“Lillian, I need a few minutes. Natalie doesn’t know what’s going on.”
He knew this woman?
And what was it that Natalie did not know? Evidently a lot.
Lillian just shook her head. “What the hell have you been doing in that cabin for the last five days if not explaining what we need?” She looked back and forth between Ren and Natalie. “Oh.”
The petite woman who sounded vaguely familiar turned to glare at Ren as she obviously figured something out. Something Natalie still couldn’t. “Damn you, McClement. But we’re still out of time. We’ve got to go.”
As she came closer, Natalie realized this was the same woman who had sold her the ticket for the train. Why would she even be here?
Natalie grabbed the woman’s arm gently. “Why are you here if you work for the bus company?” Maybe the train and bus company were owned by the same corporation or something.
The compassion—pity—in the other woman’s eyes made Natalie’s heart sink more.
“You just need to come with us,” Lillian said, taking another moment to glare at Ren. “Don’t say anything, okay? Just let Ren do the talking.”
“Do the talking to who?”
Neither Lillian nor Ren answered. Lillian just wrapped an arm around Natalie’s waist and led her toward the town.
Just before they made it onto the streets, Lillian grabbed a walkie-talkie from her waist and spoke into it. “Sheriff, I found them! They’re here on the west side of town near Mill Road! Going to need medical, but they’re both alive and relatively unharmed!”
The excitement in her voice was in direct opposition to the anger in her eyes for Ren.
“Damn it, I told everyone to use the private channel if we learned anything.” The sheriff came back on the walkie-talkie a moment later. “The press is on this channel.”
“Oopsies,” Lillian said. “Sorry, Sheriff. I forgot.”
She most definitely had not forgotten.
“I don’t understand what’s happening,” Natalie whispered. Every second her heart sank lower in her chest.
“Congratulations. You and Ren are hikers who have been lost for nearly a week and have somehow miraculously survived.”
Natalie shook her head. “But we weren’t hiking. We were on the train. The train you sold me a ticket to.”
“Natalie...” Ren reached for her, but she took a step back.
She could see people rushing toward them now. A lot of people. People with lights and cameras.
“What have you done?” she whispered. Not wanting to believe what she was finally beginning to understand. Ren had been using her.
“I’ve got to go,” Lillian said. “I can’t be in any of the press footage. Freihof knows me.”
Lillian knew Damien.
Renknew Damien.
Natalie fought to hold on as the whole world spun around her, the snow seeming to rise up and swallow her whole. She couldn’t fall. Couldn’t allow it to bury her.
Because this time no amount of begging was going to get her out.
* * *
THENEXTHOURpassed in a blur for Natalie. Just before the press had completely descended on them, Ren had ripped his jacket open just a little farther so his wound was more noticeable.
They’d been led to the high school auditorium, quickly checked out by a medic, then sent in front of the cameras. Ren kept Natalie plastered to his side. When it became obvious she wasn’t interested in—or capable of—much response, the reporters had turned all their questions to Ren.
