I paused for a moment, weighing my options. I had one bare foot, I was miles from home, and it was the middle of the night. I had no idea if my demented kidnappers would come back, but I had a fair idea what Jason would do to me if he awakened.
“You can trust me, Olivia.”
I sure hoped he was telling the truth.
“Where are you parked?” I asked with a sigh.
23
Inearly wept as my grandfather turned his car onto the main road.
It occurred to me that I’d started to believe I’d never set foot outdoors again—that I’d thought it more likely that I’d die trapped in the shed. Shivering, I took a few deep breaths, relishing the sweet smell of freedom.
“Are you cold?” my grandfather, who looked a whole decade younger than me, asked. He angled the heating vent toward me.
“I’m okay, thank you,” I said, and then I started bawling.
He handed me a wad of napkins he’d extracted from the center console. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re alright now.”
I allowed myself a few minutes of crying, which made me feel a whole lot better. Once my tears dried up, I said, “Sorry. After being treated so horribly by Richard and Maxine, it’s nice to have someone show me kindness.”
He smiled. “You can put the seat back and sleep, if you like.”
I nearly laughed. “I’m so amped up right now that I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep for a week.”
“Understandable. We have about an hour until we get to my place, so make yourself comfortable.”
“Is that where you’re taking me?” I asked.
“Unless there’s somewhere else you’d like to go?”
“I’d like to go home.”
“That’s the first place they’re going to look for you,” he pointed out, reasonably enough. “I figured my place would be safer, since the Nolans know where you live. I’ll take you home as soon as the smoke clears, so to speak.”
I was suddenly wary. “How do you know that they know where I live?” I certainly hadn’t shared this information with him.
“I’ve been following you for a while, though I’ve recently ramped up my efforts.”
“You have?”
He nodded. “You don’t remember seeing me at the wedding?”
“No, but I think my date noticed you watching me.”
“Ah. Your VGO friend, Joseph.”
“You’ve done your homework, I see.” I wasn’t sure what to make of that, not feeling too trusting of long-lost family members abruptly materializing in my life.
“Richard and Maxine aren’t the only ones who’ve been keeping tabs on you. Rest assured, Granddaughter, my reason is completely different from theirs.”
“And what is it—your reason?”
“To keep you safe.”
I believed he was being sincere. “Thank you, again, for rescuing me. I was about two seconds away from being injected with God knows what.”
“Don’t mention it,” he said.
