That’s the million-dollar question.Where the fuck are you, angel?
I call up Adam. He’s the only one I can think of right now that might know something.
“Hey—”
“Has the detective picked up Eve?” I interrupt him. Maybe things have changed and she’s running from them.
“What? No. Not that I know of. Why?”
“She just called me and told me goodbye. She was upset and sounded…”
“Sounded what?”
“Suicidal,” I answer, hanging my head.Sometimes you have to hurt the one you lovewas what my mother told me before she killed herself. Haidyn was right. I should have done more to help Eve. I thought I could fix whatever was wrong through, what? Sex. Talking about our feelings? Bullshit. It didn’t help one fucking bit. I ignored the signs, and now she’s going to be gone. “We tracked her phone to Barrington but she’s not here.”
I can tell he’s driving because I can hear the background noise from his Bluetooth. “I’ll make a call and let you know what I find out.”
Hanging up, I look around Barrington. I pray that my wife is planning on getting arrested. That’s something I can fix.
SEVENTY-FOUR
EVERETT
Ihad to go to my house after I killed the man at the motel. I needed a few things before I drove to Barrington and made the call to Kashton. Now it’s time.
I pull off the two-lane road and bring the car to a stop. Opening up my purse in the passenger seat, I remove my Kimber Micro-9 Aurora. I double check to see one round in the chamber and seven in the magazine. Then I make sure the safety is off.
I pick up Kashton’s white zip-up hoodie and slide it on. I zip it all the way up in order to conceal what I have underneath.
Getting out of his car, I lift the back of my hoodie and push the barrel of the gun into the waistband of my jeans. I want to have the element of surprise, so that’s where it has to be.
If I was a praying person, this is where I’d ask God to save me. But I’m not here for me. I’m here for my husband. I knew when I read the text on that Lords phone that I’d die today. For him.
My black boots that I changed into at my house thump on the steps as I make my way up to the double doors. Taking a deep breath, I grab the old handles and shove them open.
They creak, and I stomp my way through the entrance and smash through the second set of doors.
Four men dressed in black jeans and matching hoodies stand in front of the Lords’ altar. All of them wear masks and their hoods are up. I wish I could say I’m not scared, but the rope that hangs from each end of the altar makes my stomach knot.
They’re going to tie me to it and torture me. The thought of them recording it and sending it to Kashton makes me want to vomit. He doesn’t need to see that. His imagination will be bad enough.
“You wanted me. Here I am.” I hold my arms out wide. My voice echoes throughout the large space.
The one on the far right steps forward. “We wanted your husband.”
How do they know we’re married? Not many do. “Always the bridesmaid. Never the bride,” I chide, rolling my eyes.
The one next to him steps forward. “Oh, I think we can make do with Mrs. Pierce.”
The way he says it freezes me where I stand. They’ll definitely record whatever sick shit they’re going to do to me and send it to Kash. They’ll keep me alive long enough to send him a message as to where I’m at, and he’ll come running. Then they’ll get him too. It will all be for nothing.
That’s why I can’t leave here. Not the way I walked in.
“Where’s Rhett?” one of them demands.
They could only be referring to one man. “The guy you sent to the motel to kidnap me? He’s dead.”
They grunt, and the one on the far right readjusts his stance.
