from his mother and she would want him to stay close to her. That way she would be able to protect him.”
“But she hasn’t been in that house for months now,” Lance concluded. “Do you think he’d still be there?”
Cassie nodded. “She kept that room a secret for a reason. To keep him safe.”
Lance stared at her for a moment then said, “I want to thank you for your help with this matter. We might actually have a chance to stop him now.”
“Robbie is a very sick individual. Janelle allowed him to do whatever he wanted and when she did try to restrain him, she found she couldn’t. By that time, all she could do was hide him from the rest of the world.” Cassie paused then added, “Janelle’s biggest thing was having complete control. She tried to control me. It didn’t work but she never could control the one person she should have, Robbie. She turned him into what he’s become.”
“And now he’s alone out there with no one to tell him when to stop.” Peaches visibly shivered. “If he has any idea where Cassie is, he’ll come after her to finish what he started.”
“He won’t get anywhere near her,” Deke vowed the steel in his eyes easy for anyone to see. “I’ll take his ass out before I’ll let him touch her again.”
Cassie shook her head. “You can’t protect me twenty four seven. It just isn’t possible.”
Deke turned his head and glared at her. “I can and I will.”
“No boss, we all will,” Wiley called out. “We won’t let anyone near her.”
Deke nodded. “There you go.”
“Now, that we know who we’re up against, maybe we can stop him before he has a chance to come after her,” Victor said.
“Good luck with that.” Iceman scoffed. “He’s been hiding right under your noses for the last eleven years.”
“Maybe, but now we know he’s out there and we won’t stop until we find him,” Lance assured them.
“I’m sorry but you two have to leave,” Deke told Lance and Victor. “We’re going on lockdown and unless you want to stay, get out.” Turning to Gator he said, “I want everything locked up, roving patrols and spotlights on the woods. I want at least three people on the roof. I want there to be no way that bastard gets inside the compound without being seen.” He glared at them a moment before he said, “If the bastard comes here after Cassie, my men will be under orders to shoot to kill him. He won’t live to stand trial. I’m telling you this, so we don’t have a misunderstanding about it.”
Lance and Victor both nodded.
Finally, Lance told him, “We have to get back to Boston and check out the house. Now that we know where to look, we’ll hunt this piece of shit down and take him out.”
“See that you do,” Deke warned. “If I find him sitting in jail cell…he won’t be there long.”
Lance stared at the other man for a moment. His intense eyes told of murder and he nodded. Message received. He and his partner turned to leave.
Deke watched them all the way out the door. Then he turned to Gator. “Let’s lock this place down tight.”
Gator nodded and began looking around at the handful of men in the room. “Wiley, gather the others, we have a job to do.”
Deke grabbed Gator’s arm. “I want you to nail the window shut in my room. I don’t want another bastard getting close to her like that.”
Gator nodded. Catching Reva’s eye, he motioned with his head. “Do you think the other women and children should go somewhere else?”
Deke hesitated. “That’s between you and her. Robbie isn’t after her or the kids.”
“No but I don’t want them caught up in the crossfire either,” Gator admitted.
Reva stepped closer to him and Deke. “I’m not going anywhere away from you, old man,” she insisted with her hands firmly set on her hips.
“It might be safer if you did.” Gator wrapped his big arms around her.
“The safest place I know is right here, in your arms.”
“I won’t have you or them kids in any danger if this nutcase does get through our lines,” Gator grumbled.
“You and the boys have always protected us before,” Reva told them both. “I have no doubt you will continue to do so.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not leaving.”
Gator growled. “Woman, you are the most stubborn thing.” His arms tightened around her.
“Yeah, big guy…” Reva patted his chest. “I love you too.”
Deke smiled at their antics and turned his head to watch Cassie. She looked worn out. He was concerned about her being out of bed for so long. He walked over to where she was sitting. Kneeling down beside her, he took her hand in his. “Are you okay, baby?”
Cassie nodded. “This nightmare has to end. I can’t keep looking over my shoulder anymore.”
“You should be in bed resting.” He brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. “You’ve been sitting up long enough.”
“No!” She gasped. “I don’t want to be alone right now.” She grabbed his shirt and twisted it along with her hands into fists. “Please don’t make me be alone.”
Deke pulled her into his arms. “Shhh baby, I won’t do that to you.” Kissing her temple he assured her, “You won’t be alone. I’m not going anywhere. You got me, Deacon and Peaches. Gator and Reva are here too. Nobody will leave you alone for a second. Wiley and all the boys are here too. You and the baby will be fine, I promise.”
“Oh, God Deke—don’t let Robbie hurt our baby!” Cassie wailed softly. She grabbed his shirt.
“He won’t hurt you or the baby, I promise,” Deke whispered. “Come on let’s move you over to the sofa so you’re more comfortable.” He gathered her into his arms and carried over to the sofa. Carefully laying her down, he covered her up and kissed her forehead. “Rest now. We’ll take care of everything else.”
~* * * *~
Marnie watched as Cassie closed her eyes and Deke walked away. From where she stood, she could see everyone scrambling around the room. She was sitting at a far table and for a moment, she felt isolated.
Then Deacon joined her and she felt his warmth surround her.
“Are you doing okay?’ he asked.
Marnie nodded and glanced over at Cassie and Peaches. “They certainly went through some kind of hell didn’t they?”
“Yes they did,” he said quietly. “I almost wish the bastard would come here.”
“Why?’ Marnie asked surprised.
“Because I want to look him in the eye when he knows his life is over.” Deacon growled low. “I want to see the fear in his soul when he’s finally on his way to hell.”
“I think Deke and Jesse would like to witness that as well.” She nodded. “And he would deserve every second of it for what he put those girls through. I know Jesse hasn’t left Peaches alone too much since they met. Now, I know why.”
Deacon leaned closer to her and touched his lips to hers. When the heat hit them both, Marnie gasped and Deacon backed away. He smiled. “I had to know if yesterday was just a fluke or if it really happened.”
Marnie licked her lips. She still felt the energy all the way to her toes. “And now?”
“Now…if we weren’t getting ready for war, I would take you home with me and we’d be getting ready to see where this was going,” he whispered in her ear. “I want you so much right now, I can’t think with the brain in my head. My cock wants to take over.”
Marnie grinned. “That sounds lovely.”
Deacon grinned as well. “Lovely?” He laughed. “Well, I do want to give you some lovely all right. Maybe not this minute but soon, very soon.”
“I can’t wait.”
“Neither can I.” He sighed and glanced over at Cassie. “Stick close to her today. I think she needs someone beside her.”
“But I don’t even know her all that well.”
“That doesn’t matter, not today.” Deacon shook his head. “She just needs the comfort of someone real. The memories stuck in her head are going to come after her and sometimes, the company of another human being is the only thing that keeps them at bay.”
Marnie gave him a huge smile. “Hey, you sound like the counselor now. You be careful out there, okay?”
Deacon glanced at her. “Why do you say it like that? I’m not the one Robbie is after.”
“I know, but I want to see where this goes with us. I want the time to know you better and if you do something foolish, we might not ever get to ride it out.”
Deacon smiled. “Oh you aren’t going to get off that easy. I’ll find the time to get you alone and we will ride the lightening together. That much I know.” He pressed a kiss to her mouth then walked away.
Marnie smiled to herself and joined Reva in the kitchen. She noticed the children were busy at one of the prep counters, so she got close to Reva and asked, “How are the kids holding up?”
“They’re watching everything real close right now, but I’m not sure they understand what’s going on,” Reva explained.
“Were they any trouble last night?”
“No trouble at all.” Reva smiled. “It was kind of nice having them in the house.”
Marnie cocked her head to one side. “Are you falling for them?” she asked softly.
Reva laughed. “Yes, I am. Hook, line and sinker. Gator and me, we never had kids of our own and I’ve always missed that.”
Marnie patted her hand. “Then I will leave them in your very capable hands.”
Reva winked. “Yes, you will.” She turned back to what she was doing and soon handed Marnie a cup of something hot. “Take this to Cassie. It’s not coffee but it’s hot and strong. Better for the baby.”
“What is it?” Marnie asked.
“It’s tea. She looks like she needs something and as neither her nor Peaches drink alcohol this should do it.”
Marnie frowned. “They don’t drink? Did they ever say why?”
“No and it’s not my place to ask them why.”
“Okay, just curious that’s all.” Marnie turned and went over to Cassie. “Hey girl, you look like you could use this.” She handed over the cup. “Reva says its tea and better for the baby than coffee.”
Cassie nodded. Taking a sip, she grimaced. “I switched over to this stuff weeks ago but I still can’t get used to the taste. I do miss my java in the morning.”
Marnie sat down on the floor beside the sofa. “Your uncle is worried about you.”
Cassie nodded. “I know, everybody is.”
“I need to ask you something personal.” Marnie was nervous and her hands trembled slightly.
Cassie put her cup down and looked at the other woman.
“I know I just met him and all but…there’s something between us.”
“You don’t need my permission to be with him, you know,” Cassie said softly.
Marnie nodded. “I know but I wanted you to know.”
Cassie wrapped her arms around Marnie’s neck. “If you feel ten percent for him what I feel for Deke, then we’re both lucky women.”
“You know Peaches is with my brother, Iceman right?”
Cassie smiled. “Yeah, I know and she loves him very much.”
“I hope so because he felt the zing with her.”
“The zing? What’s that?”
“My mother explained it to us when we were kids. She said we would find our soul mate when we kissed the person we were meant to be with and we felt the zing.” She shrugged. “That’s just how it is in our family. The zing has been felt for generations.”
“And did you and Deacon feel this zing?”
“Oh yeah, we damn near came in our pants, it was so strong,” Marnie admitted in a whisper.
Cassie gasped a little then grinned at her. “Then you find the time to be with him,” she insisted. “Don’t wait. Life is too damn short not to grab your happiness wherever you can find it. Drag him away if you have to. Find the nearest bed and go for it. I may not have known him all that long but I have a feeling he’s just like my mother. If that’s the case, he deserves all the happiness that life has to offer.” She reached for Marnie’s hand. “He may not have much to offer you but himself but I think it’ll be enough. I almost lost my chance at real happiness when my pride got the better of me. I almost lost Deke. I won’t make that mistake ever again.”
Cassie looked over at Peaches and Iceman.
They were huddled together at the table talking and touching each other. Peaches almost glowed she was so happy.
“You know something.”
“What’s that?” Marnie asked.
“When I first met Peaches, I had a strong feeling that I was supposed to save her. I knew in my heart I had to return her to her family. I may have only been a kid but I knew that much. I had no idea how I was going to do it but that was my goal.”
“I don’t understand.”
Cassie stared at Marnie. “I don’t know if I do either. But when I saw her standing in Mrs. Pierce’s kitchen I almost heard my mom’s voice calling out to me. She told me it was my mission in life to return Peaches to her family. She needed my help and I had to protect this young girl until I could get her back to her father.”
“Did Peaches know?”
Cassie shook her head. “You are the first person I ever told that to.”
“Why did you tell me?”
“I don’t know. I just did.” Cassie shrugged. “It wasn’t very often my mother spoke to me after she died, but she did that day. I could hear her as plain as day.”
“Wow,” Marnie whispered.
Deke came back over to where Cassie and Marnie were talking. He looked at Cassie. “I think it’s time for you to rest again. You’ve been out of bed for too long. I want you back to healthy sooner rather than later.”
Cassie smiled. “I suppose. I am getting sleepy.”
“I’m going to the club for a while but I’ll be back before too long. If you want, I can carry you back out here when I get back.”
“Okay, big guy.” Cassie chuckled. “I’ll have a nap as long as you bring me back out here later.”
Deke leaned over her and gathered her into his arms. Marnie tucked the blankets around her and Deke carried her back to the bedroom they shared. He laid her carefully in bed and covered her gently. Leaning over her, he kissed her forehead. “I’ll be back.”
“I’ll be here.”
Deke turned as Cassie closed her eyes. When he left the room, he closed the door gently behind him.
~* * * *~
Neither of them noticed the window was slightly open or the pair of eyes staring from the darkness of Deke’s closet. Only when he heard the growl of motorcycle engines, did Robbie come out of the closet. Quietly, he crossed the room and snapped the lock on the door. Then just as quietly, he crossed over to the bed and stood there watching her sleep.
In his hand was a knife. Sunlight coming from the window gleamed on the steel of the blade, almost making it sparkle. His hand gripped the bone handle.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a couple of colorful scarfs. He laid them down on the bed then leaned toward her. He allowed the cold steel of the blade touch her neck slightly.
~* * * *~
Cassie opened her eyes slowly. Her mind went blank when she found herself staring into the cold eyes she thought she would never see again.
His eyes had a crazy look to them and his lips were curled into a nasty snarl. “If you scream, they won’t get close enough to rescue you before I kill you,” he whispered. “You and I have a date that’s long overdue.
“You won’t leave here alive Robbie,” Cassie whispered.
Robbie smiled cruelly. “You’ve taken most of my life away from me already. All I can do now is make sure you go to hell before I do. Now, get up carefully.”
Cassie sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Her belly hurt but that was the least of her worries right now. He handed her a t shirt and pair of shorts. She quickly stripped off the hospital gown and pulled the clothes over her body. Usually, Cassie would fight someone who tried to do this to her, but she was too fearful for her baby and was forced to go along with this psycho killer. She shivered at the thought of that knife being plunged into her and right through her baby. No…the baby comes first and she just couldn’t chance it.
“Put your hands behind your back,” he ordered. When she complied, he wrapped one of the scarves around her wrists securing them. He reached for the other scarf and tied it around her mouth. Then he grabbed her by the hair and pulled her over to the door. “Those fuckers nailed the window shut a few minutes ago, so we will have to go out of another window.” Nudging the door open, he peeked out. Then he tugged her across the way to the opposite door. Pushing it open, he pulled her in and quietly shut the door. Then he tugged her to the window. He then climbed out and pulled her with him. Peeking around, he began dragging her with him. He dragged her all the way down the fence to an opening he must have made earlier and then he pulled into the woods.
Cassie was crying and struggling but not too hard. She wanted to live long enough for Deke to get back and help her. She couldn’t help but pray he would get there in time.