CHAPTER THREE-2
1312 Words
Mikel sat in his car, surveying the street. Although he had one test subject already in his workroom, he had decided to bring one more and had made the drive yet again to Vegas. Now he was parked just down from Planet Hollywood, scouting for a good candidate.
Ah, yes, over there. A woman, maybe thirty at the most, obviously a p********e, with long brown hair and curves. She will do nicely.
He started to get out of his car and froze in complete shock. Bella. His angel was coming out of the hotel! He blinked rapidly to make sure his eyes were actually seeing her.
Then the shock turned to mind-numbing rage as he noticed the man with her. They were obviously acquainted; Bella had one arm laced through his. He watched in disbelief as they placed bags in the open trunk and then got into the cab together. When the cab pulled away from the curb, it took with it his intention to secure another test subject. He immediately swung out and began to follow Bella’s cab.
Who is that bastard!? Bella is MINE! his mind screamed.
Bella and Nathan sat snuggled in the cab, talking and laughing, lost in their little world.
Mikel could see how close their silhouettes were and it turned his stomach. When the cab reached the airport, Nathan helped her out of the car and grabbed both their bags from the trunk while she paid the driver. Neither of them noticed the man with white-blond hair four cars back.
As he watched them go into the terminal, Mikel flung his car into park with a curse, got out and slammed the door. He had taken three steps toward the entrance when he was stopped by a security officer.
“You can’t park there, it’s for taxis and hotel shuttles only,” the officer announced sternly, pointing at the posted signs.
Mikel glowered silently at the man and sulkily returned to his vehicle. Cursing again in frustration, he jerked the transmission into drive and pulled out from the curb without looking, narrowly avoiding a passing minivan.
That cheating b***h, she’ll pay for this, he seethed. He turned sharply and headed back to the Strip.
***
* * * *
Cindy had been, well, bored. Clients had been few today. So it was a pleasant surprise when the handsome, muscular blond approached her.
I hope he’s hung like a bull to match the rest of that body she had thought wickedly. Might as well have some pleasure with business.
A bit of suggestive talk back and forth, and now she was sitting in the front passenger seat, popping her gum and making small talk as he drove.
“Hey,” she said. “We’re heading out of town?”
“Yes,” he replied, staring straight ahead. “My place is just outside the city limits. You’ll like it; it’s beautiful.”
“Cool, baby,” she said, and gave her attention to the passenger side window. She people watched until there were no more in view.
As he turned off onto a side road, she finally decided to ask more questions about where they were going. Turning to speak to him, Cindy was met by a fist to her mouth, followed by a rag of chloroform.
***
* * * *
“Coming.”
Bella opened her door to face two dozen long-stemmed red roses in a huge vase. She signed for them, took them, and thanked the deliveryman before shutting and locking the door. She made her way to the kitchen on autopilot, her nose stuffed down close to the bouquet.
Bella set them on the counter and sighed with pleasure as she read the card.
I miss you already Bella – Nathan.
Her head had been filled with thoughts of him since they parted ways yesterday afternoon at the airport. She obviously was on his mind too.
***
* * * *
A groan as she came back to consciousness.
“Please.” Her tongue hurt from where she had bitten it.
No response. She tried again.
“Please don’t hurt me anymore. I’ll do whatever you want,” Cindy managed through bruised lips and broken teeth. She knew he was there – she could hear him breathing but she could not see him. She was blindfolded. Not that it mattered. Both eyes were swollen shut anyway from his repeated blows to her face, her dark brown hair matted with sweat, tears, and blood.
Her body tensed and she began to panic as she heard him coming closer. She struggled to no avail; he had adjusted her position and now had her lying face down, hands bound over her head and her legs strapped down spread-eagle, with a pillow under her pelvis.
It was forty hours in and counting, and the room reeked of s*x and terror. What had started out as another test subject had quickly become something else. He had noticed when he chloroformed her that her eyes were the same color as Bella’s. As a matter of fact, she resembled his angel quite a bit. His obsession took over. Mikel had thoroughly used Cindy, repeatedly, painfully. The act itself to him was not fascinating in the least. What was fascinating, though, was that at the point of c****x he always saw his angel’s face, called his angel’s name. Whether this tramp noticed or not he neither knew nor cared. These visions of Bella were overpowering and addictive.
Now he edged closer, wanting another fix, becoming more aroused as Cindy continued to beg. “Oh, I know you will - because you don’t have any choice. You can scream if you want to, you know,” he finally answered. “Knock yourself out. This place is soundproofed.”
***
* * * *
“Mr. Amsel,” Nathan said, striding into Manfred’s office at the University. “Thanks for meeting me.”
“Well, I admit my curiosity’s up about you, ever since Stacy and Brad called to tell me about Bella’s new man,” Manfred responded with a grin. “Have a seat.”
Manfred already knew quite a bit about Nathan, having done a full background check in addition to asking around about him at Quantico. But he chose to remain silent for a bit and see firsthand what this young man was made of.
Accepting the chair offered to him, Nathan leaned forward and said, “Mr. Amsel, I’ll get right to the point. I met Bella last week in Vegas, and I am completely captivated with her. I am here to ask your permission to date her, sir.”
Noticing Manfred’s raised eyebrows, he added, “I have very strong feelings for her, more than any woman I have ever met. And I know it’s the 21st century and she and I are both adults. But I just didn’t feel right about not asking you first.”
“Well, son, Bella’s got to make her own choices. She’s certainly old enough, and modern enough,” Manfred replied. “The fact that you’ve come to me and introduced yourself and asked my opinion means a great deal to me personally. That was the standard back in my day. It speaks volumes for you and the way you were raised that you keep that tradition.”
“So,” Manfred continued, “my answer to you is yes, if Bella chooses to see you, that’s fine with me.” He leaned back and favored Nathan with a smile. “Now that’s out of the way, tell me more about yourself.”
***
* * * *
“Hello?”
“Bella. It’s Nathan.”
God, he sounds sexy on the phone.
She pulled it together and said, “Nathan, the roses you sent are absolutely gorgeous. Thank you.”
“I’m glad you like them. Listen, I’m flying out to Flagstaff on business tonight. If you’re available, I can drive from there to Phoenix on Friday afternoon when I’m done. I’d like to see you.”
“I would really like that, Nathan.” Bella beamed as she twisted the phone cord around her finger.
“Great! It’s a date.” He knew she could probably hear his grin over the phone. “I’ll call you when I leave Flagstaff?”
“Sounds good. I can’t wait to see you.”
“Me either. See you Friday, Bella.”
“Bye.”
Neither of them knew it, but they both did the same silly little happy dance when they got off the phone.
***
- Writer
