light.
She saw just the driver and nobody else with him to look after her and Becky. So the driver wasn’t expecting trouble out of the two of them. She’d love to prove him wrong. Before she had been taken and knocked out, Gemma thought she’d heard voices, and she couldn’t be sure what part her sister had in this. That she was involved at all just made Gemma even angrier. She also couldn’t identify the man who’d driven them away. Since she had been in the bedroom, along with Becky, it made sense that they’d been taken out the window. If only to not alert Galen and Zack. And where was Zack? She didn’t know when she’d last seen him.
Had they also hurt Galen? She’d find that very unforgivable. Not that these guys would give a shit. They’d already shot how many men now? And had they killed their own thugs?
She’d heard sounds of gunfire behind them as they’d left, and her stomach cramped to think who’d taken a bullet. It was just disturbing to think that any of this was going on at all. She’d come to realize that it didn’t matter what kind of excuses she made, her sister was just rotten to the core. It didn’t make sense that she would continue with this—unless she had really killed Joe. And Gemma had to believe Becky on that one. So, if Rebecca killed Joe, she would have to pay for that crime. So Rebecca could still be hoping to get out of that consequence somehow. The fact that Becky had seen her mother shoot her father was another very troubling detail. Rebecca kept denying it, but apparently she had been Joe’s killer. According to Becky. And according to the guy at the cabin.
If Gemma still had her phone, she could check the conversation she’d recorded secretly while they’d been talking. But she had no way to know if it had recorded properly. If nothing else it would be evidence for a trial. Although she couldn’t imagine having to be a witness against her own sister. Poor Becky. Gemma couldn’t feel the phone in her pocket, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t there.
Just then Becky’s eyes drifted open and then closed again.
“Becky, wake up,” she whispered gently. “Please, honey. We’re in trouble.”
Becky’s eyes opened, but her gaze was unfocused. “Auntie Gemma?”
“Yes, it’s me. I need you to listen carefully. We’ve been kidnapped, so you need to keep your voice very low.”
Becky’s eyes focused on her aunt’s face, and she looked around in shock.
But Gemma was waiting for that and held her firmly against her. “You can’t sit up because somebody is driving the vehicle. We don’t want him to know we’re awake, okay?” The car radio was on and producing just enough volume that she was hoping he couldn’t hear their whispers.
Becky looked at her with huge brown eyes swimming with fear.
Gemma nodded gently. “We were taken from the cabin. They hit you over the head. I’m so sorry, Becky, that I couldn’t stop them from hurting you. They hit me too,” she said, “but you were out for much longer.” Gemma reached up her hands, to show her that she was tied up, then gently stroked Becky’s hair. In turn, Becky stroked Gemma’s face.
“Are you okay?” she whispered.
“My head hurts, but I’m okay.” Gemma smiled gently. “I am, sweetie. I just don’t know how badly hurt you are.”
“I’m okay. Where are we going?” Becky whispered hoarsely. She laid her head down on Gemma’s chest, her arms wrapped around her.
Becky was just close enough that Gemma could kiss her forehead. “I don’t know, sweetheart, but we have to be ready.”
“I don’t want to be ready,” the little girl whispered. “I’m scared. I just want to go home. I want Daddy.”
Gemma’s heart broke at that. Needing her niece to focus on something, she asked, “Can you see if you can untie my hands?”
The little girl tried to sit up, but Gemma held her close. “We can’t have you rise above the seat,” she said. “We’re in the back. They just threw us inside, and, if we go higher than the level of the seats, they’ll see us.” She held up her hands again.
Becky twisted around and took a look, then set to work trying to untie them.
It was a surprise when she managed to get it undone. But, as soon as her hands were untied, Gemma snatched the little girl, laid her down, and whispered, “Can you work on my