Page 76 of Devious Gambit

I rang her number only to find that she’d turned her phone off again. I’d be the biggest asshole in the history of assholes to leave her there alone. No matter how much I wanted to turn my back on this fucking escapade and leave, I couldn’t do it. I figured she wouldn’t have gone back to the hotel because we’d already signed out, and I doubted she’d be able to pay for a night on her own. The town was too small to have a regular Greyhound service directly to KV, which meant she’d have to take a couple of transfers, maybe stay the night somewhere.

I pulled up near the old mill by the river to think it over. “If I was Rhys what would I do? Where would I hide?” I figured she might’ve rung her cousin or Fontaine, but it’d still take over six hours for them to get to Stillwater.

I grunted, half laughing when a thought occurred to me. “If I was Rhys Gallagher, I would hide where I always hide.”

I searched on my phone for Rhys’ hiding place, once I found it, I drove off to retrieve her. “She better not fuck me around, because I’m not going home without her.”

I spotted her sitting in a corner of the Stillwater public library. Her head was down staring at the floor in her little cotton candy land, or maybe it was kill Jace land. I faltered when a pang of guilt pain struck my chest and took a deep breath to prepare myself for the snakebites I was about to receive.

“You’re so predictable,” I stated, standing over her. She barely flinched, just continued to stare at the floor, hiding behind a curtain of hair. “Great hiding place, jeez, I never thought to look here.” Possibly the worst time to use sarcasm, but I wasn’t in the mood to deal with her tears. “Let’s go.” I grabbed her sweater sleeve and she snatched her arm away. “Rhys, I’m not leaving without you, so if you don’t come quietly, I’ll have to take you by force.”

I waited five seconds for a response and when I got nothing, I stooped down, wrapped my arms around her torso to hurl her over my shoulder. “Get out!” she snapped.

“The pretty girl speaks,” I hit back.

She shot me a dirty black scowl that made me shiver a little. I couldn’t remember the last time someone looked at me with so much hatred.

“Look, I know you hate me and you have every right to, but I’m not leaving here without you. Let’s make a deal. Once I’ve dropped you off at your garage apartment and you’re safe and sound, you’ll never see me again. I’ll even make an effort to not go near you. If I see you walking towards me at uni, I’ll give you a wide berth. How does that sound? Have we got a deal?”

I detected a nod, although it was so slight that I could’ve missed it.

“Good. Let’s go.” I grabbed her bag and she slowly rose to her feet standing only a couple of steps away from me. I gazed at her sad face, shielded by her hair and reached over to her to sweep a lock back, only to receive a quick swipe from her hand. “Point taken.”

The entire drive from Stillwater to KV was the longest journey I’d ever taken. I thought it would never end. It would’ve been more fun sharing the ride with a fucking rattlesnake than Rhys Gallagher. She refused to sit next to me, opting for the backseat, and she refused to speak the entire journey. I gave up trying to make conversations with her after twenty minutes. She also refused to eat, but she did drink water. I guess that’s better than nothing.

“So, how did it go meeting your dad?” I asked her.

Silence.

“I bet he was proud of you.”

Silence.

“Probably hadn’t seen you since you were knee high to a grasshopper.”

Silence.

“I’m thinking about driving this car off a cliff. How do you feel about that?”

Silence.

“Jeez, I thought you’d want me to. Or at least ask to get out of the car first and wave me off as I drive over.”

Silence.

“How many times do I have to say it. I’m sorry.”

Silence.

“Fuck it!”

I was finally pleased to get rid of her when I pulled up outside her place. It was dark and the security light was on highlighting the steps up to her door. The same slippery wooden steps I’d never use ever again. Weirdly, that left me cold. I didn’t want us to depart like this.

“Have a good life,” I said to her as she opened the back door to leave.

“Go to hell,” she hissed back to me.

“Only if you’re there,” I answered without thinking, which was an absent-minded come on, a complete slip of the tongue.

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