Chapter 76

76

“Where are you, sweetheart? I’m here to take you home!”

The voice came out of the darkness, once the heavy doors had slid open. A man stood there. She could just make out his silhouette in the low moonlight. He sounded like Fletcher, except Fletcher never used sweetheart. Especially in that cruel, taunting way. What she wouldn’t give to hear Fletcher calling her ‘brat’ right now…

She pulled her knees closer to her chest, trying to tighten the scarf her mother had knit her around her broken arm. It was definitely broken—hard to miss the feel of bone poking through. But Dylan wasn’t going to think about that. Broken arms healed. She’d be just fine.

As long as the love of her life’s crazy criminal uncle didn’t find her and kill her first.

“Dylan, Dylan, my love. This is not how this is supposed to work. You are not allowed to stay in this barn tonight, even if you are angry at me for something. I promise, I will sleep on the couch tonight. No nookie for you from me—at least until tomorrow morning. I’m a bit tired, and everything. I am not as young as I used to be, I’m afraid. I’ll need to be well rested before you use me, you wicked woman, you. Come on. Out of here. I am a man on a mission. You are not staying in here. I am not into Dylan-barbecue. Why did they name you Dylan, anyway? Was good old Artie thinking you’d be a boy or something? Maybe after four girls, he was just seriously hoping you would be?”

She could hear him getting closer. Dylan stayed where she was, making sure not to move. Almost not to breathe.

“I know I was so hoping at least one of my damned kids would have a penis, but alas, not to be. You know, I used to have a problem with your father—but mostly because of Jessica. That was a seriously beautiful woman. May she rest in unpeace.”

She had been. Dylan’s Aunt Jessica had been one of the most gorgeous women Dylan had ever seen, even though she’d only seen photos. Darcey looked very much like her. Darcey and Dixie, Dusty, and Dorie too.

“Ten years older than me, but wow. Did I drool over her! I’ve seen some of your sisters. They look just like her. That seriously hot nurse sister of yours especially. I do love the way that sister of yours is shaped. Brings back the memories. My brother Marty was in love with Jessica, you know. Then he…died. So suddenly.”

He was only about six feet from where she hid. Dylan tried to crunch herself up even smaller. There were two large tires there. They even smelled rotted and old. She could just fit behind them. There were walls of solid dark shadows in front of her. If he found her—Dylan was trapped.

“His heart, you understand. Or so they said. Well, I have my doubts about that. But that is neither here nor there. Come on, sweetie, we are going to have a campfire very soon. You don’t want to be left behind for this part; nothing marshmallowy about that hot little body of yours, that’s for sure. Come on. Red Rover, Red Rover, send little Dylan over.”

Hard hands wrapped in her coat.

Bruce yanked her free of her hiding place and laughed as he shook her. “Caught you, peanut. I caught you. You’re mine, fair and square. That hair of yours practically glows in the dark, you know. Makes you real easy to find.”

The pig kissed her again. Dylan tried to kick him. One hand wrapped in her hair. He held her still while he kissed her so hard her lip hurt when he finally pulled back. She kicked at him again. He blocked her far too easily.

“Nope. I am wise to your wicked little ways, Dylan Talley. Let’s get out of here, darling. Tell me, do you find fire as romantic as I do?”

“What?”

He was dragging her to the door.

But there was a lighter in his hands. Burning with a tiny flame.

“I am going to send a message, Dylan. Right now.”

She would never forget the sound he made when he laughed and dragged her to the rear of the barn.

He clicked on a flashlight. Shone it into every corner of the small room.

That’s when she saw what he meant. Boxes of something were stacked almost to the ceiling in what she thought was an old grain room. Newer boxes. Green and white ones.

“Congratulations, Dylan, my love. We’ve found the missing OPJ shipment a friend of mine named Sonny left for me. Worth hundreds of thousands in the right hands, you understand. But, well, I have other plans for it. It’s time to send a message. This is war. We are at war against these drug-pushing assholes, baby. We are at war. ”

Bruce held a lighter out to the nearest cardboard box and waited. “This shit is highly flammable, you know. We’re going to watch it burn, burn, burn .”

She twisted, pulled, kicked, bit.

Nothing she did was enough to make him let her go.

And he just kept lighting boxes around her.