by Diana Layne
“I . . . ”
Her blush told him she regretted confessing that tidbit.
“You need something to compare, don’t you think?” He reached behind the chair and lowered it to the reclined position. His confidence was building . . . from the liquor he’d earlier consumed or from her heady admiration of his swimming. He didn’t know. He just knew he’d loved Nia years longer than Sandro even knew about her.
Nia tried to scoot away. Dave laid a leg across her body, holding her trapped.
“Dave, I don’t know. Wait. Please don’t.”
He ignored her and kissed her anyway. She lay pliant and unresponsive in his arms. “Kiss me back, Nia.”
“I . . .”
“Just once. This can be an experiment. You don’t plan to kiss only one guy in your life, do you?”
Her gaze grew thoughtful. In all his bourbon-laced confidence, he knew he could win her over. He had to. He kissed her again, using slight force to urge her lips apart.
She didn’t struggle. But she still didn’t return his kiss.
“Please, Nia. Kiss me. I love you. I’ve waited all these years for you to grow up.”
“You love me?” She froze and something that could have been alarm, if he’d been in the mood to analyze it, entered her eyes.
“I’ve loved you forever, Nia.”
“Oh, Dave . . . I had no idea . . .” She drew a breath. “Just a kiss.”
She had the look that she hoped a kiss would pacify him and then she could make her escape. He could have agreed; he didn’t remember. He just knew that when she stopped fighting and started kissing him, he lost control. Somehow he had her naked, and he was naked. He was fingering her. Of course, by that time she was fighting again, but he easily overpowered her. He had to get inside her.
He forced himself between her legs.
She squirmed and fought harder. “Dave, no!”
“Nia--” He tried to ignore her panicked cries. He didn’t want to stop now. He couldn’t. He pushed against her.
Suddenly, he was shoved backwards and off the lounge. He flailed trying to save himself from splashing into the pool. He heard Nia’s scream as he went under water.
He came up sputtering, ready to kill.
“Hey, asshole, I distinctly heard her say no. That means stop. They forget to teach you that in FBI school?” His older brother Jared stood glaring at him.
Nia wriggled off the lounge, grabbing the towel and her bikini before she dashed inside the house.
Jared marched forward. “What the fuck are you doing, you jerk off? You’re the example mom and dad keep throwing up in my face, following in dad’s footsteps. The big successful FBI man. About to rape a woman. Not just any woman, but Nia, the girl next door that we all love. Jesus H. Christ, she’s the most famous woman soccer player in the world, and you’re treating her like a whore.”
“Shut up, Jared. Just shut the fuck up.” Dave laid his head against the tiled pool ledge. He felt sick inside.
Jared left his date, who he’d brought over for a swim, cooling her heels in the living room, while he walked Nia home.
She wouldn’t speak to Dave any more that week, even though he’d gone over and tried to apologize. She refused to come out of her room, leaving him in an uncomfortable conversation with her mom.
A month later, he got her to take his call and accept his apology. Then in a whirlwind romance after the World Cup, Sandro had whisked her off to Italy so fast, that Dave never saw her again, until they moved to New Jersey and into his jurisdiction. He never had to heal her broken heart.
Even now, years later, the memory of the near-rape had the ability to make Dave’s stomach twist in knots so painful he wanted to hurl. He slowly drew in a long breath of air, releasing tense muscles.
When she and Sandro moved back stateside, a desire to see her, to see if her marriage was working, to see if she perhaps hated him, had him seeking her out. Nia welcomed him with open arms. Still crazy in love with her Italian superstar, and proudly showing off her new son.
The visit was painful, but he deserved the pain. He thought he’d never love again.
And now Nia was missing, in the hands of hardened criminals who wouldn’t hesitate to kill her. Dave would do everything in his power--and beyond--to rescue her. He couldn’t afford even the slightest mistake. He wouldn’t fail--disappoint--her this time.
* * *
Nia saw lights ahead. Not lights moving in from a distance like headlights. But bright, tall lights. A building. Hopefully, people--good guys. If there were no people, at least a phone. Please God let there be a phone. Hope blossomed within her. She forced the blocks of ice masquerading as her feet to move faster.
As she drew closer, she saw it was a convenience store, and even from a distance she could see it was dark inside. Closed. At the last moment, she veered off into the field surrounding the store. Perhaps the mob guys thought she’d gone into the woods by the house. But perhaps they hadn’t.
Until she had her bearings--knew whether the phone was inside or outside, had an escape route mapped out--she wasn’t approaching the store.
Taking care to move slow and stay low, she circled the perimeter. No phone outside. But she saw one through the windows, just outside the women’s restroom door. A good thing. Now that she had stopped running, nature called. She hoped the store opened soon. She didn’t want to answer the call out in the open fields.
Fat, fluffy flakes started falling faster than before. She sought shelter between the dumpster and the back wall and huddled down to wait. But it was difficult to control her shivering.
A car door slamming startled her awake. Amazingly, she must have dozed. Slowly, she stretched stiff, frozen muscles, fingers and toes tingling painfully. Forcing herself to move despite the pain, she shook her head like a wet dog to knock off accumulated snow, and then peeked around the corner.
A man in uniform was unlocking the front door. Yes! She wanted to rush the door, but she made herself wait. It might not be as safe of a haven as it looked.
Ten minutes passed before she scanned the area again. She didn’t note anything suspicious though the now-heavy snow limited her view. She decided if it limited her view, it would also limit anyone watching, too.
Bells hanging from the door tinkled as she entered. Quaint. The warmth inside made her popsicle-like body parts ache even more.
“Good morning,” she said to the skinny red-haired clerk who was staring at her. She must look a fright with her black eye, bruised face and wild appearance.
The clerk nodded his head, questions clear in his blue-eyed gaze. “Cold enough for you?”
“Certainly is.” She considered telling the man a bunch of bad guys were after her, but she hesitated. She didn’t know if the mobsters came here for their morning coffee. Or if this guy and the mob guys were good buddies, as they’d say in Texas. Maybe he was even a mob guy in disguise. Mentally, she cringed, realizing she was close to losing it.
“Got coffee going,” he added. “Should be ready in a few minutes.”
“Sounds great,” she said, deciding to keep quiet. It was best to trust no one, call for help, and be ready to bolt if that plan failed.
“Out awfully early this morning?” Although the clerk was friendly enough, the suspicious look had never left his face.
She thought quickly. “I . . . uh, had car trouble. A . . . blowout. I hit my face. On the airbag.” She touched her bruised face, courtesy of Mikey. “I’ve been walking an hour. My cell’s dead. I need to use your phone to call for help.” A makeshift story, but it would do. She pulled the dollars she’d gotten from the truck out of the jacket pocket. “Can you make change?”
His suspicious look softened as he handed her coins in exchange for a couple of dollars. “Sounds bad, my wife was in a wreck about this time last year. She was on the way to the doctor, she was pregnant. Icy roads always a danger. I told her she should reschedule.”
Nia felt an immediate bond with the unknown pregn
ant woman. Yep, definitely losing it. She pulled her thoughts together. “I hope she and the baby were okay?” She noticed a wedding band on his left hand. She would have thought him too young to be married. Especially married with a baby. Didn’t matter. Find the damn phone.
“Ah, yeah. We got us a nine month old little girl. It’ll be our first Christmas with a baby.”
Right now, Nia didn’t want to consider Christmas was only a few weeks away. Feeling the clock ticking, she was getting impatient with the chitchat but she felt herself smile and say, “That will be wonderful.”
He seemed to remember what she needed. Maybe it was her pained smile. “Oh. Sorry. Phone’s right around the corner,” he added.
“Thank you.” She hurried to the phone, looking at the surroundings. While windows lined the wall, they were plate glass, not the kind that opened. She peeked into the bathrooms--only one high window in each. Very tiny high windows. No way could she fit even if she could reach one by standing on the toilet. She didn’t like not having an escape route, but she had no choice. She had to use the phone. Now that it was almost daylight, it would be that much easier to find her if she set out to look for another phone. She would just have to hurry.
First she called Sandro’s cell phone. His voice mail picked up. “Sandro, it’s me. I got away. I’m--” Where was she?
“Excuse me, sir, what is the name and address of this place?” she called to the clerk. He told her and she repeated the information. “Oh, Sandro, where are you? Why do they want you?” She rested her head against the phone. The cold metal helped her collect herself. “I’m calling Dave, Sandro. He knows something.” Another pause, then she added in a whisper. “I love you. Keep safe.”
She dialed Dave’s office and asked for him.
“He isn’t in yet. Can I help you?”
“Will you give me his cell phone number?”
The nameless voice on the other end immediately took on a suspicious tone. “Who is this?”
“My name is Nia Croc--”
“Nia! Shit!” Then he calmed. “Nia, where are you?”
It was her turn to be suspicious. “Who are you?”
“I’m Frankie. I’m on Dave’s team--”
“Where’s Dave?”
“Scouring the country for you. Where are you?”
“Sandro. Where’s he?”
“I don’t know--”
“Daniele?” Tears welled into her eyes as her panic grew.
“Now there I can help you. Danny’s in a safe house with his aunt and uncle.”
Relief warred with confusion. “Giuseppe and Luciana? Are they in danger, too?”
“Possibly. We wanted to be cautious. And we figured Danny would feel better with someone he knew. How about you? Are you safe?”
“For the moment. I got away.”
“Where are you now, Nia? Tell me, and we’ll come get you.”
“I’m--”
“Hey, what are you doing?” The clerk’s fearful voice startled her into silence.
“Sit down and shut up,” a man instructed. She heard a ripping sound.
She knew that voice. She glanced around the corner, then quickly pulled back. “Oh, dear God,” she whispered, heart pounding. Giovanni was wrapping duct tape around the clerk who was sitting in a chair. She remembered she was on the phone. “They found me. I’ve got to go.”
“Honey, no. Nia, don’t hang up.” Frankie’s voice tinged on frantic. “Tell me where you are. We can help you.”
She whispered the information. “I’ve got to leave now, or I’ll be trapped.”
“Stall them. I’ll get someone there as fast as I can.”
“The phone’s toward the back and around that corner,” she heard Giovanni say, his voice growing closer. Her gaze darted frantically as she crept forward, intending on dashing down a back aisle and circling around. At the last second she pulled back. They were too close. No way out.
Trapped. Her body started shaking.
No. She couldn’t be trapped. She couldn’t. Not when she was so close. Choosing her only option, she ran into the women’s restroom. She decided that was too obvious and backtracked into the men’s restroom instead. She locked the door. Even though the flimsy lock would only buy her seconds.
She needed a weapon. On first glance, there was nothing obvious to use. She tore open the cabinets under the sink. Jackpot. Plumber’s tools. She hefted a large pipe wrench and slid behind the door just as the knob rattled.
“She in there?” A voice she didn’t recognize.
“Has to be. No one’s in the women’s bathroom. She never left the store, so there’s no place left for her to go. Get the key from that clerk.”
“There’s no need for a key. Step outta the way.”
Nia was prepared for the sound of the door busting open. She wasn’t prepared for the gunshot or wood shattering. She jumped in shock, but stifled the surprised scream threatening to burst forth. She adjusted her grip on the pipe wrench. Ready for them.
“Watch it, she’s--” Giovanni’s voice cut off suddenly as if he’d been motioned to silence.
Nia raised the pipe wrench. She knew there were at least two men. Her hasty plan was to disable one, and rush the other as she’d done earlier.
A gun appeared. Followed by an arm. Her heart was pounding hard enough to jump out of her chest, but if there was one thing she’d learned from soccer, it was patience. One more second and . . ..
She aimed for the wrist and brought the wrench down. Obviously expecting the move, he slammed the door into her.
She stumbled back. He whirled on her. She recognized him from earlier in the day. The tall thin one with a big nose called Joey. Before he got his bearings, she kicked his gun hand then rushed him, swinging the pipe wrench like a bat. The heavy metal tool connected with his stomach. He grunted. Staggered.
Running past him she barreled through the remains of the wooden door prepared to batter her way through Giovanni. But he wasn’t there. She paused. Then Giovanni’s arms came from nowhere and wrapped tightly around her. He’d been out of sight, waiting for her. He had her now. She twisted uselessly to get free.
“I know your tricks now,” he said, turning her so his tobacco-laced breath was hot on her face. He forced the wrench out of her hands. Ignoring her throbbing wrist where she’d tried desperately to keep her grip on her weapon, she kicked him in the shin.
He groaned. “Shit. I fucking forgot that one.”
Though she managed to hurt him, he didn’t release her. She cupped her hands and bopped him in the ears with all the strength she could muster.
Along with a cry of pain, his grip finally loosened.
She kneed him in the groin, broke free and sprinted for the front door. Only to skid to a stop. A short, fat man with three big dogs blocked her path to the door. This man she didn’t know.
Cautiously, she edged forward, figuring once she passed the dogs, she could easily escape the man. His very plumpness gave him a kindly look. Despite the company he kept.
His words told a different story. “You don’t want to go no further, signorina. These dogs, they are not my trained attack dogs, but they will hold you in place. To them, you are no more than the squirrel in the tree.”
Surely his warning was a bluff. The dogs were big, but they didn’t look mean. They looked like Jed Clampett’s sweet old hound dog on the Beverly Hillbillies. She kept inching forward knowing any second the two other men would recover and come after her.
But with a command from the dogs’ owner, they assumed an aggressive stiff-legged stance, growling low in their throats, teeth bared.
Nia stopped. “Let me go. Please. I have a small son. He needs me--”
“I admit Eddie has a weakness for pretty ladies, but he can’t let you leave.” Giovanni came up gasping behind her and grabbed her arms tighter than necessary, she thought.
Joey, holding his stomach in obvious pain, joined them. “You are one mean bitch--”
“Didn�
�t I try to tell you?” Giovanni questioned.
“Wouldn’t you have done the same if you were in my position?”
Joey stared at her. “Yeah, I guess so. No hard feelings.”
“I’m sorry I don’t share your sentiments.”
“Listen,” Giovanni cut in. “We don’t have time for this lovey-dovey kiss-and-make-up stuff. We gotta get going before the Feds are on us. Who knows who she talked to on the phone.” He looked at her. “Who’d you call?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I was trying to use the restroom.”
“Sure you were. C’mon. Let’s go. Joey, you take care of the clerk.”
She didn’t like the sound of that. She glanced at the white-faced clerk, his red hair standing in stark contrast. He was bound and gagged in a straightback chair. His eyes were wide with fear. He really couldn’t be old enough to be married.
Giovanni continued giving orders. “Eddie, put the dogs in the truck and I’ll settle with you when I get her tied up.” Giovanni tugged her toward the door. She knew if she left with him, there would be no hope of rescue.
Stall them.
Frankie’s words came back to her. She dug in her heels. “I still have to go.”
“Go where? What the hell you talking about?”
“To the bathroom. I never got the chance.”
His look said he wasn’t buying her story.
“I’m not lying. I’m pregnant, remember? You know about pregnant women? We have to pee every five minutes.”
Giovanni sighed.
“You better not let her out of your sight,” Joey offered.
Oh, God, she didn’t want them watching her in the bathroom, but she really did have to go. “I don’t need any help.”
“You think I’m stupid? You just tried to kill Joey with a chunk of steel. I can’t trust you.”
“Then let the dogs watch me. Otherwise, I’ll wet the seat in your car and it’ll smell--”
“Okay, okay. I get the idea. Eddie, can your dogs do watch?”
“Sure, why not?”
She took as long as she could. It wasn’t hard considering they made her leave the door open and let the dogs guard her.