“Is he a good guy? Treat you right?”
“The best,” I firmly say, “and yes, he does.”
“Then I’m happy for you, Nat.”
“Thanks.” I reach for his hand and hold it, not knowing how to express how sorry I am that this happened. “Thad,” I begin, and sniffle as the sting of tears burns my nose.
“Hey,” he chokes. “Don’t start crying. I’ll never get you to stop.”
He’s not wrong. I’m trying as hard as I can to hold it together. “You’re so brave. I can’t believe you cut that rope yourself.”
“Had to,” Thad says, holding my gaze. “I needed to survive. All I could think about is you alone in Raven’s Crest and maybe getting taken next. I wasn’t gonna let that happen, Nat.”
“I had protection. Hayride took care of me. “
“I didn’t know that, but I’m glad you did.”
“Me too.”
It’s silent for a few minutes, and we just sit, absorbing all that’s happened.
“Is Rashell the one who hurt you?” I finally ask, too curious not to seek answers. “If you don’t want to talk about it, we don’t have to,” I rush on before he can reply.
“It’s okay. Yeah. So, she gave me her number, and I thought she was hot for me. Ya know? Kept flirting and talking to me. When you went into room 1307, I started walking around the thirteenth floor. I bumped into her by the staircase.”
“She’s an employee. A new hire at the hotel,” I inform him. “Did Rashell tell you that?”
“No. She kissed me and suggested we skip the rest of the tour. I almost agreed, but then I thought of you. Didn’t want you to worry. I told her no.”
Wait. “Then how and when did you leave?”
“Rashell said she’d wait but asked me to take the elevator down with her because she lost her purse and wanted to ask the front desk.” He shivers and clenches the blanket before he releases it. “When we stepped off the elevator, two guys were waiting. One of them hit me over the head. I woke up in a fucking barn.”
Oh, God. “Wasn’t anyone around? Any staff?”
“I don’t know. Maybe they had help.”
“Well, it’s bullshit.”
“We both agree on that. I’ll be a lot more cautious in the future.”
I hate that for him. “That sucks, Thad.”
“The whole fucking thing sucks, Nat.”
There’s a knock on the door to the room, and we both look up to see Boomer. “Mind if I come in?”
My brother nods. “Sure.”
“Heard you were awake. Thought I’d see if you were up to answering a few questions for me.”
“To be honest, I’d like to give you all the details so I can move on with my life.”
Boomer pulls out his phone. “I’m going to record this. That okay? It’s a lot faster and easier than taking notes.”
“Go for it.”
With Thad’s permission, Boomer begins. “I’d like you to tell me about Rashell first.”
