A Mermaid's Kiss (Bay State University #1) - Katie Holland Page 0,92

the building, I wasn’t paying attention and ran into someone. I looked up and was instantly on high alert. Wes stood in front of me. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days or was on some kind of drugs.

I was so shocked to see him that when he grabbed my arm and dragged me to the side of the building that I didn’t even try to stop him.

“Let me go,” I finally managed to say.

“I can’t do that, Kayleigh,” he spit out. “You’re going to come with me.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.”

He reached behind his back and pulled out a gun. “I say you are.”

Growing up in Oklahoma I was used to guns but having one pulled out to threaten me was a new experience. Wes wasn’t stable so I didn’t know what he would do so I nodded.

“Take out your phone,” he demanded. I set my bag down and took out my phone. “Now text Karma and tell her you’re going to be at the library.”

Me: I’m going to the library to study for history

It took me longer than normal to get the text sent, since my hands were shaking. I didn’t expect a reply since she was on a date, but I hoped when she read it she would know it was a lie. We had history together and the professor purposely made sure we had a free weekend.

When the text was sent he took my phone and turned it off. He pressed the gun to my side and put his arm around me like we were a couple. He walked me over to the closest parking lot and stopped next to a large SUV. He opened the door and forced me into the back seat. He reached for something in the center console while keeping the gun digging into my side. The console slammed shut causing me to jump. He had a syringe in his hand now. I tried to fight him off, but he used his larger size and weight to push me down on the seat. I felt the needle in my leg. The last thing I remembered was the feel of his weight on me.

* * *

The first thing I became aware of was that I couldn’t move. I was lying on a table or something; it was hard. I could open my eyes but wasn’t able to move my arms, legs or head. I was also gagged. I started to scream but it was so muffled that I doubted that anyone could hear it even if they were a few feet away from me.

I heard a noise in the room and I stopped screaming. Wes’s face was suddenly over mine. I’d never been so scared in my life. I had been tied up by an unpredictable desperate man. I could feel the tears running down my face. Wes reached out to wipe them away. I tried to flinch but my head still wouldn’t move.

“Don’t cry, Kayleigh, everything is going to be all right.”

His voice sounded like the old Wes I knew, but the look in his eyes was disturbing. He moved his hand on my head like he was petting me. More tears leaked down out of my eyes.

“If you promise not to scream, I’ll remove the cloth from your mouth.”

Right about now I would promise anything to get this thing out of my mouth. I couldn’t nod so I hoped the pleading look I was trying to give him would be enough to convince him.

He did something at the top of my head. I heard a click and my head was suddenly free. Wes moved my head enough so that he could untie the cloth at the back of my head. The second it was out of my mouth I felt like I could breathe again.

“Thank you,” I whispered. I figured if I was nice to him he might let me go. I swallowed and it hurt. I felt like I hadn’t talked in days. Then I started to wonder how long I’d been unconscious and panic started to set in. I took a few deep breaths trying to push it away. Panic wasn’t going to help me get out of this situation.

Now that I could move my head, I turned in both directions to see if I could figure out where I was. All I could see were some bare walls. If there were windows they were covered. The only light in the room was coming from somewhere behind