Chapter 12
Nick
The silence after Gina’s words stretched long enough that Nick could hear his own heartbeat over the wind outside. “I don’t know you,” she’d said, and the truth of it cut deeper than it should have.
She was right, of course. They’d only known each other for a matter of hours. What had he been thinking, imagining there could be something real between them?
“Well . . . ” George said, breaking the silence. “Now that we have that sorted out, let’s talk about next steps.”
“What next steps?” Brooke asked.
George pointed at Kelsey. “We’ve got a conundrum here.
This was supposed to be a simple pickup.
But Little Miss Hoity-Toity decided to play games and make this last drop up here at the edge of nowhere, where the weather does whatever it wants to do.
My employers are going to want to know why the pickup was delayed. They don’t like complications.”
“Then leave,” Joe said as he turned to Kelsey. “Give him the flash drive. He’ll go, and we’ll all be done with this.”
“A brilliant idea.” George glanced toward the boarded-up windows, as if he could gauge the weather beyond them.
“Maybe the storm’s letting up, but that road will be a mess for hours.
And now I have five people who can identify me, who know about this drop and every other one, who’ve already heard far too much about my business. ”
Nick hoped George would just take the drive and leave. He’d even considered helping with the truck if it was really broken down and not just a ruse. But George was clearly working through the logistics of cleanup. Cleanup meant eliminating the witnesses.
He glanced at Gina, expecting fear. It was there, but determination dominated her expression. Brooke stood beside her, steady, her features mirroring Gina’s.
“We won’t say anything,” Kelsey’s words tumbled out, her desperation a stark contrast to her friends’ composure. “I can’t afford to have any of this come out. The others won’t talk if I ask them not to.”
George studied her. “You really think it’s that simple? You think your friends here are going to just forget about today and move on with their lives?”
“Yes,” Kelsey said, but her voice lacked conviction.
“I don’t think so.” George shook his head. “Too many loose ends. Too many people who might decide to do the right thing and go to the police.”
“What are you saying?” Brooke asked.
“I’m saying that sometimes problems require permanent solutions.”
The casual way he said it raised the hair on the back of Nick’s neck.
He shifted slightly, putting himself in a better position to reach the bear spray clearly visible in the outside pocket of Kelsey’s backpack.
Gina had clued him in to it, made sure he saw it and knew she’d seen it too.
But that was earlier, when she still trusted him. Now . . .
“You’re talking about murder,” Gina said flatly.
“I’m talking about risk management,” George corrected. “Five people are a lot of witnesses. Especially five people who already don’t trust each other.”
He was right about that part. The revelation about Kelsey had shattered whatever unity they’d managed to build.
Nick could see it in the way Joe kept glancing at the door, in Brooke’s defensive posture, in Gina’s wary looks. The one good thing was that Gina and Brooke seemed united. The way they stood together, fierce and unflinching, gave him a sliver of hope.
Gina might not trust him, but Brooke did. Nick was certain of that. No matter the mistakes he’d made over the years, Brooke would know he could be counted on. Maybe she’d even make sure Gina knew it too.
If she could, the three of them might be able to work together to disarm George. Maybe Joe would help as well. And if that happened, they might actually have a chance of getting out alive.
“We need to stick together,” Nick said quietly.
“Do we?” George asked with amusement. “Because from where I’m sitting, it looks like you’re all ready to throw each other under the bus.”
“That’s not true,” Gina said, but her voice was uncertain.
“Isn’t it? Your friend Kelsey here has been lying to you for months. Using your little running group as a cover for criminal activity. Putting all of you at risk.” George’s smile was predatory. “And Nick, well, he’s practically a stranger. How do you know he’s not involved in this somehow?”
Nick felt the accusation land like a punch. “I’m not involved in anything.”
“Says the guy who just happened to show up for this particular run,” George pointed out. “Convenient timing.”
“I told you, I came because Brooke asked me to.”
“Did she? Or did someone else suggest you’d be a good addition to the group?”
The seed of doubt George was trying to plant was obvious, but Nick could see it working anyway. Joe was looking at him with suspicion now.
Gina also shot him a look. It was quick, but it was there—a look that said she agreed wholeheartedly with George. So much for her thinking that if Brooke trusted him, so would Gina.
He glanced at Brooke. She seemed to be purposely avoiding his gaze.
“Nobody suggested anything,” Nick said. “I’m here because I needed to get out of the house.”
“Right. The unemployed drifter story.” George nodded. “Very believable.”
Nick wanted to defend himself, to explain that he’d had a stable life until recently, that his current situation was temporary. But what was the point? George was right about the facts, even if he was wrong about the implications.
But Brooke knew the truth. She’d step up any moment and defend him. And Kelsey was the one who was behind all of this; why wasn’t she insisting he had nothing to do with it?
He paused for a moment, waiting for one of them to say something. When neither did, Nick said, “Believe what you want.”
George laughed. “Oh, I like that. The strong, silent type. Very noble.” He turned to the group. “But here’s what I believe. I believe that come morning, when the road is passable, some of you are going to have second thoughts about keeping quiet. Maybe not all of you, but some.”
“We won’t,” Kelsey said.
“You might not. You’ve got the most to lose if this comes out.
” George’s gaze moved to the others. “But what about the rest of them? What about Gina here, with her medical oath and her superior sense of right and wrong? You think she’s going to be able to live with herself knowing about stolen client files and corporate espionage? ”
Gina’s face went pale, and Nick could see George had hit his mark.
“Or Joe,” George continued, “a journalist who’s stumbled onto a story that could make his career, something that will earn him the kind of accolades he’s always dreamed of. You think he’s going to pass up that opportunity?”
“I wouldn’t— ” Joe started.
“Wouldn’t you? You’ve been struggling to make it in a small town, picking up freelance work, trying to pay the bills. This story could change everything for you.”
Nick watched Joe’s face and saw the conflict there. The guy may not have considered the story angle until George mentioned it, but now Nick could see him thinking about it.
“And Brooke,” George said. “What happens to her little coffee shop when word gets out that the running group that she is so passionate about was being used for criminal activities? How many customers is she going to lose?”
“That’s not fair,” Brooke said. “I didn’t know anything about this.”
“Fair doesn’t matter. Perception does.” George was enjoying this, systematically destroying whatever trust remained in the group. “Small towns love their gossip. Your business could be ruined.”
Nick could see the psychological manipulation working. George was isolating each person, giving them reasons to turn on each other, making cooperation seem impossible.
“The point is, I can’t count on any of you to keep quiet. Which means I need to find another solution, like making sure none of you are in a position to talk.”
The threat hung in the air, and Nick felt his muscles tense. They were running out of time, and Nick needed to be ready to act.
But looking around the group, he realized how alone they all were. Kelsey was consumed with guilt and fear. Joe was thinking about his own survival. Brooke was worried about her reputation and business.
And Gina was keeping her distance, especially from him.
Maybe that was for the best. If things went bad, if George decided to act on his threats, the last thing Nick wanted was for Gina to be caught in the middle because she was trying to help him.
She’d been right to pull back. He was a guy with nothing to offer, no stability, no security. Someone who attracted trouble wherever he went. The smart thing for her to do was to keep her distance.
Even if it meant facing whatever came next alone.
“So, what’s it going to be?” George asked, his hand resting casually on the grip of his gun. “Are we going to have a problem, or are we going to find a solution that works for everyone?”
Nick looked at Gina one more time, memorizing her face, then turned his attention back to George. Whatever happened next, he’d make sure she got through it safely.
Even if she never trusted him again.