Page 63 of Don’t Rush Me (Nora Jacobs 1)

“Sure.”

I hand over the laptop case, grateful that my phone is in my pocket and not in the case where Elijah probably thinks it is. I pass off the laptop, hoping I get it back eventually, because I’ll feel terrible if I lose Terrance’s gift. Then I slip inside the ladies’ room into one of the toilet stalls.

My first instinct is to call Nick, but when I try, it’s like my finger won’t follow directions. I can’t hit the button. I don’t understand what’s going on. I try to call Terrance next, and the same thing happens. It’s the same with Oliver and Parker, too. I can’t call any of them for help, and the more I try, the more I feel a weight press down in my brain.

It’s the heaviness in my head that makes me figure it out. I felt this same feeling the day Henry compelled me to find Nadine. “Shit!” I hiss.

I’m still compelled to do everything I can to find her. Elijah plans to take me to his sanctuary, where Nadine is being held. I know if I go with him, I will find her. The compulsion doesn’t seem to realize that if I get kidnapped, it won’t matter that I find her; I’ll be stuck with her. But it does realize that if I call someone for help, they’ll come and get me, and I won’t make it to the sanctuary.

Damn it, Henry!The bastard is still causing me a shitstorm of problems. “Think, Nora,” I whisper to myself. “You need backup. You need them to come get you at the sanctuary, not keep you from getting there.”

That’s it! If I can’t call for help, I can at least leave them a clue, right?

I click on my messenger and look up Oliver’s name. He’s currently offline, which is perfect. I try to type a message and sigh in relief when the compulsion allows me to do it. If he doesn’t get this message right away, he won’t come and try to stop me. But I know Oliver doesn’t go long without logging in. If he finds it in half an hour, that should be more than enough time for me to find the sanctuary. Then he can call Nick and send in the cavalry.

PsychoPsychic: Elijah and Hooptie Boy showed up and are kidnapping me. They’re taking me to their sanctuary. Track my phone like you did at the college the other day, and come get me. Call Nick and Terrance and tell them to bring lots of backup. I think it’s going to get ugly. Don’t call me. If they know I have my phone, they’ll probably take it.

After sending the message, I silence my phone and hide it down the front of my underwear. Gross, but hopefully effective. There’s a chance they’ll pat me down after they kidnap me, so the bra may not be safe. Pockets are out, and probably my socks, too. But I doubt Elijah’s going to stick his hands in my pants. At least, not before our sick little bonding ritual.

I quickly wash my hands and then head back out of the restroom. Elijah and Mark immediately meet me. Mark blows what looks like cigarette smoke in my face, but it smells tangy and tingles like magic. “What the hell?” I ask, but can’t get anything else out before I start to get woozy.

“It’s okay, baby. I’ll take care of you.” Elijah pulls my arm over his shoulder and starts walking me out the front door like I’m his girlfriend who’s had one too many drinks.

Outside, he reaches into my pockets, looking for my car key. Score one for me for moving my phone! He lifts my key from my pocket and pushes the button on the fob. He grins at me when my car’s headlights flash. “Nice ride.”

I want to tell him where he can shove that ride, but I’m afraid he’ll take that the wrong way, and he’ll end up finding my phone after all.

He gets me to the passenger seat of my car just as everything goes black.

---