Page 84 of Out to Get Her
Erin probably didn’t know where Mr. Sonnier kept whatever Zach was looking for, but Samantha had no doubt that she was stalling. Erin was clever and strategic, and she knew exactly how far to push Zach before he snapped.
Or, at least, she thought she knew.
Samantha needed to help. She wiggled her hands to assess the binding on her wrists. Secure. No surprise there. A boy scout he might not be, but Zach was handy.
What he didn’t know was to make sure his victim’s hands were in the proper position before securing them. He’d bound her hands behind the chair but with her wrists side by side. Rookie move.
While Erin rummaged noisily through the pantry mumbling about some anecdote from her childhood, Samantha turned her arms inward, maneuvering her wrists to face each other and loosening the hold of those zip ties Zach had probably found in a junk drawer.
“Enough.” Zach walked over to Samantha and bent so she could feel his breath against her ear and cheek. No doubt checking that she was still passed out. He stepped away and said, “Next room. Move.”
Samantha held her breath, listening as two sets of footsteps exited the kitchen. A moment later, they were out of the room, and she could hear Erin talking at Zach from the bedroom, intentionally loud enough for Samantha to know where they were. Samantha shimmied her hands up and out of the ties and flew to her feet, tiptoeing swiftly toward the hallway.
“Been through every book in this place now that I know about that shit. And every piece ofcollectible crapbefore that for the last few weeks.”
His words oozed with disgust as Samantha padded down the hall, using the darkness as a shield.
“Must be other hiding spots. Where, Erin? Where would he keep his most important information? I’ve been through this whole place. Must have some kind of secret hiding spot. A loose floorboard. A false drawer I missed.Something.”
There was a desperation beneath his voice that Samantha hid missed before. Or maybe the fear was just now surfacing. Who had he promised this information to? What was he afraid of if he didn’t deliver?
Nathan.
It had to be.
But that didn’t matter right now. Zach was still determined enough and deranged enough that she couldn’t imagine talking him out of whatever his mission was. If Erin hadn’t been able to do it, no one else stood a chance.
“Do you think he showedmehis super secret hiding spot? I wasn’t exactly the most reliable kid, Zach. You know that.”
A floorboard creaked.
“If you can’t help find it, why am I keeping you alive?”
Every cell in Samantha’s body wanted to launch her into the room and tackle him. But he had a gun and Erin, and with her wooziness from the blow to her head, she wasn’t sure she could move quickly enough to disarm him from this distance before he got a shot off.
“Because you don’t want to shoot me? Remember?” Erin’s signature hubris and charm were on full display, her voice carrying the weight of ten good hostage negotiators. She knew what Zach wanted and was using it to her advantage. “And two pairs of eyes are better than one.”
“Just hurry up. Wouldn’t wanna have to explain to Sam why you’ve made a return to your life of crime.”
Samantha couldn’t imagine how betrayed Erin must be feeling right now. Zach had been her only friend when she’d come back to town. He’d been helping her. He’d cared for her grandfather.
And possibly killed him.
She ignored her latest suspicion for now. They could worry about adding to Zach’s list of charges later.
Samantha crept toward the doorway. They were on the other side of the bed, but if she was fast, she could probably reach him before he realized she was there.
Her best guess was that he’d use Erin as a shield.
She couldn’t let that happen. This was too big a gamble.
Erin pointed at the wooden floor. “I’m going to reach down. Okay?”
When he looked where she was pointing, Erin gave a quick shake of her head in Samantha’s direction. Samantha could barely spot the subtle signal, but Erin clearly didn’t want her to make a move yet. She had a plan.
Samantha didn’t like her odds, but Erin taking the initiative and putting herself at risk made her equally nervous.
If she had to choose an option, Samantha would choose trusting in Erin.
