He’d obviously never had anyone he loved in danger. Everything would not be fine until she could see Derrick was safe with her own two eyes.
“He’s just pulling into the parking lot now,” Connor said into a microphone. “And they’re inside and safe.”
“How do we know it’s safe?” Jacey asked. “What if Evan has someone planted inside?”
“So do we,” Tiny replied. “He’s safe.”
“What about the house? Has there been any movement?” she asked.
“Nothing,” Connor said, he’d set things up so he could monitor the house security from the safe house. “But it’s early yet.”
Jacey heard her cell ringing in her bedroom. “I’ll be back in a minute.” Her heart was beating wildly, hoping it was Derrick but knowing he probably wouldn’t risk calling her.
She checked the name displayed.
Holly.
“Hey, Holly, what’s up?” she asked, trying to keep the worry from her voice.
“Jacey? Are you alone? Can anyone hear you?” Holly asked, sounding upset.
“Holly? What is it? Are you okay?” Jacey asked in worry.
“Are you alone?” Holly insisted.
“Yes, tell me what’s wrong.”
“Jacey, I’m so sorry. He said if I didn’t call you that he’d kill Brax. I’m so sorry.”
A chilling calm came over Jacey. This is the one thing they hadn’t factored in to their plan. That Evan might outmanoeuvre them all.
“Holly, it’s okay. Where are you? What has he-”
Some shuffling noises and a low, pain-filled cry filled the phone. Then the voice she heard in her nightmares came across the phone.
“Hello, sister.”
“I’m not your sister, Evan. What have you done to Holly and Brax? If you’ve hurt them-”
His chilling laughter came through the phone.
“You’ll do what? Stomp your feet and cry? Call for your boyfriend and his friends to save you? That would be a very bad mistake, Jacinta, or should I call you Jacey? Because the minute any of your friends turn up I’m going to shoot the lovely Holly and you wouldn’t want that, would you?”
“No,” she said, fear making her teeth chatter. “What do you want?”
“You’re going to come to the following address. Alone. Tell anyone and Holly dies, understand me?”
“What about Brax?”
“Oh, I think he’s pretty much dead.”
A muffled scream came from the background, the sound haunting in its sorrow.
Tears filled Jacey’s eyes. She’d done this. By wanting something for herself, she had selfishly brought this monster into their lives. Brax’s death was on her hands.
She had to save Holly.
“Where do you want me to go?”