should come clean with my friends and tell them where I am. I know Kate would drive up here in a heartbeat to pick me up.
But then I frown. If Kate comes here, she’ll ask questions. She’ll want to know how I got here, who I was with, why I missed work, and why I didn’t tell anyone I was leaving.
I could feed her the same story I told Macy, the one about my dad, but that wouldn’t make any sense since I’m in northern Arizona. I could tell her the truth about Collin abducting me, the reclusive cabin, and the trucker giving me a ride to this area, but if I did that she would insist I go to the police to report everything. And when I refuse to, she would want to know why.
Screw it.
I keep my thumb out.
To my relief, the car slows and pulls onto the shoulder. The passenger window hums when it rolls down, so I jog to the door and lean over to look inside.
My eyes pop. “Declan?”
He leans sideways from the driver’s seat, the stench of booze on his breath. “How about that ride you need? Hop in.” He unlocks the door and pushes it open for me.
“You’re drunk.”
“No I’s not.”
I back up and cross my arms. “Yes, you are, and I told you I’m not interested. You shouldn’t be driving anyone anywhere right now, not even yourself. Can’t you call a friend to get you home?”
He makes a disgruntled sound and throws the car into park. “I’m driving just fine. I’s—”
But I don’t stick around to hear the rest of his argument. I begin walking down the road again. Seriously, this guy is a loser with a capital L.
A car door slams behind me, then comes the sound of Declan running on gravel. “I said I’s give you a ride!”
Goose bumps sprout on my skin. Just get away from him, Bri.
I strap the pack tighter to my back and pick up my pace. I curse the remote area, especially when I hear him getting closer.
“Hey! I’s talking to you!”
“And I’m not interested in talking to you,” I call over my shoulder.
His footsteps quicken and within a second, I hear him directly behind me. A sharp tug comes from my pack, stopping me.
I swing around.
“I said I’s give you a ride. Why are you being such a stuck-up bitch?” His face is dark in the night. The glare from the headlights outlines his frame, so I can’t see his expression.
My lips thin since he’s called me a bitch, but fighting with him won’t get me anywhere, so I take a deep breath and reply in a neutral tone, “Look, I appreciate you offering to give me a ride, but I’m not interested. Okay?”
He puts his hands on his hips. “So you’s gonna walk all the way to get a car? Really?” He reaches for my pack, as if he’s going to take it from me and carry it.
I sidestep, and his hand catches air. He falls forward slightly off balance. A prickly sensation grows on my neck, and the goose bumps on my arms rise higher. I need to get out of here and away from him.
“Go home, Declan.” I keep my voice even, but inside I’m growing warier. The smartest thing for me to do right now is to get out of this situation without provoking him further.
But instead of letting me walk away, he grabs at me again, this time connecting with my arm. He encircles my bicep and pulls me toward him.
My blood turns cold.
“Get in the car.”
I wrench my arm back, but his grip tightens. He yanks me forward, and I know any chance of this ending peacefully has evaporated like dew drops on a sweltering morning.
“Let me go,” I say through gritted teeth.
He laughs and begins to pull me.
Fuck diplomacy.
I grab his shirt and slam my heel down on the arch of his foot. The move catches him by surprise, so he doesn’t have time to deflect my twisting body and an upper cut to his chin. His head snaps back, and he howls in pain. I use the distraction to shove him off me.
He stumbles back in his drunken state, and I take off at a run in the opposite direction of where he’s parked. There aren’t any other cars around, and internally I scream in frustration at how incredibly shitty this entire weekend has been.
I run past his car intent on putting distance between us. He’s