man into her life. Who knew? He could possibly be the one.
While she waited for him to respond to her last message, Cori pulled a glass down from the cabinet, retrieved the opened bottle of wine from her refrigerator. Perfect night to sit out on the patio. Now that the storm had passed, the evening was cooler and she loved to watch the sky as the clouds moved out.
With glass and bottle in hand, she picked up her phone and headed outside. The sky was bright thanks to the lights of the city, no stars overhead, all hidden by the lingering clouds. It wasn’t like Coyote Ridge, where the sky seemed to go on forever, the stars somehow brighter because of the lack of lights. But she didn’t mind the difference between the two. Living in Austin was what she wanted to do. For now, anyway. In the future… well, Cori didn’t know what the future held for her, but she was excited about the prospects. Only a few more months and she would graduate from the University of Texas, armed with a degree that would hopefully land her an exciting job.
Her phone buzzed again as she retrieved her chair cushions from the patio closet, where she’d tucked them away that afternoon to keep themfrom getting drenched. Using a towel she kept in the closet, she made a quick pass over the wicker to dry it and the chair was as good as new.
Cori smiled down at the phone as she settled into the thick cushion, relaxing as she read the text that came back. This guy seemed too good to be true, if she did say so herself. The corporate type, Andrew was well-dressed, well-spoken. Not to mention, movie-star handsome with a bright smile and those eyes. So very blue, they glowed like the waters of the Caribbean in the sun.
Forcing herself not to giggle like a schoolgirl, she responded to his next question, shooting back one of her own, letting the minutes tick by as she finished off her wine and sleep began to look like a better and better idea.
She was in the middle of typing when she heard her doorbell. The sound had her sitting upright, turning as though she might be able to see through her apartment and out into the hall. Since clearly that wasn’t going to work, she set her phone and glass down on the table, hopped to her feet.
Probably Leah, stopping by to talk. She’d been out of sorts tonight, on the outs with her boyfriend of five years. Cori had tried to tell her she was far too young to think about settling down with a man she’d been dating since she was a teenager, but Leah never listened.
“Coming,” she shouted when the doorbell sounded again.
Pressing her eye to the security hole, she peeked out, saw a familiar face, and frowned.
After unlatching the door locks, she slowly pulled the door open only to realize the mistake, but it was too late.
He stepped forward, making a retreat impossible, filling her doorway while aiming a gun directly at her.
“Good to see you again, Corinne. I think it’s time we take a little trip.”
“What are you doing here?” she asked, wishing like hell she hadn’t unlocked the door. “How’d you know where I live?”
“I keep track of the pretty ones,” he said, his voice almost as creepy as his words.
He waved the gun in the direction of the floor.
“Shoes. Now, Corinne. Don’t make me shoot you.”
He was serious. She could see the intent in his eyes, her entire body trembling as fear lit a fire in her veins.
“Now!” he barked.
The violent sound had her jumping, even as she stepped back and grabbed her shoes off the floor. He held the door open with his foot, remained in the hallway while she pulled them on.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll find out soon enough. Where’s your cell phone?”
Shit. She’d left her cell on the back porch.
“I left it inside,” she told him.
“Good. Now be a good little girl,” he crooned, sliding his arm over her shoulder as he let the apartment door swing shut behind them. “Don’t make me kill you, Corinne. Such a waste if I have to.”
It was sheer terror that had her moving with him, letting him guide her to the elevators. She knew this was a mistake. If he got her to a secondary location, he would kill her, right? That was the way this always played out?
Swallowing the cold lump of