Scrabbling for my phone in the passenger seat, I screamed as loud as I could. “Help! Help us, please! She has a knife!”
Over and over, I shouted and called, hoping someone would come. All I could hear from the other side of the car was their feet sliding on the pavement and grunts. Then a cry of pain.
J.T.—
No! I caught the reflection of my phone under the seat—I must have kicked it there when I jumped out. Grabbing the phone, I unlocked the screen. The police department's number was still pulled up. Thank god someone answered.
“This is Daisy Hutchins. I'm in the alley behind Sweetheart Bakery with J.T. Swift. Vanessa Sawyer attacked us. She has a knife and we need help.”
The dispatcher gave a gasp as I identified our assailant. “Are you injured?”
“I'm not, but J.T. is, I think. They're fighting over the knife. I'm not close enough to tell.”
A brief pause, then muffled sounds like she was talking with her hand over the phone. When she came back, her voice was calm. “Daisy, I have deputies on the way, and I'll get West as soon as I can reach him. Stay away from Vanessa and the knife. Go to the head of the alley so they can see where you are.”
“I can't leave J.T. I'm sorry, I can't leave him. I think he's hurt. Please, hurry.”
I dropped the phone and came around the back of the car to see them still grappling over the knife. Vanessa's face was twisted with rage, the knife flashing in what little light there was, seeming impossibly bright and sharp as she yanked her arm down and buried it in J.T.'s shoulder.
“No!” The scream was torn from me. I launched myself over the back of the car, not thinking, just seeing that long knife, hearing J.T.'s cry of agony. Vanessa wrenched the knife out and stabbed again, her momentum carrying them to the ground. She rolled on top of him, bringing the knife down once more, this time stabbing deep into his side.
It was dumb, I know, but I threw myself at her, knocking her off J.T. as we rolled. I lost track of the knife, lost track of everything. I only wanted her away from J.T.
She fought me, all long limbs and sharp nails, the knife nowhere to be seen. Her fist came around and struck my cheek, pain exploding, slowing me down just enough for her to roll me on my back and pin me.
“I have to,” she muttered, her long, dark hair everywhere, her eyes wild and her face sheet-white. “I didn't want to do it, but I have to. He said to get rid of Royal. If I took care of Royal, I could go.”
She closed her talon-like hands over my shoulders, yanking me up and slamming me down so my head smashed into the pavement. I twisted, trying to roll over, to see J.T., to get away from her before she found the knife. Where were the deputies? Where was West?
All of a sudden, I understood. She thought J.T. was Royal. Same height, same dark hair. Royal's car. Someone sent her to kill Royal. Whatever was going on, it was a whole lot bigger than sabotaging The Inn. This was murder. Like Prentice.
“That wasn't Royal,” I screamed, hoping I could penetrate her insanity long enough to get the message through. “You stabbed J.T. Let me go so I can take care of him. Royal isn't here.” I hoped with everything I had that he was somewhere safe, far away from Vanessa and her knife.
Vanessa went still on top of me. Her head cocked to the side like a deranged bird as she seemed to process what I'd said. “Not Royal? This is his car. He was with you.” As if that explained everything.
“I borrowed Royal's car, remember? Let me go so I can take care of J.T. Let me go!”
Instead, she leaned in, pinning my wrists to the pavement, grinding them into the rough surface until I felt my skin tear and the wet heat of blood. No more words from her, just wide, crazy eyes and utter stillness. She was slender but a lot taller than me and fueled by madness. I twisted and bucked, kicking my legs to get her off, but she was unmovable.
“J.T.?” I called. “Can you hear me? Are you okay?”
A faint groan from behind me, and nothing else. J.T. Oh, God, J.T. What had happened with my father and The Inn was bad enough. If my problems got J.T. killed, I'd never be able to live with it. He was just starting his life, had finally found someone to love.
I couldn't let Vanessa do this to us. Royal was waiting for me. What if he came looking? What if she got to him before West's deputies could find us? I yanked at my wrists and life rushed back into Vanessa.