33. Grace
33
GRACE
J osh shoved me through the farmhouse door. The blast of heat hit first, followed by the sharp stench of cat urine. Water dripped from my hair, pooling at my feet as voices boomed from below. My guess was Josh’s so-called clients were in the basement.
I started down toward what looked to be the kitchen until Josh grabbed my arm.
“Upstairs. We need you clean before you meet my clients.” His voice reminded me so much of his monstrous father’s.
Shivers wracked my body, déjà vu freezing me in place. To say I wasn’t afraid would be a lie.
Snap out of it. You know what to do.
My mind raced through scenarios like it was shuffling a deck of cards, Sabine being the wild card. Her sister’s medical bills meant Josh had leverage over her, but leverage could tip either way.
If she was about to cave, then I had a shot to freedom. If not, then consequences be damned.
Either way, I would do whatever was necessary to end ten years of suffering, ten years of always looking over my shoulder, and ten years of fear that one day fate would hit me between the eyes.
Now that I was in the thick of the same kind of scenario that had caused my nightmares and night terrors, I had to be stronger than ever, not only for a future that I wanted with the man I loved but for all the women past, present, and future who had been, were, or would be in my shoes.
More importantly, I couldn’t face Brian ever again unless I saved his daughter. It made me ill to think that he would never again look at me with those luscious green eyes that made my heart beat faster and my stomach do somersaults while I envisioned the future I desperately wanted—with him.
“Going soft on me,” Josh said in my ear. “Don’t disappoint me, Grace.”
I stomped up the stairs with strength and determination to either my demise or my freedom. But I would find an opening, a thread of hope, even if that meant threatening Sabine to do my bidding.
Once I made it to the top of the landing, Fran’s voice filtered into my ears, and a heightened sense of newfound life energized me. I listened outside the door as Josh fished in his raincoat pocket for a key.
“Tell me why you’re doing this, Sabine,” Fran demanded. “You’re not a witch. You know my father will destroy you.”
“Shut up and sit still,” Sabine said in a caustic tone. The tone of her voice didn’t indicate she was acting out of duress.
“Ow,” Fran snapped. “You’re hurting me. Again, why? My father?—”
“Shut it about your father. He’s not your knight in shining armor. No one is, Fran.”
“Grace is.”
“I’m so tired of hearing about this Grace. She’s all you ever talked about when you came to visit your father on school breaks. What’s so special about her?”
“Everything,” Fran said. “My dad is in love with her too. I saw how you flirted with him. He doesn’t want you. Is that why you’re doing this? You’re jealous? You’re hurt?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, and if you knew my reasons, you would be more sympathetic.”
Next to me, Josh chuckled as he readied the key. “Well, isn’t that interesting? Fran’s dad is in love with you. This makes my plan even more satisfying.”
“Why did you go to all this trouble to bring Brian and Fran into your twisted game? Why not just kidnap me and be done with it?”
He sucked in his bottom lip. “What’s the fun in that? Besides, I figured that no one would see me coming if I used Fran to lure you in. But she’s also prime meat for my clients.”
I stood toe to toe with him. “Either you or I will die tonight, and my money is on you.”
“Big threat from a woman whose hands are tied and who has no way out of here.” He unlocked the door.
“We’ll see by the end of night.” I had to get the final say, mainly to stroke my confidence.
Pink assaulted my eyes as I entered the room, the floorboards creaking beneath me like bones that were brittle and old. I took in faded wallpaper curled at the edges, dusty ruffled bedding, heavy curtains that had seen better days, and a scratched pink vanity that had probably once been some girl’s favorite piece of furniture.
Fran jumped out of the chair, her wrists red and raw from the zip ties. No doubt she’d struggled to break free.
“Grace.” Her voice hitched, her familiar green eyes swimming with despair and hope.
But hope was a fleeting emotion. Every time I tried to grab on to it, to feel a sense that fate had my back, something or someone shattered my belief in faith, in freedom, in the future.
My stomach hollowed as I thought of Fran’s father until thunder rolled overhead, demolishing my pity party as I focused on Josh licking his lips, his hunger directed at Fran.
“You sure are a pretty thing. I can’t wait to see who catches you first. Maybe it will be me.”
Fran spat in his face, her bravery making me smile proudly.
For a split second, I was envious, though. I’d never had that amount of courage at her age, except when I packed my bags and had left my alcoholic father passed out drunk on the sofa.
Josh clutched Fran’s throat. “Do that again, and I’ll throw you in the basement and let the sharks eat you alive, one by one.”
I kicked him in the leg. “It’s me you want, remember?”
He released her. “You’re right. I have a special place for us.” Then he pinned a glare on Sabine. “Put Grace in that tight red dress in the closet. And let me remind you that if you don’t do as you’re told, I’ll make sure you’re chased through the woods by all those sex-starved men downstairs.” Then he left, locking us in.
Thunder clapped outside the window, breaking the silence filling the room.
I pushed out the air in my lungs and became aware of the skimpy lingerie covering Fran’s shapely body. Her wrists were free, as I’d noticed earlier. “Put your clothes on. We’re getting out of here. Who cut your zip ties off?”
Fran eyed Sabine but didn’t respond.
“Cut mine off,” I ordered her. “I won’t hurt you.”
Sabine shook her blond head of hair. “Do you have a death sentence?”
“My death sentence started ten years ago when I killed Josh’s father. Now, I understand that you’re part of this scheme because you need the money. Is that right?”
Fran began dressing. “What?”
Sabine slumped where she stood by the vanity, seemingly giving in to defeat. “My sister’s medical bills. If I don’t do as Josh says, my sister will be out on the street. She wouldn’t survive.”
“Your problem isn’t mine.” I looked around for anything to cut off my zip ties. “And you won’t live to see her. You do know Josh will dispose of you as soon as his plan is complete. That means tonight.”
“I’ll take my chances,” she said.
Lightning flashed, throwing harsh light across the room. The vanity mirror caught my reflection. Holy cow! I looked like death with my wild eyes and ghostly white face. My white sweater was laden with dirt and blood, and I resembled a wet rat. It didn't matter. I was going back out into the storm even if it killed me.
A towel lay crumpled on the pink comforter, and I snatched it as fast as I could. “Wrap this around my hands,” I ordered Sabine.
“What are you doing?” Her voice shook. “Josh will kill you. Or Drew will, and you don’t want that man coming after you. For all I know, he killed Ryan.”
The mention of Ryan sent Fran’s breath hitching.
“He’s fine,” I told Fran, which could have been a lie. We didn’t have time for meltdowns. If Ryan wasn’t fine, I would apologize.
I dangled the towel in front of Sabine. “Unless you have something to cut these ties off, I’m breaking the mirror.”
“She doesn’t,” Fran said. “Harris cut the ties off me. There are no sharp objects in the room. Sabine, I promise that my dad will take care of your sister’s medical expenses if you help us. Please, Sabine. He will help. He’s a good man.” Fran was begging.
Sabine harrumphed. “I’m sorry, Fran, but I think Josh depleted your father’s bank accounts.”
“Is that why you stole Brian’s folder with his bank statements?” I asked.
“Josh has someone who can hack into the accounts, and it’s supposed to be easier if they have the bank account numbers.”
While time wasn’t our friend, I still had to know. “Who else is Josh after for their money?”
After all, he’d said he would destroy everyone I cared about, and Duke had a good chunk of money from his days selling illegal arms. The Feds didn’t know about his secret accounts. I was sure Brian had a similar setup.
“I don’t know, but I can’t help you,” Sabine said. “My son is all I have. He won’t let anyone hurt me.”
“Your son is a dick who threw you to the wolves with Josh just before I came in,” I said. Harris hadn’t done that exactly, but I had to try to scare her straight. “Wake up, Sabine.” I shoved the towel at her. “If you don’t live past tonight, what will happen to your sister?”
That question drove her to cover her own hand with the towel and break the mirror.
The crack of the glass was music to my ears. But if anyone in the house heard, then we had minutes before someone walked through that door.
I held out my arms. “Hurry.”
Sabine worked as fast as she could to cut through the zip ties.
“Come on,” I urged. “Fran, any coats in the closet?”
“Nothing but dresses.”
Sabine’s hands trembled. “Whether you get out of this house before the game starts or not, run through the woods behind the house. There’s a narrow dirt path that leads north toward a horse farm, maybe at most two miles from here. When you come to the brook, you’ll have to cross it. Not far on the other side of the brook is Weeping Meadow. Go there, and call for help.”
“But the door is locked,” Fran said.
“We’ll have to jump out the window,” I said.
Fran’s mouth dropped to the floor.
“Anything to survive,” I said.
The second my hands were free, I rubbed my wrists. “Thank you, Sabine.”
“I’ll knock on the door, and let them know you’re ready,” she said. “As soon as someone opens that door, run for your lives. I’ll do my best to distract them.”
“Fran, are you ready?” I asked, smoothing a hand over her hair.
She swallowed, nodding.
“Stay close to me, and if we get separated, remember what Sabine told us about the farm.”
She inhaled. “Let’s do this.”
Sabine knocked on the door. “Harris.”
I held Fran’s hand. “We’re going to make it out.”
Sabine pounded hard on the door.
I started counting to concentrate.
The key turned in the lock, and as soon as Harris waltzed in, his gaze landed on the broken piece of mirror in his mother’s hand. “Mom, what are you doing?”
Sabine dropped the weapon.
I held on to Fran, eyeing the gun on Harris’s hip.
“Son,” Sabine said, closing the distance between them, “do you want to spend the rest of your life in jail? I don’t. Come with me. We can start a new life.”
“Yeah.” He watched me intently. “Where would that be? What about your sister? You care more for her than you do me.”
“No, I don’t,” she cooed to her son. “I love you.” She touched his face. “Please, let them go. I’ll take the blame.”
“Not a chance, Mom. You can’t grow a pair now. It’s too late. Drew will cut off my balls, and he won’t hesitate to slice out your heart.”
I hadn’t given Sabine enough credit because her next move was shocking. She yanked the gun from his hip—or tried to.
Harris fought off his mother, giving Fran and me enough time to flee.