There’s accusation in it, but Geoffrey doesn’t flinch.
“You’re lying,” he snarls. “You know where she is.”
“No, I don’t.”
His face screws up like he doesn’t believe me, but he doesn’t lash out. Not yet anyway. The longer I can keep him talking, the better chance I have of getting out of this. Hopefully.
“Jade told you to take her,” he says.
“Jade didn’t tell me anything,” I shoot back. “I didn’t talk to her before she was dead on the ground because of senseless bullshit.”
His eyes narrow, but he doesn’t have a way of refuting that because it’s true.
“If I go down into that town and ask people, are you telling me that no one will report seeing you with a little girl?”
“I don’t know why you think any of them will talk to you at all.”
He scoffs. “They’ll talk.”
“Are you going to threaten all of them? I think that’ll make them clam up more than anything.”
“There are other ways. I know the right palms to grease to get what I want. It wouldn’t take long.”
Maybe in another town. In a town where the people hadn’t already put their collective foot down about a sheriff who was cruel and power hungry. The people of Silver Falls can spot an Alpha on a power trip faster than most, I’d bet.
And that’s a nice thought, actually. That maybe the people wouldn’t sell me out. Maybe they’d have my back and keep Geoffrey going in circles because they like me and want me and Cora to be safe.
“There are a lot of kids in town,” I say, deflecting. “They’ve probably seen me with one of them. You’re wasting your time here, Geoffrey. I don’t have Cora, and I can’t help you find her.”
The longer I talk, the calmer I start to feel. I keep my breathing even and try to slow my racing heart. Not showing fear when he clearly wants me to cower is probably tempting fate, but I need my wits about me if I’m going to make it out of this.
Geoffrey seems to be fraying, on the other hand. He goes back to his pacing, muttering to himself and looking over at me every few seconds. I can tell that he’s not sure whether to believe me or not.
I keep my face neutral, but it’s not good enough. He comes charging back over, his eyes narrowed. “This is your last fucking chance,” he says.
“I already told you, I?—”
His hand snaps forward, and pain blooms sharp and intense as he slaps me hard across the face. The sound echoes in the cabin, and stars burst in my vision. It fucking hurts, but I don’t slip unconscious. I cling to my anger, letting it drown out the last of the fear. For a moment, I’m not scared anymore. All I am isfucking furious, and that gives me strength instead of knocking me down.
In the distance, I hear a sound, and it makes me stop and listen hard. It’s the first thing I’ve heard since I woke up that wasn’t Geoffrey’s angry ranting, and something like hope blooms in my chest.
It’s a low rumble that just might be a car. My heart leaps at the idea that help might be close by. I’m not sure how close or how soon, but the sound is there, and I hold my breath, hoping that maybe Geoffrey’s so wound up in his own bullshit that he didn’t hear it.
But I don’t get lucky there. His eyes narrow, and his head snaps toward the sound.
“Fuck,” he hisses under his breath. “This is the last fucking thing I need right now.”
My heart starts pounding again, and I realize I’m standing at a crossroads right now. If someone is coming, I have to make them know I’m here. It’s a risk to let Geoffrey realize it might be the men, here for me, but if I don’t say anything, whoever it is might assume the place is abandoned and keep on driving.
And if I make a noise about it, this asshole is sure to retaliate.
I have to take my chances though. I have to hope that it’s my men and that they’ve come for me. And that they’ll get here before Geoffrey can do anything too bad to me.
So I take a deep breath and start yelling. “Everett! Cash! Lincoln! I’m here! Can you hear me? I’m here!” I scream for them, hoping against hope that they might hear me and come running.
Geoffrey growls in anger.
“Shut the fuck up,” he snarls, grabbing a handful of my hair. He jerks me back roughly, and I cry out in pain. “Fucking bitch.”