Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 89840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 449(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 449(@200wpm)___ 359(@250wpm)___ 299(@300wpm)
“So, I take it you’re fed up with your husband too and that’s why you helped me back there?” I ask.
She glances at me through the corner of her eye as headlights drag over her face. She won’t answer. Fair enough. I am holding her hostage.
“I saw what he did to you in the kitchen,” I murmur. Perhaps that’ll get her to stir.
She almost doesn’t react. Almost. Her mouth twitches, like it wants to turn downward so she can frown. “Let’s just find your friend and deal with this.”
“How exactly do you plan on dealing with this, Jolene?” I ask. “Please enlighten me. Because the way I see it, your husband not only tried to bury me alive, but he has now kidnapped my best friend.”
Her head turns so she can steal a look at me.
I sit back against the seat. “You think he’s so perfect.”
“I—I don’t. I know he’s not perfect.” Her throat bobs up and down, “God, Brynn. I’m so sorry.”
I hate that she calls me by my first name. She’s trying to humanize me when the truth is I’m not the one who needs it. Her husband does. Hell, she probably does too. People know when they get married that their spouse has a flaw. Jolene knew from the moment she said I do that she’d have to take his secrets with her to the grave. That’s what spouses do. They honor and protect and all that extra crap.
“Why are you apologizing for him?” I ask, in more of a snap.
“Because I just—I’ve sensed something off for so long, but never thought it would be this. Kidnapping people. Burying them.” Her bottom lip rolls between her teeth.
I sigh and look through the windshield. It’s now drizzling and the tiny dots on the window glow red from other cars taillights.
“Why did you come here, really?” she asks.
“Because he assumed I was dead. I wanted to show him that he can’t escape his past or his mistakes. He ruined my life.”
Jolene stares ahead without blinking. “Your life isn’t the only one he’s ruined,” she mumbles.
I keep quiet. I don’t care about her sob story. This woman has it made, with her fancy house, car, and the luxury little tea shop she owns. What could possibly be so hard about her life?
“What if... what if I can help?” Jolene asks.
My attention switches to hers again. “Help how?”
“Dominic doesn’t know that you’re with me. Maybe we can use that to our advantage.”
I frown, and my eyes shift from her to the screen of her phone. I suck in a breath when I see Dominic’s location has changed. He is now twenty minutes away from the original location. What the hell happened? That stupid call must’ve caused the app to glitch.
“Wait a minute,” I breathe. “He’s not there anymore. Where is he going?”
Jolene pulls to the side of the road, her windshield wipers smoothly swaying back and forth. She peers at the phone too and says, “He’s probably going to the apartment we have. Or he could be on his way to Charlotte.”
“No.” I remove the phone from the stand, shoving it into her hand. “Call him right now. Tell him you know what he’s done and that you’re on the way to his previous location.”
“But—”
“Look, if you really want to help me, you’ll do this! Like you said, he doesn’t know that I’m with you. I can use that! But he needs to be around. He can’t get away!”
“Why?” she asks, bottom lip trembling.
I push the phone further into her hand and point the gun at her head again. I could tell her the truth of why I need him around—that I want to face him, shoot him a time or two and make him bleed and suffer—but there’s a chance she’ll never press a foot to the gas.
I watch her press Dominic’s name and call him.
“Put it on speakerphone,” I order.
She does and holds the phone up so I can see the screen.
“Jo, what is it?” Dominic’s voice floods the car and I try hard not to cringe at the sound of it.
“Dominic,” Jolene gasps. Her eyes swing to mine, glistening behind the blue light of the dashboard. I shift the gun forward in warning. If she says anything to ruin this, I will shoot her. “Dominic, listen. I—I know about the Nokia at the apartment. I saw the letters. The pictures. Who is Brynn, Dominic? You have to tell me!”
“God damn it, Jolene! I told you I had it handled!” he shouts.
“I don’t care! I’m worried about you! I’m your wife! Just tell me where you are so I can help!”
Dominic huffs into the phone. “I’m heading to Charlotte. I can’t miss the rally.”
“Well . . .” She swallows. “I won’t be at the rally.”
“What?” he snaps.
“I saw your location at Briggs Lane. I’m going there. Whatever you’re hiding, I need to figure it out. I can’t help you otherwise.”