The Sacrificial Lamb by Elle Fiore Read Free Book Online Page A

is your name?” he asked, looking at her with expectation.
    “Alexis,” she replied shyly.
    “Ah, Alexis!” he enthused. “A beautiful name for a beautiful girl.”
    At this point, the stunning woman who had been sitting with Santino came over to see what all the commotion was about. She was a petite woman, her golden blond hair pulled back in an elegant chignon. Her eyes were a warm brown, accentuated with carefully done makeup. She wore a dress that was simple but draped seductively over her figure. Alex had never had issues with her confidence but felt somewhat plain in comparison in her dress slacks and blouse.
    “Is everything all right, amore?” the woman asked, slipping an arm around Santino.
    “Yes, darling,” he said, smiling down at her. “Julia, this is my old college friend John Montgomery and his daughter, Alexis.” He gestured to the woman at his side. “And this is my wife, Julia.”
    John put his hand out and they all exchanged pleasantries. After a few awkward moments of everyone standing around, Santino waved toward his table. “Why don’t you and Alexis join us?” he asked. “My treat.”
    “Thanks, Santino, but you really don’t need to do that,” her father said.
    “Please, John. I insist!”
    Alex’s father looked at her, and she just lifted a shoulder making it clear it was his decision. John glared at her as if to say, “Thanks for nothing, kid.” She tried to hide a smile.
    They decided it would be easier to join Julia and Santino at their table. The meal and wine served was sumptuous. Santino and his wife were treated with the utmost respect and care by the entire staff, and Alex found herself wondering why. All in all it had been a fun time, as the men recounted memories of college hijinks, while Julia and Alex laughed at their outrageous stories.
    The only time there was any discomfort was when John mentioned he was the local sheriff of his hometown. Santino and Julia exchanged a startled look. For a moment, Alex could have sworn she saw fear stamped on the other woman’s features. The moment passed quickly, and she forgot all about it until much later.
    At the end of dinner, Santino pulled her father aside for a moment so they could speak in private. She couldn’t hear much, but he wanted to get John’s professional advice on a personal matter. The men exchanged numbers, John giving him hers for convenience’s sake, and made arrangements to meet the next night. They said their goodbyes and headed out into the warm evening.
    From Alex’s calculations, that had been four days ago. What happened after that night was still a big blur. The night her father met with Santino, he hadn’t returned home. He’d called her at six a.m. and said that something bad had happened and that he would explain later. He’d instructed her to pick up Shane at the airport that morning and then come to a police station downtown.
    That was the last time she had talked to her father. The one thing she could think of was this had something to do with whatever had happened the night he met Santino and hadn’t come home. Obviously, her captors hadn’t said anything to her. They just came in occasionally to give her food and take away the reeking bucket. Neither of them talked to her, or made any eye contact as she huddled in the corner, terrified out of her mind.
    By the time he walked in, she had been desperate to know what was going on. Not that she had gotten any answers, just more questions. Why were they keeping her alive? Nothing made any sense, and the confusion just added to her growing panic. Alex was sure to get hysterical soon if she didn’t get some answers. Her breath started to come up short, and she recognized she was hyperventilating. She put her head between her knees and tried to breathe deeply.
    Alex did what she had done over the last couple days to keep sane—she pulled up an image of her boyfriend Shane. Instantly, the panic began to subside. She closed her eyes and