me, but he was really just using me to snoop through Dad’s office.”
“I never used you,” Graham says, cutting me off.
“How am I supposed to trust you? You lied about who you are. That’s like relationship 101: Don’t lie about your identity and try to blackmail your girlfriend’s father.”
Graham shoots a stream of air through his nose like a bull, and slumps back against the couch.
“Look,” Mom says. “Why don’t you two stay the night. You’ll be safe here. Then we can discuss what we’re going to do.”
“We?” My eyebrows hit my hairline.
“I already lost one of my children. I’ll be damned if I lose another.”
Chapter Fourteen
Graham
“Can you pull over?”
Eva signals and pulls off the road, gravel crunching underneath the tires.
“What’s wrong?” She props the bike up on its stand and flips the visor on her helmet.
“My phone keeps buzzing in my pocket.” I dig into my jeans and pull out my cell. “I just want to make sure it’s not ...”
Five missed calls: Jen.
My stomach drops.
Eva leans over and peers at the screen. “Does your sister usually call this much?”
“No.” I yank off my helmet and press the green call button. It barely rings twice before Jen picks up.
“Uncle Graham?” The sound of Gwennie’s small voice on the other line sends a surge of adrenaline through my veins.
“Gwennie, what’s wrong?”
“Your friends are here. They want you to come over.”
What? My eyes lock with Eva’s and her spine stiffens.
“What friends? Where are you, Gwen?”
“I’m home. They said you have to hurry.” She whimpers and sniffles, the sound of her fear like a kick to my gut. “They’re not very nice. You have to come now, Uncle Graham.”
“I’ll be right there, baby girl. Don’t worry. I’m on my way.”
She stifles a sob. “Okay.”
“I’ll be there soon, I promise.”
Gwennie squeals and a familiar, raspy voice booms through the speaker. “Hiya, Graham. We look forward to seeing you.”
“If you lay a finger on them, I’ll kill you, motherfucker. You hear me?”
Clemmons cackles. “You’re not in the position to make any threats. Come here, and come alone. If you call the cops and turn this into a hostage situation, I’ll kill them both.”
Eva grasps my forearm, squeezing tight.
“I’m on my way. Don’t fucking touch them.”
He grunts and ends the call.
“Do you know who that was?” Eva asks, her big brown eyes filled with worry.
I nod and slam the helmet back over my head. “One of the men who took you that night.”
“We have to call the cops.”
“No. I need to get inside that house. My father wants me. He’s drawing me out. The cops will only make this worse.”
“I don’t like this plan, Graham.” But she swings her leg over the seat of her bike anyway, and starts the engine.
I just need to get to them.
I slide onto the seat behind her and wrap my shaking hands around her midsection. She peels out of the spot and darts through traffic, following my directions. Her maneuvers are dangerous, cutting people off and speeding well over the limit. I want to tell her to slow down, for her safety, but I’d be doing the same thing if I were driving. We need to get to Jen and Gwennie as fast as we can.
What the hell is my father thinking?
Only a truly evil man would send thugs after his own daughter and granddaughter. What is his endgame? What’s mine? My mind races as fast as Eva’s bike until we arrive, wondering what awaits me inside that house.
Eva screeches to a stop on the corner of Jen’s street.
I dismount the bike and hand her my helmet. “I want you to go straight home and lock yourself in your room. You’ll be safe there.”
She rips her helmet off. “I’m not leaving you here.”
I grip her shoulders and keep her from getting off the bike. “You will leave me here and I will handle this. Go home, Eva. I can’t concentrate in there if I’m worried about you too.”
Her bottom lip trembles and I tug her against my body, inhaling a lungful of her scent. “It’s going to be okay,” I say, though I’m not sure it will be. “Go straight home. Got it?”
She nods, choking back a sob. “Be careful.”
I release her and take off running down the sidewalk until I reach Jen’s house.
I pound my fist against the door. “It’s Graham. Open up.”
My heart thumps against my chest, the blood pumping in my ears the only sound I can hear. The deadbolt slides over and as soon as