The One Adored (The One Trilogy Book 3) (38 page)

“What did you say?”

Murray and I both turn at the high-pitched squeal from Meg, her eyes now filling with tears, body concaving from within. “Did you just say this nutter is known to be Leo? My Leo?”

I reach out and rub her arm gently, I didn’t have time for this but it wasn’t her fault she’d been played by sick individual. “I’m afraid so, Meg. Look you’ve had a shock, ask one of the police officer’s to get you a blanket and get you settled - you’re in shock. I must sort this so I can find Lu, you understand don’t you, love?”

She nods weakly. “But he was always so polite. I had him in my home, with my girls. In my bed!”

I lock eyes with Murray and both glance back at the woman who’d been unknowingly sleeping with a man that had a track record for beating women black and blue.

“I’m so sorry, Seb. He was always a bit strange, and he talked about you and Lu, all the time, but I thought it was because he wanted to get to know my friends, because we were neighbours.” She suddenly gasps “Ohhh, that’s how he got in her house - he used the spare key I have.” Tears roll over her cheeks and she steps back, collapsing onto the bar stool behind her. “He never wanted to know me - he only ever wanted to get you through me.”

Sensing she was disappearing into her own self-absorbed misery, I return my attentions the detective who is still busily making notes.
 

“So, Leo Peterson, what’s your next move?”

“Like I said, without the proper evidence, we can’t go accusing people, however we will
 
ask Mr. Peterson to come down to the station to answer some questions, yes.”

“But he won’t be there!” I yell in anger.
 

“I can put a search out on his vehicle but if he is as clever as you insinuate, he will have no doubt hired another by now.”

“What about the rose message saying ‘Let’s Play’ - surely that’s enough evidence to get a search party out there? We need to find my fiancée!” I begin to pace, biting my lip in frustration. What the fuck was going on here? Was nobody going to start doing their job?

“I agree, the message is a concern - something we are taking very seriously Mr. Silver. But where do you suggest we begin this search party? We have no clues, no witnesses who saw Ms. Myers leave with Mr. Peterson.”

“You’re wrong there, Murray - we do. ” Nathan enters the room, flushed in the face from the cold night and nodding at me. “I think they are heading for Penrith.”

“Dawn?”

“Yep, finally got through to her. She said ‘Leonard’s’ parents owned an old cottage up in Penrith. It’s got to be worth a shot. They stopped there, the night before they got married at Gretna Green and then spent their honeymoon there.”

The next few minutes are spent in a blur of police orders and discussions. Ten minutes later, Nathan and I are back in the helicopter and on our way to Penrith. The car would be quieter, but would take at least two hours, journey and the thought of what he could do to her in that amount of time, brings me out in a cold sweat.
 

I’m coming, baby, just hold out a little longer.

*******

I open my eyes, tentatively and try to focus as I come to, beneath an itchy blanket on the backseat of a car. My eyelids are doing their damnedest to close, as I drift in and out of consciousness for the next few minutes. Flickers of what had occurred at my Hen-Do coming back to me in waves. Had it been a nightmare?
 

Please God, let that be the case.

My eyes open wide in horror as it all comes crashing back to me with thundering clarity. It wasn’t a nightmare - Leo Peterson, the man whom I’d trusted with my business accounts, who was the Osten Bank Manager and dating my friend, had been stalking me all this time. Now, he’d drugged me and was taking me God knows where! He was seriously unhinged!

I feel like I’m coming around from an anaesthetic. My throat is dry and poor head pounds like it’s done ten rounds in the boxing ring. I feel dreadful.

I can hear the radio in the background and have the dizzy sensation that we are still moving. Where the hell was he taking me? I wonder if Seb received my text?

I move my limbs as cautiously as possible, reluctant to alert Leo to any movement - I didn’t want him knowing I was awake until I could get my bearings and figure out some way as to how I could play this.

He had been watching me all this time, he had a knife and he wants to rape you. I swallow the bile that has risen at that thought.
If he hasn’t already
. I reach a hand to my panties, inwardly sighing as I note that they are still in tact - that he’s not been … there, whilst I was out cold. He must have dressed me again, after I passed out. I’m wearing the dress I’d worn that night.
 

All this time it had been Leo Peterson watching me, sending me those roses. I’d always had an ‘off’ feeling about him but I didn’t think he was capable of
this!
If I’d realised how mentally unstable he was, I’d never have worked with him.

Oh God! Please Seb, find me!
 

“Hey, sweetheart, welcome back to the land of the living - thought you were never going to come round. You’ve been out for nearly two hours,” a voice filters through to me from the driver’s seat and I still, holding my breath.
 

Two hours - that means wherever we were was maybe two hours by car?

“Oh, don’t pretend to be asleep, I know you’re awake. One thing we need to be Lucia is honest with one another from hereon out. If you do as you’re told and make me happy, and that means no lies, I won’t hurt you.” His chuckles, continuing to whistle along to the Christmas carol that is playing on the radio.
 

He was a complete psycho! How would I be able to reason with him?

I breathe deeply and allow my heartbeat to calm and then begin to sit up, my head swarming and I grip the window ledge for balance. “Easy, take it steady. Sit back and enjoy the ride. We are nearly there my soon to be wife.”

My eyes widen in alarm. Wife! WTF! He was completely mental. I try to look out the windows which are fogged up, but it’s so dark outside, the winding road are off the beaten track. No chance of any Motorway signs here.
 

“Yes, we’ll stop the night at lovely little cottage. We’re almost there - just another left.”

We swing left and then head down a gravelled drive, towards a gate. As we reach the gate, Leo slows the car and then unclips his seatbelt, twisting to face me in the back. “You wait here. Any crazy shit and I’ll make you pay. Do you understand?” he grabs my chin, breathing stale coffee breath over me. My stomach flip-flops with nausea and I nod clearly, this was my chance, if I got inside the cottage with him, I’d surely be raped, or worse, and God knows what tomorrow!! I’ve got to make a run for it before he noticed.

The car door slams shut and I watch as he walks the few short steps to the wide wooden gate, jumping back into my seat as he spins and returns my stare pointedly in my direction. The headlights shining on him cast harsh lines across his face - how had I not seen how cruel this alternate side to him was - he was utterly twisted?

My heart pounds in my rib cage, as I wait for him to continue on, and I reach out to grab the door handle. Finally, he seems satisfied that I will adhere to his rules and gives me his back. I pull down harshly on the handle, expecting the door to clip open and my eyes fly up as it doesn’t budge. I shove against it with all my weight but to no avail - it’s stuck. The lock is down. Shit! He must have put the child-lock on. Glancing up I see he’s now walking back towards the car, breath billowing from his mouth in the cold night.
 

His weight makes the car rock as he slips back inside and icy blue eyes fix on mine in the rear view mirror. “You wouldn’t be trying to leave early would you Lucia?”
 

I shake my head emphatically. Keep him on side, Lu - you need to keep him on side.

“Good - because that would be very rude of you and I don’t like rude bitches!”

My shoulders slump as he drives us the through the gateway and towards a small stone cottage, glowing invitingly in the eery countryside. It really was decidedly isolated and my plans to get away were becoming slimmer by the minute.

I swallow hard, my throat clogging with unshed tears. What would happen to me inside there? Was this it? Would I never see Finn again or Seb?

My resolve kicks in and I inhale deeply, sucking my bottom lip through my teeth. No fucking way. I needed to find every ounce of strength I have in me and fight this mother fucker - he’d already killed my baby, he wasn’t going to have me.
 

*******

Leo unlocks the cottage and with his hand pincering my neck, in vice-like grip, he pushes me forward. Dropping a bag in front of the hall table. I rapidly scour my surroundings taking in the large open-plan lounge and kitchen area with several doors that lead off from it. It appeared to be all on one-level.

“Take a seat, sweetheart and I’ll get the fire lit.” He walks around turning off all lamps, bar one. “We don’t want it too bright. Don’t want to alert anyone that we’re here.”

I anxiously sit down on the nearest sofa, shivering in my short dress. His niceties unnerved me.

I watch him expertly create a small fire in the open grate, continually flicking his eyes to mine with a seedy smile. “Don’t worry, you’ll soon be warm. It’s nearly 3am, probably too late or early, dependant upon how you look at it, for wine but I can make you a hot chocolate?”

Narrowing my eyes I frown. WTF? “I’m good, thank you.”

His smiling mouth drops into a firm line, eyes dead. “No, wrong answer.You
will
have a hot chocolate with me, Lucia, won’t you?”

“Y…yes?” I whisper.

“Good girl. With squirty cream and marshmallows.”

Holy shit!
 

“We can use the squirty cream on our honeymoon.” He winks at me and I close my eyes to
 
forget the thought.
 

“No? Don’t like food sex, sweetheart? Well, we’ll soon change that - you’ll like it with me. I’ll make you.”

He removes his jacket and begins to move about the lounge area, flicking the kettle on, the sound of normality both welcoming and surreal. I take the opportunity to assess the windows - all seem to be UPVC, designed to look like wood and locked. “There’s no way out and even if there was, I’d find you.” He chatters stirring our drinks with a jovial tap of the spoon. “I’ll always find you. You’ve no idea what I’ve put into planning this moment. The time, the money that’s gone into ensuring that eventually you and I would be together for one night, alone.”

He passes me the hot chocolate, the last thing I want is to play house with a man who only a few hours ago threatened me with a knife, drugging and kidnapping me and I consider throwing it in his face, but seeing his relaxed mentality, I decide to use this to my advantage and go with the flow. If I played the game his way, maybe I’d be able to string him along enough for Seb to find me.

“Can we take it slow, Leo. I’ll do things your way, I promise, but can we take it a little slower.”

He considers me. A smile playing over his thin lips. “You just relax and drink your hot chocolate and then we see. I did say earlier I quite like it when women are less accommodating, with you, as you are so special to me, maybe we will do things your way.”
The seconds rolls into minutes, and each feel like an eternity as I put on an act, tensing my body and trying to make it appear that I’m doing just as he’s asked. It’s not long before I need to us the toilet.
Dare I ask him?
 

“Leo?”

“Yes, my love.” I shudder inwardly at his term for me.

“I need the loo - where are they?”

His mouth reduces to the size of a five-pence piece in annoyance, he’d obviously not countered that into his plan. “I’ll take you.”

“I can manage on my own…” I hear the panic in my voice and hate myself for it. The last thing I wanted was to be in such a vulnerable position around him.

“If you think I’m allowing you to run off again - think again. You’ll piss in front of me or you’ll do it here, like a dog! Or rather a
bitch
!” He laughs at his nasty reference. “Either one will not be pleasant for you - come on, tick tock, tick tock - you choose which appeals more. Floor or toilet?” He’s totally warped and it scares the hell out of me. Flitting from easygoing to mania in a nanosecond.