Chapter 41
Chapter Forty-One
Kyle ended the call, then held up the phone and snapped a picture of her. She flinched when she heard the camera sound.
His thumbs moved over the screen. “There. Now he’s got your photo. He knows I’m serious.”
She felt the tiniest bit of hope. Kyle hadn’t just taken her for some kind of sick revenge.
She was a hostage. It was a negotiation.
And her gaze kept flicking down to that discarded piece of metal by the wall.
It looked like a scalpel.
Faith cleared her throat, trying to get her voice to work. “You said Jon has something you want? What is it?”
Kyle’s eyes hardened as he looked at her. She forced herself to maintain eye contact, though she wanted to stare at the scalpel. Figure out how to get it. The small piece of metal was just a few feet away. But if she went for it, would Kyle stop her? Would he get there first?
“You want to know where I first met Jon? He bought pills from my neighbor in the next trailer over. He was Mr. Star Football Player, the kid everybody loved. That’s what you saw in him, right?
” He sneered at her. “He thought he owned the world. Used to come to my neighbor’s at all hours, making noise like we were just white trash that lived to serve people like him.
When pills weren’t enough anymore, it was smack.
Then he tried to screw over my neighbor, and that guy wouldn’t sell to him anymore.
Jon came slinking over to me, begging for my help.
He’s always thought he could ask for help and get whatever he wanted in return with no consequences. ”
Kyle’s cruel grin turned smug. “Now, he knows better. He’s not the one in charge. But you know what the truth is? When it comes to Jon, it’s not even me who’s in charge. It’s that need inside of him. He’d trade anything for it. Probably even you.”
Kyle leaned against the counter, crossing his ankles casually.
“So I guess you better hope he’s willing to give me what I’m asking for.
This will be the hardest test Jon has ever taken, and I can’t wait to see what he does.
He either gives me the supply he’s been holding back, or he abandons you.
And I get to do whatever I want with you. ”
She didn’t want to talk about the second option. Would Jon actually abandon her? Was he capable of it? Just leave her in the hands of someone like Kyle Spaulding?
The sick feeling in her stomach told her the answer.
“What supply? What does that mean?” She shifted her weight, ending up a step closer to the scalpel.
But instead of explaining, Kyle rolled his eyes.
“Aren’t you Miss ‘I’m So Innocent.’” He advanced on her, brandishing the knife.
The blade poked another hole into her shirt, this one right between her breasts.
“You think you’re too good for me. Stuck up little bitch.
But here’s the secret. Even if Jon trades for you, I didn’t promise I’d send you back good as new. ”
With all her strength, Faith shoved him back and dove to the floor. Her hand closed around the handle of the scalpel.
Kyle was laughing. “You’re just making it easier for me.” He bent over her, grabbing hold of her hair.
Faith rolled, ignoring the painful yank on her scalp.
She brought up her hand and swiped the scalpel across Kyle’s face.
He reared back, screaming. But Faith didn’t wait to see how bad he was hurt. She just rocketed upright and ran.
She dashed down the hallway, dodging tools and hanging plastic. Her heartbeat rushed in her ears.
Kyle’s scream turned into a bellow of rage. He was coming after her.
Faith kept running down the hallway. She saw a deeper darkness up ahead, beyond the flapping of a loose sheet of plastic.
Outside. She was almost there.
But Kyle’s footsteps were closing in.
Faith grabbed a heavy drill and threw it behind her. Kyle grunted. She caught a glimpse of him, hand clutched to his bloody face. Just an arm’s reach behind her.
Hurry. Hurry.
She ran through the gap in the plastic and immediately fell, rolling down a dirt slope. She slammed into something huge and solid. The wind was knocked out of her.
It was the tire of some construction vehicle.
She forced herself upright, trying to ignore the ache in her lungs and her head. The stinging at her neck. The hospital towered nearby, windows bright. But the construction site was a dark divot carved into the landscape. Massive vehicles hulked around her.
Faith scrambled forward. She only made it a few steps before Kyle slammed into her. She sprawled in the dirt. He grabbed her arms with wet, sticky hands.
Her shoulder joints protested as he yanked her up.
The blade of his knife pressed into her throat just above the other cut, the pain sharp and cold. She clenched her teeth, whimpering.
“Don’t you dare scream.” Kyle’s voice was slurred. Blood covered the lower half of his face, and something was wrong with his mouth.
She must’ve slashed his lip open with the scalpel.
The tip of Kyle’s knife traced her windpipe. She was scared to move, scared even to breathe.
“I changed my mind,” he said. “When Jon gets you back, it’ll be piece by piece.” The blade traveled up her neck to her ear, scratching a painful trail along her skin. “Starting with—”
“Kyle, let her go.”
Jon. He’d actually come.
Kyle’s head craned, looking for the source of the voice. Faith couldn’t move her head because of the knife. Then, mercifully, Kyle loosened his grip on her and the blade pulled back.
Faith turned.
Jon held a duffle. He was making his way down the dirt slope of the construction area, shoes sliding.
“What the fuck is this, Jon?” Kyle demanded. “If you think you can get the jump on me—”
Another man appeared at the top of the slope. He was in silhouette, the security lights of the parking lot bright behind him. The metal barrel of a gun glinted, pointing straight at them.
Faith’s heart stuttered in her chest. Was it Tanner? It had to be.
Kyle pulled Faith in front of him, her back pressed to his chest. The knife went to her throat. She screamed as the blade bit again into her skin. Another hot drip of blood rolled down her neck.
“I brought what you wanted.” Jon threw a duffle into the dirt. The zipper was open, and something white showed on the interior. “All of it. I swear.”
Kyle was tense and jittery behind her. Faith could sense his indecision. “Then why is some asshole pointing a gun at me, Jon?”
The other man descended the slope at an agonizingly slow pace, one foot in front of the other.
His face came into view. Faith’s eyes widened in shock.
Kyle brought his mouth to her ear. “Is that him?” he muttered. “The boyfriend?”
“Y-yes.”
Jon grimaced, running his hands through his stringy hair. “Kyle, listen. This is everything you asked for. Everything I have. That was the deal. Just take it. Please.”
“No. The deal was, if you told anyone, she was dead. Did you think I was playing?”
The knife bit deeper, and she choked back another scream.
“It’s not my fault,” Jon cried. “He was there when you sent the picture.”
Kyle’s chest heaved against her back as he breathed. “Here’s what’s going to happen. Boyfriend is going to set his gun on the ground by the bag. Then he’s going to back up, slowly. Either of you tries anything? This knife is going into Faith’s jugular.”
“Don’t—” she began, before Kyle tightened his grip on her, forcing her to cut off her sentence.
Faith’s eyes didn’t leave the gun as it lowered to the dirt.
Tanner, what are you doing? she thought.
She didn’t understand what was happening. How was this possibly going to turn out all right?
Kyle pushed her forward, and she almost fell. “Walk,” he said. Together, they went toward the duffle bag full of drugs. The gun lay abandoned on the dirt.
When they got close to the duffle, Kyle pushed Faith onto her knees. “Pull the bag over to you.”
She grabbed the straps and dragged it toward her. The knife pressed into the back of her neck. When she tried to stand, Kyle poked the tip of the knife deeper.
“Stay there. Don’t you fucking move.” He stooped to pick up the gun. “Thought you’d found yourself someone to protect you?” Kyle murmured to her. “That’s where you’re stupid. If you can’t protect yourself, you’re fucked. Nobody can help you. Your boyfriend’s about to find that out.”
“Don’t,” she whispered. “Please.”
“You still haven’t learned yet, have you Faith?” He pointed the gun at the men across from them.
“No.”
Faith moved before her thoughts could even process what she was doing. With a sudden surge of rage, she grabbed for the gun. The knife sliced across her skin. But she’d taken Kyle by surprise.
He was forced to drop the knife, and their hands grappled for the gun.
His grip was stronger. The barrel turned toward her.
Kyle pulled the trigger.