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“I was getting a cough drop.”
“You lying bitch.” He kicked her ankle, and her leg buckled, pain radiating up her calf. She managed to keep standing, though. “Pick it up. Now.”
She bent down and gathered her belongings.
“Give me that.” He pointed over her shoulder at the pepper spray. “You think I’m an idiot.” He snatched it out of her hand. “Now hurry up.”
She tossed her ID and cash in the bag, along with her comb and lip gloss. Leaning forward, she used her body to cover the lipstick. She made a to do about closing the clutch, then stood, hovering her foot over the lipstick and hoping like hell the bastard wouldn’t see it.
“Go!” he demanded, jabbing the gun at her back again. If he didn’t have a gun, she would have kicked him in the balls.
“Where am I going?” she asked.
“Walk.”
“Not much of a talker. Got it.”
“You don’t shut your fucking mouth.”
“I did get most talkative senior year of high school.”
A sharp pain exploded in her scalp. He yanked her hair, pulling her toward him. Hot breath rushed over her ear. “Shut up, or I’ll kill you.”
“You could have asked nicely,” she muttered, knowing damn well it was probably best to keep her mouth shut, but she couldn’t help it. The words were out before she could stop them.
He shoved her hard in the back, and she stumbled on her heels. She needed a plan, but in the meantime, she hoped Reid found her trail. At least he had a gun. All she had as a potential weapon was her stilettos and she imagined she could do some major damage with the spiked heel. But she’d have to wait for her moment. Too soon, and she could wind up with a bullet in her chest.
It would help if she knew who this guy was. He wasn’t Louie, she knew that much, but who the hell was he? She could ask, but he did just tell her to shut up. She’d ask, but after she knew where they were going.
He shoved her hard again. This time, her heel tripped up on the pavement and her balance swayed. She went down hard, a burning pain shooting through her knee where gravel skidded across her skin.
“Get up!”
She took the opportunity to glance up and get a good look at her captor. He had brown hair, brown eyes, a young face. She squinted, wracking her brain for any memory of this kid. And he was a kid. No older than twenty-two.
“Who are you?” she finally asked, unable to help herself. She was a reporter, and this was a puzzle she needed to figure out.
“The person who is going to shut you up for good if you don’t get up and do exactly as I say.”
She held her hands up in front of her and got back to her feet. “Where do you want me to go?”
“That van. Back doors open. Get in.”
Oh no. She’d seen probably every murder documentary, and getting into a van was a death sentence. This was textbook kidnapping, and if you asked her, completely unoriginal. Which is why she knew he was nothing more than a copycat.
Reid had been so adamant it was Louie, but it never felt right to her. The tongue was signature Louie, yes, but it was in every case study on the guy, and any jackass could find that information from a quick internet search. This guy was nothing more than a wannabe criminal. But what was his angle? Why her?
“I said get in the van!”
“Why?”
“I told you stop talking!” He shoved her again, and she bit back the anger surging inside her. Her fists clutched at her side, and if she wasn’t scared about getting shot, she would nail her knuckles into this little shit’s face. “Either get in the van or I kill you, then go find your niece.”
Her jaw turned to stone, teeth ground together. If he as much looked at Presley, she would destroy him. If she was already dead, she’d come back from the grave and haunt his ass up until his very last breath. Then she’d meet him on the other side and follow him around for eternity, never once shutting her damn mouth.
With a deep breath, she opened the door of the van. The back had been completely gutted except for a fold up chair that was laid on its side. “Get in!”
Heels and a dress were not the best outfit to be stepping into the death trap, but she had no choice. She thought about Presley and her sweet, innocent face. This guy might be making baseless threats, but she didn’t know.
