Mending Hearts (The American Soldier Collection 11)

Alana disconnected the call and chuckled.

She didn’t know where Monique had disappeared to as she stood up and started pushing the rack of sweaters out to the front. They had a display prepared, and Mrs. Hamlet wanted things done perfectly.

As she pushed the cart to the dark room, she wondered why all the lights were off. She knew that Mrs. Hamlet wanted her customers surprised by the new displays, but how could they even see what they were doing?

“Monique? Mrs. Hamlet?” She stopped the cart in front of the empty display. She thought she heard something and turned around. There was someone standing there.

She gasped and then heard the voice.

“Hello, Alana. I’ve been waiting for you.”

She recognized the voice, and then he came out of the shadows.

“Neil?” She looked around her, not really processing what was happening here. His eyes seemed to widen that she’d remembered his name, and in a series of quick, panicked thoughts, she wondered if he was some lunatic.

He was on her in a flash, and she turned to run, but he grabbed her arm. His hold was forceful and firm. His tight grip scared her, and she tried pulling away and demanding he release her.

“Let me go. Let me go,” she yelled at him, and when the smack came out of nowhere, her head snapped back, and she reacted. She used her left fist, her weak arm, to throw a punch at him. He slapped her forearm down hard, making her bone burn and tears fill her eyes.

Then he slapped her again.

She was going to fight when he gripped her throat and demanded she cooperate.

“Stop fighting me. We don’t have the time for this. Those two bitches will wake up soon enough, and then the cops will come. Let’s move now.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.”

He released his hold on her throat and pulled out a gun. A Beretta.

He pointed to the right, and that was when she saw Monique and Mrs. Hamlet tied up to the display and unconscious. Both were bleeding from their lips.

She gasped, and he stared at her, still holding Alana’s arm but his gun pointed at Monique.

“I’ll kill them both right now if you don’t come with me. I’ll shoot them right in the head, and you’ll have to live with that.”

The tears stung her eyes. She was scared.

“Why are you doing this?”

He brought the gun closer to her. He placed the barrel under her chin and then let it slide between her breasts, parting her blouse.

“Because you’re mine, and I’ve waited for you for far too long.”

He turned her around, making her scream as he forced her from the main room to the back room. He shoved the back door open, and she knew that would signal the silent alarm. Perhaps he wasn’t so prepared after all.

Alana needed to buy herself some time. She had to stall him or God knows what he might do to her. If he was the one who killed those other women, then she was as good as dead.

* * * *

“So what else do you have on this guy? Any description?” Gabe asked Kenny.

Teddy, Jim, Gunner, and a few officers were walking around the bar and restaurant at Casper’s, asking if anyone had remembered seeing the young woman talking with a man. It was obvious that she’d left here with him, but they weren’t sure if they’d met inside or outside. Her car never left the parking lot.

“Not much really. We found some die at the crime scene, not sure if it was the killers or what.

“Die?” he asked.

“Yeah.” Gabe looked at Gator.