by Chiah Wilder
Olivia gripped the sides of the table and arched, stretching out her back. For some reason she couldn’t shake the sense of impending doom which niggled at her. Instead of putting more documents into the feeder once the copy machine stopped, she listened, straining to hear any voices or movement in the office. The clinic was silent. The only sound was her own heavy breathing.
“I’m being paranoid,” she whispered out loud as the anxiety inside her mounted.
Quickly Olivia picked up the remaining files and held them in her shaking hands, debating whether to finish the job or get out of there. She couldn’t figure out why she was so jumpy and edgy, and certain that something bad was about to happen.
Opening a folder, she began stuffing the copied documents into it when she heard a shuffling sound behind her. Olivia froze, her breath caught in her throat.
The sound came again, as quiet as a whisper.
Maybe it was one of the patients. Maybe she didn’t hear the bell. Maybe—
Suddenly, the lights went out, plunging the room into darkness.
“Oh fuck!” she yelled, the folder dropping from her hands. She heard the papers flutter down to the floor.
Olivia could sense a presence behind her, could hear steady breathing and the soft approach of footsteps. A cold, prickling fear crawled up her spine.
“Who’s there?” she asked, hating the quiver in her voice.
No answer. Just breathing and shuffling.
“Is that you Marcus? This isn’t funny.” For some reason Olivia got it into her head that Marcus Thurber had hidden in one of the rooms and was trying to scare her. There was no explanation as to why he was doing it, but who else would be doing this? Then Brady Sickles’ face popped into her head and she gasped. He’d come in to look for Ivy and was mad she wasn’t there. He’s always blamed me for Ivy breaking up with him. “Stop it now, Brady. We’re not alone—people are still here.”
Before Olivia could turn around, cool, smooth fingers gripped her arms and she screamed.
“Shh, my sweet,” a low voice whispered next to her ear.
Fear paralyzed her and she couldn’t move. Did she hear him correctly?
“Hunter?” she said as terror tore through her.
The soft heat of breath on her neck brought a new wave of fear crashing over her. “Yes.” His lips pressed against her jawline.
How the fuck is Hunter here? What the hell is going on? I have to get out of this damn room.
“Do you like that?” Another kiss as his fingers dug deeper into her skin until it hurt. “You thought you could get rid of me. That wasn’t very nice, my sweet.”
Olivia felt the blood drain from her face. Her mouth went dry as a horrifying realization began to grip her. Hunter is Dr. Linney. The shock of it echoed through her.
His fingers had inched their way up her arms, now resting too close to her throat. Olivia willed herself to turn around. She focused and met his gaze, her eyes now fully adjusted to the dim light. Cold, brown orbs with a glint of evil bored into her; his nice-looking features had turned dark and sinister. She didn’t know this man before her, and as she gazed upon him, she knew in her heart that Hunter was going to kill her.
“Dr. Linney, please. Your patients will be coming in soon.”
“There are no appointments, my sweet. I lied to you. I’m sorry, but I had to. You forgive me, don’t you.” He lowered his head and moved his face closer to hers. Olivia turned her head, and his kiss landed on her cheek. He pulled back, anger etched on his face. “I’ll let that one slide, but you won’t turn away from the next one.” His gaze pierced her like a knife.
“Dr. Linney, don’t do this,” she said softly.
“My name is Hunter, Rose.”
He’s a fucking psycho!
As his fingers tightened against her throat, Hunter pressed his mouth to hers. Olivia reached behind her, grasping for the large three-hole puncher as his hands squeezed her throat.
Small red dots floated in front of her eyes as she gasped for air.
I can’t black out. I just can’t.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“IS AUNT JADA going to do my hair again?” Lucy asked as she skipped down the sidewalk.
“I bet she will if you ask her.” Animal opened the gate in front of his parents’ house then followed his daughter to the porch.
“Are we having dinner over here?” Lucy opened the screen door.
Animal inserted his key and turned the lock. “I thought we’d have dinner with Olivia later on.”
“But what if Aunt Jada’s not done with my hair?” Lucy walked into his parents’ house.
“We can wait, unless you don’t wanna go out for chow, kiddo.”
“I do. Can Aunt Jada come with us?”
“Sure—I’ll ask her.”
“There’s my favorite granddaughter,” Animal’s dad said, his arms outstretched.
Lucy giggled. “I’m your only one, Grandpa.” She rushed over and looped her arms around his neck.
“Hey, Dad,” Animal said, lifting his chin.
“Hiya.” Jay jerked his head toward the kitchen. “Your mother wants to talk to you.”
Animal shoved his hands in his pockets and crossed the room to the kitchen. He heard his dad asking Lucy if she wanted one of his chocolates. His dad always kept a box of them stashed in one of the drawers of the small cupboard near the couch.
When he walked into the room, his mother sat at the table drinking a cup of coffee and staring at the wall. He went over to the counter and poured himself a cup of java then plopped down on one of the chairs.
“How’re you holding up?” he asked, bringing the cup to his mouth.
“All right. Just sore as hell, but it’s better than what could’ve been.”
Animal nodded. “I don’t need to tell you not to do this shit again, right? It’s dangerous and stupid.”
“I know. Your dad and I already talked about it. No more online shit for me.”
“Do you remember anything more about the fucker?” Leaning back in his chair, he stretched out his legs, crossing them at the ankles.
“Yeah. Last night everything was a blur, but now I can see the asshole’s face as clear as I’m seeing yours.”
“Describe him.”
“Are you going to go out looking for him?”
“Something like that.”
Lucy scurried in and stood by Animal, her gaze fixed on her grandmother. He wished his mother would be more affectionate with her granddaughter, but he knew that wasn’t her way. He grew up with little of that from his mom, so Animal figured he shouldn’t expect anything different with Lucy.
“What’s up, kiddo?” he asked snagging an arm around her.
“Grandpa said that I can have a cookie. He wants one too.” Lucy leaned into Animal.
Rena chuckled. “You can have one, but your grandpa knows he can’t have sweets. Hell, I’m constantly trying to stop him from eating too many chocolates, but he sneaks them in.” She stood up and went to the pantry.
Lucy turned to Animal. “Grandpa really wants one. Is it bad if I tell Grandma I want two then give one to him?”
Animal laughed.
“I heard that,” his mother said walking back to the table with a bag of chocolate chip cookies in her hand. “I can see that you’re your father’s daughter—you’re just like him.”
Lucy leaned further into Animal.
“You can have your cookie in here with some milk. When you’re finished, you can take one to your grandpa—the old goat.”
Even though his mom pretended to be annoyed, Animal saw warmth and love in her eyes when she talked about her husband. He didn’t pretend to understand his parents’ marriage or arrangement, but it was clear that they loved each other.
“Okay, Grandma.” Lucy scrambled onto the chair next to his.
As his daughter ate her snack, his mother described the guy who’d attacked her. Animal took mental notes, and each time his mother remembered another chara
cteristic or physical description, licks of angers burned through him.
“And that’s about it.” Rena reached over and took out a cookie then nibbled on it.
“Grandma’s friend must look like Dr. Linney.” Lucy took a sip of milk.
His head jerked back. “Fuck,” he muttered as he took out his phone. He jumped to his feet then crossed over to the back porch while plugging in Olivia’s number.
No answer.
Again.
Voicemail.
“Fuck.” Every muscle in his body clenched with fury. The hackles on his neck rose and he sensed danger. He had to make sure Olivia was safe.
Animal called Hawk and told him what was going on, and the VP said he’d arrange for a group of brothers to meet Animal at the dental clinic stat.
Animal came back into the kitchen, ruffled Lucy’s hair, and let out a long breath.
“I gotta go. I’ll be back later,” he said to his mom. “Be a good girl, kiddo. If I’m late and you get hungry, Grandma will make you some dinner.”
“Okay. Can I bring Grandpa his cookie now, Grandma?”
“Yes,” Rena said standing up. “You be careful,” she whispered to Animal.
“Yeah. Later.”
He walked out the back door and ran to the SUV then sped away.
When Animal arrived at the building, the parking lot was empty except for Olivia’s car, a BMW parked in the far corner of the lot, and a small van with a sign that read “Sunshine Cleaning” on the both sides of it.
“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath as he leaned over and popped open the glove box, then took out his 9mm and got out of the car. He dashed across the parking lot and as he tried the front doors, the rumble of several motorcycles were like music to his ears.
Animal pivoted and saw Bones, Shadow, Smokey, Throttle, and Rock glide into the lot.
“Hawk said your woman’s in trouble,” Throttle said as he came over to Animal.
“She’s not answering her phone. I think her fucking boss is the serial killer.” Animal tugged at the front door. “Fuck! It’s locked.”
“We gotta get in there quick,” Shadow said taking out a small case filled with lock picking tools. “These glass entry door locks are a fuckin’ joke.”
Just then two women wearing bright yellow smocks and green plastic gloves appeared on the other side of the door.
“Open up,” Animal said. “We got an appointment.”
One of the women unlocked the door and smiled widely. “Hi, guys.”
“Hey. I’m late for an appointment,” Animal said brushing past her.
“I don’t think anyone’s in the building,” she said. “You guys real bikers?”
“No, we just like to dress up like them.” Shadow winked at her and she turned several shades of red as she giggled.
“We gotta get going,” Animal dashed to the stairwell, flung open the door, and rushed up the stairs two at a time, with several of his friends right behind him. Their footsteps reverberated around the stairwell.
When Animal pushed open the door to the third floor, he heard Olivia’s scream. “Fuck!” he yelled, barreling down the hallway.
“Bro, cool down,” Throttle said as he grabbed Animal’s arm and pulled him back. “You’re way too involved. We’ll go in.”
“No fuckin’ way,” Animal replied.
The rest of the members gathered around him, and Shadow nodded. “Throttle’s right. You gotta cool the fuck down or this fucker’s gonna kill your woman.”
“If you can’t detach yourself from it, you’re gonna make the situation worse,” Smokey said.
Animal knew they were right: emotions had no place in carrying out a plan. If he let his anger, his fear, and his love for Olivia rule him, she would be forever lost to him. He had to compartmentalize his anger from his love for his woman. Taking several deep breaths, he let go of his emotions and let steely, icy determination take root.
“There’s a back door over there,” Animal said pointing halfway down the hall. “Do your magic,” he said to Shadow.
“I got my lucky pick,” Rock said as he went to work on the front door lock.
Within seconds the lock clicked and Rock slowly opened the door. Animal looked over and saw that Shadow, Throttle, and Bones had already entered through the back way.
The office was quiet, and a fear like he had never known before sent an icy chill through his veins. If he was too late, Animal didn’t know what he would do. Calm down. Focus. Complete your mission.
Animal motioned some of the men to check out the rooms down one hallway while he and Smokey walked quietly toward a closed door. Smokey pulled Animal back and pointed into a darkened room. Animal switched on the lights and saw papers and folders strewn over the floor by the copier. A large metal puncher laid near the wall where he saw a small spattering of blood.
“We gotta find her—fast,” he said in a low voice.
Animal strained his ears and thought he heard mumbling coming from one of the offices at the far end of the hallway. As he came closer, the voice grew louder, and he heard a man saying, “We will soon be one, my sweet. Our body, heart, and soul will mingle together until …”
Animal tuned the voice out and slowly turned the knob and opened the door. White-hot anger seared through him when he saw Olivia tied up, her breasts exposed, her skirt pushed up, duct tape across her mouth, lying on top of the desk. The fucking bastard straddled her, his flat ass jiggling as he continued to murmur psychotic BS to her.
The light from the desk lamp made the blade of the knife gleam, and the psycho held it in both his hands, high above his head, ready to plunge it into Olivia’s soft skin.
Without hesitation, Animal aimed his gun and shot the asshole in both shoulders. The man squealed and cried, and before he could collapse on top of Olivia, Animal shoved him to the ground and landed a forceful blow with his boot into the bastard’s stomach. Smokey kicked the knife across the floor, and Animal ran over to Olivia’s side. He drew her to him holding her trembling body as he carefully pulled the duct tape from her mouth.
“He—Dr. Linney tried to kill me,” she said between sobs.
“I know, baby. It’s all over. I’m here.” He peppered her face with kisses then wiped away the tears on her cheeks with the hem of his T-shirt.
“He’s the one who’s been doing all the killings. The one who attacked your mom. How could it be him?” She buried her face into his chest.
“It’s all good now, babe. The guy’s obviously a fucking psycho.” Animal cut off the zip ties from her hands then shrugged off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
“I feel so sorry for Mrs. Linney. And his kids. Poor Aaron. What am I going to say to him? How could Dr. Linney do this to his family?”
Animal rubbed her back, kissed the top of her head, and let her pour out her shock, grief, and anger.
“Here you go,” Throttle said as he handed Animal a sheet.
He slipped his jacket off her, wrapped the sheet around her, then draped his jacket over her shoulders again.
“We better call the fuckin’ badges,” Smokey said.
“Or we can just waste the fucker,” Shadow added as he kicked the killer in the ribs. Dr. Linney cried out. “You’re not so tough now, you fuckin’ pussy. You’re only the hero when you’re scaring women and carving them up.”
“Let the fuckin’ badges deal with that piece of shit,” Animal said. He placed two fingers under Olivia’s chin and gently tilted her head back. “You up for the bullshit tonight? The badges are gonna want to talk with you.”
“I’m good. I want to make sure he’s put away for the rest of his life.” She curled her arm around his neck and drew him to her. “Kiss me,” she whispered.
Animal crushed his mouth to hers and held her close to him. For a second there, he’d thought maybe they’d be too late. A mixture of emotions swirled inside him as he deepened the kiss. He could’ve lost her that night, and that thought was like a hot poker to his gu
t.
“I’m never letting you go, baby. I love you,” he whispered into her ear. “You’re a part of me; you ignite a fire deep in my soul.”
“I love you too. I’ll never stop loving you. I want every part of you.”
“You have it, baby. Don’t ever forget that.”
“We’re gonna take off, bro,” Bones said, clasping his hand on Animal’s shoulder. “You good?”
“I’ll stay,” Shadow said.
Animal shook his head. “No reason to deal with the fuckin’ badges if you don’t have too. I got this, bro.” He bumped fists with his friends then they walked out of the room.
He looked down at the bastard who’d hurt his woman and his mother and rage burned inside him. If Olivia weren’t in the room with him, the fucker would be a pile of blood, guts, and broken bones the badges would have to scrape up off the floor.
“Is he dead?” Olivia whispered.
“Nah. The badges will be here soon and they can patch him up so he can get his ass ripped open in the pen.”
“I still can’t believe Hunter is Dr. Linney. He must’ve recognized my voice when we talked on the phone. He obviously used a device to disguise his. This is so unbelievable.”
“You never know what’s lurking deep inside someone.” Animal brushed his lips across hers. “Did he mess with you?” Anger seared through him as he asked her that question.
She shook her head. “No, but he would’ve if you hadn’t come. What made you come? I kept trying to reason with him, stall for time until seven o’clock, but he was too crazy … too evil. I hit him with the hole puncher in the copy room, and almost made it out of the office, but he grabbed me just as I opened the front door. He was so angry, so psychotic.” Olivia shivered. “It was awful. I really thought I was going to die.” Her voice hitched.
“When my mom described the fucker, Lucy said it sounded like her dentist. I tried calling you, and when you didn’t pick up, I just knew you were in trouble. I’m damn glad I made it in time.” He kissed the top of her head and held her tight.
In the distance, Animal could hear the wail of the sirens. They grew louder and closer until he could see the police car lights flashing red and blue pulses into the night. Soon a swarm of badges would fill the room, and the dance between cop and outlaw would begin.
