I pulled into a parking spot at the Cove and got out of my new little red convertible. Glancing back as I set the alarm, I smiled. It felt good to have my independence back. It didn’t hurt that the car was just so totally me.
I walked into the lobby and straight into the elevator. It had been exactly 10 days since the confrontation with Danny, and I was feeling too good to have to deal with him or Jensen.
Not that I’d seen much of either of them in those 10 days. I’d only seen Danny when he was coming to pick up Van and he’d been extra friendly every time. Van had been the same way. Going out of her way to pretend the whole Ryan thing had never even happened. I think it was their way of accepting the fact I wasn’t going to budge on this subject. I had seen Ryan every night since, and I guess you could say we were officially a couple.
I was Ryan’s girl and they could take me or leave me. Apparently they decided to take me. Boyfriend and all.
I glanced down at the clock on my phone as I entered the elevator. I had exactly two hours until Ryan arrived and I was eager to get out of my work clothes and into the shower. I leaned back after shutting the metal gates, letting my mind wander to Ryan. The last 10 days with him had been good. In fact, they had been pretty darn perfect. He was sweet and attentive. A real gentleman. Nothing Van and the guys said about him had been true. He was already promising to give me the world if I let him. And I was just about ready to.
I knew he cared a lot about me. I could sense he was as close to falling in love as I was. We were perfect together. Even if he kept me exhausted all the time. I guess love was draining. But who ever said happiness was easy?
The elevator stopped on the third floor and a guy stepped on. He smiled slightly and pushed a button.
A funny feeling was forming in my stomach as I watched him pick non-existent lint of his suit coat. Something about him wasn’t right, even though he wore a suit and tie. He reminded me of a kid playing dress up in his father’s clothes. The man wasn’t who he portrayed himself to be. He was hiding behind a mask.
I backed up instinctively, suddenly wishing I was any place but here. I didn’t know what caused the fear, but I knew enough to listen to it.
Feeling my fear, he reached out, stopping the elevator in an instant. I was stuck in between floors four and five with a psycho and I had absolutely no way out.
The man turned to face me, an appraising look in his eyes. “So, you’re her, huh?” His voice was thick with a Jersey accent. Definitely not the kind of guy I usually saw around here, especially not in a thousand dollar suit.
“Who?” I asked, pulling myself farther into a corner.
He moved forward, a smile growing on his lips. “The great Maxie Duncan. The bright hope of their future.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, confused enough to forget my fear for a moment.
He moved even closer, until he was within touching distance.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I tried to create some kind of barrier between us. I couldn’t have this man touch me. God only knew what he would do once he did.
Leaning closer still, he inhaled deeply, causing me to wrinkle my nose in disgust. This guy just sniffed me. Who does stuff like that?
“What a joke,” the man said, straightening up. “There’s nothing to you. You’re weaker than Maurice’s two-year-old nephew, and he’s only been dabbling for three days.”
I stared at him, the words not connecting with the scene that I knew was coming. Who cared what Maurice’s nephew could do? All that matter was me, and how I planned to get out of this. But nothing came to mind. I was just a spoiled rich girl alone with a guy three times my size. I had to face it. There was no way I was getting out of here.
“Still,” he said, looking thoughtful before a wolf’s grin took over his face. “There’s no reason to waste a pretty girl like you.” Lust flashed through his eyes as he reached out for me, his fingers digging painfully in my arms.
“No,” I screamed, his intent plain on his face. I couldn’t let him have me. A blue light flared between us, glowing white-hot where his hands made contact with me.
The man howled in rage as bits of smoke rose up from his fingers. I pushed at his hands, afraid of what the light might do to me. As I struggled the light grew brighter, causing the man to grimace in pain. A boom like thunder sounded between us, and Mr. Creepy went flying backwards into the metal gates.
Landing hard on the ground, he was up again in an instant. He hissed at me, his face contorting in rage. He showed long pointed teeth like a cat as he snarled. Funny how I hadn’t noticed them before.
“You’re going to pay for that, bitch,” he growled through the fangs. “I was only going to have a little fun before. Now you suffer.” He hissed again, lunging at me. The elevator rocked with the force of his launch.
I swayed, unbalanced in the moving cage and fell, nearly missing his hands as I tumbled to the floor.
He looked down at me lying there and smiled, confident in his victory. He crouched next to me. “Looks like the old man needs to find a new hope for his future.”
I sucked in air and started to scream, but no sound came out. I was that scared. It was over. This psycho was going to have his way with me and there was nothing I could do about it.
He was on top of me in an instant, my world suddenly stopping around me as his hands roughly grabbed my neck and yanked me to him, his head lowering to mine. “I’m going to enjoy this,” he whispered, his voice husky with excitement.
“Leave her,” a voice suddenly commanded around us.
I squirmed underneath him, trying to see my savior. “Please, help me,” I begged. I moved my head enough to see who had joined us in the elevator and gasped.
It wasn’t a who at all.
The dark shadow from the fifth floor stood by the gates, its red eyes burning down at my assailant. The fury it was generating poured off it in thick waves.
Mr. Creep-Jersey-guy turned his head, eyeing the creature. “What the hell? Beat it. I saw her first.”
I couldn’t believe my eyes. Had the whole world gone crazy around me? A walking shadow was standing over us as a man with fangs tried to have his way with me. What did they put in the water in California?
The man turned away from the shadow and smiled again, making me feel dirty in an instant. “I guess he likes to watch,” he said, bringing his mouth to my throat.
“I said leave her!” the shadow creature boomed, jarring everything around us. It felt like a sonic wave had struck us.
Growling, the man looked back over his shoulder at the dark shape. “And I said beat it.” It was a standoff of the weird kind and I wasn’t sure who would come out on top. After all, it wasn’t like a shadow had a body.
The shadow thing moved forward, plunging his hands deep into Jersey’s back. The man screamed as red light oozed out of him, bathing him in a bloody aura. He shuddered and flung my head away with inhuman strength.
I fell back, my head striking the floor with a sickening thud. My eyes lost their focus, and the man writhing in pain became blurry, then completely disappeared as my world turned to nothing but blackness.
Twenty One
Bell, Book, and Sandals Page 26
