STALKED AND STOLEN

Chapter 16

I hadn’t ever appreciated the loveliness of sinking into a soft fabric seat until I slid across the driver seat and into the passenger seat. A pleasant new car smell filled my nose as I sunk back and closed my eyes for a quick moment. Tommy, for being such a big guy, seemed to move with so much grace. Like he controlled every muscle perfectly.

He slipped into the car and slammed the door. A beeping noise sounded and the dash board lit up. A large orange screen flashed the radio station that played at a low volume. He reached over me and pulled on my seatbelt for me. He started the car and it skidded as he pulled away. I was stuck to the seat, my little body huddled up inside his hoody. I had no idea where we were, all I saw was darkness and the cat eye lights in the centre of the road we’d pulled onto.

He drove like a maniac, but when I looked at him next to me, he looked cool and calm. He kept hold of the steering wheel just with just the fingertips of one hand, and the other resting on the gear stick. He was such a rogue, and I found myself strangely attracted to him. I knew it was probably just because he was so different from what I knew. He was dangerous and definitely a bit of a dick. But he showed me humanity at what was the worst time of my life. He showed me kindness with things like a shower and food.

I’d never even had a boyfriend, so Tommy was definitely danger. If my dad knew what was going on in my mind he’d go absolutely mental. I remembered my parents attempt at the sex talk. It was basically my dad saying boys were bad, and to never, ever, under any circumstances do it. Tommy was the bad boy I’d swooned over many times in movies and books. He was the real deal, he was there in the flesh, right next to me.

I was going insane.

“I don’t understand. He pulled the trigger,” I said. “How am I not shot?”

“Like your Knight in shining armour I turned up just in time,” he said. His lips grew up into a smirk and he gave me a side look.

It wasn’t funny at all, but he was right.

“You saved my life.”

“Don’t mention it.” He changed gear and pressed his foot further down on the gas.

He may not have taken it seriously, but I did. Sure, he was my kidnapper and part of the reason I was there to begin with was his fault. But he—no. I needed to stop running over it in my mind and remember he was the bad guy.

I lay my head back and turned to look put the window. Trees looked like they were whizzing past. Lampposts did the same. We overtook the odd car. It was quiet, and for the first time in weeks I felt comfortable. I tucked my icy cold hands into the sleeves of my hoody, and Tommy reached over and turned on the heaters. He waved his hand in front of each grid to make sure they were blowing towards me, and turned it on high.

See. It was things like that which muddled my mind. He was good, right? But then again... I didn’t know what to think. All I knew was for some strange reason I felt safe. The man on the man on the radio spoke of the weather. He said there was more snow coming. He did a traffic update, then my head almost fell off my neck turning to look at the screen when I heard Gangsters Paradise start.

I looked at Tommy and his face was flat, I couldn’t read him at all. Then his lips lifted into the faintest of smirks, but it was definitely there. I bit my bottom lip and turned back to the window. We drove for two hours straight before I started to recognise my surroundings. The houses became further apart and bigger. We past the little farm Justyna bought my organic eggs and veg from.

“Drop me off at the end of this road,” I said. I shuffled my butt up and reached for the seatbelt, ready to press the button.

“It’s another few minutes yet.” He pointed at the miles on the dash.

I looked into the back, at the large bag of money that lay on the seat, then back to him.

“I want you to get away. I want you to take the money and look after you nanna. If you take me home you will never get away. I’ve watched enough movies to know the police will be there at my house.”

"I know I'll be caught sooner or later, that's why I need to get this money back. But..."

He hesitated. He gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles turned white. I could tell he was grinding his teeth by the little muscle in his temple twitching.

“Just pull over. I can run from here. It isn’t far.”

He ignored me. It was like he deliberately wanted to do the opposite to what I was saying. This was no time for rebellion, though.

“Let me go!” I raised my voice and my body got thrown forward when he slammed on the brake. The seatbelt stopped me and I whacked back against the chair. I spat out bits of my own hair and threw some daggers his way.

This was goodbye. This would be the last time I ever saw Tommy.

“Thank you,” I said in a whisper. He didn’t look at me. He stayed completely silent and completely still.

“I—”

“Get out,” he said. Still not looking at me. “Run.”

I swallowed and pulled on the handle. Freedom was almost within my grasp. I was waiting for something to go wrong. I slipped out the car and slammed the door shut. I turned and ran as fast as my little legs would carry me. I could see my house in the distance, I could see my bedroom light on. I could see all the lights on. It was pitch black around me, and my mind ran in circles, telling me monsters were lurking behind every tree I ran past.

"Zoe! Stop!" Tommy shouted.

When I reached the grass, I turned and I stopped, and it was like tje heavens opened above me. My chest lifted and fell in harsh movements as I lost my breath with running.
Tommy’s car was sitting in the same place, all I could see was his bright white headlights. As massive pellets of rain battered me, his dark figure emerged from the side of the car.

It felt like was cemented to the spot. I wanted to run. My mind kept telling me he was going to swipe me up again and hold me, maybe even kill me, but for some reason I couldn't move. Something told me to stay exactly where I was.

I watched as he pulled his hood up over his head and jogged towards me. He stopped right in front of me and my heart beat fast against my ribs.

"It's not over, Zoe," he said.

My eyes widened and my heart dropped. It was like I knew I would just surrender to him and let him take me, but still, he didn't. I looked up into his eyes that were still so bright in the darkness, his hood casting a dark shadow on his face.

"When you go back there, you aren't safe."

"Pete?" I said, almost knowing the answer before he said it.

"No. Somebody in there," he said and nodded toward my home.

My eyebrows slid down my face into a frown and I shook my head.

"I can't say. I can't say why, or who, just... watch your back. You're not safe in that house."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't trust them. You can't trust them."

He turned and jogged back to his car. I took a few steps forward and held up my arm, trying to signal him to come back. I felt so confused. If he saw me, he ignored me and got back in his car, slamming the door shut.

I turned again and ran, my hair swinging behind me, Tommy’s joggers falling down my backside. The rain thrashing heavy on top of me.

I heard his car reverse, the higher pitch of it screeching backwards, the crunch of the tyres as he turned, then the skid as he pulled away. The little bit of light that casted onto the trees disappeared, and I was finally alone.

It was the last time I would see Tommy. Or was it?