“About twenty minutes outside town. It’s a popular swimming hole for teens.”
The girls met their boyfriends up there in summer, sneaking around like they invented skinny-dipping.
We burst out the back of the store, and I didn’t bother locking up behind us. We climbed into my SUV, and I drove the exact posted speed limit to give the Kellies more time to hit us with some good news.
“What will we do when we get there?” Colby’s quiet voice rang clear in the silence.
“Not hand you over, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
A shiver rippled through her I pretended not to feel. “You love Camber and Arden too, so…”
“I do, but me and you?” I reached up to scratch her head. “We’re in this together.”
“Okay.” She nestled back down. “I believe you.”
“You better.” I glared at her in the rearview mirror. “Or I’ll have to spank your fuzzy butt.”
A teeny-tiny laugh escaped her, and it was good enough for me. The kid didn’t deserve this. She survived the Silver Stag, but she lost everything. Her life, her family, herself. She got stuck as a moth. For eternity. Now her very existence was a temptation to those who practiced dark arts.
It wasn’t fair to force her down memory lane, but life wasn’t fair. Never had been, never would be.
About ten minutes out, Asa’s phone rang, and we all held our collective breath.
“They have a general area,” he reported, then waited on the line. “They have a location, one mile east.”
“No wonder he didn’t bother concealing himself,” I muttered. “He was calling on his way to Tadpole.”
“Probably,” Clay agreed. “What’s our plan?”
“There’s no time for a plan.” Asa stared out his window. “We don’t even know who or what to expect.”
Hard to plan a strategy with so many unknowns up in the air. “We’ll wing it.”
Colby stomped several of her tiny feet on my head. “I hope that wasn’t a moth joke.”
As much as I wanted to smile at her attitude coming back to her, I couldn’t get my mouth to cooperate.
“The black witch will be there,” I said instead. “As to the who, I guess we’re about to find out.”
Might be Kidd, might be something that looked like Kidd. Might be whoever cut off Olsen’s face.
Variables were endless, but our time had run out. The killer had his goal in sight and wanted to score.
I parked where the pavement ended, and we sat there while I lined up my thoughts.
“Clay.” I held my hand out to Colby, she climbed on, and I passed her to him. “Protect her at all costs.”
Burnt-crimson eyes bored into mine as Asa growled, “Who’s going to protect you?”
“I can take care of myself.” I twitched my lips in a smile Asa didn’t appreciate. “But I wouldn’t mind if you followed me in, say, five minutes. That’s how long it will take me to get to the pond.”
His lips parted, but whatever he planned to say died on a soft exhale of breath.
“Colby, listen to Clay.” I twisted to face her. “Do whatever he tells you, okay?”
“Be careful, Rue.” She climbed up his arm to sit on his shoulder. “Promise.”
“Cross my heart.” I made the motion. “And cross your fingers.”