She remembered she passed a gas station between the bank and the pawn shop, so she retraced her drive and pulled up to the pump.
“I just need to stick to necessities.” She tightened her grip on the satchel. Her pulse quickened as the gun swung heavily at thebottom of her bag and hit her thigh with every step she took. After a quick stop inside, she bought a map, a couple bottles of water, and some granola bars.I need to make these last.
As the gas pumped into her car, she pulled out the map and found the small town in Michigan listed on her license, then began mapping out the route to her home in Los Angeles. It was longer than she expected, and it was going to take her a while to get there, especially if she ran out of money.
I might have to get a quick job somewhere. Maybe a diner on the side of the highway.Her mind flashed with Kinley’s face, the irony not lost on her as Kinley’s death was her fault, and now she found herself in a similar situation that Kinley was in when they met.
She swallowed hard as the heat parched her throat. The pump cut off, and she carefully replaced the handle in the slot.
Once on the highway, she made sure to pay attention to how she was driving, while also finalizing her plan. It was clear that Jenkins had fully switched sides and was against her. There was no coming back from this now.
I regret ever knowing you.She gripped the steering wheel hard, and her knuckles turned white against the pressure.
The girl in her body would recognize her immediately, so approaching them head-on was out of the question.
“I can be patient, watch them, and wait for the perfect opportunity to exact my revenge. I need to take Jenkins out first. With the element of surprise on my side that should be easy. Then, I’ll figure out what she did to take my body.”
Her skin grew hot again as she thought about this Callie person who was just taking Pamela’s life as her own.Unimaginable! It’s my life!I worked hard to get where I am, and there is nothing that is going to stop me from taking back what belongs to me.He needs to know that this is wrong and he needs to think about the consequences of ignoring me.
Callie reached into her satchel, digging around for her cell phone, and then remembered she broke it. She wanted to call Jenkins and curse him out.
“This is okay. Let them think they are safe, that they succeeded in driving me away.”
Her thoughts wandered to all the past people she had switched with. Just as she questioned if she really was doing something wrong, she shook her head and turned the radio on. The gun and her plan needed to be her main focus. Inability to focus meant losing. After everything she had accomplished, she wasn’t going to let some poor and battered woman take everything from her.
And Jenkins.
The previous kindred feelings she once had for him were now long gone, replaced with a deep-rooted hatred. At Darla’s funeral, she had wanted to make amends with him. Her seat at the funeral gave her a straight shot view of him, and he was no longer the awkward, lanky boy with limbs that seemed too big for his body. He was tall and muscular, his arms and legs in proportion.
He refused to look at her, much less talk to her.
After everything we went through together, I thought you of all people would understand.A lump jumped into her throat, and her anger subsided for a moment as an ache thumped in her chest.He rejected me, scorned me. He claims he wants to help people, and when I needed him most, he turned his back on me.
Anger boiled again under her skin, and she pushed harder against the gas pedal despite the loud protest from the car’s engine. Nothing was going to stand in her way of taking him down.
A loud rumbling approached behind her, and after a quick glance in the rearview, she could see that a large dually truckrode up behind her fast and then suddenly pulled around her. The truck swerved, almost hitting the front of her car.
She slammed on the brakes and turned the wheel to avoid a collision with the truck. Her pulse pounded as her mind thought back to the tragic accident that took Kinley’s life. A dust cloud surrounded her as her car came to a sudden halt on the dirt shoulder.
The truck door swung open, and Callie’s stomach dropped. The man who stormed toward her car she recognized. It was the man from the wedding picture. Panic filled her core, and she let out a screech.
He grabbed her car handle and pulled the door open. He reached across and undid her seatbelt before grabbing her by the hair. A sharp pain seared across her scalp as he yanked her out and threw her to the ground.
“Where do you think you’re going? You thought you were going to skip town without me knowing?” All the anger drained from her body, and dread filled her, as she looked up from the ground and was met with black, rage-filled eyes.
“Did you really think Earl was going to sell you a gun and not tell me?” He kicked dirt into her face, and she brought her arms up to guard herself.
Earl. He is that awful man at the pawn shop. He knew my name, the bastard,she thought, as she braced herself for the next blow.
“You belong to me.” He kicked her in the stomach. Callie gasped for air and moved her arms around her waist. Tears poured down her face. The pain blinded all her senses.
Sam leaned down and spit, just missing her head. “Now, let’s get you home so I can ensure you never forget.” His fingers wrapped around her red frizzy hair and dragged her back to the car.
Don’t look back. Keep looking forward. Jenkins, if you knew what life you’d forced me to stay in, you would be ashamed of yourself.
Searing pain radiated from her head. Her lungs also burned as they worked to regain function. He threw her into the passenger seat of the truck. Earl was already behind the wheel of her brown car. His yellow teeth grinned triumphantly at her before driving away.
I will survive this, and when I do, I’ll make you both pay.
