Chapter 23
Davina sat in the backseat of Spaulding’s sedan, speeding through town. A thick metal grate separated her from the front, like a police car. He’d told her Ben had a severe head injury, but was resistant to giving her details.
“Please, tell me what happened.”
He met her eyes in the rearview mirror. “Are you sure you want to hear this?”
She nodded.
“He was down at the port. One of the men offered him a tour of a containership, one of the real big ones they use to import goods from Asia. I’m not sure exactly what happened, if he lost his footing or tripped or what, but he fell from the ladder getting down from the ship.”
She gasped and covered her mouth. “How high up was it?”
“I don’t know exactly, ma’am.”
“But he’s alive?”
“He was when I came to get you.”
She felt physically sick with worry and was grateful Wyatt wasn’t there to hear this. She woke up her cell phone and checked the number of bars. “I need to call his brother, but I don’t have service. That’s weird, because I can usually call from anywhere in town.”
“Strange.”
She looked out the window at the buildings passing by. “Which hospital is he at?”
“I’m not sure, ma’am. I’ve just got it in the GPS.”
There was a map displayed on the dashboard, but she couldn’t see where it was taking them. Not that it mattered at this point. Ben was badly injured. The location was unimportant.
Spaulding took a ramp up to the expressway, getting her attention. “You’re going the wrong way. All the hospitals are that way.”
He didn’t respond.
She leaned forward, all but pressing her face against the grate. “Did you hear me? We need to go back!”
“Relax. I’m taking you to Ben. He’s just not in a hospital. Not yet, anyway.”
“I don’t understand.”
“There was no accident. I made that up to get you in the car. Falling off the ship, that part was just for fun. I’m taking you to DeRegina.”
She sat back abruptly, taking in the metal bars with fresh eyes. There was no handle with which to open her door. She was a prisoner, unable to escape, at the mercy of the man driving the car and taking her God knows where. “Is Ben all right?”
“Like I said, he was alive when I saw him last, but I can’t make any promises. He pissed Mr. DeRegina off pretty good. I should tell the guys about the ship idea, just in case they do need to kill him. It’s a good visual, don’t you think? Very dramatic.”
Her stomach curled at the thought of Ben hitting the pavement. “What do you need me for?”
He chuckled. “You’re the insurance policy.”
She needed to reach Zach, let him know she was in trouble. She woke her cell phone again but still didn’t have a signal.
“You’re not going to get any bars back there. The signal’s blocked. You may as well just sit back and enjoy the ride. If this doesn’t go well tonight, it could be your last one ever.”