Caught in the Middle

Chapter 10

'How could I let him kiss me like that?' I wondered as I stood on shaky legs.  I breathed in air and let it go.  I repeated my breathing exercise until my heart rate calmed and my body wasn't a shaky mess of nerves.

His kiss was wonderful. His tongue pulled such a response from me that I never felt from other men.  But then again I never got intimate with them.  The first guy I fell for in high school made me get detention for a month because he wanted to sneak into school during night hours to make out.  The second guy stole one day in a convenience store and I was stuck with him.  I had to call my father to rescue me.  There were a couple of other unfortunate incidents but I made a goal to never hit second base with a guy.

'And that's how I kept my virginity in tact.'  I shook my head.

I went to the sink and washed the dishes.  Then I moved to the couch as I remembered that I left my knapsack there last night.  I rushed to it and found nothing.  Frowning, I looked in my bedroom for my bag and it wasn't anywhere.  Not in the walk-in closet or the bathroom.

I left my bedroom as I saw Dane left his room.  The door remained open.    It was my chance to see if he had my bag.  Putting weight on the balls of my feet, I crept silently into his room.  His room turned out to be an office as a massive magnificent desk was in the center of the room.  There was a picture of a beautiful starry night behind it, which I would have loved to admire if I had more time.  I rushed over to the desk.  I checked the sides and under it to see if I could find my bag.  Not seeing it, I noticed there was a phone on his desk. As I thought back to the layout of his apartment, I didn't remember seeing a phone anywhere.  It was a reason for the frantic search for my bag.  If I could get my hands on my cell phone, I could call Irene or my Mr. Norton.  Maybe I could call the police.  I picked up the phone, feeling relief that I heard a dial tone.  But as I began dialing numbers, the tone died as a message requested for me to enter a three digit security code.  I looked at the phone with disbelief and put it on the cradle.  Next to his phone was an open laptop.  The screen was blank but maybe he might have left a window open so I could send a message for help.  I tapped on some of the keys on the keyboard- but my hope quickly faded as a password was requested for me to have full access to the contents on it.

"You're tenacious.  I'll give you that," a masculine voice said from the other side of the room.  I jerked as I saw him hovering by the door frame.  His face appeared expressionless but his eyes glimmered. "Just to let you know, you can't go downstairs and request for help because the staff knows not to bring the elevator on the top floor.  That phone and my computer are password protected."

I clenched my hands into fists as I glared at him.  I wanted to curse him but I knew better than to let my temper get the best of me.  Instead, I opted to explain my reason to him.

"I was searching for my bag," I said. 

"And you happen to come across other electronic devices that can help you escape from here," he replied. 

"You don't understand. I have to call into work-."

"Your boss already fired you," he interrupted.

I frowned.  "How do you know that?"

"Mr. Pierce made sure to get rid of all your connections.  He's going to ruin your life beginning by getting rid of your source of income.  Then he'll make sure you don't have a place to live.  Presumably, he won't stop until your dead."

My eyes widened at what Dane just told me.  "Are you saying he's a cold blooded killer?"

"He can be when he meets someone who poses a threat to him."

I wrapped my arms around myself as a shiver of fear passed through my body.  Goosebumps formed on my exposed skin.  "But I just dated him."

"Miss Black, no, Tessa," he said my name for the first time, "You messed with the wrong person."