Up ahead, I could see the highway looming. Traffic was sparse but there were enough vehicles going past that I figured I could get someone to stop for me. I made a run for it. As I ran into the headlights of an oncoming truck, I wondered briefly if this was how my life would end: in a bloodied heap on the side of the highway.
But the truck I ran out in front of came to a stop several feet away from me, much to my relief. Maybe, I reasoned, my life would actually end as a result of being picked up by an axe-wielding murderer. I braced myself as the window rolled down.
“Ms. James?” A young-sounding man’s voice asked. “What are you doing out here?”
I squinted and then realized I recognized the face that was peering back at me. “Joey?” I’d never been so happy to see one of my students in my life. “My uh…my car broke down a few miles away,” I fibbed. I detested lying but it was so much easier than telling the truth and opening a complicated can of worms. “Do you think you could give me a ride back into town?”
“Sure, hop in.”
As we neared the lights of Burlington, I felt myself relax a little. Country music played on the radio, low and unobtrusive. Normally I wasn’t one to favor the nasally twangs and folksy lyrics, but tonight they were, quite literally, music to my ears. I settled back in the passenger seat and exhaled loudly. Until that moment I hadn’t realized just how tense I was.
“You weren’t at class,” Joey observed, breaking the silence. “Is everything okay?”
I froze. How was I going to explain my absence away? “There was a…uh, family emergency,” I said, thinking fast. “It’s all fine now,” I assured him quickly, “But everything happened so fast that I didn’t have a chance to arrange for a substitute teacher for your class. I’m sorry you all showed up for nothing.”
“It’s okay,” Joey replied, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel in time to the music. “They sent Mr. Warren in to teach the class instead.”
Mark! My blood boiled that once again he’d had an opportunity to outshine me through no fault of my own. “Oh,” I managed to mutter, hoping my voice didn’t give away my true feelings. “Well I’m glad everything worked out.”
“I’m not,” Joey laughed. “No one was exactly thrilled that he was our sub. He looks cool and seems like he’d be an okay dude, you know? But he’s actually sort of mean…and has some weird ideas. Today he said wage inequality doesn’t exist. One girl raised her hand and said she knows it does because her parents work at the same office doing the same job but her dad makes more. Mr. Warren kept picking on her after that until she was almost in tears.”
“That’s horrible,” I said, immediately thinking of the pay stub of Mark’s that I’d accidentally gotten a look at. I knew for a fact that wage inequality did exist because he was paid more than I was even though we both held the same position. The injustice of it made me see red.
“Yeah,” Joey agreed. “I know we’re not always the most attentive class but everyone really loves you, Ms. James. You treat us like our opinions matter…like we matter. You’re the only instructor who meets with us outside of office hours to go over review questions. I was scared I was going to lose my scholarship this semester because I’m not doing so well in my other classes, but I’ve been doing okay on those practice exams you handed out. I’m feeling pretty good about writing the Sociology final and it’s all thanks to you.”
“I’m happy to hear that, Joey.” Secretly I was swelling with pride. This right here was exactly why I’d pursued a career in the classroom. Nothing was quite as gratifying as getting positive feedback from my students…I just hoped this wouldn’t be my last semester at it.
“Ms. James? Are you crying?”
Clearing my throat noisily, I shook my head. “I’m fine, Joey. It’s just allergies,” I told him as I wiped the tears off my cheek. It was all I could do to hold back the ragged sobs that were threatening to burst forth.
Everything was falling apart. It was amazing to think that a few short weeks ago, I’d felt like I was on top of the world. My career was headed in the right direction and a sexy, handsome, charismatic man had walked into my life, breaking all his rules just to be with me. Though I hadn’t realized it at the time, I’d been the luckiest woman in the world.
And now my job was likely coming to an end and Hayden…oh God, Hayden. I knew that when I got to town, I’d spend the night glued to my computer frantically doing research, but not the kind I was used to. From the moment I’d walked out on him, doubt had been creeping into the corners of my mind. What if, by some miracle, I’d been mistaken about him?
It was preposterous that I was even considering an alternative to him being delusional. He was probably just some rich man-child living off his daddy’s bank account who was a bit unbalanced. But what if he wasn’t? I’d walked away from him as a self-preservation tactic but now that I couldn’t reach out and touch him I wondered if I’d done the right thing.
I needed to find out everything I could about Hayden Slate. I needed to try to verify the things he’s told me. But I was afraid of what I’d find. Either he was insane or he was in deep, deep trouble – and so was I. Neither outcome was good. I just hoped I’d be strong enough to handle whatever information I managed to unearth.
Chapter 08
I didn’t go home. I wasn’t sure it was safe there – not after what had happened. Truth be told I wasn’t convinced my office at work was safe either considering I’d been taken from the campus parking lot…but I figured it would be a better option than my house. For all I knew Hayden might be sitting on my front step waiting for me.
Thankfully Joey didn’t question me when I asked him to drop me off on campus. With a grateful wave, I watched as he drove off into the darkness leaving me alone on the college grounds. At this time of night, it was like a ghost town.
Punching in the security code, I hurried into the empty building that housed the Sociology department. It was the middle of the night and all the lights were off. Not wanting to leave any indication I was there, I left them that way, relying only on the moonlight streaming in the windows to guide me. I rushed down the hall to my office where I shut and locked the door, barricading it with a chair. Then I switched on my computer.
Two hours later found me a nervous wreck. I hesitated and then called Mina, dying to hear a familiar voice. “I’m sorry for calling so early,” I blurted out as soon as she picked up. “I didn’t want to wake you but I need to talk to someone.”
“Wake me?” she laughed. “The baby woke me an hour ago, so don’t worry about it. What’s up with you, Daniella? You don’t sound so good.” That was the understatement of the year. I felt like I was on the verge of hysterics because what I’d discovered was so impossible. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“You wouldn’t believe it if I told you,” I muttered. Maybe calling her had been a mistake. I’d thought it would help to talk things through with someone level-headed…maybe then what I’d learned would sink in. It felt like I’d tripped and crashed into some alternate universe.
“Try me.”
Taking a deep, shuddering breath, I let it all come spilling out. “That guy I told you about…the one I met after things didn’t work out with Mark? His name is Hayden. He’s this amazing, gorgeous, charismatic guy who works for his filthy-rich father buying and selling art. He told me this crazy story about how he unknowingly bought a stolen painting and ended up on some mystery person’s hit list because of it.”
“Uh, Daniella, I dated a guy a few years ago who swore the government was reading his emails and had put a tracking device in the sole of his shoes to keep track of his whereabouts,” Mina interrupted. “Nice guy but in-freaking-sane!”
“That’s what I thought at first about Hayden,” I admitted. “But I did some research. His father’s company does exist and the museum that’s being established overseas is legit. I dug through the online news archives and was able to confirm that a very expensive painting was stolen in Germa
ny. I think Hayden was telling me the truth.”
“Did things end with him because you didn’t believe him?”
“Pretty much…” That was far from the entire truth but I didn’t feel like getting into it. It was still too raw. After replaying that morning at my house over and over in my head I didn’t want to dwell on it any longer. “There were some…misunderstandings,” I finally confided. “But it turns out he had a good explanation. He was just trying to protect me.”
“So let me get this straight. You’ve got a sexy, rich guy who wants to bone you and wants to take care of you,” Mina summarized succinctly. “Is that right?”
“I guess that’s one way of putting it.”
“And you’re not with him banging his brains out right now because…?”
She made a good point. But before I could ponder the question, a noise from outside made me jump. For a moment I’d been so preoccupied with thoughts of Hayden that I’d forgotten the danger I was in. If someone really was after him, then that meant I might be a target just as he feared. With a gasp, I ducked down behind my desk and whispered, “Hey Mina, I’ve got to go. Thanks for listening.”
“Daniella, be careful.”
I didn’t answer. I was too busy gawking in horror. There was no question about it: those were footsteps I heard out in the hall!
Chapter 09
The suspense was killing me. For what felt like ages, I’d been crouched behind my desk holding my breath as I listened to someone rummaging around down the hall. I could hear desk drawers opening and the rustling of papers. It felt like I was a sitting duck just waiting to be picked off…I had to get out of there.
Looking around, I found a letter opener on the far corner of my desk. It was very sharp. I didn’t want to use it but if worse came to worse I didn’t want to be caught empty handed. I carefully tucked it into the waistband of my skirt and then crept toward my office door. I moved the chair away as quietly as I could and then released the lock.
Peering out into the hallway, I saw the light on in Mark’s office. My plan was to go the other way and get the hell out of there as quickly as possible. But right that moment, someone walked out of the office and looked right at me.
This was it…I was going to die! My life flashed before my eyes – I always thought that was just an expression but it turns out it actually does happen. Maybe that was a bit hasty of me to immediately assume I was going to die but people don’t always act rationally in the midst of a crisis. At least that’s the excuse I’m going to rely on.
Interestingly, when my life flashed before my eyes, it wasn’t my academic accomplishments or professional achievements that came to mind first. It was Hayden Slate.
“What are you doing here?” the night janitor asked once we’d both calmed down.
“I, uh…I’m trying to get an article written!” I blurted out, pretending to smooth my skirt so the night janitor wouldn’t think I’d been on the verge of attacking him with a letter opener. “You know how it is – tight deadline!” I laughed a bit too manically.
Shaking his head, the janitor picked up a duster and began to clean. I leaned against the wall and tried to catch my breath. I hadn’t realized just how jumpy I was. I also hadn’t realized what a good liar I’d become when the truth simply wouldn’t do. Was I supposed to feel proud or embarrassed by that?
“Isn’t that the phone in your office ringing?” The janitor looked at me expectantly, his voice interrupting my thoughts. I blinked and stared back at him vacantly. Then his words sunk in.
Sure enough, it was. I’d been so engrossed in my thoughts that I hadn’t even noticed. I rarely ever got calls on that line and certainly not in the middle of the night when I was supposed to be at home in bed. Who would even know I was there? “Thanks,” I told him, turning on my heel to retreat to my office.
I nearly dropped the phone when I heard Hayden’s voice on the other end. He sounded exasperated with me. “I knew you’d be there,” he told me before I’d even had a chance to speak. “I’m not the only one who can track you down, you know. You shouldn’t have left me,” he said flatly, sounding hurt and angry. “If you’d stayed at the cabin I could have protected you.”
“Maybe you’re right,” I agreed. “But what would you have done in my position? You have to admit, what you told me sounds pretty far-fetched. But I’m sorry you had to wake up to find me gone, Hayden. I shouldn’t have left the way I did.”
“How did you get out?”
“I uh…walked past your limo driver?” I replied and then paused to consider how silly that sounded – and how easy it had been for me to escape. “Is he really a security guard?” I asked incredulously.
“My father tells me he’s one of the best,” Hayden replied. I could hear the bewilderment and mounting suspicion in his voice, and I could practically imagine the way his eyes were narrowed as he pondered what I’d told him. “Either you’re an expert escape artist or that’s bullshit.”
“I’m not an expert escape artist,” I assured him. “I hate to say it but maybe your expert security agents aren’t such experts after all.”
“The thought occurred to me,” he agreed. Then after a loaded pause, he asked, “Do you believe me now?” I sensed reluctance in his voice as though he was afraid I might reject his reality and continue to think of him as delusional.
“Yes,” I told him quickly, with no hesitation whatsoever. “I believe you now. Where are you?”
“On my way to get you,” he replied matter-of-factly.
I should have known he’d be on his way to rescue me from whatever dangers lurked in the shadows. “Is that safe?” I demanded. It was sort of a rhetorical question because we both knew very well that it wasn’t.
“No, not at all,” Hayden shot back. “What I should be doing is getting out of the country immediately and going off the radar. But you haven’t left me any other choice but to come back for you.”
It was clear that leaving me behind wasn’t an option – not even when he was hurt and furious with me. That knowledge reassured me, but I worried for Hayden. “Can’t you send someone else to get me?” I asked, immediately accepting that I’d be leaving with Hayden no matter where his destination was. “I don’t want to endanger you.”
“If you were anybody else, I would.”
“It’s good to hear your voice, even if you are mad at me,” I told him as I sat back down at my computer. I’d left it on when the footsteps in the hallway had interrupted me. As I was about to shut it down, I caught a glimpse of the search results for Omari Heath, the artist who’d created the stolen painting. Several thumbnails of his art were visible and they immediately captured my attention.
“What was the name of the painting that was stolen?” I asked as I enlarged the thumbnails.
“That’s what you want to talk about right now?” he asked, not bothering to mask his surprise. When I waited expectantly for an answer, he added, “Uh, it’s called ‘Travesty’.” He sounded puzzled by the strange turn the conversation had abruptly taken. But of course, he couldn’t see what I was looking at. Maybe if he could then it would have made sense to him.
Cocking my head to the side, I studied the images on the screen with great interest. “Hayden, that painting…I found a photo online and I’ve seen it before!” I exclaimed, stunned.
“I’m sure you have,” he replied as though my statement was entirely unremarkable. “It’s a pretty famous political commentary piece. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve seen it in a Sociology textbook or something.”
“No,” I insisted, shaking my head even though he couldn’t see me. “I mean I’ve actually seen it. I went to the art gallery here on campus a while back and ended up wandering into the storage room by mistake. It was in there, propped up in the corner with brown paper over it!”
“That’s a strange coincidence. It must have been a print,” he reasoned.
“I don’t know…how would I be able to tell?”
“If it was
a high quality print then you might not be able to.”
“If you saw it, would you be able to tell?” I asked. “I mean, you know what to look for, right?”
“Yes. Daniella, you do realize we don’t have much time, don’t you?”
“I know that,” I assured him. “But Hayden…”
He sighed. “You really want me to look at it?”
“I could be wrong,” I acknowledged. “But what if I’m not? I know how remote a possibility it is, but what if it’s the real thing? I know I’m untrained but it sure looked like an original painting to me – I saw brushstrokes and everything.” I knew what I was asking. I was asking him to trust me even though my recent actions hadn’t given him much reason to do that. But that nagging feeling inside me wouldn’t go away.
“I’m about ten minutes away,” Hayden said. “I guess we can take a minute to go look at it, if you can get us inside? I’m guessing everything is locked up this time of night and breaking in would set off an alarm.”
“Oh, you’re probably right,” I conceded. His willingness to rely on my instincts meant a lot to me. It showed me that he valued my opinion and trusted my intellect. Then with determination in my voice, I told him, “You just get here safely. I’ll take care of the rest. Meet me outside the library.”
“Daniella, please be careful,” Hayden begged, his voice hoarse. The anger I’d initially heard was rapidly fading – or at least I hoped it was. “I don’t know what I’d do if anything were to happen to you.”
“Don’t worry,” I said brightly. “I can take care of myself.” I said it with such certainty that I nearly convinced myself. I just hoped I’d convinced Hayden. I didn’t want him to worry about me. Anything I could do to put his mind at ease, I would. He’d been through enough already.
His for Now (His #2) Page 7
