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“Tomorrow night. He got a job. His shift ends at nine.” I throw my panicked heart into it.My dad has a job. He’s coming back after work tomorrow. I’m telling the truth. Believe me.
“Then that’s when I’m coming to talk to him. Either he’ll hand me the money, or you will. If you don’t—”
“You’ll kill him?”
“Those kids in there are cute,” he mentions. “Are they your brother and sister?”
All the air evaporates from my lungs. They feel like flat balloons. “They’re kids. Leave them out of this.”
“How long do you think the boy would survive without that little redhead? Or do you think he’d lose his mind as soon as she was dead?”
“Don’t.”
“Think of it as motivation.” He shifts his weight, and I tense up again. “One of them could be worth fifty thousand dollars.”
“If youtouchthem—”
He cuts me off with a sharper hit to my head. Same spot as before. Then he turns me, and a fist goes into my gut. I fold to my knees and get my hand to the alcove wall.
The man is nothing but a shadow above me.
Look,every hopeful shred of me says.Look at his face so you can give a description.
But who would I give it to? I’m a criminal as much as he is.
Fingers dig into my hair, forcing my face into the corner of the alcove. Too late. Can’t look now.
“Nine o’clock tomorrow night. Have your daddy waiting with the money, or you and those kids can pay the debt.”
He pulls tighter, my scalp screaming, and lets go.
Quick steps move down the hall. There’s a metallic screech as he hits the push bar on the stairwell door.
My phone vibrates in my purse. If it’s Will, I can’t answer. He might come over here, and he’s already been beaten to a pulp this week.
Or he mightnotcome, and then I’ll be a brokenhearted fool who has twenty-nine hours to find another fifty thousand dollars.
I pull out my phone.
The screen readsMia & Ben Anderson.
I got them a prepaid phone a couple years ago in case of emergencies.
Just… please. No more emergencies right now. I need another moment to collect myself.
I give it one more ring. “Hello?”
“Are you almost home?” Mia’s worried and pretending not to be. “We’re okay, but I thought you were going to be here by now.”
There’s going to be a bruise on my face. I have to head it off before it scares them. I won’t let this touch them.
“You know what? I took a little tumble at the bus stop. I hit my head.” I give a laugh that sounds shaky and not very convincing. I hope my sister believes it.
“Youdid?”
“I’ll probably have a bruise, but I’m fine.” I get my feet under me. My gut aches when I stand up. My right shoe is sprawled on the hallway carpet. I flip it upright with my toes and step in. That ankle feels weak. Sore. I put on a smile. “You guys are probably starving. What can I make for dinner?”
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