Page 69 of Lie for a Million

She had to get out of here.

Waiting for him to leave would be a mistake. He’d already talked about moving in with her, and that would just be for starters. Unless she wanted to become a prisoner, she would have to get away now, take what she could carry, and never look back.

Keeping her ears attuned to his snores, Crystal dressed quickly and began to gather the few things she really needed—her purse, a few clothes and toiletries, her cash, the keys to her car. Judd had already noticed the diamond ring on her finger. She’d managed to convince him that it was fake, like the rest of her jewelry.

Judd had taken her phone. When she’d tried to get it back, he’d thrown it on the floor and kicked it far back under the couch. Crystal could only hope the phone wasn’t broken. Losing it would make things harder for her, but it was better than losing her life.

She froze, holding her breath as Judd snorted and rolled onto his side. As his snores resumed, she began to breathe again. But what would she do if he were to wake up?

She remembered the kitchen knife she’d bought and left on the counter of the kitchenette. Its blade was long and sharp enough to penetrate a man’s body. For a moment, she imagined using it on him—plunging it into his chest or slicing his throat. But she dismissed the idea at once. She wasn’t a murderer. And even if she were to try, Judd would be strong enough to take the knife away and use it on her. She should probably put it in the drawer, where he wouldn’t see it.

But never mind the knife, or anything else. She just needed to get out of here.

She’d dreamed of the money she’d be getting from the Culhanes and how she would spend it. That dream had gone up in smoke when she’d opened her door to Judd. Now she could only save her freedom—and maybe her life.

With the keys in her pocket and her possessions stuffed into a black plastic trash bag, she crossed the small living room to the door. On the other side of that door, a flight of cement steps led from the basement to the driveway where her car was parked.

She had turned the doorknob to go out when she heard a voice from behind.

“Where do you think you’re going, babe?”

Crystal’s heart dropped. She spun around to find Judd standing in the bedroom doorway. The knowing grin on his face told Crystal she was in danger.

Gripping the bag, she scrambled for a reply. “I was just taking the trash out, honey. After that, I’ll fix you some nice bacon and eggs, unless you’d rather go out.”

“I’ll have a look at that trash.” With a lightning move, he lunged forward and ripped the bag out of her hands.

As he opened it to look inside, Crystal sprang for the knife on the nearby counter. Her fingers closed around the handle. But once again, Judd was too fast for her. Flinging down the plastic trash bag, he seized her wrist and twisted it until the knife fell from her hand.

“Bitch!” he muttered. “I should’ve known I couldn’t trust you!”

His huge hammy fist slammed into the side of her face, triggering explosions of pain. Spinning off-balance, she went down hard. That was the last thing she remembered before her head struck a corner of the glass-topped coffee table and everything went black.

* * *

Breathing like a winded bull, Judd stood looking down at the woman who’d betrayed him. Her eyes were closed. Blood oozed from her scalp, staining her dark hair and slow-spreading in a crimson pool on the threadbare carpet.

She wasn’t moving.

He thought he should at least check her pulse. But he wasn’t sure how to do that. And she’d hit that table pretty damned hard. For all he knew, she could already be dead.

Only one thing was certain. He didn’t want to go back to jail for what had just happened. He had to get dressed and get out of town.

Hands shaking, he pulled on his clothes and jammed his feet into his boots. He’d left his motorcycle in the driveway with enough gas in the tank to get him the first fifty miles. But he was going to need money. He’d left a stash hidden in his room above the garage. It should still be there, unless Crystal had helped herself. He’d stop by, get what he needed, and hit the back roads.

He took one last look around to make sure he hadn’t left anything, then opened the door and started up the stairs. Remembering the trash bag he’d taken from Crystal, he was tempted to go back and check it for valuables. But he was running out of time. Besides, he didn’t want to be caught with anything that could be traced to her.

His bike was waiting in the driveway. As he straddled the seat, he noticed the elderly couple on the porch of the house next door. They were staring at him, watching his every move. Bad luck. But he would soon be gone.

After starting up the bike, he roared off down the street.

* * *

So much for promises.

Rowdy sat in the sweltering cab of his truck, the windows down and the radio blaring. He’d been waiting for more than two hours at the address Judd had given him— a run-down garage on the outskirts of Willow Bend. The place look deserted, as if it had recently gone out of business. On the second floor, he could see the windows of the upstairs room where Judd had said he’d be living when he got out of jail. There was no sign of life.

Once again, Rowdy gave himself a mental kick for not having memorized Judd’s phone number. They’d spent only one night together in jail, but they’d talked for hours, mostly about what they wanted to do when they were released. That was when the idea of a road trip had come up—they’d take Rowdy’s truck, with Judd’s bike in the back, and go all the way to California, where they could hang out on the beach, pick up women, and get high.

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