Blood Kiss (Savage Security Series Book 1) Page 20

  Pacey walked to the door that led outside. He opened it and breathed in the fresh air. He glanced up and admired the beautiful sky. Oranges, yellows, pinks, and purples slashed through the various shades of blue that blanketed the cloudless sky. He figured it was God’s way of blessing his union with Alisha. Perhaps God had painted this beautiful scene for him and Alisha to enjoy on their first night together. Tonight would be their ‘honeymoon’ of sorts. A frown slashed across his face as he thought of the unpleasant business he needed to attend to, but he could do anything for Alisha.

  Pacey hurried to the bed of his truck, let down the tailgate, and pulled out the oversized cooler chest. He hated the thought of stuffing her in there. He knew she’d fit, but it just seemed so undignified and disrespectful to shove the love of his life into a plastic container. But he feared it couldn’t be helped. He had no other way to secretly transport her to his home. He’d seen that dumb oaf lurking around the school at lunch. He knew the brute would be back. Pacey needed to get her to safety before the oaf returned and mucked up his plans.

  Pulling on the handle, he rolled the cooler chest into his classroom and stopped beside her sleeping body. She looked so peaceful lying there. Her head was tilted to the side, her legs were bent slightly, and one hand was draped across her abdomen. Her beautiful hair fanned out elegantly across the dingy carpet that lined his classroom floor and highlighted how out of place she was here at school. She belonged somewhere her beauty would be appreciated, and he planned on providing that place for her.

  Pacey knelt and stroked her cheek. He relished the softness of her skin against his. He licked his lips as he thought of her even softer skin in other places that he dared not touch here. There would be time for that later.

  Pacey opened the cooler and positioned himself beside Alisha. “Let’s go home,” he whispered as he slid a hand under her knees and an arm under her back. Her lifted her gently and moved to place her in the cooler. It was a tighter fit than he anticipated. He set her bottom in first, and then gently laid her back against the side of the cooler. He was careful not to twist her neck. He shifted her torso so he could maneuver her legs into the chest. He’d never planned on closing the cooler chest, and that was a good thing. If she were liquid she’d fit easily, but the human body in a single piece does not fit easily into one of those chests. He carefully lowered the lid, letting it rest on her knees and the top of her head. It appeared mostly closed from a distance, but up close, it definitely looked odd.

  Pacey took the handle and pulled, but getting the cooler chest to move was more difficult than he’d imagined. Perhaps the tiny wheels weren’t made to support that much weight. He’d checked the specifications when he’d purchased the cooler chest. It certainly could hold her weight, in fact, it could hold much more.

  He pulled again, leaning back in order to use his own body weight to get it moving. The chest gave a little squeak and then rolled. He pulled it to the door that led outside and the front set of wheels stopped at the metal weather stripping. He tugged the handle, grunting and leaning back, until finally the front wheels bumped over the little hump of weather stripping. The cooler chest plunked down on the other side.

  A knock sounded on Pacey’s door. He looked up, frantic. He jerked the cooler chest hard, pulling the back wheels over the weather stripping, and let it roll onto the asphalt outside the building.

  “Mr. Parker,” Cara called, pulling the classroom door open from the library. She stuck her head into his classroom. “Are you in here?” she asked as she walked into his room.

  Pacey stepped into his classroom from the outside door and closed the door behind him. “Yes, Ms. Ward,” he panted. “How may I help you?”

  Cara looked at him. She’d always thought he was an odd little man. Of course, at her height, most of the men she knew were little. That was the biggest disadvantage to being tall. She towered over most men. They loved her long legs, but she had trouble finding a man who didn’t make her feel like a giantess.

  “I need to schedule a whole-class lesson with you on divergent thinking,” Cara smiled, taking in the room. The man was freakishly organized. Not a book or piece of paper was out of place, not even an errant scrap of paper or pencil shaving lay on the floor. Did the guy vacuum between each class? She did note the single pen on the floor by his desk. How long would it take for him to pick it up?

  “That sounds wonderful,” Pacey replied, swiping his arm across his sweaty brow. His heart thundered in his chest, and anxiety threatened to sicken him. He didn’t want anything to look suspicious.

  He crossed the room and went to his desk. A fresh wave a sweat slicked his neck when he spotted the pen on the floor. He casually knelt and picked it up. “Excuse the mess,” he said, forcing a smile that he hoped looked natural.

  She shrugged. “I wish my classroom were this messy,” she replied with an indifferent smile. She believed that everyone deserved to be treated with respect, but this guy pushed her buttons. She wanted to yell at him, tell him to relax, or man up, or something. She wasn’t sure what it would take to lower his creep factor. There was just something about him that she didn’t like, but she did her best not to show it. Her mother had tirelessly brainwashed her in the ways of “Miss Manners”.

  He noticed the beginning of the note Alisha had been writing. He removed the top sticky note, balled it up in his hand, and shoved it into his pants pocket. “Let me look at my calendar,” he stated.

  He didn’t want to schedule this now, but if he rushed her away, that would look suspicious later. He needed to act normal, and that meant scheduling a class when a teacher came to him. “Let’s see,” he clucked, studying his calendar. “I am available on Wednesday and Friday in the afternoon.”

  He looked up at the freakishly tall teacher. Whenever he saw her he couldn’t help but envision her as a female version of Mr. Fantastic. She had the body of a normal person, yet she appeared to be stretched and drawn out as if she were made of rubber. Good luck finding a man. He stifled his laugh. No need to be rude. Poor girl would never find love. She’d end up a spinster and die alone. Most likely, no one would find her body for days, and by then she’d be eaten by her twenty cats.

  “Look over your calendar, and email me some times that work for you,” he said. He did his best to smile, but smiling never came naturally to him. Not unless he was with Alisha. Then the smiles spilled from his mouth like songs from angels.

  Cara forced her lips to mimic a smile and nodded. Even the sound of his voice creeped her out. She didn’t like the way he looked at her either. Didn’t trust his thoughts. He had sicko written all over him.

  “Sounds good. Thanks,” she stated and turned towards the door. She’d been in his presence long enough. Now she had to hope that he wasn’t checking out her ass as she fled from his room.

  Pacey exhaled and sprinted to the door seconds after the monstrously huge female closed it. He looked through the little window into the library. The giantess had already cleared the library and the door was shutting behind her. Damn those legs were long. She must run like the wind.

  Pacey hustled across his room and pushed open the door that led outside. His heart rate calmed when he saw the cooler chest sitting on the asphalt. It was okay. She was okay. No one was around. This area was the back side of the school, which gave him some advantage. He had a little privacy.

  He went to his truck and hopped into the bed. His work shoes clomped against the bed of the truck as he dragged the ramp to the edge of the tailgate. He slid one part of the ramp down until it wedged into the ground. He pushed against the ramp, making sure it was safely in place. Then he hopped down from the bed and went to the cooler. He pulled the handle again and dragged the cooler chest to the ramp.

  He stopped at the bottom of the ramp. This part would be the hardest. The angle of incline was steep and, even though Alisha was thin, her body was still a lot of weight to pull uphill. Pacey considered himself a man of science, a man of thought. He acknowledged that
he was not a man of muscle, but the heart is a muscle. And his heart beat only for Alisha. He’d use the strength of his love to get her to their home.

  He strained, using his own weight to his advantage, as he pulled her up the ramp. He groaned under the weight of the cooler chest. Sweat trickled down his back. He felt it slide between his shoulder blades. Some even dripped into his eyes, but he didn’t lose focus. He took another step backwards, and the cooler chest advanced up the ramp. With each step, Alisha was closer to being his.

  With several quick steps backwards, the chest rolled into the bed and almost pushed Pacey into the back window of the cab of the truck. He panted and placed his hand on top of the cooler. He peeked around the lid and saw her still sleeping peacefully. His heart nearly burst with love at the sight of her.

  He stole a glance at his watch. She’d be out for at least another thirty minutes, but he needed to hustle. Using bungee cords, he strapped the cooler chest in place so she wouldn’t roll around the truck bed during the drive. That would be dangerous, and he wouldn’t risk her safety.

  Pacey rushed back to the classroom, locked the door, and got into his truck. He looked over his shoulder at the precious cargo in the truck bed. He knew she could breathe; he just didn’t want anything to happen to her during the drive home. There were still too many variables at play. He pulled out of the school parking lot and headed for home. There was one more woman he had to deal with.

  26

  Mike read the text from Alisha as he ran to the limo. His blood heated as he thought about her wandering around the school. What the hell did she need in the library? He wanted her in her classroom. He wanted her safe in his arms.

  “Yo,” Jack called, catching up with Mike. “What’s the hurry? Did I miss something?”

  “Have you not been paying attention?” Mike snarled. “Alisha’s at school. Alone,” he bit out as he pulled open the limo door.

  Jack slid in beside him as Mike started the limo and buckled himself in. Mike tapped into his phone.

  On my way. You okay? Get back to room!

  He set the phone in the mount and waited for a reply. She’d been pretty quick at replying throughout the day, so he didn’t expect much of a delay.

  He pulled out of the airport and onto the main road. His stomach knotted, and the muscles in his jaw tensed.

  Still no reply.

  Jack looked at the silent phone and back at his friend who gave off steam like an active volcano. “Want me to send another message? Maybe she missed that one.” Jack really hoped that was the reason for her non-reply, but he doubted it.

  Mike knew that wasn’t it. He knew she was gone. She was in the hands of her stalker, and it was his fault. He’d buckled under her pressure and let her make decisions when she was unqualified to make decisions. Alisha would be another innocent’s blood on his hands. He wasn’t sure he could live with that.

  He nodded to Jack. “Ask her if she’s okay.” He gripped the steering wheel too tightly, afraid he would lose control.

  Jack grabbed the cell and tapped in the message.

  You okay?

  Jack slid the phone back into the mount and waited. Each second dragged out. The speedometer eased higher as the seconds turned into minutes. Jack felt the hammering of his own heart, so he could only imagine the heavy pounding that Mike must be feeling in his chest.

  Mike broke the painful silence first. “You go to her classroom. I’ll check out the library.” He knew she wouldn’t be in either place, but he had to at least check before he contacted Savage Securities. He didn’t want to look like he pissed his pants because his girlfriend missed a text.

  The limo pulled into the now nearly empty parking lot. Only a few cars dotted the asphalt. Mike and Jack sprinted to the doors and pulled. The doors didn’t open. They were locked.

  “Shit!” Mike cursed and jerked on the door again.

  Jack watched as Mike repeatedly yanked on the door handle. He stepped back and noticed another set of doors with a YMCA sign nearby. Afterschool care. Parents had to get their little angels somehow.

  Jack raced to the doors and pulled. They opened easily. “Hey, Mike,” he called. He signaled with his hand through the opened door.

  Mike took off towards the open doors and ran into the school. An eerie quiet filled the halls that earlier had been so full of life. No one was around, but muffled shouts came from the gymnasium. Jack took off up the stairs, taking two at a time. Mike glanced down the hallway and noticed a sign that said ‘Library’. He ran past the gymnasium doors to the double doors that led into the library.

  The lights flickered on as he entered the library. Bookcases three shelves high lined the edges and filled in the center of the room. “Alisha,” he called out. “Alisha!” He walked through the computer stations. He knew she wouldn’t be here, but he held out hope that she’d fallen or something stupid like that.

  As he made his way through the library, he noticed a few classrooms on the periphery of the library. Warning signs raced to his brain as his gut twisted. He had enough experience to trust his gut.

  Mike called out again, “Alisha,” his voice strong and loud. “Alisha.” He felt each pulse of his heart reverberate through him like a hammer striking an anvil. Each thundering pulse rocked him to the core.

  Colorful, little flags hung on the outside of the doors by the classrooms. There were three: Resource, AIG, and Counselor. He’d been in the AIG class as a student. He knew it stood for Academically and Intellectually Gifted class. That was the class that bothered him. One of the male teachers at the school was the AIG teacher. He rushed towards that class.

  Mike opened the AIG classroom door and stepped inside. He took a moment to take in the details. The classroom was neat and tidy. Mr. Parker clearly had some degree of OCD. Nothing was out of place. The chairs were perfectly pushed in and the floor was spotless. Most classrooms had messy book bins, pencil shavings, and pieces of paper littering the space, but this room was museum quality clean. This was a bad sign.

  He strode over to the man’s desk. There had to be a clue. The desk was neat. Three sharp pencils stood point up in a cup beside three pens of different colors: blue, black, and red. A little organizational tray sat on the desk. There were paperclips, tacks, rubber bands, and sticky notes. Mr. Parker’s lesson plan book lay open to tomorrow’s schedule. What was the man hiding?

  Mike pulled open the top drawer, and his eyes landed on them. He’d known to trust his gut. It had never failed him. Mike clutched the small, plastic box. He wanted to crush it in his hand. The tiny Tic Tacs taunted him.

  The bastard had her.

  Mike slammed the drawer shut and raced through the library, pulling his cell phone from his pocket. He tapped on Logan’s number and waited.

  Logan didn’t even bother looking at his phone as it buzzed on his desk. He was too busy scrolling through the take-out menu for Han’s Chinese Dynasty. He ate there at least once a week. Without looking at his phone he hit talk. “Murphy,” he said.

  “Murph,” Mike said. “He got her. I need her location.”

  Logan sat straighter in his chair and hit the keys on his computer. He pulled up the screen tied to the tracker. “I got her. I’m sending you the coordinates now. I’ll tell the guys and contact the police.”

  “Thanks.” Mike ran down the school hall and met Jack at the entrance.

  “Got the text,” Jack said. “Let’s go.”

  27

  Alisha’s mouth was dry. Too dry. Her arms hurt. She tried to move, but she couldn’t, at least not well. She wiggled, but pain shot through her extremities. She rolled her head, but an intense throbbing burned through her skull and blinded her.

  She blinked rapidly until her vision cleared. She didn’t know where she was. The room was dark. Heavy curtains hung on the windows blocking out the light. She couldn’t make out the shapes that filled the room. What happened? Confusion overwhelmed her as her eyes closed again and darkness engulfed her.

  Angry
and scared voices filled the space around her. Alisha forced herself awake. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. The back of her eyelids scratched along the surface of her eyes as she willed her eyes open. She blinked rapidly, trying to moisten her eyes and improve her vision. Her arms were killing her. The pain started in her shoulders and radiated down her arms and into her numb fingertips. She tried to move her arms, but she couldn’t. She turned her head, craning to look above her shoulder, and that was when everything snapped into place.

  Her breath came in short gasps. She jerked her hands wildly in an attempt to free herself. Plastic zip ties encircled her wrists and strapped her to a wrought iron bed frame. She pulled, but the frame just banged against the wall. She wiggled her legs, hoping to sit up, but felt the rough scratch of rope cut into her ankles.

  She was trapped.

  Fear consumed her. Her heart rate soared. She couldn’t catch her breath. She’d never imagined being in this scenario. Seeing it played out in movies was one thing; living it was something completely different. Panic engulfed her. She pulled wildly on her hands, twisting and hoping to free herself from the plastic ties that restrained her, but the heavy-duty plastic simply rubbed her wrists raw.

  “Hush, hush, hush,” a man’s voice cooed.

  She snapped her head in his direction and watched as he stood from kneeling beside a woman huddled in a corner. The woman’s hands were zip tied and rope secured her feet. A rag gagged the woman, muffling her moans and cries.

  Alisha watched as the man slowly made his way to her, as if he didn’t want to frighten her. How could he do this? “Mr. Parker?” she whispered. A tear streamed down her cheek. Why hadn’t she listened to Mike? She should have hidden at Savage Securities.

  Pacey reached behind his back and pulled out a gun. He set it on the bedside table. He wouldn’t bring a gun into their bed. Besides, he only had it on him in case that dumb oaf showed up.