Page 56 of Scent of Death

He unlocked the door. “Alexis?”

Denali barked and ran back and forth from the bedroom to him. A chill snaked down his spine. He dropped the pizza on the table and reached for his gun. “Where is she? Where’s Alexis?”

Denali whined and ran back to the bedroom. Griff cautiously entered the room, taking note of the fact that Alexis’s gun and key fob were on the bedside table. Then he spotted the open window, and his heart dropped to the soles of his feet.

Alexis was gone. And he was sure Tyler Jenkins had her.

13

Alexis swallowed against a knot of fear as her previous tutoring student Tyler Jenkins led her from the hotel at gunpoint. She should have been suspicious when she saw him through the window of her hotel room. Denali had been eating her dinner in the main living area while she’d gone to the bedroom to clean up. She’d noticed him doubled over, his arms wrapped around his stomach, moaning in pain and looking as if he might be sick. She’d called out to him, and he’d stumbled toward her. He’d looked so innocent that she’d lifted the window to help.

Then she froze when his gun was pointed at her face.

Tyler had demanded she come with him, or he’d shoot her now and be done. And then he’d shoot her dog. In a heartbeat, the innocence she’d remembered in the young Tyler she had known vanished.

She’d never considered any of the kids she’d tutored at school to be the killer. Kyle had crossed her mind because of his lack of emotion over losing his dog. Even Dave, who’d been super quiet and reserved. But Tyler? She hadn’t realized he was capable of this. But he was that and more.

He was a monster.

He’d demanded she leave her gun and any bullets behind. She’d slowly removed the gun from her holster and dug in her jeans pocket for the key fob to the SUV. He must have assumed the key was ammo because he hadn’t said anything. When she no longer had a weapon to defend herself, he’d forced her to go with him.

Praying Denali would lead Griff to find her sooner than later.

“Where are we going?” She wasn’t surprised to see a somewhat battered silver Ram truck parked on the dead-end street behind the hotel. The same place he’d parked last night, based on Denali’s previous alert.

“Get behind the wheel.” He used the tip of his gun to indicate she should jump into the driver’s seat.

She stepped on the running board to get in. Did she have enough courage to crash the truck by going off the road into a steep ravine? Doing so might be enough to get him to drop the gun, if the impact didn’t kill them. Even with the added safety feature of airbags and seatbelts, the truck would likely roll.

“Tie this around your wrist and the steering wheel.” Tyler pulled a rope from the truck floor and thrust it toward her.

“Can I put my seatbelt on first?”

“No.”

She held his gaze for a long moment, then did as he demanded. “Why are you doing this, Tyler? I tried to help you back in high school.”

“Tighter.” He ignored her question.

With a sick feeling, she tightened the rope so that it was snug against her left wrist. Then she looped it around the steering wheel and awkwardly tied both ends together with her free hand.

“Good.” His eyes were dark and soulless as he stared at her. “Don’t try anything or you’ll lose an arm at the very least.”

She nodded, realizing he was right. Without the seatbelt and with her arm tied to the wheel, she couldn’t try to crash. She’d have to come up with some other way to escape. How, she had no clue. “Tyler, please, why are you?—”

“Shut up.” He stepped back and slammed the door since she couldn’t use her left wrist to do it herself.

Silently praying for strength, she sat perfectly still until Tyler climbed into the seat beside her. After connecting his seat belt, he pressed the gun into her side. “Drive slowly and carefully. You try anything, I’ll shoot.”

“I understand.” She started the car and pulled away from the curb, feeling naked without the seat belt across her chest.

“Turn left,” he directed.

Having no choice, she turned. She scanned the road ahead but didn’t see any police vehicles. How long would it take for Griff to notice she was gone?

Too long.

“Is Maureen still alive?” She pushed the question through her tight throat.

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