When the Bough Breaks (Rose Gardner Investigations #6) - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,97
were in defensive positions until one of the men from the trees started to crawl away, and Vera shot him in the back. He fell to the ground and stopped moving.
Horror filled me like poison.
“What did you do?” I cried out, trying to pull out of her grasp, but her fingers dug in deeper.
“I told you,” she said, starting to cry. “You should have come alone.”
Chapter 26
Clearly, I’d underestimated Vera on a massive scale.
“Come on,” she said, tugging my arm. I was sure she was going to drag me to my truck, but she started pulling me toward the woods instead.
My mind was racing. How many shots had she taken? Six? Eight? How many rounds did her gun hold? She hadn’t changed the clip. Did I take a chance that she’d used them all?
She’d just gunned down three men in cold blood. I had no doubt that she’d shoot me too if she had any bullets left, and I didn’t have much hope of running. I let her push me toward the woods, but I cast a glance back at the men, trying to see if Dermot was okay.
“Go!” she said as she jammed the gun into my back.
“Vera,” I said, trying to keep my wits about me. “Let’s just take a minute to think this through, okay?”
“Do you wanna see those kids or not?” she shouted.
“You have them?”
“I told you I knew where they were in the note!” she shouted, waving the gun around.
“You’re right. You did.” Holding my hands in the air, I tried to keep my voice steady as I slowly turned around to face her.
Her eyes were wild, and she looked as freaked out as I felt. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.
“I’m a trustworthy person!” She jabbed the gun in my direction as if to prove her point.
“Okay,” I said, my hands still in the air. “But everyone says they’re honest. How was I to know? I was gonna come by myself, but Dermot, he wouldn’t let me.”
She narrowed her eyes. “He ain’t livin’ with you. That sheriff’s deputy is. What’s he care?”
“That’s right,” I said. “I’m with Joe, but Dermot… he’s got a lot invested in the Lady in Black. He’s counting on me to help keep Hardshaw out of the county.”
She snorted. “It’s too damn late for that. They’re already here.” Her voice broke, and I saw tears in her eyes.
“I know,” I said, relieved she was talking. I was getting through to her. “I know Mike’s workin’ for them. Was Mark mixed up with them too? Is that why he was killed?”
Her back stiffened. “You think you know it all, but you don’t know shit. Now turn around and start walkin’.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier to take my truck?” I asked.
“Easier for you, but that’s not the plan. Now march.” She gave me a shove and I fell backward, landing on my butt hard enough to make my teeth clamp together. A wave of pain shot up my back and my stomach hardened into a cramp.
“Get up!” she shouted.
“Contraction,” I said through gritted teeth as it took hold.
“Don’t you be fakin’ goin’ into labor.” She waved her gun toward me. “You ain’t gonna get no sympathy from me. I was choppin’ wood right up until I gave birth, squattin’ next to my bed.”
I couldn’t hide my horror. “You didn’t go to the hospital?”
“And neither will you if you decide to have that baby now, so I suggest you get up. We’ve got a trek ahead of us.”
When the contraction subsided enough for me to get up, I rolled to my side and pushed up, wobbling as I got to my feet. “Where are we goin’?”
“You sure do ask a lot of questions,” she said. “We’re goin’ to see Mike’s kids. Now hurry.”
I knew it was a bad idea to leave this area. If she took me somewhere, I might never be found. I doubted she’d just let me go after I’d watched her commit multiple murders, but at least this way I might get to see the kids. It would give me a chance to get us out of this, and that was the best I could hope for now. “Okay, but I’m not dressed for a hike.”
“You’ll do. Go.”
I headed into the trees, realizing we were following an overgrown path. We walked for a good five minutes before I heard running water. The woods opened to a small clearing next to the creek, and Vera motioned for