Even through the ache in her head and her rioting senses, everything snapped into place.
“This is about Crew.” Fern forced the words past her dry throat.
He smiled. Not wide. Not cruel. Just…satisfied.
“Crew needs to suffer, like my family has suffered.”
Her heart hammered. Crew said that he didn’t get closure from writing to his copilot’s family. Now this guy wanted revenge—by takingher.
“W-what’s your name?” she managed.
“Crew didn’t tell you? Of course he didn’t—why would my name be important when my brother’s wasn’t? Crew thought writing letters would make up for what he did to my brother. I wrote him a lot of letters back. I sent him cards on my brother’s birthday and holidays. But he didn’t respond to them. That’s when I knew I had to take away something that mattered tohim.”
Her decision to get out of her car on that mountain felt like a hot coal in her gut. She’d beensostupid to believe it was a truck from the Black Heart Ranch.
“I’m Reed.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone. As soon as she saw the green case, panic washed over her like a wave.
“How did you get my phone? And my bracelet?”
His grin was insidious, his eyes unhinged with madness. “You and your boss aren’t very aware of people coming in andout of that greenhouse. All those fans running silence any noise, and the place has so many rooms…”
She gulped.
“I was in theredozensof times, Fern. Didn’t you ever notice things being moved?”
She swallowed the scalding lump in her throat. Her stomach heaved, and she breathed shallowly, thinking she might be sick.
“It was easy enough to disable your car too.”
Oh god. Crew, please find me!
She had to keep Reed talking. Crew would find her. No way would he let her down.
“You don’t have to do this. Whatever you think this will fix—it won’t.”
He laughed softly. “You must be his therapist as well as his girlfriend.”
“Then listen to me,” she shot back. “Holding on to this grudge against Crew won’t bring Bear back. It just keeps you stuck.”
His eyes darkened, and a scowl pinched his features.
“Losing Conner killed our mom,” he said flatly. “She died of a broken heart. I hope Crew is satisfied.”
The truck she’d seen on the street had been this guy all along. He’d followed her, moved things around and made her doubt reality. He stole her bracelet and her phone, sabotaged her car. Hit her over the head and brought her here.
He went on, tone light with a hint of craziness. “When I came looking for Crew, I saw him on the street with you, laughing. Living like nothing ever happened.”
Fern’s voice was steady despite the fear crawling under her skin. “You kidnapped me. You’re already ruined, Reed. Letting me go is the only way you’ll get out of this.”
Something flashed across his face, like he hadn’t thought through his plan well enough.
“I just need him to come after you,” he said quietly, turning her phone over and over in his hand.
Her stomach pitched and heaved like she was floating on a boiling sea instead of tied up in a cabin. If Reed hadn’t already alerted Crew, he would. And that message would bring the man she loved running right into danger—to save her.
She willed her tears to retreat. She didn’t have time for tears. She had to keep Reed from summoning Crew to the cabin.
She raised her jaw a notch. “The tree is blocking the road.”
