This time only an eighteen-wheeler trailed them down the exit ramp. The truck stop was much busier, with three sets of gas pumps, a large shop that boasted showers for truckers, and a dine-in restaurant.
“I’ll top off the fuel tank,” Hannah told the girl.
If she had to stop she wanted to make sure they didn’t have to again anytime soon. She pulled alongside the pumps, satisfied that no one had followed them off the interstate. The shop door was well in her view. She nodded to Amanda, giving her permission, then watched the girl. For someone who had to pee, Hannah thought she sure was taking her sweet time, doing more looking than hurrying.
56
Amanda couldn’t believe how paranoid the woman was. She was driving her crazy. It was bad enough that she had to wear these stupid clothes, but she swore she’d scream if she had to spend another four hours in the car with her.
Granted, the woman had fed her well. And she had actually been pretty good to her. She had even brought her antibiotics that made her stomach and throat feel better. Plus, the woman hadn’t asked her to do anything weird or… Until today, she hadn’t asked Amanda to do anything.
Amanda pretty much figured she’d need to change her looks if she ever wanted to go out into the world again and didn’t want Zapata finding her. That woman had eyes everywhere. And she was a spiteful old woman. She’d be pissed as hell with Amanda. No telling what she would do. And suddenly Amanda felt like she was being watched. Silly, really. Hannah’s paranoia was probably wearing off on her. She’d seen how easily Lucía had been replaced. No way Zapata cared what happened to her.
Amanda crisscrossed the aisles to a hallway underneath the RESTROOM sign at the back of the store. No one paid much attention to her. Of course they didn’t. She looked like a total nerd in this outfit. She was used to men at least noticing her. The new haircut and color made her look older and more mature, but the wardrobe canceled out any of the haircut’s benefits.
As she made her way down the hall, she glanced back. Maybe there was some advantage to not being noticed, to being sort of invisible. Maybe she would be able to have a real life after all.
She found the door for the women’s restroom at the end of the hallway. Just as she put her hand up to push the door open, someone grabbed her from behind. An arm came around her waist as a hand came over her mouth. Before she realized what was happening, she was being pulled back into a dark closet.
She tried to struggle, tried to kick, but no one was even close by to see or hear her feet stomp against the now closed door. Then suddenly she could smell him — his greasy hair gel mixed with his sweat.
Leandro.
“I love your sexy new hair,” he whispered in her ear.
“How? How did you even find me?”
“You did not think I would forget about you, did you? Remember, I told you whenever you listen to your music, I would be there with you.”
He let her turn around to face him. Her eyes started to adjust in the dark. He still gripped her wrists and pulled her against him. He kissed her on the lips, slow and gentle like a lover.
And Amanda kissed him back.
57
Hannah went in to pay for the gas and picked up a couple of cans of soda, only because it took her to the back refrigerators. She glanced down the hallway to the restrooms, then checked for other exits. There was only one. It was in the opposite corner and it was an emergency exit. So the girl would have to leave through the front of the store.
She wasn’t sure that she cared if Amanda sneaked away. But Ryder cared, and he had entrusted Hannah with her safety. She browsed and picked up a few more items, then paid and went back outside to the car. Then she sat and watched the front door to the store.
Ten minutes later, Amanda came out, her face flushed. Hannah wondered if the girl had gotten sick.
“You okay?” she asked when she climbed in and busied herself with the seat belt.
“I’m okay.”
“Took long enough.”
“I got my period.”
“Oh, okay. Did you want me to buy some pads or tampons for you?”
“No, I… I got one from the machine in the restroom.”
She was lying. Hannah’s two little boys were better liars than this girl. But she wasn’t sure why she’d lie about a thing like that. Maybe Amanda had thought there would be a back door, and when she realized she couldn’t escape or come up with a better plan, she had to deal with the fact that she’d have to get back in the car.
Hannah didn’t bother figuring it out. They were stuck with each other. The sooner they got back on the road, the sooner she could rest, at least for a while.
Traffic was still busy, but Hannah knew I-10 would be like this all the way to Biloxi. She kept in her lane, drove the speed limit, and paid little attention to the cars zooming past her. Her fingers were tight on the steering wheel but not clenched. As she approached the first bridge, she didn’t notice the black SUV coming up alongside her. Vehicles had come and gone for the past hour. But when he stayed beside her for too long, Hannah did glance over. The young man grinned at her as if that was exactly what he had been waiting for. And then, without warning, she saw him pull his steering wheel hard to the right.
The first crunch shoved Hannah’s car. She held on, even though it pushed her vehicle onto the shoulder. She took her foot off the gas pedal but the car was still going too fast. Her first instinct was to brake and brake hard, but she knew that might roll the car.
“What’s happening?” Amanda yelled.
“Hold on,” she told her, but even as she prepared for the second hit, it rammed the car so hard the steering wheel spun out of her hands.
She grabbed on again and pulled to the left, only to be met with another crash of metal. This time it sent her car off the highway. Both of Hannah’s feet were riding the brake as her vehicle plunged over the guardrail and kept flying.
58
Creed found Andy stopped in the middle of her training session with Chance. He was bringing her a glass of iced tea. She had messaged him earlier to come see the progress she had made.
The big German shepherd stared at him but stayed seated without Andy telling him to. The fact that the dog didn’t want to rip out Creed’s throat was impressive in itself, and he was surprised to see him so quiet.
“He’s calm.”
As soon as Andy turned to face him, he could see that she was not. Her eyes and nose were red. She’d been crying and was still holding her cell phone at arm’s length. Creed guessed it was the source of her upset.
Before he could ask, she said, “There’s been an accident. Actually, I don’t even know if it was an accident.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Hannah and Amanda. Someone ran them off the road.”
Creed squeezed the glass of iced tea so hard it burst in his hand. Shards flew. Several stabbed into his flesh. Chance jumped up and barked.
“Chance, sit!” Andy told him, and immediately he complied, though now he panted, anxious and watching. “Creed, you’re bleeding.”
“What happened? Are they…?”
“No, they’re not dead. But both are in critical condition. Some guy in a black SUV rammed into them. Witnesses said he didn’t even stop.”
They stared at each other, neither one needing to say what they both knew may have happened.
Against Creed’s better judgment, Hannah had insisted they tell their senior employees about Amanda and how she had come to them. Hannah said they deserved to know, and it would help to have them watching for anything out of the ordinary happening on the property. Now Creed was grateful that he didn’t need to explain his deepest fear, because Andy already knew.