Page 23 of This Is Love
Finally getting to my feet, I hurry from the room, glancing toward the office area where a few of the dance teachers and coaches keep desks and their personal items. It’s empty. Of course.
Before I can do anything else, my phone pings twice in my pocket. I dig it out and read the response to my urgent plea.
I can take you.
Be there in five.
Hurrying, I jog through the empty halls of the gym to the exit where I’m met by a blast of icy air. The temperature has beenbordering on freezing all day, and I wager it’s below now. I give a quick look around, but don’t see a car yet, so I bounce on my toes, trying to stay warm while hugging my arms around myself for good measure. The wind is freaking whipping. I exhale hard, noting streetlights turning on around campus. If my ride doesn’t show up soon, I’m going to really regret my choice to dash out of the dorm without a coat.
As I’m beating myself up, headlights come in my direction, and the vehicle slows to a stop, some sort of expensive-looking Jeep Wrangler. It’s all black—from the paint job to the hubcaps. I lift my hand, waving to the driver, who is hardly visible through the windshield, as it pulls to a stop.
“That was fast. Thanks,” I say as I jerk the rear door open only to find the back seat completely full of boxes and bags.Okay, guess I’m sitting up front.
I’m already sliding into the passenger seat when he gestures to the rolled-down driver’s window. “Sorry about this,” he practically shouts. My brow furrows hard as I notice he’s wearing one of those ski masks that covers his entire face and has a pair of headphones on his ears. “My window has been stuck for the last hour, but I promised to drive tonight, so…” His gaze wanders over me, noting my obvious lack of a warm hat and coat, then down to the tights on my legs. “Shit. Sorry,” he groans out. “You’re gonna be cold. Where’d you say we were heading?” He offers me a tentative smile as I buckle myself in.
With my teeth already chattering, I murmur, “It’s okay. I just need a ride to my house—88 West Grand Street.”
He nods, plugging my address into his navigation system. “Sure,” he says gruffly. “I have an idea where that is, but we’ll let the nav take us there.” Reaching forward, he fiddles with the temperature controls, casting his gaze at me before his eyes drift to my hands knotted in my lap. “That’s the best I can do for you.”
I nod, holding my hands out to the heat blasting from the vents as he pulls away from the curb. “It’s okay. Thank you. And, um, if when we get there, you could stay for a minute while I run in, then bring me back here, that’d be so appreciated.”
“No problem,” he grunts, staring straight ahead. “We’ll be there in about ten minutes.”
“Thanks.” Biting my lip, I bring my phone close to my chest, idly scrolling through social media to occupy myself.
Out of the corner of my eye, it registers that his attention is lingering on me.Great. The only thing I can think to do is ignore him. It’s a free ride. I know I’m just wigging out from the shock of the situation in the locker room, but I don’t owe this guy conversation or anything else. I look down at my phone again… but I’m inwardly freaking out. I stare blindly at IG posts, my skin beginning to crawl.
A little while later, I catch my masked driver’s eyes wandering my legs. He’s leering and not being especially inconspicuous about it. Running around in my dance clothes doesn’t usually bother me, but right now, his stare is making me uncomfortable. I ignore him but also silently will the car to pick up speed so this can be over already. The navigation screen shows us rerouting, but the audio is all being fed into his earphones, so I don’t know what’s going on. I guess I don’t know every route from campus to my house, but this definitely isn’t the fastest way. Maybe the navigation system warned him of an accident? But he’s using Waze, and it’s not showing our vehicle on the verge of encountering a car stopped on the road we’re on, much less something that would require us to change routes. I kinda know where we are, but… this feels off.
I think it’s best for the moment if I don’t say anything and try to figure out how to get him to pull over. Worrying my lip, I draw in a careful breath, then speak loudly enough he should be able to hear me. “Looks like I won’t need help with the return trip, soyou can just drop me off and go.” His brow arches—or at least I think it does behind the ski mask. I hold my phone up, gesturing to it with a tip of my chin. “My parents insist I stay overnight.” It’s a little white lie, but merited… I want him to think I’ve told someone where I am. Shit. I’ve gotta text someone to let them know what’s happening. If I look like an idiot, then I do, but I don’t think I’m overreacting.
He bristles, readjusting his gloved hands on the wheel. “Whatever you say,” comes his gruff response, along with a narrowing of his eyes as he peers at me. There’s a certain glint there that has all my internal alarms blaring.
Oh god, does he know I’m not telling him the truth? I let out a shuddering breath from between pursed lips. Slowly, my eyes peruse his face, hoping to take in some details, but his amused brown eyes are all I can distinguish from the face behind the ski mask. My heart rate ratchets, going into overdrive. “Thanks,” I murmur, not really caring if he thinks I’m grateful or not, and slide my gaze back to my phone.Fuck. The asshole is fully staring at me now, even though I refuse to meet his creepy fucking gaze again. I shiver, but whether it’s from the cold air from the open window that rushes over me or the dire circumstances that are worsening by the second, I don’t have a fucking clue. “Um, you could let me out here,” I choke out, unsure at first if he’s heard me.
After several seconds, though, a devilish smirk twists his lips. “Uh-uh.” Then as we round a curve in the road, the bastard pushes a button on the screen, pulling up audio instead of navigation.Uh-uh? What the fuck. My eyes widen as he selects music, disconnects his headphones, and slips them down around his neck while a heavy metal song begins to blare from the speakers.
Hands shaking, I open my texts, but I haven’t even gotten to figure out who might respond fastest to a desperate plea forhelp, when the bastard’s arm shoots out like a bullet, and he snatches the phone from me, tucking it immediately between thick, muscular thighs.
“Nope. You’re gonna spend some time with me.”
“Give me my phone back.”
“Go get it. And while you’re down there…” He shoots me a grotesque smile, his pupils dilating to such a degree that his eyes appear black, like a sick devil.
My phone can stay right where it is, if only he’ll let me out. “Where are you taking me? Stop the fucking car,” I manage to bite out, fear filling every single one of my senses.
“Not a chance, sweet cheeks. We’re gonna have some fun.”
His amused tone both pisses me off and scares the shit out of me. I strain to see in the dark. With every uneasy beat of my heart, I slide into a deeper state of panic that I make every attempt to disguise. “Fuck you, we’re not. Let me the fuck out right now.” I meet his eyes, hating myself for not realizing I was in trouble sooner.
“You want me to pull over? Good call, baby girl.” The Jeep slows and veers off the road.
The mad pounding inside my chest amplifies, filling my ears as blood rushes through my head. I put my hand on the door handle as we roll to a stop. His voice low and menacing, my driver rasps, “You’re awfully pretty. Thought we could take a minute to get to know each other. ’Cause I really want to know every square inch of you.”
The wild rhythm of my heart goes out of control at his words, and just as I’m telling myself this isn’t really happening, I catch sight of a knife in his left hand where it rests on his thigh.Oh god. My head hurtles headlong into way too many horrific scenarios to count.
“What? Don’t you have anything to say to that? Or is it that you’d rather be doing something else with your mouth?” Hewinks, his hand drifting down to the waistband of his jeans. Time seems to slow as his gloved fingers unfasten and unzip his pants.
