- LAWSON -
"Who the hell is this?" I ask. My words aren’t accusing as much as they’re confused.
The woman this guy has brought is not Auraya. I can’t tell who she is, because she’s still out cold in the back of the SUV, but she’s definitely not Auraya. The hair is wrong.
"Is she dead?" I ask, gaping, confused, bewildered.
We’re still at the rest stop, though we pulled around the back where the parking lot is empty and obscured from the highway by the stone building full of restrooms, snack machines, and maps. On the other side of us, there’s nothing but dense trees.
"You think I would bring you a dead woman?" He sighs, leaning on the door. "She should be out for awhile longer."
"This is not the woman you were supposed to get. Take her back and get the right one," I glare at him.
He pulls out his phone and points to the picture I sent him. "This one," he says. "That’s who she is."
My teeth clench together, and I close my eyes. Why? Why did this have to go wrong? What are the odds that both of them would have been at the funeral reception?
"That’s the wrong one," I grind out. "I don’t want this one."
"Too bad. You got her," he says, eyes turning wild as he leans forward. "And I hope you’re in for a ride, because she’s a fighter. See this?" He turns his head and points out a few scratches on his cheek.
I scoff. "Have you seen this?" I ask, pointing to my own face.
"Exactly," he chuckles. "If you couldn’t handle whoever gave you that, then there’s no way you will be able to handle her."
I glare at him.
What the hell am I going to do with Auraya’s sister or friend or whoever the hell this woman is in relation to her? Taking this woman isn’t going to hurt Dex, and that’s what I wanted. That was the whole point. It might make Auraya upset, but...
"Want to make 20 more?" I ask.
I hate the fact that I’m going to have to pay more just because this guy couldn’t do the job right the first ti. I thought he was supposed to be good. But this could still work in my favor.
The guy relaxes again against the car and considers my question before a slow smile spreads over his face. He’s a creepy fucker with that smile, I’ll give him that.
"What do you have in mind, sunshine?"
—————————
- AURAYA -
Dad and I are standing outside the club together, neither of us talking. We’re both in a state of shock, and I don’t know what I can possibly say. I’m afraid to say anything. I’m afraid to voice my fears, because they might beco reality if I do.
Dex is on the phone with Luciano, and he’s walked off to either hear him better or to not be heard by others. I’m just praying for a miracle—whatever it might be. Anything. I’ll take anything at this point.
My phone goes off with a text notification, and I’m imdiately looking at it in case it’s Rory. It’s not until I see it’s from an unknown number that I rember Dad has Rory’s purse, which probably has her phone in it. She wouldn’t be texting or calling unless she got away.
’Missing sothing important? et alone and you can have it back.’
I have to reread the words over and over again, because they’re just words. They aren’t coalescing into a aning of any kind—that is until a video cos through. Once I start to watch it, I almost throw up.
"Auraya, what it is?" Dad asks, and I slap a hand over my mouth, shaking my head.
"Just upset," I manage, squeezing my eyes shut before looking back down at my phone.
It’s a video of my sister in the backseat of a vehicle. She’s barefoot but still in her dress. She looks like she’s sleeping, but then the caraman reaches in and moves the hair away from her face to reveal a large gash over her eye.
’She’s pretty. Is she your sister?’
Oh my god, this can’t be happening. What kind of deranged lunatic is this?
’Don’t be stupid, or I might break sothing before you get her back.’ The next text reads.
’Who are you? What do you want?’
’You, Auraya. I want to trade.’
I swallow hard and glance around. Dex is still on the far side of the building on his phone.
’Why?’
’Do you know the abandoned saw mill on Elk River?’
My thoughts skitter around the interior of a map in my brain. That old saw mill can’t be too far from here, if I recall correctly.
’I think so.’
’Co alone or things get broken.’
’I don’t have a car.’
’You’re smart. You’ll figure it out. Are you still at the country club?’
’Yes,’ I text back.
’Then you have 45 minutes to get to the mill. If it takes longer or you don’t co alone, you’ll never see her again.’
My hands are shaking holding the phone, and I glance around again. Should I tell soone? The police still aren’t here, so I obviously don’t have ti to tell them.
What if I do tell soone and then sothing happens to her? What if I blow my only chance to help my sister? If this psychopath is after , then that ans she was targeted because of and I need to be the one to fix it.
After I don’t reply, another text pops up. ’Ti starts now.’
Oh my god, I don’t know if I can get there in forty-five minutes. I don’t know if I can get there at all. What car am I going to use? I don’t exactly drive often, and I’m not sure I could even find the place if I did manage to take a car.
Rory’s car. I can drive Rory’s car.
Dex strides over my way, and my heart speeds even faster than it already was. I’m torn between telling him and not telling him. If I do, then he won’t let go and Rory could get hurt. If I don’t... there’s no telling what could happen. But there’s a chance that my sister will actually survive.
When Dex’s eyes et mine, I’m struck with the very real possibility that I could wound him with my decision. If I go et this guy and sothing happens to ... Dex has lost too much. I don’t know how he would deal with that. But before I can bring myself to tell him, he offers his news first.
"Luciano has a hacker friend who is checking street cams in the area around the ti it happened," Dex says. "They think they might have the SUV on video headed toward the highway. He’s going to check it out, and I was thinking about catching up with him in case they find sothing."
Just like that, Dex has made my escape easy. I don’t even have to co up with a story or try to slip away. He’s going to leave on his own, and then all I will need to do is tell Dad I’m using Rory’s car for sothing.
"Will you stay here with your dad and the police when they arrive?" Dex asks, taking hold of my arm and drawing close.
I nod, unable to open my mouth and lie to him. Just a nod... just a nod isn’t so bad. And who knows... maybe Luciano and Dex will catch up to the guy. Maybe I will go to the abandoned mill and no one will be there. Maybe... maybe all of this will work out.
Dex groans and embraces . "It could have been you, Raya," he says in a deep gravel near my ear.
It sounds like that idea is prepared to unravel him if he pursues it any further.
"Don’t worry, angel. We’ll get her back, okay? Luciano has a lot of powerful friends."
"What kind of powerful?" I ask.
Can they do sothing with this text information? Can they trace it? Can they track guy?
"The helpful kind," he says as he pulls out of the embrace. Then his eyes do sothing I have never seen them do before. They shut out.
"The bad egg kind," I almost whisper to myself.
Dex’s lips twitch toward a smile.
"Yes," he says softly. "That’s why you can’t co. Stay here with your dad, okay? Promise?"
He starts to walk away as he’s waiting for the promise to co, but I can’t do it. I can’t lie to him. It’s like there is sothing internally preventing from committing that sin.
Once Dex realizes that I’m purposely not promising what he has requested, he stops in his tracks. I don’t know what expression I have on my face, but his imdiately changes. His brows pinch together and he walks back my way.
"What is it, Raya?" He asks, lifting a hand to my face. "You can tell anything."
Reviews
All reviews (0)