“And what about you? Does your mind have more than one track?” he asked with a wicked smile.
“In fact, it does. I’m not ruled by my hormones.” I returned his smile. And it was true, normally I was in complete control of myself but Robert had a way of affecting me with just his presence. It unnerved me, but I couldn’t focus on it.
“I thought as much. You seem to be a much more reserved person.” He adjusted his disheveled tie as he took a measured step toward me.
“I wouldn’t say I’m reserved, just cautious.” I swallowed hard, taking half a step back.
He continued making his way closer to me, narrowing the gap between us.
“What I meant was, you seem to be more of an intimate person. Unlike your assistant Becky, who shares the wealth so to speak,” Robert explained.
I opened my mouth to defend Becky but Robert raised his hand to silence me.
“I mean no offense to your friend, to each his or her own,” he clarified, taking one last step.
Unconsciously, I leaned closer, inhaling the sweet mixture of cologne and liquor.
“I must say that I admire that quality in someone,” Robert continued as he stared down at me. His eyes shimmered in the soft light, glazed over with excitement and whiskey.
“What quality?” I asked, almost whispering. He was so close that even with the music and chattering party-goers I didn’t need to speak at a normal volume anymore.
“Wholesomeness. It’s something that’s not easily found.” His eyes pierced through me as he spoke and my mind went completely blank.
“And now, it’s time for all the single ladies to come onto the dance floor to catch the bouquet!” the D.J.’s voice boomed over the music and Beyonce’s, Single Ladies blasted through the speakers.
“That’s my cue,” I said, turning and walking away before he could object. I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like I’d been held underwater and could finally get air into my lungs.
I spent the remainder of the evening avoiding Robert’s charms. I couldn’t afford to lose myself to him. He was exactly the type of guy that would sweep you off your feet and then break your heart beyond repair. In my experience guys who seemed too good to be true, usually were and I didn’t have time to nurse another broken heart. The smarter side of my brain kept me from walking over to him while the other side of my brain allowed me to watch him through my camera’s viewfinder, justifying that I only wanted to keep tabs on him so I would know where not to be.
With the night winding down, I packed up my equipment and got ready for the evening to end. It was just after midnight and I was exhausted. Time didn’t seem to matter to the bride and groom; they floated around the dance floor to the light melody even though only a few guests joined them. I smiled at the couple one last time and headed toward my car. I grabbed the gear Becky had left at the main entrance and headed out the front of the house. I could feel the happiness surrounding the bride and groom wrap itself around me. Being in their presence was truly intoxicating.
It was pitch black and impossible to see anything when I reached my car. A thick ocean mist had rolled in and clung to the air, making visibility even worse. I put my camera bag down on the street and struggled to open the trunk. I finally got the key in the hole and clicked it over when I felt something slither around my waist and brush against my hair. My first thought was of Robert.
“Not a word,” a husky male voice breathed into my ear. It wasn’t Robert. The voice was much too raspy and cold.
“What do you…” I started, near panicked. I felt every shred of happiness that had been wrapped around me all day vanish into the darkness of the night.
“I said not a word,” he growled, pulling my head back by my hair with one hand and pressing a sharp object across my throat with the other hand. My heart started pounding and I tried not to shake with fear. He bent me over the trunk of the car and grabbed both of my hands, tying them behind my back. The rope cut into my wrists and made me yelp in pain.
I turned my head to look at my assailant but at the slightest movement he grabbed my head and slammed it back down against the trunk. Everything went blurry. I felt my pulse in my head. I wasn’t sure if it was sweat or blood that ran from my temple to my cheek until a drop of red splashed onto the trunk. I saw my blood glisten crimson in the moon’s thin light and started to panic as my survival instincts kicked in. Just do what he tells you and it’ll be okay, I said over and over again in my head.
“Move again and I’ll slit your throat!” he snarled behind me. “Now come here.” He wrenched me off the trunk and pressed me into his body with my back held tight against his chest.
He put a black hood over my head and everything went dark. I could feel the knife at my abdomen this time, the blade squeezing my side until it ripped through my shirt. I took shallow breaths in an effort to keep the knife from pushing further into me. The feel of the cool steel against my stomach sent a shiver down my spine and brought the taste of bile to the back of my throat.
Keep it together, I chanted in my head. I swallowed hard, trying to regain some control over my body. His other hand wrapped itself into my hair, keeping a tight grip on my skull. The pain brought tears to my eyes and panic welled up inside of my throat like I’d swallowed a boulder.
“Your name’s Violet, is that right?” he asked with amusement in his voice.
I didn’t say anything. I was too afraid to speak.
“Answer me!” he snarled, pressing the knife harder into my stomach and breaking the skin.
“Yes, yes it is.” My voice cracked with fear.
“We’ve been searching for you for a long time. To think of all the trouble we’ve gone through and you don’t even have any power,” he seethed.
“Power?” I could barely whisper. What did he mean I had no power?
“You mean, you don’t know about the prophecy?” He laughed a sickly, throaty kind of laugh, the kind that made your skin crawl.
“No, you must have the wrong person.”
“How dare you question His judgment!” he exclaimed and pushed me to the ground.
The pavement was wet and cold. I struggled to straighten my legs and run away before he could grab me again but I wasn’t fast enough. He flipped me on my back and straddled me so I couldn’t move. My arms dug into the asphalt behind me and I felt the gravel tearing into my skin.
“Someone, help!” I screamed as loud as I could. I had parked my car a good distance from everyone else, a polite thing for a vendor to do at a wedding, but it meant my efforts to get someone’s attention were useless.
He hit me square across the face and then wrapped his fingers around my neck. I could barely breathe. My face stung from his blow and tears streamed down my face as I gasped for air.
“Why?” I rasped.
“Because, you’re the only one who can wake The Lady and we can’t have that, now can we?” he said as he slid the knife down my chest and pressed it against my abdomen again. “It’s a shame, really, to have to waste something so beautiful.” He brushed his thumb up and down my throat.
Prophecy? Wake the Lady? What was he talking about? The guy was certifiably nuts. This all had to be a mistake, some kind of misunderstanding. I tried to wiggle free from his grasp but it only seemed to entice him more. He slid his hand from my throat down to my right breast. The moment he released my neck I let out a blood-curling scream.
“You, stupid bitch!” he fumed. “Fine, have it your way.” He shoved the knife into me, pushing and twisting as far as he could manage.
Air erupted out of my lungs. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. I only felt my blood bubbling out of the wound in my stomach. Everything went into slow motion, the blade twisting inside me and my blood pouring onto the pavement. This couldn’t be happening, this couldn’t be real.