Page 129 of The Rogue

“Pull over.”

I slow the car over onto a gravel road. There isn’t another car in sight. I’m virtually alone with this man. He’s going to kill me. Right here.

Eddie snakes a hand to my door and hits the unlock button. Then hops out the back seat.

Within seconds, his small frame yanks Kenny out from the passenger’s seat and onto the dirt road. Then he slides into his place, slamming the door.

My heart pounds against my chest.

“Nice ride, Red. This one’s a lot prettier than the last piece of junk you been driving around.”

I swallow the lump in my throat. “How long have you been following me?”

“Too long.”

What do you know, we agree on something.

He points the barrel at me. “Go.”

I tremble, feeling as cold as a dead body as I merge back onto the highway.

“This was supposed to be easy,” he mutters. “Vince and I were supposed to bring you back dead that night.”

“Bring me where?”

“The Brunetti family warehouse. But they’re going to find you somewhere else tonight. An old logging site. They’ll find you dead in a shed on their grounds, and they’ll know I did it.”

I swallow hard. My vision hazy. “You’re not going to hang around to take the credit?”

“Starting a new life. But not till I show ‘em I always finish what I start.”

“I don’t suppose you’ve been staying at Hideaway Springs Inn all this time?”

“Been sleeping in your car ever since Vinny and I split up.”

“My car?”

“The night you were picked up outside of town. You abandoned your piece of shit and hopped into a black SUV.”

“You were there?”

“Vin and I followed you. As soon as you got in that car, I knew they were onto us. It was only a matter of time before they tracked the surveillance device back to its source.”

“Which was…your truck?” I ask, trying to make sense of it. Not that it matteredanymore.

“I couldn’t be in it when they did. So I took your car and told him I’d be in touch.”

It scares me how smart he is.

Because he was right. Vince was caught a few days after I was brought back to the safehouse. Just like Eddie suspected.

“So what now?”

He waves the gun around. “Prove I don’t shoot to miss, and then…game over.”

I swallow hard. “No kidding.”

He laughs. “You’re funny. I like you.” He glances at my left hand. The same one Kenny glanced at earlier. “Too bad you’re married.”

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