Page 69 of Keel

“So what story are we telling the police?” Frankie asked.

“That we found you, and Forest and Stone took off. We don’t know what happened to them.”

She nodded, her body shaking hard. “O-okay.”

“She’s going into shock,” Keel said as the ambulance pulled up the drive. No police were with them, which brought relief. He guessed the wreck on the highway would keep the cops busy for a while.

Stanley had moved both of their vehicles closer so they could get out of here once the ambulance took Frankie away.

Scott moved to Keel. “I called the hospital while we were driving out here and asked to talk to Sonja. I told her to tell me that she’d overheard Forest say he was taking Frankie to a cabin in the woods near Pineview. We got lucky and found the cabin. That’s how we knew where he took her.”

Keel turned to his buddy, amazed at how smart the guy was. “Damn, Scott, thank you for thinking of that.” Keel pulled Scott into a hug, slapping his back as one sheriff’s vehicle came into view. “Thank you.”

“Sure. So I’ll make sure everyone knows the story. If the cops ask, we have a good reason why we knew where they’d taken Frankie.”

Frankie grunted as the EMTs moved her to their stretcher. She reached out and took Keel’s hand. “Thank you for saving me. He was going to kill me.”

Keel squeezed her hand. “I’m so sorry you had to go through this.”

Tears filled her eyes. “Thank you. You rescuing me is a miracle. Thank you all.”

Keel was thankful that both Forest and Stone were gone. They wouldn’t ever come back to chase Frankie. She was safe.

The EMT thought Frankie needed to see a doctor, and the sheriff’s deputy let them leave, saying he’d be around for statements later.

He was thankful the deputy wasn’t paying that much attention to them. If the guy looked too hard, he would see their weapons and might start asking questions they didn’t need to answer.

Keel hopped into the back of the ambulance with Frankie, holding her hand all the way to the hospital. She was his to keep safe, and he would make sure nothing like this ever happened again.

Chapter 43

Frankie woke to the sound of beeping. She cracked open her eyes, seeing that she was in a hospital, and Keel was in the chair next to her, with his hand on hers. He seemed to be asleep, but as soon as she moved, he sat up, his eyes wide.

“You’re awake. The doctor said you did great in the surgery. They repaired the damage to your ankle, but you’re going to be sore for a bit.”

She squeezed his hand. “Your friends are amazing. You are amazing. Thank you for saving me.”

He leaned in closer, his gaze serious. “I’d rip the world apart for you.”

Laughter bubbled up, and she shook her head. “I don’t doubt that you would. Thank you. I was so afraid before you and your friends showed up.”

“Well, I don’t think you need to be afraid anymore.”

“Are they really gone?”

Keel nodded. “Yes. Forest shot Stone, then dashed out into the road. That truck couldn’t stop. The driver feels bad, but he did the world a service.”

Frankie blew out a pent-up breath. “Thank goodness he’s gone. I feel bad for the driver, though.”

“He’ll get over it eventually, especially once he learns that the guy had kidnapped you and planned to do terrible things.”

A shiver slid through her. She didn’t want to think too much about the terrible things Forest had planned for her. “I really thought I was going to die. It may be wrong, but I’m glad he’s gone.”

Keel brought her hand up to his lips. “It’s good that they are both gone. Forest made your life hell, and Stone was right there with him. I’m sorry he came back for you, but he will never do it again.”

She drew in a ragged breath, emotions riding high. Freedom felt good. For a long time, she thought she deserved punishment, but she was getting past that. She’d made a mistake when she was a teen, but it wasn’t her fault. There were too many things that came together that caused the fire. Her parents’ inability to escape had forever cursed her with self-loathing. She wasn’t a terrible person who deserved to be punished. She would learn from her mistakes and move forward.

Panic washed over her as she thought of her friend, and her gaze flew to Keel’s face. “Is Sonja okay?”