Page 130 of Another Girl Lost

“Why did you hurt her?”

He tightened his hand on the wheel, and for the first time I saw a flash of regret. “She made me do it. She knows better. Don’t make me hurt her more.”

“Is she going to be all right?”

“She’s tough. The bruises will fade.” He shifted in his seat as his gaze arrowed in on me. “Give any change to that little redheaded waitress and then tell her you saw puppies out back. She loves dogs.”

Accepting the rumpled bill, I crushed it in my fist. I looked toward the diner. “I don’t see her.”

“You will. Hair as red as fire. Her name is Tiffany. Remember, tell her there are puppies behind the diner. She can’t resist. I’ll be out back.”

His beautiful profile had twisted into a grotesque mask. How had I ever seen any beauty in those features? “Okay.”

“Remember Della. Don’t make me hurt her.” His voice softened. “I don’t enjoy hurting anyone.”

As I reached for the door handle, my heart pounded. I’d dreamed of freedom for months, but the cost was terrifying.

Strong fingers banded around my wrist, anchoring me in place. “I’ll make Della suffer so badly that they’ll hear her screams in the next state.”

“Is that what you told Della about the Other Girl?”

Surprise mixed with amusement. “I’m not shy about killing.”

I believed him. He’d kill Della like the Other Girl. I didn’t know Tiffany, but I knew Della. She was so battered and could barely move. Could she get her key and get out of that house? I wanted to believe she could, but God, she’d been in such bad shape. My last image of Della was her lying on his bed, curled in a ball, eyes closed.

“Meet me behind the diner,” Tanner said.

“Okay.”

“Swear.”

“I swear.”

I took a moment to straighten my dress and smooth the flyaway hairs escaping from my ponytail.

“Pay close attention,” Tanner said. “And don’t forget to smile. You look like a zombie.”

I didn’t glance at him as I opened the door and lowered my foot to the asphalt parking lot. My leg felt shaky, and when my second foot landed, it took a moment to secure my balance. I walked slowly toward the diner. A few people crossed my path as they rushed toward the front door and the breakfast they were clearly craving. My stomach grumbled, but my belly was tight with nerves and fear; I doubted I could keep anything down.

I reached the front entrance and walked inside, pausing at the door as I adjusted to the noise of conversations and the sheer number of people. I’d been in near isolation for months and now I was surrounded by noise, light, and sound. This was my chance to scream and yell and tell everyone here that I needed help. I had the power right now, until I thought about Della’s swollen face. If she wasn’t walking out of that house now, an escape attempt would mean death for us both.

As I approached, the smell of coffee drifted around me. I’d not had coffee in months, and the closest I’d come to a hot meal had been cold french fries. What would it be like to sit at a table and have someone bring me hot food? My mother had never been a great cook, but when we had money, she could order out better than anyone.

I shifted my attention to the waitress. Her hair was a dark red, and she’d pulled it into a ponytail secured with a pink bow. Her tightly tied white apron drew attention to her small waist. She was filling a cup of coffee for a big, burly man and laughing as he spoke to her.

How long would it take Tanner to snuff out that spark?

A uniformed cop walked up to the register, and as he paid his bill, he glanced at me. My throat tightened. If he offered his help now,Tanner would flee and drive back to his house and kill Della if she hadn’t escaped. The cop paid his tab, grabbed his bag, and left.

The girl behind the counter came up to me. “What can I get you, sweetie?”

I tucked a strand of freshly washed hair behind my ear. “Four biscuits.” My voice sounded rusty as I struggled to remember what Tanner had told me to order. “Pancakes and three coffees. And two biscuits.” Was that right? I couldn’t remember.

“You said four biscuits.”

“Okay,” I said quickly. “Sorry.”

“No worries, hon. Coming right up.”

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