Unfortunately, I don’t get a chance to respond either way because a black SUV creeps up beside us, sending my pulse climbing.
I keep my head pointed straight so as not to alarm Ellis, but when I hear the window move down and the voice of the driver, every hair on my body stands up.
“Good evening,Ms. Lewis.”
I freeze, and Ellis nearly trips on the sidewalk beside me.
Slowly, I turn to face the man that I’ve seen on more than one occasion in town, and suddenly, that intuition that I was ignoring before rears its ugly head. But I don’t respond.
“Lovely night for a stroll in Blossom Peak, isn’t it?”
“Can I help you with something?” I manage to squeak out despite the dread filling my gut.
“You can get in the car without me having to force you,” he says, his voice growing more irritated as I hear him put the car in park.
“And why would I do that?”
He lifts a gun just above the window so I can see it, but I stand in front of Ellis to hopefully prevent her from seeing it. “So I don’t have to use this.”
“She’s five,” I whisper. “I can’t leave her.”
He nods. “She comes too then.”
“Ms. Vienna?” Ellis peers around me. “Who is that man?”
“Uh, he’s a…friend. We’re gonna get in the car with him for a little bit, okay?”
Nodding, he exits the SUV and unlocks the back door, opening it for me and Ellis to enter as my thoughts start to spiral and my eyes land on the gray at his temples standing out against his jet-black hair.
Oh my God, how am I going to get us out of this? Where is he going to take us?
And why is my location on my phone off in an instance when I wish it weren’t?
Ellis peers back at me as I help her up. “But what about the rock?”
“We can find a rock later, okay?” Ellis jumps into the SUV and then I follow behind her, nearly falling because every part of my body is shaking right now.
“But I don’t have my booster chair,” Ellis says as she slides further into the vehicle.
“It’s okay, Ellis. Just—just sit down for me, okay?”
“Ms. Vienna… I’m scared.” The terror in her voice makes me grow emotional until I take my seat next to her and hear the car door shut.
But when I look up to the front of the vehicle, I see the man I was hoping I’d never have to come face to face with again sitting in the passenger seat—and then true nausea builds in my stomach because there’s no telling what might happen to us now.
Chapter 27
Rhonan
My Worst Nightmare Times Two
“I don’t think I could ever get sick of Carolina’s baked goods.” Brody shoves the last bite of his pizza roll into his mouth. He’s not even done chewing his first one before he reaches for another.
Jordan nods. “Especially these damn pizza rolls. I could eat them every day.”
“You’d get sick of them after a while,” Brody interjects. “Right, Rhonan?”
I’m so immersed in my computer that I wasn’t really paying attention to their conversation. Glancing up from my monitor, I make eye contact with Brody. “What?”
