Wilde Chase by Susan Hayes

to me, then yes, we’re going to be just
fine.”
    Relief filled her,
and Kelly finally felt like she could breathe again. “I know it’s late, but I
was thinking maybe I could come over and we could talk about a few things?”
    “Like your
sister?”
    Kelly winced. Tag
had been busy since he’d left. “Yeah, like Jenny. And what I’m going to do to
your big-mouthed baby brother when I see him again.”
    Ben chuckled at
that. “You get him after I’ve addressed the fact he drove off with my
girlfriend tonight. And I would like it if you came over. I’ve got some stuff I
need to tell you too. You want me to come get you?”
    “I’ll drive. I
think that come the fall, I’ll start driving more. You know, when it starts
getting dark earlier.” There, peace
offering made.
    He was silent for
a long moment before finally saying, “You don’t have to do that.”
    “We’ll talk about
it when I get there.”
    “I’ll be waiting
for you.”
    “I’ll be there soon,
caveman.”
    Both of them lingered
for a few seconds, neither of them hanging up first. Finally Kelly giggled and
said good-bye. She tossed her phone back in her purse and headed down to the
parking lot. They’d just survived their first fight and she was glad that
particular milestone was behind them. Things were back on track now, and for
the first time she was looking forward to the future instead of fearing it.
     
    ****
     
    The back lot was
poorly lit and crowded with cars. Oddly enough, it was one of the few places
she actually felt unsafe. Surrounded by apartments, the only access was via a
narrow alley. It saw a fair amount of foot traffic, and most of the people who
wandered in and out were looking for an out-of-the-way place to do something
illegal.
      Normally Kelly would have made sure to have
her keys threaded between her fingers before she even set foot out the door,
but tonight she was distracted. Thoughts of Ben and what they still needed to
talk about buzzed around her head, and she was nearly halfway to her car when
it dawned on her that she wasn’t alone.
    By then, it was
far too late.
    Three men appeared
out of the night, prowling toward her. “Hey girlie,” one of them cat-called
from her left, as two more moved around, cutting her off from the apartment.
    “ You looking for some fun?”
      “Hey, She’s that
animal doctor!”
    “No shit?” The
first one looked her over and she shuddered at the cold look in his bloodshot
eyes. He was close enough that she could see the acne scars that marred his
sallow face, but the other two were wearing caps pulled down low, concealing
their faces.
    “Yeah, I remember
you now. You’re the one that screwed us up last month. We could have scored,
but you had to come snooping around. Stupid bitch.”
    The taller of the
two faceless men pointed to her purse. “Bet she’s got the keys to the clinic in
there.”
    The acne-scarred
one sneered and moved closer. “Yeah, I bet she does. C’mon doc, give us the
keys so we can party. I bet you’ve got good shit in there.”
    Kelly took a step
back for every step he took toward her. “It’s a vet clinic, not a pharmacy.
Unless you need help with fleas or deworming, there’s really not much there for
you.”
    “You did not just
say that! Man, she thinks you’ve got fleas!” The third man doubled over with
laughter.
    “Shut the fuck up!
I do not have fleas. You’re coming with us, doc. You’re going to get us into
that clinic of yours, got it?”
    Kelly didn’t
bother answering, she just dropped her head and ran.
They’d cut her off from the building, but the alley was a straight shot across
the lot from where she was standing. If she could just get to the street, maybe
she could find someone to help her.
    She never stood a
chance.
    They caught her
before she’d gotten close, tackling her from behind, and sending her crashing
to the pavement in a scene that felt all too familiar.
    The weight of her
attacker had her pinned to the