The Protector (Game of Chance, #1)(79)

She wanted to see her mom again. Wanted to make her a grandma by giving Riggs as many babies as he wanted.

Carlise had too much to live for. She wasn’t going to let Susie take everything away from her. And for what? Jealousy?

She still wasn’t even clear why Susie had turned on her, why she couldn’t just go back to Tommy, leaving Carlise in Maine to enjoy her life with Riggs. But she supposed, at the moment, it didn’t matter. All that mattered was getting the hell away from her.

“Riggs isn’t going to believe that note you made me write,” she said as she put down the bags and reached for her jacket hanging on the coatrack beside the door.

“Sure he will,” Susie countered. “This was a fling. You’ve come to your senses, and now you’re going home.”

Carlise shook her head. Susie was the stupid one. How was Carlise supposed to get off the mountain? It wasn’t as if she had a car, and Susie certainly didn’t let Carlise mention her visit or use her name in the note. So apparently, she must think Riggs was going to believe she’d levitated away from the cabin or something.

She wasn’t about to point out the flaws in Susie’s plan. Even without cameras, Riggs would eventually figure out who’d taken her, and he’d know that Carlise wouldn’t have left voluntarily. He had to.

“He’s going to come looking for me,” she told her firmly. “People in town will remember that a woman was asking where he lived. They’ll track down the rental car . . . did you put it on your credit card? Use a fake name?”

Susie looked surprised for a moment, like none of that had even occurred to her—and clearly it hadn’t—before pressing her lips together and frowning.

Bingo. She’d always thought her friend was smart, but apparently, she was just a good actress.

Her stupidity worked to Carlise’s benefit at the moment. Susie had screwed up. Big time. She might as well have left a huge neon sign pointing straight to her. With her mistakes, and the cameras filming her every word and action, Susie would be caught quickly, whether she killed Carlise or not.

It was currently the only positive about this extremely screwed-up situation Carlise had found herself in.

“It doesn’t matter,” Susie finally said with a shrug. “I’ll claim ignorance. Tommy will be my alibi.”

She wanted to roll her eyes. As if he would ever make a convincing alibi. Carlise knew him. Knew he’d throw Susie under the bus in a heartbeat if it meant saving his own ass.

Susie had acted impulsively by coming out to Maine to find her, and doing so would be her downfall.

“Hurry up, or I’ll shoot through the bathroom door at that damn dog,” Susie seethed.

She had no doubt she’d do as threatened, so Carlise hurried to tie the laces of her boots, then stood. “I’m ready.”

And she was. Ready for the first chance she had to run.

She’d go into the woods. Riggs and Baxter would find her. Of that she had no doubt.

Susie gestured with the gun, and Carlise opened the door. She exited the cabin where she’d been so happy for weeks, not looking back. She’d see it again. She had to believe that, otherwise she’d be a basket case and wouldn’t be able to do what needed to be done.

She walked toward the SUV parked by the cabin and calmly put her bags into the back seat as Susie ordered.

“Get in,” her former friend told her, pointing toward the passenger door with the gun.

Carlise’s heart raced. She slowly opened the door and sat on the seat. Susie slammed the door shut, just missing Carlise’s foot. She kept the gun pointed at her as she walked around the front of the car toward the driver’s side door.

This was it. Her only chance to get away. Even though they were literally in the middle of the Maine wilderness, Carlise knew if she left with Susie, her chances of survival were zero. She’d rather be lost in the woods than dead.

Susie reached for the door handle on the driver’s side of the SUV—and Carlise made her move.

She wrenched her door open and ran.

She heard Susie scream for her to stop, but she kept going. Heading straight for the trees, in the general direction Riggs had taken her when they’d gone for a walk.

The sound of a gunshot behind her echoed loudly in the peaceful tranquility of the forest. Carlise’s body jerked, but she kept running.

She could hear Susie running after her, and she tried to go faster. But she knew she wasn’t going to outrun her former friend. Susie actually liked to work out. She went to the gym almost every day. She prided herself on staying slender and fit. While Carlise wanted to be healthy, she wasn’t a fan of exercise. Hell, she sat on her butt most days, working on her computer.

She was huffing and puffing as she frantically looked around, trying to figure out a good place to hide. Since it was winter, the trees were mostly bare. And the few evergreen trees she spotted wouldn’t conceal her for long.

“You better fucking stop!” Susie shouted from way too close behind her.

Carlise didn’t bother to answer. One, there was nothing she had to say to the psycho who’d pretended to be her friend while terrorizing her—and laughing about it with Tommy. And two . . . talking was almost impossible with how hard she was panting.

“Where do you think you’re going? There’s nowhere to hide! Just stop, bitch!”