“We’ve got to get out of here.” Stan shouted. “A policeman saw me at the store.”
“Did you get my aspirin?”
“Damn it, Jillian. I didn’t have time. Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know. I’ve got to get away from here. They might figure out who I am and where I have you stashed.”
“I want to go home.”
“I can’t let you go home.”
She sat down on the bed. “Then I’m not going anywhere.”
“Jillian, please come on.”
“You go. Because you’ve been nice to me, I promise to give you time to get away before I walk out of here and call my husband. I’m not going anywhere else with you. I’m getting tired of you telling me what to do.”
“I have to tell you what to do. They can’t see us together.”
“I’ll go only on the condition that you drop me at my home on the way out of town.”
“I can’t…”
She had another idea. “Then I’ll give you something that will keep you safe from charms and spells for the rest of your life.”
His eyes got big. “What is it?”
“It’s a sacred rock. I never go anywhere without one.”
“You didn’t have a rock when I brought you here.”
“Oh, yes, I did. See.” She reached in her pocket and pulled out the sliver of cement.
“It looks like cement to me.”
“It’s supposed to. That’s why it’s sacred. To the human eye it looks like a piece of cement, but a trained person knows it’s the most powerful stone in the world. It has made hurricanes turn directions. It has made poor men wealthy.” She lowered her voice and whispered. “It can be used to make the dead walk again.”
His eyes were gleaming. “Really?”
“Yes. Is there someone you wish to resurrect?”
“I kind of wish I hadn’t killed Maddie. She had a nice ass and she was free with it.”
Jillian almost lost her composure. Maddie was dead? This would crush Quinton.
“I saw you flinch.”
“It was your use of crude words. I don’t like to hear a man talk about a woman that way.”
“Oh. I thought maybe…”
“It can also be used to castrate a man without touching him.” She pointed it toward his groin.
“Don’t! Please!” He grabbed his crotch. “Come on. I’ll take you home before they find me.”
When they stepped outside, Jillian realized they were at the old abandoned prison camp that Quinton had mentioned. She hoped her description was enough to make them find the place. She’d been methodical about putting her fingerprints all over the wall and the facilities. She was sure Stan’s were there as well.
As they got into his ten-year-old car, she heard the faint sounds of sirens, and wondered if she should delay their departure. She decided against it when the sirens grew fainter. “We’d better go.” She prodded. “Sounds like they might be closing in. I want to get home so you can get away.”
On the ride to the estate, she convinced him he didn’t need to collect any ransom money. “You won’t need it. You’ll have the sacred stone and that will make money fall into your lap.”
“Oh, yeah.” He grinned. “I’m glad I didn’t try to rape you. No telling what you would’ve done.”
“If you’d tried to rape me I guarantee you wouldn’t have the equipment to rape another woman.”
He shivered and she went on. “Of course now that you’ll have the stone, there’ll be no stopping you. You can have all the women you want.”
He grinned and she added, “But you must be careful. If you try to attack someone like me, the stone can reverse itself.”
“What happens then?”
“I think I mentioned that I made a man’s manhood fall off one time.”
His eyes got big. “Then how will I know a woman isn’t one of you? Is there a way to tell by looking?”
“No, you can’t tell by looking. That’s the chance you take every time you attack a woman.” She looked over at him. “There are a lot more of us around than you realize. Look at me. You thought I was a meek housewife married to a powerful man who had kept women for his own pleasure. Now you’re the only one in the area who knows who I really am, and what I’m capable of doing.”
“What about your husband? Does he know who you are?”
“Of course not. I’m just biding my time with him.” She laughed. “He thought he was so smart keeping those women around.” She reached over and patted his arm. “Just be thankful you’re not him. He’ll pay for it in a way you can never imagine. You can be sure of that.”
He shivered again and pulled up in front of the gate to the Kincade estate. “I’ll let you out here.”
She looked at the long drive. “No. It’s a long walk to the house and I’m not dressed for walking. Take me to the front door.”
“But…”
She held up the sliver of cement and smiled at him.
“I’ll take you to the door.”
When they pulled up to the front door, she leaned over and pressed the piece of cement in his hand. “Good luck with this and remember you must be very careful. One false move and it will bring you down. It can get you arrested and sent to jail for a long time. I won’t be able to help you because I’ve given you the stone. You can never help someone who has one of your personally blessed stones.”
“I’ll be careful, and eternally grateful.” His dark eyes were glowing.
“You should be.” She opened her door. “Now give me a minute and I’ll make sure the front gate is open for you to get out of here.”
He smiled as she went to the door and rang the bell.
A flabbergasted Bertram opened the door. “Mrs. Kincade!”
“Hurry, Bertram. Lock the front gate so my kidnapper can’t get off the grounds.”
“Jillian!” Quinton shouted as he ran into the entry. He swept her up in his arms. “Oh, Darling, I’m so glad to see you.”
“And I’m glad to see you.” She grabbed him around the neck and began kissing the side of his face.
He headed toward the winding stairs.
“Mr. Kincade,” an officer called. “We need to question you, Mrs. Kincade. Please come in here.”
Quinton kept going.
“Sir,” the officer called again.
John put his hand on the officer’s arm. “Let them go. They need to be alone.”
“But Sir…”
“Wait a minute, darling,” Jillian whispered in his ear. He paused and she looked back at the officer. “My kidnapper should be at the front gate by now. If you want to catch him, I suggest you go down there.” She turned back and whispered to Quinton, “You can go on up now.”
“Wait…” The officer started.
Quinton didn’t slow down, but before they reached the top step he whispered in her ear, “I love you, Jillian.”
“Oh, Quinton, I love you, too.” She snuggled her head under his chin and willed him to get to their room in a hurry.