Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 109695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 548(@200wpm)___ 439(@250wpm)___ 366(@300wpm)
“But how does Johnny fit into it?”
“I don’t know… but since he wants me dead, too, they must have joined forces.”
“Guys!” Slater held up the phone. “It looks like they’re leaving the house.”
The video feed showed Johnny grabbing Brandon’s arm and pulling him toward the door. “Shit!” I pushed Serenity’s number and hoped that would slow them down. They all stopped while Aubree answered the phone.
“It’s about time you called your girlfriend.” Aubree’s sarcastic voice grated on my ears. “I was beginning to think you were ghosting her.”
“What do you want, Aubree?”
“I want you dead. You killed the love of my life, and now I’m going to kill Serenity. But at least I’ll give you a choice. You can trade your life for your girlfriend’s, and she might live, or you can both die. Johnny doesn’t think you’ll do it. He’s convinced you’ll leave her to die, just like you left him. So what’s it going to be?”
“I don’t want anyone to die. Let’s work something out.”
“No. You either come, or I kill her. You have five seconds.”
“Fine. I’ll come, but you have to let her go—alive.”
“Oh… she’ll be alive.”
I heard rustling before Johnny came on the line, his voice low and menacing. “But first you have to come out and play. For old time’s sake.”
“Give me that!” Aubree took the phone, and I held my breath, hearing a muffled argument between her and Johnny. Finally, she came back on the line.
“I’ll text you the address. Be there in one hour, or she’s dead.” The phone disconnected, and a text came through with an address I wasn’t familiar with.
“Are they leaving?”
“Yes. We’re too late to stop them now, but she sent me the address.” I shook my head. “I think we can beat them to it.”
“Nice. Let’s roll.”
My stomach knotted. This was too easy. “Wait a sec. Johnny’s sent me into too many traps to believe this isn’t one of them. He doesn’t know how close we are, so we might be better off if we follow them.”
“Okay. Your call.” Ricky shook his head. “I just hope you’re right.”
“So do I.”
Chapter 27
Serenity
Aubree forced me into the back seat of her car, so I was sitting beside Brandon. For the first time, he seemed to realize this was serious, and he might not make it out alive.
“What the hell are you into?” he hissed.
“I told you to leave.” I arched my brow at him. “Were you really going to kill me?”
He shook his head. “I should have just waited and let them do it.”
I sniffed. “Yeah… right. You’re just having a bad day, all the way around.”
“Shut up.”
Not about to do that, I continued. “But why kill me? That makes no sense. You’d get nothing.”
“You’re wrong about that. I took out a hefty life-insurance policy when we got married. Once you’re dead, I’ll be set for life. But it has to be sickness, murder, or an accident. And the accidents don’t seem to work.”
“Oh, so you were going to make it look like murder?”
Aubree and Johnny got into the car, and Brandon clamped his lips together. Johnny drove, and Aubree glanced back at us. “Having a little spat, are we?”
“I want her dead,” Brandon began. “Like I said, we’re on the same side. I don’t care how you do it, just let me go, and I won’t breathe a word of this to anyone.”
“We’ll see.” Aubree faced forward again. “If you cooperate, we might let you go.”
“I’ll do whatever you want.”
She glanced over her shoulder, and a satisfied smile twisted her lips. “That’s just what I wanted to hear. I think we can work something out.”
Brandon let out a breath. “Thank God.”
I shook my head. Didn’t he see how ridiculous this was? What an idiot. “What happened to you? A life-insurance policy? That’s what this is all about?”
“Of course not. But you changed into this… this… freak.”
Aubree glanced my way, then at Brandon. “What are you talking about?”
My breath caught. “Shut up, Brandon. You already sound crazy. Don’t make it worse.” I bit my lip, praying he’d keep his mouth shut. Would they keep me from touching them if they knew?
“Oh…” Aubree grinned. “Now I really want to know.” She lifted her brow in an invitation for Brandon to confide in her.
He glanced my way before settling on her. “Serenity can see things after she touches you. Like where you’ve been, or where you’re going. It’s like she steals your thoughts. She’s a psycho.”
I huffed and shook my head. “And you’re delusional.”
He pursed his lips together. “Trust me, we’d all be better off if you were dead.”
“Ouch.” Aubree’s brows rose. “And you’re still married to each other?”
Brandon sighed. “I need the insurance money. If we’re divorced, I won’t get it.”
She shook her head, glancing at me with pity in her eyes before turning around.