Page 66 of Saltwater Promises
“I know who you are and that’s all that matters.”
What was that supposed to mean? Was this one of those crazy fans that the security guy warned her about? A jealous fellow artist?
No, it couldn’t be. That didn’t make any sense. Lynn was having a hard time thinking clearly.
“Please, I’m a nobody. I swear, I’m just a painter, and I – ”
“Yea, sure. Whatever. It doesn’t matter, sweetheart.” He paused. “Though I will admit, I didn’t expect you to be so pretty. You know, for your age.”
Lynn sat, stunned. Was this another nightmare? It felt like it, but no – this was real.
Was this happening because of Mike? But he said everything was going well, and she had stayed out of it like she promised that she would…
Her head ached and her neck was stiff from being slumped over. She reached up to rub her forehead. She still had some mobility, which was good. She had the odd thought that perhaps she could pull open the door and launch herself onto the road…
No, that wouldn’t work. There was no one else around and he’d just grab her again. She needed to focus.
The Mike connection made the most sense. Maybe Lenny had figured out Mike’s game and used his cell phone to send fake messages all this time, maybe even to track her down?
From what Mike had said about Lenny, though, he wasn’t the brightest. But someone could’ve helped him.
She groaned. “Oh, Lenny…”
The driver abruptly slammed on the brakes, swerving the car into the shoulder. “Whatdid you just say?”
She looked up at him, eyes wide. “I said…let me go.”
He stared at her, beads of sweat dancing on his forehead. “It sounded like you said something else.”
Oh dear. ThiswasLenny. Her head was swimming. And if he’d found her, that either meant that Mike wasn’t far behind… or that Mike was already gone.
Tears pooled in her eyes. Mike had finally gone too far. His confidence had gotten him killed. How could he think that he could take on the mob by himself?
Now what? They probably dumped him in the ocean. She’d never see him again.
The tears started spilling out, along with sobs. “Please,pleaselet me go.”
“Stop that,” he snapped as he pulled back onto the road. “Or I’ll put you in the trunk.”
It felt like all of the air was gone from the car. If Mike was gone, then there was no hope for her. This would be the end.
They drove on for what felt like forever, deeper into the forest. Lynn managed to stop crying, but she couldn’t stop running over the regrets in her mind.
Why hadn’t she told Mike to stop being stupid and give it all up? She should have told him, “Hey, you big idiot. I love you! Forget all of this, forget that it ever existed…”
But she hadn’t said anything. She had trusted him when she should have questioned him. She should have pushed against his crazy plan.
And now he was gone.
The car stopped and Lynn looked up to see that they’d arrived at a cabin.
“Oh no,” she whispered. She’d arrived at the proverbial second location.
Lenny shut off the car, got out from his seat, and opened the passenger door. “Let’s go. There’s no use screaming. No one’s going to hear you.”
He unbuckled her seat belt and roughly grabbed her arm, dragging her from the car. Lynn did as she was told, but Mike’s words echoed in her mind.
If this really was Lenny, then he was a coward, at least by Mike’s estimation. What was the chance that he would actually kill her? What was the chance that he was waiting for someone else to come and do it, and in the meantime, she could plot her escape?
