Page 106 of All You Want
“She’s not cooperating,” Justin says as several strong hands grab me and heft me into the back of a van.
“She doesn’t have to,” a gruff man says. “You’re the idiot who thinks she’s your friend.”
The sliding door closes, and Justin’s co-conspirators get into the front seat, leaving me and Justin alone in the back.
I give him my best imploring look, opening my blue eyes wide and saying, “You have to help me. You are my friend, Justin. We always got along, and I was nice to you.”
“Quiet.” He puts his finger on his lips. “I’m not going to hurt you, but it’s because of you I lost all those years with Mooma.”
“What lost years? I didn’t do anything to Mooma. It was an accident.”
“You’ll see, sweetheart. Be a good girl and make it up to me.” He pulls my head and shoulders into his lap and positions me so I’m looking up at him. He strokes my hair and untangles some of the knots, then runs his fingers over the contours of my face.
His expression is both worried and stupidly love-stricken. I can’t believe I never suspected him.
“I’ve finally got you where I want you,” he murmurs with a tender voice. “You’re going to like where we’re taking you. We’re going to be so happy together, but first, you have to pay for what you did.”
I quirk my eyebrow. “What did I do?”
“You made a mistake, Tami Tutu, but I can forgive you if you promise to marry me.” His grubby fingers caress the shell of my ear.
Gross.
I shake my head vehemently. How can he be so crazy to think I’d want to marry him?
Immediately, his eyes narrow, and his face scrunches into a frown. “You will learn to obey your master.”
I swallow without moving my mouth. He’s more deranged than I thought. It’s true that he was left with foster families, but he always behaved and didn’t get in trouble. I’m sure he grieved for his mother, but he never mentioned her and seemed to adjust to life without her.
If anything, he became more sociable after graduating high school as valedictorian. His classmates voted him most likely to succeed, although no one looked down at him when he remained in town. He fixed computers and built websites, printed pamphlets and did some accounting work during tax time.
“Don’t look so frightened,” he says in his honeyed-crooning voice. “I’m going to treat you real good once you’re my wife. But first, your dad has to pay the dowry. Now, you rest up well and be ready for our wedding.”
Yikes. Seriously freaky. I know Todd is looking for me, so my first job is to stay alive. At least he’s not going to kill me. I’ll have to catch him unaware, so I’ll obey him and act compliant.
Closing my eyes, I pretend to snuggle in his arms and get comfortable. Believe me, it’s an almost impossible task taking breaths inside the van. Justin and the other two brutes emit bowel breath on a regular basis. What did they chow down on? The Buzzard Bean Carrion Chili at Sixty Miners? I try holding my breath, but that doesn’t last long, and I sound like I’m snoring while huffing and puffing through my mouth in a desperate bid to save my olfactory glands.
“That’s right, you go to sleep,” Justin croons. “We’ll be home soon. Rest well, sweet Tami Tutu.”
His cracked lips graze over my forehead, and I turn my face toward his chest so he can’t kiss me easily. Too bad his cologne isn’t strong enough to cover up the clouds of putrid gut gas leaking from the men’s unholy orifices.
The van rocks steadily, sometimes grinding gears and other times struggling to traverse the unkempt logging trail.
Wherever we’re going, I know Todd will find us. He’ll never give up, not because he claims he loves me, but because he’s a relentless lawman bent on doing right and protecting his town.
After some miles of rough road, the van crawls up the bank of rocks and makes a turn. I can hear sounds of traffic, and the road noise smooths out.
This isn’t good, because we’re speeding away from Todd.
“Where are we going?” I mumble through my teeth. Hey, any filter, no matter how gappy, is preferable to a full-on assault of eau de sewage.
“What did you say, sweetheart?” Justin flips the hair from my eyes. “You’ll like it there. We’ll have tea parties every day, and you’ll love the piano we got for you. Everything will be old-fashioned and pretty, and it’ll be our home, sweet home.”
“Could you tell me exactly where this sweet home of ours will be?” I smile as innocently as I can.
“Oh, don’t you be worrying your pretty head. As long as your daddy pays up, we’ll all be one big, happy family. Mark my words.”
He leans down, lips puckered, and it’s all I can do to keep from barfing. “Now, now, Justin, dear, don’t you know it’s bad luck to kiss the bride before the wedding?”
