Page 92 of Scorched

He shook her, and she knew her time was up.

“Okay, okay.” She rose and stepped out of her shoes.

As soon as her feet cleared the leather, he pulled her toward his SUV, an older model beast that had seen better days even before he rammed her. He took a pair of handcuffs from the front seat and clamped them over her wrists, then opened the back door and put her inside. He pulled a roll of duct tape off the floorboard and bound her ankles, dashing her hopes of diving out of the car. He tore off another piece and went for her face. Maggie moved away.

“Is that really necessary?”

He paused, then shrugged and rolled the tape up, tossing it onto the ground. “I guess not. Where we’re going, no one will hear you.” His eyes narrowed. “But if you annoy me on the ride there, you’ll get more than duct tape when we stop. Understand?”

She nodded. “Quiet as a mouse, I swear.”

He stepped back and slammed the door shut, then ran around to the driver’s side and hopped in. The car lurched forward as he took off. She realized he was still heading toward the Broken Bow and scooted as close to the window as she could. Seb put a camera on the driveway entrance. If Cole stayed on this road, he would drive right through the camera’s field of vision.

Her heart thudded in her chest as she stared out the window, praying he didn’t turn off before they went past. When the pole light at the end of the drive came into view, elation made her adrenaline spike. She pressed herself to the window, turning her face to look at the property as they drove by the gate.

Cole laughed. “Say goodbye to home. You’ll probably never see it again.”

Tears welled in her eyes, but that burn of anger glowed brighter. “Why didn’t you just kill me? And why send me threatening messages or blow up my car? What do you want?”

She saw his face pull in the rearview mirror. “That was a misguided attempt to take you out of the picture. The plan now, though, is a simple one. I need my son to come to me. Alone. Taking you is the best way to accomplish that.”

She swallowed hard. “What are you going to do to Declan?”

“Set him straight.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means, he’ll either see things my way or not at all. He has to pick a side.”

“Side? What side? I don’t understand what’s going on.”

“Enough questions. It’ll all be explained once Declan arrives.”

“Can I ask one more?”

He sighed. “Sure.”

“What part does Jameson Gehring play in all this?”

Cole laughed. It started low and slow in his chest and built until he was hunched forward and wiping a tear from his face. Maggie was still confused. More so now than ever.

He glanced back and shook a finger. “You’ll have to wait for that one, too.”

Frustration cut into the anger she felt. She slumped in the seat, watching their route, her mind spinning. Nothing made sense. How did Cole know Jameson? And what did her family have to do with any of it?

---