If I were smart, I’d run. Far, far away.
But I guess I wasn’t smart.
My fear started to shift to anger, then it caught fire and turned into a blaze.
Gerald Knox and men like him thought they could take whatever they wanted at the expense of everyone else, never giving a damn about the lives they ruined. People were pawns on a chessboard. Inventory. Product.
Gerald Knox was a sociopath, and the world would be a better place without him.
In the end, I suspected it might come down to him or me—and I sure as hell wasn’t leaving this world without one hell of a fight.
Maybe I wouldn’t have trouble pulling the trigger after all.
The bathroom door clicked open and James walked out.
“I think we should leave Little Rock,” he announced in an authoritative tone.
I crossed my arms over my chest, keeping my gaze on the river. So, he’d come to the same conclusion I had.
“Why?” I knew what he was going to say. I wanted to hear him say it.
“He plans to kill me, Harper.” His voice dipped. “But he plans to torture you. I should have realized it sooner.”
I still didn’t turn around. “And if the positions were reversed, would you run?”
“This is my world,” he said, his voice going dark. “I’ve done things that Detective Adams wouldn’t have hesitated to lock me up for and throw away the key. You’re used to playin’ by the rules.” His eyes pinned mine. “Men like Gerald Knox don’t play by any rules.”
“I don’t know if you noticed,” I said dryly, letting my arms fall to my sides, “but I stopped playing by the rules a while back.”
He shook his head. “That’s patty-cake compared to what Gerald Knox does.”
A humorless laugh escaped me. “I’m not running, James.”
He closed the distance between us and grabbed my upper arms, keeping a couple of feet between us. “As you pointed out, I’m not a hundred percent.” Pain flashed in his eyes. “Which means I’m not on top of my game enough to protect you.”
I glared up at him. “Who the fuck says I need protecting?”
“Do you think that makes you weak?” he demanded. “Because I guaran-damn-tee you that Gerald Knox doesn’t see you that way.”
“I don’t need protecting,” I repeated, sharper this time. “If the roles were reversed, you wouldn’t back down.”
His hands tightened on my arms and his voice rose. “That’s because I never thought I had anything to lose!”
His words pierced my defensiveness, but I still couldn’t make myself believe him. “So you’re saying if Knox wanted to torture you, you’d run away.” My eyes narrowed. “And don’t you dare lie to me.”
His jaw set, but he didn’t respond.
“Exactly,” I spat, yanking free of his grip. “I need to get ready.” I brushed past him, headed for the bathroom.
“If we retreat, it doesn’t mean we won’t come back,” he called after me, anger sharp in his voice.
“You wouldn’t retreat,” I countered, not looking over my shoulder.
“Because I’m a goddamned idiot!” he shouted.
I stopped and turned.
“I’m stubborn and hotheaded,” he went on, his chest heaving, “but damn it all to hell, Harper—if the roles were reversed right now, I’d consider pausing.”
