Chapter 31

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Laden down with bags, Kinley strolled out of the office supply store, her arms loaded with bags filled with colorful markers, notebooks, and classroom decorations for the upcoming school year. Despite the scorching midday sun, she felt a wave of excitement. Organizing her classroom was one of her favorite rituals, a fresh start for both her and her students.

Dusk had fallen, and lights blazed brightly overhead in the parking lot. She quickly skimmed the rows of cars, trying to remember where she'd parked. Finding her vehicle a few rows down, she stepped off the sidewalk and cut across the lot.

She felt better than she had in weeks. Everything was finally falling into place with her house, and soon she would need to find a new place to live. And that brought to mind a whole new issue—where to go next. She'd been thinking a lot about both Ainsley and Cam's offers to stay with them. Ainsley was getting married soon, but they had the extra space, and Kinley could come and go without disturbing them. And Cam…

She swallowed hard. Over the past couple of weeks since she'd been released from the hospital, she hadn't allowed herself to really examine the feelings that had swamped her when she'd been injured, but now it hit her harder than ever. Something seemed… different with Cam.

There had been a moment at the wedding when she swore he was about to say something. And what was that joke about getting marred? That was a joke… right?

Her pulse raced just thinking about it. Was he serious? He'd been more protective than ever, constantly calling or stopping by to check in. It was nothing she wasn't used to, but sometime she caught him watching her when he thought she wasn't looking. And that look in his eyes, like he couldn't tear his gaze away from her…

So lost in her thoughts, she was completely caught off guard when a hard hand wrapped around her throat. "Scream and I'll kill you."

The shock paralyzed her for a split second. She felt the cold steel of a knife pressed against her side, and a gruff voice hissed in her ear, "Do what I say, and you won't get hurt."

She had no idea where the man had come from, but he must have been waiting for someone to come out of the store. Kinley quickly glanced around the parking lot, wondering if anyone would hear her if she tried to scream.

She tried to lift her hands in a placating gesture, but the weight of the bags pulled them down. "I'll do whatever you want."

"Give me your purse and keys."

She dropped her hands, shaking them free of the plastic bags encircling her wrists, and shrugged her purse from her shoulder. She didn't want to touch him—didn't want to even look at him. Doing as he ordered, she dropped everything to the ground where he could easily grab it.

"Good."

She bit her lip as the blade of the knife dug into her side, and the man bent to scoop up her keys that lay at their feet. Kinley risked another quick look around. People moved around inside the store behind the brightly lit windows, but she couldn't see a single person in the parking lot.

One black-gloved hand palmed the key fob and pressed a button, and a moment later, the trunk released and popped open.

Fear skittered through her. "Please, whatever you want, it's?—"

Before she could finish, his hand is wrapped tightly in her hair, jerking her head back. From this angle, face tilted toward him, she see that he wore a ski mask that covered everything except his eyes and mouth. She searched his features, but it was almost impossible to distinguish exactly what color his eyes were as they glared into her own.

"Shut the fuck up. Say another word and I'll slit your throat right here."

She flinched at his words and nodded shakily. Tears sprang to her eyes as he tightened his grip on her hair to prove his point, then thrust her toward the car.

Get in the trunk!" he growled, yanking her toward the open space. Kinley's heart pounded as she struggled against his iron hold. She saw the desolate lot stretching out before her, the shopping complex just a sprint away.

Her gaze darted toward the trunk, then back to him. She couldn't get inside. If she did, she was dead for sure. Her mind seemed to slow down as she fought to figure out what to do. Her thoughts scrambled, and her feet remained frozen to the asphalt.

"Get in!"

The man gestured with the knife toward the trunk, and she took advantage of the split-second distraction. She threw her weight backward, trying to throw her assailant off balance. The man tightened his grip, his knife slicing into her forearm as she twisted in his grasp. The pain was sharp and immediate, but it fueled her desperation.

With a surge of adrenaline, she stomped hard on the man's foot, forcing him to loosen his grip. She spun around and struck out with her elbow, hitting him square in the jaw.

He let out a grunt of surprise and pain as he stumbled into the SUV behind him. Kinley didn't waste a second. She bolted toward the shopping complex, her injured arm throbbing with each step as she zigzagged through the parking lot, weaving between cars to put as much distance between herself and her attacker as possible.

"Help! Someone help me!" she screamed, her voice raw with terror. Her legs burned as she sprinted across the hot asphalt, each stride taking her closer to safety.

Kinley's fear propelled her forward, and she could see the figures of people pouring out of the stores, their heads turning toward her cries. She stumbled into the crowd, gasping for breath, her arm bleeding profusely.

Pushing past a group of people, she threw the door open and dashed inside, looking around frantically. Ignoring the surprised looks the patrons inside sent my way, she launched herself toward the check-out counter. "I need help! I… I was attacked outside in the parking lot, and I dropped my purse so I don't have a phone, and I need to call for help…"

She took a moment to drag in a breath as the attendant looked on with concern. "Can I… Can I use your phone?"

He immediately maneuvered around the counter, then gestured toward the back of the store. "Come with me."

He flicked a quick look around the bar like he was searching for the man who had accosted her outside.

"You'll be safe in here," he assured her as he led her into a small break room. "Do you want me to send one of the ladies back here to sit with you?"

It took a moment for her mind to slow down and try to process the question. She appreciated the gesture, but she shook my head. "No. I just need a phone."

He seemed to understand how rattled she was, because he kept a healthy distance between them as he moved toward a cordless phone on the desk. He picked up the handset and extended it toward her, and she accepted it with shaking fingers as he moved toward the doorway once more.

Her entire body shook as she listened to one torturously slow ring, followed by another. Finally, a familiar voice filled the line.

"Campbell McCoy."

"Cam, it's… it's me."

"Kins?" His tone was drenched with a combination of worry and concern. "What's wrong?"

"I…" She swallowed hard, trying to remain calm, but she was sure that Cam would read right through it. "I'm at the office supply store. Somebody came after me in the parking lot, and I?—"

"Are you safe?"

His tone was strong and clear, and it helped to ground her a bit. "Y-yes. I'm inside the bar in the manager's office."

"Did you call the police yet?"

"N-no." Her teeth chattered. "Not yet."

"I'll take care of it," he promised. "Just stay where you are, and I'll be there in fifteen."

"Okay," she whispered. "See you then."

She clicked off the phone and set it on the edge of the desk, then curled up in the chair, wrapping her arms around her legs.

She was wrong. Whatever was happening at her house, it wasn't getting better. It had just gotten worse.