Page 42 of Desperate Temptations

Leona frowned and started to say something. Jessa gave a tiny shake of her head but kept the smile on her face. She wouldn’t have been able to live with Leona dying because of her. She cleared her throat and tried to sound calm.

“If I get any calls, tell them I’ll call them back this afternoon, okay?”

Aubrey immediately pulled her away and walked briskly down the long hallway toward the front door. She attempted to smile at the people who addressed her, but she never tried to stop, wanting to get Aubrey out of the building as quickly as possible before she hurt someone.

Outside, Aubrey pulled her around her car. She opened the driver’s-side door and pushed her into it.

“Stay there, or I’ll start shooting.” She didn’t wait for her reply, just slammed the door and walked around the front of the car, keeping her eyes on her. After getting in, she trained the gun on Jessa while her gaze darted around for any sign that someone would try to stop them.

“Start the car, I’ll tell you where to go.”

She turned the key, shaking so hard she banged her knuckles against the steering wheel, scraping her fingers. She put the car in gear as tears welled in her eyes and her breath caught in her throat.

“Why are you doing this, Aubrey?”

Aubrey looked around while keeping the gun pointed at her. She didn’t answer right away, and her silence unnerved Jessa as much as her hostility did.

Finally, in a voice filled with hate, “I need you out of our lives. Once and for all. You have destroyed my life,” Aubrey growled as an angry flush covered her cheeks. She paused, then laughed cheerfully. “Besides getting rid of you, I’m going to repay my husband’s debts. I’m going to use you as payment. For some reason, you’re what the man wants,” Aubrey scoffed.

The cluster of emotions Aubrey had run through in just that short amount of time terrified Jessa and reminded her of some drug-related cases she’d taken. Jessa took a quick look at Aubrey’s eyes. God, she almost looked like she was doing drugs. The emotions, the dark red tint to her skin, her paranoia, and physical twitches and movements leaned toward drug abuse.

She inhaled, hoping a deep breath would help calm her enough to allow her to think. Jessa bit her lip, looking around for anyone who could help her.

She’d always heard to keep them talking. Perhaps if Aubrey truly took a look at Jessa, she’d see a person and not just a means to an end.

“Who are you talking about?”

“Mr. Martinez, of course.” Aubrey laughed bitterly.

She felt bile climb her throat. She swallowed, hoping to keep it down.

“Aubrey, what do you have to do with that man? You know he’s the one who killed Drew, right?”

Aubrey tried to chuckle.

“He’s the other part of the problem Gary has, but that will be taken care of as soon as I get you there.” Her voice hardened against the uncertainty of her situation. “I’ll give you to him, which will pay off Gary’s debt to the bastard and get rid of you in the process. It’s ingenious, I think.”

Jessa tried to stay calm, even when a scream was tearing through her chest and vomiting was burning in the back of her throat.

“Aubrey, please don’t do this. Just tell me what I did to you and I’ll fix it.”

Aubrey looked nervously out the rearview mirror.

“Take a left up here.”

Jessa swallowed the sob that clawed at her throat.

“Please, Aubrey, you know he’ll kill me. Don’t do this. Please.”

She laughed humorously, and a look of disgust twisted her mouth into a sneer. “Not going to happen, bitch. You have caused me enough heartache.”

“What have I ever done to hurt you?”

She turned in her seat, allowing her to look directly at her.

“Gary fell in love with you soon after we all became friends. Did you know that?”

Jessa swallowed. She’d been gone a year and had never seen the way Gary felt.

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