Cora tried hard not to show her fear.“You hurt me and they’ll never find your body.”
Fury lit up his pale blue eyes.“Not if they don’t find yours at all.”
She lifted her chin, deciding to bluff.“I’m not scared of you.”
He cocked his head, then took two steps closer.When Cora took a step back and bumped into the wall, he smirked.“Yes, you are.If you’d stop being a bitch, you’d know I was a nice guy.”
His words sent her straight back to that night.How his words had taunted, even in death mocking the woman he had killed.Cora couldn’t get the image of Erin falling over the side of the parking level out of her head.Of seeing her broken body on concrete.Her screams still echoed in Cora’s ears.She immediately glanced at his left hand and that’s when she saw the large scratch on the back of it.A bolt of lightning struck her.It hadn’t been a tattoo on the back of the killer’s hand, it had been a bandage.Her eyes flared open wide and she couldn’t seem to take her gaze off it.Her limbs started to shake, but the last thing she wanted to do was alert him that she knew who he was.
If she couldn’t use the elevators, the only other way to escape him was through the stairs.Turning, she dashed away.She knew the mail room like the back of her hand, and decided to take the less obvious route.Running back through the office part, she darted between desks.Steven was a large, lumbering guy and cornering the navigation between the narrowly placed desks should give her an extra minute or two..
As she ran, she heard him behind her but refused to look to see how close he was.Once past the desks, she rounded a corner and it was a straight shot to the stairs.She zoomed around the threshold and ran up them as fast as possible.The cavernous stairway echoed with his heavy footsteps.
“Get back here, bitch!”
That terrified her and when she burst into the foyer, she was gulping breaths.The security guard shot to his feet and she ran up to him.
“I’m being followed,” she panted, pointing to the stairway.
The guard frowned, stood, and headed to the stairs.They were empty.He looked back at her, and she saw he didn’t believe her.Heading back to his position, she stood there regaining her breath, wondering what the hell she could do.
Hades popped into her head.She pulled out her cell phone and his card and made the call.It rang several times, and just as she thought he wouldn’t pick up, the call connected.
“Cora?”
“Yes, it’s me,” she said quickly.“I’m being chased and I’m scared.Please help me.”
“Where are you?”
“At the LC Group.In the lobby.”
“I’ll be there as soon as possible.Stay where you are.I’m in a black Bentley.”
“Okay.”
She hung up and walked over to the corner of the lobby and sat to wait in one of the chairs, staring out the window to watch for Hades.Her knee bounced in anxiety.A noise had her glancing behind her and saw that the guard was gone, leaving her all alone in the brightly lit area.Unease slithered down her spine and she rose.With her heart pounding, she went over to the desk, glancing around for him, but she was all alone.
“Hurry, Hades,” she muttered, turning back to the window to keep watch.Each minute that passed was an eternity.
Finally, she saw his car and saw him park a few spots down the street.She left the foyer to hurry to him, but as she passed by the alley between the LC Group’s high-rise and the one next to it, an arm suddenly grabbed her.She let out a scream as she was dragged into the darkness.Terror exploded through her brain.She struggled, but the arms around her only tightened.It had to be Steven, and when she looked at the hand, she saw the cut.The confirmation terrified her, especially when a hand clamped over her mouth and nose, cutting off her air-supply.She struggled and flailed around, trying desperately to dislodge the hand, but nothing worked.Black spots dotted her vision the longer she couldn’t breathe.
No!she agonized.I don’t want to die!
Then the arms holding her dropped, and she crumpled to the ground, sucking in air and coughing as her lungs reinflated.The sounds of a fight drew her attention, and she turned, seeing a big man beating up Steven.Tears welled up and rolled down her cheeks as she realized just how close to death she’d been.The fight only lasted a minute or two, and Steven was clearly outmatched against her savior.One punch and the asshole sprawled in the disgusting puddles on the ground.Then her rescuer turned to head back to her.In the dim light that barely penetrated the inky shadows of the alley, she saw broad shoulders, neatly cut hair, dark eyes, and an evening scruff.
It was too much.The past couple of nights had caught up with her and her body shut down from all the stress she’d been under.Her eyes closed just as he reached her and she embraced the darkness.
****
Hades leaned down andscooped her up into his arms.He had seen her heading down the office steps and then suddenly she’d disappeared.In those few minutes, she’d been attacked.He was going to discover who that fucker was and kill him.Acheron waited at the car and he held the door open so he could slide in while still cradling her.
Acheron sat behind the wheel and glanced in the rear-view mirror.“Boss?”
“To the condo and get Dr.Michaels there,” he barked.“Then find out who that asshole back there was.”
“Yes, sir.”
One more minute and she would’ve been dead, and he would not have liked that at all.Studying her face, he saw tiny freckles on her cheeks and the bridge of her nose that wasn’t seen in the photo.Like any predator, he wanted to devour her innocence.She moved, moaning a little, and opened her eyes.He stared at her, and she stared back with not one ounce of fear.
