Page 2 of Twisted Devil

I shook my head. “I've put in some applications, but I haven't heard anything back yet.”

“Me either.”

The directors at the school were supposed to help with job placement, but so far with the job market the way it was, it was extremely competitive.

“I'll probably have to move out of state,” Sara lamented.

Honestly, that didn't sound like the worst idea to me. “Do what you have to do, right?” I shrugged.

“I know, but then I've got Ryan to think about…”

Sara trailed off, and I threw a look her way. “How are you guys doing?”

She rested one hand on the counter and turned to me. “I don't honestly know. Sometimes I think we're great, then other times he pisses me off and I wonder why we’re together. I swear, if he wasn’t so damn good in bed…”

I knew exactly how she felt. I’d had an on-again, off-again relationship with my boyfriend for nearly two years before I finally broke it off for good a few months ago. I loved Aaron, but we made better friends than a couple. I hadn’t dated anyone seriously since then, always too busy with work or school to devote any real time to a relationship.

I thought of the man who’d come in yesterday morning. Jason. I was a little disappointed he hadn’t been back to the coffee shop since. It was irrational, I knew, considering we’d talked for a whole two minutes while I poured his coffee. But I’d sworn there was some kind of spark there, and he’d hinted that he would come back. But he hadn’t.

I tuned back in to my conversation with Sara. “I think every couple goes through that phase. But if things are meant to work out between you two, they will. Don't decline an amazing job offer on the off chance that you and Ryan stay here and live happily ever after.”

Her mouth twisted. “Why is this so hard?”

I cracked a smile. “Adulting sucks, doesn't it?”

“No kidding.” She let out a little laugh at the same time her phone dinged with an incoming message. “Speak of the devil,” she said.

I watched her fingers fly over the keyboard as she responded. “Why don't you take off?” I suggested. “I can handle the rest.”

Sara’s eyes flickered to me. “Are you sure? I hate to leave you here by yourself.”

“It's no big deal.” I waved off her concern. “We're pretty much good anyway. I'll get the dining room cleaned up a bit, then head out.”

“If you don't mind…” Sara made puppy dog eyes at me, and I couldn't help but laugh.

“Just go already.”

“You're the best.” She bounced happily on her toes before grabbing her purse from under the counter and throwing a wave over her shoulder as she left. “See you in the morning!”

I waved as she cut across the parking lot to her little silver sedan, then locked the door once more. I straightened chairs and wiped down tables as I made my way around the small dining area. Once I put all the cleaning materials to rights, I locked up the cash register and turned off the lights. As a safety precaution, the morning crew would handle the bank deposit, so I left the slip on the counter for tomorrow’s employees.

I left through the front door, throwing a quick glance around before locking up and heading to my car. Employees had to park on the side to leave room for patrons to park right in front of the shop, so I headed in that direction. As I rounded the corner of the building, a large figure stepped out of the shadows. My breath suspended in my lungs, and my muscles went completely rigid before my brain sent out the signal to run.

Just as I started to turn and bolt away, the man's arms came around my torso. I kicked frantically, my arms pinned at my sides where he held them tightly. Unable to form words, a series of low grunts left my throat as I thrashed against his hold. Finally, I opened my mouth to scream, hoping it would draw attention. As if he knew what I intended, the man's forearm moved up and constricted around my neck.

He leaned back, forcing my back to arch, and the motion put strain on my throat. Black spots danced before my eyes as I struggled to draw in a breath. Two seconds passed, then three. My lungs felt tight, like they were burning, and the man tightened his hold a fraction. The blackness around the edges of my vision slowly bled inward, and I lost the fight to stay awake as my body went limp.

CHAPTER THREE

JASON

A sick sensation twisted my stomach into knots as I stared at the coffee shop. To think I had just been here two days ago. Now she was missing, apparently abducted after her shift last night.

I glanced at the other agents and policemen standing in the parking lot in front of the coffee shop. “What are you thinking?”

“Never made it to her car,” one officer said. “It’s still locked, and her purse and keys were found on the sidewalk this morning by the manager.”

The local police had called us in first thing this morning as soon as Chloe Danvers had been reported missing. Normally they would have waited since she was of legal age, but considering the circumstances they weren’t taking any chances and were treating it as an abduction.

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