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)
“Go to the kitchen, close all the windows,” I order. She turns swiftly to shut the blinds and when she faces me again, I gesture to the table. “Sit down.”
She sits, eyeing her purse. I hear water trickling above, running through the pipes of the house. Someone is upstairs. She’s lying.
As if she’s aware that I hear something, she quickly says, “I started a bath. The water is still running. I—I can show you . . . if you want me to.”
I ignore her. I don’t give a damn if the bath is running. This house deserves to flood. I gesture to the purse with my gun. “Is your phone in there?”
“Yes,” she replies.
“Take it out.”
She reaches for the bag, pulling back a clasp and digging into it. I raise the gun, in case she tries to do something stupid, like draw her own weapon. When she takes out the phone, I step forward and snatch the bag away.
“Unlock it,” I demand.
Her hands are shaking as she unlocks it. Once it’s done, I tuck the purse beneath my armpit then take the phone from her. I go to The Green Dot app on her iPhone and spot Dominic’s name. When I tap it, it shows a location—somewhere forty-five minutes from here.
“Brynn,” the wife says, and I eye her. “I—what’s happened?” She stares at me, eyes glistening. The water continues trickling above.
“He has my best friend,” I tell her.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that he kidnapped her. I’ve tried texting and calling her and she’s not answering.” I also checked The Green Dot, and her last location was near the motel. I searched until I found her phone near the trees. Dominic must’ve tossed it before taking her.
Jolene’s head shakes. “No. Dominic wouldn’t do that.”
I narrow my eyes at her. “You’ll be surprised to know what your husband will do and the lengths he’ll go just to cover his own sorry ass. I know that you know, Jolene. He’s done some terrible things to you too.”
Her head drops as shame seems to wash over her. “I—I don’t know why he’d take your friend, but I promise you, I have nothing to do with it.”
“Sure.” I put her phone in my pocket. “How about we discuss it on the car ride to his location.” It’s not an offer. She literally has no choice. Jolene rises from her chair, trembling.
“C-can I at least turn the bath water off?”
I stare at her, and she fidgets. Good Lord, I feel sorry for this woman. It is true—Shavonne and I feel sorry for her. She’s gotten the short end of the stick, and it’s not her fault that her husband is a lying, manipulating jerk. I draw in a breath, then cock my head toward the stairs.
Her eyes light up as she rushes past me and I follow her up the stairs, keeping my gun on her back. I can’t help studying the upstairs area, the landing, abstract paintings on the wall, and many, many bedroom doors. Dominic has all this, plus a beautiful wife, and he doesn’t deserve any of it.
Jolene enters a master suite that’s painted a creamy color with a beige bed spread and disappears into the bathroom. I find her around the corner, watching as she turns off the faucets. The bath water is over halfway full.
Jolene faces me, wringing her fingers together.
“Get some shoes while you’re at it,” I tell her, and she nods, ducking past me to get to her closet. She takes out a pair of running sneakers, slips them on, and I tell her to take us to the garage.
Once we’re in the car, I place her phone in the cellphone dashboard mount so she can unlock it again. She types in the code, and I memorize it—030684. I bet it’s her birthday. Typical, just like her husband. I toss my backpack inside the car before sitting in the backseat.
“These are the rules,” I say as she opens the garage gate and starts the engine. “You keep your hands on the wheel, ten and two. You follow the GPS and drive only. Don’t look at anyone in their cars, don’t ask to make a stop to pee or any of that. We’re going to drive and get my friend back. If you do anything wrong, I will put a bullet in your head and I’m not joking, Jolene.”
“But how do you know he has her at this location?” she asks.
“I don’t. But I know he took her, and if he sees that I have you, perhaps he’ll relent.”
She swallows hard, shaking her head. “This is ridiculous. God, what has he gotten me into?”
I press the gun to the back of her head and give it a nudge. “Drive.”
“This is ridiculous, Brynn. There are officers at the end of the driveway! They’ll see you pointing a gun at me and—”