Cross reached back, squeezed Rusty’s fingers before the uncomfortable position meant they had to let go.Stay cool, stay calm, mon chou. We’ll be okay.He prayed that was true.
Chapter 28
Rusty straightened his shoulders and rolled out his neck as the kidnap van slowed to a crawl, about twenty minutes into the drive. He and Cross hadn’t talked much, with ski-mask dude peering in at them. Rusty’s heart was slowing though, and his sweat was drying. He couldn’t be at max adrenaline forever.
If it is Tyler, what does he want?Memories of the slasher horror films Tyler liked had played like a drumbeat in his head the whole ride, making his stomach hurt.Has to be money, right? Please let it be money.
He’d tried to be cool, pay attention, had wished he got enough of a view out the small window past the masked kidnapper to recognize landmarks, but all he’d seen was gray sky and occasional overpasses or traffic lights. No convenient street signs, no store signage.
Twenty minutes from Mrs. Murinko’s.That covered a fair bit of Eugene. The angle of the sun suggested they’d driven south, rather than west toward the arena, but that was all the information he’d managed to gather.
Mrs. Murinko. God, I hope she’s okay. If they hurt her…A wash of acid hate rose in the back of his throat. If fucking Tyler had done something to that old lady, Rusty would rip his bleach-blond head right off his shoulders and spit in his neck. And if they hurt Cross…
Fuck.
He was going to wear that word out at this rate. Hehatedbeing helpless, hated worse seeing Cross there with him.
The van turned another sharp corner, slowed more, bounced slightly, and stopped. The familiar rattle of a closing garage door dimmed the light. The masked guy’s face disappeared from the window and a moment later, the doors of the van opened revealing short douchebag. Taller douchebag was pulling his ski mask straight.Probably just put it back on. Driving in a ski mask would attract notice.
Short-guy said, “We’re going to take you out one at a time.” He was pitching his voice low and different, but now Rusty had no doubt at all that was his nasty ex behind the mask.Tyler. Motherfucker.Rusty struggled to keep the anger front and center, trying to crowd out his fear and guilt at bringing Tyler into Cross’s life.Most people survive kidnapping, right?He was pretty sure he’d read that somewhere.
The van stood inside a double-car garage. Tools lined the walls, and the only light came from a pathetic overhead bulb. The marked-up studs and pitted floor suggested the place had seen better days. Tall-guy pulled out his gun and stood back, watching them. Tyler unlocked Cross’s handcuff from the floor bolt and closed it on his other wrist. “Get out. Stand over there.”
“I need to help him. He doesn’t have his crutches,” Rusty told Tyler.
“That’s a walking boot thing. He’ll manage.”
“If he destroys his ankle worse, the Rafters will sue you for every penny you’ll ever make.”
Tyler’s wild laughter made Rusty flush, suddenly aware how stupid that sounded. “You’re so cute.” Tyler smacked Rusty’s cheek hard. “I’m going to unlock you. Put your hands behind youand I’ll cuff your wrists together. Try anything stupid, and my friend will make sure Cross never walks again.”
Seething, nauseous, new sharp sweat running down his back, Rusty held still as Tyler unlocked him from the eye bolt. He put his hands together obediently, shivering as the steel closed around his other arm.
“Right,” Tyler said. “Out of the truck and inside through the door. You first. Move it.”
Rusty stumbled ahead at Tyler’s shove and climbed the two shallow steps. “How do I open the door?” He nudged the handle with his hip, trying to scan the garage, stalling.Must be a way out, right? A weapon, a something.
“Fuck. You know what, come back down and stand back five feet.” When he obeyed, Tyler edged past him and opened the door, then gestured with the gun. “Inside.”
Rusty wasn’t sure if it was reassuring that Tyler wasn’t suddenly a super genius. On the whole, probably not.
The garage opened up into a bare, low-ceilinged family room with the musty staleness of unused space. “Straight ahead,” Tyler told him. “First door on the left.”
The door stood ajar. Rusty walked through into a small room with indoor-outdoor carpet, exposed floor trusses overhead, and cinderblock at the far end. Two sleeping bags and two buckets sat along the side walls, and Rustyreallydidn’t like the look of those.How long will they keep us here?
The door slammed shut behind him, and he turned in a circle, eyeing the space. Those side walls were probably drywall under the paint, which meant they might be kicked through. Something to think about.
Footsteps approached, then the door opened again and Cross limped in, his hands locked behind him, tall-guy gripping his arm. Tyler peered in the room from behind them, still masked. The tall man shoved Cross roughly at Rusty. With Rusty’s wrists cuffed, he had to try to catch Cross’s impact with his hip and shoulder. He managed well enough that Cross didn’t fall.
Cross turned to eye the kidnappers. “How are you getting in touch with my father? Or are you ransoming me with the Rafters?”
The tall man barked a laugh. “You’re pretty useless to the Rafters right now. Hopefully, Daddy still wants his kid, though.”
“I can give you his direct number. You know, make it go smoother?”
Rusty kept his mouth shut, not sure what Cross was doing.
Anyhow, the guy just laughed again. “I’m sure we’ll manage without your help. Oh.” He put away his gun and dug out a phone. “Say cheese!” He snapped a couple of pictures.
