Yeah, but where was she?
Christian tore into the parking lot and jumped out of his truck with Tika on his heels. “You drivin’?” His brother was all business, wearing jeans and a light T-shirt.
“Yeah.” Ace got into his truck as his brother and Tika did the same. He swung the Ford around and accelerated, his heart racing. “She has to be okay.”
Christian looked out the window, scouting the area. “Are you sure she didn’t just go get dinner?”
“Yeah.” He didn’t know how, but he knew. May was in trouble.
The trunk was pitch black.
May couldn’t see anything, not even the shape of her own knees. The air felt used up. Hot at first from the engine, then colder as the rain started pounding overhead. Every turn slammed her shoulder into metal, and every bump shoved Jack’s body harder against her side.
His hand kept hitting her ribs when the car bounced.
She tried to twist away from him, but there wasn’t room. The carpet was damp and rough against her cheek. It smelled like old rubber and something metallic that wouldn’t go away.
The car accelerated, and rain hammered the lid hard enough to drown out everything else.
She tried to curl tighter and create space between her and Jack’s body. The elastic binding her wrists had swollen with moisture. She twisted them again anyway, dragging the knot against the ridged edge of the trunk liner. Pain lanced up both arms. The knot didn’t move.
If she could get one hand free, she could fight.
The car hit a dip and Jack rolled into her. She shoved him back with her knees, trying not to panic. She had to think.
The car finally rolled to a stop. A door opened and then she heard shoes scraping over gravel. She twisted her wrists again, frantically now, dragging the elastic over the metal seam, grinding skin raw. If she could just get one hand loose. Just one.
The trunk latch clicked.
Light exploded in.
Kyle stood over her, rain soaking his shirt. The air smelled like cold water and wet spruce.
Jack’s body jerked as Kyle hauled him by the collar and one ankle, dragging him over May and across the trunk lip. Jack’s head knocked against the bumper with a dull crack. May instinctively shoved backward.
Kyle dragged Jack out and dropped him onto the ground.
May tried to launch herself out of the trunk, but he shoved her back and slammed the lid again. Damn it. She struggled, trying for the latch, but it wouldn’t give.
Kyle was back in minutes, opening the lid.
She blinked against the rain and saw they were outside the garage of the sprawling river house. The place was shielded by trees that created a private alcove. Nobody could see her here.
He manacled her by the upper arm and yanked her out of the trunk so violently her feet barely found the ground before she stumbled. Mud slid under her shoes. Rain blinded her. She tried to wrench free, but he kept her arm locked high and tight.
“Knock it off,” he hissed, drawing the gun from his back to press against her ribs. “You need to walk with me, or I swear I’ll end this now.”
She had to survive this. Ace had to be looking for her. She hoped he wasn’t still in his hearing. A sob tore through her, muffled by the gag that was choking her. She’d look for a knife inside the house.
Kyle dragged her around the side instead, keeping the structure between them and any road view. She fought him every step by digging in her heels and trying to twist her wrists toward her mouth to loosen the gag. The rain made the rocks slick and she nearly went down twice, but he kept hauling her upright.
“Walk,” he ordered, tightening his grip until her shoulder burned.
She tried to scream anyway. The bandage swallowed the sound into a useless hum.
They moved down a narrow path that cut toward the river. Spruce branches bent under the rain and brushed her shoulders. The sound of the current grew louder with every step.
Lightning split the sky. For one second, the world went stark. The dock stretched ahead, slick and narrow, bouncing with the current.
