My heart thunders, trying to gallop out of my chest.
A man steps out.
Holy fuck, I’m in a horror movie!
The fleeting thought that I wish I had a weapon—gun, taser, pepper spray, or heck, even Heidi’s ball peen hammer would be a relief. But I’ve got nothing except the cowgirl boots on my feet. Unfortunately, my legs are encased in concrete. Too weak to even knee this guy in the balls.
A scream sticks in my throat.
Dim recognition tickles the back of my mind.
He’s wearing the same black and yellow polo shirts the other employees of the arena wear. But that’s not it.
The fan. He gave me a fan at one of the shows.
“Shh.” He places one finger against his lips and rushes forward. Malicious insanity burns in his eyes.
Terror steals my breath.
My palms hit his chest and I push. “Get. Away,” I slur.
He staggers back a step, eyebrows lifting all the way to his hairline.
“Easy, little rabbit. I’m here to take care of you. It’s time for us to be together.”
Warnings explode in my head like fire alarms, piercing the fog clouding my brain.
Mr. Creepy Letters is in my bathroom!
I need to get away. Yell for Bane. Grab my cell phone.
“Rooster!” I scream.
“Oh, is that the big, bearded man’s name?” He flashes a sinister smile that stings my guts. “He’s indisposed at the moment.”
What does that mean? Did he hurt Rooster?
Fear that somehow I contributed to the man I love getting hurt rips through my chest.
I’m backed into a corner. The door seems so far away. I reach for my phone, but the man shoves it off the sink. It flies in the air, landing on the floor, cracking my pretty mint green and flamingo print case.
Get out! I try to shove past him, but my arms are two limp strands of spaghetti.
Air wheezes through my lungs.
“It’s okay, Shelby. We’re going to be so happy together. I’ve always wanted the perfect wife to give me a large family.” He licks his lips and drops his gaze to my stomach.
Oh, hell no.
He smiles wide. Rows and rows of shiny shark teeth.
Huh?
I shake my head. My vision blurs and now there are four shark-toothed people standing in front of me.
Something hard clamps around my wrist.
I jerk and twist. Fear burns through the cloudiness in my head. A scream tears out of me, like shards of glass shattering against my throat.
“The time has come. I can’t have you cavorting around with these men any longer. It’s not good for us.”
Inside, I’m madder than a mule chewing on wasps. But my body can’t seem to will the anger into action.
“Shh.” He presses his finger to my lips. “Stay right here.”
He guides me to the toilet and sits me down on the closed lid. My body slumps against the wall.
Do something. The bathroom door’s wide open.
My gaze swings wildly around the bathroom, searching for a weapon.
Plunger.
Eww.
Better than a toilet brush.
I wrap my cotton ball fingers around the wooden handle, willing some strength into my limbs.
There’s rustling, a bang, and a scraping sound. Mr. Creepy Letters appears in the doorway dragging my trunk behind him.
“You’re going to have to be a good girl and get in there for me so we can leave without any questions.”
Like hell. I’m not claustrophobic but who wants to take a ride in their luggage?
“How’d ya reckon we’re meant to be together if ya gotta drug me and stuff me in a trunk?” The words seep out of my mouth slowly.
“I need to get you away from all of this and deprogram you. Then you’ll understand.”
Deprogram. I don’t even want to guess what that means.
“You didn’t finish this.” He holds out the water bottle to me. “Here.”
“Hell fuckin’ no!” I smack the bottle out of his hold but use my hand holding the plunger. My burst of energy fizzles fast. I end up grazing his cheek with the rubber end, knocking the bottle onto the floor. The plunger goes flying into the shower stall.
I stare at my empty hand.
Well, that was about as effective as using a dishtowel to swat at a wasp’s nest.
He lunges, grabbing my wrists and yanking me to my feet. My noodle legs refuse to cooperate, and I sag toward the floor. He uses my weakness, turning us toward the trunk and letting gravity do the work.
My ass lands in the trunk so hard tears prick my eyes. The backs of my thighs hit the metal edge and I yelp from the pain. My elbow burns from