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“Does she have blue hair? And she goes to FCU, doesn’t she?”
“Yes, that’s her.” Ok, so the girl wasn’t exactly denying the possibility, there was that. "You with me yet?"
"Is this for real?" The girl's words came out in a slur as she stumbled a little. She shook her head a bit. "Damn it, the stupid old pig drugged me with something called sopalm-something. I’ve been in and out since, I think.”
Even her voice matched Pen spot on.
Sydney kept at the tape on the girl's left hand until she could free her wrists. "I am afraid it is real. And we need to get out of here.”
"Are you another one of the inmates?" She rubbed her eyes with her free hand. A hand that shook. For some reason, maybe it was the pink FCU shirt and not Pen’s habitual darker colored ones, she just seemed so much younger than her twin. Every protective instinct Sydney had flared. This girl…was just a damned kid. And so was Pen.
There were multiple men roaming around this place. The hallway—probably wasn’t the smartest exit. Especially now.
This room was empty of everything but heavy furniture. And the windows…were high. Higher than normal, like whoever had built the place hadn’t wanted people to get out of them, but wanted the light let in.
Going back out into the hall with this girl, where those assholes could be, wasn’t an option she wanted to think about yet. She had to get her outside.
The scent of smoke was unmistakable.
The other girl was still sluggish and groggy. Getting herself out might be problematic. And would she be strong enough to help Sydney out, too? Sydney weighed a good thirty pounds more than this girl.
"I should be able to. I've done gymnastics since I was four. And we need to hurry. He's coming back. The redheaded man with the blue eyes.” And there was wild terror in her voice when she mentionedhim.Sydney understood that—she’d never forget him either.“He said he would come back for me. To take care of me.”
That could have so many different connotations. Sydney understood the terror.
"How long have you been here?"
"Depends on what day and time it is now."
"Probably around seven or eight or so." Sydney told her the date. The girl's eyes narrowed.
"I've been here since around ten-thirty today then. My mom and my sisters are probably freaking out by now. I am home every night by four.”
That meant they might be looking for this girl now, too.
"We'll get you back to them, I promise." Now that the girl was more animated, Sydney could see subtle differences, but that was it. Rather like were there between her brother-in-law Rafe and his own identical twin Caine. "And my family might be tracking me already."
She'd bet good money on that, anyway. She reached down. Felt for the bracelet. It was there. Thank God that bracelet was there. She pushed it, right where she was supposed to. Again.
It would send an immediate signal for help.
If they weren't already tracking her—help could already be on the way. They just had to hold on long enough for that help to get there.
Sydney checked out the window quickly. "There is a four foot drop from the window to the first-story porch’s roof below. I don’t know how you’ll get down from there. But it’s about our only option.”
“I’ll find a way down.” There was a resolve in the girl’s words that told Sydney one thing—she was just as stubborn and determined as every other Daviess Sydney had ever met.
Strength. Apparently, it was in the DNA. Mostly—Slater was still a weak asshole, though. That man didn’t hold a candle to the integrity and character she saw in his little sister’s eyes right now.
“If I don't get out behind you, just keep heading northwest. It'll eventually lead you into Value. The men who took me were complaining about the Value sheriff driving by, so we may be close. If we get separated, get to Value. Go to the sheriff's office there. If you can't get to the sheriff's office, you go to the hospital there. You ask for Caine. Just say Caine and you need his help. Immediately.OnlyCaine’s help. Throw fits, if needed. Insist whoever is there calls Caine immediately.Youneed to get to Caine, no matter what. Tell them it's a family emergency involving his family. Tell him it’s Pen. Make sure that you get to Caine at Barratt County General Hospital. No matter what." Of course, Caine would do what he had to in order to protect this girl. With one look, Caine would understand.
He would fight heaven and hell to keep this girl safe, if he had to. To find the answers.
"When we both get out of this, I'm going to hug you, and then, I want to find a way to make this pig pay for what he did to me. To us."
"Sounds good to me. I need to get to Pen." Pen wouldn't admit it to anyone, but her anxiety got to her in good times—this was going to push Pen over the edge.
“I can help,” the girl said immediately.
