Fifth Regret (Heaven Sent Book 5) Page 15

  “If he suspects I will be with you, then he’ll be ready to do something as soon as he stops you. He could shoot you before I get the chance to do anything.”

  “He’s pure evil. You said it. He likes to play with his victims. I would guess he’d want to do the same before killing me. Besides, doesn’t he prefer to tie up the women and then stab them?”

  “He said he wanted to do things to you. But if he thinks I’m with you, he won’t be able to. I think he will go straight to killing.”

  Emily lowered her gaze. “Then I don’t know what to do.” She shook her head. “But this is your one good chance to destroy him.”

  Andrew sauntered into the living room. He sat on the sofa and leaned his elbows on his knees. Emily had created a great opportunity for him to destroy the demon without the risk of getting caught, but she was also putting her life on the line. On the flip side, if Andrew passed on this chance to get rid of Deon, he might not get another one for a long time, which meant more women would end up dead. Regret would eat him alive and he knew Emily would chastise him. As much as he hated allowing her life to be in danger, he saw no way around it in order for him to complete his task.

  But he could still protect her. She wouldn’t be alone with the demon because she’d be in a bar with other people. Deon couldn’t hurt her physically in a public setting. She’d leave and Andrew would be waiting in the car for her. Deon would pursue her. And if he suspected Andrew was with her, Deon would want to see her dead quickly so he could turn his attention to killing Andrew. Somehow, Andrew would have to be quicker. He’d have to be ready to pull the trigger the minute she stopped the car. He could do it.

  She came to sit next to him and took hold of one of his hands. “It’s not a perfect plan, but it’s the only one we have right now. It might be the only one we get. This demon needs to be destroyed now, not two days or two weeks from now.”

  “I know. We can do this together. I only wish you weren’t in danger of getting hurt.”

  “We know what to expect and you will be with me, except when I go in the bar. We can bring him down together.”

  Her words encouraged him, gave him confidence. But no matter how much they planned, something always went awry.

  “I hope you’re not mad I set this up without you. I couldn’t let you sit in jail with charges. I could’ve bailed you out, but then we would’ve been stuck in this state and you’d still have a criminal record.”

  If he’d had to stay in the state to deal with the charges, he could’ve handled the matter. But if the situation had played out that way, Deon would’ve found a way to get to Emily to hurt her. Emily had made the right decision to negotiate his release.

  “You weren’t alone when you spoke to him. Honestly, I would’ve done the same thing you did. I don’t like the idea of you going into a bar to meet him. In fact, I prefer you don’t. Otherwise, it’s a decent plan.”

  He couldn’t be mad at her for what she’d done or agreed to do. Her plan included him. She had no way of knowing the demon would want to get to Andrew. But since Deon likely expected Andrew to follow or be with her, maybe Andrew should show up at the meeting instead of her.

  “Are you one hundred percent sure he thinks you will be with me?” she asked.

  “I wouldn’t say that much, but I find it difficult to believe he would release me so easily without some diabolical plan. Why not keep me in jail and go after you?”

  “He couldn’t unless nobody paid the bond. I would’ve bailed you out. And maybe he couldn’t stalk me between the time I spoke with him and your bond hearing because he likes to plan his kills. On top of that, if had tried to follow me, I would’ve seen him. I would’ve stayed in town, in a public area so he couldn’t touch me. Or maybe he let you go because I had put on a believable act again. I can play a desperate girlfriend willing to do anything to save her lover.” She smiled.

  All of her excuses made sense. The bodies of the victims were found in remote areas and their vehicles were always somewhere else. When Deon threatened women into having sex with him, he took them to a place free from traffic and public eyes. He didn’t arrest them or force them to go with him. Perhaps the ladies he’d stopped during the day were the ones he’d persuaded into sex and the ones he’d killed had been at night. Perhaps Deon had believed Emily had been eager to do whatever she could to free Andrew and the best way to kill her was to make a deal where she’d show up at a secluded location.

  “Your arguments are good, but I still think he’s out to murder both of us. He wants to hurt you to get to me,” Andrew said.

  “I know you don’t want me to go into the bar alone. What if you called my phone before I go inside and I leave it on so you will hear everything?”

  He squeezed her hand. “Is it really important that he thinks you’re alone?”

  “If I can convince him I am alone, then it might make killing him easier.”

  “I’m not taking any chances with this demon, especially since you’re still recovering from your injuries.”

  “Let me go in the bar with the phone on. If you don’t like what you hear, then come inside.”

  He brushed her bangs away from her forehead. He dreaded the thought of her meeting him again. If he could run off and live a quiet life with her, he would do it in a heartbeat. But destroying demons came with risks and she’d always take some to help him. The best he could do was to try and minimize the danger and protect her as much as possible.

  “Okay, I’ll let you go in with the phone on. But the second I hear something threatening, I’m walking in,” he said. “And if I have to shoot him in the parking lot, I will. I’m killing him so he can’t hurt any more women. I don’t care if someone comes out and sees me. He has to go.”

  She smiled. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. I don’t want you going back to jail. I hate it when we’re apart for long.”

  “So, you missed me?”

  “Of course I did.” She pressed her lips to his. “My lover is meant to be with me.”

  He kissed her back and ran his hand into her soft hair. “I couldn’t agree more. We should make up for the time we lost.”

  “Mm…” She smooched him. “Good idea.”

  “In the shower first.”

  She rose from the sofa and took hold of his hand. “Come on lover, I’ll clean you up.”

  Erection growing harder by the second, he followed her to the bedroom. His day had dived into a mucky toilet, but now that he had Emily in his grasp and they had a plan to destroy the demon, everything was looking better.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Emily held a firm grip on the steering wheel as she drove along the dark country road. The beams of light from the sedan revealed a world of bugs darting in front of the vehicle. The windshield had claimed many insect lives too. She’d cleaned it twice already and a few remnants still remained.

  “The signal is weak out here,” Andrew said, his gaze on the phone in his hand.

  “There isn’t anything around. The last gas station was several miles back.”

  He set the cell on his thigh before he shifted his attention to the window. “I think we should’ve checked out the area before the meeting.”

  She pressed her lips together and gave a slight nod. Scoping out the territory in daylight hours would’ve helped her know the surroundings better. But she didn’t regret spending the rest of the afternoon and evening having incredible sex. She had limited time with Andrew and she’d enjoy every minute of it with him.

  “I’m not surprised there’s nothing out here. It gives him plenty of opportunity to stop someone and kidnap the person without anyone noticing,” she said.

  “He’s not getting the chance to abduct you or anyone else. If he doesn’t follow you after you leave the bar, then let’s follow him and run him off the road.”

  She glanced at him with wide eyes. “Seriously?” She hadn’t seen him so aggressive before. They’d always been careful and calculating to ensure no one wo
uld see him destroy the demon.

  “I don’t want to lose this chance. This is the perfect environment. Nobody is out here. All you have to do is stay in the car while I do all the work.”

  His idea sounded easy, but nothing ever was. And he couldn’t be more right about the area. Still, it stunned her to hear him take such an approach. “Does this mean you’re willing to part with Matt’s car?”

  “We don’t really need it. You have the Jeep. I’m sure Matt wouldn’t care if we banged up his sedan.”

  “What if Deon calls in for help?”

  “Oh…there is that.” He lowered his gaze then jerked it back up seconds later. “You could try to pass him and I’ll shoot him.”

  “I guess we could try. It seems risk than him pulling me over.”

  “It’s a lan B in case he doesn’t follow you.”

  “Right.”

  Although it was an alternative, she didn’t consider it a good one. Deon could radio for help or he could try to run them off the road. She didn’t like either outcome. One way or another, she’d have to ensure the demon followed her to avoid lan B.

  In the distance, Emily spotted a light. Not even a mile later, a sign appeared indicating a town was seven miles away. She kept speeding through the darkness on the narrow road. Through a clearing, bright lights revealed a wooden sign showing Cajn Pit.

  “I think we’re about there,” Andrew said.

  Emily slowed the vehicle as she approached. The small building looked old and decrepit with paint peeling from the red walls and patches on the roof. The tinted windows had bars on them. Motorcycles stood on the side closest to the road. Several pickup trucks and other vehicles took up spots facing the entrance to the bar. A long RV without wheels appeared as weather beaten as the building and sat idle on the far side near a tree line and dumpster.

  “Crowd could be rough inside,” Andrew said as she turned into the lot.

  “Bikers aren’t so bad. In my experience, they stick to their group.”

  “You have experience with bikers?”

  “Well, I’ve been to a few bars where some were hanging out.”

  “So, no other type of experience?”

  She parked in the second row behind a beatup Toyota sedan with the bumper missing. The spot had a good view of the entrance. Andrew wouldn’t be watching, but if he needed to take a peek he could.

  “Well… Libby and I went out on dates with some once. They were a bit kinky. The biker I was with gave a harsh spanking,” she said.

  Andrew’s eyes widened. “Really?”

  A chuckle slipped from her. “I’m kidding. I never went out with a biker.” She cut the engine.

  His intrigued expression died. “I should give you one just for that.”

  A wave of heat drifted through her, aroused from his words. She could imagine his hand smacking her ass while she bent over his lap. Shaking the naughty thought from her mind, she stared out the streaked window at the bar.

  “Libby and I did go to a few bars where some bikers were drinking. They never bothered us,” she said.

  Libby had been her best friend in Chicago. She’d moved into the neighborhood several years after Troy. They’d all gone to the same schools and grew up together. Libby had acquired a drug problem during her teen years and it had caught up to her. She died in Emily’s arms. Emily had feared she would be held responsible for Libby’s death, so she dumped her best friend’s body in a ditch. The next day she’d packed her belongings and left. Troy had kept her up to date on the news when he was still living in the Windy City. Last she had heard, the police had issued a warrant for her arrest. Once in a while, she’d recall the good times she’d shared with Libby.

  For a brief moment, they sat in silence while they surveyed the area. None of the cars on the lot appeared new. All had some kind of damage. She disliked judging others, but she guessed the clientele had low incomes and strong drinking habits.

  “I can go in and do this, you know?” Andrew said.

  The worry in his eyes warmed her heart. “I said I would meet him. Let’s stick to our plan.”

  He opened the glove compartment. The gun with a sleeve waited for him. He took both, along with the cell from his thigh. “At least stay with me until it’s time. There’s no reason to wait inside some hick bar.”

  Leaning back in her seat, she said, “I’ll wait here, but you should get ready in case he shows early.”

  Andrew handed her the gun and bullet sleeve to hold while he left his front seat. Matt’s car was an older model sedan so it had decent room in the back. Emily had brought a couple of blankets from her Jeep for him to cover with.

  The door made a soft thud as he closed it. He moved from the back seat and lowered to the floor on the passenger side. A soft grunt slipped from him as he stretched his legs as much as he could in front of him. She waited until he’d shifted the blankets over his body before handing the weapon back.

  “Am I covered enough?” he asked.

  She tilted her head back. “I can’t twist to see your legs, but from what I can see, it looks like I’m hiding something. I think you’re covered good.”

  “I’ll scoot down more when you leave.”

  “I hope you don’t burn up under those blankets.”

  “The sun isn’t out and temperature has dropped some. I should be okay for a while. If you’re in there more than twenty minutes, then I will know there is a problem. I’ll be in to get you.”

  The amount of time he allotted seemed more than enough. She planned to get whatever documents he had, if he had any, then thank him for dismissing the charges. She suspected the demon might want to chat with her a bit. Whatever he had to say, she’d try to keep the conversation short. Yet she had to make certain Deon would follow her out.

  “What story are you going to give him for sneaking out so late?” Andrew asked.

  “I left at such a late hour because my period started and I had to run to the store to get supplies.”

  Andrew chuckled. “I’m not so sure he’ll believe you.”

  “Hey, it can happen. Are you an expert on women’s cycles?”

  “Definitely not.”

  “Since I’m a woman, I happen to know a lot about the subject. So it can arrive unexpectedly like that.”

  “I’ll have to take your word on the matter.”

  “And in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m not dressed for bar hopping either.” After Andrew had applied new bandages to her back and had wrapped the large gauze around her, she’d thrown on a t-shirt and tights so it would appear as if she’d rolled out of bed.

  “You’re right about that. Can we go back to the subject of cycles? I haven’t noticed—”

  “I’m late, but I’m not concerned,” she said before he could finish. “My cycle is off, so it’s normal to be irregular.”

  “We have been busy rabbits lately.”

  “Yeah, but don’t worry. I’m due any day.” She’d taken her last pill six weeks ago, so she expected her period to arrive at any time. Before she’d started taking the contraceptive at seventeen, her cycles had always been sporadic and unpredictable. She’d gone six weeks without one several times. But back then, she hadn’t been having sex. If two more weeks passed without a period, she would need to invest in a pregnancy test kit.

  A truck pulled into the lot. The loud engine chugged as it passed the front and continued to the back. Emily watched in her side mirror as the driver parked.

  “I didn’t think about this, but it’s possible he may not show up in his police cruiser,” Andrew said. “Can you see the driver?”

  A tall Caucasian man wearing jeans and a black shirt exited the truck. The door squealed before he slammed it. He walked between the vehicles, heading toward the bar. He paused briefly to spit.

  “It’s not the demon,” she said. “And you’re right. He could already be here if he took a different car. But if he had, then how would he pull me over?”

  “Good question. I guess we’ll wait
and see.”

  Emily removed her phone from under the dash. The time showed she had a few minutes left.

  “Don’t chit chat with him,” Andrew said.

  “I’ll mention you’re expecting me back since you were awake when I left the hotel.”

  “I hope you’re right and he thinks you’re alone. Having the element of surprise on our side helps us.”

  She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel while she scanned the lot.

  “Are you nervous?” he asked.

  She inhaled a deep breath. “A little.” Demons frightened her, but she pushed aside her fear as best she could, knowing Andrew would get his chance to send the evil beast where it belonged.

  “I can do this. You don’t have to.”

  “No, I will. I can handle it.” While she appreciated his willingness to help, she preferred to stick to the plan. Plus, if he showed up in a regular car, she had to ensure he followed her. She could pull off to the side and pretend she was having car trouble. Then Andrew could kill him. Problem solved.

  “You are one stubborn woman,” Andrew said.

  “I admit it. Can you handle me?” She grinned.

  “Oh, I will handle you with my hand on your ass.”

  Her brows shot up. “Oh really?”

  “Don’t tempt me.”

  “Consider yourself tempted.”

  He held a wide grin as he shook his head. She loved teasing and playing with him. He made her life so much fun and exciting. Above all, he made her feel loved and appreciated.

  She checked the time on her phone. It showed 1:27. “I’m going in. Call my number.” She took the key from the ignition. Seconds later, her cell buzzed. She tapped the screen.

  “Where are you going to hide the phone?” he asked.

  She lifted her purse from the floor and then set her keys and cell inside. “Let’s check for sound quality when I get out of the car. If it’s not good, I can always tuck the phone under my gauze.” She reached for the handle.

  “If he’s not in there, don’t wait more than fifteen minutes for him.”

  “I think we both know he’ll show.”