Quin shoved that thought from his mind.
He leaned forward in his seat, blinking rapidly to keep his night vision in check.He needed to keep his eyes peeled for his old business.
The place he’d gone to every day with his two best friends.Once his second home.His baby.He’d put everything into that business, and then the shit had hit the fan.
None of that mattered now.He’d sign over his shares of the company if it meant having Josie back in one piece...then he’d slaughter Cody for touching her.
He lowered his gaze to the clock on the dash.It’d been four minutes since Cody hung up.His chest squeezed.A lot could have happened.Raindrops splattered on the windshield and his pulse kicked into high gear.
He sent a prayer up to God, the Universe, Liam if he was still hanging around.Please, keep Josie safe.
For the second time that day, fear made his hands shake.
***
Josie’s arm grewnumb in Cody’s death grip.She stared into the face she’d known since childhood.Never in a million years had she suspected he was capable of such brutality.
“Cody, please.You don’t want to do this.”Begging for her life certainly wasn’t the way she wanted to exit this world.But something made her say the words, made her try to touch a part of Cody that still existed.Somewhere under the anger and resentment had to be the kid she’d grown up with.
“Your boyfriend couldn’t leave well enough alone.”
She balked.“Quin just said—”
“Not Quin.”He wiped the sweat from his brow with his arm.“Liam.He always needed to look at the books.Just because he had an accounting background, he thought he had a right.”
Ice prickled her veins.Realization closed in around her like quicksand.“What did he find?”
“It’s none of your fucking business, but since you’re going to be dead in about three minutes, I’ll tell you.”He towed her out of the room and down the hall.
“Iran this business.Quin always thought he had more say because he put up the most money.Liam always thought he was the brains and brawn.I’mthe one who built the business.I’mthe one who grew the company and slaved in the office day and night getting us contracts.I should have been paid more.”His voice grew angrier with every word.He opened the back door, hauled her outside, and dragged her down the steps.
Rain fell on her face, cooling her fear-flamed cheeks.She searched the shadowed lawn.Trees closed in around the perimeter, broken only by the narrow gravel road behind the property.A spark of hope lit inside her.On the road, she had a chance of flagging someone down or calling for help.
He strode swiftly across the lawn to the woods backing the house, bringing the gravel road just a little bit closer.Only he was taking her to the dense trees.He didn’t care that Quin was on his way, didn’t care he’d get caught.She had to do something.Had to stall him.
She dug her heels into the grass.“You embezzled from the business?”She had to keep him talking until she could find a way to escape.The moon sat half tucked behind a rain cloud, providing just enough light to catch the edge of the axe.Panic coated her skin in a tight film.Her eyes strained as she darted them around the open yard outside the main building.
He licked his lips with annoyance.“Yeah, genius.Once Quin told us he wanted a buyout, Liam started poking around more than ever.Asking questions about our finances.”
The memory of the cut harness slammed into her mind.Her heart rate slowed.Moisture left her throat, leaving the surface as scratchy as sand.“How could you kill him?”The words came out breathless, as if she spoke through a straw.
Anger lit his face.“He would have turned me in.I saw it in his eyes.He knew what I’d done and he was going to put that money before our friendship.”
Josie shook her head.“You’re delusional.You’re the one who put money before your friendships.”
He shoved her back a step, his face turning a violent shade of red.The axe lifted an inch in his hold, making her suck back her breath and hover her hands in front of her.She was free of his grip, but all it would take was one slash and she was dead.
“I did everything for them, for our business.”
She wet her lips.“Why come after me now?”
His mouth twisted into a snide smirk.“I always wondered about you and what you knew.Your psychic card-reading bullshit.Then Quin told me Liam left you a voicemail and I knew it wouldn’t be long before you connected the dots, maybe started digging in files Liam took home.”
“And Rocco’s diner?You were responsible for that, too.”The statement blurted from her mouth, all the pieces clicking into place.
He snorted.“I knew that would derail Quin from the buyout.Didn’t expect him to leave town, but that worked in my favor.”
“What did you do to the harness?”Part of her wanted to know how he’d plotted Liam’s death.The other part of her just wanted to keep him talking.If she could put enough distance between them, she just might be able to make a run for it.She slid her bare feet over the cold, damp ground.Rain still splattered around her, but her senses ignored the drops on her skin.
