Page 148 of Renard's Deliverance

Another whimper.

That person sounded like they were in pain. She attempted to sit up and that was when she realized that her hands were tied in front of her.

With rope.

Had she started a scene with Renard?

But that made no sense. This rope was coarse and tied so tightly that her hands were starting to grow numb.

Renard wouldn’t do that to her. And he wouldn’t leave her on her own.

Fear filled her, making her stomach roll.

Shit.

What was happening?

She managed to sit and she shuffled closer to where the noise was coming from. As she grew closer to the whimpering sound, she froze.

The Grackle.

Mrs. Gingers lay on her side, staring up at her pleadingly. With duct tape on her mouth.

That’s when it came back to her.

Barney calling her over. Her rushing into the house.

The basement.

Mrs. Gingers lying on the floor.

A pinprick.

Then nothing.

Barney. That fucking asshole. He’d totally fooled her. She’d thought him some bumbling, slightly pathetic, sad guy. Who she’d felt sorry for.

And the fucker had kidnapped her? And his aunt?

“Oh, I don’t think so,” she grumbled. “Where is that motherfucker?”

Ignoring her fear and nausea, which she guessed was from whatever he’d used to knock her out, she shuffled over to the Grackle.

Then she took no pleasure in ripping off the duct tape from her mouth.

All right. So she took a small amount of pleasure.

Hey, she’d never claimed to be a saint.

“B-barney . . . he . . . he . . . I’m gonna kill him!” the Grackle yelled.

“Be quiet,” Opal warned frantically.

But it was too late. He obviously hadn’t been far away since the door opened soon after the Grackle yelled.

“You took off the duct tape,” he accused, stepping into the room with another lamp like the one that was on.

Battery-operated. Was there power here? Maybe not.

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