Erika was sure she was being followed, but frequent glances at the vanity mirror provided nothing more than a preview of the old bitch tailgating her. It made her uncomfortable, as if she were about to be forced off the road. What would happen then? She saw the scenario play out in her mind like an old movie: first the driver would get out to scream at her, then she’d hear banging from Erika’s trunk. If she decided not to kill her, the other driver would probably call the cops, and then it’d all be over for her. No more playthings.
No more Mason.
Thrilled at the idea of shaking the driver, Erika skipped a red light and took a left, quickly speeding up to avoid a collision with one of the new Nissans that looked like nothing so much as metal boxes. Such a crash would’ve been deadly, crushing the man she’d stored in the trunk—squishing him like a grape and leaving her all alone in this world.
It wasn’t good enough.
By the time she straightened out, beginning a steady cruise down the long street that would eventually take her out of town, Erika was already on edge. The recent memory of Morgan Young arriving at her home filled her with dread. Was she really that close to being caught? It seemed almost impossible that she’d let it get that far. Until now, she’d felt invincible—nobody had even come close to finding her out yet, so she’d figured that if she stuck to the rules, she’d be safe until the end of time. But at this moment, abandoning her home, possibly forever, with Mason Black pounding at the inside of the trunk, she knew the game was up. Her life as she knew it was over.
What would come next? She had an idea for a destination, but she couldn’t stay there for long. If she was lucky, hiding away up there would be good enough for a few days while she formulated a plan—a smarter one this time. One that would see her through to another state where she could start over. It was only the price of a new safe room that daunted her.
“What the hell’s wrong with you, lady?”
The voice was muffled but easy to make out. Erika caught herself grinning as the gears shifted and she sped up, slipping into the next lane. She found it hilarious that a man in his position could be so hostile. Surely by this point he’d have thought to suck up to her a little. Then again, Mason wasn’t that kind of guy. His screw-you nature was one of the things she liked most about him. It made him edgy and exciting. “It’s best you keep quiet.”
“So you can do what you want with me?”
“Exactly.”
Mason went silent for a while.
Until: “What do you want from me? Sex?”
“Sex?” Erika giggled. “Sure, but we both know you’re too devoted to your wife. Anyway, you’re not the first one to try luring me into the bedroom to seize control, so you can give up that ploy right away. Besides, you wouldn’t be able to handle me.”
Her words were met with silence, and as far as she could see, that silence more or less confirmed she was right. Nobody wanted to sleep with her—at least, not any of the people she’d taken—so why would this one be any different? She wanted to believe she was wrong, but doing so was a slippery slope. If she let him take her to the bedroom, she’d be on her back in no time, and vulnerability just wasn’t her thing.
She kept an eye on the gas gauge. The needle was too close to the left, and it was no wonder. This car was a beast, grumbling under her with a forceful vibration that rattled through to her teeth. It wasn’t long before she’d have to stop and top it up. What then? Mason was sure to yell for help, so she’d have to stick to one of the emptier gas stations near a loud, busy road. Even then, it was risky, but she had no choice. She had to lay out some ground rules.
“You there?” she asked, wondering if he’d passed out from some form of claustrophobia. It must’ve been cramped in the trunk—even for her—but Mason was a damn big guy. There was no answer, so she touched on the brakes to jump the car until she heard a thud.
“Christ, lady, you’ve got problems.”
Erika ignored that comment as she blew past a truck that was going thirty in a fifty zone. “I’m going to stop for gas soon, because someone can’t seem to manage his own fuel. It’s probably best we go over a couple rules, in case you get any bright ideas.” She focused on the road, sliding between two cars so she could take over a slow-moving truck. “First, I can’t pay by card because they might be tracking my movements, so I’m going to need some cash.”
“I don’t have any,” Mason mumbled through the thick leather of the seats.
“Don’t bullshit me. I found it on you before I threw you into The Pit. I didn’t take it because it wasn’t mine, but now I need it. Here’s what’s going to happen: before I open the trunk, I’m going to spray a little gas by my feet. I’ll have a lighter in my hand when I open the door, so be careful. If you make a single movement other than handing me your wallet, I’ll drop the lighter and we’ll both go boom-boom. You got it?”
“You’re a psycho.”
Erika sighed. “Do you understand me?”
“… Yes.”
“Good. Rule number two: there’s to be no banging or yelling for help. If you attempt to push your luck and attract any unwanted attention… well, see rule number one. Not only will you get blown into the sky, but if I don’t get caught in the blast, then you can be dead certain I’ll be going after your family. Are we clear?”
“You’d really kill yourself?”
“Of course.” But would she? Erika didn’t know. “Are we clear?”
Mason hesitated. “Yes.”
“Great. Now be a good boy and keep quiet. Mommy has to concentrate.”
Erika slipped into the right-hand lane and kept an eye on the vehicles behind her. The truck was still trundling along at a ridiculous speed, causing a problem for everyone around it. Thankfully, she was out of its way and heading into a clearing where she could put her foot down and pray she found a gas station before the engine died. The last thing she wanted was to get stranded. Who knew what she’d do then?
All she knew was that if she was going down, she’d take Mason Black with her.
That much, she could promise.