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“Wait, weren’t you with her?” Gage asked.

“How long have you known about this plan?”

“Five minutes. Answer the question.”

Great. Brett might not have friendly feelings for Gage, but he didn’t want to be the one to pass along the news. “Hadley was with her.”

“Is she okay?” Gage didn’t even try to hide the panic in his voice.

That was genuine concern. No doubt about it. If Gage could care about a woman he’d known for a week, how much more did he care about his sister?

“Yes, she seemed okay when I talked to her.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. She was upset about the wreck and Thea, but she said she was okay.”

Gage was silent for a moment.

“Buddy, they took Thea. Remember what they did to her? I promise Hadley has help on the way, but Thea is much worse off right now. Focus.”

“I’ll take care of Thea, but if you’re headed this way, you better have a lot of backup.”

Brett glanced at Linc. “I have one guy, but I’m pretty sure he counts as three.”

Gage sighed. “Is that all? I thought you said you had friends.”

“The police are on the way too. Just tell me how to get in.”

Chapter25

Thea

Thea focused on keeping her breaths even as the zip ties bit into the thin skin of her wrists. Each inhale ended in a sharp pain in her side.

What if she’d reinjured her lung? The possibility of medical care was slim, and Cain and Bruce didn’t seem to care if she was injured. They’d done this to her.

The strap of fabric stretched across her mouth and tied behind her head was a minor discomfort compared to the stabbing in her side.

Focus. Paying attention was the only thing she could do, and whatever chance she had of getting out of this might depend on spotting a small life saver.

It hadn’t taken long to figure out where they were going. Bruce’s garage had been a pile of junk when she was younger, but she hadn’t seen the place in years. Still, she knew these roads and trees like the back of her hand.

With her eyes open, she prayed–begged for help.

Lord, help me. I don’t know what kind of help I need, but please help.

And Hadley. Please let her be okay.

Cain had dragged Thea out of the car before she’d had a chance to find out if her friend was injured. Now, the uncertainty was enough to break her. Was she well enough to call for help? What if she was pinned in and couldn’t reach her phone?

Once again, Thea found herself without that lifeline. It had been in the car, but that was no help to her now.

The truck slowed and turned into the parking lot of Howard Small Diesel Engine Repair. Somehow, the place looked fifty years older instead of five. The dark metal of the building stood out like night against the bright light of day. The two bay doors were open, and one man was bent over, looking under the hood of a truck.

Thea pulled against the restraints on her hands, but she was only successful in forcing the plastic deeper into her wrists. When they let her out, maybe she could make enough noise to attract attention.

Bruce parked the truck behind the building, and both men got out. Cain opened the back door and grabbed her arm. He pulled, sending her falling onto her side across the seat.