“Griffin happened. We both started dating a girl and quickly realized we were casually dating the same girl. He was goofing off, but I fell in love with her, quick and hard.” Tears filled his eyes. “She was perfect. Her name wasAmanda.”
“Griffin’s wife?” Iasked.
His face darkened again. “She chose the wrong man. I made sure, in the end, she regretted it. I only wish I could’ve watched herdie.”
I gasped. “Did you start thefire?”
He stared at me for a moment before replying. “I told them they’d pay for hurting me. I told her she chosewrong.”
“But they had a baby,” I exclaimed, disgusted to be near a baby-killer.
“Yeah, I hated to kill her. Shewaspretty cute. But I couldn’t let the spawn of that dream-killer live either. Now he’s suffered and he can go be with them in Hell.” Spittle flew out of his mouth with his last words. He was worked up and utterlypsychotic.
I happened to glance down and almost peed myself. My backpack was still on the floorboard, behind his sat. He probably hadn’t noticed it since it was black fabric on blackcarpet.
My gun was in that backpack. I had to get him to untie my hands. I wiggled them again, trying to figure out what he’d used to tie them. It felt like some sort of rope. I began yanking my hands back and forth to loosenit.
“Maybe I’ll use you as bait. They’ll come looking for you again, probably one at a time.” He tapped his perfectly chiseled chin, thoughtful. “I think that’s a good idea. You sit tight, and they’ll be here soon. I’m going to go wait.” He must have had faith in his rope-tying abilities, because he stepped out of the vehicle and shut me init.
Damn Griffin for having such a nice SUV. I had no doubt if I screamed it’d be so muffled no one outside the barn could hear it. I shuffled and scooted my feet, trying to slip the snow boots off. Finally I managed to wiggle my foot out of one of them and used those toes to get the other one off. Once my socks were gone, I peered out the windows all around me, trying to find Hunter. I couldn’t see him anywhere. He was probably hiding, waiting for someone to come looking for me. I prayed they stayed busy doing whatever they were doing and didn’t bother searching. If I could get my hands free I'd befine.
I scooted over so I was sitting right in front of my backpack and used my toes to unzip the biggestpart.
The front fell forward, and all my airport snacks I’d never eaten fell out. I stared at them in consternation. I’d been so hungry before when I was stuck in the barn. I’d completely forgotten I had food in that damn backpack. I rolled my eyes. I could’ve eaten my gummy bears and cheese crackers instead of a Pop Tart, which would’ve avoided the whole situation. “Why am I screwing up so muchlately?”
Maybe I was twitterpated from hanging around three hot guys for two days. I rolled my eyes even harder for that thought. “Don’t be a sentimental boob,” I thought. I’d never gone gaga over a man and I had no intentions of starting. Even though there were three of them that would make the perfect poly relationship forme.
It was all a moot point anyway; I was probably going todie.
I rifled around in the contents of the backpack, hoping to find the pocket knife I was fairly certain I’d stuck in before leaving my wrecked SUV. Once I spotted it—of course at the very bottom of the bag—I tried to grab it with my toes. I managed to brush up against it—I could feel the coolness of the handle but I couldn’t quite grasp it. I’d never tried to use my toes like fingers before, and I wasn’t good atit.
I paused to look around again. I didn’t want Hunter to take notice of my movement and come investigate. At the same time, I needed to hurry and get free before one of the guys came searching for me and walked into Hunter’s trap. At least the windows were darkened with limo tint so he couldn't specifically see what I wasdoing.
I grunted with frustration, tried to grab it again, andfinallymanaged to get it between my pinkie toe and whatever the toe beside it was called. I swung it over and placed it on the flattened seat beside me. One more time I searched for Hunter. There was still no sign of him, so I shimmied over until I was beside the knife and turned so I could hold it with my tied hands. Once I had a grip on it, I tried to flip it open, but my hands weren’t turned right to easily doit.
I got a fingernail on the ridge on the edge of the blade. I used the strength of my nail, luckily painted, which reinforced it and made it strong enough to drag the blade out of itscase.
Once the knife was open, I had no idea how I’d get it positioned to cut the rope without cutting my own wrists. But I had to try, what other choice did Ihave?
I began sawing back and forth as lightly as I could, feeling for resistance that would indicate I was sawing against the rope. After much finagling it broke free. I diligently cut away at the strands until they loosened enough for me to slide my handsout.
Rubbing some feeling back into them, I once again tried to find Hunter, but he was still hiding. I couldn’t get out of the car and reveal that I was loose, but I also couldn’t risk the guys coming into the barn. What the hell was I going todo?
I leaned into the front seat and locked the doors, then rustled through the bag until I had my revolver and some extra bullets. I climbed to the back of the car and stretched as high as I could go so I could see if he was behind the SUV. The best I could tell he wasn’t. I pushed on the emergency exit latch experimentally and breathed thanks to Griffin for keeping his cars in good shape. The back door opened with barely a click. I only lifted it enough to slip out—not that there was room to open it far anyway. It was backed up almost to thewall.
Once I was crouched against the back wall, I peered up and down the barn. Wherever Hunter was hiding, it wasn’t there. I walked awkwardly, crouched all the way, one hand holding my gun and the other helping to balance me. I was the picture of an armed duck. My adrenaline was sky high, and I couldn’t hear anything over the sound of my breath whooshing in and out of my lungs. I was sure that was why I wasn’t feeling any pain in my head or ribs. Oddly, the icy concrete under my bare feet irritated me even through the adrenalinerush.
Peering around and under each vehicle, I made my way to the front of the barn as quickly as I could. It’d be a miracle if I could get to the door to the house without Hunter noticing. I finally reached the last car. Once I left the safety of its shadow I’d be exposed all the way across the front of the barn. I debated with myself for a moment and opted to hide mygun.
There was a chance Hunter wasn’t armed, but I had to assume he was. If at all possible, I needed my gun to be a surprise. I wasn’t about to be murdered, raped, or otherwise harmed by a psychotic with a crush on Griffin’s dead wife. Surviving in a frigid Alaskan front yard might not be my strong suit, but defending myself sure was. I stood proudly and strode to the front wall, refusing to be intimidated. Keeping my back to the wall, I walked sideways toward thedoor.
When I was within five feet of it, it opened. I jerked my head in shock to the doorway to see Chandler emerge with a huge, happy grin on hisface.
I screamed, “No!” as I saw Hunter jump up from behind the stack of totes and level a gun—Iknewhe had one—on Chandler. I had a fraction of a second to decide what todo.
I yanked my gun out from behind my back. “Drop it, Hunter!” Ishouted.
He moved his aim to me instead of Chandler. I didn’t tear my gaze away from Hunter to see Chandler’s face, but given his strangled shout, I pictured a look of great confusion. “Chandler, he’s psycho. Absolutely off his rocker,” I said out of the side of mymouth.
