Page 50 of Starting Anew

The same eyes as the man who’d delivered her pizza that had been tampered with.

Jeb.

Oh, God. Help me keep calm.

There was no way she hadn’t revealed that she knew who he was. The corners of his mouth lifted a little as though he were happy she recognized him. She gripped her handbag with both hands and shifted it in front of her.

How were they not at the sixth floor yet?

Just as the elevator began to slow, Jeb reached out and hit the stop button, effectively halting Lynn’s mode of escape.

Her pulse thundered in her ears as her stomach fell to the floor. Her gaze darted to the emergency call button on the elevator wall.

Jeb must have noticed because he shifted his body to stand between her and the only real means of calling for help. “Not so fast, Bethany. It’s time you and I had a little heart-to-heart.”

It was the last thing she wanted. She wished she’d taken the stairs. He’d probably been following her, but at least she could try and run. Right now, she was just as caged as a hunted rabbit caught in a trap.

She tried to calm her racing mind.Think, Lynn, think.The guy had been stalking her for years. He was clearly infatuated with her, and more than a little insane. She had to do something to keep him from going to the offensive.

“Are you the one that kept leaving me the notes?” His eyes lit up as though he were excited she’d finally made a connection. “I can’t believe you kept those guitar picks all those years.”Smile, Lynn. Just try to play along.

“I have a whole bag of them.” He sobered, and he stared at her as though he were trying to make up his mind about something. “Nothing was the same after you left, Bethany. All I had were the guitar picks and the videos. You should have let me know where you went. How could you not?”

It was clear he’d created a whole story in his head, which was more dangerous because that meant Lynn had no real idea exactly what role she’d played in it. Clearly, he’d imagined them having a relationship of some kind before she left the music industry, which meant he felt like she’d dumped him without any explanation.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you where I went. There were so many people bothering me all the time. It made it impossible to focus on the ones who really mattered.” It was all she could do to keep the disgust off her face as she spoke. “I had to get some space. Clear my head.”

“You could’ve contacted me. I wouldn’t have told a soul.”

Lynn was certain he was the one responsible for leaking her whereabouts. She had no doubt that, if he’d known where she was back then, he would’ve shouted it to everyone just to prove his status. “I’m sorry, Jeb. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

That much was true. She’d left to escape him and everything else related to the music industry. She hadn’t done so specifically to hurt anyone. She’d had no idea he’d spent the last few years looking for her. Who could have?

Her words seemed to placate him and he relaxed a little.

Lynn looked at the elevator door and back tor Jeb. “It’s getting pretty hot in here, and someone else is going to need the elevator and call to say it’s broken. What do you say we get out of here?” Maybe, when the doors opened, there’d be someone else waiting. If Lynn screamed for help and made a scene, Jeb might run. She got the impression he was much more of a coward than a confrontational person. That could definitely work in her favor.

Jeb’s eyes narrowed as he studied her face. “My car is a few spots down from the elevator. When we get out, you’re coming with me. We have a lot of time to make up for, Bethany, and I don’t want to waste another day.”

He said the words as though he were discussing the weather instead of her potential abduction. His tone and the lack of emotion in his eyes sent chills down Lynn’s spine.

Jeb reached out and grasped her arm with one hand, squeezing hard enough to make Lynn flinch. When she tried to move her arm away, he only squeezed tighter. He pushed a button and finally the elevator reached its destination.

Get me out of this, God. Please.

As soon as the doors opened, Lynn looked around, desperately praying someone else would be there to help her. Her heart sank when she realized there wasn’t a soul.

Jeb turned right as they exited the elevator and began to pull her along beside him.

If he got her in his car, she may never get away alive.

The realization had her screaming with every ounce of strength in her body, “Someone! Please, help me! Help!”

Jeb whirled and slapped her hard enough that Lynn stumbled. She licked the corner of her mouth and tasted her own blood. He pointed a finger at her. “You shut up, or I’ll knock you again.” This time, when he jerked her arm, she whimpered with pain. “You’re just like the rest of them, you know that? But once you get to know me, you’ll change. You’ll see you love me.”

Lynn had no way of knowing how much further they had to go before they’d reach his car. All she knew was that if she didn’t get away now, she was going to become one of those women who is kidnapped and found years and years later, only a shell of the person she was before.

That wasnotgoing to happen to her.

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