Page 57 of Use Me
“That doesn’t mean I went to Rhys’s.”
He snorted. “You think I’m that stupid?”
“I—I don’t know. We don’t know each other.”
“I know you. I also know your dad used to be a cop and your brother is currently a detective. You have another brother who became a doctor. Oh, and let’s not forget your mother—”
“Stop!” I took another step back. “Why are you doing this? If you wouldn’t have tried to drug me then I would have stayed, and who knows what would have happened.”
“I know what would have happened, Ashtyn. I’ve seen you with him.”
“You’ve … seen me with him?”
“Judy’s, walking to your place, walking to his. In your place. Even out on Navy Pier.”
“You’re following me?” I could feel my palms starting to sweat. Hearing that Philip was stalking me confirmed my suspicions. Then a part of what he said struck me deeper:inyour place.
“Of course. I had to wait for the perfect time to make you mine.”
“I’ll never be yours!”
“You are!” he roared.
I was a few feet away from the kitchen, ready to make my move, when Philip grabbed me by the arm, spun me around and placed something over my nose and mouth. Just as everything was going dark, I heard Rhys call out for me from the doorway.
But it was too late.
By the time I made it across the street, I’d already dialed 911 and told them what I’d heard. I wanted to stay on the phone with Ashtyn, to listen as I ran, but calling for help was more important. The operator wanted me to stay on the line with them too, but I knew I’d need my hands free.
Jose was nowhere in sight as I waited for the elevator, thinking to myself that I was buying a fucking house because the wait for the damn thing to descend was takingyears. There was no way I’d make it up fifteen flights of stairs running in less time either. It didn’t matter that there were two elevators because each one was taking forever to come down—or at least that was what it felt like as I pictured Ashtyn fighting for her life.
“Fuck!” I groaned, stabbing the fucking button as though the more I pushed it, the faster one of the cars would come down.
“Is something wrong Mr. Cole?”
I looked over to see Jose standing beside me. “Did you let a man walk in here with flowers for Ashtyn?”
Jose scrunched his dark eyebrows. “No, but I just got back from my dinner break. Why, is there a problem? Flowers usually don’t—”
“Yes, there’s a fucking problem!” I hissed, cutting his rambling off. “Ashtyn is getting attacked right now, and I’m down here talking to you about fucking flowers while I wait for thefuckingelevator to hurry thefuckup!”
His black eyes became huge. “She’s getting attacked?”
“Yes!” I roared just as the elevator dinged. “Call the fucking police!”
I didn’t care that I’d already done it. Maybe they’d hurry if more than one person called. I didn’t know. What I did know was I was going to beat the ever-loving shit out of this guy. It wasn’t only because he could be hurting Ashtyn—or worse. It was because when I was a kid and Corey pushed me around, I’d go home and lift weights. I never wanted to be in the position where I couldn’t defend myself again. And now, I had my woman to protect.
Just as the doors started to close, I saw another man walk up. Usually, I’d do the polite thing and hold the door.Not tonight, man.
The elevator felt as though it was crawling toward the sky. The seconds felt like hours before the car finally stopped on her floor. When it did, I exited the doors before they opened fully and ran down the hall, praying to myself that I’d made it in time.
“Ashtyn!” I yelled, crossing over the threshold. I ran past the roses on the ground and toward the man in front of me. “Let her fucking go!”
He turned, Ashtyn’s limp body pressed against his front as he held her up with a cloth pressed against her nose and mouth. Was she dead? Did he fucking kill her? Was I not fast enough to save her?
I couldn’t believe that this was happening.
“I knew you’d show up.” He reached behind his back with his free arm and pulled a black Glock.
