One Last Song (A Thomas Family Novel Book 3)

by Kristi Cramer

  “It’s just as well, I suppose,” Tim said. “I was really starting to hate the fact we didn’t come prepared for this....”

  He slowly leaned back, as though peeling himself loose from her, then opened the tack room door, taking her hand as they headed out of the barn.

  At the driver’s door of Janie’s Chevy LUV, Tim gave her one more lingering kiss. When he released her, he walked backwards a few steps before turning to head for the bunkhouse and bed, the walking splint on his left foot still amplifying the limp on his twisted ankle. He hadn’t said goodnight, and she smiled at the idea of following him up there on the pretense of demanding a true farewell kiss. Knowing Jax would be inside was enough to curb that idea.

  She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and pressed the button to wake it up so she could tell Kylie she was on her way, but the text on the screen was not the one she’d expected.

  Instead of a scolding rebuke, the text from Kylie was enigmatical.

  Whose phone is this?

  Frowning, Janie replied.

  Very funny, Kylie. I’m on my way home now.

  The response was a moment in coming. Janie was just about to start the engine when her phone chimed again. She glanced at the screen and frowned at the message.

  Ms. Thomas? This is April Evans. I found this phone in the parking lot while looking for Kylie.

  Janie heard a rushing sound in her ears as her heart rate increased. She looked up to see Tim heading back down from the bunkhouse. A sensation of impending disaster flooded her as she looked at her phone again.

  “Janie,” Tim said, bending down to lean his hands against the door of the pickup. “Did Kylie say Jax was with her? He’s not back yet.”

  Wordlessly, Janie held her phone up so Tim could see the message. He reached through the window and took her hand to hold the phone steady so he could read it. Then he uttered a low curse.

  “Maybe she just dropped it,” he said.

  Janie shook her head. “She’s attached to that thing, and April said she was looking for her. Those two are inseparable.”

  With shaking hands, she texted back. She wished she could call, but knew she wouldn’t have enough of a signal to put a call through.

  How long u been looking?

  Tim transferred his hand to her shoulder while they waited for the response.

  Couple hrs. She missed the karaoke finals.

  “Oh God.” Janie drew in a shaky breath. Kylie wouldn’t ever miss a chance to sing on stage.

  U seen Jax?

  The delay between texts was killing her.

  Not in hours.

  Janie quickly typed her answer.

  Meet me at the Chew in 30.

  She threw her phone on the bench seat and started the truck. Tim was already getting in the passenger side. “Stop by Blue’s,” he said. “We need to get my sister.”

  She wanted to scream there wasn’t time, but what little rational thought she had confirmed that getting the sheriff’s department involved sooner rather than later was the smartest thing to do.

  One very nice thing about having a brother married to a deputy was that, even if this really was a simple matter of a dropped phone, it would still get priority attention.

  ⋘⋆⋙

  Kylie woke when she felt the RV pull off the road. She nudged Jax, who woke with a start. From what she could see around the window shades, the sun was up. She had fallen asleep while trying to loosen the tape on her arms.

  “We’ve stopped,” she whispered.

  Whatever Jax might have answered was interrupted by the woman coming back into the living area.

  “We’re getting fuel,” she said conversationally as she sat on one of the bench seats well away from them. “Once we’re done, we’ll park long enough to give each of you a break, one at a time.”

  Kylie was glad to hear it. Now that she was awake, her bladder was telling her she needed relief, and soon.

  Noises outside the RV sounded like a gas cap getting removed, a nozzle being put in place. Whoever the other person was, it was clear the four of them were not going to be left alone while they were stopped.

  “Ma’am?” Jax asked cautiously.

  The woman frowned, but when he waited for her permission to speak, she nodded. “What?”

  “I...I’m afraid I can’t feel my hands or feet.”

  “And how is that my problem?”

  Jax ducked his head, as though embarrassed. “I just thought you should know. When it’s my turn, I...I might stumble. I didn’t want you to think....” His voice trailed off. “Never mind.”

  The woman didn’t say anything, but Kylie watched her face. She appeared to dismiss Jax entirely, which was what they’d hoped for. They had spoken briefly during the night, and Jax thought if they could imply he was weak, it might help when the time came to make a break for it.

  Jax wasn’t a big man. At twenty, he had a lean frame that made him look like a scarecrow—if you didn’t know any better. But Kylie had seen him compete enough times to know he had muscles. He was a champion calf roper, and could wrestle cows and throw hay bales with the best of the hands out at the Lazy J. It would be easy for a stranger to underestimate him. If he played up being timid and wimpy, it could only help down the line.

  They waited in interminable silence until the sound of fueling eventually ended. Shortly after that, the driver’s door opened and the RV started. The vehicle swayed, and they all shifted with the motion. When all motion ceased again, the curtain parted and a man walked through to join the woman.

  He was so average-looking, Kylie thought she would have great difficulty picking him out in a crowd. Brown hair, brown eyes, slightly pale skin, average height, drab gray and brown clothing.... He was dressed to blend in.

  Without a word, he flipped open a folding knife and moved toward one of the girls on the other side of the RV. Silently, he cut the tape on her ankles. It separated so easily, it was clear the knife had a very sharp blade. The girl moaned and slowly stretched her legs out, grimacing as the tape pulled away from her skin and undoubtedly pulled out the fine hairs. After putting a hand over her mouth, the man “helped” by quickly ripping it away.

  She yelped, the sound muffled by his hand. Without saying a thing, he held out his hand so she could climb to her feet. He walked her to the back, where the commode was presumably located.

  The woman watched with a look of bored indifference. Kylie noticed she had the stun gun in her hand, thumb on the trigger. Shuddering, she remembered the crackling white lightning from the device the night before. Even if they were to try, there would be no way to muscle past her. Maybe if they rushed her, but that was not going to happen when only one of them was free at a time.

  Once the first girl came back out and was bound again, the second girl was cut free the same way. Kylie’s mind continued to race as she tried to think of something, anything that could be done. But, for the time being, she had to agree with Jax that they couldn’t move too soon. They had to assume these people had done this many times before, and would know what to expect from anyone who tried to escape before the perfect opportunity arose.

  The second girl was back out and taped up quickly and efficiently. When the man turned to her, she felt her breath shudder violently at the look in his dark eyes. He saw her fear and gave a wolfish grin, snapping the knife blade open as he approached.

  Despite all their plans to stay docile, she tried to kick at him, fear overriding all else. He easily grabbed her feet to still her, bringing the knife closer.

  “Kylie—” Jax whispered at the same moment the woman spoke.

  “Don’t struggle, or he’ll cut you quite by accident. If you’re damaged, your value is compromised, and if your value is low enough, it won’t matter if he samples your wares, so to speak. Don’t give him an excuse to try you out.”

  At her chilling words, Kylie pulled herself together and held still while the knife easily passed through the tape. She bit her lip and braced for the
pain of the tape being removed, but the man paused, glancing up at her with a frown.

  The man tapped the knife blade on her leg, and a thrill of fear shot through Kylie as she remembered the work she’d put into loosening the tape.

  “I don’t think you want to be put in shackles, do you?” he asked, his voice low and menacing. “If I find your tape loose again, I’ll give you new metal bracelets to wear. Understand?”

  She nodded, aware that shackles could cause damage that might lower her value. Her muscles quivered when the man rested his hand on her knee while he worked the tape off. He didn’t cover her mouth as he had with the other girls, but she suspected the blade was poised to cut her femoral artery if she made any noise.

  When he helped her stand, she gasped at the tingling sensation in her arms and legs, like pins and needles, fire ants, and hot grease splatter from the deep fryer at work all at once. As much as she wanted to walk on her own, she had to rely on the man to hold her up as he half-dragged her into the back of the RV.

  Standing up gave her another idea. Even as she cringed, she thought it might be useful.

  The man took her through a doorway and into a hall, then pushed her toward a door on her left, which opened into a tiny lavatory. As she entered the space and noticed the window above the stool, she exhaled slowly.

  Kylie turned to close the door, but the man put his foot out, only letting her close it part way. “Really?” she said, allowing her sass to come through. He glared at her long enough to leave no question that he was serious, then finally turned his back, leaving his foot in the way.

  She shuddered, but desperation to relieve herself took over. She pulled down her panties to do her business, then swallowed hard and put her idea into play.

  “Hey,” she said, not having to fake the embarrassment she needed to pull this off. “I need a tampon.” As she’d expected, he pushed the door open to glare at her, but her own foot prevented him from opening it too far. “Seriously. Do you need me to show you the gross one?”

  As she had hoped, the mere mention of women’s problems triggered the universal male aversion to the issue, and he shook his head. “Don’t think we’re equipped for that. You’ll have to make do.”

  “No way,” she said emphatically. “Do you want me to get Toxic Shock Syndrome? I have to change it out every four hours or risk a really disgusting infection. I’ll break out in a fever and hives, maybe even die.” She was exaggerating things, but it seemed to be working. “I’m already way past time.”

  The man inhaled sharply with unspoken disgust and motioned to her. “Stay put,” he growled. “I’ll see what I can come up with.”

  “Where am I going to go?” she asked sweetly. “My best friend is out there with Ms. Andrews.”

  He grunted and pulled away from the door. She could hear him opening cupboards in the hallway, the RV vibrating as he lumbered around. Finishing her business as quickly as she could, she stood and quietly lifted the mini-blinds away from the window so she could peer out.

  The RV was parked on one side of a truck stop lot, away from the buildings, big rigs, and other long vehicles parked there. She had hoped to see something that would tell her where they were, or maybe a way she could drop something out the window as a clue to what was going on, but she could see no signs, and the window had been sealed shut.

  Just before she let the blinds down again, she saw a small boy walking past. She didn’t know where he’d come from or where he was going, but she saw him looking at the RV. Because she didn’t dare knock on the glass, she waved, hoping he’d catch sight of her.

  The boy paused when he saw her, then lifted his hand to wave back. Just as she felt a surge of excitement, a man—probably the boy’s father—appeared and reached for his hand. Kylie held her breath when the boy pointed at her and the man looked up.

  Kylie waved frantically at him, then looked over her shoulder when she heard a sound coming from the hallway. Turning back to the window, she saw the man watching her. She pressed her head as close to the window as she could manage and mouthed, Help us!

  The man’s eyes widened in shock, but he continued to reach for the boy, drawing him away.

  Unable to tell if she’d been able to convey anything to the man and his child, Kylie let the blinds down and whirled to return to her seat on the stool. The blinds made a small rattle as they settled into place.

  “What are you doing in there?” the man asked. Kylie tried her hardest to tamp down the adrenaline pumping through her.

  “I tried to stand. Lost my balance.”

  He was at the cracked door again, holding out a small wrapped cylinder. “Ms. Andrews had one,” he said. “She wasn’t happy.”

  “Well, she wouldn’t be happy about stains on her seat, either,” Kylie retorted. “I suppose you want to watch me put the thing in?”

  The man turned away, and Kylie sighed in relief.

  Chapter Four

  Gaze fixed on the hallway, Jax watched for Kylie’s return. It seemed like she was taking longer than the other girls, and he was afraid the man had decided to “sample her wares” anyway.

  When the man came back out without her and bent to speak in Ms. Andrews’ ear, Jax strained to hear what he said. The woman’s glare eloquently expressed her irritation as she got up and disappeared into the cab of the RV, returning moments later with something she handed to the man.

  What the...? He had no idea what that was about, but he was very aware it meant Kylie had been left alone for several minutes. He hoped she was able to put that time to good use.

  Shortly after that the man brought Kylie back out, and Jax watched while he taped her back up. She didn’t look at him, and he couldn’t tell from her demeanor if anything had happened.

  When the man turned to him, Jax schooled his features to show only despair and fear, which wasn’t too hard. He was afraid, but he wasn’t about to give up, not when their freedom was on the line.

  He just didn’t know how they were going to fight yet. It was like dealing with a sick horse or cow on the ranch. The animals could be unpredictable, and he had to be ready to react in a heartbeat to a dangerous situation—usually without the benefit of a plan. And to Jax, this man had the familiar look of an unpredictable animal.

  After removing the tape securing his hands to his ankles, the man pulled Jax to his feet. He didn’t have to pretend to stumble, although he was careful to look as though he was desperately trying to stay upright out of fear that the man would hurt him.

  When they got down the hall, the man turned him around to face him, letting his gaze wander down, then back up Jax’s body. Jax felt the small hairs on the back of his neck rise in horror, and he realized the fear the girls must have felt at being taken back here by this man. It was creepy and utterly demeaning to be viewed like he was a commodity, not a human.

  “Shave off that scruff and you’d almost be pretty,” the man said. “And so young. You’ll fetch a good price. Where we’re going, boys like you are a big prize.”

  Jax felt his blood run cold as the man reached up to put his hand on his shoulder, then ran it across his chest and abdomen to the waistband of his boxer briefs. He shuddered and took a step back into the bathroom. The man stepped forward to follow him.

  “Does that frighten you, boy?”

  Jax gave a jerky nod, unable to tear his gaze away from the man’s hands. He turned his head as the man touched his stomach again, sliding closer to his penis, which was thick with the need to relieve his bladder. If it hadn’t been for Kylie sitting vulnerable in the next room, he would have taken a shot at punching the man. He still might if the man took his wandering hands any farther.

  “Please don’t,” Jax whispered, and his voice broke.

  “Careful, boy,” the man said. “You’re likely to turn me on if you start begging.”

  Jax inhaled sharply as the man grasped his penis and squeezed, feeling out the shape of it. He couldn’t believe this was happening. When the man turned him aroun
d, every muscle in his body tensed as Jax prepared to fight.

  Abruptly, the hands left him, and Jax fought the urge to turn around and see what he was doing.

  “Do your business, boy. We haven’t got all day.”

  With shaking hands, Jax did as instructed, although it took a long time for him to relax enough for his stream to start. He imagined he could feel the man watching him, and he closed his eyes, trying to visualize himself in the relative privacy of the communal restroom in the field office back at the ranch.

  When he finally finished, he turned around to see the man leaning against the wall, one hand down the front of his pants, a lazy smile twisting his lips. Before Jax could wonder if there were more humiliations in store for him, the man stood up straight.

  “Don’t worry, boy. I probably won’t touch you again, unless you give me a reason to teach you a lesson.”

  Jax just stared at the floor, his cheeks burning with shame. Every nerve screamed at him to fight—fight now and fight hard—but his mind cautioned him to wait. The man was still between him and the door, and there was the woman with the stun gun to get past, too. Not to mention the three women he could not leave behind. If they were being taken to Mexico, as they suspected, there would be many more breaks and more opportunities to escape.

  Now was not one of those times.

  As if reading his mind, the man drew his folding knife out of a pocket and flipped it open, then brought the tip of it up under Jax’s chin to lift it so he could look into his eyes. Jax didn’t try to hide the fear he felt, and the man grunted his approval.

  “Just in case you think you might want to run, boy, you should know that if one of you escapes, we’ll cut our losses and kill everybody left. We’re prepared to nuke this whole operation rather than get caught. You remember that, just in case your balls decide they might want to drop.”

  Jax swallowed audibly and nodded slightly. The man stepped aside just enough in the narrow passage for him to get by, although he had to brush past him to do so. When he did, the man deliberately rubbed up against him and let his hand linger on Jax’s ass. He could also feel the cool metal of the knife against his skin. It stayed against his back, ready to slip between his ribs if he made a misstep.