Jax interrupts my thoughts when we’re airborne. “What’s the plan?”
“You’re going to drop me in LA. I’m going to pick up Kinsley before this open hit happens, take her to the safe house, and wait to hear from Riggs so I know what I’m dealing with. We’ll go from there.”
He checks the coordinates, flips a few switches. “What do you need from me?”
“I’m good. This should be a simple extraction. We’ll get there before anyone is the wiser. Hopefully we can head home tomorrow.”
He nods. “You bringing Kinsley with us?”
“No, Riggs. Her life is here. I’ll make sure she’s safe, then we’re going home.”
“Really? You’ve been tied up in knots for this girl for years now. Don’t you think-“
“It’s a mission. That’s it. Nothing changes.”
He lets that sink in before he smirks. “Yeah, if you believe that...”
“What?” I insist.
He smiles and puts his earbuds in. “Nothing.”
I lay my head back on the seat and look out at the sky. Just like any other time, all I can think about is Kinsley. The need to know she’s safe is overwhelming and puts a pain in my gut. I don’t even try to relax because I know I’m going to be on edge until I have Kinsley in my sights and know she’s safe. All I can hope is she forgives me for what I did to her.
2
Kinsley
This is my third class for the day, plus I had office hours for those that needed help and I assisted a senior with her portfolio, so it’s been a long day. All I want to do at this point is go home, curl up on the couch, and read a book. I look at my watch. One hour and fifteen minutes and class will be over, and I’ll be on my way home.
I blow out a breath and watch as my class starts to pile in. You can do this, Kinsley. Almost there.
I spend the majority of the class talking about apertures and lighting. It isn’t until class is almost over that I notice a new student in the back of the class. Instead of calling him out, I continue with the lecture. When it’s time to go, I have a few students stop and either have me adjust the settings on their cameras, talk about the lighting and speed needed for the football game tonight, or ask where the next photography trip is going to be. When I’ve answered all their questions, and the last one walks out, I breathe a sigh of relief. Finally, I can go home.
“Tired, Miss Adams?”
My hand goes to my chest in surprise. The newcomer is still sitting in his spot in the back of the classroom. “Oh, you startled me. Class is over. Is there something I can help you with?”
He puts both hands on the desk and pushes himself into a standing position. He takes his time like he doesn’t have a care in the world. “This is going to be too easy.”
I roll my eyes. I can’t stop it. There’s a lot of people that take this class because they want to, but there’s a few that take it because they think they can use it as an elective and it will be an easy A. I put my hands on my hips and jut my chin out. “Really? I’ll have you know that you have to actually put the work in to earn your grade in this class.”
He laughs, and it echoes off the walls. He’s walking down the aisle toward me, slow and steady. “You don’t know who I am, do you?”
I shake my head. “I’m assuming you’re a new student; however, it’s pretty late in the semester. Did you, uh—” I clear my throat as he keeps walking toward me with a glint in his eye. It’s like I just realized that I’m in a classroom with a strange man, one that is considerably older than most of my photography students. I hold my hand up. “Stop. Don’t come any closer.”
He stops, but he laughs when he does. “You’re cute. I’m going to feel bad for what I’m about to do to you.”
Before I can run, he has a gun pulled from his waistband, and my hands go up. He takes two more steps toward me, and he’s now so close, I can smell the strong scent of his cologne. “You can have my money,” I tell him and reach for my purse.
“I don’t want your money. Stop. Hands out of your purse.”
I clench my eyes tight. A lot of good the pepper spray is going to do me. I never would have found it anyway; it’s probably in the very bottom of my purse. I don’t think I’ve touched it since I threw it in there ages ago.
“What do you want then?”