Chapter Twenty
Quinton
Move.Do something.
But I can’t. I can’t even breathe.
Alec drops his hand from my mouth, but I only manage a weak, ”Help,” before he skirts the bench, and the blond guy sits next to me and wraps his arm tightly around my shoulders.
“Not a smart idea, Quint.” Pulling his jacket open, Alec nods at the gun in a holster on his hip.
Oh, fuck. He’s going to kill me.
“This is Dennis, by the way. You remember, him, don’t you? From the cactus delivery? The one yourefused?”
I turn my head just enough to give Dennis a sideways glance, and the look in his eyes terrifies me. Unlike Alec, whose eyes have always been dead and unfeeling, Dennis is enjoying this.
My skin tingles where Alec slapped my neck, and when I realize why, my entire body goes cold. Scopolamine. The patch is only an inch on each side, but when Connor brought me to the ER after saving me, they tested the one I was wearing and found out it was five times stronger than a normal patch. If I don’t get it off in the next few minutes, I won’t be able to think straight.
Alec bends down so we’re face to face. “You ruined me, Quint. So now, I’m going to return the favor. I hope you enjoyed kissing that tattooed body builder this morning. Because you’ll never see him again.” He holds out his hand, and three white pills rest in his palm. “It’s time for your meds. Take these so we can go. Dennis and I have a whole new life planned out, and it’s time we got to it.”
“I’m nnnot going anywhere with yyouu.” Fuck. If I’m slurring my words after just a minute or two, I’m in deep shit. I jerk my hand up to try to peel off the patch, but Alec grabs my wrist and twists my arm, hard. The shock makes me cry out until Dennis punches me in the stomach.
I double over, struggling to draw in a breath, and that’s when Alec’s fist slams into my spine. It’s like an electric shock from my neck all the way down my legs, and my vision tunnels. Someone yanks me to my feet—Dennis, I think—and then Alec’s arm snakes around my waist like he’s supporting a friend who’s had one too many.
Flashes of the sidewalk pass by. A sliding door opens with a metallic sound, and then I’m falling. When I hit the floor, I roll over in a vain attempt to get up, but the door slams shut and then Dennis straddles me, grabbing my hands and forcing them over my head.
Metal clicks, cold around my wrists, and I can’t lower my arms. “What arrre you doingggg?”
Alec chuckles. “Like I said, Quint. We’re taking you with us. But we can’t trust you. Not anymore. So you’re going to ride back here. And you’re going to take your meds. We have a long drive ahead of us. By the time we’ve reached our destination, maybe you’ll be in a better mood.”
Tangling his fingers in my hair, Alec lifts my head, shoves the pills into my mouth, and presses a bottle of water to my lips.
“Swallow. Now,” he snarls.
Choking and kicking my legs weakly, I try to spit out the drugs, but Dennis pinches my nose, and I don’t have a choice. The pills go down, and I’m screwed. I’ll never get away from them, and if they’re taking me out of state…
We really are the best at what we do, and we don’t give up. On anyone.
Graham might not give up on me, but he’ll have to find me first. My entire world is spinning now, and it’s hard to focus. Where are they taking me? Texas? Or Utah? Alec grew up there. I think.
Twisting my head sends shooting pains down my back, but I catch a brief glimpse of my hands. There’s a hasp on the floor of the van, and a padlock secures the handcuffs in place.
Dennis binds my ankles with duct tape, and Alec pats my thigh. “That should hold you for a while.” He flashes me a smile. “If you’re good and stay quiet, I won’t have to gag you. But if you try to scream, you won’t like the consequences.”
Getting to his feet, Alec grabs a blanket and drapes it over me, covering me from head to toe. I start to wheeze, the panic gripping me so strong, I might never escape it again. Until he pulls the dark wool away with a softtskingsound. “Sorry, Quint. There’s one thing I forgot to do.” Sliding his hand into my left pocket, he withdraws my phone along with my house keys. “These things are so fucking trackable these days. But I see you disabled the facial scan. What’s your passcode?”
“Fuck you.”
His fingers wrap around my throat. I can still breathe, but he’s letting me know that could change in an instant. “You know I’ll win in the end. You never could resist my special drug cocktail. You’ll give me anything I ask for soon.” Tossing the keys to Dennis, Alec smiles up at the man. “Go get his laptop. That’s it. Don’t touch anything else and lock up when you’re done. I’ll send the bodybuilder a message so he won’t think anything of Quint going dark for a while.”
Oh, God. No. Clementine. She’ll hide. She doesn’t trust anyone—except Graham and Manny. I have to hold on to that hope.
After the door slams shut, Alec grabs my chin hard enough to leave bruises. “Passcode. Now, you piece of shit. Fighting me is useless. I’ll have it all soon anyway. Bank accounts, passwords, a new power of attorney. Dennis is a decorated member of the Dallas Police Department. Or was until he retired last week. He’ll be happy to testify about your mental state when we have our video conference with the judge in a few days. You’re only delaying the inevitable. And pissing me off.”
Giving up—giving in—takes another piece of my soul, and tears well in my eyes. “Seven, nine, one, four, five, two, two.”
Alec fiddles with the phone for a few seconds, then pulls out his own. “There we are. Your messages and calls will ring on my cell, and this old thing…well, it’s useless now.”
