Everything I Left Unsaid(97)

The sheathed knife and his erection dug into her.

“This man you were screwing, did he knew you were married?”

Annie did not respond. Would not. He was playing some sick game. He touched her hair just above her ear, and she could have screamed.

“You smell dirty. Like sweat and sex.” He sniffed her. Over and over again, his nose in her hair. Her neck. “I want you to spread your legs, Annie.”

Whimpering, she clenched them tighter together.

I am going to die this way.

There was a sudden knocking on the door and both of them stilled. She opened her eyes in time to see a momentary flash of panic on Hoyt’s face. But as soon as it was there it was gone, replaced by that terrifying vacancy.

“Annie!” It was Ben. Old frail Ben. “You all right? I heard screaming.”

“Who is that?” Hoyt asked.

“My neighbor.” Ben Daniels. Dylan’s father. And…quite possibly, her only friend.

“You don’t want that man to get hurt.” The menthol smell of Hoyt’s breath flowed over her face. He ate Halls cough drops like candy. “And if you say one word to him, give him one reason to think you aren’t okay, he’ll get hurt. We’ll still be going home together, Annie. You cannot change that. No matter what you do.”

This whole situation was made worse by the fact that Ben was a former motorcycle gang member and convicted felon. Cops would take one look at her face, and Ben’s record, and they’d believe whatever Hoyt said.

Hoyt was very believable.

Bit by bit Hoyt got off Annie, watching her every second to see what she would do. Annie had become unpredictable, and she took some strength from that, from no longer being underestimated.

Shaking, she slowly got to her feet, grabbed the pink washcloth from the table and held it to her head. Hoping Ben would believe the lies she was about to tell him.

Hoyt got out of sight and Annie pushed open the door to her trailer.

“You all right?” Ben asked, looking worried. He wore the familiar clean white shirt, pristinely ironed. He’d been sick recently, and he’d lost weight. No matter how tough he’d been years ago, now he was frail and he was old.

And he could not help her.

“Fine,” she lied with a smile. “There was a snake and I screamed and jumped and smacked my head on the cupboard.”

“I get those king snakes all the time,” he said. “You want me…”

She got in his way as he leaned to the side as if to see into the trailer, or, worse, try to come in. “I’m fine.”

That lie didn’t sound at all convincing, and he pointed up to his own eye. “You smack your eye, too? Your lip?”

“Please,” she breathed, unable to pretend anymore. “Please, Ben, just go.”

“Annie—”

“For f*ck’s sake, old man. I’m fine. I’m exhausted and I just want to get to sleep. Leave me alone.”

His dark eyes missed nothing and she had no idea what he was thinking, but in the end he surrendered, holding up his hands and going back to his trailer. Taking all hope of rescue with him.

Annie was going to have to do this herself.