She grins. “That’s great, Mom. You deserve to be happy.”
A tsunami of relief washes over me until she asks, “Did you tell Uncle Kade yet?”
I blink, surprised. “Not yet, why?”
Shrugging, she swallows. “Mo-ommm. I’m not a kid. I know what’s been going on. Bourdin’s still out there. With an FBI agent nearby, we won’t have to worry so much about you.”
Her offhanded remark gnaws at me. I’m the parent, the one who should be concerned. Long after I drop her off at school, I continue to wonder. How do I turn this around?
DC rush hour over, I message Hunt. No response. Weird—he ought to be at work by now. Maybe he’s just busy.
Pouring myself a cup of coffee, my phone pings. My pulse races as I check the screen, but no joy. It’s my not-so-enthusiastic friend telling me she’s going to stop by in a few. Her attitude better be improved or she’s not staying.
A solid knock later, the door creaks open, and she asks, “Hey Kelly, you alone?”
That’s weird. Who else would be here?“Yeah, come in.”
I stand wearing my best smile. Everyone has difficult mornings. In a couple of minutes, we’ll be hugging and shooting the shit like always.
“Mack? What’s wrong?” My brain freezes when my daughter steps inside. Ghostly pale, hands behind her back, she inches forward.
“Are you sick?” I snatch my cell. Jeremy will need to cover so I can take her to the urgent care doctor.
Before I can dial, Sheriff Laughlin jumps forward, gun raised. “Put your phone and your pistol on the floor, then kick them to me.”
Her cool, overly calm demeanor sets my heart thumping. “G-Gina, what the hell is going on?” As I do her bidding, the crazed woman jams her gun barrel into my girl’s skull so hard she cries out.
Adrenaline slams through me.Hurt my kid? You are dead meat, bitch.
Unaware she’s made the worst mistake of her life, she motions me toward the table. “Put two chairs back to back. Sit with your hands behind you.”
I drag my feet, stalling for time. “You can’t just kill us. They’ll lock you up for life.”
“I can, and I will.” Pupils pinpricks, gaze darting, her tenor rises to a shriek.
“You ruined everything.” As she steps closer, my stomach churns at her sick scent.
She’s high. Even so, if I can keep her talking long enough, a vehicle is sure to arrive at the crossing. When I don’t come out, they’ll come looking for me.
“I want to know. What did I do wrong?”
She paces, her Glock waving wildly in the air. “Why couldn’t you butt out of my business?”
I need to stop her from totally losing it. “Gina, it’s me, Kelly. Tell me what I did.”
She throws her head back, her sharp laugh brittle. “Are you fucking serious right now?”
Fidgeting, I mask the nausea twisting my gut. A whiff of her offensive smell makes it worse.
She wipes her spittle with the back of her hand, then counts on her fingers. “First off, you got Dante killed. Secondly, youarrested John. Now, I’m under all sorts of scrutiny. I had to let him go. Surely you, of all people, can understand.”
“Y-you and B-Bourdin? Together? Knowing what happened to me?” The depth of her betrayal smashes into me, stealing my breath.
“He saved you. Don’t you see? Because of his attack, Robert agreed to keep you out of the woods.” Her warped logic sounds a warning bell in my mind. She’s officially gone looney-tooney.
Digging my nails into my palms, I slow my cadence. “So, tell me, please. How do you see this playing out?”
“Easy. Your daughter here was distraught about your new boyfriend. Before I could stop her, she shot you in the head. Once she turned the gun on me… Well, there was nothing I could do. A terrible tragedy.” Her words snake through the air, coiling around my head.
