“They’re already on their way.”
I turned in the direction of my house and started jogging down the street, through the yards, trying to find the house that was behind mine. “Then hang up and call Evelyn. Her number is…” I shook my head. Think,think!
I gasped and rattled off her number. “Call her right now. You call herright now.”
“What? Why?”
“I’m going to fix this,” I promised her, my heart racing as the dread grew like a stone in my gut. I had to fix this. It was my fault.Myfault that they took Baily. I didn’t even think she would be on their radar. I met her once. One time. Everett had even listed her as a possibly target and I brushed it off like some naiveidiot! Why didn’t I take it more seriously?
“Fix it—what do you mean, Liv? What do you mean?What did you do!” she shouted in angry desperation.
Steven was right. I talked a big game through my writing, through my fantasies, but I wasn’t Everett. I should have taken this seriously. I never should have moved on from that conversation. I should have made sure.
But…but Everetthadlooked into it. He knew it was mom, he was sure.
We were missing something. We had to be missing something. “Stella, I’m going to fix this, I’ll save her. I promise, I swear on my life, but you need to get off the phone and call Evelyn. Call Evelyn right now!”
She was quiet for a long time. “Okay.” Click.
Fuck!My heart slammed in my chest as I forced myself to run faster, sprinting towards my house. But everything looked the same here. It all looked exactly the fucking same!
I had to fix this. I would fix this. I could do it. I could fix this—
Headlights appeared at the end of the street, momentarily blinding me, forcing me to slow and shield my eyes. I tried to blink the spots away as the engine revved. After a few seconds, I forced my hand down, picking up my pace again. I had to get to my phone, I had to—
The black van screeched to a halt in the middle of the street, forcing me to stop, my eyes widening.
Panic slammed through me.
I took several steps back, the door opening, that woman from weeks ago jumping out.
“Shit,” I spun around, ready to run, only to freeze in my tracks, Lucy’s snarling filling the air.
Horror filled me.
Wade smiled. “Hey, Liv. You should have just accepted my offer.”
“Attack,” I ordered without a second thought. Why didn’t I bring my phone? I should have brought my goddamn phone!
Lucy lunged for him, and I turned, his screams filling the air, my eyes locking on the woman’s as she stood by the van, a male walking towards me, a smile on her face.
“So sad, you’re such a pretty young thing,” she cooed.
I hardened my eyes. Focus.Focus. I had no delusions that I would win this, that I would get away, but I wasn’t going to just give up. Not with Baily’s life on the line.
I watched his steps, searching his hips, his thighs. No gun that I could see, unless he had it tucked in the back of his pants. If that were the case, I had seconds.
“Where’s Baily?” I asked, remaining as still and calm as I could.“Come on, Everett, call me. Please, call me,”I begged, praying he would read my mind like he always did.
She only smiled, that man getting closer.
Baily had to be alive. She would be alive. Whatever it cost me, whatever sanity, however much blood, I would get her back toStella alive. I had to.
“You’re not even going to run?” she asked from the van when I didn’t respond, Lucy’s snarls and Wade’s screams drowned out by the sound of the fireworks and cheering.
I flexed my hands, trying to slow my breathing, hoping beyond all hope that Stella had called Evelyn, that she and Everett were already on their way here, that they would intercept this van before I got to wherever they were going to take me.
“That’s pretty damn pathetic of you.”
