Chapter 105

ONE HUNDRED FIVE

SOMEWHERE ON THE AT

Ivy lay curled on her side, sobbing into the car seat and screaming for the mean Santa to let her go. He yelled at her to shut up, then screeched to the side of the road, jerked her up and carried her to the back of the van. A blast of cold air hit her, and her teeth chattered as he threw her inside.

"Let me go!" She balled her hands into fists and beat at him, kicking as hard as she could. "I want my mama!"

"Shut up, you little brat." He slammed the door shut and left her there in the back. She felt around in the dark space and her fingers touched a wire divider separating her from the seats as if she was in some kind of cage. Seconds later, the engine roared and he screeched away. She sobbed and beat at the sides of the van as he barreled up the mountain.

She banged and yelled until her fists hurt and her throat was raw. Snot ran down her nose and dripped off her chin. She pressed her hands to her eyes wiping away tears but they kept coming.

He'd knocked her mother down. Was she okay?

The van bounced over ruts in the road, the cage sliding across the back of the van and banging the wall. The impact threw up to the side and her head hit the wire. Pain shot through her temple and she doubled over.

Her stomach hurt like it had the time she ate five doughnuts and she thought she was going to barf. The van swerved again, and horns honked from the road. She heard something like gravel pelting the van and realized he'd skidded off the road. The tires ground over rocks and brakes squealed.

They were in the mountains. It felt like they were flying around the curves. He was running off the road.

In her mind, she saw the sharp ridges. The drop-offs that Mommy warned her not to get close to.

He hit another rock, and she screamed again. They were crashing over the edge and into the mountains…