“We need you to write something for us,” the man said.
At once it hit her what he was implying.
A suicide note. This man wanted her to write a suicide note.
Her lungs tightened until she could hardly breathe.
No one would believe that, right? Not her family. Not Wes.
Or would they?
She pressed her eyes closed.
She didn’t know for sure.
“The world already thinks you’re unstable,” the man said. “We’re not changing the story. We’re just finishing it.”
“No.” The word came out steadier than she felt.
He didn’t react. “Ms. King, those pills are yours. The note will match your handwriting. Your family thinks you went for a drive alone. There’s no version of this where it doesn’t work.”
Lauren made a desperate, muffled sound, her hand pressed over her mouth. Her eyes had gone glassy with tears she was clearly fighting to hold back.
The second man shifted behind her.
“She brought you here because we gave her no choice.” The first man followed Rowan’s gaze toward Lauren. “Her boyfriend is alive right now because she cooperated. That can change.” He slid the pen across the table toward Rowan. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be. For either of them.”
Rowan looked at the pen.
Then she looked at Lauren, whose guilt-ridden eyes begged her for something—forgiveness maybe, or a miracle, or both.
Then she looked at the prescription bottle sitting between them.
Her hands shook. She pressed them flat against her thighs so the men couldn’t see.
She needed to buy time.
Needed to find a way to call for help.
Her life depended on using every last one of her skills right now to get out of this situation.
CHAPTER 46
Wes ranCaleb’s truck hard through the mountain curves.
Remington sat in the passenger seat, upright and alert in the way he got when he sensed something was wrong. The dog hadn’t needed to be told. He’d simply understood.
He mentally calculated a timeline. Ruby’s house was an hour from Refuge Cove. From what he understood, Rowan had left Refuge Cove at least an hour and twenty minutes ago.
He pushed harder on the accelerator.
His phone rang through the truck’s speakers. Caleb.
He answered immediately, praying for an update. “Tell me something good.”
“I can’t.” Caleb’s voice was tight. “Rowan’s still not picking up. Naomi tried twice. Nothing.” A pause. “Wes, why would she go out there alone today of all days?”
“She had a reason.” Wes kept his voice even. “I just don’t know what it was yet.”
