Page 80 of Boneyard HEA

“You’re so fucking stubborn.” I’m not really whispering but I am too angry to do that anyway. “Maybe he knew the gun was empty because it weighed less than it should.”

“One bullet?” His mouth opens, and his focus flicks sideways, then he stares at the wall next to me for a second. “Maybe not that, but if he did a quick check for a bullet in the chamber? Kinda plausible. He does know weapons.”

“Ha. See.” Whatever that is.

“That doesn’t prove he knew but…” He exhales. “It does give me hope, and you were right. I needed that.”

I open my mouth to say something, and the other woman speaks.

“It was in Resident Evil. Someone stopped the gun firing.” She pushes into a sitting position and rubs her eyes, shoves back her hair, before grimacing at her other hand with the missing finger.

“Hi.” I give her a wave. Stupidest reaction ever, but what else can I do? I never know how to say I’m sorry or be empathic and not say something dumb. “What was?”

“They used a hand on the slide to jam the other guy’s gun. Hi, from me. My name’s Georgia.”

“I’m Juniper, and this is Aaron.” I draw a deep breath. “I’d come over and give you a very gentle hug, but, well…” I hold up the chain.

“Mmm. I know this sounds terrible, but I’m glad you’re here. Forgive me.” She clears her throat, then holds it with her hand, for a moment, as if it’s sore.

I’m not surprised. I’ve seen them half strangle her with hands and rope. Gods, this is tragic. I want to tell her we will be okay, but how can I lie like that? I don’t know if we will be.

“We understand.” Aaron hunches forward. “If you want to share, anything, we’re here for you, okay?”

She nods, though the tightness around her eyes shows her pain.

He drops to a whisper. “And I want to say that as far as I’m concerned, I’m getting us all out of here. They’re going to release me soon. I will be back. Same as the Terminator.” He offers a kind look from under his brow. “If I disappear, don’t despair.”

I am praying like hell any bugs cannot hear that because if they have, he has doomed himself. If they know this, they will never release him. Someone must get out of here.

“Sure,” she croaks. “I was on a bike ride, and they grabbed me and, umm, and I don’t know anything about either of you, but if I don’t get out, my last name is Carthan, and I want my parents to know what happened.” After rattling out those words, she brushes at her eyes as if tears have sprung up. “Please?”

“Sure,” I say softly, “but you’re not going to need that done. You’re coming with us.”

Aaron groans. “Don’t take this too badly, but I need to pee desperately. I might have to do it here.”

“Me too. Why did you have to remind me?”

“I wouldn’t,” Georgia murmurs. “They punish you if you mess up the floor.”

I look at her, and my anguish resurges, of where we are and all her hurts, and why we are here. My anger flares. The things she has suffered. The terrible things they have done. Someone must strike them down.

“What would John Wick do?” I ask.

“Probably drown them in a bucket of pee,” Aaron says.

We’re all laughing at that when we hear a sound and we go silent. A door creaked, somewhere in the house. I think a car door slammed earlier. They went somewhere again?

There’s a bang and then voices.

An inner door opens, and it’s the room next to this one.

The door to this room opens. “Time to play, girls and boys! Your daddies are here!”

Three men step through in single file.

Zasha and Shawn.

And the last man is Karsten Drummond. His gaze falls on Aaron then he slides it over and locks onto me. The small tilt of his mouth says he’s basking in the wrongness of this, that he’s looking forward to doing something to either me or the other woman.