“I wasn’t actually giving you a choice.”
I swallow and channel the inner ass-kicking girl that I’m positive is buried beneath the surface—a thousand leagues beneath the surface, but it’s still there.Be brave.Stall him.Give Landon a chance to realize I’m missing before I reallyammissing.
“I know, but a girl can always hope she’s wrong. You do realize my boyfriend’s here, and he’s the jealous type?” A boyfriend who has hopefully noticed I’m no longer in the cafeteria and is looking for me.
Okay, not exactly the ideal plan, given Landon’s shooting arm is currently in a sling. There’s not much he can do about my predicament.
But Eric and his baboon don’t know that.
My gaze darts to my purse, sitting in the corner—too far away to be of any good, my penknife tucked safely inside.
“You mean Landon Reed, the man your cousin put a hole in? Although if he’d done what he was supposed to, the hole would’ve been in Landon’s heart. Same deal with Adam Hathaway.”
I feel a frown form between my eyes. “What do you mean if my cousin had done what he was supposed to?”
In books and movies, the good guy always gets the bad guy to get caught up in a running monologue, spilling his motives for breaking the law because he likes to hear himself speak.
Unfortunately, this is one of those areas where fiction doesn’t meet fact.
I know that—but there’s nothing wrong with hopinghedoesn’t realize it.
Eric pulls a gun out of a holster hidden under his jacket.
So much for Plan A.
Too bad I didn’t have time to concoct a Plan B.
He waves the gun, gesturing for his evil sidekick and me to take the door opposite the one I entered through. The one that doesn’t lead directly into the cafeteria.
I have no choice but to do as he demands. The sooner we leave, the less likely someone else will get hurt. My false bravery can only get me so far.
As it is, Tabitha will never let me live this down…if I survive. She was against me doing the Christmas show, and now I’ve inadvertently given her a reason to say “I told you so,” even if she couldn’t have predicted this.
Reluctantly, I head out the door. They hasten me toward the main entrance. Behind us, the happy sounds of kids and laughter wave good-bye.
Once we’re outside, Eric and his sidekick direct me to a black sedan waiting in the handicap parking spot.
“Seriously? You parked in handicap parking? You don’t even have a permit for it.” I mentally smack my hand over my mouth. I know I shouldn’t speak to him that way, but I can’t help it. Blame it on my nerves. I have a tendency of talking like this whenever I get super nervous.
As in, I-could-possibly-die, super nervous.
He huffs a laugh. “So, sue me.”
I inwardly will that if there’s a God, he’ll ensure the duo get slapped with a hefty fine. That’s the least he can do.
Eric opens the rear passenger door, and Evil Sidekick gives me a shove to get in.
For a second, I deliberate telling them where to shove their preconceived notion that I’ll go willingly.
What are they going to do if I don’t do as I’m told—kill me?
I have no doubt that’s already on their agenda.
Go figure. I finally decide to risk love, and now I’m the one who’s going to die.
But as long as there’s even the teensy tiniest possibility I can escape, I need to embrace it. “If I get into the car, will you tell me what you meant by ‘If Nikolai had done what he was supposed to, the hole would’ve been in Landon’s and Adam’s hearts’?”
“Sure. Whatever. It’s not like it’ll make a difference if you know or not.”
