is silent. Josh pales visibly. And all I can think is that Levi and Molly have about eight minutes left to live.
“What?” Josh says, narrowing his eyes at the other man. “My father is dead.”
“We need to eliminate her,” Jarvis finally says, taking a few steps closer to me.
But Josh moves to block him. “My father is dead,” he says again, grinding out the words.
For a long moment, they stare at each other, two sets of steel-blue eyes locked like swords.
“Not exactly dead,” Jarvis says calmly, a scary smile on his face. “I’ll explain, but first we have some business to take care of.” He lunges at me and grabs my other shoulder. “We have to kill her.”
“Wh-what?” Josh stammers.
“More specifically, you do.” With his free hand, Jarvis reaches into his pocket. “This pill will replicate the symptoms of alcohol poisoning. A bit of a cheat, I agree, but you put it down her throat and I’ll count it as a pass.”
I stare at Jarvis’s hand. I will not take that pill. I’ll rip his flesh with my teeth if I have to.
Josh is staring, too, in speechless shock, pain etched on every feature. “My … mother?”
“She did die in the boating incident.” Jarvis steps forward, letting go of his bloody bandana to reach into his pocket. Out comes the knife again.
“What are you talking about?” Josh’s voice is barely a whisper.
“Later.” Jarvis positions the knife under my neck, the blade pricking my skin, and extends his other hand to Josh. “Put the pill in her mouth, son.”
He doesn’t move. “I’m not your son.”
“We’ll see about that.” Jarvis holds his hand steady in a fist. “Take this pill and put it in her mouth.”
I fight the urge to lunge away, but my pulse is pounding right into the blade. One move and I’m dead. So I just shift my gaze to look at Josh. Tears have mixed with the rain now.
“Do it!” Jarvis practically spits the order. “It’s your legacy. It’s in your blood. It’s your destiny.”
Josh’s eyes widen. “You killed my mother.”
“Sometimes there is collateral damage.” He shakes the knife slightly. “Even girls we’re a little fond of.”
“My mother?” Josh’s voice rises to a bellow now.
“Calm down, son.”
“You bastard!” Josh leaps forward, pushing Jarvis away from me as they both roll to the ground.
I’m free, but I freeze for a second, torn between helping him and going after Levi. I see the knife slice through the air, and I know someone is going to die.
They wrestle on the grass, grunting, until Josh flips Jarvis and slams his head to the ground, pinning his arms.
“You killed my mother!”
Jarvis just fights for breath, staring up at Josh. “You’ll get over it.”
“What?” He lifts him and smacks him down again.
“You’ll get over it,” Jarvis says. “The rewards are too great. And if you don’t accept that, you’re next to have an accident.”
“Kenzie!” Josh doesn’t take his eyes off the man on the ground. “Get the pill from him.” When I don’t move, he screams, “Get the pill from his hand!”
I know what he wants, or at least I think I do. Without debating, I fall to my knees and grab Jarvis’s fist. Josh twists his hand like he’s going to break the bone, and Jarvis’s fingers unhinge so I can get the pill.
“Put it in his mouth, Kenzie.”
“How?” I ask, seeing Jarvis clamp his lips together.
“Like this.” Josh rises up and slams a knee right into Jarvis’s solar plexus, and the older man throws back his head to howl.
I toss the pill down his throat without hesitation.
“Now, go, Kenzie. I’ll take care of him.”
I don’t waste one second. I run straight to Jarvis’s truck, which is still running. Gripping the giant steering wheel like it’s a bus, I peel out to the driveway, heading in the same direction Levi went, imagining the route he’d take. I slam on the accelerator and pray they’ve hit every light and that I can get them in less than … seven minutes.
That’s all they have left.
I turn onto Route 1 and pass a 7-Eleven, considering all my options. I could go in, make a call, get the police—and that would take so long they’d be dead. I press the gas harder, fly past a much slower car, and power into the left lane spraying water, fussing with the windshield wipers to get them up to high speed.
The rain makes it that much harder to find the white BMW. I squeeze the steering wheel and let out