“Liar.” Hot tears of anger sting my eyes. “You’re a fucking liar, Barclay. They’re alive, all of them. I can tell.”
“Watch your mouth!” he growls, jabbing a finger at me.
I ignore him, fixing my attention on Victor. He gulps audibly.
“Is he telling the truth?” The more I wiggle my hands, the more the ropes burn and dig into my wrists. But I can’t afford to give up. Can’t. For myself and my maybe-baby, I have to fight. “I bet he isn’t. No, your family won’t be able to save you from a murder charge. Arson, maybe. Kidnapping and assault? You have the connections and your law firm to make it go away. Murder, though? You know as well as I do how it ends. You and your cousin won’t last a day in prison.”
Barclay slaps me again.
Victor opens his mouth, only to be interrupted.
“Fine! Fine! They’re alive. All of them, even the motherfucking dog,” Jayden shouts, the giant man burying his face in his hands. “Jesus, this wasn’t—Vic and I never meant for this to go this far. Barclay, let’s leave her here and call Duncan to come pick her up. I can’t take it anymore.”
Hope injects itself into my veins. Not because Jayden wants to save me.
My family. They really are alive.
Thank you, Universe. Thank you.
“Shut up, Jayden.” At Barclay’s order, the room goes quiet. He always had that effect on people, that ruthless authority. “We’re sticking to the plan. Once loverboy funnels his finances to my account, I’m burning him and this place down to the ground.”
My eyes dart around the room to see if he’s serious.
In one corner, there are three large red gasoline tanks. My dad’s golden Zippo sits atop one of them.
For a long, harrowing moment, fear storms in. My heart rate spikes. Vision blurring around the edges.
He’s going to burn Duncan alive.
He’s going to kill him, he’s going to kill him, he’s going to?—
Stop it,I scream in my head.Stop before you pass out.
“Do not tell Duncan to come. I’m warning you, Barclay, don’t do it. Don’t hurt him. All he’s ever done is be good to you.” I bare my teeth. Better to piss Barclay off than lose myself to a panic attack. “Until you showed your true, filthy colors, that is. So just drop it.”
“Let me consider this for a second…” Barclay jerks his chin to Victor in a silent command. “No.”
His lackey slaps a slimy hand over my mouth. “Sorry.”
“My, my.” Barclay laughs when I start screaming into Victor’s palm. “I can’t wait for the guest of honor to get here.”
My brother pulls his phone out of his pocket.
Smirks at me.
And calls Duncan.
29
DUNCAN
“Motherfucker. Mother—” I slam my hand on the steering wheel. Press my foot to the gas, letting the SUV eat the road whole. “Fucker.”
My pulse matches the car’s speed. My teeth grind hard, nearly cracking.
Somehow, I manage not to lose my shit. To focus on the highway in front of me.
All so I can get to the Montgomery home, where I assume she’ll be.
