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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
BOUND UP LIKE a fly in a spider’s web; that’s how Reed felt as he struggled against his bonds. Evan had been brutal and rapid with the rope that now held Reed captive. He’d tied it so tightly, Reed would lose circulation in his legs and arms sooner, rather than later. He wanted to yell in frustration, but the only sound he could make was a muffled grunt through the gag Evan shoved in his mouth. Fuck, he was such a dumbass. He’d let the guy sneak up behind them. He’d been so worried about Sierra, about what she was feeling, and how hollow and wretched he felt every time he looked at her, he hadn’t been concentrating.
And now, he was trussed up like a Christmas turkey. But what else could he have done? He couldn’t risk Sierra’s life. Or the little girl’s.
Sierra’s hunch had been dead right.
Evan had the girl.
And he needed to rescue her. How he was going to do that was unclear at the moment, but he would come up with a plan, somehow. He had to. Reed glanced over to the dark corner, where Jessica curled in on herself, watching him with wide eyes through long, dirty hair which fell over her face. He needed to get control of himself. He knew he was frightening her with his useless struggles to free himself. Was she okay? Had that monster hurt her? A red-hot rage roared through Reed at the thought. If that mongrel had hurt her, he would kill him. Plain and simple.
They were in one of the rooms in the cottage where the windows had been boarded up. A small bed took up one corner, with Jessica huddled on top. She’d been chained to the bed frame by her ankle—the fucking bastard—but the chain was long enough so she could walk around a little. A low table took up the center of the room, an empty plate and cup on top. At least it looked like he’d been feeding her. What was he planning to do with her? Reed’s skin crawled at all the possibilities. Most pedophiles panicked when they realized what they’d done and usually killed the child within the first few hours. To get rid of the evidence. Which meant Evan wasn’t most pedophiles. The girl hadn’t come near him, had stayed huddled in the corner, as far away from him as possible. Maybe she viewed him as just another form of nightmare monster in this skewed world she suddenly found herself in. If only he could get rid of the gag, he might be able to convince her he meant no harm. Reed let his gaze rake over the rest of the room, looking for anything that might help him escape. But apart from the bed and the table, the room was empty. And he was empty of ideas, too.
The sound of the back door opening stopped his struggles, as he strained to hear what was going on.
“Hurry up and get in there.” That was Evan’s voice. Then Reed heard a murmured reply and sagged with relief. That monster still had Sierra with him. Which meant she was still alive. After he’d hog-tied Reed and shoved him into the corner of the room, he’d prodded Sierra outside with the gun, saying they needed to move the fucking police car out of sight, before it attracted too much attention.
Sierra entered the room first, and Reed met her eyes. She was scared, he could see it in the pinch of her tight lips. But her back remained straight and shoulders up. She wasn’t letting this asshole intimidate her. Her hands were tied in front, but her legs were left free so she could walk.
“Hello, sweetheart. How are you doing, my love?”
What the…? Was Evan talking to Jessica? Yes, his gaze had left Sierra and was resting on the girl. Sierra, too, stared at Jessica, probably trying to discern if Evan had hurt her. It sickened Reed to hear him treating her like she was some kind of beloved pet. But it also told Reed that perhaps Evan meant to keep the girl alive. That he liked her. Jessica shrunk even farther back into the corner, becoming almost invisible in the dim light.
“Sit down over there,” Evan waved the gun at Sierra, and Reed flinched at his blasé use of the weapon. The man was a walking enigma. He looked like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. So plain, so boring, so blah. Like he wouldn’t have the gumption to abduct a child, much less hold a policeman captive at gunpoint. But wasn’t that often the way? They liked to blend in, to look harmless and innocent. Hide their seething immorality under a patina of righteousness. Sierra lowered herself down into the other corner a little awkwardly because of her bound hands, not even glancing in Reed’s direction, keeping her eyes lowered, as if she were cowed and beaten. But Reed knew better.
The pair had been gone over an hour, and Reed wondered whether Evan had said anything. Revealed anything about himself or what he planned to do with the girl. What had they been up to? Evan mentioned moving his police car. But where had he put it? And what had happened to Sierra’s car? Sooner rather than later, Reed’s presence would be missed. How did this man think he was going to hide a cop, as well as a grown woman and the child?
“You’ve posed quite a problem, the two of you. Thrown a wrench in the works, that’s for sure. How am I going to get rid of two bodies?” Evan mused, almost as if to himself. “We need to get off this goddamned island.”
Reed stiffened at his words, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sierra did the same. Fuck, so he was intending on killing them both. Not good.
“You won’t get away with this,” Sierra said in a low voice.
“Don’t be too sure about that, luv. After all, I’ve done it before. I’m getting pretty good at covering my tracks.” Evan gave Sierra a smarmy smile, more suited to a first-grade teacher than a murdering pedophile.
What was he talking about? What had he done before? Abducted a child? Or killed a cop? Reed heard her sharp intake of breath at his words.
“Besides, I know you won’t try anything, not with gorgeous little Jessica here.” Goosebumps ran down Reed’s spine at the way the guy nearly purred as he said the girl’s name. The fucking sicko. “I know you too well, Sierra, you won’t risk her life to save your own. You’ll stay here and try and protect her. Not so sure about Mr. Brave-and-Courageous Cop here, though. The jury’s still out on him.”
“Who the hell do you think you are? You don’t know me at all, you—” Sierra shot a look at the small girl, who made a whimpering sound and folded even deeper into the bed at the sound of Sierra yelling, and she stopped talking abruptly.
Evan had no such compunction about upsetting the girl, however, and he kept talking. “But that’s where you’re wrong. I do know you, Sierra. I’ve known you for a long time. Some might say I’m obsessed with you, but that would be inaccurate. I like to think I studied you, like a connoisseur might study a fine wine. I learned everything I could about you. I believe that like a fine wine, your personality has improved with age. You’re no longer the impetuous, star journalist who forged her news articles, regardless of anyone else’s feelings or of the consequences. Now, you’re more considerate, and, I have to say, withdrawn. Losing your daughter definitely changed you. For the better, I think.”
Realization hit Reed hard and fast. This guy was Sierra’s stalker. He snapped his gaze toward Sierra. She wasn’t moving, it was as if she were made of stone. Oh yes, she’d figured it out, as well.
* * *
This was the man who’d been sending her all those poisonous letters for so long? Who’d been haunting her life? Sierra squeezed her hands into fists by her side, wanting to smack that smug look off his face. But what did he have to do with abducting Jessica? Sierra was confused, and couldn’t make sense of all the information flooding into her brain.
Evan had been stalking her every move since she’d written that exposé. About the missing children. But why would he care about that? Unless…Unless he was involved, somehow.
“Holy fuck,” she whispered.
“I see you’re starting to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Finally. It’s taken you long enough. You’re not nearly as smart as you think you are.”
“Who…?What…?” Sierra couldn’t form coherent words. She could feel Reed’s tense presence to her left. He must be as shocked as she was.
“I changed my name when I left the police force a couple of years ago. Thought it might be better that way. I used to be called Damien Nicholson.” Evan said the words with glee, watching her face animatedly for a reaction. But he didn’t lower the gun that was still pointed directly at her.
