He chuckled nastily, glancing at Gigi before standing.
“That’s your plan for her, too?” I gasped, squeezing her in my arms. I would let him kill me before I’d let him take her away for some pervert.
“Yeah. That’s the plan. Now I know why you’re a teacher. It’s ’cause you’re so smart.”
I looked down at her. There was no way for her to understand what we were talking about. She was too young. But she’d understand all too soon if I didn’t do something about it.
“What are they gonna do to me, Jamie?” she whispered.
“Don’t worry about it, sweetie.” I kissed the top of her head, then climbed up onto the bed with her in my arms. “He won’t touch you.”
It was a promise I didn’t think I could keep, and it terrified me.
The Scarecrow left the room, stepping outside. I heard him talking on the phone and strained my ears to hear what he said. Nothing was clear. He watched us through the window, so there was no way to get to my phone. I was afraid to make a move.
I looked around for a weapon. Something, anything. There wasn’t even an antenna on the ancient TV. I leaned over Gigi, one eye on the door, to open the nightstand drawer. A Bible—ironic, but nothing that could help me fight him. I had nothing. Only my fists and my feet. I would use them.
Gigi was shaking, crying. “Honey, it’s gonna be okay. Don’t you worry about it. You have to be brave now.”
“But Erica. He killed her.” She laid her head on my shoulder and wept.
“Why do you say that, sweetie?”
“He hit her. She had blood all over.”
I closed my eyes, gritting my teeth. “What happened?” I whispered.
“We were playing checkers, just her and me, and he came in.”
“Nobody else was around?”
“No. Traci went home. Everybody else was playing cards in the other room, with the door closed. Erica told them to close the door ’cause they were using bad words.”
“Then what happened?”
“She jumped up and screamed, and he hit her. She punched him and kicked at him, and she told me to run away and get help. He hit her again, and she was bleeding. I didn’t wanna leave her.” She wept, almost convulsing with the strain of her grief.
“It’s okay. It’s okay.” I rocked her, trying to soothe her. “She might have been knocked out, you know? That’s all. I don’t think she was killed.”
“Then he took me. I tried to scream, but he had his hand over my mouth. He put me in his car and I screamed and screamed, but nobody heard me.”
“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry. I should’ve been there with you.” And what had I been doing? Eating cereal with my feet on the coffee table. Wondering if I ever had to go back there at all. Meanwhile, Erica was fighting tooth and nail to keep Gigi safe, and it still didn’t matter. He might very well have killed her for all I knew. And I was watching TV. I’d never forgive myself for not being there.
I fought the tears that threatened to overwhelm me, telling myself she couldn’t see me cry. I didn’t want her to see me fall apart like that. I had to be strong for her.
“What’s he gonna do?” she whispered.
“I don’t know,” I answered, lying. I thought she could tell I was lying, but she was too good a kid to call me on it. She always thought of other people’s feelings, the poor thing. I couldn’t let it all go down like it was. I had to think of a way out. She needed a chance in life. I couldn’t let her become just another lost little girl.
The door opened, and The Scarecrow leered at us. His nearly yellow hair stuck up in all directions, reminding me of straw. I wondered if that was where he got his name, or if he styled himself to fit his branding. I almost laughed, it was all so surreal.
“I wouldn’t smile if I was you,” he sneered.
I scowled instead. “Better?”
“Yeah, better, wiseass bitch.”
“Could you not use language like that in front of her, please.” I held her tighter still, my hand over her ear.
He laughed. “She’s gonna hear a lot worse than that soon.”
I shuddered. Her little heart raced so fast. Her body trembled.
“My man is an hour away, maybe more. Held up on some other job. He’s on his way, though.”
My heart leaped, a spark of hope kindling there. More than an hour. That was more than enough time for Lance to find us. He would. He had to. That was the only solution.
I eyed The Scarecrow up. He was a big man—not as big as Lance, but big enough to overpower me in an instant. I didn’t have to think hard to remember the strength of his hands, seeing as how I could feel the soreness in my muscles. I was sure there would be bruises left behind. I would have to try to fight him if I could, if it came down to that. Otherwise, Lance was our only hope.