“You’re a pain in my ass.”
I stuck my chin up. “And you’re just an ass.”
He rolled his eyes and turned. Grabbing my elbow, he hauled me into the hotel with angry strides.
“Why do they hate me?” I asked, glancing over my shoulder at the crowd.
Adam flung open the hotel door and glanced over his shoulder. “I think you should be asking yourself how you’re going to live through this instead?”
Chapter Twenty–Nine
Cat
“You gotta eat.”
“No, I don’t,” I mumbled, staring out the window, not seeing anything. It was morning and the inhabitants of Hilltop were out and about. As for me, I was still locked away in the hotel room. Still away from Cash, Tate, and David. It had been hours since Adam had pulled me inside. Hours since the woman threw the rock at me.
“You can’t just waste away,” Mary whined. “I won’t allow it.”
I didn’t need to turn around to know that she was wringing her hands with worry and her double chins were shaking. Since being allowed in my room this morning by the muscle-head stationed outside my door, she had been teary-eyed and apologetic. Blaming herself for the mess we were in and the bullet that had hit me.
“You can at least take a shower. Ladies should be clean,” she said in a motherly tone, buzzing around, straightening up the bed I hadn’t slept in last night. Wiping her still wet eyes.
“I’m not a lady,” I muttered, staring down at the sidewalk below and wishing she would just leave me alone. A little girl skipped beside her mother, both of them looking like it was just another day. Another world that hadn’t collapsed. It was as if they didn’t know that people were struggling to survive on the other side of the wall.
That was the eerie thing about Hilltop. The people were brainwashed. Oblivious to what was really happening outside their town. And I knew exactly who was responsible. Frankie.
I pulled my knees to my chest and curved further into the window-seat. I could still feel his fingers on my neck. Tightening. Constricting. Cutting off my air supply.
Reaching up, I touched my throat. My windpipe was tender. Even swallowing was painful. My voice was raspy, thanks to my screaming and Frankie’s choking. It wasn’t the lack of oxygen that had scared me. It was the bloodthirsty look in his eyes.
Mary stopped beside me and clicked her tongue. “You’re a mess, sweetie. Those clothes need to be burned. I’ve laid out some new ones for you.”
I glanced at the bed. A white shift dress lay on the faded quilt along with clean underthings. Soft ballet flats sat on the floor. They were almost duplicates of the ones I had been given to wear when I was there earlier. Before I was shot. Before Keely and Gavin had to flee without us.
I looked away from the dress. “I’m not changing.”
Mary huffed, making her ample bosom move up and down. “You’re a smart girl. Pretty.” She leaned closer, dropping her voice. “You can use that to your advantage.”
I jerked my head around to look at her. If she was suggesting…
“I’m with Cash.”
Sadness crossed her face. “Oh, child.”
There was something about the way she said it that made the bottom drop out of my stomach. I eased my legs off the windowsill.
“Where is he? What do you know?”
Mary wiped the sadness off her face and spun around. “Oh, Lord. I’ve been rattling on. I’ve got to go. I have beans soaking and there’s wash to be done.” She waddled toward the door, her voice shaky and nervous.
I jumped off the windowsill and rushed to follow her. “Mary, please. Is he okay? Is he here somewhere? Where’s my brother and David? What do you know?”
She hurried to the door and opened it quickly before I could get to her. The guard stood right outside, staring at us with a frown. I ignored him and raised my voice.
“Mary! Tell me! Is Cash still alive?”
Her shoulders fell. When she turned to look at me, the pity on her face hit me square in the chest.
“Oh god,” I whispered, staggering to a stop in the middle of the room.
She looked at me with sympathy. “I’m sorry.”
Tears welled up in my eyes. I didn’t hear the door click behind her as she left or the low murmur of voices as she talked to the guard.
All I heard was my heart shattering.
~~~~
I buried my face in my knees and squeezed my eyes shut. Tears soaked my jeans. My throat was so tight, I could barely breathe. I was sitting on the floor, my back against the door. The silence was killing me. The not-knowing was eating away at my soul. I wasn’t sure how much more I could take. Luke. Jenna. Nathan. My dad. I had lost them all. But I couldn’t take losing Cash or Tate. That might just be the end of me for good.
I pushed back my grimy hair and swiped at a tear. My eyes were swollen from crying and my hands were shaky from worry but I had to be strong. Cash is still alive and Tate is okay. I told myself that again and again until I thought I might go crazy.
“They are okay,” I whispered to the empty room for the hundredth time. “They have to be.”
I hadn’t seen Mary or anyone else since morning. It was early evening and the room was dark. My stomach growled. I was tired but I refused to close my eyes, not even for a minute.
I was staring at my bloody toes, cut by the shards of glass on the cabin floor, when the sound of footsteps and voices came from the hallway. Was it Frankie, coming to deal with me? Or was it Paul, wanting to finish what he started?
Turning, I laid my ear against the door. It was hard to hear over my pounding heart but I could make out the sound of two men talking. I listened but couldn’t understand what they were saying. The words were too mumbled, the door too thick. I could hear the authority in one of the voices and the subordinate tone in the other.
Only one man walked around here with authority. Frankie.
Kneeling on my hands and feet, I scrambled away and stared at the door. He would kill me but I wouldn’t go down without a fight. I would scream and kick and scratch his eyes out.
The footsteps drew to a stop in front of the door. I looked down and saw two shadows. The lock jiggled. I crawled back like a wounded animal. My hair hung in my eyes and dried mud covered me.
The door swung open and a large man walked in.
Adam.
“God, you look like a wild animal,” he said with disgust, stopping right inside the room and looking down at me.
“Ugggh!” I jumped up and flew at him. “Where are they? Where the hell are they?” I cried, hitting him on the chest with my fists. “Tell me nooooow! Where. Are. They?”
He grabbed my wrists and yanked me off him. “Calm down,” he hissed through tight lips. “You want to get yourself and Tate killed?”
I froze at the mention of my brother. Adam raised an eyebrow and let go of my wrists. Before I could ask where he was, there was the sound of a struggle. Tate appeared in the doorway, led by a man in camos and combat boots.
“Let me go, bitchass!” he swore, jerking his arm away from the man and glaring up at him.
“Tate?” I whispered, so scared and weak that I thought I was seeing things.
Tate froze, the man forgotten. “Sis?” he asked, his voice breaking.
In seconds, I had my arms around his skinny body and was hugging him so tight, I thought I would crack his ribs.
He still smelled like dirt and smoke from the cabin’s fire. He needed a haircut badly and a change of clothes desperately. His flannel shirt had more holes than buttons and his jeans were brown with dirt instead of denim blue. Despite it all, I had never been so relieved to see him and didn’t want to let him go.
After a minute, he wiggled away. There was a small cut across his right cheekbone and his bottom lip was swollen and purple. A dark blue bruise had formed under one eye.
“What did they do to you? You’re hurt!” I grabbed his arms and looked him up and down. “Did they hit you anywhere else? Ar
e you okay? What happened?”
Tate brushed off my hands. “They tried to hurt me, sis, but I fought them. Asshole sons of bitches,” he scowled, looking back over his shoulder at Adam.
Adam smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. I ignored him and glanced over my brother again, looking for injuries. With his long hair hanging in his eyes and smudges of dirt on his face, he looked wild. Untamed.
He glanced over me too – always the protector – and frowned.
“What?” I asked. He looked pissed. I knew I looked bad with my dirty clothes and matted hair but…
He reached out and pushed my shirt collar out of the way. “That man left bruises when he tried to strangle you. I tried…” He gulped. “I tried to get to you.”
I brushed his hand away. “I’m okay. It’s just a couple of marks. Where’s David?”
“They locked him up down the hallway. He’s fine. A little pissed for a reverend, but fine. Do you know where Cash is? They beat him pretty bad, sis.”
I swallowed past the bile raising in my throat. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen him.” I gave Adam a nasty look. “and Adam won’t tell me.”
Adam smirked but shouts came from outside.
He uncrossed his arms from over his chest and started across the room.
“What’s going on?” Tate asked.
Adam went to the window and pulled the curtain to the side.
“I don’t know,” he said glancing down on the street in front of the hotel.
I saw the gun sticking out of the back of his jeans and wondered if I could grab it. Get out of the hotel and find Cash.
I was thinking of different scenarios and my chances of fighting with only one gun when Adam dropped the curtain back in place and walked over to where Tate and I stood.
“You want to see Cash?” he asked, staring down at me.
“Yes! So he’s okay? He’s alive? Let’s go now!” I turned around to leave, desperate to see him, but Adam grabbed my arm.
“It’s not going to be that easy. You’ll have to do what I say and play along.”
I nodded. “Okay, I will.”
Adam studied me a second then pushed past me to go to the door. He stopped when the handle rattled.
“Shit,” he swore under his breath. He looked back at Tate. “Kid, keep quiet and keep your cool. No sudden moves.”
The door opened and Frankie walked in. Behind him was Paul and the big, skin-head that had kicked Cash again and again in front of the cabin.
Frankie’s eyes – so hard and cold – landed on us from beneath his tightly-drawn brows.
I shrunk back, happy Adam was taller than Tate and me both. Paul gave me the chills but there was something about Frankie that was just plain evil. He had the look of a man who had no qualms about taking a life or destroying a future. A man that seemed to be looking to prove he had power.
“Adam,” he said in way of a greeting, not surprised at all to see his number one soldier in the room with us.
“Frankie.” Adam gave a short nod but didn’t move.
Frankie glanced past him to me. “Cat, is it?”
“Meow,” Paul said with a grin, giving me a wink.
Frankie’s hand snapped up, quieting Paul. The shadows under his sunken cheekbones deepened as he frowned at me.
He had lost weight since the last time I had seen him and looked like he had lost sleep too. Dark circles surrounded his eyes and the lines in his forehead were more pronounced.
He rubbed a hand over his whiskered jaw and strolled over to the bed, leaving Paul and Skin-Head to guard the door.
“I’m feeding you,” he said, glancing down at the untouched food left on the tray. “Clothing you. Providing a bed and shelter for you.” He rubbed the dress between his thumb and finger. “I’m giving you hospitality that most people would kill for.”
He let go of the dress and looked up at me. “I’ve been thinking about how you could repay me.”
Chills broke out across my skin. His gaze moved up and down my body, not like a man who wanted me. Like a man assessing my potential.
Tate took a step forward but I put a hand on his arm, stopping him. No way would I let my little brother fight my battle. This was between me and Frankie.
“Let my friends go and I’ll do anything you want,” I said, meeting his eyes, suddenly calm and sure of what I was saying. “Just let them walk past those walls and I’m yours.”
Adam stared at me like I was insane. I ignored him, never breaking eye contact with Frankie. Something told me he respected courage and I had tons of it if it meant Cash and my brother would go free.
The expression on Frankie’s face didn’t give anything away but he looked over me carefully. “Hmm,” he said, glancing down my body, assessing what I offered.
I stood tall, letting him look his fill. I had used men for my own selfish reasons before. He could use me for Tate, David, and Cash’s lives now.
“Men. This lady is the epitome of brave,” he said in a boisterous tone, pointing at me as he walked back across the room. “Take note, gentlemen. You could learn something from her.” He looked at me and smiled. “You got a deal, lady.”
Paul grinned and made licking motions at me with his tongue. Adam eased his hand near his gun and Tate stepped in front of me.
At the door, Frankie stopped and looked over his shoulder at Adam.
“Clean her up and take her to him. I’m going to enjoy this goodbye.”
Chapter Thirty
Cat
I smoothed down the dress. It hit me at the knees and hung on my body like a gown. The neckline was scooped and dipped below my collarbone. Tiny lace lined the edges, delicate against my body.
“You can do this, Cat,” I whispered to my reflection in the rusted mirror above the sink.
For a long time, I believed what people said about me – I was spoiled and selfish. I didn’t care about anyone and had a heart of ice. It helped me hide from reality but the blackout and war forced me to face the truth. I cared and was willing to die to protect those I loved.
At any costs.
That cost was about to come in the form of me turning myself over to Frankie. But first, Adam was taking me to see Cash. To say goodbye.
Taking a deep breath, I turned away from the mirror and slipped my feet into the ballet flats. “I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.”
I opened the door. Adam was standing right outside.
He turned and looked me up and down. “Ready?”
I wasn’t sure if I could trust him but he had saved me from Paul and Frankie. I nodded and stepped out of the bathroom. A single bulb lit up the hallway. Muted sounds came from outside. I followed Adam past the guard stationed at my room and down the hallway. My heart pounded harder and harder with each step. I could feel the guard staring holes into my back.
Adam stopped at a door halfway down the hallway marked number 3. He knocked once and waited, tense beside me.
The door flew open. Tate was standing there, his brown hair matted and dirty. He was lean and tall, on the verge of becoming a man but still a kid to me. I forgot about being nervous or scared. I would wear a ridiculous crown of daises and twirl around in circles for Frankie’s entertainment if he and Cash walked free.
“You two ready?” Adam asked Tate, his voice sharp.
“Wait. What?” I stammered, looking from him to Tate with confusion. Two?
“Hello, kiddo.”
I drew in a sharp breath. David!
I rushed past Adam and Tate into the room. The preacher was sitting on the bed. He climbed to his feet as I rushed toward him. His gray hair was sticking up all over and bruises marked his face.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” I muttered, throwing my arms around him and pressing my cheek against his warm, flannel shirt.
He wrapped his arm around me. “I’m glad you’re okay too.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling safe. When we first arrived at Hilltop, I thought David was the enemy.
He had smiled and welcomed us with opened arms but it hadn’t felt real. Just like with me, what others saw and believed wasn’t the truth. He had saved us. I would’ve died if he hadn’t dug the bullet out of me. I owed him my life and I was about to pay up.
“Sis, this is a bad idea,” Tate said, standing a few feet away. “I’m not just going to let you turn yourself over to Frankie. No way in fuckin’ hell. He’ll kill you.”
I let go of David and went over to my brother. Staring up into his eyes, I lied and told him what we both needed to hear.
“I’ll be okay, Tate. Don’t worry. Frankie will just keep me prisoner and maybe scare me a little bit. I’ll get out after a few days and find you.”
He shook his head, blinking against the sudden wetness in his eyes. “No, he’ll kill you, Cat. I know he will.”
I took a step closer and grabbed the front of his shirt. “Listen to me, Tate. Get Cash and get out of town. Find Keely and Gavin. I’ll find you, I promise. Trust me.”
He shook his head and backed away, swiping angrily at his eyes. “Fuck, Cat. You can’t ask me to do this and you know Cash will never leave you.”
“Cash won’t have a say,” Adam interjected from the shadows of the room.
I looked over at him. His face was set in stone. The gun in his belt gleamed in the moonlight.
“We need to go. All of us,” he said, uncrossing his arms and striding toward me. “It’s time.” He grabbed my upper arm and dragged me toward the door.
“Stay close,” I said to Tate over my shoulder. “And remember to go when it’s time. Don’t look back and don’t fight. Just go. Promise me, Tate!”
He nodded and looked away, mumbling, “Yeah. Whatever.”
I felt panic. He wasn’t going to do it. I could hear the stubbornness in his voice.
Adam didn’t give me time to argue.
“Do what I say and everyone will get through this in one piece,” he muttered, grasping my upper arm tight and tugging me through the doorway like I was a prisoner.
I didn’t resist. I had agreed to this and there was no going back.