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“Don’t skimp on the ammo.”
It’s about to be war.
Chapter 3
Who Is This Girl?
MEGAN
I’ve been through a lot of pain in my life, both physically and mentally but if I don’t get out of this car soon, I’m going to break. My is pounding like there’s a swarm of bees inside my head. And I’m so nauseous, I feel like I want to die. I’m sure part of it is the new life growing inside of me but another part is that I’m locked inside a moving piece of steel and fiberglass with people that I literally hate including now, Naomi.
I stare daggers into her beady little eyes hoping she can feel every bit of the malice I’m projecting her way. While I realize that she couldn’t physically protect me from this abduction, she didn’t do much to stop it either. She’s just sitting solemnly in her seat, staring out the window, like a child who’s been scolded and is now trying their very best to “behave” for Daddy.
“You look a little green around the gills, Miss Taylor,” her slimy father notices, his pot belly threatening to pop the buttons of his collared shirt. “Eddie has a small can of ginger ale in the front if you’d like. We always keep a stash.”
Creepy-ass Eddie gives me a grin in the rearview mirror, flashing one of his gold-capped canine teeth.
“Ginger ale isn’t going to cure what ails me.”
“Trust me, I know what morning sickness looks like. My dear Patricia, God rest her soul, suffered from it with each pregnancy, especially with my sweet Josephine.” He pats Naomi on her knee.
“There’s more of you?” I ask, looking directly at her, never knowing that Naomi had siblings.
“Didn’t she tell you?” Her father gloats. “She has two big brothers.”
I try not to react and am annoyed that I’m surprised by his revelation at all. Of course, she has brothers. There are probably a million other things that I don’t know about my friend. What on earth has Naomi got me into?
Suddenly I think about Hunter.
God, I miss him.
I’d give anything to be enveloped in his strong arms right now.
I can’t imagine what he must be thinking. I didn’t leave our place on good terms. I was emotional. Angry. He probably thinks I’ve walked out on him or maybe he thinks I’m an ungrateful brat and am never coming back. Is he even looking for me?
My emotions shift.
He should be.
Part of this is his fault.
He knew Naomi was lying to me and kept it from me way longer than he should have. Maybe I wouldn’t be in this predicament if he’d just told me the truth. At best, I could have helped her come up with a plan to leave town and duck her father. At worst, I could have kicked her out for lying to me for almost two years.
Pfft, who am I fooling?
I would have never kicked her out.
“What are your brother’s names?” I ask her as she sinks further into her seat from what I hope is shame.
She looks at me with a blank stare. “The less you know the better, Megan.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Megan is practically family now. Her brothers’ names are Leo and Claude,” her father gushes with pride. “We named them after family members just like Josephine. We can trace half of our roots back to France, you know.”
“How nice for you,” I deadpan.
All of a sudden I wretch when Eddie swerves the car. I glare at him in the mirror and he snickers. The asshole did it on purpose.
“Ginger ale, please.” Naomi’s father snaps his fingers twice and Eddie hands him a can of Canada Dry which he then offers me.