“There are a few around here,” Sheriff Sutherland said.
“We need to figure out which one.”
They weren’t moving anymore.
Without the constant rhythm beneath her—the bumps, the subtle swaying—the silence felt louder, heavier.
Final.
Fear tightened in her chest. She lay frozen, straining to pick up any sound beyond the faint ringing in her ears and the lingering echo of her own pulse.
She thought she may have heard someone talking a few seconds ago. But she couldn’t make out any details.
Now there was nothing. No voices. No doors. No passing traffic.
Someone had brought her somewhere secluded, she realized.
The thought slid into place with chilling certainty. They were somewhere off-road. Somewhere no one would hear her.
Somewhere no one would think to look.
Her fingers curled into the rough carpet beneath her as her breathing threatened to spiral again. She tamped it down and forced herself to stay still, to think.
Then she heard a click.
The trunk slowly opened, revealing the dark sky outside.
Move, Hadley! This is your chance!
She lunged forward, scrambling toward the opening. Her body reacted before her mind could catch up.
She didn’t make it far.
“Don’t.” The word snapped through the air, sharp and controlled.
Hadley’s gaze lifted—and she saw Kendra staring back at her.
Kendra? She was behind this?
But now everything made sense. She always felt uneasy about the woman, but she’d dismissed the feelings.
She should have never done that.
Her gaze locked on the gun in Kendra’s hand.
Everything inside her went still.
Kendra held the weapon, her expression calm and almost detached as if this were nothing more than an inconvenience.
Hadley slowly raised her hands. The fight drained out of her just as quickly as it had come.
Kendra gestured with the gun. “Get out.”
Hadley swallowed hard and nodded. Carefully, she shifted forward and climbed out of the trunk. Her legs trembled when they hit the ground, and she had to steady herself against the side of the car as dizziness threatened to pull her under again.
Cold air wrapped around her, biting through her clothes. She drew in a shaky breath and forced herself to look around.
Darkness stretched in every direction, broken only by the faint outline of trees and . . . a house.
