Saving Sloan (Sloan Series Book 2) (25 page)

“Or, I could just walk right back here and shoot the trunk. Maybe I’ll hit Aaron’s spleen, maybe his heart. It’s a crapshoot, right?”

“Stop.” Sloan blocked him from going toward the back of the car. “I’ll get in. Okay?”

“Good girl.” He grinned and backed up so she could crawl inside.

Sloan saw no other way out. This was it. It was time to fall.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“
W
HY ARE YOU DOING THIS?”
I
T
was probably the most stupid question ever. Sloan knew exactly why he was doing it, but she needed to keep him talking. Keep him driving. She had a bad feeling about what would happen if he stopped. The gun lying on his lap was a big clue. The fact that he’d told her what would happen was a bigger one.

She was going to die.

He laughed humorlessly and pushed the gas pedal harder. “You aren’t that stupid, Sloan. You know what’s going on. I tried to warn you. You can’t say I didn’t. Gave you plenty of opportunities. I tried to get you to drop it, but you wouldn’t.”

“I will now. I promise. I’ll go back and tell them everything.” Anything to keep him talking.

“That’s what I’m afraid of. You’ve never been a good liar.”

The car turned around a curve, one of the easier ones. Brown Hollow had a lot of curves, a lot of blind spots, and lots of animals that could run out in front of a vehicle. It also had a very pretty overlook to the river and a waterfall that had been rated one of the best in Tennessee. She couldn’t let him get her to the Falls.

“I can. If I’m motivated enough.”

He ran his fingers over the pistol. “Are you motivated?”

“Very much.”

He smirked. “I don’t believe you. You are now, that’s for sure. Quaking in your fancy dress, but what about when you get home? What if you see him and change your mind?”

“I won’t.”

“Excuse me if I don’t believe you.”

“Don’t you think shooting me is a bit dramatic?” Sloan asked, trying her best to stay calm. Despite her best efforts, her fingers shook.

Morbid as it was, she’d often thought about the best way to die. Asleep in her bed when old and gray seemed the best option. Drowning, the worst. Shot? Depended on where he shot her, she supposed.

At eighteen, she never thought she’d have to consider such possibilities.

“Who ever said anything about shooting you? Haven’t you been paying attention?” He glanced at Sloan with a twinkle in his eyes and then back to the road. The lonely road that barely got any traffic.

“Then what?”

“Did God give you wings?”

That caught her off guard.

He spoke again when she didn’t answer right away. “Give you wings. God. Did He give you wings when you were saved?”

“No,” she muttered, not liking where this was going.

“What? Sorry didn’t hear you.”

“No,” she said louder, hopefully with more defiance.

“No. Well, too bad. A saint like you. A perfect creature, even if it’s in your own mind, like you should have the wings of an angel to go with that crooked halo you like to show off.”

“I don’t…”

With his right hand, he grabbed the gun and held it up to her temple, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut. He was crazy, totally crazy.

And she was totally alone with him.

“You do. You know you do. You’ve been little Miss Perfect since you started this church mess, and it needs to stop. You need a reality check. You need someone to show you the way.”

He pushed the barrel of the gun harder against her head. She tried very hard not to flinch. Who knew what he’d do if she did?

“God, don’t let him kill me. Please. Don’t let him.”
She screamed a prayer in her mind without moving a muscle.

“I owe you something, Sloan, and I’m going to get it tonight. You can talk, you know.” He chuckled and put the gun back in his lap.

Her muscles gave way and Sloan fell over in her seat, sucking in a deep breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. She was afraid of what he thought she “owed” him. The first thing that crossed her mind was he was taking her somewhere to force her to sleep with him. That brought the question, would she do it if he had a gun to her head? Or would she let him shoot her before he touched her again?

“It’s not what you’re thinking, Sloan,” he said, like he could read her mind. After taunting her for a week in the shadows, maybe he could. “I wouldn’t touch you. Don’t want to touch you. Been there. Done that. No, I have a much better plan for you. We have to test the theory.”

“What theory?” she asked barely above a whisper. There was no stopping the shaking now. She was freezing even though he had the heater on full-blast. Strange for May.

Just like old times.

Her red-sequined prom dress wasn’t exactly keeping her warm, and the fear sucked whatever heat she had out.

“Your wings. Weren’t you listening?” Up ahead, illuminated by the Mustang’s headlights, Sloan saw the sign which sat between yellow and black arrows warning of a sharp curve ahead.
Chapel Falls

“We’re going to see if an angel like you can fly or if you are a sinner like the rest of us and fall.”

An angel like her. Wasn’t that hilarious? She wasn’t an angel. Far from it. She was just saved. Staring at the pistol in Boyd’s lap, she thought maybe it was a good time to ask for forgiveness for any sin she’d recently committed. Just to be safe.

After her prayer, she knew she had to keep Boyd talking. When he was quiet, he was more dangerous. “Did Darcy help you?”

“Darcy?” He laughed. It wasn’t a good thing when he laughed.

“Yeah. Did she help you with the notes and stuff?”

His smile broadened. “I guess in a roundabout way she did. I broke into her house and got her medicine to fill your bottle with.”

“To make them think I was crazy.”

“And maybe even get you hooked on them. I was fine either way.”

That lowdown son of a snake. If she could have kicked him with her high heel, she would have. “And the credit card?”

“I stole it when I was in your room. It’s not hard to get in your house, you know? You should really look into that.”

“I will.” She looked out the window, watching the darkness outside swish by. Chapel Falls was way in the boonies; not many houses were around. If she screamed, it wouldn’t do any good. She only saw one car. The one behind them a few car lengths away. “Who was the girl that called the flower shop pretending to be me?”

“You just want all the answers, don’t you?”

“I’m gonna die. Might as well know why.”

“Don’t have faith in your God to save you? For shame.” He smiled. “
Tsk, tsk.
I don’t blame you. I wouldn’t trust Him either.”

“Who was it?” she asked again, closing her eyes and praying to keep it together.

“It wasn’t Darcy. You won’t know her. I met her in PT. She’s a nurse, and she’d do anything for me. I guess I just have that charm about me.”

Charm
was one word for it.

“Did you accuse Darcy?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Because that’s funny. I thought you’d forgiven her. You’re a church-type, aren’t you?”

Truthfully, Sloan felt pretty bad about everything she’d thought about Darcy now. Boyd had played them all. Again.

What was the saying?
“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”
Shame on her. Every instinct she’d had screamed that it was Boyd, and she hadn’t trusted it.

Moron.

“How did you get in my house? How did you know everything I was doing?”

He smirked. “I had my ways.”

A few minutes later, Boyd pulled into the overlook at Chapel Falls. The car behind them kept on going. Her only salvation was gone.

Even with the windows rolled up, she could hear the roar of the water falling over the seventy-foot falls. It wasn’t a good feeling. A few security lights were spaced around the parking lot, and a short wooden fence separated the grass from the water.

“Here we are,” Boyd said as he put Aaron’s car in park. He leaned his head back on the seat and rolled it to look at Sloan. “Well, get out and jump.”

“I don’t think so.” She shook her head.

“Oh, come on. What fun are you? Look.” He pulled out a note. “I have your note already written. Everyone thinks you are crazy. They think you made it all up.”

“No, they don’t.”

“Sure they do. They just don’t want to tell you. Everything points to you being crazy or on drugs. Either way, you aren’t all there.”

“Except the text. The one you sent this morning.”

He grabbed the cell from her hand. After a few clicks, he threw it back at her. “What text?”

Did he not think she’d sent it to Detective Morgan? She sure wasn’t going to tell him.

“Come on, Sloan. I don’t have all day.” He pointed the gun at her. “Get out.” Knowing she couldn’t have any sort of defense in the car, she opened the car and got out.

From outside the car, the roar of the Falls was deafening. Boyd pointed toward the fence with his gun, a sign that’s where he wanted her to go.

Sloan hesitated a second then finally complied. Jump into a river or get shot? Which one would she more than likely survive? The river was like a dark pit running beneath her. Black water. Definitely not her favorite thing. Had she told Boyd that? She probably had. He’d always remembered stupid things when it suited him. A long way down.

The trunk slamming made her jump and turn around. Boyd had Aaron with his hands tied and a gag in his mouth. A bloody streak ran from his temple down his cheek. “So here’s the deal, Sloan. We have to finish this. We just do. You think you are an angel. Let’s put it to the test. Jump and see if you fly.”

“You’re crazy,” she yelled.

“I’m not crazy. I’m showing you how wrong your beliefs are. I’m saving you, Sloan. Isn’t that kinder?”

“This is not kind. It’s cruel.” She couldn’t stop the tears from falling as she watched Boyd knee Aaron in the stomach. He doubled over on the ground, and the gag stifled his groan.

“Kind. Cruel. No difference.” He shrugged and pointed the gun at her. “Either you jump, or I’ll throw him over the Falls. Simple as that.”

She opened her mouth to tell him where to go when he cut her off.

“Don’t argue. Don’t even think. Just do it. Save us all.”

Sloan looked down at Aaron on the ground, fighting to get the gag out of his mouth. When he finally did, he started yelling at her. “Don’t do it, Sloan! Don’t listen to him. He knows he can’t kill you. He’d be arrested for murder.”

“Oh, hush.” Boyd kicked Aaron in the mouth, causing blood to shoot onto the ground. “Guess you won’t be kissing that much now, will you?”

She wanted to strangle him.

“Your choice. Either you go. Or he does. Simple. Easy. No fuss. No muss.”

“Why are you doing this?” She had never been so mad in her life. How dare this guy do this to her? How dare God allow it!

“How many times do I have to tell you? To show you your God doesn’t exist. To prove you aren’t as saintly as you think. And…” He kicked Aaron again for good measure. More blood oozed from Aaron’s mouth and onto the collar of his white dress shirt. “Because you ruined my life!”

For the first time, Boyd yelled, and Sloan saw her time on earth ending. “You used me. You set me up. And you made everyone hate me. When I woke up in the ICU, I knew you had to pay. I knew it! I didn’t know how until I saw a television show with a waterfall, and I knew it was perfect for you. Saint Sloan, the fallen angel. A nice ring, no?”

“No.” She shook her head. “You think I’m a saint. I’m far from it. I’ve never pretended to be perfect.”

Boyd rolled his eyes and pointed the gun at Aaron’s head. “I’m so tired of this. Either jump or don’t. Your choice.

“You won’t let him live anyway. If I jump or not.”

He shrugged. “You willing to take that chance?”

Sloan didn’t have to answer. Headlights speeding down the road got her attention. Boyd’s as well. They were coming straight for him and Aaron. Sloan ran and pulled Aaron out of the way before the car hit Boyd and threw him back against the wooden fence.

Sloan recognized that car. It was hers.

Ray jumped out and ran to Sloan and Aaron. “You okay? I knew something was up at prom so I followed you.”

He’d been in the car behind them. Who knew?

“Fine. Don’t let him up. He has a gun,” Aaron ordered. Sloan got behind his back and began untying him. The rope wasn’t the easiest thing to undo, but Sloan loosened it enough for Aaron to help her untie it.

Ray didn’t flinch before running toward Boyd, who lay motionless against the fence in a lump. When he got a few feet from him, Boyd rose up, pointed the gun, and shot. Ray’s head snapped back, and he fell to the ground.

“No!” Sloan screamed. She scrambled from Aaron’s side over to Ray. Aaron yelled at her to stop, but she didn’t listen. Ray couldn’t be dead. He couldn’t be.

When she reached him, he was unconscious. Looking at him closer, she saw the bullet had only grazed his forehead. “Thank you, God. Thank you, God.” She whispered the prayer, nearly out of breath. He would be fine. He’d be fine. He had to be.

Her happiness didn’t last long, as Boyd grabbed her arm and yanked her toward the wooden fence. Blood poured from a gash on his head, and he limped from being hit by her car. She wished Ray had hit him harder. “See. You killed Ray. Aaron’s going to die. How many people have to die to protect you, Sloan? Huh!” He pushed her hard into the fence. Her back rammed into the post, nearly taking her breath away.

Boyd hovered over her. “Goodbye, Sloan Tell God ‘hi’ for me.”

Boyd yanked her up, and her feet dangled off the ground. This was it. He was going to throw her over the fence and into the river below. She yelled a silent prayer to God in her mind as she shut her eyes and expected to feel Boyd toss her like a ragdoll.

Instead, Sloan felt a thud, and she fell hard on the fence, losing her breath again. As she gasped for air, she saw Boyd go over the cliff. Aaron followed.

Everything else felt like it happened in slow motion.

Aaron clung to the cliff and tried to pull himself up. He’d been the thud. He’d rammed Boyd and knocked him over the cliff.