The Sacrificial Lamb (6 page)

He drove away, his mind churning with possibilities.

After the man left her alone once more, Alex burrowed into his jacket further, hating herself for luxuriating in its warmth. She should have thrown it on the ground and stomped on it for good measure, but she was just so cold. It had been impossible to give up the temptation.

Typically, the end of May was warm, but this year it was still on the brisk side. Add to that, Alex had been stuck in a dank, drafty warehouse in a skirt and thin short-sleeved shirt. She felt like she would never be warm again. Of course it didn’t help that whenever she moved, a breeze would float up the gauzy skirt and forcefully remind her that she was nude underneath.

The smell of the man’s jacket enveloped Alex, and at first this made her very uncomfortable because it reminded her of the feigned attack. She remembered vividly the moment he lay on top of her body as she fought against him, breathing in this same scent—a mixture of man, sandalwood, and something faintly sweet smelling. It would have been pleasant, if not for the memory associated with it.

Alex’s insides quailed for a moment, and she reminded herself that it could have been worse. Nothing bad had happened. Since then, he had been careful to keep his distance, which was fine by her. When he’d chosen to sit straddling the high backed chair, it had made her feel more comfortable. Really, he couldn’t make any sudden movements without giving Alex plenty of time to react. Even though he had made it a point to let her know he meant no harm, she didn’t feel she could particularly trust him.

Their conversation hadn’t done much in the way of giving her the answers she was seeking, but her nagging suspicion had been correct. Her presence here most definitely had something to do with Santino DiRocco and her father.

John Montgomery had flown in a week earlier to spend some extra time with his daughter. While they were out at a restaurant, Alex noticed he kept looking over at an older gentleman at another table who was sitting with a beautiful flaxen-haired woman and gesturing wildly. The man looked somewhat agitated, and she thought her father’s cop senses had kicked in and he was expecting trouble.

“Is everything okay, Dad?” she asked under her breath, shooting an anxious glance at the couple.

“Huh? Oh, yeah,” he replied, brow furrowing. “Sorry, Lexi. I think I know that guy.”

“Dad, we’re on the other side of the country,” she said, exasperated. Her father always thought he recognized people when he was visiting her in Chicago despite the fact he’d never lived outside of his home state. “I seriously doubt you know that guy.”

Alex took a better look at the man. He was handsome and well groomed, with dark hair and an olive-colored complexion, and he was wearing a tailored suit she was sure hadn’t come from a department store. He was a complete contrast to her father, who was sandy-haired and blue-eyed, built more like a redneck farmer who’d let himself go a little around the middle. Her father evoked home and safety with his comfortably worn khaki pants, chambray shirt, and bomber jacket. She couldn’t imagine any situation where John Montgomery, a small time sheriff from Boulder, Montana, would ever have the opportunity to be friendly with this mysterious stranger.

“I’m telling you, I think that’s my old college roommate,” her father said. Now he was squinting his eyes, as if by doing that, he could forcibly remove the last thirty years or so from the man’s face.

“Dad,” she whispered fiercely, “you’re
embarrassing
me!” Alex put her hand up against the side of her face, shielding it from the odd glances coming from other patrons of the restaurant. At this point, the gentleman stopped talking to his companion and looked toward them. His brow creased, and he cocked his head to one side. Alex groaned inwardly as her father waved at him. The man’s face cleared, and then he stood up and came to their table, smiling.

“John? John Montgomery?” he said in a pleased voice. Alex peeked up from behind her hand, feeling relieved the man didn’t accuse her father of some weird inappropriate behavior.

“Santino!” John said, getting up and offering his hand. “I thought it was you. I was just telling my daughter I was positive you were my old roommate from college.” They shook hands enthusiastically.

“Your daughter!” Santino said in a smooth voice, turning toward her and flashing a sparkly white smile. Alex blushed to the roots of her hair. He was a very handsome man, and she had a hard time believing he was the same age as her father.

“Such a beautiful young woman. You should be proud,” he said, clasping her hand in his two warm ones. She giggled involuntarily and had to stop herself from clapping a hand over her mouth in mortification. He dropped her a wink, and she almost giggled again.

“And what is your name?” he asked, looking at her with expectation.

“Alexis,” she replied shyly.

“Ah, Alexis!” he enthused. “A beautiful name for a beautiful girl.”

At this point, the stunning woman who had been sitting with Santino came over to see what all the commotion was about. She was a petite woman, her golden blond hair pulled back in an elegant chignon. Her eyes were a warm brown, accentuated with carefully done makeup. She wore a dress that was simple but draped seductively over her figure. Alex had never had issues with her confidence but felt somewhat plain in comparison in her dress slacks and blouse.

“Is everything all right, amore?” the woman asked, slipping an arm around Santino.

“Yes, darling,” he said, smiling down at her. “Julia, this is my old college friend John Montgomery and his daughter, Alexis.” He gestured to the woman at his side. “And this is my wife, Julia.”

John put his hand out and they all exchanged pleasantries. After a few awkward moments of everyone standing around, Santino waved toward his table. “Why don’t you and Alexis join us?” he asked. “My treat.”

“Thanks, Santino, but you really don’t need to do that,” her father said.

“Please, John. I insist!”

Alex’s father looked at her, and she just lifted a shoulder making it clear it was his decision. John glared at her as if to say, “Thanks for nothing, kid.” She tried to hide a smile.

They decided it would be easier to join Julia and Santino at their table. The meal and wine served was sumptuous. Santino and his wife were treated with the utmost respect and care by the entire staff, and Alex found herself wondering why. All in all it had been a fun time, as the men recounted memories of college hijinks, while Julia and Alex laughed at their outrageous stories.

The only time there was any discomfort was when John mentioned he was the local sheriff of his hometown. Santino and Julia exchanged a startled look. For a moment, Alex could have sworn she saw fear stamped on the other woman’s features. The moment passed quickly, and she forgot all about it until much later.

At the end of dinner, Santino pulled her father aside for a moment so they could speak in private. She couldn’t hear much, but he wanted to get John’s professional advice on a personal matter. The men exchanged numbers, John giving him hers for convenience’s sake, and made arrangements to meet the next night. They said their goodbyes and headed out into the warm evening.

From Alex’s calculations, that had been four days ago. What happened after that night was still a big blur. The night her father met with Santino, he hadn’t returned home. He’d called her at six a.m. and said that something bad had happened and that he would explain later. He’d instructed her to pick up Shane at the airport that morning and then come to a police station downtown.

That was the last time she had talked to her father. The one thing she could think of was this had something to do with whatever had happened the night he met Santino and hadn’t come home. Obviously, her captors hadn’t said anything to her. They just came in occasionally to give her food and take away the reeking bucket. Neither of them talked to her, or made any eye contact as she huddled in the corner, terrified out of her mind.

By the time
he
walked in, she had been desperate to know what was going on. Not that she had gotten any answers, just more questions. Why were they keeping her alive? Nothing made any sense, and the confusion just added to her growing panic. Alex was sure to get hysterical soon if she didn’t get some answers. Her breath started to come up short, and she recognized she was hyperventilating. She put her head between her knees and tried to breathe deeply.

Alex did what she had done over the last couple days to keep sane—she pulled up an image of her boyfriend Shane. Instantly, the panic began to subside. She closed her eyes and pictured them at home. They were laughing and joking around like they always did. With that thought in mind Alex lay down on the bed, huddling into the corner, and pretended she was with Shane instead. More tears squeezed out between her eyes, and she wondered where Shane was now.

“I’m so sorry,” she whispered to him.

She had gone to Montana State University for her first four years to be close to her father. Shane had joined her the year after, but when she found out she had been accepted at the University of Chicago for teacher’s college, she was excited and had decided to go. The last two years had taken a toll on their relationship, and they weren’t as close anymore. They still loved one another, but she wondered how much of that was true love as opposed to being too scared to take a chance with anyone else. This summer was supposed to be pivotal to their relationship. They had to see if they could reconnect like they had before. And now Alex wasn’t even sure if she would ever see Shane again.

What had he thought when she didn’t show up at the airport to pick him up? Would he have just gone to her apartment after waiting for her? He must have been so pissed off and likely thought she had forgotten he was coming. Had her father been able to get in touch with him? She just hoped that they were safe and together, and she sent a little prayer up to God.

D
OMENIC
S
CANNED
T
HE
C
HINATOWN
A
LLEYWAY
before getting into the black Lexus. He was thankful that the windows were tinted because he didn’t feel like dying today. The car drove down the alley in silent swiftness, pulling out into the light traffic.

“What’s this all about, Russell?” Domenic asked crossly.

“Hi to you, too, douche bag.”

Russell Sutherland was one of the only people allowed to talk to Domenic that way. They had been best friends since the first grade and took liberties no one else would dare take. Russ smiled and glanced over at Domenic who was still scowling, not seeing the humor in this situation.

“Are you trying to get us both killed?” Domenic continued in a threatening voice.

“What’s wrong? The
family
doesn’t like you to have friends?” Russell sneered.

“Not when one of them is a fucking
cop
.”

He glanced out of the back window. The tint was good for concealment, but it was shit if you needed to make sure no one was tailing you. Sighing, Domenic gave up and turned back around.

“Relax, that’s why I borrowed Miles’s car. No one will recognize it.” Russell checked his side mirror before making a quick lane change. He raced forward and blew a red light just as traffic started moving, narrowly avoiding getting T-boned.

“Nice.” Domenic grimaced after his life finished flashing before his eyes. “Did they teach you that in cop school?”