What happened then?
Of course, she’d done therapy after her assault, and she’d certainly talked about it enough with all the cops and lawyers involved. But she couldn’t say that she had actually dealt with any of it. Not if she was being honest anyway.
There were two doors to her favorite little deli. The front one on the street, and a second one off the small alley that ran beside it. Usually, she went to the side door so she could chat for a few moments with the owner. The older couple was lovely, and she’d given them a few ideas when they opened their business several years ago. She hadn't been trying to overstep, but croissants were a favorite of hers, and she had given them her secret tip to making them flakier on top and softer inside. In thanks, they always made her a special order if she felt like something they weren't selling that day.
With her mind occupied by the six-foot-plus mountain of muscle she’d run into last night, she didn't catch the darkening of the alley the second she walked down it. Didn't see the van that had blocked the entrance until she heard the footsteps.
Because of that, she was caught off-guard by the two men running toward her.
Even if they hadn't been wearing masks that covered their faces, she would have known they were there to hurt her.
Hurt her or abduct her.
She wasn't sure which was on their mind.
At the last second she pivoted, managing to avoid the meaty hand that reached for her.
Barely.
And the move set her slightly off-balance. So when the man lunged for her again, he managed to snag a hold of her hair, which hung loosely around her shoulders after she’d pulled it out of her usual ponytail last night when she got to Prey.
Teresa cried out at the stinging pain in her scalp as the man used his hold to yank her toward him.
Once again, she was pulled off-balance, and she knew if she didn't do something and quick, it was going to be too late.
So she didn't try to catch her balance, instead she allowed her forward momentum to send her bumping into the man. He was much bigger than her, but he hadn't been prepared for that, and he staggered back a step.
It was enough for his hold on her hair to loosen, and she rammed her knee up and into his groin.
Satisfaction rolled through her as the man’s face turned bright red, and he groaned and let go of her to nurse his injury.
Served him right.
The other man was right behind him, though, and he glared at her, slamming his fist into the side of her face right as sheopened her mouth and screamed, partly cutting off the sound as pain spiraled out from her cheek through the rest of her face.
Dropping low as he reached for her again, she slammed her fist into the first man’s groin again, and he howled and doubled over. On her hands and knees, she ignored the stinging pain as debris cut into her palms and quickly crawled away from the two men.
The first had blocked the path of the second, and she pushed to her feet and started running. Someone would have heard her scream, someone in the deli had likely seen the scuffle and already called the cops.
All she had to do was get around the van and back onto the busy street, and she should be safe.
But a hand grabbed her hair before she could make it.
Yanked her back and swung her sideways, into the wall, her head connecting with a sickening thump that had her seeing stars.
She’d done her best to escape, but it hadn't been enough.
April 29th
8:36 A.M.
Micah knewthe second the van pulled up in front of the alley he’d just seen Teresa turn down, that something was wrong.
The problem was, he was still too far away.
It took mere seconds to commit an abduction if you knew what you were doing. He should know, he and his team had performed plenty of them. Always picking up someone who was either dangerous or someone they thought they could persuade to help them get to someone who was dangerous.
But Teresa was neither of those things.
