Page 47 of For the Birds

“Any idea about who he might workfor?”

I shook my head, resisting the urge to wrap my arms across my chest even though I felt close to falling apart. I needed to look strong. “None.”

“Dermot?” he asked.

“No.” Dermot squatted next to the driver and fished the guy’s wallet out of his pants pocket. He opened it as he stood. “Elijah Landry. His license says he lives in Shreveport.”

Buck turned to me. “Why would a guy from Shreveport wantyou?”

That surprised me too, but this was almost certainly about James, not me. Still, the hint of condescension in Buck’s voice pissed meoff.

“Any truth to you being from Louisiana?” he asked. “My own research suggests you’ve always lived here except for the six months you went to Southern Arkansas University before you dropped out and camehome.”

He’d researched me, and while I wasn’t exactly surprised, I was beyond pissed. “You want to know why someone from Shreveport wants me? How about you tell me why a nobody Fenton County guy would wantme?”

“I guess you’ll have to ask Malcolm that yourself.” Buck grinned, looking plenty pleased with himself.

I was done with this nonsense. “Then I’ll be on my way to go ask him.” I spun around and started walking toward Elijah Landry’s car, praying he’d left the keys in the ignition afterall.

Of course I never made it thatfar.

But I did get about ten feet before Buck said, “You ain’t goin’ nowhere, Lady.”

I ignored him and kept walking.

“I saidstop!”

I considered arguing the point—he’d never said stop—but the silent treatment seemed to be far more effective.

I heard a gunshot behind me, and a bullet ricocheted off the concrete floor about ten feet to my left. I flinched, but anger quickly overtook the rush of terror. I kept walking. I’d won James over by hiding my fear and refusing to let him intimidate me, and I’d be damned if I’d kowtow to Buck, who was nowhere near the man James Malcolmwas.

I could hear Buck’s footsteps behind me, but I didn’t even slow down. Another gunshot took out the back tire of thecar.

“You plannin’ on walkin’ all the way back to Henryetta?” Buck shouted.

I stopped and slowly turned around to face him, wearing my Lady persona like a cape of courage. “If that’s what it takes.”

“I already told you I’m not lettin’ yougo.”

“Then I guess you’ll have to shoot me.” I turned around and headed for thedoor.

This was insanity, and we all knew it. I was barefoot, and the minute or so we’d spent outside hadn’t given me any clue as to where we were. But dammit, I refused to beg Buck Reynolds for anything. He would treat me with respect . . . even if I had to die to getit.

I heard another gunshot, and this time the bullet hit the metal door. My right thigh felt like it was on fire, and for a second I was sure he’d shot me, but the pain was on the outside of my leg. Something had bounced off the door and grazed me. However I’d gotten the wound, it was bad enough that I felt blood running down myleg.

“Shit!” Buck shouted, leading me to believe he hadn’t meant to hurt me. Which told me he really did need me, and he’d been trying to intimidate me into submission.

I’d come to a halt already, so I turned around again. “You have a very interesting way of interviewing people for a job, Mr. Reynolds. So let me save us both time: Not interested.”

Tim Dermot’s eyes widened when he saw the trickle of blood running down my calf and seeping through the side of my skirt. “Malcolm’s gonna killyou.”

The look on Buck’s face betrayed his panic, which I knew wouldn’t work to my advantage. If he thought James would kill him, he was likely to kill me first and hide my body where it couldn’t be found.

“Let me make this perfectly clear, gentlemen,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady, but the burning in my leg was becoming overwhelming. “Skeeter Malcolm knows I’ve been taken, and if I don’t check in with him relatively soon, he will presume you killed me. I can assure you that he will come after you, and he will exact a very painful and most likely drawn-out death from all three of you. Doing away with me at this point would be a verybadidea.”

“She’s right,” Dermotsaid.

“Shut up!” Buck shouted.

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