10. Lock (Part 1)

Joe waited for me to blunder through the door before yanking hard on my wrist and pulling me in a vice grip behind him. The door shut with a soft click. To me it sounded like a heavy stone door sliding shut on my tomb, echoing as it sealed my fate.

We were in the alley behind the casino. Tall brick walls surrounded us on two sides. One way led to the front parking lot where there would be many people. Safety. The other way led farther behind the casino. That is the way we went.

Joe dragged me faster than I could easily go in my high heels. His fingers dug into the flesh around my wrist and he kept me off balance trying to keep pace with him. This man was going to murder me slowly and enjoy every minute of it. I had to stop him. But how?

I had nothing on my person that could serve as a weapon, and if I didn’t stop him or contact the police he would blow up the ball room in that casino. Shit.

“Let me go you son of a bitch!” I stomped my foot hard and tried to dig into the asphalt to stop from moving forward. He only laughed and pulled me harder.

I refused to move my feet. He yanked on my wrist with so much force that it sent me sprawling on the ground. My feet hadn’t moved, but my knees were stinging and my free hand was scraped and bloody through the black opera glove.

Joe looked down at me with disgust. “If you don’t pick yourself up and start walking with me like a normal human being…” He laughed as if that was a joke. “I will drag you behind me and we can see how long it takes your skin to come off on the street.”