Page 83 of Kiss of Deceit

“Yeah. She didn’t look happy, but she wasn’t scared.”

The words barely left her mouth before I was storming across the room. People moved out of the way, and I ripped open the door, stepping outside. Snow was falling lightly, and while footsteps were still visible, there were too many of them to know which ones were hers. I peered down the dark street.

“Dani?” I called out.

Only silence met me. My pulse sped up, dread coiling through me. I pushed the door back open, only to come face toface with Monty. He froze in his tracks, a sheepish smile on his lips.

“See you later,” he muttered, attempting to move around me.

Things began clicking together, and anger jolted down my spine. I lashed my hand out, wrapping my fingers around Monty’s throat, forcing him backward. His words were nothing but a choked gurgle when I squeezed harder. The crowd around us backed up, some gasps and murmurs being heard over the football games.

“Kole,” Monty managed to croak out, grabbing my wrist in a useless attempt to get me off him.

I slammed him onto the top of the closest table, glasses of alcohol shattering when they hit the floor. All the talking and conversations ceased as everyone surrounded us.

“You think you can distract me for your piece of shit friend and get away with it?” I asked, my voice low. “Where did he take Dani?”

Monty shook his head, his face turning red. “I didn’t?—”

“I swear on fucking everything, you won’t leave this bar alive,” I threatened, meaning every single word. Giving him a chance to answer, I loosened my hold on his throat.

“You can’t kill me,” he screamed hoarsely, struggling beneath me. “There are rules in this town?—”

I cut him off with a cold laugh. “Rules?”

“Harry,” he yelled, trying to crane his neck to find the person he thought would save him. “He’s the sheriff. It’s his job.”

I lifted my gaze, finding Harry in the crowd. “You gonna stop me, Sheriff?”

Annoyance filled his eyes as he took another swig of his drink. “I don’t see shit.”

“Anyone else?” I asked loud enough for everyone to hear.

Not a single person answered. Panic swarmed Monty’s features when he realized no one was coming to his rescue.

“I’m not a fucking rat,” he spat out, kicking at me. “Tristin is my friend.”

I shook my head in mock disappointment. “Fine.” Using my free hand, I reached into my pocket and flicked open my pocketknife. Monty’s struggles intensified when I showed him the blade.

“Kole, please,” he cried out.

“You can be a living rat or a dead friend.” I pressed the knife against his cheek. “Your choice. But if you don’t tell me where she is, you’re going to fucking suffer.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

dani

“Move,”Tristin ordered, jamming the barrel of the shotgun harder into my spine.

I trudged through the snow, my hands in my jacket, my fingers wrapped around the small blades I had in each pocket. Tristin didn’t search me before forcing me at gunpoint into the woods, making me wonder if he really thought this through. His friend, Leon, was walking beside me, not saying a word as we went deeper into the forest. From the way he was swaying, he wasn’t sober, but it was clear he wasn’t as drunk as he’d been acting at the bar.

My heart was pounding furiously at being trapped in this situation, but I wasn’t panicked. I was almost getting Déjà vu from when Lucas marched me out here. Though when he did it, that had been on my terms. Tristin took me by surprise tonight. At the bar, he’d told me that Susan wanted me back at the clinic. In my annoyance, I hadn’t even considered that he was lying. Probably because Susan knew of my past. She held my future in her hands—meaning if she wanted me back at work at nine at night, I would have went.

“What do you want?” I asked, eyeing Leon.

I didn’t have the energy to pretend to be scared. There was nothing that could touch the fear I had this morning when I looked out the café window. I was still going back and forth about whether I really saw my attacker or not. Then I had to spend all day with Susan, and she was making me miss Natalie. I was fucking exhausted. Dealing with Tristin was the last thing I wanted to do.

“Monty should have caught up to us by now,” Leon said, nerves coating his voice.