Thirty-Five and a Half Conspiracies
Page 79
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My gaze pivoted between them. “What on earth is goin’ on?”
Skeeter’s eyes darkened. “Get her out of here.”
I started to protest, but Jed didn’t give me the chance. He stuffed his gun into the back waistband of his pants, grabbed my gun, and put it into his jeans pocket, then squatted and threw me over his shoulder. It was just like how I’d come in, only this time I could see my surroundings.
The cabin was surrounded by trees, and two cars and an SUV were parked haphazardly in the yard. It was a secluded location. Definitely the perfect place to hide a kidnap victim.
Jed strode toward the SUV, opened the back door, and set me down inside.
Once I was settled, I turned my attention to the cabin. “What’s he doin’ in there?”
“Getting answers.”
Fear pumped through my veins. I knew this side of Skeeter existed, yet it was easier to pretend it didn’t. But this was a reminder that a darkness lurked inside him—one he hid well from me—yet it resided there, nevertheless. I’d do well to remember that.
Jed shut the door and climbed behind the steering wheel.
“Jed, do they know I’m Lady?”
He shook his head and turned the key, bringing the engine to life. “No. I suspect they work for Gentry and they took you to use against Deveraux, even though he’s not the ADA anymore. Which means this is personal.”
“Then why did they kidnap you?”
“They didn’t. I was outside of the restaurant. I saw them take you out the back door, then I followed them here. They found me lurking outside the house, and one of them jumped me.” He looked over his shoulder and backed up the SUV, the bumper nearly touching the trees.
The fact that Jed had been watching me that closely caught me by surprise, but the fact that Skeeter had shown up grabbed my attention more.
“How did Skeeter get here? I thought he was off running his ‘errands.’”
“I called him.”
Jed started to turn down the drive. Then something hit me like a bag of mulch. “My purse! Do you know if they got my purse?”
Jed gave me a look that implied I’d lost my mind.
“My phones are in there! I’d just gotten a text from an unknown number saying he wants to meet tomorrow night at 10:00 p.m. We need my phone to answer him. Is it in the car they used to kidnap me?
Shaking his head and groaning, Jed threw the car into park and hopped out. He climbed into the back of one of the cars, then climbed out seconds later, my small bag in his hand. But instead of getting back into the SUV, he turned to face the house, his back stiffening.
Skeeter was headed straight for him, and it would be an understatement to say he didn’t look happy.
They exchanged words for a half-minute, then Jed handed Skeeter my purse and headed back into the cabin. After pausing to give my bag a disdainful glare, Skeeter stomped toward the SUV. He got into the driver’s side of the car, opened my purse, and pulled out the burner phone. His eyes shifted to meet mine after he read the message on the home screen. It was like looking into two twin flames of rage.
I really was in a world full of crap … and not just from my enemies.
I threw open the back door and made a run for it, the gravel and pine needles poking my bare feet and slowing me down. Though I knew I didn’t have a prayer of getting away, my fight or flight response had kicked in and there was no way I could fight him.
But Skeeter caught up to me in seconds, his arm reaching around my waist and hauling me hard against his chest.
“Let go of me, Skeeter Malcolm!” I kicked his legs and tried to pry his arm loose, but he held me in a tight grip and lifted me effortlessly off the ground, then turned around and stomped to the SUV, not saying a word.
It was his silence that scared me the most. Was he like this because he knew what I had done?
Jed stood on the front porch, watching us. The light from inside made his face unreadable.
“I gave you a job,” Skeeter said, his voice hard. “Now get in there and do it.”
Skeeter tossed me none too gently onto the backseat and slammed the door shut. I landed awkwardly, and by the time I righted myself, he was already tearing down the drive.
Then a new horror hit me.
Mason.
In my vision of his murder, Mason had been overcome with grief. It wasn’t from finding out my secret. It was because I’d been kidnapped. I had to warn him.
I leaned over the seat and snatched my purse, trying to get to my phone.
But Skeeter pulled the truck over to the side of the drive, screeching to a halt and slamming me against the back of the front seat. He practically dove over the seat to snag my phone out of my hands.
“Give me my phone!”
He tossed it onto the floorboard of the front passenger seat and snarled, “Who in the hell do you think you’re gonna call?”
“Mason!”
“There’s no way in hell you’re callin’ him. Not until we get this sorted out.”
“The only thing we need to sort out at this moment is for you to give me my phone!”
To my extreme aggravation, he ignored me and continued to drive.
“Skeeter!”
“Give it up.” His voice was cold. “I wouldn’t let you have that phone if it was to call God Almighty Himself.”
A lump filled my throat. “I have to call him, Skeeter,” I choked out. “I saw a vision of his murder. I think it happens tonight. I have to let him know I’m okay.”
Skeeter’s eyes darkened. “Get her out of here.”
I started to protest, but Jed didn’t give me the chance. He stuffed his gun into the back waistband of his pants, grabbed my gun, and put it into his jeans pocket, then squatted and threw me over his shoulder. It was just like how I’d come in, only this time I could see my surroundings.
The cabin was surrounded by trees, and two cars and an SUV were parked haphazardly in the yard. It was a secluded location. Definitely the perfect place to hide a kidnap victim.
Jed strode toward the SUV, opened the back door, and set me down inside.
Once I was settled, I turned my attention to the cabin. “What’s he doin’ in there?”
“Getting answers.”
Fear pumped through my veins. I knew this side of Skeeter existed, yet it was easier to pretend it didn’t. But this was a reminder that a darkness lurked inside him—one he hid well from me—yet it resided there, nevertheless. I’d do well to remember that.
Jed shut the door and climbed behind the steering wheel.
“Jed, do they know I’m Lady?”
He shook his head and turned the key, bringing the engine to life. “No. I suspect they work for Gentry and they took you to use against Deveraux, even though he’s not the ADA anymore. Which means this is personal.”
“Then why did they kidnap you?”
“They didn’t. I was outside of the restaurant. I saw them take you out the back door, then I followed them here. They found me lurking outside the house, and one of them jumped me.” He looked over his shoulder and backed up the SUV, the bumper nearly touching the trees.
The fact that Jed had been watching me that closely caught me by surprise, but the fact that Skeeter had shown up grabbed my attention more.
“How did Skeeter get here? I thought he was off running his ‘errands.’”
“I called him.”
Jed started to turn down the drive. Then something hit me like a bag of mulch. “My purse! Do you know if they got my purse?”
Jed gave me a look that implied I’d lost my mind.
“My phones are in there! I’d just gotten a text from an unknown number saying he wants to meet tomorrow night at 10:00 p.m. We need my phone to answer him. Is it in the car they used to kidnap me?
Shaking his head and groaning, Jed threw the car into park and hopped out. He climbed into the back of one of the cars, then climbed out seconds later, my small bag in his hand. But instead of getting back into the SUV, he turned to face the house, his back stiffening.
Skeeter was headed straight for him, and it would be an understatement to say he didn’t look happy.
They exchanged words for a half-minute, then Jed handed Skeeter my purse and headed back into the cabin. After pausing to give my bag a disdainful glare, Skeeter stomped toward the SUV. He got into the driver’s side of the car, opened my purse, and pulled out the burner phone. His eyes shifted to meet mine after he read the message on the home screen. It was like looking into two twin flames of rage.
I really was in a world full of crap … and not just from my enemies.
I threw open the back door and made a run for it, the gravel and pine needles poking my bare feet and slowing me down. Though I knew I didn’t have a prayer of getting away, my fight or flight response had kicked in and there was no way I could fight him.
But Skeeter caught up to me in seconds, his arm reaching around my waist and hauling me hard against his chest.
“Let go of me, Skeeter Malcolm!” I kicked his legs and tried to pry his arm loose, but he held me in a tight grip and lifted me effortlessly off the ground, then turned around and stomped to the SUV, not saying a word.
It was his silence that scared me the most. Was he like this because he knew what I had done?
Jed stood on the front porch, watching us. The light from inside made his face unreadable.
“I gave you a job,” Skeeter said, his voice hard. “Now get in there and do it.”
Skeeter tossed me none too gently onto the backseat and slammed the door shut. I landed awkwardly, and by the time I righted myself, he was already tearing down the drive.
Then a new horror hit me.
Mason.
In my vision of his murder, Mason had been overcome with grief. It wasn’t from finding out my secret. It was because I’d been kidnapped. I had to warn him.
I leaned over the seat and snatched my purse, trying to get to my phone.
But Skeeter pulled the truck over to the side of the drive, screeching to a halt and slamming me against the back of the front seat. He practically dove over the seat to snag my phone out of my hands.
“Give me my phone!”
He tossed it onto the floorboard of the front passenger seat and snarled, “Who in the hell do you think you’re gonna call?”
“Mason!”
“There’s no way in hell you’re callin’ him. Not until we get this sorted out.”
“The only thing we need to sort out at this moment is for you to give me my phone!”
To my extreme aggravation, he ignored me and continued to drive.
“Skeeter!”
“Give it up.” His voice was cold. “I wouldn’t let you have that phone if it was to call God Almighty Himself.”
A lump filled my throat. “I have to call him, Skeeter,” I choked out. “I saw a vision of his murder. I think it happens tonight. I have to let him know I’m okay.”
