She’s right, we should. If we go back out there, we’re in the safety of the store. If we stay here, we’re risking walking into the darkness which probably isn’t that safe for us.
“Yeah, let’s turn,” I say, eyeing the truck as we turn on our heel and begin to walk back toward the store.
The sound of the truck door slamming has my heart skipping a beat, and as I look over my shoulder, my entire world spins. I watch in utter shock and horror as Mick and Sharleen step out of the truck. It’s only in that moment that I realize that I should have recognized that truck. I knew it seemed off, but it didn’t click.
I pause, my entire body going into some sort of fight or flight response. My knees shake, my palms get sweaty, and my heart leaps into my throat as I stare at the man and woman in front of us. I feel Ava’s arm lock tighter around mine, and Jenny takes a step closer. I can barely focus as I try hard to wrap my mind around what the hell is going on. Not only is Jagger’s father here, but he’s with Sharleen.
All this time, they’ve been together?
My stomach turns.
I need to think quickly, yet my entire body seems frozen in the spot.
“Willow, we meet again.” Mick smiles, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a gun as he strides toward us.
I inhale deeply and hold it, eyes darting around as I realize what’s happening. Jenny makes a quiet gasping sound, and Ava steps even closer to me, hanging onto my arm so tightly it burns. We could run, we should run. That would be the smart thing to do, and yet I can’t seem to make my legs move. I can’t do anything but stare in horror as they approach.
“Don’t scream, I assure you he’ll shoot.” Sharleen smiles. “I dare you to try him.”
Monster.
Cold-hearted monster.
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. A thousand things are swirling around in my mind, but nothing is escaping. I can’t speak, I can’t move, my entire body has shut down. Mick steps closer to me, and the only sound that leaves my throat is a tiny yelp of fear.
“Sharleen, if they scream, shoot them,” Mick orders, and I watch in absolute horror as Sharleen pulls a gun out, too. “We don’t have time for bullshit.”
I’m not certain Mick would shoot me, I don’t know him well enough, but I know she will.
Mick reaches into his coat and pulls out a cloth, then a tiny bottle of liquid. He tips the liquid onto the cloth and then begins approaching Ava, who shakes her head, tears running down her cheeks as she clutches me tightly. “Move, I’ll shoot you. Take this, it’ll be much better for you,” Mick growls.
“Please don’t hurt them,” I finally croak, holding onto Ava’s hand, as if that’ll do anything to stop him.
“It isn’t them I want. They’ll remain here until someone finds them. If not, I can shoot them, and they can remain here until someone finds them. The choice is theirs, but I can promise you the first option is better.”
I look to Ava, who is so afraid she is trembling. “Just do what he asks,” I plead. “It’s not you they want. Please. Just do as he’s telling you. I’ll make sure someone finds you, I will.”
My eyes meet Jenny’s, and I mouth for her to alert Jagger. She nods, a tear rolling down her cheek as she watches Mick put the cloth over Ava’s face and she slowly sinks to the ground. A moment later, he steps up to Jenny and does the same. Tears burn under my eyelids as I watch them lie on the ground, but I also know Mick is making a mistake leaving them here. A vital mistake. They can help Jagger find me. If he had taken them, Jagger would never know his father is working with his ex-wife. That might just save me, so I choose to say nothing, even though my heart is breaking.
Instead, I let my eyes move to Sharleen, who is standing, gun pointed at me, a smile on her face. She’s enjoying every second of this. “How could you?” I ask, horrified.
She shrugs. “I had to do what I had to do.”
“He loved you!” I yell. “He actually thought you were one of the good ones and all along, you’ve been nothing but a cold-hearted bitch!”
She steps toward me and raises the gun, slamming it down over my temple. I go down with a thump, landing beside Ava on the ground, my world spinning. Mick’s voice booming at Sharleen is the only thing I can hazily hear as I come in and out, struggling to move my body. Mick reaches down and hauls me up, but I can’t keep my footing. I’m praying with everything inside me that someone sees us, that a car comes past, that someone pulls in, that a worker comes outside, that someone will stop this before they can get me into that truck, because the second I’m in there, everything changes.