I’ve missed her so much these past two days. I just want our life back. I’ll do anything she wants—anything. If she’s determined to have this baby, I’m not going to stand in her way anymore. I don’t even want to think about it, but if these do turn out to be her final days here on earth, there’s no way we’re spending them apart. I’ll never be able to live with myself if that stupid fight of ours turns out to be the last time I ever talk to her, the last time I ever see her.
I love her too damn much. That can’t be it. It can’t be.
The full weight of what I stand to lose hits me dead-on. I take a few short breaths as my chest starts to tighten. I have to pull myself together. The taillights of Lauren’s car are already fading in the distance. She’s not going the same way as last night. This might be my chance.
I coast through the stop signs one by one. There’s no one out on a frigid night like this. Everyone’s already hunkered down into hibernation mode, thanks to the early snowstorm. The thermometer on the gas station indicates that it’s well below freezing. I pull the ski mask sitting on top of my head securely over my face. I feel like a Navy SEAL deployed on a special-ops mission. I’m a lover, not a fighter, but kidnap the woman I love and I swear there’ll be hell to pay.
I don’t care if Lauren said that it was consensual. Once she took Ivy to whatever safe house she’s holding her at, where else could Ivy go? She’s a captive, no matter how Lauren tries to gloss it over. Ivy’s only there because she doesn’t have a choice. That doesn’t make her someone’s houseguest. It makes her a prisoner.
Lauren’s turn signal is blinking as she brakes to make a left. That’s weird. She’s heading onto Route 275. There’s nothing out there except abandoned farmland. I don’t even think anyone lives in the boondocks anymore. After the last recession, the majority of the farmers on this stretch went belly-up. They had already been in debt thanks to three consecutive years of drought, and they’d had no choice but to call it quits, getting next to nothing per acre in order to settle their affairs with the bank.
I’ve heard of a few holdouts still trying to make a go of it, but not many. Why would Lauren be coming all the way out here? Fear clenches my stomach when I think about the possibilities. What if she has Ivy in one of the vacant homesteads? There’s no heat, no water, no electricity, probably no cell phone reception. Maybe Ivy’s been trying to call me but hasn’t been able to.
My heart starts to pound. Where did Lauren take her? Despite my better judgment, I turn off my headlights and start to accelerate, gaining on Lauren’s Mercedes. The road is narrow with snow piled high on either side. It’s been plowed, but forget about it being two lanes. The dividing line is running smack between my tires. If someone’s driving in the opposite direction, there’s simply no room from them to pass.
But it also means Lauren’s trapped. She can’t turn around and get away. I’m blocking her means of escape. She’ll have to run me off the road in order to get by me. And Ben’s F-150 packs a lot of muscle. She doesn’t stand a chance.
I run my gloved hand nervously up and down my thigh. This could be it. It might all be over soon. I could be bringing Ivy home tonight.
I’m a car length behind Lauren as she starts to slow down. There’s a house up ahead. Jackpot. I try to suppress a grin as Lauren makes her approach. I haven't smiled in days. I'd almost forgotten what it feels like. I hold back a little and watch as Lauren makes the ascent leading up to the house without any hesitation, her tires not even slipping on the densely packed snow.
But here’s the dilemma. Do I follow her up there? Does she know I’ve been tailing her the whole way? This has to be where she’s keeping Ivy. It’s isolated. It’s dilapidated. It’s the last place on earth I’d ever think to look. Quite simply, it’s the perfect hiding spot.
Screw it. I’m cold. I’m tired. I have to see Ivy. This ends tonight. I swing onto the snow-covered lane, making the turn too fast and nearly losing control. I let the steering wheel skim through my hands as I take my foot off the accelerator. I swerve, coming within inches of ramming into a snowdrift. Ben was already nervous about lending me his truck. Damn it. I can’t get stuck out here. I need to get Ivy home and out of this shack. Christ, it looks like some of the windows are even boarded up.
I take it nice and easy, scanning the property for any signs of life. I don’t see Lauren’s car. She must have driven around the back. I don’t know if I should get out and try the front door or confront Lauren now and get it over with.