19. CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 19
SCARLETT
At first, I think I’m in the nightmare again.
The one when Trevor abducts me and holds a knife to my neck. Forces me to go into the woods. Uses me as bait to trap my best friend.
As I watch his hand tighten around Maya’s throat, everything shifts.
It’s not Maya in his punishing grip, but me.
An apt punishment, since it was my stubborn resistance that almost got Maya killed.
I can feel the pressure around my neck. The panic. Terror. The overwhelming helplessness. The regret.
But.
I’ve learned to escape the nightmares. To focus on what’s real instead of the terrible memories. I do my box-breathing and I think about all the good things—Grant, the dogs, the cabin, my friends, my family, my job. I tell myself, I made one mistake. But I didn’t deserve what happened to me.
It almost always works.
Except .
This time, when I drag myself back to consciousness, the nightmare isn't over.
And it’s not a nightmare. It’s real.
The haziness blinks away in an instant, replaced by breath-stealing clarity.
I’m not in bed, in the cabin, with Grant next to me and the dogs fast asleep on their matching doggie beds. I can’t snuggle against Grant while he rubs my back until I stop shaking.
I open my eyes just a sliver—partly because I’m terrified of what I’ll see, partly because I don’t want whoever took me to know I’m awake.
I’m in a car. In the backseat. It’s fairly clean, no stains on the upholstery; at least none I can see from here.
So no blood, at least.
But wouldn’t the blood be in the trunk?
Oh . Not now. This is not the time for a panic attack.
Calm down. Observe, like Grant’s always doing. Pay attention to every small detail. Keep focused and take stock of the situation.
Through the filter of my lashes, I catch glimpses of the person driving. Light-brown hair, almost military-short, a dark-clad shoulder, a hand resting on the middle console, holding something.
Next, I tentatively try to move.
I can’t.
Any semblance of calm flies out the window .
Terror seizes my body. My muscles start shaking uncontrollably. Small, panicked gasps whistle in and out of a narrowing throat.
I can’t move.
My wrists are bound behind me. My ankles are restrained. So are my knees.
Fear comes roaring forward, a fire-breathing dragon intent on destroying me. Even though I know I shouldn’t, I start jerking at my bindings, trying to get free.
That’s when I discover something even worse. I’m actually tied to the backseat somehow—the seatbelts, some hidden hook between the seats, does it matter when I can’t move…
Terrified whimpers are rising in my throat.
The rational part of my brain is commanding me to calm down. To stop making noise before the driver notices I’m awake. But I’m so scared .
“You’re awake.” The voice is gritty, a smoker’s voice, though the car doesn’t smell like cigarettes. It has a staleness to it, with a hint of fake pine, like one of those cheap air fresheners you can buy at the gas station.
Instinctively, I slam my eyes shut, squeezing them tightly. My terrified mind reasons, if I can’t see him, he can’t see me.
So stupid.
He chuckles. “Scarlett. I’ve been watching you in the mirror. I know you’re awake. I’m not sure what you think you’re accomplishing by pretending. ”
When I don’t open my eyes right away—I can’t, it feels like my muscles are frozen—his tone sharpens. “Scarlett. Open your eyes. Now .”
Now I’m not just shaking, I’m vibrating in fear. A full breath seems an impossibility.
But I pry my eyelids open, terrified of what he’ll do if I don’t.
In the rearview mirror, dark eyes glint with satisfaction.
“Good.” It’s said almost affectionately. “I would have hated to punish you already.”
Then a small movement draws my eyes to the console. My stomach flies into my throat. How could I have forgotten?
The man’s fingers are slowly caressing something I’ve seen before.
The gun. I remember it, shining dully in the morning sun, jabbing into Jasper’s side.
Poor, scared Jasper, shaking in the man’s unforgiving hold, his eyes pleading for me to help him. So helpless. Innocent.
Jasper. My constant for more than eight years. He got me through some of my hardest times. Gave me unconditional love even when I hated myself.
How could I save myself and sacrifice him?
But.
Do I know he’s okay?
After this man—monster—grabbed me, did he really do as he promised? Did he leave Jasper and Wilson alone, or did he…
“Jasper,” I gasp. “What did you do to him? Did you hurt him? And Wilson. Are they okay? Did you— ”
“Ah, there’s my blue-eyed angel.” This time, the man glances over his shoulder at me. “Always so worried about those in need.” He pauses, flashing me a little smirk before turning back to the road. “It’s one of the things I liked about you right away. Aside from your beauty, of course.”
What?
Who is he?
In the backyard, I didn’t recognize his voice, but I couldn’t be sure he was a stranger. Not with the hat and gaiter hiding everything but flinty eyes and a shadowed brow. And I only got close to him for a few seconds before he grabbed me, not nearly long enough to make any sort of connection.
I was certain he wasn’t someone I knew well, but an old patient or classmate or coworker from years ago? Disguised like that? It was possible.
But now? Getting a good look at his face without the hat and gaiter; I’m positive I’ve never seen this man in my life.
What does he want from me?
Did Richard Cunningham somehow hire someone else to kill me?
But then… why take me? Why not shoot me in Grant’s backyard and leave me there?
Does he want something else?
A low, keening sound emerges, and at first I don’t realize where it’s coming from. Then the man—my abductor—snaps, “Stop it. I thought you were braver than that. ”
As I flinch against the cushions of the backseat, he adds in a gentler tone, “I’m sorry, Scarlett. I understand this must be frightening, even to you. Being at a disadvantage like this. I know it’s not really fair, tying you up like this, but I have no choice.”
“Why?” My voice is barely a whisper. “Who are you? What are you doing?”
Distractedly, I notice the car accelerating. The turn signal clicks rhythmically for a second. A car horn blares in the distance.
“Oh, you’re right.” This time his eyes soften as he looks in the rear-view mirror at me. “I should have introduced myself right away. I’m Derek Morrison. We’ve met, actually. Although you wouldn’t recognize me without the mask.”
“What?”
“At that house. The estate. The one I was paid to break into.”
My already racing heart kicks into warp speed. Alternating waves of hot and cold sweep through me. Cold perspiration dampens my body. “I don’t understand.”
“I was paid to break in,” he explains patiently. “Make it look like a robbery. But really, I was supposed to kill you.” He pauses. “It sounded like an easy job. The alarms would be disarmed already. Just an old man in his bedroom and a helpless nurse.”
“But…” Shock loosens my voice. “They caught him. The man who broke in. Who hit me. There was stolen jewelry in his car. He didn’t have an alibi. He’s in jail…”
Oh, crap .
“He was framed.” My captor—Derek? The name seems too normal for what he’s doing—finishes my statement for me. “When I was unsuccessful, which I never am, by the way, Cunningham framed the landscaper so you wouldn’t be on guard. So you wouldn’t be expecting anything. I would have done the same thing, really.”
This is unbelievable. Surreal. Horrifying.
For a moment, I wonder if I’m in the middle of a whopper of a nightmare. Maybe if I concentrate hard enough, I’ll be able to pull myself out of it.
“I couldn’t believe it at first,” Derek continues. “You. Getting away from me. So fragile. Perfect. Like a little doll. But then you transformed. You went from this scared woman to a warrior. And honestly, Scarlett… I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you ever since.”
“What?” I feel like a parrot, but nothing makes sense.
“You’re perfect for me,” he replies, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Beautiful. Brave. A fighter. And you’re a nurse, which could come in handy after some of my more… challenging jobs. At first, I wasn’t sure it would work. With my career and traveling, I wasn’t sure I’d have time to take you on. But when that piece of garbage Swell almost got you, it put everything in perspective. I knew right then I’d do whatever it takes to make this work.”
“Make what work?” My pulse is thundering so loudly I can barely hear myself speak.
“Well, you’re going to be with me.” He glances back at me again, this time with a wide grin. “Live with me. Sleep with me. Tend to my injuries on the rare occasions I have them. And eventually, you’ll love me. We’ll be happy together.”
He’s crazy.
Except he sounds terrifyingly sane.
I need to get out of here. But how? I’m tied up. In a moving vehicle. Driving somewhere at a high speed.
Could I scream loud enough for another car passing by to hear me?
What would Grant say? What would he do?
Well. He’d know how to get out of these bindings, first of all. Grant would have broken the zip-ties and somehow gotten the ropes undone, and he’d find the perfect opportunity to take Derek down. Escaping would be easy for Grant.
But he’d tell me to use all the tools in my arsenal. Things that might not seem like weapons, but they are.
I might be trapped, but I’m not helpless.
Derek doesn’t want to kill me. He wants to keep me. So he’s probably not going to use that gun.
If I start yelling, he’ll be distracted. Maybe swerve or speed enough for the police to pull him over. Or, if that doesn’t work, maybe another car will hear and call 911.
I have to try, even though it’s terrifying.
Just as I’m opening my mouth to scream, Derek barks, “I wouldn’t do that.”
My voice shrivels .
He caresses the gun again before saying, “I didn’t gag you, Scarlett, because I was eager to talk to you. Hear your voice after thinking about it for so long. But don’t mistake my interest in you for something it’s not. I won’t hesitate to pull into the next rest stop and knock you out. I have drugs, too, my pretty blue-eyes. I’d prefer not to, but if you force my hand…”
Oh.
The pressure in my chest is suffocating. Gray leaks into the edges of my vision.
“But…” Tears are burning behind my eyes. “You can’t do this. Keep me. People will be looking for me.”
“They won’t find you,” he answers. “I’ll make sure of it.”
Something in the smug way he answers flips a switch inside me, and fury ignites.
How dare he try to keep me from the life I’ve built? How dare he take me away from the love I’ve waited all my life to find?
“I’ll escape.” Through a clenched jaw, I bite out, “I’ll figure out a way. Just like I got away from you before, I’ll do it again.”
There’s a moment when I can only heat the soft whoosh of the wheels and the frantic beating of my heart. And I have a fleeting hope— maybe he’ll stop this. Just let me go.
Then.
“No, you won’t.” It’s eerily calm. Cold. Certain. “Because if you try it, I’ll kill your friends. Your precious dogs. I’ll find your family and kill them, too. And—” His voice lowers to an oily snarl, “If you fuck this up, I’ll find that guy you were living with, and I’ll kill him. That’s a promise . ”
No.
No. No. No.
I thought I couldn’t be more scared.
I was wrong.
Not Grant. Maya. Clara. Heath. Ryder. My dad.
The tears I’ve been battling spring free. Sobs get stuck in my throat.
All the horrible memories threaten to overwhelm me.
Trevor abducting me. Hurting me. Hurting Maya.
The first robbery, when I decided to fight.
That night in my house when I thought I was going to die.
Standing in the backyard feeling so happy, laughing at Jasper as he chased the whorls of leaves dancing in the wind, then everything crashing down as I saw a man pointing a gun at me.
It’s so much .
I can feel the fear pressing down on me. There’s a growing tightness in my chest.
But.
Think.
Remember all the good things. The things I’m not willing to lose.
I dig my nails into my palms until things come back into focus.
This isn’t who I am. Not anymore.
I’m strong. Grant believes in me. I believe in myself.
As the panic recedes, another memory emerges. Grant handing me a pair of earrings, saying, “I know you’re always with someone, and this seems like overkill, but it would make me feel better if you wore them. Just in case.”
Of course I wore the earrings Blade and Arrow provided; the ones with the trackers inside. If Grant asked me, I’d do almost anything.
Amid the chaos and fear, I’d almost forgotten. Grant’s coming for me. He’s probably already on his way. All I have to do is stay strong until he gets here.