“Landon!” She screamed trying to get his attention but she feared he was already dead.
“Scream all you want. He can’t hear you.” Antoine laughed.
Landon hung from the center of the grate by the same type of glowing blue rope. His right hands were missing, and in their place was blood-soaked gauze. He was in the same clothes as he was when he was at the club. There was a heel of a stiletto stuck in his chest.
“Why?” She cried. “Why would you do that? Landon didn’t hurt anyone.”
“No? He forced his hands upon your body.”
“He didn’t hurt me. I took care of it. He wouldn’t have done it again.”
“And I made sure of that. Just like the others.”
“What others? No, please God no.” Her knees nearly buckled with the realization of his words. He’d killed before.
“They all deserved it,” he claimed, walking over to the large crate the remote had been on.
He pulled pins out of the top of the crate and stepped to the side. The front of the crate came crashing down to the concrete floor with a loud bang. Inside was a large glass display case filled with large mason jars. Each mason jar held a pair severed hands inside, and labeled with a date. Foxy held back from puking. The sight before her was horrific. Nine jars in total lined the shelves. Nine lives this man has destroyed.
“It’s you,” she stated. “All the men the detective was looking for, you killed them.”
“I told you, they deserved it.”
“The detective thinks I’m responsible for their disappearances,” she informed him.
“You are.” Antoine smiled. “They even died the same way you threatened them.”
“Are you trying to frame me?”
“No, but I could. I think it gives it a personal touch. Don’t cha think?”
Suddenly, Foxy heard a muffled scream coming from her right. For a moment, she thought Landon may still be alive. She jerked her head in his direction and focused on his chest, hoping he was breathing.
“I saved one just for you.” Antoine grabbed the remote back off the crate. “You’re going to like this.”
Foxy prayed Menot wouldn’t be hanging from a grate like Landon. When the curtain dropped, she didn’t want to look. She heard a panicked mumble, followed by another muffled scream. Foxy took a deep breath to calm herself before looking.
“Snagged this one last night. Thought you might want the honor of doing this one yourself.” Antoine pressed a button on the remote and she heard a grate moving.
Foxy looked toward the moving grate. She felt a slight relief knowing it wasn’t Menot hanging there. Jasmine was bound by the same type of glowing rope. Their eyes met and Foxy could see the silent pleas in Jasmine’s eyes. She mumbled, trying to say something but the duct tape over her mouth prevented anything audible.
“I think she has something she wants to say.” Antoine walked over toward the grate. He pressed another button on the remote and the grate lowered to the concrete. Jasmine tried to turn her head when Antoine reached his hand out. He smiled and ripped the tape off her mouth.
“I’m sorry. Foxy, tell him I wouldn’t hurt you. It’s only sisterly bickering,” Jasmine pleaded.
“Now’s not the time for lies,” Foxy told Jasmine. No matter how much she disliked Jasmine, she didn’t deserve what Antoine was doing to her. “We may not like each other, but she doesn’t deserve to die. I believe she learned her lesson. She won’t be an obnoxious bitch anymore. Will you?” She looked over to Jasmine.
“That’s right. I’ve turned over a new leaf. I won’t say another rude word,” Jasmine pleaded.
“See?” Foxy looked at Antoine. “You have me. Let her go.”
“She’s not going anywhere and neither are you.” Antoine pulled his phone from his pocket.
He sat down in the chair across from Foxy and focused on his phone. When he set his phone down on the table beside the chair, music started playing. Foxy recognized the song from her playlist at work. He poured two glasses of champagne and set the bottle back into the ice bucket on the table.
“Your rope accessories were magically crafted. Try to escape and it will tighten so fast you won’t be able to breath. Continue to flee and it will likely cut off your head.”
He waved his hand and muttered a few words she didn’t understand. The ropes loosened from around her. It unraveled itself from around her and separated into two pieces. Each piece wrapped itself around each of her wrists like bracelets with arm bands. The rope around her neck loosened slightly and rested along her neck like a choker.
“Tonight is ours. Dance for me, only me,” Antoine instructed.
“No,” Foxy refused.
“No?” Antoine grinned, and held up the small remote.
His thumb slid over the red button at the bottom. The moment he pressed down on the button sparks came from the grate Jasmine was hanging from. Jasmine screamed out as electricity coursed through her body.
“Stop!” Foxy screamed at Antoine.
“What? Too shocking for you?” Antoine pressed the button again. Jasmine screamed, then went silent and her body started to spasm.
“Stop it, please,” Foxy pleaded.
“Would you rather me get that new bouncer boy you’ve been so smitten with?” Antoine asked. “I can grab him up in the morning.”
“No one else,” she looked at Jasmine’s limp body. “Let her go. She doesn’t deserve this.”
“No, she’s not leaving. She’s been making things difficult for you for weeks. She needs to be punished.”
“You’ve done that already. She’s been punished. Look at her.”
“I’m afraid that’s not how this works. Now dance,” he ordered her. He held up the remote again and slid his finger over the red button.
“No!” She screamed. “I’ll dance for you.”
Foxy forced her body to move with the music. Her movements were stiff with resentment. If she danced, he won’t hurt Jasmine. Jasmine was a complete bitch most of the time, but she didn’t deserve this. No one deserved this. She didn’t take off her clothes while she danced. When she spun away from him, she tried to look for a way to escape. The tough part would be how to get Jasmine out. Foxy turned back around and looked at Antoine. He tsked at her and shook his head. He didn’t look pleased with her dance. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a pistol. Foxy watched as he set the gun down on the arm of the chair. That might be the ticket out of here. She was too focused on the gun to notice Antoine’s other movements. Suddenly, electricity sparked and Jasmine weakly screamed out.
“Dance like you mean it.” Antoine placed his hand on the gun. “I’ve seen you dance for your rent, now dance for your life. Matter of fact, dance for hers.”
She started dancing again as another song started. She didn’t get far into the dance before Antoine was shaking his head in disappointment. She swayed her hips more, but it did nothing for his displeasure.
“Your outfit isn’t doing anything for me,” Antoine said.
“We can go to Heads N’ Tails. I have a variety you can choose from.” She offered but knew he wouldn’t be fooled.
“I’ve already taken care of that,” Antoine reached behind the chair and pulled out a black duffle bag. He opened the bag and pulled out a red outfit and threw it at Foxy, complete with g-string.
“This is mine!” She turned the dress over in her hands. It was the dress that she couldn’t find last night. “You didn’t happen to grab my heels, did you?” If she had her heels, she would have a fighting chance.
“Do I look stupid enough to give you a weapon you could use against me? Now change.” Antoine pressed the button on the remote again, sending Jasmine into a screaming fit. “You’re not going anywhere. Change right there.”
She looked up at Jasmine, who could barely hold her eyes open. Foxy did what she was told, hoping to save Jasmine from further pain. She pulled off her clothes and tossed them to the concrete. She was all too aware of Antoin
e watching her every move. Shimmying out of her panties, she grabbed the g-string and began to dress in the outfit he picked out.
“That’s better,” he said, sitting back in the chair. “Now dance.”
She danced for him but she stayed by the pole. She needed to find a way out. If she could get to the gun, she had a chance. As she danced around the pole, she checked its sturdiness. Her heart sank when she realized it wasn’t a cheap stripper pole that could easily be ripped from its spot. Instead it was bolted to the concrete with large bolts. There goes the chance to whack him in the head. With each song that came on she bid her time. She tried to come up with some kind of plan but they all included getting her hands on the gun.
“Remember this song?” Antoine asked as a song began. Foxy couldn’t place the song other than hearing it at the club. “This is our song. We had our first dance to this song. I tried to find the red dress that you wore that night but it wasn’t in your locker at the club. That one looks good on you too.” He grabbed his phone from the table and restarted the song. “Show me what I like. Come and dance, right here.” He pointed right in front of him and put his phone back on the table.
She obeyed his command since it brought her closer to the gun. If she could get her hands on the gun, she could save both her and Jasmine. She went over to him, dancing in rhythm of the music. Certain he would be wary of her, she didn’t go for the gun straight off. Instead, she ignored it completely. Slowly, she peeled down her dress. Standing between his knees, she leaned forward. She tried to gain his trust by not taking a chance. With the best smile she could manage, she looked down at the table. She could use the champagne bottle and hit him over the head, but he’d shoot her before she could even grab the bottle.
Her patience was rewarded when Antoine moved his hand away from the gun, so he could adjust his pants. She saw this as her opportunity to make her move. It’s go time! She grabbed for the gun, but before her finger could touch the metal the rope around her neck squeezed hard. It cut into her neck. Immediately, she brought her hands to the rope trying to pull it loose. She stumbled back a few steps, trying not to lose consciousness.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Antoine gritted out.
He picked up the gun and aimed. Foxy wasn’t even able to scream before the gun when off with a big bang.
Twelve
Menot pulled into the parking garage and was surprised to see Foxy’s car already there. It wasn’t in its normal spot which was odd since her spot was empty. If she wasn’t going to use it, then he would. He parked in her spot and got out of his truck. He wanted to catch Foxy before work to apologize for upsetting her.
When he got up to the club, he expected to see Foxy out on the floor dancing for a customer, however, she wasn’t in sight. He took his post at the end of the bar and hoped she would come speak to him when she came over for a drink.
“Passion, is Foxy still in the back?” He asked after several songs had played and still no sign of Foxy.
“She hasn’t come in yet. Good thing too, because that detective is looking for her,” Passion said, leaning against the bar. “Nina, I need a Lemon Drop shot and a beer.”
“Why would he be looking for her? He already talked to her the other day.”
The door behind the bar opened and Tony stepped out followed by the same detective from the other night. Passion grabbed her drinks and hurried away from the bar.
“What did Foxy do?” He asked Tony when he came out from the bar.
“She did nothing,” Tony clipped out and narrowed his eyes at the detective.
“She’s wanted for questioning in the murder of Harvin Lakes and the disappearance of Landon Peirce. There’s a few other unsolved murders I can probably link her to,” Detective Haze explained.
“Don’t be so quick to pin this on her,” Tony blurted out.
“Murder? You have to be kidding me.” Menot stood there dumbfounded. “What makes you think she has anything to do with it?”
“She threatened to cut off a man’s hands and stab him in the chest. Today we find a body in a back alley. He’s been stabbed in the chest and his hands are missing. What do you think?”
“I think someone wants you to think it’s her,” Menot told him. “Why would she kill someone in the same way she admitted to threatening him? It doesn’t seem smart and Foxy is smart.”
“Then she’s smart enough to think she could pull it off. Do you know where she is?” Detective Haze asked Menot.
“No, I haven’t seen her since my shift ended early this morning.” Menot admitted.
“If she comes in, you need to call me,” he told Tony then walked off.
“Is he for real?” Menot asked Tony.
“Afraid so.” Tony sat in the stool next to Menot’s post. “Nina, give me two shots of Moonmist.”
“You know she didn’t do this,” Menot told Tony.
“I know.” Tony nodded. “We need to find your girlfriend before the detective does.”
“Excuse me?” Menot was taken back by Tony’s statement.
“Don’t play dumb. I know you two have the hots for each other. I’ve seen how you look at each other. It’s the same way I look at Bryan and Annette. Plus, Gerri gave me a heads up the night we met.” He smiled over at Menot and slid him a shot that Nina poured.
“Thought you said no Moonmist on the job?” Menot hesitated.
“You’re a bear, you can handle it.” Tony held up his shot glass, encouraging Menot to do the same.
“Fuck it.” Menot picked up the shot glass in front of him. With a small salute they downed their shots. The sweet liquid had an amazing zing behind it that tightened his cheeks. He slid his shot glass over to Nina.
“You really have no idea where Foxy is? It’s not like her to miss work. Matter of fact, I don’t think she has ever missed work.
“I saw her car down in the parking garage. I thought she was here.” Menot admitted.
“Jasmine didn’t show up either,” Tony said.
“Do you mind if I run back down there to see if she’s still here?”
“I’d rather you take the elevator but sure.” Tony shrugged. “I’m going to check with Tyra, see what floor her keycard was used for.”
“Why didn’t you tell that to the detective?” Menot asked.
“Same reason you didn’t tell him about her car being in the garage. I want us to find her before he does.”
“Thanks,” Menot said and pulled out his phone.
On the way down to the parking garage, Menot tried to call Foxy’s cell phone several times. Each time it kept going to voicemail. Shoving the phone back in his pocket, he exited the elevator. He walked past his truck and spotted Foxy’s car in the exact spot. Her car was easy to distinguish from the others because it had a fox decal in the back windshield. He looked in her driver side window in case she was hiding from the detective. The car was empty. Her work bag was even missing.
He could still smell her magnolia perfume even though it’d been awhile since she stood here. He tracked her perfume toward the elevator and tried her phone again. When he pressed send, he heard a ringing not too far away. Is she hiding behind my truck? He followed the ringing around his truck before it went to voicemail. No one was there. He redialed her phone and the ringing began again. Getting down on his hands and knees, he looked under the vehicles. Her phone was laying under his truck. He must not have seen it when he first pulled in. He reached under his truck and grabbed Foxy’s phone. Standing up, he tried to track her scent again, but it didn’t go further than his truck. She must have gotten in a vehicle because her scent disappeared. His worry spiked, knowing she wouldn’t have left her phone on purpose. With all the disappearances lately, he wondered if someone could have grabbed her before she could make it in to the building.
Menot rushed to the elevator to see if Tony came up with anything. He found Tony sitting in the same spot where he left him. He was talking to Theirno, a dragon shifter, Menot met the night before.
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“Is her car still here?” Tony asked as Menot walked up.
“Yeah, did she make it into the building?” Menot leaned against the bar next to Tony.
“Tyra said her keycard hasn’t been used since she left at four this morning,” Tony replied.
“I think Antoine took Foxy,” Menot claimed.
“How do you know that?” Tony asked straightening in his seat.
“It’s the way he acts towards her. I think he’s the one that’s been sending her roses. He stared daggers at me last night. He also smelled of blood last night.”
“Maybe he cut himself shaving,” Tony offered.
“You talking about that guy you asked about last night?” Theirno asked from beside Tony. “Yes, there’s definitely something off with that one.”
“How can you tell?” Tony asked.
“When you’re around magic long enough, you pick up a thing or two. He’s into some dark stuff but I doubt he’s very strong. I felt no real power, just his dark aura.”
“I bet he took her to the warehouse district. Maybe I can track her once I’m there.”
“What makes you think that’s where he’d take her?” Tony asked.
“I kind of followed him last night,” Menot begrudgingly admitted.
“Go, we’ll talk about you following customers when you get back.” Tony waved him off.
“Here take this.” Theirno took off his necklace with a snake charm hanging down. “This will keep magic from touching you.”
“Where was this when we went up against Mara?” Tony asked Theirno.
“It won’t work against the magic that made it. Mara made it for me when one of her coven friends tried putting a love spell on me. I’ve been wearing it ever since. Antoine may not be strong, but you don’t know what kind of magic he’s working with.” Theirno handed the necklace to Menot.
Covering His Fox: Paranormal Dating Agency (Heads N’ Tails Series Book 4) Page 7
