I wasn’t going to play catch-up when I knew she didn’t care about me and she was using useless words to occupy time.
My eyes flew to the window, to the door, and back to meet her face. It was only a matter of time before Charles showed up.
“Don’t try it, Becky,” she snapped. A sudden chill hung on the edge of her words. “I need this money, and I’ll do everything I can to get it.”
The danger she was in was evident from her tone. These loan sharks, whoever she owed money to, owned her life. There was no doubt there was a bounty on her head.
“There is only one way everyone is going to get out of this safely. That’s if everybody does what I say and follows directions.” Cold eyes narrowed at me.
Mary’s eyes teetered between Kate and mine, and then tiny tears fell down her cheeks. “I want to go home. I want to go home right now. Call my daddy.” Her cries heightened, and I pulled her against me.
Kate’s voice was cold when she asked, “Can’t you get the brat to shut up?”
Mary’s cries were uncontrollable then, and my voice was equally as harsh back. “If you would be quiet, then I might be able to.”
She narrowed evil eyes on me. “I’m going out for a smoke. Give me your phone. The back door is bolted shut. There’s only one way to escape, and it’s through that front door.” She waved the gun in the air. “Don’t try it. I won’t refrain from doing what I need to do.” She tipped her chin. “Your phone.”
I didn’t hesitate. I knew my phone was one of my lifelines, but in this moment, I had to calm Mary down first. I plucked it out of my purse and slid it on the hardwood toward her.
After she was out the door, I took Mary’s heart-shaped face in my hands. “Don’t cry. You know I can’t stand to see you cry.”
She pushed out her lip. “That’s what Uncle Brad says. But this time, it’s real tears.”
I tried to smile. “Why are they not real sometimes? Can my little actress force out fake tears?”
She nodded and then laughed. “Yeah, sometimes in front of Uncle Brad.”
Man, oh man, she really knew how to work her uncles. My heart ached again, and I hoped we could both get out of this together and in one piece.
“Why is she doing this?” Mary asked.
I swallowed hard. There was so much I could tell her, but she wouldn’t understand. More than that, I wanted to keep her safe and sane and not have her worry about this crazy world around us.
This was temporary.
It was only a matter of time until Charles arrived; I could feel it. He’d have the police here, and Kate would freak. I couldn’t predict her reaction, what she’d do. But I had a plan. I just needed to execute it.
“I want to go home,” Mary repeated, her eyes filling with tears again.
The guilt was overwhelming—so much so that tears lined my own eyes. Looking at the innocence of her features, I knew what I had to do. I had to get Mary to safety and go with this woman and get her the money she needed. And make sure that my mother was put away, so she could not hurt anyone else in the future.
“You will get home. I promise.” My thumb brushed against an escaping tear. “Just remember what I told you, Mary. You can do this. Because you’re the bravest little girl I know.”
But even though I was telling Mary this … it was my turn to be brave.
Chapter 41
Charles
“Maybe we should wait for their call,” Mason said from the backseat of the car. “Not make any rash decisions.”
“Screw that. This psycho has Mary,” Brad shot out, doing ninety on the highway.
My security was tailing us to our destination, and the cops would be right behind them. I couldn’t wait for them, and since I was tracking Becky’s phone, I knew exactly where they were.
Part of me, the rational part of me, wanted to give this crazy woman the money she needed. It was the most certain way to ensure their safety—both Mary’s and Becky’s. But who knew when it would stop? If I paid her fee now, what was to say she wouldn’t come back and take Sarah next time and ask for more money then?
My phone pinged with a text, and I immediately swiped up to read it. I’d