Page 41 of Bound to a Killer
She glares at me while Tanner sighs. “Look, I’m not happy about this either, but now isn’t the time to argue. They’re going to start asking questions if we’re not on time."
“Fine.” I grit my teeth as I go to retrieve my leather jacket from the couch, then head back toward the door, wondering what kind of trouble we’re getting into.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” he asks before I reach for the doorknob.
“What?” I bite out.
He cocks his head toward Aria, her hands clenched anxiously in her lap, eyes searching mine for answers, but I’m just as lost. More guilt rises in my chest.
“Aren’t you going to tie her up before we leave?”
Right.
I stalk toward her and pick up the forgotten ropes under the side of the bed. Back to square one, I guess.
Her eyes gloss over as she holds my stare, but I avoid looking back. I hate the silent accusation in them. It has to be done.
Tanner tosses his keys to Frankie, and she catches them midair.
“Text us if anything happens,” he tells her.
“I will. We’ll be fine. I got this, remember?” She holds up the keychain, the metal pieces clinking together.
He nods as I march back to his side.
“We’ll be fast,” I promise.
With a nudge from Tanner, we exit without looking back.
13
LEDGER
“What do you mean you don’t know?”
Tanner slams the BMW’s passenger door and straps himself in. “I don’t know. Maybe someone saw you take the girl and word got out to Antonio.”
“Not funny,” I deadpan.
“Well, are you sure no one saw you take her?”
“I’m sure,” I grunt, my eyes locked ahead as I drive over thick roots snaking down the hill. The car jerks and bucks as we make our way out of the woods.
Could someone have seen us through their curtains and called it in? Possible, but unlikely with how quiet we were. Nobody’s looking out their windows that late, not unless something obvious wakes them up.
“Then it should be fine,” Tanner says, his leg bouncing as he wipes an invisible smudge on his phone.
The GPS instructs us to take a left turn. After that, we sit in silence as our doubts fester and spread.
Shit. They really might be onto us.
Antonio doesn’t set up random meeting points without a reason. That doesn’t mean he knows about Aria specifically. Itcould be something unrelated. Either way, we can’t back out now.
Nothing can derail us before we get those new IDs issued. Until then, we have to play the part, and play it well. Whatever doubts are lurking in the back of my head need to be squashed if we want any chance of getting through this meeting. And even if he has an inkling of suspicion, that’s all it is. Suspicion. Not proof.
With two minutes left before we reach the junkyard, I angle my chin at Tanner. “Did you tell your guys we’re coming to get the paperwork done?”
He shrugs back in his seat. “Yeah, I gave them your number, too.”
