Fatal Vendetta

She nodded, took in a breath and steeled herself against the fear.

“We’ll just walk around the room.”

He stepped inside with her. She studied not only the waiters but the other guests, looking for any sign of menace as she skirted the edges the ballroom and then threaded between the tables. She had a vague memory of the waiter’s short dark hair...and glasses. He had glasses. “That’s him.” She pointed to a waiter headed through the swinging doors that led to the kitchen.

Zach grabbed her hand, and they hurried across the floor. A cacophony of noise assaulted them as they entered the humid kitchen. Cooks shouting at each other cooks, waiters shouting at cooks, pans banging, food sizzling and water running.

Zach caught the waiter as he picked up a plate. “Did you give this woman a note earlier?”

The waiter studied Elizabeth for a moment and then nodded. “The news lady. I didn’t realize it was you.”

Elizabeth stepped toward him. She purged her voice of any fear and switched on to reporter mode. “Can you describe the man who gave you the note?”

The waiter shrugged. “I look at a thousand faces in a night, taking orders from all of them.” He shook his head.

“Can’t you remember anything?”

“Sorry, I can’t help you.” He made his way toward the swinging door.

Disappointment saturated Zach’s voice. “Come on, I’ll take you home.”

“Let’s go back to the table. Maybe the note is still there.” There might be fingerprints on it or something that would help the police track her tormentor.

A quick search revealed that the note was not to be found. She was mad at herself for having dropped it. She didn’t like being rattled like that. Usually, she was pretty levelheaded.

“Let’s blow this popsicle stand.” Zach led her toward the door.

She scanned the sea of faces one more time before leaving the ballroom. Neil Thompson locked her in his gaze and stalked toward her.

She walked faster. “Let’s get out of here before he has a chance to dive-bomb me.”

As they hurried outside, the sharp heaviness of terror sunk through her skin and permeated to the bone. It was a fear she knew would be her strange companion until the man who had abducted her was behind bars.

* * *

Zach glanced over his shoulder. Just as their feet hit the bottom stair, Neil Thompson came outside. “That guy just never gives up.”

Elizabeth wrapped her arm through Zach’s. “The last thing I want to do is answer his questions.”

She stood close enough for him to catch a hint of her citrus perfume.

He stared out at the sea of cars, trying to remember where he’d parked. There had been fewer cars out here when they’d pulled up. He headed in the general direction he thought his might be.

She followed him. “Don’t tell me. You don’t remember where you parked.”

“Sorry,” he said.

“I do it all the time,” she said.

Even though she was being very forgiving, he picked up on the nervous tremble in her voice. The note had clearly shaken her. He flirted with the idea that the note was not connected to the abduction, just some sick person having fun with a local celebrity. It was possible...but not very likely.

Elizabeth walked beside him through the dark parking lot, lifting her skirt so it didn’t drag on the concrete. “Weren’t we more toward the seventh hole?” She indicated a section of the golf course that bordered the parking lot.

Dark shadows covered her the farther away they got from the warm glow of the country club. She’d looked so beautiful on the dance floor, the flush of color in her cheeks, eyes sparkling with life. Red-blond hair swept up into a bun. It was the first time he’d seen her happy since all of this had happened. That happy smile was gone now, replaced with a tense, worried frown.

They made their way through the dark lot. “I wonder if I’m ever going to be able to go out in public.”

His heart went out to her. He remembered feeling like a prisoner in his sister’s home because of the press hounding him. If he could catch the guy, he’d throttle him with his bare hands for doing this to her. What was his game anyway? “We’ve got a good police force. They will catch him.”

“I don’t see your car anywhere. Do you have a panic button on your key fob?”

“No, my car is old,” he said.

“It’s so dark out here. How about I do that row, and you walk that way? Shout when you find it,” she said over her shoulder as she trotted away.

She walked in one direction and he in the other. He could kick himself for not paying closer attention to where he’d parked. The truth was he’d been focused on how beautiful Elizabeth had looked and trying not to sound like an idiot when he talked to her. Nothing could come of it. Theirs had been a date of convenience. He reminded himself of his vow to pull himself together before he even considered a relationship. Besides, as soon as she went back to work, they’d be back to knocking each other down to get to a news story again.

Finally, his nondescript, forgettable car came into view. One row over. He lifted his head and turned a half circle. “I found it.” He didn’t see Elizabeth anywhere. Almost no artificial light made it to this part of the parking lot. “Elizabeth?”

His chest squeezed tight as though it were in a vise. He jogged past the cars in the direction she’d been walking. His jog turned into an all out sprint.

Then he heard it, faint and far away, a scream from the golf course green. He took off running as he recognized Elizabeth’s voice.

FIVE (#ulink_5f802337-e763-5e4e-b2e6-4b374fe4b823)

Elizabeth saw only flashes of light and color as the man dragged her across the green. Her pumps had fallen off in the struggle, and her feet brushed over the wet grass. He had her in a neck lock with one arm while the other was wrapped around her waist, pulling her sideways.

She could barely breathe or move. He’d waited until she was close to the edge of the parking lot and then grabbed her. One thought crashed over another. How was she going to get away? If she could scream again, Zach might hear it.

She lifted her hands and scratched at his forearm. The action only made him tighten his grip around her neck. In the night sky, clouds and stars pulsated above her as she tried to twist free of his hold on her.

Her kidnapper descended a small hill and the country club faded from view. His grip loosened, shifted as he hefted her fully into his arms...and then threw her. She sailed through the air and landed in a shallow pool. Water surged around her. He lunged toward her. She angled to get away, but the weight of her wet dress made it hard to move.

He clamped onto her shoulders and pushed her under. She clawed at his hands as she took in water. He jerked her up. She gasped for air.

Though she could not make out any features in the dark, his face was very close to hers. “Are you scared yet?” His words cut her to the core.

Still gripping her at the shoulder, he cranked his head sideways and cursed. Something had alarmed him.

He dumped her in the pond. “I’m not done with you yet. Remember that.” He took off running; his footsteps barely registered on the soft grass.

“Elizabeth!” Zach’s voice sounded so far away.

Air filled her lungs and she tried to pull herself out of the water. “Here, I’m here.” Her words came out as barely a whisper.

He called for her again.

She summoned strength somewhere deep inside and managed to shout. “Zach, I’m over here.”