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I just don’t know why.

“Why today?”

“Ian is getting close.”

“They work together.”

“They do, but your dad always keeps people at arm’s length. Ian was weaseling his way into your dad’s business, as well as into your heart.”

“I’m not in love with Ian.”

“You’ve fucked him. In your dad’s book, that’s the same thing.”

“My dad couldn’t know...” I let my voice fade away. Of course, my dad knows. He knew the moment Ian walked me back into the party. I guess I just really wanted to pretend my father had turned a blind eye to all of that.

Georgetta walks to the window and uses one finger to pull back the edge of the dusty black curtain. At least, it used to be black. It’s more of a messy grey now. She peers out, watching. Waiting. Someone could come find us at any moment. We both know this.

Only, I’m dreading it.

Georgetta looks like she’s holding out hope. She’s holding out hope that someone is going to come save us – a hero, maybe. Not me. For me, my hope died the same time my dad walked away.

Georgetta turns away from the window and walks back over to me. “You got hurt. You should rest.”

“It’s not. I’m fine.”

We were both grazed by bullets. Either the assholes working at the mansion today were shitty shots or they let us go. Either way, I’m not going to complain about a little flesh wound. I’ll be sore and tender for a couple of days, but it’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before.

“Sit down on the bed, Rose. There’s something else you need to know.”

Something in her voice tells me not to argue anymore.

“They can’t know we’re here, right?”

“Your dad doesn’t know,” she nods.

“Ian’s going to be pissed I didn’t go to work today,” I whisper. I was supposed to steal a phone for him. He asked me to, and I promised to make it happen. I think that’s part of the reason this whole situation bugs me so much. It took away my ability to do anything for myself. I haven’t had the chance to talk to Ian and explain that my dad tried to get rid of me. I haven’t been able to let anyone at work know that I’ll need my shift covered. It’s too late for all of that, anyway.

“Ian’s going to come here,” she finally blurts out. Her hands flutter to her mouth. She’s almost as shocked as I am.

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Ian told me last night that your dad was planning something fucked up,” she tells me. “He warned me. Gave me this.” She holds up a tiny black phone. It’s a flip-phone, like from years ago.

“A burner phone?”

“Yeah,” she nods. “He’s the one who told me to pack a couple of bags to keep us safe until he could come for us.”

“None of this makes any sense.” Why would Ian know my dad was planning something? Ian works with my dad, yeah, but my father doesn’t exactly trust him. Georgetta doesn’t have to explain anything else, though because a moment later we see the beam of headlights through the motel room curtains.

“That has to be him.” She walks toward the door but stops just short of it. She shakes her head and walks back over to the bed. “We’d better be sure,” she whispers. “We don’t want any surprises.”

No, we certainly don’t.

At this point, I’m trying to figure out what’s going to happen with my dad. He’s going to figure out where I’ve gone eventually. The woods beyond his property aren’t that big. If he thinks I’m going to just give up and come home, he’s dead wrong. He’ll probably wait. He’ll try to keep things quiet and low. Then eventually, he’ll allow for the search to widen.

He’ll be discreet, though.

My father won’t want anyone to know that he, Mr. Amato, allowed his daughter and her former nanny to escape.