ChapterForty-Two
The world rocked and Jade heaved a dry sob as nausea churned in her belly, her head ponding with the rapid beat of her heart. She couldn’t breathe the second she regained consciousness. Fighting the urge to vomit, her eyes registered shadows moving over her skin and the vibration of her surroundings.
Am I in a car?
Her last moments of consciousness came hurtling back. She was in Bryan’s car, sprawled out in the back where a third row of seats would normally be. Oh, my God, it’s Bryan.
It didn’t add up. How had she been so blind? He was so convincingly charming, yet the look in his eyes when she’d spotted the seal on his lighter told her she’d made a grave error in judgment.
She pressed up on her elbows, the carpeted upholstery abrading her skin. The speed of the SUV was nauseating, each turn making the contents of her stomach swill. Unconsciousness tempted as her vision wavered.
Keeping her head low, she peeked through the tinted glass and looked for a street name or mile marker. Everything was moving too fast. Her eyes struggled to track, but the motion sent a spike of bile up her throat. Her vision showed like a funhouse mirror. A sign for the New Castle Municipal Airport flashed in the distance and she collapsed, catching her breath.
Fuck.
Lowering her head to the floor she breathed through her teeth, fighting the urge to puke. Did she have a concussion? Peeking around the headrest, she repetitively swallowed as she tried to focus.
Bryan hugged the wheel as cigarette smoke siphoned through the crack in the driver’s side window. Streetlights illuminated the interior in drifting flashes and Jade gasped as she spotted a silver high heel. Lily. Her friend’s hand swayed into the space between the back seats, as she lay hunched over and unconscious.
Creeping forward, Jade searched for Lily’s purse. There, on the floor. Stretching her fingers under the car seat, she tried to navigate the obstacle of bars and gears. She couldn’t reach.
Try again. You don’t quit. This isn’t a game.
Her arm pressed along the side, her fingers stretching. She shut her eyes and tried to extend her reach as far as possible. Come on.
The car hit a bump and something sharp scraped her shoulder. She winced and swallowed the pain. Gritting her teeth, she silently reached as far as she could. Her fingers brushed the leather strap and she blindly clawed for the bag. Her middle finger hooked on what she hoped was the purse and she pulled.
Her arm would fit through the seat’s undercarriage, but not the bag. Feeling around, she found the zipper and tugged it open one jerking motion at a time. When her fingers closed around sleek glass, she sagged with relief. Fisting the cellphone, she extricated her arm and folded her body back to where she was when she first awoke. She caught her breath.
Lying on her side, holding the phone deep in her lap, her fingers locked around the device, sweet relief making her dizzy, as she pulled it to her face. She shakily pressed the first digits of Jeremy’s phone number but winced and stilled as the phone faintly beeped.
Smothering the phone against her chest, her attention jerked to Bryan. He stared ahead, apparently not hearing the beep.
Wrapping the phone in her gown to muffle the light, she slid her thumb over the silence switch and dialed. As she entered the last number, she pulled the phone to her face, shading the light with her palm.
Muffling the phone in the crease of her neck she hit send. The phone hardly rang and Jeremy answered, voice frantic, “Hello?”
She breathed a sigh of relief so intense her eyes glazed with tears. Now what?
Her mouth opened and she stilled. She couldn’t talk without chancing Philips hearing her.
“Hello? Jade, is that you?”
She whimpered quietly.
“Baby, are you all right? Tell me you’re all right!” He spoke in a panicked voice she never heard him use before. “I know Bryan Philips has you. Please tell me you aren’t hurt. If you can’t talk press a button.”
Jade pressed a key and Jeremy gave an audible sigh of relief. “Okay, baby. Good. You’re doing good. We’re coming for you. The police know he has you. He won’t get far. But you have to stay calm. Press a button if you’re still in the car.”
She pressed a button again, her thumb lowering the volume as much as possible.
“Okay, listen to me, baby. The cops are on their way. Nathan’s following you. You were right about him. I’m so sorry I didn’t trust your judgment.”
Just then the car swerved and a phone rang on Jeremy’s end. He cursed and Tyson spoke Nathan’s name in the background.
Ty’s deep voice spoke fast. “He’s taking the jug handle to Route 376. Nathan’s still on him.”
“Good, tell him not to lose him,” Jeremy said to Tyson. “Jade, you still with me, baby?”
Jade pressed a key.
“Good. I need to pull up Trent’s number in my phone. Don’t hang up, okay?” As soon as she pressed another key she heard Jeremy fumbling with his phone. “Kat call this number and tell Trent they are heading north on 376. You still there, Jade?”
She pressed a key, just as the driver’s side window closed and the car was submerged in unnerving silence. Her heart rate accelerated.
“Do you know where he’s taking you?” She couldn’t answer and had no answer to give, so she remained silent. “Are you injured?”
Her head hurt and her dress was torn, but she had no mortal wounds, so she stayed silent again.
Just then Bryan said, “We’re almost there, my love.” She froze, terror piping through her blood like poison.
“Was that Philips? Is he talking to you? Can he see you?” Jeremy frantically shouted into the phone, “Jade? Jade!”
Bryan’s eyes reflected in the rearview mirror, a frown flashing on his lips. “Are you awake back there?”
Panicked that Bryan would overhear, she instinctively did the only thing she could do to protect herself and disconnected the call.