Read Online Hotshot by Julie Garwood - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Julie Garwood
Tags: Romance
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happened, no one would hear her.
She had her coat on and was digging through her purse for her keys when he shouted her name. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she bolted out of the office and ran down the hall. She had just turned the corner when she heard him shout her name again. She didn’t respond and rushed up a flight of stairs to the garage entrance. Afraid that he might be coming after her, she didn’t go directly to her car but ran to the floor above, reasoning that if he didn’t see her, he would assume she was still inside working.
Was her fear unreasonable? A door opened, then slammed shut. She ducked down between two cars and waited. She felt foolish and told herself she was overreacting, but panic was edging in on her, and she couldn’t seem to control it.
Drew was a man who was used to getting whatever he wanted, but was he really capable of violence? How far would he go to get his way?
Later that night, she found out just how dangerous he was.
______
It was well past midnight. She was huddled under the covers and just drifting off to sleep when she heard a car zoom past, then screech to a stop and back up. She didn’t know what possessed her to get out of bed and peek out the window, but she thanked God she did, for there, backing into a parking spot, was Drew’s big SUV. The back tires were on the curb and the vehicle sat diagonally across the lines, taking up two parking spaces. She watched Drew get out, slam the door, and stagger across the lot. The harsh light from the lamppost cast an eerie glow on his scowl. He looked angry and determined, and he terrified her. She ran to drag a heavy chair over to the door and shoved it under the doorknob, then checked to make certain she had locked the deadbolt.
Suddenly he started beating on her door with his fists. Then, ramming his shoulder against it, he tried to break the lock. The door shook and she knew it was only a matter of seconds before he forced his way in. She raced to the phone to call the front desk.
“There’s a drunk man trying to break into my room,” she cried out. “Please call the police.”
The older teenager manning the desk said, “I’ll come help you.”
She didn’t know if he would also call the police, so she decided she’d better do it, but she was so rattled she dropped the phone and had to dive under the bed to get it.
“Let me in, Peyton. I’m going to make you feel real good, baby. Come on now. You know you want it. I’ll make you want it.”
Over and over he promised to make her feel good, but his voice was getting louder and angrier. Peyton frantically searched the room for something to use as a weapon. It was the old man in the room next to hers who inadvertently saved her. He opened his door and shouted a litany of curses, ending with the threat that he would call the police if Drew didn’t stop making a racket and leave.
“Go on, get out of here. I’ll call the cops on you. Go on before they arrest you.”
The pounding on the door stopped, and she heard Drew threaten the old man. Then she heard the young clerk asking if everything was all right. Drew started muttering, but she couldn’t make out what he was saying. A minute later, she heard his car motor racing as he peeled out of the parking lot.
“He’s gone. He’s gone. He’s gone.” She must have whispered those words a hundred times while she sat on the floor in the tiny bathroom. Her back was pressed against the bathtub, and her feet were pushing against the door so that no one could come inside. He was gone, and she was safe now. The enormity of what had almost happened hit, and she folded her knees under her chin and wrapped her arms around them, rocking back and forth as she began to sob.
She didn’t sleep at all that night. She stayed locked in the bathroom until the sun came up, then she packed a bag and drove to Mimi’s. Her friend liked to sleep in on weekends, and it wasn’t even eight o’clock when Peyton knocked on her
She had her coat on and was digging through her purse for her keys when he shouted her name. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she bolted out of the office and ran down the hall. She had just turned the corner when she heard him shout her name again. She didn’t respond and rushed up a flight of stairs to the garage entrance. Afraid that he might be coming after her, she didn’t go directly to her car but ran to the floor above, reasoning that if he didn’t see her, he would assume she was still inside working.
Was her fear unreasonable? A door opened, then slammed shut. She ducked down between two cars and waited. She felt foolish and told herself she was overreacting, but panic was edging in on her, and she couldn’t seem to control it.
Drew was a man who was used to getting whatever he wanted, but was he really capable of violence? How far would he go to get his way?
Later that night, she found out just how dangerous he was.
______
It was well past midnight. She was huddled under the covers and just drifting off to sleep when she heard a car zoom past, then screech to a stop and back up. She didn’t know what possessed her to get out of bed and peek out the window, but she thanked God she did, for there, backing into a parking spot, was Drew’s big SUV. The back tires were on the curb and the vehicle sat diagonally across the lines, taking up two parking spaces. She watched Drew get out, slam the door, and stagger across the lot. The harsh light from the lamppost cast an eerie glow on his scowl. He looked angry and determined, and he terrified her. She ran to drag a heavy chair over to the door and shoved it under the doorknob, then checked to make certain she had locked the deadbolt.
Suddenly he started beating on her door with his fists. Then, ramming his shoulder against it, he tried to break the lock. The door shook and she knew it was only a matter of seconds before he forced his way in. She raced to the phone to call the front desk.
“There’s a drunk man trying to break into my room,” she cried out. “Please call the police.”
The older teenager manning the desk said, “I’ll come help you.”
She didn’t know if he would also call the police, so she decided she’d better do it, but she was so rattled she dropped the phone and had to dive under the bed to get it.
“Let me in, Peyton. I’m going to make you feel real good, baby. Come on now. You know you want it. I’ll make you want it.”
Over and over he promised to make her feel good, but his voice was getting louder and angrier. Peyton frantically searched the room for something to use as a weapon. It was the old man in the room next to hers who inadvertently saved her. He opened his door and shouted a litany of curses, ending with the threat that he would call the police if Drew didn’t stop making a racket and leave.
“Go on, get out of here. I’ll call the cops on you. Go on before they arrest you.”
The pounding on the door stopped, and she heard Drew threaten the old man. Then she heard the young clerk asking if everything was all right. Drew started muttering, but she couldn’t make out what he was saying. A minute later, she heard his car motor racing as he peeled out of the parking lot.
“He’s gone. He’s gone. He’s gone.” She must have whispered those words a hundred times while she sat on the floor in the tiny bathroom. Her back was pressed against the bathtub, and her feet were pushing against the door so that no one could come inside. He was gone, and she was safe now. The enormity of what had almost happened hit, and she folded her knees under her chin and wrapped her arms around them, rocking back and forth as she began to sob.
She didn’t sleep at all that night. She stayed locked in the bathroom until the sun came up, then she packed a bag and drove to Mimi’s. Her friend liked to sleep in on weekends, and it wasn’t even eight o’clock when Peyton knocked on her
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