“This smells good.” He picks up his eating utensils, and without bothering to say grace, he dives in.
I silently say a prayer for the both of us and take a large bite myself. As we eat, Liam watches me, his gaze filled with admiration. It’s nice to be appreciated, but the unbroken glances make me feel…exposed and vulnerable. I shy away, touching the back of my neck and peeking out the window. An off-road pickup pulls up next to my Hyundai. I strain my neck to see who it is, soon getting my answer when Justin steps from the vehicle.
“What are you looking at?” Liam drops his silverware.
“Justin’s here.”
“Oh, yeah. He’s bringing me the stuff I asked for to set up a secure connection.” He pushes his chair back, the legs of it scraping against the floor.
Liam opens the door as Justin climbs the four steps to our porch. They greet each other and embrace in a brotherly hug before Liam shuts the door behind them. With the barrier between them and me, their voices are hushed, and it’s difficult for me to hear what’s being said. I’ve decided to put faith in Liam and trust that he will clear things up. But I’ve asked him to keep me in the loop. Instead of making a fuss about it now, I resolve to clearing the dishes while storing a mental note to ask him about it when he’s done.
I lose myself in my task, no longer hearing the inaudible whispers coming from outside. I open the door to find that neither of them are in sight. Justin’s truck is not parked next to my car, so my guess is they needed to take a ride to figure all this out. I shrug and step back inside the cabin to finish putting things in place.
Once I clean and stack the dishes, I flop down on the couch. With Liam gone and nothing to do, I find myself staring at the fireplace. I blink away my daze, scanning the room aimlessly. When I spot the keys hanging on the hook near the door, I contemplate if I want to get out for some air or maybe drive into one of the nearby towns. I’m too afraid to turn on the TV, but I need some form of entertainment. A book would be great. Remembering there’s a bookstore nearby, I jump up from my seat to grab the flyer from the ledge above the fireplace. I skim over it and smile once I find what I’m looking for. Grabbing my new winter coat from the rack, I slide on my shoes, shove my phone in my back pocket, and grab two twenties from the wallet he left sitting on the end table.
I find a piece of scrap paper, and scribble a note, informing him that I’m heading to Gathering Grounds Cafe/Bookstore and will be right back. With that, I lock the door and rush to the driver’s seat.
I return an hour later, excited to read the books I selected. It’s been a long while since I’ve allowed myself to escape in a story, but now’s as good a time as any. I open the door, expecting to find Liam sitting on the sofa waiting for me, but the cabin is as empty as it was when I left. I remove my outerwear, sit my shopping bag on the end table, and pick up my note to discard it. Since I’ve managed to beat him back here, it’s no longer needed. I trash the balled-up piece of paper and make myself a mug of hot chocolate. With my drink in hand, I plop down on the sofa and pull one of the paperbacks from the bag. Gathering Grounds Cafe/Bookstore had signed copies of a Lana Darlings’ Black Night. I loved her previous works and have been wanting to read this before the movie comes out.
It doesn’t take me long to immerse myself in her world, devouring the words and falling in and out of love with her characters. I’m a few chapters in when my leisure time is interrupted by a knock at the door. Remembering that Liam left his keys behind, I smirk and prepare to give him a hard time about it. I didn’t hear the two of them pull up, but I’m not surprised, my concentration was deep in the pages of Lana’s book. A smile crosses my face as I yank the door open, but it instantly falters. Two men standing on my porch, and I push the door until it’s cracked. They’re similar in height, one with long, dirty-blond hair, broad shoulders, and a goatee, and the other with short, dark, spiky hair and a slim frame.
“Constance Reed?” the long-haired man speaks out. “We need you to come with us. Liam Wright sent us.”
I step back, hesitant and confused.
“We’re with the FBI,” the other guy adds.
His thick Russian accent gives it all away, and I quickly realize they aren’t who they claim to be. Liam would be here for this, and most certainly wouldn’t send me off with two strange men. With as much speed and strength as I can muster, I drop my book and try my damnedest to shut the door. I don’t see who it belongs to, but a foot flies out, jamming itself between the heavy wood and the metal frame. The two push against my efforts, and I stumble backwards, nearly tripping over the edge of the large area rug in front of the fireplace and turn to crawl-walk toward the back room.
I gather my composure, return to both feet, and sprint in hopes I can make it to my room and reach the small gun Liam gave me back at the safe house. Making it only a few feet away, a hand grips the back collar of my shirt, yanking me to the floor. I reach behind, fighting to release the hold he has on me but I’m unsuccessful. He drags me, kicking and screaming toward the exit. My back scrapes along the metal sill when he yanks me onto the porch. The slim, spiky-haired Russian closes the door then takes me by my feet and helping his partner carry me to their car.
One of them climbs in the back beside me while the other rushes to the driver’s side. I shuffle to the door, but he grabs my arm. I lift my leg, ramming it in his gut as hard as I can, but it doesn’t break his hold on me. The man reaches up, snatching a fistful of my hair and quickly pulls a gun from his waistband.
He presses it under my chin and grits his teeth. “Stop fucking moving. I will shoot,” he barks then mutters something to his partner in Russian.
The venom in his eyes scares me, and I stop fighting but never drop my gaze from him. Tears well behind my lids, blurring my vision. He releases his grip on my hair, and I scurry to the other side, contemplating if I want to risk it all and tug at the latch. Choosing the latter, I swiftly try to pry the door open, only to learn it only opens from the outside. He cocks his weapon, and my body stiffens. The driver pulls off, and suddenly the tight compartment feels even smaller the farther away from the cabin we get. It’s broad daylight, so I can only hope someone, anyone witnessed my abduction. We aren’t too close to the other cabins, but not so far apart that we’re completely secluded. My limbs tremble with each passing second, and my lungs tighten while I struggle to breathe. The space around us spins, and a reeling sensation washes over me until soon the panic is too much and I succumb to darkness.
Liam
“Lotus! Why didn’t you lock the door? I was able to put a call out to…” I push pass the threshold, expecting to find her in the living room or kitchen.
I step forward, my foot knocking against something, sending an open book flying across the floor. My brow furrows as I glance around the room taking in the scenery. The corner of the rug is flipped up and pushed back, and a single earring sits at the edge of it. I spot both sets of keys hanging on the hook and her coat resting on the rack in the corner. An uneasy feeling floods my body, and I race to the back in search of her.
Bursting into the bathroom, I find it empty and move on to the bedroom, hoping she’ll be there sleeping. “Constance?” I call out, but the bed is empty and untouched.