Page 89 of Breaking Matt
She didn't ask me any more questions while we drove to a nearby shopping center, where I dropped her off. My mind was too wrapped up in what I had to do next. Would Matthew still be at the same address? The likelihood was slim. If something had happened to him, they had probably moved him. The thought shook me from the inside.
I was finding it more and more difficult to keep control over my spiraling emotions. Trying to shut off my mind, to think only about Matthew, was the only way I could cope. I had to believe he was okay, that he was alive. Any thoughts to the contrary had to be eliminated from my mind. And as long as I could keep thinking that, I could function enough to proceed with my plan.
I knew I was walking into this situation even though I had no idea how it would play out. There was a good chance I was doing this all for nothing.
"You going to be okay?" I asked as we stood beside her parked car.
"I'll be fine. I texted Daniel and he's on his way to pick me up."
Daniel was her boyfriend. I nodded, feeling too nervous and tied up in knots.
"I have to go," I told her, not wanting to waste a moment. Every second counted. A quick look at my watch told me it was three in the afternoon.
She hugged me tightly before she released me. "Call me later."
Even as she said the words I knew the chances I would be able to were slim, but I agreed anyway. I believed she needed to know that whatever I was getting myself into I would be able to get myself out of.
As she walked to the entrance of the shopping center, I got back into her car. I was about to start the engine when I thought about my phone. I had watched enough crime shows to know that with the latest technology it was possible to track my phone, so I switched it off. I put it back in my bag.
Feeling the rising panic overwhelm me, I took a couple of deep breaths and released them, trying to calm myself down. My hands shook and I tightened my hold on the steering wheel to ride out the wave of panic.
My car door opened unexpectedly, and I was confused when a bald guy pulled me out of the car. Horror filled me when I recognized the sunken eyes of the guy who had tried to shoot me. Then my instinct kicked in and tried to resist. He held me in a vise-like grip and I was unable to move. I felt a pin-pick before I felt my body go limp and the darkness took over.
Ishifted slightly, feeling cold and uncomfortable. My head was sore. I reached up and touched my forehead slightly with my fingertips as I winced.
Slowly, as I began to recollect my last memories, and I opened my eyes.
Fear gripped me. I was lying on a thin, old gray mattress on a cold concrete floor in a dimly lit room. Beside me was a plastic bottle of what looked like water. I inhaled, and the room smelled damp. I tried to sit up too quickly and the room tilted. Putting out a hand, I steadied myself.
Where was I?
The last image I could remember was of the bald burly guy who had pulled me from Brandy's car. I pushed myself up against the wall and tilted my face up to the ceiling. My mind was still groggy and I was still trying to make sense of what had happened.
I remembered the slight prick before everything had gone dark. It had obviously been something to knock me out so he could take me without much resistance. Not that resisting would have worked. I had been no match against his strength.
Had I been followed? It was the only explanation. They had let me get far enough away from the house. I was thankful it hadn't happened earlier because then Brandy would be sitting with me. And it was bad enough I was in the situation; it would have been made even worse had Brandy been mixed up with it was well.
The feeling of being in over my head weighed heavily on me. My plan hadn't been perfect but I hadn't imagined it going this way. Would I have a chance to speak to Nick to find out if they had Matthew? That's if they hadn't killed him already.
No. I couldn't allow myself to think of the probability. I tried to focus my eyes on my watch and after a few blinks they focused enough for me to be able to read the time. It was five in the evening. I'd been out for two hours.
I stood up, still feeling a little unstable as I tested my weight on my legs. They held. Slowly I shuffled to the door. Fear like I never experienced before made me tug and twist to try and open the door to escape but it wouldn't budge. The door was locked.
Feeling weak, I rested my head against the wooden door. I turned around and leaned against it as I surveyed the small room I was in. The walls were gray and a small light hung from the ceiling, giving some light. There were no windows.
The realization hit that I was a prisoner. I shivered, and it had nothing to do with the coolness of the room. I shuffled back to the mattress and sat down, pulling my knees up to my chest. Now that they had me they would no longer require Matthew. They could let him go. But there was that niggling thought they wouldn't and he would meet with the same fate as I would.
Even with knowing how this had played out I couldn't regret my decision to try to save him. He would have done the same—had done the same. The fact that he was paid to do it didn't take anything away from it. The intensity of the emotions that filled me were hard to fight, and tears threatened. My throat burned as I thought about my last encounter with Matthew.
I burned every detail of his handsome face into my memory. That sexy smile of his that made my stomach dip and the way my knees weakened at the slight indent of his dimples. To keep the fear from taking over completely I allowed myself to think back to all the times I had shared with the sexy bodyguard who had stolen my heart before I'd even realized it was possible to love someone.
Love had never been a possibility for me, and now that I had experienced it I couldn't imagine my life without it—or Matthew.
I remembered him from our first moment in the cafeteria, to his deception. I remembered him saving my life when he'd put his body in the way of the bullet that had been meant for me. I remembered him even down to the last few memories I had of him, even though they were filled with anger at my actions.
The unknown scared me. I had no idea if he was still alive or not. There was now a very good chance I would never make it out of this room alive and that my actions had been in vain. All I had done was surrender to the ruthless men who were carrying out their boss's orders.
I felt weak. The determination and courage that had brought me this far had dispersed. Tears stung my eyes but I refused to allow them to escape. No—I wasn't one to give up that easily, even if there was no hope. I wouldn't allow it to be easy for them.
