Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 23860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23860 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 119(@200wpm)___ 95(@250wpm)___ 80(@300wpm)
Fat fucking chance, lady, but I don’t say that part out loud. “Tell me what you want and I’ll get it for you.”
“That’s what I hear. That you’re a man with connections.” There’s another little giggle, and it makes me sick. “I’d like to have my supply replenished.”
“Your what? What the hell are you talking about?”
“There are few things that I can’t seem to acquire on my own anymore. They’re my…” She pauses as she thinks it over. “Vitamins.”
“Vitamins?” What the fuck is this woman on?
“I’ll have my assistant send you the list.” There’s a muffled sound that I don’t catch, but it sounds like she’s barking orders. “It seems as if a few of them have gone off the market, and I’m in desperate need of replacements. If you’re able to give me what I want, then I’ll make sure you can watch my sweet girl as often as you’d like.”
“Give me a second to look it over.”
My phone vibrates, and I mute the call so she can’t hear what I’m saying to David. “What’s on it?”
“Holy shit.” David is scrolling and then he looks over at me with an expression of horror and confusion. “Some of this shit was outlawed decades ago. She’s been taking these drugs?”
“Shit.” I glance at the list, and one of them stands out as a drug containing lead that’s known to send people into psychotic episodes. “What if she’s been giving them to Audrey?” I say my biggest fear out loud, but David is already shaking his head.
“Doubtful or it would have come up on the toxicology report when she was at the hospital.”
He’s got a point. When I see a message from one of my guys, David checks it and then quickly directs me to a service road at the rear of the estate. After he tells me where we can get in, I unmute the call to Audrey’s mother.
“Okay, I should be able to get everything on the list,” I tell her, and I hear her clap her hands together.
“Excellent. You can call me back when you have it. Until then, I’m closing the link.”
“Wait, let me—” She hangs up the phone, and I look over to see the digital feed of Audrey disappear. “Fuck!” I shout and hit the steering wheel with my fist.
“It’s all right, we’re here,” David says when I see the flash of light up ahead. “That’s the signal.”
“How are we going to get in?” I ask him, and he nods to the stone wall.
“We’re in luck.” When he grins, I’m not sure why because I’m feeling pretty fucking hopeless. “We’ve got someone on the inside.”
By the time we exit the car and I see my guys waiting at the fence, I notice the shape of someone moving toward us from the house. He’s a big guy, and he’s careful to watch his back while coming to the gate.
When he’s close enough that I can see his face, he nods at me and unlocks the bolt keeping the gate closed. “You’re Phillip?” he asks, and I nod.
“I’m Gary, come with me.”
Chapter Seventeen
AUDREY
No matter how hard I pull at the ties, I can’t get my hands free. Red marks are forming around my wrists, and it’s making them ache. It’s pointless either way because nothing is going to change if I get them off. I’m still locked inside this room and never getting out again.
My mother has become more unhinged than before, which is beyond scary. Will I turn out to be the same as her over time? Will being locked away in this place forever drive me into darkness like it has her?
I lie back on the bed, hating the heavy helplessness I feel. When I close my eyes, Phillip lights up my mind. The ring clasped in my hand ties me to him in some small way.
What does he think of me? Is he even looking for me? Is he happy now that I’m gone? My heart aches as I wonder what terrible things my mother might be telling him.
When I bring my knees up, there’s a dull ache between my thighs from our lovemaking, and I cling to it. I want to remember every second of it because soon the feeling will fade. Then all I’ll have are the memories of our time together. They’ll be branded inside of me until I take my last breath, and maybe one day I’ll figure out if it’s a blessing or a curse.
I let myself sink deeper into my bed, getting lost in what could have been. Most of all, I still wonder why he played along with our little game. He pretended to be my husband when we both knew he wasn’t.
A sound at my bedroom door has me quickly sitting up as my pulse races. What could my mom want now? I pray the doctor isn’t with her because that never ends well. He usually injects me with something that makes my mind fuzzy, and time becomes a blur.