Unraveled (Love in Salem, book 2) (27 page)

After he had all his phone calls made and got his new window installed he would make a few stops for groceries, flowers, and wine.  Maybe he would even get some massage oil from Camille.

He could go home, fix Atayla one of her favorite meals, and set up a nice romantic scene with flowers and candles.  After that he could give her a full body massage and melt away the stress from her muscles. 

Maybe then she would smile at him again.  He hated see her so down and hurting.  Especially when he was the cause of it.

Once he got back to the shop he would compile a list of things to buy for tonight, but at the moment he needed to focus on what needed to be done to get the shop open again.  He had just enough time to do a quick perusal through the furniture store before meeting up with the window man.

Atayla arrived at work at nine-thirty.  Bill came out of his office and gave her that lawyer look.  She felt like a bug under the microscope.  After having dealt with enough crap in her life as of late, she ignored him and walked to her own office.

Not that it did any good since Bill followed right behind her.

“Is everything alright, Tay?  You look like hell and you’re late for work.  I was about to call you and see what was going on.”

“Aidan’s shop was broken into last night so at two o’clock this morning we were there with the police.  I didn’t get much sleep.  Then this morning we had to stop by the police station to answer some questions.  Of course it probably isn’t going to be of any help since they can’t seem to pinpoint any suspects for either case.”

She tossed her purse in the bottom drawer of her desk and dropped her keys in with it. 

“Lt. Halliday thinks the two cases are related.  I agree.  It’s no coincidence that we both have been vandalized.  Nothing was stolen in either incidence, only property damage.  Why would anyone break into a car or a business and not steal anything?”

“Because theft wasn’t the goal.  Whoever did it meant to hurt a specific
person.  You, Aidan.”

“A warning?”

“No.  This is more like retribution.  But for what?”

“That’s what doesn’t make sense.  I could understand if it was Randall, but the police have proof that he hasn’t left California.  Brittney is my only other suspect because she’s angry that Aidan rejected her, but there is absolutely no proof.  She told the police she was home and in bed at the time of the break in, but no one can alibi her since she lives alone.”

“Want me to ask Jude Casalini to check some things out?”

Atayla closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead.

“Yeah.  Someone needs to because the police aren’t getting anywhere.”

Bill’s brows drew in concern.  He reached out and felt her forehead, feeing the telltale warmth of a fever.

“Why don’t you have a seat?  You look really pale all of a sudden and you’re feverish.”

Atayla sat while Bill ran out to get her a glass of water.  She thanked him when he returned and handed it to her.

“You should go back home.  There isn’t anything that needs done today that Mandi can’t handle.  She is going to be out running around this afternoon so she can take anything going out and I can take of any paperwork.”

“Are you sure?”  She asked skeptically.

“Atayla, who do you think did all the work before you came around?”

“Alright.”  She sighed.  “I do feel horrible.  I think I will go home and go back to bed.”

“You should call Aidan to come and get you.”

“He has too much to do today to be bothered by me.  I’ll be okay.” 

Atayla dug her keys and purse out of her desk drawer and walked out of the office.  Her head was pounding so hard by the time she got to her car that she could barely stand to hold her eyes open.  She leaned against the car for a moment to regain her composure and noticed a slip of paper under the windshield wiper. 

“What is this?”  She asked herself.

She pulled the paper out from under the wiper and unfolded it.

Time is up

Atayla crushed the paper in her hand, dug out her cell phone and dialed.  Perhaps calling Aidan to come and get her was a good idea after all.  She turned to head back into the office when the voice of her nightmares stopped her in her tracks.

“Hello, precious.”

Atayla whirled around and saw Randall walk out of the shadows.  She backed up quickly, listening to Aidan’s phone ring on the other end.  Where was Bill?  He usually watched over her until she drove away to ensure that she made it just fine.

“Where do you think you are going?”

As he made a move to grab her, Atayla turned and took off running.  Screaming, she made her way back to the office.  If she could just make it inside she would be safe.  Bill would be there and he wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

She made it all the way to the building before he slammed her into the side of it.  Her head collided with the brick, stunning her.  The cell phone dropped from her hand and clattered onto the ground.

Aidan had finally answered and she could faintly hear his voice on the other end of the line.

“He
y,
baby doll.  What do you need?”

“Hello?”

“Atayla?”

Randall stomped on the phone, crushing it, and spun her around.  He grabbed her cheeks in his hand, and wrenched her head back.

“Don’t you make another fucking sound.  You understand me?”

Atayla tried to jerk free of his bruising grip, but her efforts were fruitless.

He slammed the back of her head into the brick.

“I said:  Do you understand me?”

Atayla whimpered out a ‘yes.’

“Good girl.”  He kissed the corner of her mouth.  “Do you have any idea how much trouble you have caused me?  How it felt to learn you were fucking someone else?”

His breath was warm against her cheek and she turned her head to side in attempts to get away from the grungy feeling it left behind on her skin.  It was then that she saw two feet sticking out from behind the dumpster.  Feet that were encased in shoes that she knew belonged to Bill.

“Oh, God.  Did you kill him?”  She cried out as best she could with her face scrunched the way it was.

“He’s not dead.  But he will be out cold for a while.  You and I will be long gone before he wakes up.”

Atayla struggled against his hold.  She knew if he took her away from here he would probably kill her.  It was what he vowed to do the night she left him.  She had to stop him.  Had to get away.  And she knew she would only have one change to succeed.

Drawing up all her strength, Atayla kneed Randall in the groin.  When he doubled over from the pain, she slipped free from his grasp and took off running down the alley.  If she could make it to the street she would be surrounded by witnesses and Randall would have no choice but to leave her alone.

Her feet skidded out from underneath her as she attempted to sprint around the corner.  Her knees and palms took the brunt of her fall, the skin scraped and bleeding.  It took her a few tries to find her footing before she was up and running again, wasting precious time.

Her pantyhose were ripped and blood trickled down her legs with every stride.  One of her heels had broken off causing her to stumble as she ran.  She didn’t have much farther to go.  She had to make it…

Randall slammed into her from behind, knocking her to the ground.  The breath was knocked out of her with a whoosh and she laid there trying to suck in big gulps of air.  Just as she recovered, his palm slapped over her mouth and muffled her scream of terror.  Hoisting her up, he drug her kicking and screaming back into the alley and towards his car.

This was it.  This was the end.  If he got her in the car it would be over.  But she wouldn’t give up so easily.  She doubled her efforts in attempts to get away.  She struggled relentlessly and elbowed Randall in the face, encouraged by the howl of pain he emitted.

Unable to hold her flailing form and open the trunk at the same time he bashed her upside the head with his fist, knocking her unconscious.  She crumpled to the ground at his feet giving him the opportunity to open the truck and toss her inside.

Grabbing some rope he stashed away, he tied her hands behind her back and trailed the rope down to bind her feet.  Once he was certain she couldn’t get away when she woke up, he slammed the lid down and got inside his car.

Throwing the car in gear, his tires squealed as he sped out of the alley and onto the street.  The job took longer than he wanted it to and he knew at least one person had probably notified the authorities, but he was already safely on the road and headed towards his destination.

Nothing and no one would stop him now.

Chapter Twenty-six

Aidan’s tires squealed as he slammed his SUV to a stop outside of Atayla’s place of work.  He jumped out of his vehicle and ran towards the ambulance that was parked a few feet away.  Bill was sitting in the back with a Paramedic examining the back of his head.

“Where is she?”  He barked out.

“I don’t know, Aidan.  She’s not here.  Ashley and Mandi have searched all over and haven’t been able to find her.”

“What happened?  Who took her?”

“I don’t know.  Tay came in to work sick and I convinced her to go back home.  I was walking her out to her car when someone hit me over the head.  The next thing I know, I’m lying behind the dumpster with a Paramedic standing over me.”

“What about the security footage?”

“The police have it inside.”

Aidan turned and headed into Bill’s office where he ran right into Lt. Halliday.  

“Where the hell is she?”  He demanded.

“Mr. Aiello.  I wish I could answer that question for you, but I can’t.  We do, however, know who abducted her.  My partner was able to positively identify him as Randall Wellington.  I am alerting all law enforcement agencies between here and California and all the surrounding areas.  He won’t have gotten far.”

“Do you have any idea which direction he headed?”

“No.  The cameras didn’t pan out that far.  I have some officers talking to witnesses and checking with the surrounding businesses to see if anything was caught on video.  My partner, Larson, is interviewing all Wellington’s close contacts for information helpful in the search for Atayla.  So far we have found nothing of interest, but we just started too.”

Aidan growled his frustration.  He knew they were doing everything they could, but it wasn’t good enough.  Nothing would be good enough until he had Atayla back safe and sound.

“I know this is difficult for you, Mr. Aiello, but I really need for you to stay calm and stay out of the way.  I’ll keep in touch and update you as I can.”

With that, Lt. Halliday walked away.  He only made it a few steps before his cell phone rang.

“Halliday.  Yeah?  You’re kidding!  Pick her up.  I’ll meet you there.”  He swung around and faced Aidan.

“I told you that my partner was looking for all Wellington’s close contacts.  Well, guess who he has been in contact with the most as of late.  One Brittney DuPaul.  My partner is on his way to pick her up right now.  Hopefully we will have some answers real soon.”

“I’m going with you.”  Aidan began to follow him out.

Lt. Halliday stopped in his tracks.  “No, you’re not.  There is no reason for you to be there while we interrogate her.”

“No reason?  That is my fiancé out there suffering God knows what at that lunatic’s hands.  I’ll be damned if sit back and just wait for a phone call to find out if she is dead or alive.”

“You won’t be of any help, only a hindrance.  I can’t be dividing my attention between this case and you.  The best thing you can do is go home.”

“The only place I’m going is to the station with you.  I won’t get in the way, and I won’t slow you down.  I just want to be there to hear what that bitch has to say.”

Lt. Halliday regarded him silently.  Finally, he sighed and jerked his head towards the door.

“Follow me there.  I don’t want to leave you without transportation if we need to move fast.”

Aidan nodded his head in agreement and followed him out the door.  He waved at Bill and yelled out to him.

“I’m going with Lt. Halliday.  I’ll call you if I learn any new information.  Keep your phone handy.”

He jumped into his SUV and tore out of the parking lot to keep up with Halliday.  The trip to the station was fraught with anger, frustration, and fear.  If Brittney had anything to do with Atayla’s abduction Aidan wasn’t sure he could keep from snapping her evil little neck.

How did she know Randall Wellington?  What was her involvement with him?  Was she the one who took those pictures and vandalized Atayla’s car?  Atayla sure thought it had been her.  Especially after seeing her sitting in her car not far from the scene.