Chapter 26

Emily lay curled up in the trunk of the car. The guy hadn’t spoken a word, but his gun spoke enough for him. Why hadn’t she screamed or ran? Keith was just below her. He would have heard her and come running. The guy had a gun that was why. Keith was still recovering from one gunshot, and she didn’t want to be responsible for him getting shot again. He might not have been so lucky.

For the hundredth time, the car hit a huge bump, and she got jostled around. Emily cursed under her breath as she tried to get out of the zip ties the man had put on her wrists. She remembered videos online of how to get out of them, but she couldn’t get herself into a position to do what she had to.

“Let me out of here you, asshole,” Emily shouted, but she wasn’t sure he could hear her.

When she ran into her apartment to grab a couple of her old stuffed toys for the cat she almost shit herself. The guy stepped in front of her and pointed the gun at her head. He was wearing a black ski mask and dark sunglasses making it impossible to tell who it was. The only thing he did was grunt and point to the window.

He held on to her as he climbed out onto the ladder and kept the gun pointed directly at her. He made her climb down above him, but he kept a tight grip on her leg. She had no idea what he’d done with the gun because he had to hold the ladder but she was afraid to look.

When they got to the bottom, he pointed to the trunk of a black car, and when she shook her head, he shoved her towards it. Emily looked at the barrel of the gun as she climbed into the trunk but not before he’d wrapped the zip ties around her wrists. He’d already had them looped so when he held it up to her he didn’t lower the gun for a moment.

What was she supposed to do? She slipped her hands into the loop, and he yanked it tight. Painfully tight. When he closed the trunk, Emily breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t kill her. At least not yet.

Emily managed to get herself onto her back, but she still didn’t have enough room to slam her hands against her legs. It was supposed to break the ties. She hoped for once the internet was right. As soon as she had a chance she was going to try. She’d looked for the trunk release, but that was a bust. He must have ripped it out.

The brakes squealed, and the car came to a stop. The engine shut off and she heard the car door open. Emily held her breath as she heard his feet crunch against the ground. It sounded like loose gravel. Where the hell was she? She was tempted to bring up her feet and kick him in the face as soon as he opened the trunk but he would probably have that gun, and she didn’t want to die.

When the trunk opened, and she tried to lift her head to see where they were. He pushed her back and grabbed something behind her head. She relaxed when he pulled back but then he put something over her head, and she felt like she was going to suffocate.

He dragged her out of the trunk, and since he struggled with her, she knew he wasn’t strong enough to lift her. That could be useful. When she had her footing, he gripped her arm and pulled her forward. Emily tripped a couple of times, once accidentally and twice on purpose to gauge his reaction. It wasn’t a good one. He poked her in the head with the gun and grunted.

The next time she tripped was because he didn’t warn her there was a step. This ass was going to get such a throat punch when she got the chance.

“You could’ve warned me to lift my feet, you dickhead,” Emily grumbled as he pulled her up from the step.

Again, he poked her with the gun but harder. She really needed to control what she said. It bothered her that he still hadn’t spoken because she was sure she recognized the cologne he was wearing. She couldn’t remember the name of it, but it was familiar.

She heard the click of a lock and then the creak of a door opening. She was pushed inside, and then the door was closed. He grabbed her arm and tugged her forward again. The floor had carpet because it was soft as she walked across it.

“Are you going to speak? What do you want?” He grunted but chuckled a little too.

“Okay, I’m sure some girls like the caveman routine, but I’m not a fan,” Emily complained.

Another door opened, and Emily made a step forward. This time he stopped her and stepped in front of her. He took her hands with one of his and pulled her foot forward. Emily felt the step and realized he was taking her down a flight of stairs.

“Seriously, can you just take this thing off my head, I’ll go down the stairs myself.” Emily hoped he was going to leave her alone so she could get the zip ties off. He didn’t answer. Just kept helping her down the ten steps.

When they were at the bottom of the stairs, he walked her about fourteen steps and eased her down onto what seemed like a bed. Fuck. If this guy tried anything, gun or not, she’d fight like hell to get away.

He removed the bag from her head, and she blinked several times to adjust to the light. He still wore the mask, but she could see his eyes now. They looked familiar.

“Who are you?” He didn’t say a word. He reached up and grabbed the top of the ski mask.

“Oh, my God.” Emily gasped when she saw his face. “How can it be you?”

“Hi, Nora.” He smiled, and for the first time since she met him, it appeared sadistic. “I knew I’d have you back in my life and soon we’ll do everything we had planned before your brother-in-law ruined everything. They thought they’d hide you from me forever. I knew the second I saw you that they lied. Now, they will never keep us apart again.”

“I’m not Nora, I’m Emily, and you’re insane.” Emily probably shouldn’t have said the last part because his hand connected with her cheek with a stinging slap.

“Don’t backtalk me.” He growled. “I’m not going to put up with that. Just ask them.”

Emily turned to where he pointed, and all the air whooshed out of her lungs. In the corner of the room were four people laying on the floor. They looked dead, and what was worse, she knew them.