Minutes to Kill (Scarlet Falls #2)(75)

He shrugged. “Pizza and sandwiches. Nothing fancy.”

At the word pizza, her stomach got excited.

“I’m only fourteen,” she admitted. As she’d learned, jobs required ID, and fake IDs required cash. How could she get one without the other?

“Not a problem,” he said. “It’s all under the table. What’s your name?”

“Jenna.”

“Nice to meet you, Jenna, I’m Mick.”

She squinted at him. The yellow glow of the streetlight highlighted a lean face. A thin scar bisected his cheek, but he was still good-looking. She guessed he was about twenty-five, with short black hair and a goatee. His jeans and T-shirt were clean, and his broad-shouldered body hadn’t regularly missed many meals. He didn’t live on the street. A gold chain gleamed from around his neck, just under the tattoo of a skull. There wasn’t anything special about him, no warning signs that she should have seen.

But still . . . It seemed too easy. Nothing in Jenna’s life was ever easy. “I don’t know.”

“Whatever.” He lifted a hand and started to turn away. “But a pretty girl like you don’t have to be dirty.”

Her own body odor hit her nose suddenly, as if she hadn’t been able to smell it until he pointed it out. Humiliation spilled into her. The stolen candy weighed heavily in her pocket. Not much of a meal. “Wait.”

He glanced back.

“I’ll do it.” Waitressing was legit, right?

He led her to a shiny town car. Light from the streetlamp reflected off the windshield like a mirror, blinding her to what was inside. She knew she shouldn’t get in. The car was way too nice for the neighborhood. But what else was she going to do?

He started the car and shifted into drive. The locks clicked down. Jenna jumped. He drove away from the strip mall. She hunched in the leather seat and stared out the window. He pulled into the drive-through at Carl’s Jr. and ordered a burger, fries, and a Coke. A minute later, the Carl’s guy passed a bag through the car window. The aroma of fried grease hit Jenna’s nose, and her stomach flipped out with a loud gurgle.

Grinning, Mick nodded at the bag. “Eat up.”

She ate with the speed of a starving dog.

A few minutes later, he pulled up in front of a door to a cheap chain motel room. Not even the dark of night could conceal the chipped stucco and peeling brown paint.

Her eyes skimmed over the sagging roofline. “Where’s the restaurant?”

“Closed now. You can crash with me.”

Apprehension tightened around her meal. She set the Coke aside. How many other details did he leave out?

They got out of the car. Jenna turned to run as a flash of panic rushed through her. But his body blocked her escape. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Jenna’s arms broke out in goose bumps. The apprehension she’d felt in the car grew. She backed away. “I changed my mind. I want to go.”

He shook his head. “This is what’s gonna happen.” He stepped closer, his pretty brown eyes shrinking down to mean, cold marbles. “I own you now. You’ll do whatever I say, or I’ll hurt you. You try to leave, I’ll kill you. You escape? I’ll find you, and you’ll pay.”

Mick’s hand shot out. He grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her into the room. He released his hold, and she stumbled. Locking the door behind them, he crossed his arms. “Your new name is Jewel.” He walked to the dresser and picked up a bottle of vodka. “Time to get started.” He handed her the bottle. “Drink.”

Mick put three blue pills in Jenna’s other hand. “These, too.”

Jenna put the pills in her mouth. The vodka set her belly on fire. The back of her throat burned. But she did as she was told. Just looking at him, she knew he’d hurt her if she didn’t obey.

Minutes later, her vision hazed, and her limbs turned lazy.

“What’s your name?” Mick asked.

Terror confused her. “Jenna.”

She saw the violence simmering in his eye, but the backhand still shocked her. Pain sliced through her face. She pressed a hand to her stinging cheek. Lenny had handed out worse, but he was older and slower. She’d been prepared for the blows.

“What’s your name?” he asked again.

This time, she remembered. “Jewel.”

“Good girl.” He smiled. “Say my name.”

“Mick,” she croaked.

He reached out. She flinched, expecting another blow, but he only lifted her chin. “Now it’s time for you to earn your keep. You do what you’re told, so I don’t have to beat you.”





Chapter Twenty-Eight

Hannah parked Grant’s truck in the driveway and turned off the engine. The windshield wipers stopped, and light rain misted on the glass. In no rush to go inside and be alone, she checked her phone. It was almost four o’clock, and Brody hadn’t called. But he’d expected to be tied up all day. Though their meeting had been set for morning, the prosecutor had rescheduled for afternoon at the last minute. Hannah fought the urge to dial Brody’s number. Her discussion with the prosecutor had reopened wounds and left her raw.

The text from Grant had only made things worse. He’d messaged her twice this week, and she’d lied outrageously to him both times. But she didn’t want him to come home. She didn’t want him to get upset, not after he’d made such good progress. She didn’t want her family anywhere near Scarlet Falls, but the house felt empty without them.