Truth be told, she’d disappointed herself, too.
Metal clanged, and terror made even her organs quiver as thecontainer door rattled open.Through the narrow opening, the man from theparking lot stepped inside.
The darkness from outside seemed to spill in with him.Histennis shoes thudded ominously as he moved toward her, one corner of his mouthtwisted into an evil smirk.
“Hi, Aurora,” he said, almost pleasantly, as if he waswelcoming her into his home.
Making things even more disturbing, he didn’t look like amonster.His clean-cut reddish hair and glasses gave him a non-threateningappearance, and his dad jeans andKelly greenpoloshirt completed the nerdy, I’m-a-friendly-dude look.He was Jack the Ripper inDexter clothing.
She didn’t reply, but then, he probably didn’t expect herto.
“Aren’t you curious about how I know your name?”he asked.
“I assume you went through my purse.”
“Oh, honey, you’re smart for a masseuse.”He moved closer,just a couple of steps, and her pulse kicked up a notch.“I’m Jason.JasonDrayger.”Still so pleasant.She wondered if he’d be as nicewhilehe was slicing her up.“Can I do anything to make your stay more comfortable?”
She held up her wrists.“Keys would be great.”
“I think we both know that won’t be happening.”
Of course not.But she had to keep her head on straight.Play along to buy time to plot.She wasn’t dumb enough to think she could charmthe bastard into letting her go, but if she could get her hands on him, shecould absorb his energy, refill her well, and use it to escape.
“Could you at least loosen the shackles, Mr.Drayger?”
He leveled her anice trylook.“That won’t behappening, either.”
“Then why did you ask if you could do anything to make memore comfortable?”
“Just getting your hopes up, I guess.”
“What hopes?”
“That you’ll make it out of here alive.”
His chilling words made her gut turn over in a violentsomersault.She’d known she was in trouble and was going to die.But to hearhim say it, to hear him toy with her, was too much to handle and she had toswallowover and overto keep from throwing up.
“What are you going to do to me?”she croaked, the effort ofkeeping her dinner down making her voice rough.
“I figured you’d ask that.They all do.”
He lifted one corner of the sheet covering the table andpicked up a photo album.He blew dust off the surface and tossed it onto themattress next to her.
Don’t look.Do.Not.Look.
She knew she shouldn’t, especially given the creepyanticipatory gleam in Drayger’s dead, pale blue eyes, but she flipped open thecover anyway.
She instantly wished she hadn’t.
Horror filled her mouth with bile and her stomach heavedagain.That poor woman.
She shoved the album away so hard it landed on the floor,spilling more gruesome photos of several women from its tattered covers.
“Forty-one in all,” he said, gesturing to the album.“Plusfive I didn’t take pictures of.With the first ones,you’re finding yourself, you know?Trying to get your shit together.Figuringout what works and what doesn’t.Plus, all that adrenaline is flowing throughyou, and you’re not thinking straight.”He smiled wistfully.“But I’ve got itdown to a science now.I’ll just leave that album with you so you can seewhat’s in your future.”
“Yousick fuck,” she rasped.“Youevil bastard.”Forty-six women?How had he not been caught yet?
“Me?Evil?”He snorted.“Let’s talk about whatever darkmagicyoupossess.Or are you going to deny what you did in theparking lot?”
