When Sparks Fly (65 page)

July 9, 2014

Drew, Sam, and Emily try to convince me to take the day off, but I need to stay busy. Once I get to the bakery, I unlock the back door and make my way inside not bothering to lock up behind me. Amy will be here shortly and I’ll let her handle the front of the store while I bake. I have been working with her and Sam with the recipes for certain baked goods. This way I won’t have to be here everyday in case something comes up. I make my way to the front to turn the lights on. After switching the lights on I start setting everything up.

My cell phone beeps from an incoming text.

Good morning beautiful. I hope you have a good day. –Drew

Walking to the back of the room, I can’t help but to smile. I don’t think I have ever been this happy with someone. If only the insane man following me around could get apprehended. Never in my life have I ever had a stalker.
It’s incomprehensible and he is a sadistic killer on top of everything else.
I’m in the process of texting back when I pause to flip the light switch for the back lights
. I could have sworn I turned the lights on when I came inside earlier
. I shake my head thinking I must have over looked it with everything on my mind when something hard comes out of nowhere and hits me in the side of the head. My phone and I fall to the floor before everything goes black.

Gaining consciousness, my head is aching and a sudden wave of nausea slams into me.
Tied
. Realization slammed into me like a ton of bricks. I tug my arms and try not to panic when my fears are confirmed. My hands are duck taped together behind my back, and there is tape over my mouth preventing me from crying out. Tears fill my eyes while horrible thoughts play on a constant loop in my mind. Thoughts like—who has me, am I going to die, and does anyone know I am missing.

Glancing around I realize I am lying in the trunk of a car. No sooner than the realization dawns on me than the car lurched to a stop. It sent me rolling backwards causing me to bang my head on the roof of the trunk. Minutes after stopping, the trunk flies open. My eyes are not ready for the blinding light that assaults my senses. Sweat is pouring down my face, neck, and back this causes my captor to lose his grip while trying to yank me up and out of the trunk. I can’t see what he looks like with the cap he is wearing because it is pulled down so low obscuring his features from my view.

Trying to scream through the tape does little good. It does; however, earn me a slap to the face.

“Be quiet you stupid, bitch.” Says my captor, before he continues to lead me into an old dilapidated house. Once inside, he has my full attention; with the hand not holding me in place he removes his cap. My first and only thought is the heat from the trunk has fried my brain. This man can’t be my kidnapper. “Now if you are done screaming like a two year old throwing a tantrum and think you can behave I will remove the tape from your mouth.”

The nod of my head seems to satisfy him. Sitting me down in the only chair in the room, he rips the tape from my mouth causing me to cry out from the pain. It feels like my skin was being ripped off. He proceeds to grab a bottle of water and holds it to my lips. Wary of his intention but I can’t bring myself to turn down the water. My throat is burning and feels like I have swallowed sandpaper. Finally the cool liquid soothes my burning throat. Once I finish drinking my fill, he pulls back the bottle and seals it back up. I bring myself to look at my captor and the realization that my mind is not playing tricks on me finally sinks in.

“Josh, why are you doing this?” I ask with my voice coming out croaky.

“I tried to get you to date me the normal way, but no… you had to go and be a slut and sleep with that detective. You know my ex was a slut too, but I showed her who is boss. Now she can never be a slut again.” He continues to ramble on and speak without pausing to take a breath.

Apprehension starts setting into my mind. I can’t believe this is happening. I would never in a million years guess that Josh has been behind everything that has and is taking place. I was about to speak but the crazed look in his eyes told me to bite my tongue. I took a deep breath trying to calm my racing heart. I look around room seeing if there was a possible escape route.

“You know my sweet, sweet Ivy; I have been watching you for months. Well… ever since I met you on the side walk in front of the store.” He paused with a faraway look on his face before continuing, “You were wearing that cute black tank top with the studded owl on it, paired with a pair of faded wash skinny jeans, and a pair of black flats. I remember thinking the day would be bad and the new building owner would be a bitch, but then you smiled at me and everything seemed to light up. A feeling of calm came over me, but then you had to turn down every single one of my advances. To top it all off you went and gave yourself to that detective.” He rakes a hand over his face before focusing his attention to me. “HOW COULD YOU?” he yells at the top of his lungs.

“Josh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know how you feel about me. I thought you knew we were only friends.” I stated to him causing him to flinch from the sting of my words.

I have to keep him talking before he does something that could permanently damage me or worse kill me. That thought causes me to shutter.

“You know since the moment I met you I thought you were going to be different from the rest of the women I have met. You were genuinely nice to me from the start. Even though your friend Sam thought something was wrong with me you told him it was just in his imagination.” He said, noticing the shocked look that must be on my face. “Oh, dear, I guess I have told off on myself. I bugged your bakery and your home so I could listen in on everything taking place. Imagine my surprise at hearing your little love session with your detective. Do you have any idea how much it hurt me to hear everything y’all were doing?” he asked, staring me in the eyes I could see he is seriously deranged.

This man is definitely off his rocker.

“I never meant to hurt you. You have to believe me when I say those were never my intentions.” I told him hoping he could hear the sincerity of my tone over the shakiness.

“Yeah, probably not but then again people say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Whether yours were good, bad, or nonexistent is to be seen. Circumstantially it really doesn’t matter. I have you where I want you now. Your actions will result in how we do things—amiable and easy or unpleasant and hard. Your choice, and I’ll be more than happy to accommodate you either way.” He finishes telling me with a malevolent half-smile on his face that sent cold chills running up and down my spine.

Is anyone looking for me? Do they have any clue who took me?

I can feel the tears trying to be set free along with my frustration of being in this situation, but I’m fighting like hell to not let it show. I guess my lack of commenting on his crazy suggestions didn’t go well with him because in the next instant Josh is standing in front of me. He then proceeds to stab me in the leg with the knife in his hand.

“Shit. What in the hell did you do that for?” I scream out in pain.

He gives me a smile full of satisfaction. “Finally. I get an animated response out of you. That’s just the first of many, my dear. Just wait until I have you writhing in pain and pleasure screaming out my name instead of that stupid fuck—detective of yours.” He finishes telling me adjusting his pants while gazing at my now bleeding leg with a lustful look.

Damn this man is sick and twisted. I would rather die than be put at his mercy of what he threatens to do to me.

I can’t stand being silent anymore. Seeing the blood pouring out of my leg makes me furious. When I look down at it again the object around my neck catches my attention. I had completely forgotten about the necklace with the tracking device inside of it. Drew had given it to me two nights ago for his piece of mind. Relief floods me and the fear turns to anger. I am through biting my tongue and sitting here like a scared little girl. “Seriously!? You’re a dumb ass if you think I would willingly let myself become your little sex slave. Your nefarious threats do nothing for me. If you follow through with this misguided plan of yours then you should know if Drew doesn’t kill you first then Sam sure as hell will. That is only if I hadn’t managed to cut your fucking dick off first.”

He roars with anger, back hands me across the face, and moves to stab me again. Moments before the knife connects to my injured leg, I hear the splintering of the doorframe and silently rejoice when I see the front door come crashing down.

In the next instant, I see Drew followed by two uniformed officers rush into the room. Josh makes a move for a gun, I had no clue he had been hiding under his shirt, and aims it at me. My mind starts thinking this is it. My number has been drawn.

I never even told Drew I love him.

With the hand not pointing the gun at me he throws his knife at Drew. His aim is off and barely grazes Drew’s arm. This causes Josh to waver with the gun and the minute it’s not pointed at my head Drew fires his gun. I watch with satisfaction as Josh’s body collapses in a heap on the floor.

Drew rushes to me and now even more officers enter the room while he unties me from the chair I have been restrained in for the last few hours. Leo comes rushing in moments after Drew has me out of the chair and cradled in his arms. He lets Leo help him carry me to the awaiting paramedics. While sitting there getting stitched up they start to fill me in about Josh’s past and who he really is or should I say was.

Josh Cotton a.k.a. Lewis Felder was indeed a lawyer. He was a wanted serial killer. He killed his sister ten years ago then went MIA before being arrested. The last six years he has been working under different alias as a lawyer. Three years ago, he worked at the same law firm my ex-husband Owen is currently working for. Supposedly Josh Cotton or Lewis Felder whatever his name is saw me at one of the events the firm hosted while Owen and I were still married. He kept up with me throughout the past couple of years, and everything from the pictures and things they found at his apartment this morning points to his actions getting bolder about the time Sam came back into my life. They think seeing me with Drew was one of the final straws that caused him to move up his sick plans.

Thankfully this whole nightmare can be put behind me and I don’t have to worry about him coming after me again. The relief is overwhelming and I’m trying my hardest not to cry when Sam, Derrick, and Emily come running up to the ambulance. Chief Windham had let them through figuring I could use the extra support right now.
He was spot on.

When they finally saw I was going to be fine with time they each gave me another hug and relinquished me into Drew’s care. After the paramedics stitch my leg up and check Drew’s arm, they deem us well enough to drive ourselves to the hospital—only because Drew refuses to let me out of his sight and makes a promise to take me straight there for a more thorough check-up, he pulls me into his arms. I’m immediately engulfed by his warmth and his masculine sent mixed with his intoxicating cologne helps calm my agitated nerves.

Cupping both sides of my face with his callused hands he takes a minute to glance over my scrapes and bruises. His eyes are showing a mixture of emotions—anger, gratitude, desire, and something more. “Are you really okay?” He asks me, after he finishes his brief examination.

I give him a sad smile. “I’m better now. I just don’t understand—he always seemed so nice. Sam always told me he got bad vibes from him. I just thought he didn’t like him.”

“Yeah, maybe next time listen to the people who care about you.” He says in an exasperated tone.

I pinch his arm. “Watch it mister. I’m injured here remember?! Take pity on me and know I have thoroughly learned my lesson.”

He doesn’t give me a chance to limp towards his car. He bends down and sweeps me off my feet so now he is cradling me in his arms. I lean my head against his chest and he carries me to his car before heading to the hospital.

We are ordered to stay overnight, so they can administer pain medicine and antibiotics through an IV. The wound in my leg makes it hard to get around and the doctor advises me to take at least a week off and relax. Sam promises to watch over the bakery with the help of Amy, Derrick, and Emily. Drew; however, refuses to leave my side. For now I have a roommate until he decides I’m well enough to leave on my own.

The nightmares come and go, but Drew is there with me to comfort me each time they try to reoccur.

‡
Epilogue