vittanos willow (23 page)

Handing back the change, she cooed, “How sweet. Are you tak-

ing her on a romantic cruise?”

He flashed a grin. “I’m taking her somewhere we can be alone.”

Totally alone.

The young woman put a hand over her mouth briefly and

blinked her big blue eyes. “That is…just…oh, my God. I wish there

were more men in the world like you.”

With another smile, he took his drink and moved back out into

the cold January morning. That grin remained in place as he pulled into

the high-school parking lot. Immediately, his eyes moved to where CJ

normally parked her car. His heart sped up as he recognized the SUV

she had been driving.

“Time to face our destiny, Chantoya.” Coat buttoned against the

cold, he headed for the front door.

CJ rolled her shoulders as she walked to her apartment. She was

exhausted. First day back was always stressful but normally she didn’t

feel this tired. At least it was Friday and she had the weekend to recov-

er.

“Must be because I didn’t run after school today.” She shrugged

and entered her home.

Later today she had a meeting with Matt Slone, the head of

CTBOI, Closing the Book on Illiteracy. It was to encourage not only

children but also adults to learn to read. CJ personally loved to read to

children and didn’t have any problems teaching adults. It was most

imperative for people to be literate.

Heading for her shower, CJ felt more lighthearted than she had

in a long, long time. Things were good for her. Osten had re-

turned…and safely. She was giving back to the community, something

she acknowledged she needed to more ever since her trip to Vietnam.

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Cleaned up, CJ straightened up her apartment and then got

ready for her meeting with Matt. By the time he knocked on the door,

she had snacks ready for them to eat.

Two hours later, the meeting ended. She’d gotten started on her

paperwork for courses to eventually become certified for TESL, Teach-

ing English as a Second Language.

She leaned against the closed door and smiled. This had defi-

nitely been a good day. CJ straightened up from the snacks that had

been out and got ready for bed. Before she actually went to sleep, she

spoke with Binh, who was still in Vietnam, and filled him in on her

newest decision. They chatted about what he and Lan were doing with

the children; and when she asked, “When
are
you coming home, Binh?”

All she got was hemming and hawing.

As she climbed into bed, Chantoya listened to the wind howl as

it whipped around the building. She knew she would be scraping

windows in the morning. With a sigh, she burrowed deeper into her

warm blankets and drifted off to sleep with a pair of dark-brown eyes

watching her in her dreams.

Something was wrong!

CJ bolted up in bed, wide awake, heart pounding. She listened

in the dark but the only sound she could identify was the blood roaring

in her ears.

Running a shaking hand down her face, CJ mumbled, “Just a

nightmare, Chantoya Willow. Get a grip.” Swinging her legs to the

floor, Chantoya got up and decided to get a drink of water.

She glanced at the clock before heading to the bathroom. Two-

seventeen. “It’s never five minutes before my alarm goes off. Always

gotta ruin my sleep!”

Leaning against the sink, CJ sipped some water. Exhaustion was

moving back in at warp speed. She didn’t even fight the yawn.

A whisper of a sound caught her attention. Like a wave, her ex-

haustion was washed away, leaving behind fear. Hands became sweaty,

throat like cotton, and bile crept into her throat.
What the hell?

The pounding of her heart echoed throughout her skull, making

her want to cover her ears. CJ headed up the hall and turned on the

light to banish away her demons.

A wry chuckle escaped her mouth as her eyes scanned the emp-

ty room. “Damn, I am seriously losing it.” Her hand reached for the

switch to shroud the room in darkness.

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Aliyah Burke

BAM!

Her front door flew open and the dim light in the hall provided

and eerie backdrop for the man who had barreled his way into her

home. Cold, mind-numbing terror riveted her feet to the floor.

CJ heard a scream in the room but wasn’t positive it came from

hers.
Move, feet move!
It didn’t work. The intruder had found her. His

dark eyes were cold and hard as they glared at her.

Her brain finally registered what she saw. Or rather whom.

Marvin Whittle stood there like one of the four horsemen—Death. “Get

out!” she demanded as her hesitant steps took her a little further into

the hall.
If I can make it to my room…

Her meager plan evaporated as he pulled a gun from the back of

his pants. “Get over here, Chantoya,” his deep voice commanded.

“Get out!”

“Chantoya—” He broke off whatever he had planned on saying

and raised his gun to a shooting position.

CJ broke and ran for her bedroom. She heard a muffled voice

behind her but didn’t stop. A sting on her hamstring almost stopped

her, but she kept running.

She slammed her bedroom door shut and locked it before

scrambling for the phone. As she punched in 911, she heard furniture

being knocked over.

“Come on, come on!” She waited in the dark for someone to an-

swer. Nothing. “Please,” CJ begged as she checked for a dial tone.

Silence.

“Shit!” Dropping the phone, CJ turned her head.
The fire escape,

of course!
She faltered at bit as the room began to spin. Trying to shove

down the nausea, Chantoya went to the window and tried to open it.

It wouldn’t budge. “Come on!” she cried and kept jerking up on

the frame. “Open! Please, open!”

Tears rolled down her face as she heard the knob of her bed-

room door jiggle.

Break the glass!

CJ knew her room well and knew there was nothing within

reach that would break the window. Except her.

Sweat dripped down her body as she fought off the feeling that

was taking over her. Her limbs were getting so heavy.

One ram into the window brought a crack. Chest heaving with

exertion, CJ would have sworn she’d used all her strength. Drawing

back for one more strike with her elbow, she collapsed.

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153

Chantoya could barely break her fall; her reactions were so un-

like their norm. Feeling she was seconds away from vomiting all over

her carpeted floor, CJ knew she wasn’t going to get away.

The room spun out of control and she couldn’t even feel her legs

anymore. With her last bit of strength, she jerked off the necklace she

wore and threw it in the direction of the bed.

Her bedroom door burst open and CJ saw Marvin’s body stand-

ing there, so large. His shoulders looked like they touched both sides of

her doorway.

His mouth moved but she couldn’t hear anything. Her blurry

gaze was focused on the gun clutched in his meaty hand as he moved

toward her. That image escorted her into oblivion.

“CJ. CJ!” a low voice kept pestering her. A familiar voice. A

masculine voice.

It was a struggle, but she managed to drag her eyes open. A few

moments passed before the room came into focus and she was able to

hone in on who called to her.

“Gordon?” CJ scratched out. He looked horrible, as if someone

had used his face for a punching bag. One eye was almost swollen shut,

a shiner blazed on his cheek, and his lips were busted.

He sent her a small lopsided grin. “You okay?”

“No.” CJ tried to move but her body wouldn’t comply. “You?”

Her throat hurt and the lack of mobility scared her. She wasn’t tied up;

however, she couldn’t move.

“Hurt like hell.”

“Marvin…Marvin…”

“I know,” Gordon murmured. “He did my makeup.”

CJ couldn’t fight the exhaustion and closed her eyes.
Osten! I’m

scared!

Each time she managed to pull her eyes open, Gordon was

crouched beside her. Like he was watching over her. Her body became

more and more alert every time she awoke.

This time, Chantoya noticed a soft glow from a lantern cast

about the room. She had no sense of how much time had passed. This

was a different room than she remembered being in before. And now

she was on a bed instead of the floor. Gordon was no longer beside her.

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Aliyah Burke

Opting to just look around first, CJ saw she had bare feet; the

crimson color on her toenails brought a slight and brief smile to her

face. Osten had painted them for her.

Osten…
her mind latched onto his name like a lifeline.

Despite her mind being much more alert, her limbs still felt

heavy with fatigue. Each attempt to get something to move was like

walking up and ice-covered slope in heels.

Chantoya was sweating by the time she was confident she

wasn’t paralyzed. Her wandering eyes took in the layout and wished

she had more energy to get up and try the door. Despite everything, she

wanted to make sure she had the functioning capability to get the hell

out of dodge when the time came.

If he had wanted me dead, would I be in a clean bed?
“I’m also gonna

ignore the fact I’m in clothes that aren’t mine.”

Regardless of her determination, her entire body tensed when

the door began to open. Slumping back, CJ tried to pull off acting

asleep.

Gordon’s voice reached her and she opened her eyes. He was

dressed in jeans and a black turtleneck, the swelling on his face looked a

tiny bit better.

“Hey,” he said in a soft voice.

“Where is he?” CJ asked as Gordon moved to sit beside her.

“He…who?” Gordon’s eyes held hers in the low light. He

brushed his hand over her face and down the arm she had attempted to

break the window with.

She winced at the pain in her body. “Marvin,” she answered as

she took in the pitch color outside the window. “We have to get out of

here.”

Gordon nodded. “Let me go see if I can find some shoes for

you.” He stood.

“Okay.” CJ sent him a relieved smile. Before he reached the

door, she said, “Be careful, Gordon.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He sent her another brief smile be-

fore looking cautiously out the door and slipping away. She closed her

eyes and gathered her strength.

A bit later her door began to open again and CJ tensed, only to

relax as Gordon stuck his head in. “Found some,” he whispered.

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155

Suddenly, he was jerked out of her sight. The shoes tumbled to

the floor and the sounds of a body being tossed into a wall along with

incoherent mutterings were all she could hear.

The wall reverberated and CJ could make out the sounds of fists

hitting flesh.

“Gordon!” she gasped and tried to lunge out of bed. Her body

rebelled and didn’t want to move. CJ fought through it and made her

way to the door.

Peering into the hall, CJ saw no sign of Gordon or Marvin. All

she saw was blood along the wall. She prayed for strength and courage.

Shoving her feet into the shoes, CJ felt the adrenaline course through

her.

What do I do? Leave Gordon and get help? He may kill him. Of course,

he may already have.

Forcing down her panic, CJ moved up the hall, trying to be as

quiet as possible. Aside from the low light in the hall the rest of the

place was dark.

Totally unsure of where to go, CJ picked her way carefully up

the stairs. At the top, her eyes squinted as she tried to find the door. A

noise spurred her into action.

Chantoya froze as a light went on to her side in another part of

the building. Her ears picked up on sounds she identified as kitchen

noises.

Bastard!

The good news was she now could see where she needed to go.

The glass on the door reflected the light. Hope gave her more energy.

CJ barely paused to grab the thick coat that hung on a stand by

the exit. She knew a thin tee shirt and pajama bottoms weren’t enough

to protect her from the chill, but the coat was only slightly better.

Despite the urge to jerk open the door, CJ moved it slow in case

it squeaked. No noise emerged and she slipped outside. The frigid air

sliced through her clothes and she put on the coat while her shaky legs

took her down the steps and…into calf-high snow?

“What the…?” CJ shivered as the cold stabbed into legs, face

and lungs.

I haven’t got a clue as to where I am!
CJ swore a multitude of times

as the cold seemed to make her already hesitant limbs even less maneu-

verable.

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Aliyah Burke

Stumbling now, she fought to make it to the vehicles she saw to

her right, close to a tree line. Struggling against the wind, she finally got

there and climbed inside a 4x4 Jeep.