Jess
I woke up the next morning to aches in places I had never even known existed — but I supposed that was what happened when you fell asleep sitting up, with your hands duct taped behind your back. I swallowed hard, finding that my mouth was as dry as sandpaper and blinked wearily around the living room. But Thorn was nowhere to be seen.
I closed my eyes for a moment, fighting back tears. If only I hadn't been so stupid. If only I hadn't thought that I could entrust my house to a complete stranger. If only I had left at the first inkling that Thorn was up to no good. If only…
My phone rang over on the coffee table, and I shifted a little, wondering if there was any way I could answer it with my hands caught behind my back like this. But even if I could answer it, what exactly was I supposed to say? If Thorn overheard me talking about my plight, there was no telling what he might do. It was one thing to be held hostage in my own home; it was another thing entirely to be kidnapped — or worse.
I could still remember the feeling of that cold gun against my face.
I swallowed hard, waiting for the phone to ring through to voicemail. There was a buzz that indicated someone had left me a message, but I tried not to dwell on who it might be ... until the phone started ringing again and I got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Whoever it was, it must be something important.
Suddenly, Thorn entered the room, scowling at me. He marched over and looked down at my phone, his expression changing into a wicked grin. “Brent Harper,” he said, reading the name off the caller ID. “Is that your boyfriend? Does Brent Harper miss you?”
I tried to keep my worry off my face and out of my voice. “Brent's my brother,” I admitted, mind jumping to all the reasons why Brent could be calling me right now. He knew I was supposed to be on my trip, so even if I hadn't already been tipped off by the fact that he had called, left me a message, and tried calling again — well, he wouldn't be calling unless it were something really important.
“Hmm,” Thorn said, looking momentarily considering. The phone buzzed again, indicating that another message had been left. Then, it started to ring again. Thorn frowned at it and then moved over towards me, quickly cutting my wrists apart. I cried out in pain as he tore away the tape, peeling away a few layers of skin. I was so busy rubbing at the sore skin that I barely had time to react when he tossed my phone towards me.
“Answer it,” he growled. “The last thing I need is for your brother to realize that you're missing and alert the police. But any word out of you about any of this and I swear to God...” He trailed off, letting the threat hang there in the air.
For a moment, I could only stare down at the phone in my lap, but then I hesitantly, with shaking fingers, picked up the call, clearing my throat as I did so. “Brent?” I asked, wishing my voice sounded a little stronger. What would Thorn do if Brent got suspicious? How would I head off my brother's worry?
“Sis?” Brent asked, and his familiar voice was like a balm to my soul. We'd always been close as kids, but more than that, I just needed to talk to someone I knew right then. “Hey, I know you're on your trip and probably have way better things to be doing right now, but I was wondering if you could recommend a good mechanic. My regular shop is apparently closed and I'm stranded on the side of the road...”
I frowned into the phone. “Why don't you call the insurance company?” I asked. “They'd probably be able to help you out. But what happened? Are you okay? Did you get into an accident?” I tried to keep from panicking, reminding myself that he probably wouldn't sound so calm if he'd been in an accident or if he was hurt. But I couldn't help remembering back when he was eleven years old … I swallowed hard.
“I'm fine,” Brent said quickly, clearly hearing my distress. “Really, I'm fine. The car's fine. Everything's fine. I've just, uh, got a flat tire that needs changing. And I'm not really sure what to do. I tried calling Dad, but he's not picking up either and I know he has some meetings and things. Normally, I'd just ask you to come help me out so I wouldn't have to foot the bill to have the mechanic involved, but since you aren't in town.”
“I'm in town,” I interrupted, glancing up at Thorn and biting my lower lip. “It's a bit of a long story, but I'm still in town.” And I wanted to help him; I knew that with his medical bills, he couldn't afford to call the mechanic for something so frivolous as a blown tire. “Where are you?”
“Route 6, right between tunnels two and three,” Brent said, only mild curiosity in his voice. He paused. “I know it's asking a lot, as always, but I could really use a hand, if you're around to help. I can't even get in to where the spare tire is in the trunk...”
“I know,” I said, hoping my voice sounded soothing. I glanced up at Thorn again. “I'll be there as quickly as I can, okay? Just hang tight.”
Brent sighed, and I could hear the relief in his voice. “That would be so great,” he said. “Thanks, sis.”
“Don't mention it, kid,” I said. “I'll be there soon.” I hung up the phone, looking up at Thorn with pleading eyes. I knew I should have asked permission before agreeing to go to where my brother was stranded, but I didn't exactly know how to tell Brent that I needed to ask permission before agreeing to help him out. It would have been suspicious at best. Anyway, I wasn't about to let Thorn tell me I couldn't help out my brother, not when he was stranded on the side of the road.
“That was my brother,” I said, as though that hadn't already been clear. “He needs help changing a tire on his car — he has a flat. I have to go help him.”
Thorn's expression turned into a sneer. “He doesn't know how to change a tire? Just how young is this kid anyway?”
I scowled at him as well and pushed myself into a standing position, forgetting for a moment that I was supposed to be going along with what Thorn wanted, just in case he decided to make my life a living hell. “He's twenty-two,” I snapped. “But he's been paralyzed from the waist down since he was eleven, so you'll have to forgive him for not being able to change his own tire. I have to go help him.”
Something flickered across Thorn's expression, faster than I was able to comprehend. But I didn't think he was angry with me. Instead, it seemed he was considering again. For a wild moment, I wondered what kind of hardened criminal he was that he didn't seem to know what to do with me, and that he wasn't able to keep his expression set to neutral. But I didn't really want to know what he was up to anyway.
“I have to go help him,” I said again, this time more pleadingly. But I was already moving towards the door, grabbing my keys off the front table.
“Wait,” Thorn said, catching my upper arm in his grip — but he was more gentle than he'd been the previous day. He scanned my face, expression unreadable. “I'll drive,” he said finally.
I stared back at him for a long moment, wondering just how I was going to explain all of this to my brother. But that wasn't important just then. “Okay,” I agreed.