Read Online Rules of Survival (Entangled Embrace) by Jus Accardo - Free Book Online Page B

though.”
    “Not as simple? What did you find out? And did this Jaffe guy say why?”
    On the other end of the line, Patrick hesitated. “Why, what?”
    “What he wants with Kayla?”
    “ Kayla ?” Patrick groaned. “Oh, man. What did I tell you about using first names? I leave you alone with her for a few hours and she gets under your skin?”
    “What? No!” Shaun snapped defensively. He turned to me, cheeks flushed, then quickly looked away. “I’ve almost had my ass handed to me twice now. Once at the cabin, then again at the hotel. We’re out to make a buck, but we’re not killers, Pat. I wanna make sure this guy is on the up. If not, we can flip her over to the cops. Money won’t be as good, but I checked when you left the hotel earlier. There is a reward.”
    I clenched my fists and bit down on the inside of my tongue to keep from screaming. What a bastard! It was all about the money, right? Always the damned money. Bringing my sneaker up, I kicked him hard in the shin. To his credit, he cringed but didn’t make a sound.
    Another horn, and the sound of squealing brakes. “Tell me exactly where you are so I can come get you.”
    Shaun scanned the area, then adjusted the phone. “We’re—”
    I kicked him again. “Don’t give him this location! Idiot…”
    “Stop doing that!” he said, snapping the chain. My left arm jerked sideways. “And why the hell not?”
    “You pick a neutral location. This way you can arrive and scope things out first. Be sure it’s safe.” I snorted. “God. You’re such an amateur.”
    “Are you insane? I told you, Pat is safe.”
    “Pick another place,” I insisted, scanning the area. It was going on mid-afternoon on a weekday, but there were a few people on the street. One was a police officer writing a ticket for a double-parked minivan across the street. I inclined my head in the officer’s direction. “Or I’m going to start screaming my head off.”
    He switched the phone to his other shoulder, covering the receiver, and followed my gaze. “You wouldn’t dare.”
    Giving him my sweetest smile, I said, “Officer, please help me. This sicko is kidnapping me. See? He’s got me chained, and he said he’s going to lock me away in his basement.” I let my voice rise a bit. “He’s going to… do stuff to me.”
    His eyes got impossibly wide, gaze alternating between the officer and me. “You’re a twisted chick, you know that?”
    “Shaun?” Patrick snapped. “Tell me where you are!”
    “I’m not taking any chances,” I whispered. “Pick another location.”
    “Fine,” he hissed. Into the phone, he said, “I don’t wanna stay in one place too long. We’ll meet up with you somewhere. We passed a mall on the way into town. Oak Ridge. It’s in a town called Mayburn. About thirty minutes from where we were. We can hook up on the lower deck of the parking garage. By the gate?”
    Another horn blared. Patrick shouted something about someone’s mother, then sighed. “You gonna have any trouble getting her there?”
    Shaun glanced down at our joined wrists. “Yeah… That won’t be an issue. You’ll need to bring the spare shackle key, too.”
    Patrick didn’t ask questions. Something on the other end of the line rattled—paper—and he said, “Done. Thirty minutes?”
    “Make it forty-five,” I whispered, poking him in the arm. God. Did he know anything ?
    He rolled his eyes again, but nodded. “We’re not that close. Make it forty-five, okay?”
    “Fine. See you then.” There was a short pause. “And Shaun?”
    “Yeah?”
    “Be careful.”
    The line went dead.
    …
    Two buses and a cab ride later, we were standing across the street from the Oak Ridge Mall parking garage. It had been thirty-five minutes since Shaun called Patrick, and so far, there didn’t appear to be any sign of trouble. Still, I wasn’t ready to admit being wrong just yet. I had an uneasy feeling about the whole thing, and Mom always said go with your gut.