Page 84 of Jonny’s Redemption

Right?

Micky had to be okay.

“Where’s McKenna?”

“How should I know?”

“Breaking this down, you took me because you’re pissed Jonny hasn’t stopped looking into Anderson; something you warned Jonny you’d do. You also said that you’d hurt Candy and McKenna.”

“I never said that.” Dick slammed his fist onto the steering wheel. “I didn’t want anything to do with this shit. It was over, goddammit. Totally over. I fucking told Jonny to leave it. He didn’t fuckin’ listen. No one ever listens to me.”

Dick turned down a dirt road and my body pitched as the truck skidded on the gravel.

Why wasn’t he stopping to gag me?

I needed him to stop.

“Where are we going?”

“Jesus Christ, I have no idea how Jonny puts up with your mouth. I told you to shut up.”

“Screw off, asshole.”

Dick slammed on his brakes, my neck snapped forward, and without my hands to brace myself my head slammed into the dash.

Stars exploded behind my eyelids.

“A different kind of man would’ve taken his hand to you,” Dick rumbled.

I didn’t know what that meant. I also wasn’t going to ask. Partly because my brain was rattled but mostly because for the first time since Dick had taken me I was terrified. Not angry, not scared, not worried about Jonny, utterly to my bones terrified Dick was going to hurt me.

It was time for a new plan, one which kept me alive long enough for Jonny to find me.

“You make sure Jonny knows I didn’t want any part of this. None of it.”

Did that mean I’d be alive at the end of this?

I didn’t ask that either.

The truck started moving and a wave of nausea hit.

“You should call Jonny and tell him yourself,” I whispered.

“Do you think I’m stupid?” Dick snickered and I prayed that was a rhetorical question because I was not going to answer. “I’ve heard all about what McKenna Swagger can do. I know she can trace the burner phone if I call one of them.”

Well, fuck me running. Didn’t that just suck big ol’ monkey balls?

“You know—”

“Yeah, Bobby, I do know,” he spat. “I know I’m totally fucked. I know Clifford went off the rails and killed Baker. I know he’s itching to get his hands on you and Candy and I know my only chance at coming out of this alive is to get you safe. Sucks for Candy Bull, I reckon right now the hours she has left breathing are limited. But she’s not my problem right now.”

Baker? Sheriff Baker was dead? Candy’s hours were limited? I couldn’t think about what the last part of that statement meant. I couldn’t even find it in me to be sad that a man was dead. I was stuck on the part where Dick had said he had to get me safe.

“You coulda called Jonny. He would’ve have come for me.”

An ugly, cruel smile quirked Dick’s lips.

“And deprive myself of the knowledge he’s freaking the fuck out right about now? I said I wanted to come out of this alive, I never said I wasn’t up for a little fun. Besides, with him and his friends busy looking for you, they won’t be looking for Jarrod.”