Missed

by Tess Thompson

  She stood, ready to run, but she was too slow. He lunged at her and pushed her to the ground, covering her with his body, forcing her arms above her head. He tied them together with his belt. His breath, hard and fast, was hot on her neck and smelled sickly sweet, like cough syrup. Something pushed into her hip. Something hard. She screamed. He covered her mouth. “Be quiet, little one. I know what you want.”

  * * *

  **

  When he was finished, he held her down as he tied her hands behind her back and gagged her with his tie, then blindfolded her with a scarf that he’d pulled from his pocket. She stumbled and almost fell as he dragged her out of the office and down the hallway. Seconds later, they were outside, the cold pressing against her bare legs. “I’m going to take you home myself. I sent my driver home.” He spoke in a soft, calm voice, as if they’d finished the interview and he was offering her a lift home out of the kindness of his heart. She heard the sound of a car door opening before he thrust her inside. It smelled of new leather and his cologne.

  She sobbed silently as they drove. The spot between her legs throbbed. How long would it take to get to her house? Would her mother be there? What would he tell her? The car lurched to a stop but remained running. She had no concept of time. Cold air prickled her face. He was out of the car. Where were they? He wouldn’t let her out in front of her house. Of course he wouldn’t. He knew her mother might be there. She would see how Gennie looked and know that he’d done something to her. She held her breath, trying to stop crying, straining to see through the blindfold until she felt as if her eyes might pop out of their sockets. Nothing but blackness. Should she run? He yanked her door open. Frigid air rushed up her skirt. He grabbed her, forcing her out of the car, and then loosened the tie from her wrists. “You be a good girl and don’t tell anyone about this, you understand?”

  She cried, unable to answer.

  He shoved her against the car, pinning her to the cold metal with his hips. He ripped the blindfold and the gag off her. They were on a country road. It was dark. Snow continued to fall. Under her feet, there was at least a foot of fresh snow. He held her still by placing his hands on her hips. “I will kill your mother, your best friend, anyone and everyone you love if you ever utter a word to anyone.” His mouth was near her ear. “Tell me you understand, or I’ll kill you right now.”

  “I understand.”

  He yanked the collar of her coat and thrust her away from him. She landed on the cold snow.

  She sobbed, crawling away from the car, but it didn’t matter. He was done with her. He was in the car already, tires spinning as the car lurched forward and sped down the road. His tail lights faded from sight. Darkness enveloped her. She could see nothing, not even the hand in front of her face. Cold assaulted her weary body. She wrapped her arms around her middle, shuddering.

  I’m going to die out here alone. I want to see my mom. Just one more time, God, please.

  Her mother would be home soon, wondering where she was. Panic would set in. Police would be called. A search would ensue, like it had for the missing girl last year. They’d never found her, that missing girl. She’d died alone, like this. They would not look for Gennie here, down a deserted back road.

  She curled into a fetal position and wept without sound, waiting to die. Something poked her side. She reached inside her jacket pocket, curling her fingers over cold metal. Her flashlight. Her father had given it to her the Christmas before he’d died. She carried it everywhere with her. In case you ever get stuck in the dark, he’d said when he’d presented it to her, his brown eyes soft as she pulled it from the package.

  She sat up, wincing from pain, and pressed the button to turn it on, pointing it in front of her, then moved the light in a circle around her. There was a forest on one side of the road and a flat field on the other. A scarecrow stood in the field, weary from the weather, with only a frayed shirt to cover his straw body. She knew this scarecrow. Yes, she knew him. She was near her home. Just down the road, her house waited, warm and familiar. She was close. He’d dumped her near her own home, but she was so disoriented, she hadn’t realized where she was. I will kill your mother. Her teeth chattered with cold and fear. Her mom must never know what had happened. How would she keep it from her? If she walked in the door looking this way, her mom would know.

  Panic rose in her. She vomited into the snow, her head swirling. What time was it? Her mom didn’t get home until almost seven, so she wouldn’t be home yet. If she hurried, Gennie could make it home and clean up before her mom returned. She rose to her feet. Hurry. Hurry. Run if you have to.

  She jumped, startled by a rustling in the trees. Holding her breath, she pointed the light in the direction of the noise and gasped. An elk stood between two trees, hooves buried in the deep snow. Giant antlers tipped as he bowed his head; his breath billowed like clouds in the frigid air. She wiped her nose with the back of her arm.

  The elk snorted, tossing his head.

  “What? What is it?” she whispered. “What do I do?”

  Be brave, sweetheart. It was the voice of her father. Point your flashlight in front of you and follow the light home.

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  Connecting independent readers to independent writers.

  Did you love Missed: Rafael and Lisa? Then you should read Riversnow by Tess Thompson!

  A famous actress goes head-to-head with a powerful politician when she dares to name her abuser publicly in this small-town romance ripped from the headlines by USA Today bestselling author Tess Thompson.

  Genevieve Banks is one of Hollywood's most successful actresses. While on set in the small Oregon town of River Valley, she forms a deep friendship with her handsome male co-star. He wants more, but trauma deep in Genevieve's past holds her back.

  When her closely guarded secret is revealed, Genevieve must make a painful choice: stay silent and let others suffer at the hand of the man who victimized her or confront the violence in her past and hold her abuser accountable.

  Read more at Tess Thompson’s site.

  Also by Tess Thompson

  Cliffside Bay Series

  Traded: Brody and Kara

  Deleted: Jackson and Maggie

  Jaded: Zane and Honor

  Marred: Kyle and Violet

  Tainted: Lance and Mary

  Missed: Rafael and Lisa

  Healed: Stone and Pepper

  Cliffside Bay Christmas

  Christmas Wedding (Coming Soon)

  The Blue Mountain Series

  Blue Midnight

  Blue Moon

  Blue Ink

  The Legley Bay Series

  Caramel and Magnolias

  Tea and Primroses

  The River Valley Series

  Riversong

  Riverbend

  Riverstar

  A River Valley Christmas: Tommy's Wish

  Riversnow

  The River Valley Series: Riversong, Riverbend, Riverstar, Riversnow

  Riverstorm

  Standalone

  Duet for Three Hands

  Miller's Secret

  The Santa Trial

  Scarred: Trey and Autumn (Coming Soon)

  Watch for more at Tess Thompson’s site.

  About the Author

  Tess Thompson Romance...hometowns and heartstrings. Warning. Tess Thompson books will make you laugh, cry and remind you what it’s like to fall in love. Don’t purchase unless you like books about good people with ridiculously happy endings. Tess writes epic love stories with relatable characters set in small towns. Some of her books have suspense, others a mystery, and a few are set in the past. Like a reader said recently, "Tess Thompson books give you more than just a romance." She start
ed her writing career in fourth grade when she wrote a story about an orphan who opened a pizza restaurant. Oddly enough, her first novel, "Riversong" is about an adult orphan who opens a restaurant. Clearly, she's obsessed with food and words.

  Like the characters in her USA Bestseller River Valley Series, she hails from a little town in southern Oregon. Despite the fact she's lived in Seattle for almost thirty years, she will always feel like a small town girl. She's risen up the charts on all the major ebook retailers starting in 2012 when her debut novel Riversong became a bestseller. Since then, she's released almost 20 novels and novellas. She loves music and dancing, books and bubble baths, cooking and wine, movies and snuggling. She cries at sappy commercials and thinks kissing in the rain should be done whenever possible. Although she tries to act like a lady, there may or may not have been a few times in the last several years when she’s gotten slightly carried away watching the Seattle Seahawks play, but that could also just be a nasty rumor. She currently lives in a suburb of Seattle, Washington with her husband, the hero of her own love story, and their Brady Bunch clan of two sons, two daughters and five cats. Yes, that's four kids and five cats. Pray for her. Tess loves to hear from you. Drop her a line at tessthompsonwrites@gmail.com.

  Read more at Tess Thompson’s site.