Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 23860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
Without thought, I lunge for it, and when she tries to pull it farther away, the box goes flying in the air. I’m already in motion, and before I can stop myself, my body collides with hers. We tumble onto the floor and I scream, trying in vain to break my hands free from the cloth tied around them. It burns my skin, but I don’t stop even as Mother tries to get up. I hit her with my shoulder, and she falls back down.
Our eyes lock, and for the first time ever I see fear. She’s actually scared of me.
“Gary!” my mother screams.
He comes rushing into the room at the same time I see all the jewelry scattered across the floor. When I spot my ring, I grab it, hiding it in my palm. Gary helps get my mom to her feet, and she backs away from me.
“You’ve gained weight,” she scolds, and I glance down at myself. I’m in Phillip’s shirt, and his scent is still on me.
I’m not sure what she expects me to say, so I don’t bother with a response. Right now, I’m feeling stronger than normal. Even with the trace of sedative in my blood, I’m not weak like before.
“You have a call,” Gary informs her.
“It can wait.” She scoops all the jewelry off the floor then tosses it back into the box.
My eyes burn at the sight of Phillip’s precious gifts thrown around like junk.
“I think you’re going to want to take this one.” Gary glances at me. “It’s the man we think she was staying with.”
A wicked expression crosses her face. “Yes, I think I will take that call.”
“Mom.” I get to my knees on the floor and hold my hands in front of me, begging her to stop. “He didn’t do anything. It was all my fault. Please leave him alone.”
“Since you won’t tell me what you’ve been up to, I’ll have to hear it from him.”
“No!” I scream, but she’s already heading for the door.
It takes me a second to get to my feet with my hands tied together, and by then the door is already closed. The sound of the padlock on the other side echoes in my empty heart.
Chapter Sixteen
PHILLIP
“I’ve been expecting your call.” The woman on the other end of the phone is cold and not at all who I pictured Audrey’s mother to be.
“Where is she?” I squeeze the steering wheel in my hand and try to remain calm. She’s on speakerphone, and being surrounded by her voice is unsettling.
“Careful with your tone or I’ll end this call,” she snaps. “I’ve been told you’re Phillip Howard. The man who stole my daughter from me.”
“I didn’t steal her,” I say through clenched teeth. “She was running away from you.”
“She would never do that to me.” She’s seething, and the quick change in her emotion makes me afraid for Audrey. Then to my shock, she lets out a little giggle, and I wonder if this woman is mentally stable. “She’s my baby. Audrey would never leave me.”
“I want proof you have her.” I’m not sure who the hell I’m dealing with, but clearly she’s not okay.
“No.”
“I was told you’d be willing to speak to me but you had demands. How do I know you even have Audrey?” My eyes cut over to David, who is in the passenger seat of the car, and he nods for me to keep her talking.
When we left, I headed in the direction of the estate where Audrey’s mother lives. Now he’s using his laptop to pinpoint her location on the estate. Meanwhile, the underground sources I talked to are already there and looking for a way for us to get in.
“I might be willing to provide certain access to my daughter in exchange for—”
“Name your price,” I snap, cutting her off.
David looks over and raises an eyebrow at me. He’s trying to silently tell me to calm down, and although I know he’s right, I’m having a hard time keeping my cool.
“I said be careful with your tone.” She sing-songs the words, and I swear I feel totally helpless.
“What do you want? I’ll do anything to get her back.”
“I said you could have certain access to her. Check your phone. I’ve shared a link.”
David grabs my phone from the console between us and clicks on the link. The video is grainy, but it shows Audrey sitting on a bed with her hands tied in front of her. She’s still wearing my shirt, but it appears she’s been tossed around because it’s dirty. The way she’s sitting with her shoulders slumped and her head hanging down, she looks like she’s emotionally beaten.
“Fuck,” I say through clenched teeth as Audrey’s mom continues to hum her little tune. “Please let me see her.”
“You are seeing her.” She sounds like she’s being totally honest and can’t understand my meaning. “Now I’ll leave this live link going so you can watch her as often as you like, but I’d like something in return. If you don’t agree to my terms, then I’ll delete the link and you’ll never see her again.”