I let the belt go and it hadn’t even snapped back in place before I had my door open and one foot out of the car. He was halfway over the seat when his arm hooked my neck.
His grip wasn’t strangling, but it was firm and I was forced back in the car. His icy words bit into me as he whispered in my ear. “You want your father to live?”
I swallowed and nodded.
He slid the flat side of his knife over my chin. “Good. So do I.”
I swallowed and the pressure of the knife increased as he caressed my throat with it. I’d seen how easily it sliced my purse strap. I knew with little effort he’d cut open my delicate skin.
He released me and the seat leather creaked as he sat back again. “Shut the door and let’s go for a drive.”
“What do you want?”
“Oh, there will be plenty of time for questions, London.”
The way his accented voice dragged out my name it was as if I’d heard him say it before. But it wasn’t my name; he’d called me something else. But that was impossible; I’d never met this guy before and he wasn’t someone you’d easily forget.
“Where’s my dad?” Had he hurt him? Maybe that was why he didn’t come back to the lab. My grip on the steering wheel tightened as did the ache in my chest at the thought.
“I suspect on his way home to pour himself a drink.”
“My dad doesn’t drink,” I blurted. He hadn’t touched alcohol since my mother died. I think it was because he felt responsible somehow for her death, although he wasn’t. My mother was a heavy drinker and a careless smoker. According to the fire department, the carelessness killed her. But my dad took responsibility on his shoulders for everything.
I glanced in the rearview mirror and he met my eyes like he’d been waiting for me to look at him. The corners of his mouth curved up. “An intelligent man. But I already knew that.” He leaned closer so his elbows rested on the back of my seat, lips inches from my ear as he whispered, “Drive, my brave little scientist.”
How did he know I was a scientist? Or rather, studying to be one.
I slipped the gearshift into drive and slowly pulled out of the parking lot. The automatic gate arm lifted to let us pass and I wished there were old school security guards instead of the transponder on my dashboard.
So many thoughts whirled in my head. I could steer us into a tree and hopefully escape. That was if I didn’t kill myself. Or if I went over the speed limit, maybe we’d pass a cop and get pulled over. Or I could….
“You’re beautiful.” His deep voice caused me to jump and the car lurched forward. “But when you’re contemplating escape, it’s rather… adorable.”
Adorable? I didn’t even think that word was in his vocabulary. “What do you want with my father?”
“Aren’t you concerned about what I want with you?”
“No.” I was, but he was so arrogant that I had no intention of giving him the satisfaction of knowing I was completely terrified of that exact thing.
I caught his reflection in the mirror and he grinned. For a brief second, a flicker of relief warmed me because his grin was mesmerizing. Not evil or malicious, it simply made him look engaging. And that was why he was even more dangerous—because it was deceiving.
“And you heard enough to know what I want. You’re clever, London. Maybe even too clever for your own good. And, I understand, about to graduate with full honors in pharmacology and toxicology. Impressive. Following in your father’s footsteps. I’d advise not to follow too far.”
Whatever the hell that meant.
I glanced at my speedometer, slowly pressing on the gas and now going twenty over the speed limit. I needed to keep him talking so he didn’t notice how fast we were going. “I’m going to be late for class.”
“Classes are done for the day.”
I stiffened. How the hell did he know that? “It’s a yoga class.”
He chuckled. “You don’t take yoga.”
Holy hell. Who was this guy? “Well, I didn’t, but I do now.” Of course, that was a lie, because I could barely touch my toes never mind curl into a pretzel.
“Mmm, I do believe you are lying, but I’ll let it slide… for now.” He moved and it was quick, agile like a sleek panther. Deadly. He had his hands on my shoulders, squeezing, but it wasn’t painful. “Slow down and take the dirt path up there on your right.”
Path? It was hardly a path, more like a parting of trees that led into the woods. All I could picture was my body being found in the middle of nowhere, ripped apart by wild animals. I wasn’t ready to die. I wouldn’t. I may not be a fighter, but I sure as hell would fight with everything I had to survive. “Are you going to kill me?”