Page 30 of Devious Madness

“Fine.” I maneuverer over the center console and squeeze between the two captain seats to get into the second row of the SUV. “But I’m not staying back here forever.”

He sighs, like he’s starting to get to the end of his rope with me, as he leans over to open the glove compartment. There’s a handgun inside. He checks to be sure it’s loaded, which of course it is, because why wouldn’t he have a loaded gun in the glove compartment.

“Get between the seats, on the floor. I don’t want you to be seen.” He gestures to the floor.

I slide down, rolling until I’m on my back. I want to be able to see if something’s coming at me.

“Anything else? You want to throw a blanket over me? Maybe some dead leaves and sticks?”

He pinches his lips together. “Your mouth is going to get you into trouble.”

“More trouble than I’m already in?” I roll my eyes. “Just go do what you need to do so we can get out of here. I don’t like the woods. This is creepy.”

“Just stay down there. No matter what, Mira.” He settles a firm stare on me. “I mean it. No matter what you see or hear, you stay in this car. If you get out?—”

“I’ll regret it. I know.” I wave a hand. “Just hurry.”

I’m going to have to pee soon, and I’m not squatting in the leaves. Once in the grass was enough an experience, thank you.

He pauses, staring at me another moment like he can’t decide what he should do with me. In the end, he huffs a breath and throws open his door. I’m expecting it to slam, but it doesn’t. Quietly, he shuts it, and then there’s nothing.

No sound.

At all.

I’m just lying on the floor of the SUV with nothing to listen to except for my heart thudding in my ears. My thoughts fall onto the sudden discomfort of my bladder.

I should have asked him to stop before I fell asleep again, but I didn’t. So now I’m alone, the sky is getting darker, which is cutting off the light in here, and all I can think about is how much I have to pee.

Shifting to my side, I close my eyes. Maybe I can nap until he gets back, and the positioning helps take some of the pressure of my bladder.

For a few minutes, and then it comes back with a roar.

I should not have drunk that bottle of water earlier.

Flipping to my other side only alleviates the problem for a few seconds. I can’t stop thinking about the discomfort.

I lean up to look out the window just enough to see if the coast is clear. The cabin is up a little ways, but I can see no one’s outside of it. No sign of Rurik. Though it’s getting darker than I like while being in the woods.

If he’s not back in a few minutes this is going to be bad.

I check again, still no one around.

Deciding pissing myself isn’t going to improve my situation, I quietly move up to my knees, still ducking behind the seats and open the door behind the driver’s seat. Using allthe ninja skills I learned from watching cartoons as a kid, I slither out of the car and softly shut the door enough that it looks closed.

Creeping around the back of the SUV, I look around for a good spot to squat. I hate this. For the second time in as many days, I’m peeing outside because of him.

There’s a small clump of bushes a little further into the woods away from the makeshift road. Crouching down, I hurry over to them and get it done.

Immediately, relief floods me, and I can almost forget that I’m outside.

Until I hear a screen door slam and footsteps beat down a set of stairs. Quickly, I fist a bunch of leaves to wipe myself then yank up my pants. I need to get back to the car before Rurik does.

“Fuck.” An unfamiliar voice carries through the sleeping trees, and I freeze.

That wasn’t Rurik.

I step to the edge of the cluster of bushes and peek around the side. A man is barreling toward me. His left eye is swollen and already turning colors. Blood trickles down the right side of his mouth, and there’s more soaking through the white fabric of his button-down shirt.

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