Page 68 of Release You

CHAPTER 23

Tessa’s Insurance Policy

Nikki

Thank God for small favors. At least Scott hadn’t thrown me in the trunk. The car hit another bump, and I smacked my head on the door again, with my hands tied behind my back. A cable tie wrapped around my ankles bit into my skin, marking the spot with a raw, dull pain. And all I wanted to do was wipe my neck where he’d licked me before I passed out. If anything, just to get rid of the stale-beer stench wafting toward my face.

We were moving fast now with cars passing us at even higher speeds. My guess would be we’d gotten onto the freeway, though I hadn’t a clue which one or which direction we were headed. I opened my eyes, and my whole body stiffened. Francesca sat in the driver’s seat with Scott next to her. She was getting ballsy, coming after me herself. Was there anything Francesca wouldn’t do for her husband? Or for the social status her husband provided?

I lay very still. As long as they thought I was unconscious, they wouldn’t make a move. I needed time to come up with a plan. I’d hoped to be able to turn the tables on my assailantback at the bar, but he caught me completely off guard. I hadn’t expected him to have a syringe to knock me out. Fuck, this guy was creepy. My hands shook uncontrollably. I did a quick assessment of my current state. Luckily, it seemed all he’d had a chance to do was slobber on the side of my neck. What now? I didn’t even have my phone with me. Scott must’ve gotten rid of it before we left the bar.

Closing my eyes, I pressed my head against the nook of the seat. By now, I was sure Henry had found the note I left for him. Was he hurting? Was he in as much pain as I was when I wrote the letter? I couldn’t think about that. It’d been the right thing to do. Jonathan wasn’t above using me against Henry. So I’d beaten him to the punch. I’d broken it off with Henry, cutting him deep in the process so Jonathan would have no leverage on him.

The car hit another bump. I’d been right in assuming Jonathan would come after me as soon as he realized I had Tessa’s insurance policy. That little chip was proof of all the nasty things the three of them had done to James. Once Henry heard the recording, he’d know Tessa was in on it too, that she’d helped them all these years. I would never understand why she’d done it, but I hoped Henry would see Tessa didn’t deserve his love or his tears, or all the years he’d spent missing her.

Henry was finally free to go after his father’s killer. I wanted Henry to think I’d left him so he wouldn’t come after me, so he’d use this time to take the chip to someone who could help us prove that Lisa was innocent and claim what was rightfully his. I buried my face in my shoulder, rubbing the tears off my eyes.

Would Henry ever believe that I did what I did for him and Lisa? That didn’t matter. All that mattered was that Lisa would be free soon and Henry would get his home back. If I didn’tmake it out of this one alive, it’d be better for him to think I was in Paris or somewhere else safe. I swallowed my tears, ignoring the gaping hole in my chest. Leaving him was the right thing to do.

I repeated that over and over in my head. He would be angry at first, but then he’d move on. Just as he’d done last time. A dull pain burned across my belly.

Short, stubby fingers slid up my leg. I pressed my lips together and forced myself to keep still. I’d Tasered this guy in the crotch just last week. Had that not been a big enough hint that I wasn’t interested? I let Henry flood my mind instead, how worried he’d been the night I thought it’d be a good idea to use myself as bait. I played that moment in my head like a movie—Scott getting beat up by Henry over and over and getting shoved in the trunk of Dom’s SUV.

“I said you could have her after I was done with her. Don’t do that in front of me.” Francesca’s mouth twisted a bit at the corner. At least we agreed on this bit: this creep was disgusting. “I need her to bring Henry to me. But if he comes and finds her in less than good condition, he’ll be furious. Believe me, it’ll be easier to deal with Worried Henry than Furious Henry.”

Scott stopped touching my leg to rub his jaw instead. “I can handle Furious Henry.”

Yeah, he did a great job last time.

“I’m paying you a lot of money for this. We’re doing things my way,” Francesca said.

Scott snorted and turned his attention to the window, where everything was pitch black. Where the hell were we? We’d been driving for at least twenty minutes, but I hadn’t a clue how long we’d been on the road since Scott grabbed me at the bar. Had Henry carried out our plan? Had he followed Jonathan to where he was hiding Tessa?

“Shouldn’t she be awake by now?” Scott asked.

“She’s been awake for a while.” Francesca let out a shrill sound, like a laugh, but not really. She stopped the car and turned to me. “What did you do with Tessa’s security box? Emma Kate happened to mention you were at the bank yesterday.”

Perfect Emma Kate. I’d bet she went running to Francesca the minute we left the bank to see if she could force Henry into taking her out to dinner or some bullshit date. Just as Francesca had done when we were in school. When would Emma Kate get the point? Henry didn’t want her. He wanted me. He didn’t care who or what I was.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I pursed my lips and made no effort to move.

“Don’t deny it. I have footage of you and Henry going into the vault.”

Right. For sure Mr. Paredes and Emma Kate were more than willing to do a favor for our crazy “Madam Mayor.”

“Now tell me where the contents of the box are,” she said.

“I don’t have them on me.” I gave her a one-shoulder shrug.

“Did you give them to Lisa?” she asked.

“What?”

“Scott followed you to the prison earlier today. He searched your car, the hotel.”

“That’s the problem with minions. Not too smart.” I chuckled.

She reached back and grabbed a bunch of my hair. “I’m done playing stupid games, and I’m tired of playing nurse to Tessa. This ends tonight. Thanks to you, Tessa lost her only insurance policy. We’re finally free of her. And now she’ll have to do what we say.”

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