SUV. With a not-so-gentle boost, Jenna was helped into the back seat by the man still holding her at gunpoint.
Forcing her to scoot over, he slid onto the seat beside her and shut the door. Without a word, he shoved the end of his gun against her ribcage.
A silent but effective warning.
Though it was damn hard, Jenna held back her reaction. She would not—would not—let these men see how scared she was.
And she was fucking terrified.
For herself. For Adrian. And despite the fact that he was a betraying bastard, Jenna also feared for Ben.
She hadn’t missed the look the police chief had given her right before she was shoved into the SUV. It was the same haunted look of acceptance she’d seen in patients who knew they were about to die.
Jenna kept her gaze forward, refusing to watch. Knowing there was nothing she could do to help, she closed her eyes and waited. Her heart broke when she heard Ben’s muffled voice carry through the enclosed vehicle.
“Please. You don’t have to do this. I did as Matais instructed! Please! I have a family. My children need me. Please!”
The echoing gunshot made her entire body jolt.
Oh, god!
Tears fell down Jenna’s cheeks, but she silently wiped them away. She didn’t have to look to know Ben Campillo was dead.
First the cab driver. Now Ben.
You’ll be dead, too, if you don’t find a way out of this mess.
The second man opened the driver’s door and climbed behind the wheel. Ever-so-casually, as if he hadn’t just taken someone’s life, he started the engine and opened the garage door.
Backing the vehicle out of the enclosed space, the man pressed the remote a second time. Jenna watched the electronic door close, hiding Ben’s body and car inside.
Jenna couldn’t help but wonder when the slain man would be found. She prayed it wasn’t long. For both her sake and that of Ben’s family.
The sooner they realize what happened, the better chances I have of being found.
“Why are you doing this?” she couldn’t help but ask.
The gun dug even harder into her side. “Keep your mouth shut, or I’ll shut it for you.”
The two men began speaking in Spanish as they drove away from the house. Not wanting the man to make good on his threat, Jenna stayed quiet and buried herself in her thoughts.
She wondered how Adrian was doing and prayed he made it out of surgery without any complications. Her heart became heavy as she thought about him waking up to discover his friend had been murdered and she’d been taken.
He’s going to blame himself.
God, more than anything Jenna wished she could talk to him. Let him know she was sorry and make him see that this—whatever this was—wasn’t his fault. It was hers.
And the worst part was, she didn’t even know why.
At first, she’d assumed it had something to do with their inquiry into Stella Gallagher’s disappearance. But they’d only just spoken with Ben about that minutes before the shooting, so how would anyone have known?
Ben could’ve told them. He could’ve called them after you and Adrian left his office.
But even that didn’t make sense because the shooter was already outside when they left the police station.
No, she was almost certain this had something to do with before, when she was drugged at the club and almost abducted. Maybe these were the two guys who’d tried to take her?
Jenna’s guarded gaze slid to the man sitting next to her and then the driver. Was it possible? Were these the men from that night?
The chilling theory sent a shiver down her spine. It also made perfect sense.
She’d witnessed the murder of the cab driver. Sure, she didn’t remember anything about it, but these guys didn’t know that. So maybe…maybe they were doing all of this to silence her so she couldn’t testify against them?
If that were the case, then why didn’t they just kill you and leave your body with Ben’s?
Obviously, Jenna didn’t have all of the answers—or any, really. But for now, she needed to focus on the fact that she was still alive and do her best to stay that way until she either found a way to escape or someone came for her.
As she was driven out of the city, she stared out at the road ahead of them in silence. With nothing else to do but sit back and await her fate, Jenna thought of the man who owned her heart and wondered if she’d ever get to see him again.
I’m sorry,