Page 124

Loathe it.

“You show up with me, with the money, but not alone? She dies.”

The wad in my throat begins to grow wider.

Harder.

“You show up a penny short? She dies.”

Twitching a glare can’t be stopped.

“You do anything other than exactly what I say and…?”

“She dies.”

“Exactly!” He jabs a joyous finger in my direction. “You get it.” The corner of his lips curl upward in a vile nature at the same time he extends the folded piece of paper in my direction. “Now, bring me the money.”

Chapter 22

Emaline

Am I in a real-life Cat in the Hat sequel that nobody bothered to fucking tell me about?!

How did I get here?!

One minute I’m just a run of the mill first grade teacher who may like glitter more than her students and the next I’m drugged, blindfolded, and handcuffed in the back of someone’s vehicle!

Wiggling my wrists around presents new information.

Okay, so not handcuffed.

But bound.

Bound is the important takeaway.

And kidnapped!

Someone fucking kidnapped me from my own home!

How?!

Why?!

I don’t know anything about anything!

That is unless they want a lesson on why the suppression of nontraditional communities in the average educational plan is a hinderance to determinantal critical thinking skills in the formative years.

But I doubt they do!

Post a long internal scream of frustration, sadness, and disbelief, I try to release a deep breath from my mouth only to discover it’s blocked.

Oh good.

I’ve also got tape over my mouth!

Panic shoots its way up my spine, yet a faint voice in the back of my mind whisper sings a familiar tune.

Hearing Gam Gam’s out of key singing of Patti LaBelle’s “New Attitude” momentarily shuts my eyes.