Rules of Survival(58)

Deeds snickered. He teetered close, beer breath all I could smell, and said, “Maybe you’ll beg me for it.”

“Unlikely,” I responded coolly. Deeds’s gaze lingered before turning back to the bed. He grunted, burrowing under the covers.

I could do this. Just bide my time until we could take our chance. And that’s what I told myself. For the next twenty minutes. Until a chainsaw-like sound reverberated through the room, telling us that he was out for the count.

Twisting sideways, careful not to rattle the cuffs or jostle the mattress, I whispered, “Okay. Should be safe. Try to grab it.”

Foot out, Shaun managed to move the bag aside and get the heel of his sneaker over the cell. Carefully, he slid it across the floor until it was within grabbing distance. “Got it,” he whispered, flipping the phone open.

I held my breath when he dialed Patrick, soft beeping noises filling the room as he punched the numbers.

“What the hell do you want, Grayson?” I heard Patrick’s faint voice snap after several soft rings.

“Not Grayson,” Shaun whispered. He tilted to the right, leaning as far from the bed as he could get without rattling the shackle chains or pulling on my wrist.

There was a pause, then Patrick’s voice changed. “You’re with Grayson.” It wasn’t a question. More like a curse. “What happened?”

“Short version is that he has us handcuffed in a motel. We managed to stall him for a day, but we don’t have much time.”

“Stall him as long as you can. I’m already on my way.”

Shaun glanced over his shoulder at me, confused, then turned back to the cell. “Already on—”

“Are you both okay?”

“Yeah, we’re—”

“Good. Then hang up, sit tight, and for God’s sake, tell the kid not to do anything annoying to piss him off. I’ll be there shortly.”

“How?” Shaun asked, but it was already too late. The line had gone dead.

Now all that was left to do was play the hurry-up-and-wait game…





Chapter Nineteen


“Wakey, wakey—time for you to earn your bakey.” The entire room shook, and I bolted straight up.

Or at least I tried.

“What the—” I cried out when I got as far as the cuffs would allow, wrenching one arm back toward the headboard and yanking Shaun’s right arm up at a violent angle.

Stars danced across my field of vision, and involuntary tears stung my eyes as both sets of cuffs dug into my already-tender skin. The padding Shaun had made me from the ripped bits of the hoodie was long gone, leaving the skin exposed to the harsh metal. My left wrist was several shades of purple, blue, and green. It was a shame skin wasn’t supposed to look like that because it was actually kind of pretty.

Deeds kicked the bed again. The whole thing shimmied and shook to the point I worried it might collapse. “Time to go get my money.” He smiled sweetly. “Then you’re free to go.”

As he turned to head toward the bathroom, Shaun said, “I overheard him on the cell. He already called Jaffe. Arranged to meet him at a truck stop off the interstate just after noon.”

“Shocking,” I said, wiggling my fingers in an attempt to gain some feeling back. I’d dozed off with my arm above my head and at an odd angle. It took a few tries, but eventually, I started to feel the pins and needles. “Patrick isn’t going to make it in time, is he?”

“He’ll make it,” Shaun assured me. He looked 100 percent convinced, and it made me a little jealous. I missed knowing Mom had my back. The complete and utter certainty that came with knowing there was someone in your life who would always be there.

Only she hadn’t.

“Pat has never let me down.”

“First time for everything,” I said as Deeds emerged from the bathroom fully dressed in an obnoxiously white polo shirt and black pants. He swept up his bag and unlocked my arm from the headboard as he hummed an annoying tune.

You would have thought he’d at least be a little hung over. I’d counted on it, hoping for a slight distraction, but he seemed chipper and alert. “Time’s a wastin’,” he said, pulling me from the bed, and in turn, forcing Shaun off the floor.

Maybe if I’d shut up yesterday instead of trying to stall, he would have cut Shaun loose and just delivered me to Jaffe. Now, when he found out I’d lied and there was no money, he was going to kill us both out of spite. I shot a panicked look at Shaun. He caught my gaze and simply smiled.

Deeds, oblivious to the exchange, herded us toward the door, swung it open—and froze.

“Morning, Grayson.” Patrick stood in the doorway. Arms folded, he lounged against the frame, wearing an absolutely furious expression and blocking every inch of our exit. I’d seen him pissed off dozens of times in my life. The time we led him on a wild-goose chase through the Everglades in Florida, only to wait until he came stumbling out of the brush, nine hours later, to send his prized Mustang careering into the swamp. The look he wore that day didn’t come close to how he looked now. “Mind handing over my kid and my mark?”

Shaun smiled, justified, and I let go of a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. “I never thought I’d ever say this—and Mom is probably rolling in her grave—but holy shit am I glad to see you.”