Rebel Princess - Book 2 (The Hope Saga)

by Chrissy Peebles

  “Then they’ve gotta be two different people with two different agendas.”

  “That’s what I’m thinking. The strangler is out for sick thrills, but the secret admirer likes me and knows about a plot being hatched to kill the three of us. I’ve got this gut feeling that it has something to do with us going out on the dock.”

  “We shouldn’t have gone up there.”

  “Rachel, wild horses couldn’t have stopped me.”

  “Okay, class,” our teacher said, interrupting our private conversation, “choose one person to go get the book you need for your study group.”

  I was elected quickly, so I headed to the huge shelves of books. I walked up and down the aisles, looking carefully at the call numbers. Just as I bent over to look at the spine of a large, blue book, strong arms wrapped around me. When I spun around, my heart sped up in sheer exhilaration. “Brett!”

  “Wow. You’re a sight for sore eyes.”

  “You too,” I said with a sigh. “Rachel told me about the new note,” I whispered. I’m so sorry.”

  “We only have a minute, so let’s not talk about that. I’ve missed you, baby.”

  “Okay, I won’t mention him.”

  He glanced around to make sure the coast was clear, then pulled me into the small room off to the left, where the thick reference books were kept. Slipping away for that private moment together was pure bliss. On top of that, it was sexy, spontaneous, and, most of all, entirely forbidden. That only made it all the more appealing for a rebel like me.

  Brett placed his strong hands on my hips, his touch sending shivers down my spine. “I’ve missed you, Sky,” he said.

  “I know. I’ve been dying to make out with my future husband.”

  “You know what they say. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

  “I guess sneaking around can be pretty hot after all,” I said. “Do you feel like a bad boy, Brett?” I teased.

  For an answer, he cupped my cheeks with both hands and kissed me deeply. He kept his tongue to himself that time, but our lips pressed together in perfect harmony, as if they were made for each other. He then moved his warm mouth to my cheeks, eyelids, nose, and lips, peppering me with those delicious kisses before he returned to my mouth and gently sucked my lower lip.

  I pulled him closer. “Let’s French.”

  He chuckled. “French?”

  I smiled. “Do you want to discuss semantics, or would you rather kiss me?” I asked, casting him a seductive, I-need-you-now look.

  We went at hit hard and heavy for a while, practically devouring each other, until we heard voices outside the door and were forced to untangle ourselves from one another.

  “C’mon, before we get busted,” he said.

  “But I don’t wanna stop,” I said with a wink. “Half the fun is getting caught.”

  With a naughty grin on his face, he crashed his lips right back into mine for one last, hot kiss.

  Back at the table, I could barely concentrate and stuttered as I shared my thoughts on the Civil War. I couldn’t help but zero my gaze in on Brett, and his eyes locked on mine from across the room. I slumped against the chair, my heart hammering a million miles a minute. I decided, right then and there, that nothing was going to keep me from the man of my dreams, the love of my life—not Brett’s parents, nor fate, nor Dante’s rules, nor the universe itself.

  Chapter 17

  After school, Rachel and I went for a run. We wanted to stay in top shape so we’d have no trouble surviving on the surface. We knew we’d have to hunt for our food up there, and that would be no piece of cake—literally or otherwise. Staying toned and fit was necessary if we were going to make it in the new world and pull our own weight.

  After our run, we stopped and gasped for breath, letting our hearts slow to their normal rhythm. That was quickly thwarted by paranoia when I heard footsteps approaching.

  “It’s probably one of the guys,” Rachel said.

  I called out a few familiar names, but no one answered; in fact, it was suddenly quite eerily silent. Entirely freaked out by the lack of response, I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. Every muscle in my body seemed to tense. My only consolation was that I had a weapon in my purse and knew how to fight if I had to.

  Rachel groaned and rubbed her neck. “We shouldn’t be here without bodyguards.”

  “Yeah, I know, but I get tired of being followed around and locking myself in everywhere. I have a life to lead.”

  “And what if we end up dead?” she whispered, her eyes wide.

  “He never kills two girls at a time. Besides, he’s outnumbered. We’re well trained, and the two of us can take him out if we have to.”

  The footsteps picked up again, and a chill crept up my spine. I hurried over and pulled a kitchen knife out of my purse that was sitting by the wall; I’d made sure to carry it with me ever since the bodies of young girls had started turning up. I inched closer to the entrance, the knife shaking in my trembling, white-knuckled grip. I listened closely at the door and heard someone shuffling around, followed by that unnerving silence again. I wondered if he was waiting to pounce like some kind of jungle cat, waiting to take me out. I took a few more brave steps and hurried out the door and into the corridor. Whew. All clear, I thought, but then I saw the flowerpot sitting neatly by the door, clearly a gift for me. I froze, and my breath caught in my throat. I instantly knew I was being stalked, even while I worked out, and that unnerved me. “It wasn’t the killer,” I said when I walked back in the room. “It was my stalker.” I turned to meet Rachel’s gaze. “He couldn’t have gotten that far.”

  “Huh? You’re going after him? Are you crazy?” she asked, her mouth set in a hard line.

  I craned my neck to see if anyone was running down the hall, leaving the scene. “If we hurry, we might just catch him. C’mon”

  We took off down the corridor at lightning speed, hoping to catch up with whoever had left the colorful flowers, but we had no such luck.

  “Dang it,” I said. “Where’d he go?”

  She glanced around. “I’m not sure, but he’s gone.”

  “I have to know who it is,” I said, furious.

  “Hey, what’s that in your hands?”

  “Just one of his infamous little love letters. I’m not going to give him the satisfaction of reading it.”

  “But there could be a clue in there.”

  I blew out a long breath, knowing she was right. I opened the creep’s red notecard and read it to her: “You’re all supposed to die, no matter what you do. You can’t fight your destiny, and death is lurking all around you. But don’t worry, Sky. I’ll save the one special person I hold dear in my heart. I’ll save you.”

  “Wow,” Rachel said. “He got a little wordy in that one. I think we’re dealing with a certified nutcase here.”

  “What did he mean by that, by saying we’re all supposed to die? Does he mean everyone or just the three of us?”

  “Who knows? The only thing we do know for sure is that he’s going to save you. And why doesn’t he give us a date?”

  “Because he’s crazy.”

  “Maybe he’s talking about the strangler. Maybe he thinks he’s going to save you from him.”

  “But the strangler only goes after girls, and Brett isn’t a girl.”

  “Yeah, that’s true.”

  “Ya know, we could debate this all night. There’s no clear-cut answer. He’s vague and says just enough to scare the crap out of us.”

  “Maybe that’s his m.o. He just wants to instill fear in us so you’ll feel some sort of obligation or sympathy for him when he allegedly saves you. He said he holds you dear in his heart. Maybe this is the only way he can force you to have any kind of feelings for him.”

  “I can’t believe he’d actually think I’d want anything to do with him after this. I have no idea who he is, yet he thinks I’m gonna live happily ever after with him while my boyfriend and best friend die? What an idiot.”

  “
I talked to Brett this morning.”

  “Really? Did he look as hot as ever?”

  She smiled. “Of course, but back to the point. Brett had a casual conversation with Mr. Tams and found out that your Aunt Sarah was the one who told him about the notes. That’s how he knew the details. Not much of a surprise, I guess, if she’s sleeping with him like you said.”

  “Yeah, I know. It kinda makes me want to puke, but they’re both adults.”

  “I guess that knocks him off the suspect list.”

  “Right. He wouldn’t have told a story we could easily check out with my aunt.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Plus, that turtle never coulda outrun us.”

  We both laughed.

  “Are you going back to get your flowers?” she asked.

  “Nope. Let them wilt.”

  “Then let’s go.”

  Chapter 18

  After hanging out with Rachel and a few friends, I decided to head back. We had a big test the next day, and I wanted to get some studying done, followed by a good night’s sleep. Plus, I was tired from working so hard at the greenhouse. Lifting heavy bags of potting soil and seeds had really tired me out, and I was whipped.

  As I was making my way back to our apartment, a hand suddenly clamped over my mouth and yanked me back, causing a rush of fear to run through me from head to toe. “I’ll kill you if you scream!” he whispered in my ear.

  Flailing, I tried to break free from my attacker’s grasp, but he was much stronger than me and managed to control me without much effort. When I felt the cold steel of a knife blade against my skin, my heart thundered.

  “Don’t make me use it,” he whispered. “Just calm down and do as you’re told.”

  I stopped as he traced the knife gently across my neck. Is this how he overpowers his victims? I thought. I’d been sure that my skills and training would have prevented me from being caught in such a situation, but I’d been wrong. Maybe dead wrong, I thought. “Please,” I begged.

  I instantly knew he’d kill me and that pleading for my life would do no good; it certainly hadn’t done any good for the others. I was very surprised that he’d decided to kill again so soon, and I was none too happy that he’d chosen me.

  “Hold still while I blindfold you.”

  “Whatever you say,” I said in a huff.

  The cold steel against throat made shivers shoot up my spine. My self-defense teacher would have advised me to comply with his wishes, because he had me in a real bind and could easily cut my throat from left to right, one ear to the other. Still, I knew my murder would take place regardless of my compliance. If I just let him blindfold me and whisk me away, he would strangle me anyway.

  He made the mistake of letting his guard down a bit, assuming he’d overpowered me. I knew that could give me the split-second advantage, but I had to occupy his mind. “I’ll do whatever you say because…” I began, then raised my arm, as if to surrender, carefully moving one hand toward the knife. I then brought my right arm up and over the outside of his. At the same time, I grabbed the left side of his head, trapping his arm between my right elbow and head. I struck my assailant in the face several times, dumbfounding him, and then I made quick work of grabbing the knife. I rotated my hand around so the knife was safely away from my throat.

  Furious, he fought with all his might, knocking the weapon out of my hand.

  “Oh no you don’t!” I said, kicking the knife away when it clanged to the floor. I then elbowed him hard in the gut and went to reach for the knife. When I turned to face him, brandishing the knife, I was disappointed to see that he was wearing a black ski mask, so I couldn’t identify him.

  In a blur, he hammered me in the jaw, the strongest blow I’d ever felt because he used the bottom of his fist instead of his knuckles.

  In an instant, I sank into darkness, and the knife tumbled to the floor beside me.

  Chapter 19

  When I came to, I felt the pressure of someone sitting on top of me, straddling me, their weight bearing down on me. Oh my gosh! I have to get away! He’s gonna kill me, my mind panicked.

  I tried to look around me, but I couldn’t see a thing, because he’d managed to get the blindfold on me after all. I tried to move my arms, but there was no use; he’d tied me up tightly, and I could feel my fingers wrapped around some sort of metal pipe. From that, I surmised that I was being held captive in the boiler room. It had all happened so fast. One minute, I’d been heading back to my place, and the next, I was bound, blindfolded, and tied up in a boiler room, with a killer sitting on me. I knew that any abduction ran the risk of turning into a fatal encounter, so I had to rely on my wits to help me make the right decisions while I was his captive. Being prepared for the worst scenario was the key to my survival, if I had any chance of it at all. I had to stay a step ahead of the game and predict my abductor’s next move.

  I thought about my family, my life, Brett, and my friends. It was strange how many thoughts ran through my head because I was faced with possible death. My adrenaline was pumping, my heart was pounding, and I’d never been so terrified in my life. I waited for his hands to wrap around my throat, and my stomach sank when I felt the tip of his knife against my skin again. He raked the weapon across my neck, trying to intimidate me, and it worked; I knew what the psychopath was capable of, and I wanted no part of that. I pictured my dead body in the hallway, Brett or Rachel or my aunt finding me, weeping over my body, and the thought sickened me.

  “Are you gonna cooperate?” he whispered. “I’m so sorry I had to punish you, but you left me no other choice. Promise me you’ll behave.”

  I was in a killer’s lair, and I couldn’t stop shaking, but I managed to say, “Yes. I’ll do anything you say.”

  My gut clenched and twisted, and I felt a sickening heaviness in my stomach, but I knew there was no time for panic. I had to remain sharp and alert, to do whatever it took to survive. Part of me wanted to scream at him, to tell him what a sick fuck he was, to let him know I thought he was a pathetic, disgusting freak, but I knew letting my anger out would do me no good at that point. I had to connect with him on some deeper level. I couldn’t ask the typical victim questions: “Why are you doing this? Are you gonna kill me?” Besides, I already knew the answers. I simply had to focus on getting out of there alive and gathering as much information as I could so I could identify him for the authorities.

  Put your captor at ease, I thought. Let him think he has the upper hand. I knew it would do absolutely no good to make threats, yell at him, or try to fight. I couldn’t cry, beg, or become hysterical. Instead, I had to try to calmly establish a rapport with him; I knew if I could just bond with him, even a little and even if it was a lie, it would make him more hesitant to kill me. “I’m growing strawberries,” I said. “My five-year-old niece loves them. You really should try some.”

  “I already have,” he whispered.

  I strained to identify his voice but couldn’t. “Did you like them?” I asked.

  “Very much.”

  The steel blade was still pressed against my throat. My hands were tied, and there really wasn’t anything I could do but talk to him. My mouth opened, but nothing would come out. Common ground. We need common ground, I thought, and it suddenly struck me. “That was a great knockout punch back there,” I said. “I guess we both love the martial arts.”

  “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I only needed to…contain you.”

  “No, don’t be sorry. It was a killer move. I’d love to learn from a master like you,” I said, talking fast because I was nervous. “Ya know, my arms are killing me. Is there any way you could untie me?”

  “I can’t.”

  “Then at least take the blindfold off.”

  “No,” he whispered.

  “Why? Are you afraid I’ll recognize you? Is that why you’re whispering.”

  The tip of the knife pierced my skin. “Enough questions,” he said, clearly tired of our little Q&A.

 
When I felt his warm tongue trail down my neck, a shriek escaped my mouth. “Stop!”

  “Or what? You’ll scream? Go ahead. Nobody can hear you.”

  His hand trailed down my body, and then I felt his lips softly brush against mine. “Kiss me, Sky,” he said.

  “Get off me!” I shouted, struggling in my bindings. “I’ll fight you, every step of the way,” I warned.

  “Are you trying to turn me on even more, Sky?”

  “Why don’t you stop whispering?”

  “Kiss me,” he repeated. “Kiss me everywhere.” He then turned very violent and slapped me when I refused. The brute grabbed a tangle of my hair and pulled.

  I moaned in pain, and he whispered in my ear. Every time I begged him to stop and leave me alone, he slapped me again, and I could only grit my teeth and wince in pain.

  “I’m saving your life, and this is how you repay me?” he roared.

  Suddenly, bells went off in my head, and it wasn’t just the ringing in my ears from him slapping me so hard. My stalker had written the same thing in my note. It was in that moment that I realized I was in the grips of my stalker, not the Asha strangler. The bad news was that the creepy stalker wasn’t just some harmless, lovesick teenager, as Mr. Tams had claimed. It had started with innocent flowers, then all those creepy red notecards, and now he was straddling me, holding a knife to my throat, and slapping me around. I had to wonder for a moment—and hope that I was wrong—if the strangler and my stalker were one in the same, as Rachel had suggested. “How are you saving my life?” I questioned. “Who wants to kill Brett, Rachel, and me?”

  “They want you dead.”

  “Why? What did we do? And who are they?”

  “If I don’t intervene, you won’t survive, Sky.”

  “Untie me,” I said. “I’ll kiss you, but not while I’m tied up. I’m not into…bondage.” I knew if he was stupid enough to free me, I’d have a fighting chance, and I knew that could incapacitate him. I was also dying to see his face, wondering who the man was who was hiding behind the black mask.