Page 158 of Love Undiscovered
“Perfect. That's where we'll go, even if it issomewhere over on theother side of Brighton County, where there's norainwith the fire.”
“Yay!” she claps her hands together, the gun still clenched in one of them.
I'm convinced it's going to go off and one of us is going to die. And it probably won't be me.
“You!” Helen turns the gun toward Kat. “Tie my handsome husband's hands behind his back with the rope.” She hands Kat two pieces of the same twine she used on me earlier, a shorter piece and a longer one.
“What?” Kat asks looking sharply at Chance. He shakes his head slightly at her.
“Don’t look at her!” Helen screams at Chance, her face contorted with anger.
“I’m only looking at you,” he says to Helen.
Her face softens just as quickly. “Tell them, Chancey. Tell them we’re married.”
“I thought we were going to leave,” he says.
“Right! Okay.” She turns to Kat. “Put the small piece between his palms and have him hold them together,” Helen instructs Kat. Kat follows the instructions, then takes the longer piece and wraps it around his wrists.
“Tighter,” Helen says. Kat looks at Chance, he nods.
“Don't look at him! You get your direction from me,” Helen says to Kat. “Now tighten.”
Kat pulls it tighter until it's almost cutting into his skin, then ties it in a double knot. It looks painful. Helen looks pleased.
“Now, take the other piece and tie his hands to his belt loop.”
Kat curls the shorter piece through his belt loop and secures it.
I try to catch Chance's eye, but he won't look at me. His face stays impassive.
Helen turns to Chance. “Ready to go, darling?”
“After you.” He attempts a motion to the door with his clasped hands.
“Oh no,” she says, waving the gun at him. “After you. I insist.”
“You,” Helen says, pointing the gun at Lexie. “Be a dear and open the door for him, will you?” She asks it as though it's the most normal question in the world. “He’s a little tied up right now.” Helen laughs crazily at her own pun.
Lexie hurries forward and opens the door for them.
“Chance,” she starts to talk to him, but he leaves through the door without even a glance back.
I watch, tears streaking down my face, as the door closes after them.
Kat comes rushing over to me. “Oh my God, Remi, are you okay? Holy shit. What the fuck happened? Lexie, help me find something to cut these ties.”
“Here.” Lexie hands Kat the scalpel. I can't help but flinch as she comes toward me.
“It’s okay, beautiful girl. We're just going to cut these loose, okay?” she says softly. I nod my head, still unable to really speak. Relief floods through me with just as much fervor as dread. Relief to be free and alive. Dread over Chance leaving with Helen.
Kat cuts the ties and I cry out as the blood rushes back into my hands and feet. “We need to get you to the hospital,” Lexie says as she dabs at my cuts with a warm washcloth.
“No,” I croak. “We need to go after them. I need water.”
“Oh goodness, of course.” Lexie runs and grabs a bottle of water, opening it for me and helping me bring it to my mouth. My throat instantly feels better as the water coats it.
“We need to help Chance.” I stand. “If we leave now we might be able to catch them.”
