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“What are you talking about?”
“The fire wasn’t that big at first. You know? I went to look for her, but it was like she didn’t want to be found.” He glanced in my direction, his grip on the steering wheel firm.
I thought about what he was saying. “Are you thinking she wanted to die?”
“I don’t know. If only I hadn’t started another fire.”
“Wait. Hold on. Phoenix started the fire.”
“No. His went out. After you guys fell asleep. I went to get more wood. It burned pretty hot but I thought it was under control. We were all drinking. I think I passed out.”
“You weren’t to blame. None of us were.”
“Are you so certain of that?” His gruff voice held an edge.
“I’m not certain of anything at this point except we all have different memories of what happened on that ridge. Maybe we were all to blame. Careless. Stupid. She shouldn’t have been there.”
“You’re right.”
Another awkward silence settled in. “I knew she had a lot of issues she didn’t want to talk about.” How many times had I caught her trying to cut herself? How many times had I tossed the blade, trying to reason with her as she was screaming at me to leave her alone? Karma was a psycho bitch, putting Chasity through the very same experience but not of her own accord.
“To any of us. I tried more than once, but she would get this faraway look in her eyes. She did tell me she wanted to spend whatever time she had left on this earth doing exactly what she wanted.”
“She told me the same thing. We all did what we could to save her.”
“Then you need to stop putting so much blame on yourself for what happened to Chasity.”
“Two entirely different scenarios.”
“Are they?” he asked.
I wanted to disagree again, but maybe he was right. I was trying to right the wrongs from my past. What if I’d put her in even more danger? “What if this freak found out what happened and is using that for some twisted reason?”
“Why?”
“Because he thinks I’m just like him. Deranged.”
Maverick chuckled. “That’s a stretch. But if you think he’s targeting you as well then where would he take her?”
I closed my eyes, racking my brain. Then it suddenly hit me. Rollington had every intention of making this so personal that I cracked even more. There was one sure-fire way to do that. Have her taken to a place I owned. The mountain cabin. “Turn around.”
“What?”
“You heard me. Fucking turn around. I knew where he took her.”
“You’re shitting me.” Maverick slowed, able to find a driveway a few hundred yards later. “Now where?”
“The lower section of Sapphire Ridge.”
“There’s nothing there.”
“Yes, there is.” I yanked out my phone, realizing there was almost no reception. If I was wrong, we’d waste valuable time. All I could do was pray. When Gage’s voicemail came on, there was no other choice but to leave a message. “Gage. I know where he’s taken her. Have a team meet us there.”
* * *
Chasity
Darkness.
