Page 83 of Duplicity

No, that was her screaming.

He cuffed her across the face. “Shut up. Get in the car. You’ll have to do.”

Lance grabbed her arms, gripping the wound on her right arm. Cat screamed again. “I said, shut up.”

She swallowed, choking on her own sob.

He shoved her at the car, opened the door, and pushed her in. She twisted around and kicked at the door with both feet. He leaned on it and shoved her knees to her chest. The door clicked.

As soon as he rounded the front end, she grabbed the handle and yanked it.

The door swung open and hit the concrete wall.

Cat jumped out of the car and ran.

She tore down the tunnel, her hand sliding along the wall.Run.His footfalls pounded on the floor behind her. Echoing toward her. The relentless, punishing pace was enough to make her go insane.

Whatever he’d come back for…he wasn’t getting it from her.

Clean living, exercise, and the strength that came from Christ were going to win out. She had to believe that despite her injuries, she could be faster than him. Cat settled into a rhythmin the same way she did when she ran with Romeo, finding her stride and the zone where she could even increase her speed.

The frantic pace of terror settled into a sprint she could sustain for a while.

Lance let out a frustrated sound behind her.

Cat smiled to herself.I guess I’ll have to thank Romeo for making me run faster than I want.And she would have something to be thankful to God for. Plenty.

Light in the distance grew closer. She forced her mind to keep laser-sharp attention on it, not on the dark all around her. How long had she been running?

Was this a way out?

Lord, go with me.

She knew He did and always would, but asking made her feel better.

First thing that changed was an awareness of a noise. Over the rush of each breath in her ears, Cat heard a rhythmic beeping.

The tunnel opened into a garage.

She stumbled while trying to slow down. Sweat laced her hairline and dripped down her back. Noise behind her in the tunnel meant he was still coming. She looked around for a weapon but saw no tools. Could she steal a car? She didn’t know how to hotwire anything, and was that even possible for a high-end sports car? She’d never worked those cases.

Lance ran out of the tunnel and stopped fifteen feet from her. “It doesn’t matter. You’ll be my prize.”

Cat shook her head.

“There isn’t much time. We’ll go. You can pay me what I’m owed later.” He sneered at her; his eyes gleaming with something horrible. “And for a long time to come.”

Cat backed up. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“You expect me to leave with nothing to show for it?” He huffed a laugh, but it contained no humor. “I don’t think so. The Olsons cost me everything I had here. So, you’re going to repay that debt.”

Simon. Peter.

Cat took a few more steps back.

“Or we can start right now.” Lance took a step closer. “While the house is destroyed, you’ll give me a pound of flesh. Because it’s me or you burn with them.”

She sucked in a choppy breath. “You set the house on fire?”

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