Page 84 of Keeping Kara

“Shut the fuck up, bitch!”

This was Asher? Jen’s new man, the one she’d been so happy about?

No wonder none of them had met him. He’d been lying low. Purposely not meeting any of Jen’s friends. Kara’s heart hurt for the sweet woman. She knew firsthand how charming and manipulative Nolan could be. And the knowledge that he’d probably been spying on her the entire time he was pretending to be into Jen chilled her to the bone.

Silence filled the car as Jen continued to follow Nolan’s directions. Well, silence other than the wheezing from Kara as she continued to try to breathe. Her ex had tied the rope around the headrest, making it impossible for her to move. She was completely at the mercy of the psychopath who’d hurt her so much already.

But something happened as Jen struggled to stop crying and continued to drive—Kara’s anger grew with each passing minute.

She hadn’t done anything wrong. Not a damn thing to deserve this! She’d broken up with Nolan, but she wasn’t a bitch about it. Not that rejection was really the point. He was a complete psychopath who was always going to betray her trust.

No. She didn’t deserve this, and neither did Jen. And the pain Nolan was causing not only to both of them, but to Arrow and their friends, was unacceptable. The pain he’d caused to all his victims and their loved ones made her fury hard to contain.

Kara made a mental vow to stay strong and vigilant, to outsmart her kidnapper. To stay alive until Arrow could find her. And she had no doubt that he’d do everything in his power to do just that. He was her hero, he had resources that Nolan couldn’t hope to outsmart.

He’d find her and kill Nolan.

And Kara wouldn’t blink.

“Here, pull in there. Now!”

Jen yanked the wheel to the right onto a dirt path that led into the trees lining the side of the road they’d been on.

This didn’t bode well for either one of them, but again, Kara was fairly certain Nolan wouldn’t kill her right away. He’d want to gloat and boast about how he’d found her. Then he’d want to hurt her, make her pay for rejecting him. His ego wouldn’t let him kill her quickly and be done with it.

But Jen?

It was her friend Kara was worried about at the moment.

The PT Cruiser bumped along the rough path and came to a stop at the edge of what looked like a swamp. Kara had no idea where they were, but panic was making it even harder to breathe.

“No,” she tried to say, but the word was nothing but an exhale of air.

Nolan grabbed Jen by the hair and yanked as he got out of the car, but the wig she was wearing came off in his hand instead.

“Fucking freak, get out of the car!” he yelled.

Jen shrieked and fell to her knees when he grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the driver’s seat. Nolan jerked her up and force-marched her to the front of the vehicle.

Then he proceeded to beat the hell out of her.

Kara stared in shock at Nolan. It became abundantly clear how Jen had no idea that the guy she was seeing was actually the same guy who’d abducted, assaulted, and planned to kill Kara. His hair looked weird, was a different color, he had on glasses, and he’d grown facial hair. He’d completely disguised himself, made himself look completely different so he wouldn’t look like the pictures the cops had of him and how Kara herself would describe him. She wouldn’t have recognized him if she passed him on the street.

Jen did her best to block his blows and get in some of her own, but in the end, she was no match for his size and strength. And all Kara could do was watch and sob as Jen was beaten to within an inch of her life.

Then Nolan started to kick her—at least, that’s what Kara assumed by his motions, as she couldn’t see Jen after she fell to the ground.

She did see, however, when Nolan leaned down and picked up Jen’s limp body, carried her friend to the water, and threw her in.

She landed on her back with a large splash.

Kara’s tears fell harder when she saw Jen floating in the grimy, stagnant water. Not moving.

Nolan stalked back to the car with an evil grin on his face. Out of the corner of her eye, Kara saw him stop, lean over on the driver’s side, then walk back toward Jen. He threw the wig she’d been wearing, laughing out loud when it landed with a splat next to her in the water.

As Nolan returned once more, Kara’s gaze was glued to her friend, to the wig she’d always said was her favorite. It slowly sank into the murky waters, as surely as Jen would before long.

“Fucking ugly bitch,” Nolan muttered, as he got into the car and shoved the seat back. Then he looked over at Kara. “Ready for some fun, honey?”