An All Points Bulletin was sent out.
The police had received multiple sightings of Mark’s car. They would get him.
Zach’s heart raced. It wouldn’t stop until he saw Grace. Touched her. Knew she was alive.
Nothing would do until she was in his arms.
And he’d make everything up to her.
He promised himself that as he exited Route 287 to get on the Parkway.
Thanks goodness the snot-nosed twenty-something at the phone store had talked Grace into a camera phone.
She took a picture of Mark and sent it to Zach. That’s if she remembered his address correctly.
Her captor had confiscated her cell phone not long after that. It rang once before Mark turned it off, dropping it on the seat beside him.
Grace lay across the back seat, her hands duct taped behind her. Her sweat was beginning to loosen the glue on them so she worked at the binding with as little noise as possible.
Mark rambled in the front.
“I have a nice house down the Shore for us. It’s been in my family for years.”
His family? She thought he was an orphan. How much did she really know about him?
“What house?”
She’d promised not to scream so he didn’t put tape over her mouth. Her mind worked furiously to get herself out of this situation. She didn’t know how stable he was. Maybe he would kill her.
“Our beach house.”
Think. Keep him talking. “I thought your parents were dead?”
“They are to me. They put me in a home for boys when I was younger.”
For mentally ill boys? He’d mentioned about running away at one point. That must have been from the home.
“Then they stuck me in rehab.”
Oh, God, that’s how he met Dolores. They had been lovers.
“You know, that Dolores isn’t a very good judge of character, getting involved with me.”
Grace grunted in agreement. Her hands were getting looser by the minute.
“She fell in love with me, not that that’s hard to do. That’s why I never figured out why you didn’t, Gracie. You were the one I always wanted.”
“That’s sometimes how it works. The one you want isn’t the one who wants you. Most people get over that.”
She heard Mark shift. “We’ll have to do something about that mouth, Gracie it just won’t do.”
Then she heard him utter an oath. Mark stopped the car. “Lay still Gracie or this cop gets it.”
Grace held her breath, wondering if Mark really had a gun. He didn’t show her one, but she didn’t trust his stability.
Think. What could she do? A blanket lay over her head and body. Maybe if she moved. She stretched out her feet, trying to shift her covering off of her.
“Step out of the car, sir,” the cop said.
Grace’s heart leapt. She wiggled as best she could. The blanket fell away from her feet, but not her head.
“Is there a problem, sir,” Mark said.
“No, I just want to show you something on your car.”
The door opened then shut.
“Hey, wait,” Mark said.
Grace’s heart skipped a beat, then something hit the side of the car.
Chapter Thirty Two
Zach pulled in behind the cop car where Mark sat. He didn’t glance at the attempted murderer. He would have wanted to spit on him.
He was too concerned about Grace anyway. He realized Grace was his future. With or without her powers. He didn’t care, when he’d been sure he would lose her, he knew that he loved her.
And he’d never had sex with her. He laughed at the idea.
The officer was just pulling her out of the vehicle when Zach got there. Her white hair stuck out at odd angles and her face looked haggard. She’d been through an ordeal, but she still looked beautiful to him.
“Grace.”
He took her into his arms, relief washing over him. She didn’t struggle. She melted into him as if she belonged there. And she did. She was his soul mate. The one he thought he’d never find.
Whispering in his ear, she said, “If you untie my arms I can hold you back.”
“Sorry. For everything.”
He nodded at the officer who cut the tape on her hands. He kissed the raw spots then she wrapped her arms around him. “You got my message.”
His grin hurt his face. “Yeah, pretty ingenious. I’ve never used that part of my phone.”
“He was taking me to his beach house.”
“He bought that house with the money he made torching places. We found someone who would finger him.” Zach pulled her closer, not ever wanting to let her go. “Not anymore.”
“I’ll get him in to booking,” the officer said then left them by the side of the road.
Zach just held onto her as if she’d disappear. “Don’t leave.”
“I don’t have to.”
He wanted to cheer. She wasn’t going to leave him. His gaze roved over her. His hands searched for any marks the monster could have put on her. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. I was scared. How’s Dolores?”
“She’s awake, but sad about the baby. The baby was Mark’s. She tried to blackmail him, but he turned the tables on her. She was scared, but didn’t believe he’d hurt her.”
“He wasn’t going to if I went with him this time.”
“You’re not going anywhere.”
“No, I don’t think I will.”
Epilogue
“Happy Birthday to you,” Zach said in a sing song voice.
Grace’s eyes were covered with his hand as he led her somewhere. She knew it was the hospital. She worked there so she ought to know its smell.
She just didn’t know what this had to do with her birthday.
“Ta da,” he said when they stopped.
He removed his hand from her face.
“Gee, I’ve always thought the morgue was romantic. How’d you know?”
“Ha, ha,” he said. “There is a method to my madness.”
He looked at his watch. “It’s now eight at night. You’re exactly thirty years old.”
“Okay. I’ll bite.”
“Come on, Grace. Don’t you want to know if you still have the power?”
“Oh, Zach.”
She hugged him. She’d been thinking about nothing else all day. She hadn’t wanted to bother him. She was
