The Prey – meeting the woman of his dreams

In Chapter 4 of The Prey, Carter takes the beautiful and alluring, Taryn on a date and his instincts tell him, she’s the one.

 

Twenty minutes later, Carter and Taryn were inside the Croaker Spot which was very crowded. After placing their names on the list to be seated, he led her to the bar.

“Want to sit here and have a glass of wine while we wait?” he asked.

“Sure, but I’d rather have a martini instead.” Taryn smiled coyly at him as she slid onto the bar stool.

Carter returned her smile, leaning into her, he whispered, “On second thought, you sure you’re old enough to drink?”

“I’m older than you think.”

“What can I get you two?” the bartender interrupted.

“For the lady,” Carter turned to Taryn.

“I’d like a watermelon martini made with one part vodka and three parts mixer.”

“Is our house vodka okay?” the bartender asked.

Before she could answer, Carter spoke up, “She’d like your top shelf vodka. And I’ll have a Hennessey on the rocks.

After the bartender turned to prepare their drinks, Taryn leaned into Carter and said, “I appreciate you looking out for me babe, but I prefer Absolut.”

A half smile came across his face as he thought to himself, “I like that; she’s not afraid to set me straight.”

“Al’ight.  Next time I’ll ask first,” he said aloud.

 

 

The two spent the next twenty minutes, waiting for their table sipping on their drinks and getting to know each other. Taryn was relieved that the conversation flowed so easily. Carter was beginning to feel certain that his instincts had once again served him right. There was something special about Taryn.

 

The Prey: Meet J. Carter Woodson

In chapter 1, we meet J. Carter Woodson, a man not only focused on his plan but on winning; a man on the brink of realizing his dreams. He is intelligent, confident, centered and handsome and every woman’s desire.

 

Chapter 1

“Dammm!” Carter mumbled to himself as he glanced at the clock on his bedside table. He hated being late for work, even if he was the owner of the company.

He had overslept by fifteen minutes, but in Richmond Virginia, fifteen minutes was enough to cost him one hour of time during rush hour traffic. All it took was for one careless driver moving a little too fast or another on the phone to cause an accident, which could back traffic up for miles.

Peering at himself in the mirror, he took a deep breath and then wrapped his blue and white silk tie around the neck of his baby blue shirt.  Both pieces were by Sean John. Reaching into his jewelry box, Carter retrieved his diamond cuff links and inserted them into the openings of his cuffs. He decided to dress in his finest navy blue single-breasted suit today, also by Sean John. One thing Carter Woodson firmly believed in was supporting young minority designers.

Sitting down on the chair in the corner of his room, he slipped his feet into a pair of black Testoni Noruegese shoes, and then reaching atop his highboy dresser, Carter applied another dab of his Issey Miyake cologne. He glanced at himself once more in his full length mirror. Now satisfied with his appearance grabbed his cell phone and briefcase and headed out the door.

 

 

“Elise,” he addressed his personal secretary without as much as a good morning.

“Good morning, Mr. Woodson; how may I help you?”

“Let Matthew know I’m running late. Tell him to start the meeting without me. I should be there in about thirty minutes barring any foolishness on highway 288.”

“Will do sir, but just so you know, Matthew has already begun the meeting. He decided to take Mr. Finne and his associates to the Hotel Jefferson for a breakfast meeting.”

Carter cursed under his breath before he spoke, “And when were you or Matt going bring me up to speed on that decision?”

“As far as I know Carter, Emily was supposed to handle that piece. Matthew informed me on his way out of the office that she was phoning you, and he needed me to retrieve the final documents to be signed by Mr. Finne off your desk.”

“Shit!” This time Carter cursed aloud. “How many times must I tell you Elise, I don’t trust anyone but you to handle my affairs? As far as I’m concerned, Matthew’s Assistant should have been let go weeks ago. Damm!”

“Would you like for me to phone Matthew and let him know you’re on your way?”

“Yes,” he breathed into the phone. “Parking downtown is hell; why would he choose the Jefferson of all places?” he finished with a question that was more of a statement.

“They took the company car to avoid parking. I’m supposed to send the driver for them once Mr. Matthew calls. I can also inform the hotel valet that you are in route and pressed for time. That way you don’t have to worry with parking once you get there.”

“See, that’s why I love you girl. Will you marry me?”

“No . . . now if that’s all sir, I’ll make those phone calls.”

 

The Prey

For those of you who have never read a book by me and who are not to sure of my writing style, I’ve decided to post a little of my book titled, “The Prey” two to three times a week. If reading snippets leaves you wanting more, and you don’t want to follow it here, “The Prey” is available on Amazon. Thank you and happy reading!

                                             

                                                 The Prey

Prologue

He glanced down at his hands fighting the urge to be sick. He couldn’t remember ever seeing so much blood in one place – the sight of it taking his paranoia to another level. Anxiously, he looked about him trying to confirm that he was not being watched, although he knew they had not been followed. The blood made him jittery as if it could talk, as if it alone cried out for help.

Peering up at the setting sun, he knew he now had to work quickly. Most people used the darkness to cover their less than honorable deeds, but he could not afford to allow the darkness to catch him. That was when they came out.

Vultures circled above him, obviously attracted by the smell of her dead body. It seemed as though their numbers grew each time he glanced up. The sight of their enormous wingspan added to his uneasiness.

He closed his eyes taking slow deep breathes before finishing the task at hand. There was no place for nausea; he was running out of time. Grabbing her beneath the arms, he dragged what remained of her upper body a few feet away from where her severed legs lay. Next, he spread the broken pieces of her lower body around as well. He had to make it appear as though she had been mauled by them, just as he planned.

As he turned and walked away, he was surprised by the feeling of relief that suddenly came over him – relief that she was gone, relief that she could no longer bring harm. He paused momentarily glancing back at her face. Her eyes were still open, and even in death she seemed to be watching him. Shaking his head to remove the panic that attempted to rise within his belly, he reminded himself once again that it was finally over.

There were no feelings of remorse only of peace – something he had not felt for some time. You see, today things changed for him. Today, he regained control over the life she stole from him. The woman who stalked and caused his life to be a living hell was no longer a threat. He had turned the tables and beat her at her own game, catching her off guard when she least expected it snuffing out her life.

He proved to her that he meant what he said when he informed her that some day he would end her madness. There had been warnings as he begged her to leave things be. He tried to explain that there was no love and there never would be any love, and her tactics were only making matters worse. But, she refused to listen and instead began to cause physical harm.

That was when his will to protect took control and a carnal side of him he never knew existed consumed him. Just as he promised, he ended her reign of terror. A rustling in the brush pulled him back to reality, and he stepped up his pace reaching the jeep as he heard the first approaching sounds of the alpha lioness.

He quickly removed his elbow length rubber gloves, coveralls and shoe covers and placed them in the plastic bag that had held her body before hopping into the jeep. Locking the door and wiping his hands, even though they were clean, he signaled to his partner who started the engine. As they slowly drove off, a smile traced his lips and a sense of power filled his heart. You see today – the hunter became The Prey.