His hissed a string of curses away from the phone before asking quickly, “Why did you think we were at the station?”

“On one of the screens, there’s a video, and it looks like he’s sitting outside one. It’s showing a normal building across the street, but there are three APD cruisers in front of it.”

“Thank God. Okay, babe, listen to me. I’m going to call some people so everyone else will be safe in case Blake catches wind of us coming there. But try to keep yourself safe. We’ll be there soon, okay?”

“Kash, please listen to me. It’s not a good i— Oh, shit.”

“What, what?!”

“All the screens just stopped their live feed!” I hissed, and looked wildly around the room as I stood up and backed myself into the corner.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean it’s just a bunch of screens with flowers on them! Oh my God, what if something happens? I won’t even know now. This is my fault.”

“Flowers. Rach, did you say flowers?” I was still chanting over and over again that this was my fault, so he spoke louder, “What flowers, Rachel?!”

“It’s just a bouquet of these flowers.”

“What kind?” I heard his truck accelerate and wanted to know why flowers were so damn important right now when I couldn’t see what was happening to my family!

“Why does—”

“Just tell me!”

“They’re those—I can’t remember what they’re called. They’re white and reddish, pinkish . . .” Dear Lord, is this how people feel on Jeopardy!? “Oh! Carnations!”

“Son of a bitch. Rachel, get the f**k out of the house and run. Baby, do you hear me? Run! I will find you and I will make sure you’re safe. Just get out of the goddamn house!”

“But why?”

“I’ll tell you later, don’t grab anything, just go!”

The fear in his voice finally caught up to me and without another thought, I took off out of the room. The door was already open, and my feet had barely touched the grass outside when I was yanked back by my hair. A cry of pain clawed its way out of my throat and I landed hard on my hip. I searched for my phone in the grass around me but came up empty. I screamed for help as Blake began dragging me back into the house by my hair and prayed that Kash was close.

“I’m disappointed in you, sweetheart.”

“Please, let me go!” I grabbed on to the wrist of the hand that was holding my hair and tried to pull myself closer, but he yanked my hands off and continued dragging me toward the bed.

“You really think I would leave you alone and not be near the door? How stupid do you think I am?” He laughed softly. “I’m not an amateur.”

My mind raced. Amateur?

He tsked softly. “My mother will be so upset when she gets the news. I was this close to letting everyone live to see the morning. For a second there, you almost made me proud with your responses to your little friend.” He yanked harder when we got to the bed. “Get up.”

I did as I was told and the relief of his letting go of my hair was enough to make me sigh.

“Tell me something, sweetheart. Do you want your friends to live?”

“Yes!”

“And you’re willing to do . . . what? To have me call off my boys.”

“Anything! I told you, anything. Just please don’t hurt them, and I need to know before that they’re okay!”

He pulled a remote out of his pocket and instantly the dimly lit bouquet disappeared and the live feed was back on each screen. The one that had been in front of what I’d assumed was the police station was now sitting as a dash cam and the driver was weaving in and out of traffic on the highway.

“Now, lie down. Grab the center bar of the headboard.”

I whimpered as I crawled onto the middle of the bed. I can do this. I can do this. For Kash and the Jenkins family. I can do this.

As soon as I was lying down and holding on, Blake was grabbing handcuffs out of the nightstand and handcuffed my wrists to the wrought-iron headboard.

I can do this. I can do this.

Another set of cuffs went to my left ankle, securing it to the foot of the bed, and the last to my right.

I can’t do this. Holy shit, I can’t do this. My body was trembling by the time Blake stretched his fully clothed body on top of mine and pressed his mouth firmly to my own.

“I waited, Rachel. I waited until you were old enough. I wasted my time looking for girls who came even remotely close to looking like you.” His hand brushed through my hair as he studied it. “Long legs. Long, straight, near-black hair. Eyes the exact color of sapphires.” A heavy sigh left him and his forehead creased. “But none of them were you. None of them had your temper; none of them had your fire for life. So none of them deserved to have your beauty.”

“Like Jenn.” I realized it with dread and watched his face twist with a look of disgust.

“Everything I’ve done up until this point has been for you and our future together. I only wish,” he said against my lips, “that you would stop being so goddamn difficult.” Suddenly he was off me and the bed and rummaging through the nightstand drawer again.

He fastened a gag around my mouth and as soon as I began wondering what kind of sick things Blake really was into, he began pulling knives and different-looking blades out as well. Once everything was sitting on top of the nightstand, he grabbed a pair of keys out of his pocket and unlocked the cabinet door of the nightstand. Standing slowly, I saw the vase of carnations that had been on the screens and he smiled widely at me. Like he was proud of something.