Which gives me an idea. Transferring the knife to my left hand, I lift the phone I still have clutched in my right hand and bring it closer to my face so the two men can’t glance at the screen. One-handed, I pretend to type out a message. Then I click off the screen and put my phone in the bag.
“I just texted my boyfriend to let him know I’m stuck out here,” I lie. “I don’t want him to worry about me.”
A deep growl reverberates through the cabin. It takes me a moment to realize the sound is coming from Troy. It’s inhuman. The kind you’d expect from a full-grown bear—or a wolf.
“Troy,” Carter snaps. “Stop it. Right now.”
I stare at Troy with wide eyes and clutch the little pocketknife tighter. What the fuck is going on here?
The man on my left stops growling. He glances at me from the corner of his eye, and even in the dim light in the cabin, I can see his slightly sheepish expression.
“Sorry,” he rumbles.
“Um,” I say. “That’s fine.”
Carter drags a palm over his face. “For fuck’s sake.”
The truck rolls down the road, but neither of them explains what happened. I could still call the police, I guess. I have the phone right there in my hand and Ishouldcall them. It would be the smart thing to do. But something stays my fingers, a deep sense of contentment that comes from sitting between them.
It must be the body heat radiating from them. That, or I’m officially going nuts.
“This is our turn,” Carter says quietly.
Soon, Troy takes a left from the main road and into the trees.
We haven’t met any other cars on the road, so the good people of this county must have taken the emergency broadcast to heart. The hosts on the radio station, turned low, keep repeating the same thing between playing crooning old love songs. This storm will last all weekend, so everyone should hunker down wherever they are and wait it out. The roads might be unsafe for a day or so, especially in more remote parts of the county.
“Stay inside during the holidays, folks,” the speaker urges. “And if you forgot to buy your significant other a present, you’re fresh out of luck. Expect deliveries and all services to be suspended until this storm blows over.” He chuckles. “Silverlining, though—we’ll finally have a white Christmas, the first one in three years.”
My heart stutters at the realization that I might be trapped with these guys for more than just tonight. Christmas is the day after tomorrow, a family holiday. What will happen when they realize I have no one waiting for me at home? They might become suspicious if no one calls to check up on me.
“So,” Troy says as he drives through what could best be described as a winter wonderland. “You have a boyfriend.”
“Troy,” Carter snaps from my right. “Drop it.”
I clear my throat. “No, that’s fine. Yeah, I do. Have one. A-a boyfriend, that is.”
I stutter over the words, then force myself to shut up. The less detail I give them about this fictional man, the smaller the chance of me screwing up with a silly lie. I’m a terrible liar. My mother used to say I was too honest for my own good. I never believed her—why would that be a fault?—but I must admit she might have had a point. A hot blush creeps up my neck and to my cheeks, and I’m grateful that the darkness hides me from the strangers’ inquiring gazes.
That is, until Troy leans in slightly and takes a deep inhale through his nose. He huffs out a soft laugh, and when he straightens again, his lips quirk up in a smile.
“What are you doing?” I ask, turning the blade of my pocketknife toward him. “This is the second time you’ve sniffed me.”
“Just checking something,” he says, smugness radiating off him.
“What, my body odor?” I bark. Annoyance rises in me, though it’s still tempered by that weird sense of safety. My body’s reactions are giving me whiplash. I couldn’t get rescued-slash-kidnapped by normal people? Not only are they freakishlystrong, fast, and handsome—they also sniff people. I have no idea what to make of them.
Carter leans forward and glares at Troy, who doesn’t reply to me, but he also doesn’t stop grinning for some reason. The truck trundles onward, and I can’t help but admire the deep forest surrounding us. If I wasn’t in imminent danger of becoming a cautionary tale for young women everywhere, I’d be enjoying this ride immensely. Especially since these two presumably have an actual home at the end of this scenic road.
I mean, I hope they do. I hope they’re not taking me to their murder shack, far away from civilization.
Christ, I need a drink. Or a slap to the face, maybe, to snap out of this weirdness. I need to finally find the courage to stab Troy in the kidney and shove him out of the car, then do the same for Carter. I could commandeer itandtheir house and wait out the storm on my own. Turn the tables on them before they can hurt me.
A hysterical giggle escapes me, and the men both turn to me, eyebrows raised. I stifle the next giggle with the back of my hand, still clutching my phone.
“Sorry,” I gasp.
Yeah. The image of me becoming a highway robber is too ludicrous even for me.
