I carefully turned my head to take in the space again. It looked like an old cabin. I prayed that meant I was still in Oregon, maybe still in Sutter Lake.What is the last thing I remember?My mind sifted through memories. The Kettle. Working with Jensen and Liam. Going to the pantry. Blinding pain.
Someone had knocked me unconscious. There was only one person it could be. My stomach pitched, vomit crawling up my throat. Garrett. I inhaled through my nose, trying to still my belly. I had to come up with a plan.
I surveyed the room with different eyes now. I had to find an escape. No windows. There was light, but no lamp. I tilted my head back, ignoring the pain that shot down my spine. A skylight. A skylight that was way too high for me to reach even if I stood on the bed.
There was a door, but I knew who must be on the other side of that panel of wood, and I had no desire to meet him any earlier than necessary.
I needed to see if I could stand. I had to see what else I could find. Most of all, I needed a way out. I shifted my weight forward and extended my clasped hands to help me rise. My body screamed in protest. I felt like someone had thrown me down a rocky hillside.
After two failed attempts, I finally rose. My legs wavered, and I grasped hold of the bed frame. Themetalbed frame. Excitement licked at my veins. If I could take apart the bed, maybe I could use one of the rungs to defend myself. I heard Liam’s voice in my head. “Almost anything can be used as a weapon.”
Hearing that sweet sound, even just as a memory, almost brought me to my knees, but at the same time, it gave me a wave of strength that steeled my spine. I had to get back to Liam. I had worked too hard to build this new life. And I’d only just gotten my first real taste of living. I would not let Garrett steal it from me.
I looked down at my hands. My wrists were raw and red, the skin broken on one. The zip ties had to come off. I thought back to how Liam had shown me to break them apart. I hesitated. I had to play weak until the time was right. Until I had a plan. If Garrett came in and I was free of my restraints, he would know that I was stronger than he remembered. I needed him to believe I was a weak girl he could push around.
I kept the zip ties in place. Hooking my thumbs so the restraints wouldn’t pull at my skin, I ran my hands over the frame of the bed. I looked for any joint I could unscrew or any fusion of metal that was weak. I found nothing. Silently cursing, I moved on to the wall. Maybe I could find a stray nail, something sharp,anythingthat could cause some damage.
My fingertips ran across the peeling wallpaper. Something in the cabin creaked. I froze. My breaths came quicker as my heart picked up its pace. Footsteps sounded on what I thought might be stairs. This was it. I was about to face my nightmare. And I wasn’t the least bit prepared.
42
Liam
Ipaced back and forth in the break room of the Sutter Lake police station. Anger. Disgust. Self-hatred. They all mixed together in an ugly stew in my gut.
“Liam.” Jensen’s voice paused my pacing. She looked at me from her seat at one of the tables. “You don’t know that this girl had anything to do with Tessa going missing.”
My jaw worked.But what if she did?
Walker strode in, and I was instantly on alert. “We’ve got her in an interrogation room. She hasn’t asked for a lawyer, so I’m going to question her now.”
I stepped forward. “Let me talk to her.”
Walker held up a hand to stop me. “I think that would do more harm than good. Let me take a crack at her first. If she doesn’t open up, then I’ll think about letting you in there.”
I took another step, pitching my voice low. “I need to be in there. I need to hear what she has to say.”
A muscle in Walker’s cheek ticked. “I’ll let you in the viewing area. I shouldn’t even do that—"
I cut him off. “Thank you.”
Jensen stood. “I’m coming, too.”
Walker let out an exasperated breath. “Sure, let’s just make it a party.”
Walker led Jensen and me down the hall and pushed open a door. Tuck was already inside, along with another officer I didn’t recognize. Walker jerked his chin at Tuck. “Make sure they stay put.” Tuck lifted his chin in response.
Where the hell did they think I would go? I wanted to know everything the girl had to say. Maybe they were worried I would charge into the interrogation room and attack Kimberly Speakman. I never thought myself capable of harming a woman, but if it got Tessa back safely, I’d do it.
I studied the woman in the chair. Kimberly faced the two-way mirror but kept her head down, staring at a spot on the table I couldn’t make out. Her light brown hair was matted and dull, and she twisted a strand around her finger.
I barely recognized her. It was as if life had put her through the wringer, and she had come out battered and bruised. Had her obsession with me done that?
Walker opened the door. He took a seat in front of her but just to the side so we still had a good view of Kimberly’s reactions. “Hello, Ms. Speakman. I’m Deputy Chief Cole.”
Kimberly met his eyes. “Do you know where Liam is? I need to let him know I’m okay. He’s probably worried.”
My stomach twisted.How had Kimberly’s doctors released her if she was this far gone?
