Page 75 of The Bodyguard
My problem was how the hell would I know which direction he would take her?
“Did you find her?”
I whirled around. It was Clayton.
“He’s got her. He would have taken off on the access road, but what direction?”
“North,” Clayton said. “That access road leads by my old home. Then it reconnects with Route 10 at a crossroads. If he was trying to get to the highway to get out of town, that’s the direction he would go.”
I didn’t hesitate. I made my way back through the house. Bea and Ronnie were both chasing me, asking me for answers, but I didn’t have any time to waste. “I’ll bring her back, I promise,” I shouted over my shoulder.
Then I was out front and heading to my truck. I might have frightened the guy directing the parking because I put the truck in Drive and veered off around the property, bouncing among the ruts and rocks until finally I hit the access road.
I was driving so fast I might have missed it, but my headlights lit up a sparkling shoe lying the middle of the road. I didn’t stop to pick it up, but at least now I knew I was headed in the right direction.
“Hold on, Brin. I’m coming.”
* * *
SABRINA
I was woozy, but even as I woke up I knew I was in trouble. I couldn’t see anything but I could hear the engine and feel the movement of the car. Trunk. I was in the trunk. Okay, that made sense. He would want me contained and out of sight. I had this hysterical thought—was that anyway to treat someone who had been prom queen?
Danny. I’d seen him at the party. He told me he was filling in for the drummer. Asked if I remembered him from high school. He handed me a glass of champagne and said I looked as if I needed it.
Which had probably been true, as the last thing I had been in the mood for was the party I’d planned. Summoning the strength and energy to smile all night just hadn’t been something I was up for. My goal was to do the rounds and then make an early exit. It was Ronnie and Clayton’s party, after all.
And they were so happy. So obviously in love. That, too, had been painful to watch, which made me an awful person, knowing how long it had taken both of them to get to that place.
I moved around in the trunk, realizing he’d probably spiked the champagne. I had only taken a few sips, but my head felt like it was filled with cotton balls.
Think, Brin. Clear your head and think. You’re in the trunk of car being taken to some place by Danny.
Danny, who had written all those horrible emails. Danny, who had killed that cat. Danny, who had been in Dallas. This whole time it had been him.
He’d said he loved me. I remembered that. Right before I got so dizzy. But this wasn’t love; this was a sickness.
I figured I had two choices. I could wait it out. See where he took me. Eventually he would have to stop for gas. Maybe if I continued to act like I was passed out I could take him by surprise.
Or I could get the hell away from him now. Eventually someone was going to realize I was missing. When that happened they would call Garrett.
God, just thinking his name hurt. But he would have to know what had happened. That if I was missing it was because I had finally been caught by my stalker. Or he would think I had run off as part of another stunt. That I was back in Hollywood, living it up.
I groaned. No one was coming to save me. I needed to do this myself. I could feel a draft on my feet. My one foot was actually bare. And I could see a patch of rust where there was a hole in the trunk. I could do that. Push my foot or hand out through that hole so anybody driving by would know someone was trapped in the trunk.
But I had no idea where we were. And it’s not like this was Dallas. Out here you could drive for hours without seeing another car.
Think, Sabrina! Think.
What about the trunk latch? If the car was so old there was actually a hole, maybe it would be easy to pop. If the trunk was open Danny would have to stop the car. Then, at least, I would have a chance to run from him.
I was fast. But without shoes? I didn’t know.
But maybe once I escaped he would freak out and just leave me. Or, if we were somewhere with other cars around, I could flag one down for help. Deciding it was my best option, I reached out, feeling the felt material of the trunk. I twisted around and kept searching until…there. That was the latch. With the only light coming from the hole in the trunk I couldn’t really see what I was doing so just played with it with my fingers. Seeing if I could find some trigger or something that would open it.
There was a flat piece of metal tucked behind another. If I could just turn that. I could feel it give under my fingers and…POP.
The trunk flew open, and just as expected, Danny had to come to a stop. As soon as the car slowed I didn’t hesitate. I hopped out of the trunk, took off my other shoe and started running as fast as I could.
