Page 7 of Teach Me
Panicked breathing filled her ears. It took a moment to realize it was hers.
Come on, Jess. Get out.
A frantic scramble produced her key card. She held it stiff in her right hand, the jagged ends of her keys sticking out of her left, and tried to breathe.
Get out. Go!
The tendrils of hair stuck to her sweaty neck felt like her only covering as she yanked open the door and ran for her building, key card at the ready. She wanted a trench coat, a shroud, anything to take away the feeling of exposure, but all that would help were the solid brick walls in front of her.
She hit the door hard.Slide, pull, run; slide pull run; slidepullrun!
Only the heavyclangof the outer door relocking behind her kept her from collapsing to her knees. As it was, the wall made a good substitute for the floor, it’s smooth, air-conditioned surface cool beneath her clammy palms. She rested a cheek against it and forced herself to breathe, to calm. Told herself she was safe. She’d almost managed to believe it when her phone rang.
Eyes on the heavy glass door, focus on her searing lungs, she swiped blindly and answered.
“Hello?”
Silence. She waited, a heartbeat, maybe two. “Hello?”
“You didn’t think I couldn’t find you, did you, mouse?”
Brit.
Jess sucked in a breath. That hated nickname. Just hearing it made her glance around frantically for the nearest garbage can. There wasn’t one, and she swallowed back the nausea, determined not to give in to the control the man was trying to take over her body, her emotions.
“What do you want? Why are you doing this?”
She didn’t bother withHow did you get this number?He was Brit Holbrooke, heir to the Holbrooke technology empire, for goodness’ sake! Why had she thought she could hide from him?
“You know what I want.”
She did, and the thought made her feel even more sick. She’d never let him touch her again, not willingly.
A pause, filled only with Jess’s wheezing breaths and what sounded like tires on pavement. Then, “Come on, Jess, no answer?” He chuckled, the sound scraping up her spine like razor blades. “That’s okay. We’ll play again soon.”
The phone went dead, and as Jess watched, a big black SUV rolled slowly past the door to her apartment building. She didn’t have to see beyond the heavily tinted windows to know Brit was inside. She just knew. She watched until the vehicle left the parking lot, heading down the street as if it was a normal car with a normal driver doing normal things. Only it wasn’t; she felt it in her bones.
She swallowed hard and, with shaky fingers, dialed the detective who’d worked her case, all the while staring at the door as if Brit would come surging through it if she dared to look away.
“This is Detective King—”
“Detective, I—”
“I’m sorry I can’t take your call, but I’m out of the office at the moment. Please leave…”
Jess pulled the phone from her ear. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Of course he wasn’t there; it was almost seven o’clock. Clicking the Off button, she continued to stare at the screen, mind racing. A scan of her caller history showed that the number Brit had used was unfamiliar, not the one he’d had when they were together. Of course, neither was hers, but that hadn’t stopped him from calling.
Probably one of those prepaid cells. No records. Would he even use it again?
No. Throwing away a phone after every phone call was a pittance compared to what Brit could afford. She briefly wondered if the police could do anything even if Detective King were available. Britwasn’tstupid; he’d know how to cover his tracks.
He seemed to know everything, including how to keep her under his thumb.
No way to track him. No way to retaliate. Was this going to be her life from here on out?
Glancing back down at the phone in her hand, Jess noticed a piece of paper on the floor: a business card. The one Conlan had given her this morning. JCL Security. Brit had all the money and time in the world to harass her, while hiring a bodyguard was far beyond her means. But maybe protecting herself wasn’t. She wanted her freedom, and she wanted to feel safe again. Could this be an option?
Taking a deep breath, Jess reached down and picked up the card, the stiff paper feeling like a lifeline between her fingers. She dialed the number. When she brought the phone to her ear, a woman spoke. “JCL Security, how may I help you?”
