AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Finally, they got to the third floor. There were six apartments, three on each side of the stairs. Martin led them over to one and keyed open the door.
Martin pushed her in and followed with Silas. He slammed the door shut.
Anne looked around and swallowed her disgust. How could someone offer an apartment to another person this rundown? Everything was tired and broken and reeked of cigarette smoke. Had Martin contributed to that or the landlord? Bah. She wasn’t here to feel sorry for the bastard. Why were they here?
Martin held Silas’s arm as Anne followed them into a small, cramped bedroom. She prayed Martin would not rape her. Would he if Silas were here? She didn’t want to find out.
The bed was unmade, and the sheets looked gray, like they hadn’t been washed—ever. She looked around while Martin dug into the tiny closet and pulled out a duffle bag.
Okay, no raping, but what was going on?
“Okay, let’s get this shit show on the road.” He slung the duffle over one shoulder, kept his hand on Silas, and they walked out of the building. After throwing the duffle in the back, he had Silas and Anne get in the truck. He stood at the passenger door and grabbed the backpack.
“That’s mine,” said Silas quietly.
“Tough shit, kid.” Martin opened the backpack and rifled through it. He pulled out the teddy bear. “Finally,” he huffed as he tossed the backpack in the dumpster and placed the bear in the duffle bag..
Silas watched him with wide eyes and bit his lip. Anne rubbed his arm. Did this guy have a teddy bear fetish? Why did he want just that? Their abduction had something to do with the bear, but what?
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Killian threw down some bills on the table and stood. “I’m off.”
Joe, Jake and Mark were staying for a while at the Tiki Bar. It was Friday night, the music was loud, people were dancing, and he finished his last chicken wing.
Satisfied, Killian walked past the bar. Petey called him a “pretty boy”—twice. He dodged a drunk and finally stepped out into a rainy night. Music from the bar echoed down the street. Laughter from the marina filled the air.
Anne was taking Silas to dinner and the movies tonight. Killian had promised to call her the next day so they could get together.
He missed her already. Hanging out with the guys was fun. It was a good distraction, but what he really wanted was to snuggle in bed with Anne—well, snuggle plus.
Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough. Next week, he had a job that called for him to be away for a week, so he only had the weekend to be with her.
Everything was going great—his job, the friendships, and his relationship with Anne and Silas. Killian couldn’t believe how lucky he was.
He got into his truck and looked back. The raindrops on his back window created a kaleidoscope of colors from the Tiki Bar’s neon lights.
The rain got heavier as he headed home. City lights blurred as he drove toward his condo. A lightning flash in the distance illuminated the buildings. A rumble of thunder, and the clouds dumped their load of rain. The windshield wipers worked overtime, but it wasn’t enough. Killian slowed down. It was hard to see.
He hoped Anne and Silas weren’t out in the rain. Driving tonight would be dangerous.
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
Rain pounded on the roof, sounding like nails in his coffin as Martin drove through the rain. His heart beat in time with the wipers.
He had the bear. He had Anne and Silas. Unfortunately, they’d seen his face, and he couldn’t let them go. Now what?
He glanced over at the woman and boy, their faces illuminated by the glow of the dashboard lights.
Tension radiated off Anne so thickly you could cut it with a knife. Both were staring straight ahead. Anne was clutching Silas’s hand.
She had to know they were going to die. Just not right now. Killing wasn’t in his repertoire of crime unless absolutely necessary.
Martin hoped to drive to Bobby’s place and have him kill them. He’d give Bobby the share he promised him. Then, he was off to a new city, a new state, a new life with his original ID cards and money in his pocket.
For sure, someone would come looking for Anne. They’d find her car in the school parking lot, and while he tried to avoid cameras, the school still had his fake ID. The police weren’t dumb. They’d put two plus two together and know he kidnapped Anne and Silas. Well, they’d know that Martin Smith had kidnapped them but they’d never find him.
He never was going back to the joint. Never.
