Page 175 of Running to You

But this room was lit by lanterns. Kerosene lanterns.

Jed held out his arm and did a come on gesture toward the wall.

Nicole started forward.

“Not you, Nicole. You fulfilled your purpose. Lola.”

While Nicole blinked in shock and hurt, the older woman approached. She looked afraid, but she didn’t have it in her to fight him. Never had.

When she reached his side, Jed said, “I’m so proud of all of you. You’ve all done exactly what you were meant to do. We’re going to get through this together.”

So often, Eliza had witnessed rapturous looks on Jed’s followers’ faces. Not now. They looked wary and afraid.

Jed was going to get through this. Lola, and Eliza, too, but only because she was the key to him getting his money.

He wasn’t leaving the rest to be rescued.

Did they see it, how he hadn’t left the doorway, hadn't joined them in the room? How he’d called the one person he really cared about to his side? She tried to warn them with her eyes, flicking her gaze to the lanterns, but the women wouldn’t look at her.

Jed whispered to Lola. “In the hallway.”

She squeezed past Eliza, who dared not move, not with the gun still jabbed in her side.

“Be right back.” Jed backed into the hallway, bringing Eliza with him. He snapped his fingers. When the guards at the door turned—Gil and Elliot, of course, his two most trusted thugs—he pointed to the room. “Inside.” His voice was a whisper.

Elliot moved immediately.

Gil kept his post, shaking his head.

“Now.” Jed’s word was still a whisper, but there was power behind it.

With one last look at the door—Grant and Jon and the rest of the men must be on the other side—Gil approached.

“After you,” Jed said.

Eliza saw the indecision on the man’s face. But he did as he was told.

As soon as Gil cleared the door, Jed swung it closed. Checked to make sure it was locked—it was.

And then, he fished something from his pocket, leaned down.

Flicked a lighter.

No! She tried to stop him, to pull him away from whatever he was about to ignite.

Jed reared back and elbowed her in the head. Pain exploded.

Jed leaned down, then stood up.

He threw Eliza over his shoulder and ran.

Eliza’s head bounced against his back, her bound hands dangling uselessly.

A loud pop sounded just as they reached the end of the corridor. Jed had removed the boards blocking the back door and now pushed through to the cool mountain air.

Screams followed them outside.

All those women. All those children.