Page 25 of Wanted 2

I winced. “No need to shout,” I grumbled as I grabbed them.

Then, I was in the driver’s seat, wondering how I’d suddenly transported there.

“Does it matter?” I asked myself and then giggled.

I had to get home. For some reason. Oh, yeah. Jeremy.

“Right,” I said, scowling in determination, but then, I caught sight of my reflection in the rearview mirror. My pupils looked weird. So large. Kinda like that trippin’ troll.

“Better start driving,” Don’s voice boomed through the window. “Shit, Kass. Don’t pass out.”

I saluted—with a middle finger—and then backed out of the driveway.

I don’t remember much of the drive back to the mansion. It was dark and the oncoming headlights bounced around like beach balls. Several times, I swerved off the road.

Each time, Don appeared in my window, yelling at me to focus and get back. He kept shouting numbers at me. I floored the gas pedal, just to get away from him.

Then, I was pulling into the Count’s driveway, or nearly, anyway. I saw the oncoming car at the last second and veered to the right, straight into the ditch.

My head smacked hard against the steering wheel as the car came to an abrupt stop.

The pain cleared the fog from my mind and gave me a moment of clarity.

Jeremy. I had to find him.

The coppery taste of blood filled my mouth as I opened the door and fell out of my car.

“Shit, bitch,” Don was yelling at me. “Can’t you do anything right?”

My nose throbbed in tandem with the punch Don had delivered to my jaw. I was a freaking mess.

“Jeremy,” I whimpered.

“Well, you missed the fun,” Don spat. He hooked his thumb over his shoulder. “That was him. In your dad’s car. By now, they’re halfway back home.”

“No!” I gasped.

The terror in my voice made Don smile. “Oh, it’ll get a lot worse for you, baby doll.”

I clamped my mouth shut. He was pure evil. And evil had a lot of tricks.

“So, I have your attention now?” he asked.

He did, but he wouldn’t for long. I felt a blackness rising up inside me. It was cold, like I imagined death would be.

He folded his arms and peered down at me, obviously getting off on tormenting me. “I'm saving Jeremy for last, for when I really need to punish you. In the meantime, you’ll do what I say. You see, I’ve taken your precious brother away. Legally.” He waved his phone in my face. “I’m turning your ass in for driving under the influence. Got the videos to prove it. When they arrive, they'll arrest you on the spot. Your dad will be all too happy to file a restraining order against you, and he'll have no problem getting one, not with the blood alcohol thatyou’llclock. Not to mention the drugs and kidnapping.”

“No,” I choked.

“They’ll never give you custody after this. You’ve lost him now. And if you fail to get me that chest and the contents of that safe, you’ll lose him for real. Permanently.”

He kept talking, but the darkness rose to swallow me and I couldn’t battle them both. All I could think about was Jeremy and the fact he was gone.

I ran down the driveway, screaming his name.

9

Idon’t know how, but suddenly, I was bursting into the mansion. I couldn’t seem to stand up straight. The ground rolled in a constant motion beneath my feet.