Don't Tell (48 page)

He nodded, resolutely blinking his tears away and Caroline felt her heart tumble. „You’re a brave boy. I’ll make sure I tell your daddy how very brave you’ve been. Now I’m going to move away from you. I have to hurry.“ She touched the top of his red head. „Courage, Nicky.“

She’d just made it back to the window when the door opened and Rob appeared, red-eyed, his hair tangled, his cheeks dark with stubble. His red eyes widened, then narrowed. „You little bitch.“ He chuckled. „Trying to escape?“ He strode across the room, grabbed her arm. Smiled when she winced. „I bet you think you’re pretty smart, although I must admit you’re smarter than I thought.“ He twisted his hand in her hair and yanked her head back, exposing her throat. „But don’t let it go to your head, Mary Grace. I thought you were dumber than a post Now, maybe you’ve matched the post. This little escape stunt of yours shows just how little you considered the consequences of your actions.“ He tightened his fingers in her hair. „Because there will be consequences.“

She said nothing. Schooled her face to be as expressionless as possible. Once more he yanked her hair and she winced. Satisfied, he smiled, a mere baring of yellow teeth. Then, as if he’d just remembered the boy’s presence, Rob whipped his head to the left to stare at Nicky. After a beat Caroline allowed her eyes to follow, managing to hide her relief when the little boy stayed huddled in his little fetal ball. Rob relaxed and turned his eyes back to her.

„You can’t be quiet forever,“ he murmured silkily. „At some point you’ll talk to me.“ He ran his finger down her throat, ending in the valley between her breasts. She couldn’t help it, couldn’t control the shudder of revulsion. He smiled again, a horrific sight. „Wife.“

And without further comment, he grabbed her around her waist and hauled her body off the ground and under his arm, as if she were no more than a sack of potatoes. A few steps took them into the bedroom. A kick of his foot sent the door slamming shut.

Her heart lodged in her throat and she shoved it back. Knowing what would come next made it all the more terrifying. He would rape her, like he raped Evie. Like he’d raped her countless times during their marriage. It would hurt. She’d feel violated, ashamed. Emptied of her very self.

It would hurt. Oh, God, she prayed in her mind, please don’t let me scream. Please don’t let that little boy out there be more traumatized than he’s already been. Please don’t let me scream and give Rob the satisfaction of knowing he’s succeeded. Please.

Her body landed on the thin mattress where Rob tossed her, her left hip taking most of the impact as the bed frame seemed to cut through the mattress as if it was made of so much air.

Max. His face flashed against her clenched eyelids and it was almost more than she could bear. Where was he? Did he even know she was gone? And even if she managed to escape, would he want her after this? She could survive whatever came next, but could Max?

„Open your eyes, Mary Grace.“ Rob’s voice was breathy, heavy. The mattress at her side depressed as he sat beside her. Her stomach churned even as she kept her eyes clenched shut. The back of his hand against her jaw came as no real surprise, but still she flinched at the sharp pain, shrinking away from him. „You are still my wife,“ he snarled, grabbing her jaw and squeezing her cheeks. „One way or another you’ll stop defying me.“

He threw her face back to the hard mattress and Caroline forced her mind to blank.

* * *

Lambert brought the car to a stop. A dirt road lay before them, just off the badly paved „main“ road. There was a large boulder to the left of the entrance to the dirt road, just as Sue Ann had said.

Max glanced over his shoulder at Tom, sitting in the backseat, his blue eyes intently scanning the trees for any sign of his mother. For any sign of life at all. David had his hand on Tom’s back, offering silent support. Max cleared his throat. „Do you recognize this place, Tom?“

Tom nodded, not taking his eyes from the window. „I remember climbing on that rock. I didn’t want to.“ His lips thinned. „He said I had to. To prove I wasn’t a pussywimp. I almost fell off.“ He tilted his head. „It’s not as big as I remembered it, the rock. I wonder if he is. I wonder if he realizes I’m not as small as I used to be,“ he finished, his young voice gone hard and flat.

Max gritted his teeth. Somehow he’d thought it would get easier over time, dealing with Tom’s memories, but each one seemed to slice at his gut. Each memory was a blow Caroline had taken, biding her time until she could escape the sonofabitch monster. Just like she was probably doing right now. He became aware that the car had not moved. „What are you waiting for, Detective?“

Lambert stared straight ahead at the cabin, barely visible through the trees. Spring had arrived in this part of the country, young green leaves sprouting everywhere. They’d been lucky, Max thought Another few weeks and the leaf cover would have been too thick to see the cabin from the main road. They might have driven right by and missed it.

Lambert needlessly adjusted the dark sunglasses that hid his eyes. „I’m trying to decide if I want him to know I’m here or not,“ he answered and checked his watch. „And I’m wondering where my backup is. My lieutenant should have already been here with a half-dozen squad cars.“

„Caroline’s in there,“ Max said tightly. „He could be doing anything to her. You have to move now.“

Lambert turned to him and removed his glasses carefully. His eyes were sharp, alert, but void of any of the terrified urgency Max felt bubbling inside him. „I have to follow procedure, Dr. Hunter,“ he said calmly.

Max’s chest tightened, then the breath exploded out of him as the terror simply boiled over. „Fuck procedure! You can take your procedure – “

Lambert held up one hand. „I know what you’re going to say, but you need to understand. We have procedure for a reason. If I go in there half-cocked, I could get Mary Grace or Agent Thatcher’s son hurt, or worse. He’d have another hostage and then where would we be? You need to stay calm or I’ll have to restrain you. For the sake of the two innocent people in there, will you restrain yourself?“

Max clenched his jaw so hard his teeth hurt. „Yes.“

„Good.“ He got out of the car. „Stay here and for God’s sake don’t do anything stupid. I don’t want to worry about you three, too.“

Max waited until he’d disappeared into the trees before unfastening his seat belt. He could appreciate procedure and even Lambert’s sense of calm, but he knew Caroline was in there, suffering and he knew what he had to do. „David, keep Tom here. I don’t care if you have to tie him up.“ He turned in his seat, finding Tom glaring at him as he’d expected. „Your mother needs to find you safe here. Please, Tom, if you love your mother you’ll stay here with David.“

Tom’s eyes flashed, anger and hate and fear, all turbulently mixed. „And what about you?“

Max gripped the end of his cane. What about me? I love her, more than… He found himself swallowing the lump of emotion back down. I love her too much to let that animal terrorize her another minute. „If something happens to me, make sure you tell her none of the legalities matter. Tell her I would have done anything to have even one more day with her. Can you remember that?“

Tom stared at him another long second then shook his head and pulled on the handle of the door, stopping when David’s arms banded around him, holding him. Irritated, Tom tried to shrug David away, but David held tight. „Let go of me. That’s my mother in there!“

Max reached over the seat, trapping Tom’s jaw between his thumb and forefinger until the boy settled and met his gaze. „Do you honestly think you can persuade him to let her go? Think again, Tom. He’s killed. He will not simply give her up because you show up and demand it. What he’ll do is use you to make your mother do whatever he wants. Knowing you’re safely hidden away on your camping trip is the only thing she has to keep her going right now. Don’t give him another pawn to use against her.“ He squeezed Tom’s jaw. „Do you promise?“

Tom’s eyes raged as they held fast to Max’s, but in the end he gave a curt nod. „I promise.“

„Max, wait.“

Max paused, his hand on the door handle. He looked back at David’s worried face.

„I’ll go,“ David said, his arms still holding Tom, but more loosely now. For support instead of restraint. „The ground is rough.“

Max felt his heart turn over. His baby brother coming to his rescue yet another time. „Thanks, David, but this is my battle to fight. Caroline is mine. I need to get her back.“

Winters looked down at her, rage making his every muscle shake. A thin stream of blood ran from her lower lip down her chin. He’d teach her. He would.

She was his wife, goddammit. She was to obey him, to follow his orders. His hand trembled and he shoved it in his pocket and looked away from those eyes of hers. They were the eyes of a stranger, not of his wife. They defied him. Were not afraid of him. He looked away, anger making him clench his fists. He couldn’t look down at himself, couldn’t face the fact that he couldn’t…

For the first time in his life he couldn’t.

It was all her fault.

He’d been hard. Ready. Ready to pound into her, ready to punish her for making him look like a fool. For stealing his boy away. Ready to take what was legally his. Rightfully his. Morally his. Then she’d looked at him with… contempt. Icy, bitter contempt.

And then he couldn’t.

He’d taken some measure of revenge on her ugly face. No wonder he couldn’t. It was his body’s way of telling him she was way too ugly. She always had been.

A sound emerged from her and he yanked his eyes back to her face. Her lips were curved even as her blood trickled down.

She was laughing at him.

His fists clenched and he drew one back only to see the laughter fade, her blue eyes flicker with… triumph. He lowered his fist, narrowed his eyes. The bitch had lost her mind. She was encouraging him to hit her. Encouraging him to mark her face with his fists.

To mark her face.

Realization pricked at him, and with it a contempt for his own carelessness.

She looked at him, eyebrows raised over eyes he’d blackened with his fists. Her jaw was one big black bruise, her upper lip fat and crusted with blood, her lower lip still bleeding.

It would be at least a week before he could take her out in public.

At least a week before she could set the record straight and get Ross off his butt.

Goddammit. What was he thinking anyway, pummeling her face like that?

He drew a breath and let it out slowly. He had to stay in control. Control and cunning – that’s what made him untouchable by Ross and her petty investigations. He’d left behind no evidence that could connect him to any of the bodies he’d left behind even if anybody got smart enough to look, which they wouldn’t. He’d used a condom with Evie Wilson. He’d picked a hooker nobody would miss, and nobody saw him with the old man. As for the others… He made himself shrug, drawing reassurance from the gesture.

Nobody could ever know. Nobody would even guess he’d tossed Susan What’s-her-name off the bridge into the Tar River. Crenshaw. It was Susan Crenshaw. He couldn’t forget the details. Remembering the details was what made him better than Ross. Remembering the details was what would bring his boy back to him and get Mary Grace the punishment she deserved.

She was watching him, her eyes following his every movement. He would not allow her to shake him, to make him lose sight of his goal. He wouldn’t play her game. She’d play his. She’d lose. He’d win. He always won.

„You may think you’re pretty smart, Mary Grace,“ he said with an easy smile which broadened when her careful, contemptuous stare was shaken just a bit. „But I’m smarter. Don’t you forget that. I have to go into town. I’ll be gone awhile.“ He reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out the dwindling ball of twine. „Hands up.“ He threw her a mocking smile. „Please.“

Caroline refused to look at the flimsy door that separated the dirty bedroom from the dirtier front room. She needed to keep him here, keep him distracted so little Nicky would have the best chance of getting away. She hoped Nicky was an obedient child, as well as brave. She hoped he was out and walking, like she’d told him to do.

Rob had figured out, finally, that beating her face was counter to his immediate goal. Frankly, he’d figured it out faster than she’d thought. She mustn’t underestimate him. It could get her killed. It could get Nicky killed. It could get Tom a lifetime sentence with a brutal, sadistic monster.

„No.“ Her voice was hoarse from lack of use and lack of water. She clenched her hands and held them, knowing full well she could buy herself five or ten seconds, tops. Rob yanked her hands together. Five seconds, then. The twine bit deep into her raw flesh. She bit down to control the wince. At least he hadn’t raped her. Not yet. She’d bought herself a little time.

He threw her back down on the dirty mattress and dust rose in a thin cloud, then settled again.

„You won’t succeed, you know,“ she said as he took a step toward the door. „That cop? Ross? She’s onto you. The Chicago cops will know you’ve kidnapped me.“ She prayed she was right about that, that someone would find one of the notes she’d left behind in the dirty toilets they’d used on their journey from Chicago.

Rob’s eyes flared. „The Chicago cops couldn’t find then-way out of a paper bag, and as for Ross – she won’t be around much longer.“

Caroline swallowed, working enough moisture into her mouth to keep from sounding like a pitiful frog. „That’s good, Rob. Very good. The Chicago police are all blithering idiots because you say so, and you’ll kill Ross to get her out of your way. I’m glad you think the world will operate according to your specifications.“ She managed a tone of biting sarcasm despite the soreness in her throat. „You can kill them all, but that won’t get you a single inch closer to my son.“

That did it. His face turned a florid red and one fist clenched as the other grasped her by the collar and lifted her up off the bed. „You little bitch. You conniving whore. He’s my son – my son – and you’ll pay for stealing him from me.“ He dragged her to a straight-backed chair and shoved her into it. She stumbled, her hands and feet still bound. He lifted her bound hands over the back of the chair and roughly pushed them down until a whimper escaped from her throat at the pain in her shoulders. „You think you’re so smart, what with your university classes and your fancy degree.“ He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. Hard. He shook her until her ears roared and her head ached with new pain. Until her very teeth rattled in her head.