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She stared at him in horror. The very idea of having sex with him was completely abhorrent. “Jean-Luc, if you truly love me, then you’ll take me back home. Just take me back to the shanty, and we won’t speak of this again. I won’t even call the cops on you.”

“I imagine the police have already been called,” he replied.

“I’ll tell them that I went willingly with you, and we just took a little drive,” she replied.

“Yeah, like they’re really going to believe that. I love you, Mimi. And that’s why I’m taking you to a new home where you’ll eventually learn to love me.” He shot her another smile.

Once again, she stared at him. He looked so normal. Why had she never seen this side of him before? Why had she not seen his obsession with her? Dammit, why hadn’t she seen this evil in him?

“So, it was you who stopped me in the swamp. You’re the one who hit me,” she said.

“You should have taken my warning the first time. Johnny was bad for you, and I couldn’t allow your relationship with him to continue,” he replied.

“Are you the one who stole Johnny’s trailer?” she asked.

He laughed then, the sound particularly offensive. “I was just having a little fun.”

She had to get out of the car. Somehow, someway, she needed to figure out a way to escape before they got to wherever he was taking her. There had to be a way out of this. She had to have faith that she would get back to Danny and Gramps and Johnny. The idea of never seeing them again shot a deep agony through her.

Again, she looked out the window. If he slowed down, she would jump out of the car. She sidled closer to the door. Thank God she didn’t have to worry about trying to unfasten a seat belt.

“Don’t even think about it,” he said, his voice deep and gruff. “I promise I’ll shoot you before your body can get out of the car.”

A sob caught in the back of her throat. She swallowed hard against it. She wouldn’t give him her tears. She needed to believe that she was going to get away from him. Believe it, she thought over and over again.

The road they traveled was a secondary two-lane. There were no cars ahead of them and none behind them that she could see. To the right was swampland and to the left were open fields. None of it looked the least bit familiar to her. But it did look like freedom.

“There’s a nice room in the house that’s just for you,” he said as if he hadn’t just threatened to kill her. “I decorated it with you in mind. You’ve got a double bed with a fluffy pink spread, and you even have your own bath. What you don’t have are windows. Unfortunately, I had to board them up for now.”

While he continued to describe the house he’d rented, she continued to keep her eyes open for an opportunity to escape. She was aware that every mile they traveled took her farther from home.

She tried not to think about Danny. If she thought about him for too long, she would break down, and right now she needed to have all her wits and strength about her. The same thing happened when she thought of dear Gramps and Johnny. She had to stay strong for all of them.

She suddenly saw the possibility of escape approaching. The upcoming sign read Road Work Next 10 Miles. There was a speed limit sign of 25 MPH, but Jean-Luc didn’t slow down. She tensed, wild adrenaline filling her body. Once again, she slid closer to the door, hoping and praying for an opportunity to flee.

The road became rough, with uneven lanes. Several cars passed them going the other way, and despite the terrible road conditions, Jean-Luc kept driving far too fast for the uneven asphalt.

Suddenly he hit a huge pothole that jarred the entire car. His gun popped out of his hand. It clattered to the floorboard as he nearly stopped the car.

Mimi didn’t hesitate. She flung open the door and threw herself out. She hit the ground hard and rolled for several yards. Her breath whooshed out of her, and everything hurt. She remained on the ground for a few moments, trying to catch her breath as she checked herself for any broken bones.

She finally sat up, and to her horror she saw Jean-Luc pulling the car over. He cut the engine, and as he got out of the car, gun in hand, she quickly got to her feet and ran for her life.

Chapter Eleven

Two officers showed up at the shanty under Chief Breaux’s direction. They were there for security purposes in case somebody came back to try to take Danny.

Johnny would give his very life to protect his son, but he liked the fact that there were two armed men seated on the front porch ready to take action if necessary. Besides, Johnny hadn’t been wearing his gun when he’d dashed to the shanty.

Renée showed up as well, worry furrowing her brow as she hugged Johnny and Gramps and then sat next to Danny on the sofa. “I heard what happened through the swamp grapevine,” she said.

“A bad man took my mommy away,” Danny said to her.

“I know, honey, but I also know she’s doing her best to come back home to you,” Renée replied and looked at Johnny. “Any news?”

“Beau called me a little while ago to tell me that Gus showed up at his shanty. He’d been in town grocery shopping, and he’s now officially off the suspect list,” Johnny said.

“So, one down, two to go,” she replied. “Danny, why don’t you go get your blocks out? I’ll play with you for a little while.”