Sally whimpered, then jerked awake, struggling to figure out where she was.

The space was dark, cramped and hard, a rough ply carpet irritating her bare legs. She swiveled her head to try and make out more but it hurt to move. Her head was being split open. It felt like someone had taken an axe blade to her temple. She went to investigate the wound but found her hands tied behind her. Duct tape held her lips together, and her feet were bound as well.

Erratic breaths spurted from her nose as her brain registered each part of her body that was fettered.

She’d been kidnapped.

Fear pinched her insides as she tried to pull the murky pieces together. Blurred memories assaulted her, trying to help her out, but doing no good. The fluid around her brain was acting like sludge, making everything slow and incoherent.

Terror punched at her chest, and she heaved.

Nate.

He’d been there.

He was telling her something, and she’d felt warm and happy and then…

Gunshot.

She gasped, the image of Nate’s body flying backward appearing with cruel clarity. She could suddenly see every detail. The sharp sound of the bullet exploding out of the gun. The shock of knowing it was Oscar.

He killed Nate.

Nate.

Her Nate.

Sally’s heart began to cry, the agony rising within her, breaking from her mouth and then being blocked by the duct tape. The pitiful sound was further muffled by the small box she was in.

She couldn’t work out what it was, but her legs were bent and cramping. She tried to stretch them but hit a solid barrier. Her shoulder and hip ached, which told her she’d been lying this way for a while.

Wriggling on her side, she blinked at her tears and slowly took in her surroundings.

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she was finally able to work out that she was in the trunk of a car.

Probably Oscar’s Mercedes.

Fucking Oscar.

A dark hatred she’d never felt before welled inside of her. She wasn’t one for rage or anger, but she felt it in her core now. Her body practically vibrated with it. Nate’s body lying limp on the ground only added fuel to the emotion.

Oscar killed Nate. He tore out her heart and stomped all over it.

The anger rose like a volcano but didn’t have the energy to erupt as a counter wave of terror blasted through her.

He killed Nate…and he probably had every intention of killing her too.

Panic sizzled down her spine, enhanced further by a voice approaching the car.

“Look, I fucked up, okay? And you gotta help me! I have a plan that should work, but I need you. … Yes, I know you warned me to leave, but do you have any idea how much time I’ve spent on this? I had them all in the palm of my fucking hand, and then he stuck his nose in and ruined everything!”

Oscar. American Oscar.

Evil Oscar.

Sally clenched her jaw and strained to hear the rest of his phone conversation.

He huffed and cursed again. “It was impulse. I thought he might’ve worked it out! I had to eliminate him.” More huffing and cursing. “Yeah, yeah, I get it! But we can still make this work. We’ll hold her for ransom and get the money that way. I’ll split it with you fifty-fifty. … Trust? You’re gonna lay that on me now when you didn’t tell me a fucking thing before? … I took the fall for you, man. Four years in that hellhole. You owe me! You owe me!”

There was a long pause while Oscar puffed and listened to whatever the caller was saying.

“That’s better. Now, we just need a base. … Shit, I don’t know, I floored it! Give me a place to meet you. Somewhere not too far; I’ve got to get off the road and underground as soon as possible. Where are you? … Well, any ideas? … Where? … Are you sure it’s safe? … Okay, fine. I’ll see you in a few hours. You better show, or I will hunt you down and make you pay.”

Oscar thumped the trunk, making Sally flinch.

She stayed motionless as she listened to his footsteps race around the car. A second later, the engine roared to life and they were screaming down some unknown road to a mystery destination.

Sally’s heart beat so hard it actually hurt.

How was anyone going to find her?

Oscar had mentioned something about ransom, and she knew her father would pay for any of his children without hesitation, but would that guarantee her life? She was a witness to Oscar’s deception. No matter how this played out, she couldn’t see a happy ending on the horizon.

If Nate were still alive, he’d do everything in his power to reach her.

But he wasn’t.

And she’d never felt so alone in her entire life.