Zoey 101: An Unexpected Encounter

Chapter 16

Chase came to with a ragged groan, his vision so blurry he couldn’t make out a damn thing. But he sure as hell felt the wet tongue lapping at his face. "Rocky?" he mumbled, blinking wildly. "What the hell are you—"

In a flash, his memory returned. Kuyper. Kuyper had hit him over the head and sliced him in the side. Chase lowered his hand to the wound, grimacing when he found his skin sticky with blood. Kuyper had gone for the kidney, probably hoping to damage the organ so Chase would bleed out. Too bad Chase didn’t have a kidney there. Damn thing had been removed 7 years ago after his dad put a bullet in it.

Wincing from the pain, he managed to move to a sitting position. Wet dirt stuck to his back, and he noticed it had started raining again. Next to him Rocky whimpered, attempting to move his injured leg, but Chase quickly reached out to still the hurt animal. "Don’t move, boy. I’m going to get you some help, okay?"

Rocky let out a whine, then lowered his head to the ground.

Fighting the waves of pain and nausea, Chase stumbled to his feet. He glanced around him, looking for his gun, and found no sign of it. Kuyper had taken it. Surprise, surprise.

His throat tightened with fury. Zoey. He had to get to Zoey.

"Stay," he ordered Rocky, who tried getting up as Chase took a few steps forward.

The walk back to the house was difficult, what with the concussion he was certain he had and the blood pouring out of his side. Cold raindrops hit his bare chest, and his feet were covered with mud by the time he reached the porch.

Chase hesitated by the door, suddenly terrified to go inside. What if he was too late? He had no idea how long he’d been unconscious. What if Kuyper had killed Zoey?

Pure anguish tore through him at the thought. No. No. Zoey was not dead. He would not lose her to that sadistic psycho.

Fingers trembling, he slowly opened the front door and stepped into the dark hallway. The light in the kitchen was on, and the yellow glow made his temple aches. Lord, he could barely see straight. Could barely walk, too. He was in no shape to fight off a killer.

Humming. He suddenly heard low male humming drifting out of the kitchen. Kuyper was still here. Hope soared inside him like a helium balloon. Oh Christ, please let her still be alive.

Chase's bare feet didn’t make a sound as he slowly walked down the hall, leaving streaks of mud on the hardwood floor. He pressed his body against the wall next to the kitchen doorway, took a silent breath then peeked inside.

Kuyper was hovering over the kitchen table, back to Chase.

And Zoey…Chase’s heart stopped beating. Zoey was lying on the table, Blonde hair spilling over the edge, eyes closed. Relief poured into him when he noticed the soft rise and fall of her chest, but she was dressed now, with some black shorts and his shirt that he had left during their passional Encounter they had just hours ago. The madman looming over her, sent rage pumping through his blood.

Kuyper, meanwhile, continued to hum as he…oh Jesus, he was dragging the knife up and down Zoey’s body.

Chase immediately knew the killer’s intentions. Kuyper was going to do to Zoey what he believed Zoey’s father had done to his daughter.

He was going to cut her open.

Chase fought a wave of nausea, swallowing the urge to throw up.

No.

No way in hell was he going to lose her. He loved her, goddamn it! He loved her sass and her laughter and the way she made him feel anything was possible, that even a screwed-up kid raised by a wife-beater could have a shot at happiness.

And he was not going to lose her.

Chase charged into the kitchen.