Taking Heart

by T. J. Kline

  She could see the lust in his eyes and fought the urge to vomit. “Where are we?”

  She cleared her hoarse voice, wanting to scream until someone heard her but not trusting the calm he was exuding. He could snap again at any moment, and it wasn’t a risk she could take, at least not yet. Her best plan would be to convince him to release her hands.

  Evan turned his back to her and walked toward what she assumed was the bathroom. “Oh, Julia, why would I tell you that? I can’t have you feeling too comfortable.”

  Son of a bitch.

  Panic tried to well up in her chest, choking her, blurring her vision as she wanted to lose herself in the haze. She knew this was when Tango would normally stick his nose in her face, trying to break her from the need to withdraw, to hide, to retreat into the past and her weakness. She clawed at the fear, forcing it to retreat into her psyche, clinging to the anger burning in her belly. She was not his victim any longer.

  “Can you at least untie me? This hurts my wrists.” She was surprised at the calm in her voice when she felt such a storm of emotion swirling within her.

  He stopped walking away and looked back at her, cocking his head to one side, as if he was trying to judge her sincerity. His eyes softened for a moment. “I don’t mean to hurt you, sweetheart.” He walked back to the bed, and she used every ounce of self-control to not cringe from his touch as his fingers found the rope at her wrist. “I don’t know why you continue to make me do it.” Evan moved to the other side of the bed and untied her other wrist, his eyes turning suddenly frigid. “I only do it when I have to.”

  Ice water filled her veins at his words. The void in his eyes made one thing clear to her. If she wouldn’t love him, Evan would kill her to keep someone else from having her. She had to escape somehow, and quickly.

  THE TRAIL WAS cold. Dylan had no idea where to even begin looking for Julia. He’d followed Tango out to the yard of the kennel while he sniffed around and ran to the back gate. After letting the dogs search where their noses led, Dylan had been crushed to find that even Gracie hadn’t led them any farther than to a road where fresh tire tracks suggested Evan’s car had been waiting. Chase had already called someone to take a cast of the tire mark, but the likelihood of figuring out the make and model was slim at best. They were still waiting for a call from the cell phone company.

  Pacing the kitchen wasn’t getting him anywhere. He ran a hand over his head. “I’m leaving. I can’t just sit here.”

  “Dylan, you can’t go running around. Chase will be back in a few minutes. Just wait for him and we’ll decide what to do. If Evan calls again, he’s going to want to talk to you. You know that.” Gage shook his head. “I’ve got my guys ready to trace it if he does.”

  Dylan stared at the cell phone, still bagged on the table. “Fine,” he agreed, snatching the bag in his hand. “Now let’s go find her.”

  He didn’t wait for Gage to follow. He scooped the Camaro keys from the counter and headed out the door, letting Roscoe jump into the back. Tango bolted through the door and jumped into the backseat as well. Dylan wasn’t sure how he’d control both dogs, but he wasn’t about to stop and think it through right now. Julia needed him and he wasn’t going to rest until he found her.

  “Wait up!” Gage jogged to the car and climbed into the passenger seat. “I’m not letting you head out alone, but I still think this is a mistake.”

  “Noted.” Dylan pulled down the driveway and began thinking aloud. “I know Chase thinks Evan’s heading toward the airport, but my gut says different. I think she’s close.”

  “Like in-town close?” Dylan could see the confusion in his brother’s eyes. “Why would he do that? Why wouldn’t he take her as far away as fast as he could?”

  “This isn’t just about having Julia for him. He wants to play with us. He’s not going to think logically. Nothing about any of this is logical. He could have taken her from the grocery store that day. Why wait?”

  Gage threw up his hands. “I have no clue. He’s insane?”

  Dylan shook his head. “No, he’s an egomaniac,” he muttered. “He’s thriving on her fear.”

  “And surprising her in the store, threatening you, sending the picture of you in the sight . . . all of those things are just making her more afraid.”

  “He thinks he really does love her, in his sick, twisted way.” Dylan felt the rage rising up again. “We have to find her.”

  EVAN HAD BEEN staring at her for what seemed like hours. He didn’t approach her, didn’t even try to talk to her. He just stared with his glassy, dark eyes as she sat with her knees to her chest on the bed. It had been hours since he’d released her hands, and she hadn’t seen him eat anything. With his blood-sugar issues, it had to be dropping, which explained the glazed look in his eyes. It would also weaken and confuse him. If she could knock him off balance enough to get out the door, she could try to outrun him in his weakened state.

  She had no idea where they were, but it could be almost anywhere. It was obviously some sort of motel room, but she had no idea how long she’d been knocked out, how far he’d driven her, or what else he might have done. Anxiety began to churn in her belly, twisting evilly and conjuring visions of the way he’d touched her cheek and the hunger she’d seen in his eyes. Julia took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. She couldn’t lose control now. Unlike the last time she’d faced him, she was stronger and knew better what to expect from him.

  She shifted on the bed and moved to stand. His eyes instantly cleared and he jumped up. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “I’m just stretching, Evan.” Julia forced sweetness into her voice, praying he would believe her act. She saw him relax slightly, although he remained standing and watchful. “I don’t suppose I could get a glass of water or something?”

  Evan narrowed his eyes. He didn’t trust her, and it was going to take more than a few moments of niceties to gain any headway. He pointed at the bathroom sink. “There’s a cup in there.”

  Under normal circumstances, Julia might have thought twice, but she needed something to drink, and if she didn’t get some water, he’d think it was nothing more than a ploy. She walked past him to the bathroom sink and filled the spotted glass from the tap. The metallic taste of chlorinated water had never been so refreshing as it slid down her throat. She refilled the glass and closed her eyes as she swallowed more.

  “Easy.” He moved behind her, and her body reacted, jumping away from his touch and bumping against the sink. She cursed her own response as Evan frowned down at her and plucked the glass from her fingers. “You’ll make yourself sick.”

  She faced him, her hands gripping the curve of the counter to keep from slapping the smug confidence she could see in his eyes. They stood for moments in the silence with only the traffic outside the window and occasional voice marring the stillness. She could hear her heart, pounding in her ears, the blood rushing through her veins, as she stared into his cold brown eyes. His lips spread in a smile.

  “I should probably get us some food.” His breath was foul, sickeningly sweet, and she fought the urge to gag. “Why don’t you stay here and I’ll bring us back something?”

  He didn’t give her the opportunity to argue as he grabbed her by her bruised wrists and shoved her back toward the bed, reaching for the narrow rope and looping it over her hand.

  “No,” she cried out. If she let him tie her again, escape was impossible unless someone heard her. “I’ll stay, I swear,” she lied, trying to pry his fingers from her wrist with her free hand.

  “I’m not a fool, Julia,” he scolded. “But I promise, I won’t be gone long.” He tightened the knot, and she felt the tears well in her eyes. She didn’t want to cry in front of him, but when the first tear slipped down her cheek as he cinched the second rope, he paused to watch. She could see his confidence waver as he reached out a single finger to touch the wetness before he reined in his compassion. “I’ll be back soon, so stop it.”

  She t
ried to open her mouth to protest when she felt tape being slapped over her lips again. She yelled against it but it only muffled, and he smiled at her sadistically before he clicked on the television, turned up the sound, disappeared out the door, and left her alone in the room with her panic again.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  JULIA STARED UP at the ceiling, unblinking. She’d clawed her way through a panic attack once he left and now lay on the bed, still drenched in sweat, chilled, with her throat raw. It had taken a while to come out of it, but she had no real sense of time. She knew she’d been lying there, staring at the ceiling long enough to count the water spots six times, and there were over thirty of them over the bed alone.

  Once the suffocating fear had taken hold, she’d grasped at any reality she could find, fighting and scraping her way through the fog of terror. She tried to think about her sister and brother, of Bailey, her dogs. Tango must be frantic. But each thought would disappear like the sun behind a thunder cloud under the pressure of her fear. The one thought that remained constant was Dylan. The deep, raspy quality of his voice, the way he would look at her with his eyes dark and liquid, the feel of his hands on her skin. She wondered if he realized she was missing. It had to be past time for them to have met to work the dogs.

  She heard the scrape of a key working in the door, filing the information into the back of her mind that this wasn’t a modern motel with key cards. She let her body go still, trying to appear as if her mind had slipped into the depths of fear.

  “Dinner is here,” Evan called cheerfully. “I—”

  He paused as he neared the bed, dropping the food on the desk near the door. “Julia?”

  She remained still, her eyes trying to focus as she willed herself to remain in her catatonic ruse. Evan hurried to one side and untied her wrist. Wait. She willed herself to remain patient. She didn’t want to waste this one chance at escape. It had to be the perfect opportunity, one where she could hit him hard and run. Evan finished untying her left wrist, but she remained lifeless, her eyes fixed on the ceiling.

  “Julia, sweetheart, I brought dinner.”

  He bent over and put his face just above hers, close enough that she could feel his breath on her cheek, and pulled the tape from her mouth. Her eyes flicked to meet his. Evan sucked in a breath of surprise as her arms came down over the back of his neck, making him fall against her. She brought up her knees, quick and hard, connecting with the side of his head before kicking him as hard as she could away from him. Julia leapt up from the bed and ran for the door, stumbling over him as he reached out for her ankle.

  She barely managed to kick her foot free when her hands landed against the door. She fumbled for the knob, twisting and jerking at it, but the door would open only a few inches. Julia looked back over her shoulder to see him rising with a hand at the side of his head, over his ear. When he pulled it back, it came away with blood on his palm. Murderous rage lit his eyes. She finally realized that he’d locked the chain, and she flipped it, releasing the door.

  Just as she jerked the door open, could feel the cool evening air as it rushed into the dank room, her face was pressed against the metal door as it slammed shut again. Dizzy stars spun behind her eyes, and she could barely remain standing as he raised a hand, laying it against the door. His body pressed up against the back of her, her cheek cold against the metal.

  “That was stupid.” Bits of spit landed on her cheek as he moved his face only inches from hers. “I thought you learned the last time.”

  Evan released her and she slid to the floor with a cry of pain. He jerked her up from the carpet by her hair and threw her at the bed. “Face it, Julia, you are never leaving me. You have always been mine and you will always be mine. Nothing is going to change that.” He stormed toward her and grasped her wrist, hauling her toward the corner of the bed so he could tie her again.

  “No!” She thrashed on the mattress, striking out wherever she could in order to stop him. She couldn’t lose this one chance, because once he tied her back up, she knew he wasn’t letting her loose again and she’d be helpless to stop whatever he had planned. And she had no doubt he would inflict as much pain as possible.

  Julia managed to hit his injured temple, and fresh blood ran down his face, falling on her shirt. She was able to raise her knee between them as he struggled to hold her down. Her heel came in contact with his sternum, and she kicked with every bit of strength she could muster. Evan stumbled backward, falling to the floor. He lay still. She didn’t wait to see if he was conscious as she spun to her side and began untying her wrist. He could be dead for all she cared. She had to get out of this room and find a phone.

  DYLAN PULLED INTO the parking lot of the Sak ’N Save as his phone vibrated on the seat. Gage shot him a worried glance. “It’s a text.”

  “Well?” Dylan didn’t have time to waste on small talk. His mind was racing with possible places Evan might have taken Julia. But he didn’t know the town well enough to locate the local dives, and Gage had only spent his time in town working.

  “It’s a picture.” Gage turned the phone for Dylan to see. Evan stood in front of an old-fashioned, drive-up burger joint holding a bag of food. It could have been taken anytime, but Dylan knew better. Evan was giving him the first clue as to his whereabouts. Or at least where he’d been.

  Dylan spun the tires as he backed out of the parking spot and pulled back onto the highway, heading straight for the fast-food restaurant in the picture. If Evan had been there in the past twenty-four hours, he would find him.

  “Dylan, what are you planning on doing? This isn’t the military. You can’t just pull out a gun and shoot your way out of this.”

  “I don’t need a gun,” he reminded his brother. “Right now, my only concern is to find Julia, make sure she’s okay, and get her the hell away from that madman. What happens after that . . . ”

  Gage shot him a wary glance from the corner of his eye. “Have you thought about the fact that—”

  “Don’t even say it.” Dylan clenched his teeth. He wouldn’t even consider any alternative to him finding Julia unharmed.

  “But—”

  Dylan slammed on the brakes, making the car skid on the gravel shoulder, and glared at his brother. “Don’t! I will find her and she will be okay.”

  “And then what?”

  Dylan knew what his brother was getting at. Leaving Julia had been the stupidest mistake he’d ever made, and now she was missing. It was his fault. His useless sense of chivalry and honor hadn’t protected her. He may have hurt her far worse by leaving her than he ever would have if he’d just stayed. She’d never asked him to be perfect. She’d accepted him, scarred and broken, and knew better than anyone else the struggles his PTSD would offer in the future. But he’d been so certain he knew better than she did.

  Gage pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Chase, we have a lead. I know we should have told you we were leaving, but you need to meet us at the Fre-Z-Burger. Bring Gracie.”

  Dylan shot an inquiring look at his brother.

  “Gracie found Julia’s hat, and this is what they’ve been training her for. She led us to where the car was parked. Why not put her to the test? It’s better than nothing.”

  Pressing the gas pedal to the floor, Dylan gunned the Camaro down the highway. He would find Julia, and when he did, nothing was ever going to convince him to leave her side again.

  JULIA SAW EVAN moving as she unlatched the door and ran out. She wasn’t wasting any time to look back. She ran as fast as she could down the row of motel rooms, past the cars sleeping in the parking lot toward the front office, where a vacancy sign blazed. If she could just get inside and find a phone, she could call Dylan, or Chase.

  “Get back here!”

  Julia looked back over her shoulder and saw Evan in the doorway of the room he’d rented, five doors away from her. There wasn’t enough space between them. She could see a burly man through the front window of the office as she bolted for his door.
She waved as she got closer, trying to attract his attention, even though he was looking right at her.

  “Help! Hey!” She saw the man walk toward the door and thought he’d open it, rescue her from Evan, who was now limping toward the office as quickly as his injury would allow. Suddenly, the lights in the office were turned off and the man flipped the Open sign, locking the door behind him. “Hey! Wait!”

  Julia reached the door as the man turned his back on her. “Help!”

  She pounded her fists on the door. It rattled, shaking from the force, but he ignored her and walked into a back room, as if she was nothing more than a ghost. Julia looked at Evan.

  His lips pulled back into a grimace as he continued to limp toward her. “I plan ahead, sweetheart. And I pay well.”

  Julia wasn’t going to give up now, not when she’d tasted freedom. There was a road that ran in front of the motel. Someone was bound to drive by at some point. She hurried toward it, but both directions were deserted, with nothing more than woods on each side. It looked familiar, but she doubted her intuition. As she waffled on a decision, Evan was quickly closing the distance between them.

  She had no other choice. She would rather chance the woods in the dusk with places to hide than be in the open, in plain sight of the man lumbering down the road with murder in his eyes. She dashed through the trees, tripping over roots and barely righting herself. Julia looked around her, trying to get her bearings. She could hear water rushing through Hangtown Creek nearby, but Evan would expect her to move toward it since it led directly into town and the park. Julia didn’t think she could outrun him the entire way. She looked up at the pines surrounding her. Most of them were stripped clean of low branches by the power company to avoid downed power lines during the coming storms. She spotted a fallen log, half-rotted and split over a stump. Across from it, she could make out a stream that must run toward the American River.