a second, he felt sorry for her. She had no idea what was happening. She probably heard the shots and all the commotion and thought she'd been left to slowly die here all alone.
His mind seemed to be working in slow motion, but as he approached the bound girl, he gradually recalled how he'd scouted her out at a hospital. She was a nurse! She could help him.
With shaking hands, Preston unbuckled the ball-gag and pried it out of Suzy's mouth. He couldn't remember how long she'd been left like this, but judging from her groans as she worked her jaw muscles, it must have been quite a while.
“Can you talk?” he asked her.
“I–I think so.'
“I need your help.'
“You need my help,” she said. “You kidnap me and tie me up and then expect me to help you?'
“Look, I understand how you feel, but I'm not sure I can stop this bleeding myself. I don't want to die.” He paused to let that sink in. “I'll let you go if you agree to help me.'
She studied his face for a few seconds. “And if I don't agree?'
“Then I try to fix myself up. Maybe I can, maybe not. In either case, you're sure as hell not going anywhere.'
She started to cry. “All right,” she sobbed, “I'll help you. Just untie me. It hurts so much.'
“Okay.” He tried to smile, then walked over to the other side of the room. He opened a dresser drawer and pulled something out, then he untied the rope holding her arms up behind her.
She groaned loudly as the pressure on her shoulders eased at long last. Preston stepped up and pressed the cold barrel of a gun against her head. “Just to be sure you don't double-cross me,” he snarled. He untied her remaining bindings with difficulty, using just one hand.
Once all the ropes were finally removed, he gave her a few minutes to massage her limbs, then directed her to the medicine cabinet, staying behind her, gun ready.
Preston sat on the toilet and watched Suzy rummage through the cabinet with shaking fingers. He removed his blood soaked shirt and tossed it in the waste basket.
“Ether?” she muttered, examining a bottle.
“Sometimes the girls need help sleeping.'
She grabbed the bottle of peroxide, gauze pads and a bandage, and set them on the counter. She looked at him with a determined stare. “Why did you kidnap me?” she demanded, in a voice she couldn't quite keep steady.
“Felt like it,” he replied. He nudged her with the gun. “C'mon, blondie, hurry up. I have work to do.'
Suzy went to work on him, cleaning his wound, then applying the gauze pads and bandages. “The bleeding should stop soon, but you really should get that stitched up,” she said.
He laughed softly, then winced. “Right. And how would I explain the gunshot? Get a clue, blondie.'
“I do have a name, you know.'
“Yes, I know. Suzy Sinclair, age thirty-four. Head of the pediatric ward. Married and divorced three times. No kids, no boyfriend. But you do want a girlfriend.” He grinned as she blushed. “I do my homework, blondie.'
“Look, Mr. Know-It-All. I fixed you up. I held up my end of the deal. Now it's your turn.'
He lifted the gun and pointed it at her. “No. You look, Suzy. I'm not in the mood for your attitude. And I'm not in the business of releasing girls after I've snatched them.'
She stared at the gun. “B-but you said-'
“I know what I said. Here's another clue. Never trust your kidnapper.” He watched her face as she registered the fact he'd lied to her.
“You bastard,” she hissed angrily.
“Thank you.'
She reached for a pair of scissors.
“I'd set those down if I were you.” Preston aimed the gun at her head. “Unless you're prepared to die right now.'
She hesitated, then set the scissors down. “Please!” she pleaded. “I promise I won't say a word to anyone, I swear I won't. I just want to go home.'
Preston shook his head. “Playing to my sympathy won't work. I have none. Now… take that bottle of ether you noticed.'
Suzy didn't move.
Now!'
She began to sob quietly as she did as he ordered.
“Make one move I don't like, I'll blow your pretty face off. That's one promise you can count on me keeping.'
She nodded.
“Now shake some out onto those pads.'
With trembling hands she sprinkled the remaining gauze pads with the clear liquid.
Preston grinned, despite his exhaustion. “Now put the pad over your nose and mouth and breathe deeply.'
She stared at him. “No, please. I can't-'
“You can and you will. Now do it!'
Slowly she brought the ether-soaked pads up to her face. She paused and looked at him. He could see the plea in her eyes.
“Do it.'
Her shoulders slumped as she pressed the pad to her face.
“Breathe deep, blondie.” He watched her take a breath, then another. She sagged and dropped to the floor.
Preston stooped down and pressed the pad against her face for another minute. “Just to be sure you're not faking it,” he whispered to the unconscious girl.
When he was satisfied she was really out, he quickly stood and grabbed the bottle of Advil out of the medicine cabinet. He gulped down four tablets at once. That should take the edge off the pain-he hoped.
He set the safety on his gun and shoved it in the waistband of his jeans. Then he grabbed Suzy's hands and dragged her into the playroom.
He propped her against a pole and used handcuffs to secure her wrists behind her, with her arms around the pole. He used leather straps to secure her ankles and knees. In his weakened condition, it took him twice as long as it normally would have to secure the girl. He selected a white ball-gag and forced it between her slack lips, buckling it tight around her head. That'll keep you quiet when you wake up, he thought.
Wearily, he rose to his feet. He was drained. There was no way he could go after Joe in this state. He had to rest, regain some strength. He couldn't let Joe get the better of him again. He wanted Angel and Sharae back-and he wanted revenge.
Preston staggered to his bedroom and collapsed onto the mattress. He passed out as soon as his head hit the pillow.
CHAPTER 31
Angel woke slowly to a pounding pain in the base of her skull and a dull ache in her wrists. Her eyes fluttered open and she blinked a few times to focus. She was startled to see she wasn't in her home. Where the hell was she?
All at once unwanted memories flooded back into her consciousness. She remembered arriving home from shopping and hearing the gunshots. She'd run into the house to see Preston lying in a heap. And the blood! It had been everywhere.
She raised her head carefully to see what was causing her wrists so much pain. They were tied to the beam above her head so her arms were spread. There were only two wrappings around them, which were tied extremely
