Chapter 37
LENNON
The kitchen was quieter than usual when I pushed through the swinging door. For a moment I had a horrible thought. What if the stalker was taking out the kitchen staff one by one? First Miguel, then Cecily or Amos, then—
The freezer door opened and Cecily stepped out.
“Lennon. You’re back.” Cecily kicked the freezer shut behind her. “Nice of you to tell us you wouldn’t be here this morning.”
I winced at her flat tone. It was so unlike the bubbly Cecily who usually greeted me. “I’m sorry. I should have.” Any excuse I offered would be a lie, so I didn’t give one.
She studied me for a moment, her lips pursed. Then she let out a sigh. “I mean, you are still a guest. But I thought we were friends, too.”
“We are friends.” I reached impulsively for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I love working in the kitchen with you.”
That brought her familiar smile back. “You’re not really going horse packing for three weeks, are you?
Because Liam said you were, but that doesn’t make any sense.
You know it’s exactly like camping, right?
There are no showers out there, Lennon. And you have to pack out your toilet paper.
That’s three weeks of used toilet paper you’re carrying around with you. ”
I laughed. I hated lying, but we had to stick to the plan if we were going to flush this fucker out. “I’m really doing it. I feel like I need an adventure, you know? A third-life crises, if you will.” I glanced around. “Where’s Amos?”
“He stepped outside for a phone call. He’ll be back in a minute. At least, he better be. If that man leaves me with mopping the floor after I already did the dishes, I’ll put laxative in his orange juice.” Cecily scooped the large crate of eggs from the counter. “Get the door for me, will you?”
I twisted the handle and yanked it open, then kept standing there as she set the crate on a metal shelf.
“You don’t have to hold it open,” she said. “It doesn’t lock from the inside, remember? I just need to make a note of what we’re running low on. But you can start mopping if you really want something to do.”
“On it!” I chirped. The last twenty-four hours had left me sore and tired, but I was too grateful that Cecily was still talking to me to say no to chores.
I grabbed the yellow wheely bucket thing and used the mop to steer it to the sink so I could fill it with hot water. The outside door opened as I squatted to look under the sink for the soap. “Hey, Amos, where do we keep the—”
“Lennon Graves?”
I froze, the hairs on the back of my neck standing at attention. He sounds like a mobster, my mom’s voice echoed in my head. Italian.
Slowly I pushed to my feet. I turned to see a stocky man around my height wearing unassuming jeans, a striped button-down shirt, and a tan blazer.
He didn’t look like a mobster, although to be fair, I had never actually seen a mobster outside of movies.
But I knew…I knew. This wasn’t my stalker. This was about Benny.
I smiled despite the queasy feeling in my stomach. “Lennon isn’t here right now. If you give me your name, I’ll let her know you’re looking for her.”
He chuckled and pulled a photograph out of his pocket. He held it up at eye level, his gaze flicking from me to the photograph and back again. “Lennon Graves.”
This time it wasn’t a question. I swallowed. Shit.
“There are a lot of people looking for you.” He curled his fingers at me. “Let’s go, honey.”
Annoyance surged. “I’m not your honey,” I bit out.
Behind him, the freezer door cracked open and Cecily peered out.
Her brow furrowed. I tried to send her a telepathic message with my eyes while not tipping him off that Cecily was behind him.
Stay put. Danger! “And I’m not going anywhere with you,” I added loudly, hoping Cecily would realize something was wrong.
All I had to do was stall him until Amos got back. Where the hell was that man?
“Hector said you were a spicy one.” His mouth twisted in amusement at the shock in my face. “Oh, haven’t you heard? Benny’s dead, honey. Hector sang like a bird to save his own hide. Told us all about you.”
“Benny’s…dead.” I struggled to get the words out. It couldn’t be true. Could it? Fuck. Fuck. My chest felt too tight to breathe and my vision blurred. “No. Please.”
“Listen, I understand. We all liked Benny, okay? But he knew too much. And you know too much. Now, let’s go.” He touched my elbow.
I yanked away from him. “No! I’m not going!” Maybe if I shouted loud enough, Jeremiah would hear me.
His palm cracked against my cheek and I gasped at the blinding hot pain. My hand flew to my face. Motherfucker.
I blinked until my vision came back into focus. “I’m not going anywhere,” I gritted out.
He opened his blazer. My gaze immediately dropped to the black gun holstered on his belt. “Yes, you are.”
Fuckity fuck fuck fuck.
“What happens if I don’t?”
He tilted his head like the question confused him.
“You’re here to kill me, right?” I prodded. The freezer door opened again. I didn’t let my eyes look anywhere but his. “So why don’t you just shoot me right here?”
“Someone wants to talk to you first. But I will shoot you if I have to, and anyone else who gets in my way. Or you can come quietly, and no one else has to get hurt.”
“Someone’s going to get hurt.” Before I could think better of it, I shoved the bucket straight at his knees as hard as I could.
It wasn’t much, but it gave Cecily the opportunity she needed and she took it. She swung the frozen ham hock with all of her might, hitting him right in the temple. He crumpled to the floor. His skull hit the clay tiles with a loud crack.
“Oh, my god.” I stared in shock as red slowly pooled beneath his head. I pressed my trembling fingertips to my mouth. “Oh, my god.”
Cecily dropped the ham and grabbed my elbow. “We have to go! Now!”
I blinked at her. “We need to find Jeremiah.”
“We will. But he didn’t come here alone. We’ll go somewhere safe, and call Jeremiah from there. Okay?” She tugged me toward the door. “We can’t stay here, Lennon. Hurry!”
Dazed, I let her lead me outside. We nearly tripped over Amos’s prone body and I let out a sharp shriek. “Is he dead?”
“Lennon!” Cecily snapped. “Do you want to get murdered? Let’s fucking go!”
“Wait.” I dropped to a squat and pressed my fingers to his pulse. “He’s alive. Just knocked out.”
Cecily looked around nervously. “They must have someone standing lookout close by. My van is right there. We’ll get in, lock the door, and call Jeremiah. Deal?”
I nodded.
“Then run!” She gave me a little shove, and we took off across the parking lot, gravel spraying behind us. Cecily beeped the fob and the side door rolled open. “Get in.”
I climbed in. This wasn’t just a van; it was a functioning living space. I crawled forward. Rope. Duct tape. A sheet. I frowned. That was weird. “What—”
Strong arms grabbed me from behind. Before I could struggle, something zinged through my body, making my muscles convulse.
“What the hell kind of mess did you get yourself into this time?” a familiar female voice whispered in my ear. “I keep telling you, you have lousy taste in men.”
Pain bloomed in my temple, and then everything went dark.