know for sure Rudker was responsible for her accident up on the hill. A bitter laugh escaped her throat. The bastard had done it.
Sula unlocked the door and stepped in. A trickle of moonlight filtered into the living room through the tree in the front yard. She passed the table lamp and flipped on the light switch in the dining room. She wasn’t sleepy, so she headed for the TV.
She didn’t turn it on. Her house no longer felt like home. Her safe haven was gone, and Sula realized she would never relax here again. She couldn’t even stay until morning. Sula decided to pack an overnight back and get the hell out.
Rudker heard a car pull up outside, then drive away after a few minutes. Someone must have given Sula a ride. Of course. Her truck was probably totaled. What if she had brought someone home to stay with her? Oh shit. Why hadn’t he thought of that? Stupid, stupid, stupid. He looked around for a window. If he heard another voice besides Sula’s, he would exit immediately. He was not prepared to take on two people. If he’d had more time, or maybe bought some chloroform. Shut up.
The bedroom window faced the backyard and looked large enough to crawl through. Rudker turned back to the door, which he’d left partially open, listening intently. He heard a single person moving around, then the water in the kitchen came on, but no conversation. Rudker let out his breath in relief. Sula was alone.
Rudker tensed as he heard her coming toward him down the hallway. He tightened his grip on the makeshift sap. He hoped she would turn on a light. He needed to see her clearly so he could nail her either on the temple or right behind the ear. It was important she go down with one blow. Even if he didn’t knock her unconscious, he needed her on the floor and vulnerable.
Her footsteps stopped right outside the bedroom door. Rudker smelled the jasmine shampoo in her hair. Sula made a funny noise in her throat, then walked into the bathroom.
Chapter 35
Sula grabbed her toothbrush, makeup, and shampoo and threw them into a little travel kit. She caught sight of her bruised face and leaned into the mirror to examine the gash on her temple. The skin was puckered together to close the stitches and she knew she would have a scar. It was minor, she reminded herself. She could have been horribly disfigured.
Had Rudker meant to kill her? Instead of fading as she thought it would, her fear intensified. Would he try again? Sula cursed herself for leading the bastard to Tate. If he hadn’t threatened her son, she would have told that detective everything.
A scoffing sound escaped her throat as she reached for her moisturizer. What good would that have done? Would he have believed her? It all sounded so crazy. The police certainly had no power to protect her. They only acted after the fact. Women were murdered every day by ex-husbands and boyfriends who had already threatened and assaulted them. Until Rudker was convicted in court and incarcerated, he would be free to harass her. She was on her own, and for the first time in her life, Sula considered buying a gun.
She clicked off the bathroom light, stepped into the hall, and moved toward her bedroom. She noticed the door was open about foot. Had she left it that way? She always closed doors, cabinets, and drawers. But she had bolted out of here in such a hurry that morning, thinking she was late for her visitation, that she had probably left it like that. That sort of paranoid thinking was why she had to grab her clothes and get out the house for a while. She pushed open the door, stepped in, and flipped on the light.
The smell of cinnamon tickled the air. Before Sula had a chance to process what that meant, the back of her head exploded in pain. For a moment, her world went dark, then her legs buckled. She landed on her knees, sending another jolt to her brain. The room came back into semi-focus as she fell forward against the edge of the bed.
She brought her arms up to push back from the mattress, but a massive weight fell against her back, pinning her down. As she cried out, a thick sweaty hand pressed against her mouth.
Rudker!
His cinnamon breath was hot against her neck. Sula tried to jerk her head free, but stabbing pains from both sides of her skull weakened her. The pressure of his hand lifted for a split second, then he pressed a wide piece of tape across her mouth and cheeks.
Bile rose in her throat as panic overtook her. She snapped her head back as hard as she could, hoping to make contact with bone. Instead she hit his chest with a soft thump. He grunted and continued his assault. He grabbed both of her arms at the elbows and jerked them behind her back. Her broken collarbone shrieked in agony. Sula thought she might vomit.
Suddenly the pressure of his weight eased as he leaned away from her. Sula seized the moment and threw herself sideways, pulling free of his grip. Blind from the raging pain in her head, she crawled frantically toward the corner of the room.
Rudker grabbed her ankles and dragged her back. He pressed his knee against her lower spine, trapping her against the floor. His thick hands encircled her forearms and pulled them together behind her back. Pain engulfed her and Sula blacked out for a second. As she came to, Rudker was taping her wrists together.
For a moment, there was calm. Sula pulled air in through her nose trying to get enough oxygen, while Rudker made wet noisy breathing sounds. His weight lifted again as he moved down to her feet. With a heave, she flipped over on her back. Before Rudker could grab her ankles, Sula kicked up and landed a blow to his chin.
“Bitch!” Rudker cupped his chin with both hands. Sula tried to scoot away, but with her hands pinned under her, it was impossible. She saw him reach in his pocket and draw his arm back. Something came down on her forehead with the force and feel of a hammer.
The room swirled and Sula blacked out.
Rudker quickly wrapped a strip of tape around Sula’s ankles. She had fought more than he’d expected, but the struggle had given him an adrenaline rush that was making him giddy. When she’d crawled away and he had to drag her back by the feet, Rudker had flashed back to the girl fights in Seattle. Now he was turned on, but not exactly in a sexual way. It was a rush unlike anything he’d experienced before.
He considered leaving her for a few minutes while be brought the Jeep around and parked in the driveway, then decided not to. It could be devastating if a neighbor saw his vehicle -and license number-in Sula’s driveway on the night of her disappearance.
He would carry her out through the side yard, hidden behind a good-sized fence. The only time the two of them would be visible was for less than half a block on the side street. If he kept her upright at his side and moved quickly, the risk of exposure would be minimal. Rudker hoped the girl would stay unconscious for the trip to the vehicle. He didn’t doubt his ability to carry her that far, but if she struggled, it would be cumbersome, to say the least.
He glanced around the bedroom to see if he had lost anything out of his pockets during the struggle. Nothing seemed out of place, but he got on his knees and checked under the bed just in case. There wasn’t even much dust.
Satisfied that he’d left no evidence, Rudker squatted next to Sula and scooped her up and over his shoulder. He was surprised at how heavy she seemed for such a thin girl. Breathing harder than he liked, he left the house the way he’d come in, through the kitchen and garage, then out the side door into the fenced yard.
Adrenaline rushed through his torso as he stepped into the night with an unconscious woman over his shoulder. It was a shame he would never be able to tell this story to anyone. He closed the door behind him and set off across the wet grass. Furious barking suddenly filled the air. The back fence popped and shuddered as a massive, unseen dog threw itself against the barrier. Rudker began to run.
Near the gate, he stumbled and pitched forward. With Sula’s added weight, he almost went down. Rudker grunted as he caught himself. The dog continued to bark.
Go back in the house. Kill her here.
Rudker hesitated. Maybe he should. Why risk taking her in the Commander and maybe being seen? Because he wanted to hide the body. That was the safest move.
He opened the gate, then slid Sula down to his side and gripped her tightly with both arms. Her face fell against his as he started down the sidewalk. Silky jasmine-scented hair fluttered into his mouth. If not for the
