I stare hard at the face that looks somewhat familiar to me. His hair is shorter, his eyes are a different color, and his skin is caked in makeup.

Reaching up, I yank the tape covering my mouth off, wince from the pain, then I blurt out, “What the fuck? What the actual fuck, Johnathan?”

Did this asshole really just buy me?

“Hold that thought,” he rumbles at me, and then the car takes a sharp turn to the left. I have to reach out and grab onto the door handle to keep myself upright.

His eyes slide up and lock on the rearview mirror. He stares hard at the mirror as if he thinks someone is following us, and I stare at him.

A million thoughts run through my head. “Why did you—“

“Yeah, I see him,” he murmurs and, it takes me a second to realize he’s not talking to me.

“Roger that.”

We take another sharp turn, this time to the right, and then we burst forward as he guns the gas.

My heart starts to quicken with excitement as we make turn after turn. The way he’s driving, the way he’s talking to someone I can’t see… is this a rescue mission? It has to be.

I take a new, longer look at him, and really burn him into my eyes. He’s dressed in a dark, expensive suit and he looks almost civilized now with his beard trimmed.

Somehow, someway, my father must know him and hired him. Or maybe he knows Sophia’s father. Or even Lindsey’s...

Lindsey, shit.

Gripping the door handle tightly, an image of her lying in a pool of blood flashes through my head.

“ETA two minutes,” Johnathan murmurs, pulling me out of the memory.

Glancing over to my window, I take in the night sky and all the glittering lights of the city. It looks like life has gone on as normal while my friends and I were trapped in our own little version of hell.

How long was I held in that little room? How many nights have passed since we were grabbed? It felt like an eternity, but I bet only a couple of nights have passed.

A little whimper comes from the backseat, sending a chill down my spine, and I immediately twist around in my seat.

“Jesus,” I breathe out when I spot a little kid with a black bag over their head.

They’re curled up in the corner between the seat and the door. They must be the little one I sensed holding on to me when we were lead out to Johnathan.

I glance over at Johnathan but his eyes are still focused on the road.

Is he rescuing this kid too? He better be because if he’s not, I am.

The little one whimpers again and my heart squeezes in sympathy for them.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay,” I quietly try to reassure them.

The car begins to slow before coming to a complete stop. I turn back around to see what’s going on. It looks like we’re parking in a dark, empty parking lot.

“Yeah, we’re at the first rendezvous,” Johnathan says, and then looks over to me.

Something dark flashes in his eyes and the air seems to thicken as he stares at me. There’s something in the way he’s looking at me, something almost… possessive in his eyes.

This is a rescue mission, yes? Yet, if he’s my hero, why is he looking at me like he’s the villain?

He starts to reach for me and instinctively I shrink away. I freeze up as I press against the door and watch him like a hawk as he reaches down to my lap. I watch his eyes drop, lingering on my legs, the tips of his huge fingers hovering above them.

Then he suddenly seems to snap out of whatever trance he’s in and unbuckles my seatbelt.

“Beth, get out of the car,” he says, his voice so husky and thick he has to clear his throat from it.

Not needing to be told twice, I reach over, yank hard on the handle of the door, and push it open. Stepping outside, the cool night breeze hits me and causes the flimsy little gown I’m wearing to flutter around me.

I’m not sure what just happened in the car but I’m grateful to escape it.

Before Johnathan can stop me, I step up to the back door and yank it open too.

Reaching in, I immediately pull the black silk bag off the kid and reveal a head full of brown hair.

“Hey,” I say softly, and force a smile I’m so not feeling right now for the frightened little boy looking up at me. “It’s okay. I promise I’m not going to hurt you.”

Despite my smile and reassurance, the little boy still shies away from me. His big blue eyes watch me warily as I reach in to undo his seatbelt.

Dammit, I knew they had children in there. I knew it. Yet, a part of me just really hoped I was wrong. If I had any faith left in humanity, this little boy’s haunted eyes would utterly destroy it.

“Stop fucking staring, asshole,” I hear Johnathan growl angrily and cast a quick glance over my shoulder.

He’s not talking to me, is he?

“Hey, sorry, man,” someone chuckles. I can’t see who it is because Johnathan is standing behind me now, blocking me with his huge body. “I didn’t realize there was a full moon out tonight. I couldn’t stop looking.”

“Keep looking at her like that and I’ll tear your fucking eyes out of your goddamn skull.”

It takes me a moment to realize they’re talking about me. My cheeks ignite with heat as I realize that my ass is out for the whole world to see. Reaching behind myself, I grab the thin gown as best as I can but keep my other hand out for the little boy to take.

“Here, take my hand, please,” I plead to the boy.

He shakes his head and begins to scoot away from me.

I swallow down my sigh and keep the smile plastered on my lips. “I only want to help you. I was… sold too.”

The little boy stops scooting away from me, and I can tell he really wants to trust me, but he’s afraid.

Dropping my voice to a whisper, I lean further into the car to tell him, “I’m scared too.”

The boy looks at me for a long moment and then he asks, “You are?”

I nod my head, and cast another quick glance over my shoulder at Johnathan. “Yes.”

The boy scoots a little closer to me. “Is he going to hurt us?”

“No,” I say and shake my head. I don’t know what’s going to happen, and I don’t know what kind of man Johnathan is, but, “I swear, I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

The little boy scoots a little closer and his voice cracks as he asks, “You promise?”

“Come on, we gotta go, Beth,” Johnathan says impatiently.

My smile grows a little wider as the little boy scoots even closer and reaches out for my hand. “Cross my heart.”

Once the little boy places his hand in mine, I use it to pull him out of the car, and then wrap my arms around him. His little arms wrap around my waist and he clings to me like I’m his bastion of protection.

“Come on,” Johnathan says, and jerks his chin towards the parking lot. “We gotta change cars.”

I nod my head, and with the little boy clinging to my side, follow him across the dark parking lot.

* * *

There’s a moment of awkwardness when we reach the older blue Civic that’s been left running for us.

Johnathan pulls open the back door and scowls as soon as I slide into the backseat with the little boy still clinging to me. Our eyes meet and I can immediately tell he’s not pleased by my seating choice.

He looks like he’s about to argue with me, but I shake my head at him.

With a low, rumbling grumble, he slams the door shut and walks around the car. By the time he slides into the driver’s seat, I’ve got both the little boy and myself strapped into our seat belts.

“We’re on the move,” Johnathan says as we pull out of the parking lot and take a left.

“What’s your name?” I whisper softly, hugging the little boy close to me.

“Charlie,” he responds, his body relaxing against me.

“Well, Charlie, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Elizabeth, but all my friends call me Beth.”

There’s a few moments of silence and all the questions I want to ask Johnathan roll through my head.

Why did he buy me? How did he even find me? Just who the hell is he?

I thought he was just a gruff biker guy who owns a dive bar, yet with everything going on, it’s clear he’s more than that.

“It’s nice to meet you, Beth,” Charlie says so softly and politely I feel myself smiling in the darkness.

I hug him a little closer and he snuggles up against my chest.

“Did you get eyes on all of them?” Johnathan asks and my ears perk up.

“Fuck,” he curses. “There’s supposed to be three. Yeah, yeah, I know you can count.”

“Three, what?” I ask, looking up and meeting his eyes in the rearview mirror.

He takes another right turn and then holds his finger up at me in a sign for me to wait.

His head slightly inclines to the right as he listens to whoever is talking in his ear, and I press my lips together while I wait.

“Well, where the fuck is she?” he asks angrily.

My stomach suddenly sinks. I just know he’s talking about Lindsey.

“Did anyone see her coming out?”

“Johnathan,” I say, trying to get his attention.

He holds his finger up again. “Do you think they moved her last night?”

“Johnathan,” I say again, more forcibly.

He ignores me. “Well, she’s gotta be somewhere. Maybe she’s still in there. She didn’t fall off the fucking—“

I just can’t take him talking about finding Lindsey for one second longer.

“Lindsey’s dead!” I hiss and he glances up into the rearview mirror in surprise.

Finally, I’ve got his attention.

“Hold on a minute,” he says as we stare at each other.

Just saying that Lindsey is dead out loud has caused this great big painful hole to open up in my chest.

Charlie squeezes me tighter as I push air in and out so fast I’m nearly hyperventilating from it.

I feel like I can’t catch my breath.

Johnathan pulls the car over to the side and we come to a stop. He twists around in his seat and turns to face me.

Mouth pulled down in a frown, he looks genuinely concerned as he asks, “Are you alright?”

No, I’m not alright, I’m fucking far from it, and the words almost pass my lips before I realize they may upset the little guy that’s holding on to me like his life depends on it.

I have to be strong, I have to be. For him. Whatever I’ve gone through… it’s probably nothing compared to the nightmare he’s living.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I take a moment to compose myself before reopening them.

I look Johnathan hard in the eyes and say as calmly as I can, “Yes.”

From the way his lips twist and his gaze narrows, I can tell he’s not buying my bullshit, but thankfully he’s not calling me on it.

Seconds tick by and we just stare at each other. I finally get my breathing under control and I know he’s expecting an explanation, but right now I just can’t give it.

He breaks eye contact first, his narrowed gaze sliding over to Charlie before coming back to me.

“Are you sure?” he finally asks, breaking the silence.

I bob my head up and down, and close my eyes again.

“Fucking hell,” he growls, and I sense him turning around.

The car starts rolling forward and then I’m pushed back against my seat as he hits the gas.

“All three targets are confirmed,” he murmurs. “Yeah, I can count, you fucking dipshit.” His voice drops even lower, but it’s so quiet in the car it’s impossible not to overhear him. “Yeah, that’s right. I said three. Lindsey Hawthorne is confirmed deceased.”