Chapter 47
Adeline shivered. The water was up to her neck. Beside her Prescott and Arnold were clinging to each other, still sobbing, but the sounds were weaker now.
They were beaten.
Jamison waded back and forth in front of them, his movements sloshing the cold water in their faces. He was singing some bizarre song he’d clearly written about death and princesses. Fury burned low in Adeline’s belly. She was going to kill this bastard.
But before the bastard died, she had to know what he’d done with his son.
“Too bad Danny found out what a monster you are.”
Jamison stopped, turned to her. “You don’t know my son. I’ve protected him from bitches like you.”
Adeline laughed. “That’s not the impression I got when I visited him and your wife in the hospital. He said he never wanted to see you again.” Jamison bowed down to put his gun in her face. “He wants to live with his grandparents now.” She just kept right on talking. “He hates you.”
“You’re a liar!”
She shrugged. “Sorry to be the one to tell you, but he told the police exactly what you did to his mother. He might pretend to like you to your face, because you scare him, but he hates your damned guts.”
“Liar!” He dropped the gun, bent down, and grabbed Adeline by the throat with both hands.
She sucked in as much air as possible before he cut off the flow completely.
“He knows the lies they’ve told! He’s going with me.” He crushed her face to his, his grip on her throat like a vise. “He’s waiting at home for me right now.”
Bingo.
Jamison’s fingers tightened a little more. “You’ll go to hell for lying, princess.”
Adeline opened her mouth wide and clamped down on his nose. He screamed. The harder he struggled to get loose, the harder she ground her teeth. Blood spurted in her mouth. Her hands shot up . . . felt for the weapon in his waistband—her weapon.
He shoved her back, tumbled on top of her . . . they both went under the water.
Paralyzing fear shot through her veins.
The others’ hands were grabbing at her hair . . . her arms.
She clutched at him . . . tried to find the weapon. Tried to break free of the hold he had on her throat. Panic burned in her lungs.
Don’t breathe. Don’t freaking breathe.
He banged her head against the rocky river bottom. Pain shattered through her skull.
More weight pressed down on her. A foot caught her in the jaw.
The fear ignited full force . . . her lungs threatened to burst . . . she couldn’t move . . . couldn’t breathe.
Adeline stopped struggling.