I squeeze her hands in return, pushing back the burning in my eyes as I manage a slight nod. She releases my hands, then moves to turn in the direction of the vehicle, when she freezes, her gaze now focused behind me. Her wide eyes flick back to me, panicked.
I whisper, “Is someone behind me?” She nods minutely, her focus still on my face, so I add, “Are there a lot of them?”
She shakes her head and then leans in so her face is blocked to whomever is behind me, and then she says, “Just one man.”
She continues to search my gaze, then her eyes narrow, and she sighs as realization dawns. “This is what you planned, isn’t it?”
“I’m sorry,” I answer, my hands moving to her forearm. “I couldn’t see any other way.”
“Any other way for what?”
“To get her back.”
She frowns and shakes her head. “Get who back?”
“Gemma.”
Krystin’s expression turns pained, and she responds, “You should have told us.”
“I couldn’t.”
Krystin inhales deeply, expelling her breath loudly as she shifts so she can peek over my shoulder again. Then she turns back to me and responds, “He’s waiting.”
I nod, releasing her arm and stepping back. “I’m gonna need you to do one thing for me.”
“What is it?”
“I need you to get in the car and leave me here.”
She frowns, shakes her head, and before she can say anything, I add, “Please, Krys. You know if there was any other way to find her, I would have by now. Just drive away and don’t look back.”
“But we can still go,” she fires back, panic in her voice. “There’s still time for us to get away.”
“There’s no time for that. It's too late.”
“Goddamn it, Vivian.”
“I know. I know. Just please do this for me.”
She stares at me for a few long moments and then nods. I close the space between us, wrap my arms around her, and clutch her to me as I whisper in her ear, “I love you. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”
She hugs me back just as tightly. “I love you, too. And you’re a terrible fucking liar.”
I laugh lightly, knowing exactly what she’s talking about but knowing there’s no point in discussing it. We both step back at the same time, and without another word, she spins on her heel and rushes to the passenger rear door that’s still standing open. The door slams behind her, and though I can’t see anyone through the glare of the headlights, I know that this long pause between her entering the vehicle and their departure is the group arguing over my decision.
I raise my right hand, knowing they can see me in the spotlight, making the American Sign Language sign for “I love you.” Jackie flashes her headlights three times in response, and I smile as I drop my thumb, bringing it around to the devil horns.
Jackie flips on the high beams, immediately throwing the vehicle into reverse and then flooring it backward. She whips it around at the end of the parking lot, taking off in the direction of the main road, and I watch them go until their lights fade into the distance. Then I sigh, taking a moment to soak in the calm, knowing I won’t get any of that again for a long while.
I sigh again, more heavily this time, knowing my time is up even before I hear the boots in the gravel directly behind me.
My back warms suddenly, then there’s the slide of the gun being removed from the back waistband of my jeans. I only have a moment of reaction time before an arm slides around my front, tightening against my neck.
I don’t bother to fight. I don’t waste time with a struggle. I just lean back and accept the fate that I’ve written for myself.
FOUR
A BEGRUDGING CAPTOR
