Page 61 of More Than a Match

I give her my number and kiss Mina goodbye, and I can smell the tequila on her. “Whoa, you guys pregame in there or something?”

“Um, of course! Having a few shots is integral to the getting-ready process,” Mina replies, playfully swatting my arm.

I turn to Katie. “Are you driving to the party? You drove here, right?”

“No. I may be dumb, but I’m notthatdumb. We’re going to Uber there. Figured I’d leave my car here till tomorrow. It’s safe, yeah?”

“I mean, yeah. I’ve never had an issue. Shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Ok sweet deal.” She turns to Mina and grabs her hand. “All right bitch, let’s get our party on!”

“Have fun you two! Mina, I’ll see you later!”

“Bye Alex, nice to see you!”

“Bye babe. See you later.”

Almost as an afterthought, I call after them, “and if anything goes wrong, I mean anything, even if it just feels off, you let me know and I’ll come get you. You both have my number now. If you feel like you need it, use it.”

“Thanks, will do!” Katie waves, then grabs Mina’s hand and they scurry to the waiting car.

I watch them drive away with a smirk. Those two… like peas in a pod. That party won’t know what hit it once they arrive.

CHAPTER 41: MINA

The party is already in full swing when we arrive. Music pours from the packed house, and for a moment, I feel bad for the neighbors. Then I notice that the neighbors all seem to be in on it, hosting various parties of their own.

“Gives a whole new meaning to block party, huh?” I say to Katie, who nods in affirmation.

We link arms and enter the fray. We’re greeted enthusiastically as we enter, passing from one room to the next, each packed with costumed partygoers. We make our way out to the back patio where the bar is set up. We each grab a drink and start swaying to the music. We slowly work our way back inside, stopping to chat with other partygoers as we go.

It’s been so long since I’ve been at a party like this, and it feels a little overwhelming at first. The evening goes on, and after a few more drinks, I’m feeling much more at ease. We’re having a blast, dancing and socializing, and I’m definitely feeling a buzz.

“I’m going to go get us more drinks,” Katie shouts over the music.

I give her a thumbs up and stay where I am, swaying and vibing to the beat. A whole song plays through, and it occurs to me that she should have returned by now. I start to scan the crowd for her when someone grabs my wrist and spins me around. For a second, I’m disoriented. It’s a man in a Ghostface mask, and he pulls me close. I raise my hands to his chest and push, but he holds me tight. He leans forward, and a familiar voice hisses in my ear.

“You thought you could get rid of me that easily, huh?”

My blood runs cold. “Jason, let go!” I futilely beat against his chest, but the drinks in my system do me no favors. I reach up and rip the mask away, revealing his face, twisted in an evil sneer.

“No, I won’t let you go,” he snarls. “In fact, tonight I’m going to make you mine. If you won’t come to me willingly, I’ll take you by force.”

He starts dragging me toward the back bedroom despite my struggles and screamed protestations. A few of our colleagues try to intervene, but he brushes them off.

“It’s just a couple’s spat. We need to talk and she’s been blowing me off.”

They back off at that point, and I realize that he had been telling everyone we are together.They believe him. I plant my feet with every step, determined to not make this easy for him. I pray for some kind of divine intervention, but none comes. I regret leaving my phone in my purse under the kitchen sink. What I wouldn’t give to be able to reach Alex right now.

We reach the bedroom and he flings the door open to find the room already occupied. There’s a couple making out on the bed, and they look up, startled at the interruption.

“We need the room,” Jason commands.

“Hey man, we were here first,” the young man protests, but Jason isn’t listening.

“I said get out!” he yells thunderously.

The couple scurries away without another word and Jason drags me inside, slamming the door behind us. I’m at his mercy. He throws me down on the bed and I’m prepared to bite, claw, kick and do whatever it takes to get out of this. He pins my wrists above my head and thankfully, decides to take this moment to monologue.

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