“And don’t give her a hard time about it. The last thing she needs is you girls being bitchy.”
“Fine,” Lilah says, her eyes wide with annoyance. “Are you done?”
The three turn and flounce off, heading back into the house. Justin already has out his phone and is presumably dialing Summer. He holds the phone to his ear but curses when no one picks up.
“She may be asleep,” Pete offers.
“Let’s head back, just to be sure.”
“Does anyone have Shay’s number?” Pete asks.
“I do,” I say. “She gave it to me when I was helping with the interview.”
“She got some postcards, too. We probably need to check on her.”
I hop in the front seat of the Jeep and dial Shay’s number. The phone rings and rings, sending me straight to voicemail.An uneasy feeling builds in my chest, a fear like I’ve never experienced before. One I never want to feel again.
51
Summer
“You,”I say when I see Avery standing across from me. “You left the flowers and the notes.”
“Did you really not know?” His eyebrows raise. “I thought you were a better investigative reporter than that.”
“I’m not a reporter. I’m just a student. A girl.”
“Oh, I know exactly who you are Summer Barnes. Unfortunately, you have no idea who I really am and neither does anyone else.”
He doesn’t speak again when he corners me in the small camper, he just lunges and even though I fight back, he’s bigger than I am and has the upper hand.
“What do you want?” I ask him.
“Justice,” is his only reply and his clamps his hand over my mouth and twists my hands behind my back. He’s prepared, shoving a gag between my teeth and a blindfold over my eyes. “Keep quiet and I’ll leave your mama and that little girl up in the house alone.”
My mother is just over at Anita’s near the entrance of the property. He heard her announce she and Richard would take care of Sibley. The last thing I want is for him to get near them, so I cooperate, thinking once I’m outside I’ll make a break for it.
On the gravel path I make my move, kicking him in the shin and yanking off the blindfold while I run.
“Fuck,” he mutters, racing after me. I dart between campers, unable to call out. As much as I want to bang into the trailers and wake someone, I know it’s foolish. Everyone that lives here is old. If Avery wants to hurt me, I can’t imagine what he’d do to them.
I see a break in the campers and run toward the dock and the water. I don’t even know where I’m going—I’m just looking to pull him away from Anita’s house and my mother—away from this monster and whatever he has planned. In a moment of panic, I squeeze between the railings and jump down to the sand below, hiding under the boardwalk. His footsteps echo overhead.
“You think I’m kidding, Summer Barnes? That I’ll leave your mother and that baby up there? You think I’m not taking a sacrifice from your family tree?”
His footsteps still, although I can hear his heavy breathing. The water laps on the shore and I crouch, clinging to a post. I think maybe he’s gone and I reach in my dress pocket. It’s why I bought this specific dress. I still have my phone. I’m scared he’ll see the light. Scared he’ll hear me call for help.
I press the button to turn it on. The light shines, muted through the thin, cotton fabric. Blindly, I press what I hope is the phone app. I’m focused, too focused, because I don’t realize the soft thud in the sand is Avery behind me. Not until it’s too late.
“Gotcha,” he says, grabbing my arms. The jerking motion forces my phone to tumble into the soft, wet sand. “Your mother got away once, Summer. It won’t be the same for you.”
This time he binds my hands with a plastic cord. Then he pulls off the grungy black hat he’s always wearing and eases it over my head, tugging it past my eyes. I gasp when he cinches the cord again, tight, cutting into my wrists. He pushes me forward and we move away from the water’s edge. I don’t have any idea where to expect we’re going but he doesn’t take me far. I can still faintly hear the waterway but the scent is thick with brine. We stop abruptly, his motions harsh and jerky, and I hear the familiar sound of rusted, stretching, coil springs. I’m pushed up two stairs, tripping over the last, and his grip is the only thing that keeps me from falling. Inside, the coils snap back with a sharp groan and the door slams. Although he stopped me from crashing moments ago, Avery’s strong hand pushes me to the floor and I land with an awkward thud, not against a hard surface, but something soft. Something that reacts with a muffled cry.
Fear trembles through me as I realize I’m not the only one Avery’s taken.
I scramble to my side and feel nauseous when he touches my body, shifting me into a sitting position. My arm rests against the other person. The room is pitch black with the beanie over my eyes, but as soon as my back is against a solid surface he yanks it off. I blink, acclimating. We’re in a camper, I knew that, but the windows are covered, although faint morning light filters through the edges. I glance next to me and see Shay’s tear-stained face along with her dirty, torn shirt and bare feet.
Oh god.
