Page 57 of Rescued By Midnight

That’s right—I was supposed to drive her to that today. Being alone with her in my car is probably a bad idea right now.

“I realize I might have overstepped last night,” I tell her, “so I’ve made some apology muffins, and Landon’s going to take you to therapy today, not me. Unlike me, he’s proven he can keep his hands to himself.”

I shoot Landon a meaningful look. He shoots me a murderous one.

ALICE - NOW

Cammie’s nose ring sparkles as she welcomes me into her office. “Hey, Alice. How are you feeling?”

I don’t even know where to begin. “Is it strange that I’m more preoccupied with my current relationships, than I am with my kidnapping?”

Her lips press together as she thinks. “I don’t think it’s strange at all. Current relationships feel more immediate, and depending on how they’re going, they might be providing you with some much needed happy feelings, and distractions, as well. You could be using them to avoid the negative feelings from your kidnapping.”

It sounds like a fair assessment. I want her to ask more about the relationships, but apparently she isn’t going easy on me today. Instead, she takes me back to the kidnapping itself—the moment I was taken.

ALICE - THEN

My feet pounded over the dirt path. One, two, one, two. Birdsong acted as an arrhythmic melody to the beat of my soles. It was a beautiful April. Brayden had been especially affectionate this morning, even carrying his breakfast dishes to the counter and whispering about how we would practice for a baby tonight.

I loved my life. Any day, the Elders would approve our request to start a family. We would level up in the church, gain respect. Already, some of the other wives were warming up to me. Many still remembered me as the rebellious fourteen-year-old I’d been when my parents and I first joined Seven Blessed Days.

Now, I was showing them just how perfect and composed I could be.

I was a freaking force of nature, and Brayden and I were the up-and-coming power couple.

With every new mile I ran, I became more and more convinced of how everything was turning for the better.

But we all know the proverb. Pride comes before the fall.

He stepped out of the shadows. Out of nowhere, really. One second, I was running alone. The next, a man stood in front of me, blocking my path with his back to me. He stood crookedly, like he’d been injured. He had on a ball cap, so I couldn’t see his hair color to gauge his age.

“Are you okay?” I slowed, but I didn’t stop.

As I got closer, he turned around.

He wore a ski mask. And he was holding himself crookedly because he carried a length of rope looped over one arm.

Immediately, I knew something was wrong. His blue eyes were cold and stared through me. It was like he had a goal, and I was in his way.

He lunged, and I realized I wasn’t standing in his way; I was the goal.

I screamed, but his hand covered my mouth. I kicked, but he was stronger. In no time, he had me wrapped in rope and he was carrying me to his car, illegally driven onto the park property and hidden in the trees.

Less than five minutes later, I was lying in the backseat and we were driving out of San Esteban.

ALICE - NOW

“It could happen again,” I whisper. “We still don’t know where he is. I thought I saw him at Navarre, of all places.”

“The department store?” Cammie asks.

“Yeah. I needed all new clothes, so my friend Landon brought me there. When I thought I saw Abe, Landon nearly tore that poor guy apart.” I shake my head, both mortified at Landon’s quick action, and pleased that he was so quick to defend me.

He was ready in seconds. He didn’t question me, or my judgment. Probably he should have, given that I was wrong.

If I were going to revisit the foothills and try to find where my kidnapper held me, then it seems like going with Landon would be a thousand times better than going with anyone else.

And Cody, too—the way he stormed up to me and Brayden. Rather than go after Brayden, he prioritized my safety and well-being.