Page 105 of Between Now and Always

I reach to touch my sore neck and find that my hands are bound behind me. I’m sitting on something soft. A bed, or mattress and the room smells like fabric softener and cigarette smoke.

Iknowthis smell. It’s ingrained in my memory after a year of breathing nothing, for almost a year. I’m in my grandmother’s house.

Bile rises in my throat and I despair clogs my lungs.

I walked straight into a trap.

My heart gives a hard knock when I realize I have no idea how long I’ve been here. Is it even the same day?

“Hello?” I call out, and the small effort hurts. My throat is dry and my lips are sore. I swipe of my tongue over them makes me wince when I touch several cuts and taste blood.

I go stock still when I heard the door open.

“She’s awake,” a familiar voice, one I hoped to never hear again in person, says. I have to swallow my whimper as his heavy footsteps get closer. The smell of his bergamot and sandalwood cologne confirms that this isn’t a nightmare.

My hood is ripped off, and the artificial light stings my eyes and blinds me momentarily. I blink a few times to clear my vision and then, find myself looking up at my father.

Behind him, lurking in the shadows just outside the bedroom door, stand, Duke, Fiona and my grandmother.

I’m in danger. I’m terrified because my hands are bound and I have no idea how I’m going to get out of here. My heart is beating out of chest. But as they come into focus, I find a laugh bubbling in my throat.

They look ridiculous - flanking my father like league of geriatric, obese, clinically stupid, supervillains

My laughter escapes. “Do you think this is a joke?” My father’s face darkens.

“You look like a syndicate of wannabe villains straight out of a B horror movie,” I chortle, and tears stream down my eyes.

“She’s hysterical,” my grandmother declares as she strides toward me. Her hand comes down hard across my cheek, so hard that it knocks me over. My shoulder wrenches painfully when I fall and the metallic tang of blood fills my mouth.

It turns out a slapisactually a cure for hysteria because my panic is gone and it’s replaced by outrage.

I struggle back to sitting and glare at them, until I realize who’s missing.

“Where’s Cameron?” I demand.

“She’s upstairs, asleep,” Fiona holds up a small monitor and I see a Cameron in her little toddler bed, fast asleep.

Seeing her safe settles the flare of panic.

“Clearly you all have a plan. So why don’t you go ahead and tell me why I’m here so we can all get on with our lives?” I ask trying to sound bored. I’m not, but I’m not scared either. Carter knows where I am and unless one of them plans to put a bullet into my heart, I know I’m going to walk out of here today with everything I love still intact. I don’t know how, but I know.

“You haven’t said anything about your friend over there. Or are you mad because she stabbed you in the back? Gotta admit, her offer of help was unexpected, and very helpful,” Duke says and I’m confused again for a second until I follow his gaze and turn around.

Her head is bowed and I can’t see her face, but I know that the woman slumped over and bound to a chair, is Dina.

“What are you doing? Why is she here?” I demand, unable to hide my terror. I can’t even tell if she’s breathing.

“She tried to double cross us. So, she’s going to be our fall guy,” Duke responds.

“Are you crazy? Do you think you’re going to get away with this? Phil and Carter know where I am,” I warn them.

“Too badtomorrow morningwill be too late for them to help you.” Fiona sneers and I wish I could stick habanero peppers in her eyes and rub them in.

“What do you want with me?” I ask.

“Like we said. You’re going to marry Duke, sign a handy little document that says you’re giving your fortune to him. And then, if you want to live, and you want Cameron to live, you’ll leave and never speak a word about it.”

I recoil at Fiona’s casual recitation of demands and the way she talks about her own child’s life as if it’s already forfeit.

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