“I said ‘no’!” I shout.
My voice echoes around the nearly empty coffee shop, drawing the attention of the few people sitting at the tables. My cheeks flush, and my face warms. Cole remains standing at the counter, a ponderous, somewhat amused look on his face. He’s staring at me with the most condescending expression that I’ve ever seen. It’s like he doesn’t believe me. Like he thinks he knows what I want better than I do.
“All right, all right, chill,” he says. “I can take a hint.”
“Good.”
“But listen, the offer still stands. I’d love to take you out sometime,” he says. “You’ve got my card, so just give me a call when you’re ready.”
I say nothing and just glare at him. He chuckles again, nods, turns and walks out of the coffee house. Only when he’s gone do I let out the breath I’ve been holding.
“What was all that about?” Shelby asks.
Still fired up, I round on her, my eyes narrowed to slits. “Next time I tell you I’m not interested in somebody, don’t you ever call them and tell them I want to go out with them. Never again. Got it?”
Shelby recoils like I slapped her. “I’m sorry, Brynn. I didn’t mean to?—”
“Forget it,” I say, then sigh.
I’m still so pissed that if this were a cartoon, steam would be coming out of my ears; I turn around and push through the swinging doors that lead to the back of the shop, wanting nothing more than to be alone right now.
When my shift is over,I storm out of the coffee shop without saying goodbye. All I want is to take a hot shower, get into some comfy clothes, put on Netflix and forget this day ever happened. The sun has already gone down, and the air carries a slight chill. Because the coffee shop is located on a main street, we are forced to park in a lot a block away. Pulling my sweater around me a little tighter, I duck my head and walk, more annoyed by this inconvenience than normal. Everything is annoying me right now.
I come around the corner and pull up short. “What the hell?”
As if sensing my presence, Cole, who is leaning against my car, looks up from his phone, and a toothy smile spreads across his face. I sigh and pull my keys out of my pocket.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“I thought I’d give you one more shot.”
“What part ofnot… um,notinterested in going out with you, are you having trouble understanding?” I snap.
“Come on, now, sweetie,” he purrs. “Let’s just go have a drink?—”
“Seriously, fuck off. I’m not going anywhere with you!”
He sighs, as if pained, his lips forming a taut line across his face. There’s something in his eyes, a faint glimmer, that makes the back of my neck prickle. My heart lurches, and fear-fueled adrenaline rushes through my veins.
Something’s not right.
“Is that your final answer, Brynn?” he asks.
“Please,” I say. “Just get away from my car and let me leave.”
“Is that a ‘no’?”
“I don’t want to go out with you.”
“I was afraid you might say that.”
My stomach drops when I hear the scuff of a shoe on the concrete behind me. Before I can turn around, though, a hand, almost as large as my head, is clamped around my mouth. My unseen attacker is large and pulls me against a body that dwarfs mine. I try to scream, but my voice is muffled. I struggle, but his arms are so large and muscular, I can’t move. I’m trapped.
Standing in front of me, Cole grins. “It didn’t have to be this way, sweetheart. All you had to do was go along with me, and this would not hurt you as much as it’s going to.”
He reaches into his inside jacket pocket and withdraws a small case. My eyes widen as I watch him pull out a syringe. He pulls the cap off and tucks it into his pocket, the tip of the needle glinting coldly in the dim street lighting. I struggle and thrash as he approaches, trying to scream through the hand covering my mouth. The man’s grip on me loosens slightly, but then he strongly snaps me back against his body. His hands feel like iron vices. My feet lift from the pavement, and I try to kick. Just air.
“Hold her, still” Cole sneers.
