Page 3 of Lion’s Den

Thank goodness. The last thing she wanted was for her and Julio to be stuck waiting for Eddie to come to pick him up. Wanting to be sure this was indeed Julio’s brother, she walked with Julio to the vehicle. Mindful of her promise to her student, Sedona smiled at the teenage driver and held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Sedona Hart, Julio’s teacher.”

The teen pumped her hand once. “Eddie.”

“It’s good to meet you, Eddie. Thanks for helping your brother and sister. That was kind of you.”

He gave a curt nod, looking pleased with himself. “Yeah, no problem.”

Sedona opened the passenger-side door and helped Julio into the backseat. Once she buckled him into the booster seat, she said, “See you tomorrow, Julio.”

“Bye, Miss Hart.”

She stepped back and closed the door.

After the brothers were safely off school property, Sedona retraced her steps around the building and walked toward her car. She grimaced when she saw two of the men watching her. Where was the third one?

She almost stopped walking, but thought better of it. Determined not to worry about something that wasn’t her business, even if it was on school property, Sedona increased her walking pace, keeping her gaze firmly on her car. She just needed to get inside and lock the doors. Everything would be fine if she accomplished that goal. All she wanted was dinner and her bed.

The faster she approached her car, the more Sedona’s skin crawled. No doubt in her mind that the two men were still watching her. Although she tried not to make it obvious, she kept her head down while she looked out of the corners of her eyes. Still nothing. Where was the third man?

She’d almost reached her vehicle when a strong, hairy arm wrapped around her neck from behind and yanked Sedona back against a muscular chest. She dropped her purse and her school bag, then clawed at the man’s arm to gain even a fraction of an inch so she could drag in a breath. Her efforts were in vain. The man cursed and squeezed tighter.

“Hurry up,” her captor snapped. “She’s fighting like a wildcat.”

“I’m coming. Tame that kitty,” one of the other men muttered.

Heavy footsteps came near, then Sedona felt a sharp prick at the side of her neck, a burning sensation, and the world went dark.

CHAPTER TWO

SEDONA SLOWLY PUSHED aside the strong desire to sleep and opened her eyes. She saw nothing but unending night. Heart slamming against her ribcage, Sedona turned her head slowly from one side to the other. The only thing she saw was darkness. Was she blind? Where was she? This didn’t feel like home. The air smelled stale and dusty.

Her stomach churned, and nausea built in waves. Oh, no. Sedona swallowed hard. Was she sick? She couldn’t be sick. The kindergarteners were going on a field trip.

Why weren’t any lights on? She never slept in total darkness. Perhaps that was the problem. She had gone to sleep without leaving a light burning.

She frowned. No, that couldn’t be right. She wasn’t lying down. She was sitting in a chair. Sedona wiggled her hands and realized something flexible fastened her wrists to the back of the chair. Flex ties?

Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. What was happening? Who had tied her to a chair and why?

Close by, a door opened. The air changed pressure, and she smelled pine. Not the chemical smell of a pine cleaner, though. No, this was natural, like pine trees.

Was she in the woods? If so, how did she get here? Sedona froze. Why couldn’t she remember a detail that important? Had she ridden with someone and ended up here? She hoped so because the only other logical alternative was that she’d been kidnapped.

That was ridiculous. Who would kidnap a kindergarten teacher, and why would they take her? None of this made sense.

“There you are,” a deep voice said. “I’m glad you’re awake.”

Goosebumps popped up on Sedona’s skin. Who was this guy? “Untie me.”

He chuckled. “No can do, kitty. Besides, I like to see my women tied up.”

A rough finger traced an invisible trail along Sedona’s cheek, then continued the journey down her neck and traced the neckline of her blouse. “Such soft skin,” he murmured. “I wonder if your lips are soft too.”

No, no, no. “Don’t touch me,” she snapped.

Hard hands gripped her throat and squeezed. “You’re not in any position to tell me what to do. If you’re smart, you’ll play along because I can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Be careful which role you choose for me. Either would be fun for me.”

Sedona fought her restraints, looking for any slack to free herself and pry this man’s hard hands from her throat. The pressure increased more and more until she was positive that she would die.