Page 107 of In Too Deep
She was almost to her car—twenty feet, fifteen—when a figure stepped out from behind the dumpster.
Jeremy.
Meg froze, her keys slipping from her fingers and clattering to the pavement.
He moved into the fading light, and that’s when she saw it—the gun in his hand, black metal catching the dying sun.Pointed directly at her chest.
“Hello, Meg.”His voice was calm, almost friendly.Like they were meeting for coffee.“Don’t scream.Don’t run.Just walk this way and we’ll all be fine.”
Her mouth went dry.Heart hammering so hard she could feel it in her throat.
This wasn’t happening.
This couldn’t be happening.Not again.Not after Ryan.
“Jeremy, what—” Her voice came out strangled.
“Shh.”He took a step closer, the gun never wavering.“We’re going to take a little drive.”
He had to be insane to think she’d get in a car with him.
“I am not going anywhere with you.”
Voices filled the air then—familiar, beloved voices.Laughter carrying across the parking lot.
Eden and Nimue, walking toward them from the main road, deep in conversation.Eden’s blonde ponytail swinging.Nimue gesturing with her hands.
Meg’s heart lurched.She opened her mouth to scream, to warn them, to tell them to run.
But Jeremy moved faster.The gun shifted, pointing toward the approaching women.Toward Eden’s chest.Toward Nimue’s head.
“You will get in the car.And if you alert them,” he said, his voice still that terrible calm, “I won’t hesitate to shoot them.Both of them.And it will be your fault.”
The words slammed into her like a physical blow.
Your fault.
Again, her fault.Always her fault.People dying because of her choices.
Eden and Nimue waved and started walking her way.Still talking, still laughing, completely unaware of the danger.Of the gun pointed at them.
“Send them away.”Jeremy’s voice was like steel.
“They’ll want to say goodbye.I’m packed for Pennsylvania.”Meg’s entire body trembled.
“Make it brief.Or Iwillshoot them.”He stepped deeper into the shadows—melting into the darkness between the dumpster and the building.
Great.
Now she couldn’t even see where the gun was pointed.Couldn’t track the threat.
She couldn’t do this.Couldn’t stand here and pretend everything was fine while a gun was pointed at her friends.
But if she didn’t, they’d die.
Eden would die.Nimue would die.Shot in a parking lot because Meg couldn’t keep it together.
She couldn’t let another person die when she could stop it.
