Page 85 of The Hero
“Then you aren’t getting the coin,” Ian said flatly. “Your choice.”
“And you’ll go straight to jail. No collecting two hundred bucks,” she countered.
Ian studied her, and Marlowe had a split second of relief, thinking she’d be able to stay put in the Jeep ...
Before he lifted his hand—and she was staring down the barrel of a gun.
“Now. Or you’re dead,” Ian threatened.
Her stomach dropped violently. Just a few feet separated their cars. Too close for Ian to miss. Yes, he’d definitely be arrested if he shot her—but it would be too late for Marlowe. If she complied, at least she’d have a slim chance of surviving.
Reluctantly, she reached for the handle of the Jeep.
She could practically hear everyone watching and listening, screaming at her to stay put, but she couldn’t let this deal fall through now. If she died, it couldn’t be for nothing.
She climbed out of the Jeep and slammed the door, standing there for a moment with her hands on her hips. “You want to strip-search me as well?” she asked sarcastically, doing everything in her power to stall, to give someone time to get to her.
But no one came. Either something was wrong with the audio and video, or the officers playing Frisbee weren’t aware of what was happening. Which seemed unlikely. The whole reason they were there was for her safety.
“Get in,” Ian ordered. “Hurry up.”
Marlowe held her breath as she reached for the door handle. She couldn’t imagine why the officers weren’t intervening, why Kendric and JJ weren’t rushing in from the forest the second they saw the gun.
Like a bolt of lightning, it struck her that if anyone moved in, Ian would shoot her before they could get near her. It was the logical conclusion—and Kendric and the others would know that.
It totally sucked, but she understood it.
She had no choice but to finish what she’d started ... and trust that Kendric would get her out of this, just like he’d gotten her out of that prison.
The second she was inside the car, Ian pulled out of the parking space and took off. There was no sign of Chief Rutkey, and Marlowe couldn’t decide if she was pleased or upset about that. She imagined there was a lot of scrambling going on to figure out how to follow them while not being spotted.
She also didn’t see the roadblocks that were supposed to be put up after Ian pulled into the park. She wasn’t sure what happened to them. Maybe they just hadn’t had time to put them up yet? Ian had acted very quickly, after all. She was in his car seconds after his arrival.
“Where are we going?” she asked as Ian turned east, both for her own knowledge and for those listening.
“There’s a cemetery not too far from here. I figure that’ll be private. I’ll be able to see if anyone follows us.”
Marlowe rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest as she spoke with more bravado than she was actually feeling. “No one’s following us. Haven’t you figured that out yet? I’ll be in just as much trouble as you if anyone sees you giving me a coin. I’m not an idiot.”
Ian didn’t respond, simply kept driving. It took longer than Marlowe would’ve liked to reach the cemetery. And he was right. There was absolutely no one around, and to her dismay, there weren’t a ton of trees either. So it would be harder for anyone to hide and come to her rescue if needed.
If she thought she was alone before, she felt even more so now.
Ian parked the car in the parking lot and unclipped his seat belt. Marlowe hadn’t even put hers on; it had simply slipped her mind with everything else happening.
“So?” she asked. “You have the coins?”
“I don’t get it,” Ian said conversationally, not moving to reach into his pocket, or the glove compartment, or the console between them. Anywhere he might have stashed the coins.
Marlowe sighed. “Don’t get what?”
“How the hell you’re here. No matter how good your lawyer is, Thailand is known for locking people up for life for drug offenses.”
“Yeah, well, too bad for you, I also have a powerful brother. Now stop stalling. Give me my coin and take me back to the park.”
“I thought you were a pushover,” he went on, staring at her with dead blue eyes.
Marlowe resisted the urge to shiver. She had to stay strong. Make him believe she wasn’t bluffing. She looked straight at him, wanting to get everything he said on video and audio.
