The gleaming hilt of a knife appeared at her neck. Stella cried out, her chin already bathed in blood. Her entire body trembled. A gag hung around her neck, frozen and inert.
Oh, yeah. This bastard was going down.
"Get back!" Joshua screamed.
Both of my hands lifted in the air, but I took a shaky step forward, as if a rock had given way. There were thirty feet between us. I could cross that in less than ten seconds. He'd need less than half of that to slit her throat. The math wasn't reassuring.
"Joshua, let's talk," I called.
"Don't say my name and don't act like this is going to end well for anyone if you so much as step in her direction," he snarled. "If my guess is right, we're fifty yards from the road. So you are going to stay right there while I drag her away from here. Then we are going to get into my car and we're going to leave. Do you understand?"
My arms lowered.
"I have a better idea."
Stella's lips had turned dusky. They trembled so much I didn't think she'd be able to talk, even if she wanted to. Still, her eyes were clear. Afraid, but lucid. A good sign.
Joshua laughed. "This isn't a negotiation."
"You leave Stella and I leave you. It's a get-out-of-jail-free card, Joshua, and I think you should take it."
"She is the prize!"
"I think freedom is a better prize," I shouted over a burst of icy wind, "don't you? The moment you hit that highway, there are going to be deputies checking every single car that passes. We've already put the plan into motion. If you leave with her, you don't have a chance. If you're clearly alone in your car? Well, that's a much easier escape plan, isn't it? Because I'm willing to bet that you know there's no other road out of my canyon."
His nostrils flared. It was a lie, of course. To my knowledge, there was no roadblock planned, although that was a great idea that had come too late. But that didn't matter. Because now he was cold, stuck, and outnumbered. Desperation made for a terrible negotiation.
Vaguely, I attempted to track where the mountain lion had gone, but assumed it wasn't far. Atticus prowled around still, hackles raised. Hopefully, the cat hadn't moved its attention to Benjamin.
"You think I'm going to believe that?" Joshua asked with a wild half-laugh. "Even if it's true, who said I was taking the highway? Maybe I have a camp here."
"Then you might have a purring visitor in the night. Mountain kitties love to stalk their prey, you know, and now it has your scent."
His nose twitched. Without taking my gaze off of him, I attempted to watch for Benjamin. Didn't matter that I lied about the mountain lion either, although it could be true. Uncertainty would follow Joshua, and that bought me time.
"Listen, Joshua, I get it. You want Stella, but this isn't the way to do it. She's going to die if you leave her out here. If you do have a camp, you'll need a fire in this weather, right? Everything is soaking wet so that will be almost impossible. Not to mention the fire will draw the police. The deputies will have dogs out looking for you that can track you. If you don't take my offer now, this plan is doomed."
Stella's nostrils flared. She winced as Joshua shifted, wild eyes darting to where the mountain lion had been crouching under the bush. Atticus prowled around, hackles up, alternately sniffing at bushes and then barking.
"No." Joshua said it firmly. "This is not how it happens. I take Stella. You deal with the mountain lion. That's how this ends."
"That's up to you." I half shrugged. "But the longer you wait, the less chance you have of getting out of here alive, whether it's from freezing to death or that cat or the police already on their way. Joshua, give her to me and get out."
My heart thundered when movement closed in behind them. I guessed that Benjamin would be twenty yards away and hopefully silent, but he wouldn't know about the knife. Joshua hadn't given any indication that he heard something.
I straightened, then acted like I stumbled. The dirt and snow at my feet gave way, sliding me farther down the hill, but closer to them. Stella let out a muffled cry. Joshua jerked up, the knife pressed firmly against her neck again. She grabbed his arm, clawing at it, but he only tightened his hold.
"You have one knife, Joshua," I shouted furiously, "and if you plan to cut her throat, you better move fast, because I will be on you in less than five seconds. There will not be time for you to survive what I have planned for you."
Joshua snorted, but another flicker of doubt had registered in his gaze as he studied me. That moment of hesitation brought the knife away from her throat just slightly. My heart nearly stopped when Stella's gaze caught mine.
Then she dropped.
29 Stella
Mark looked like a livid vision through the gently rotating snow.
Flakes fell so thick and gauzy I almost couldn't see him. But he stood there, an avenging god, carefully controlled rage in his eyes. He didn’t even have a coat, just one of those zippered hoodies, over his shoulders that seemed miles wide compared to Joshua. Joshua's gaze darted between him and Atticus, who hadn't taken his attention from the mountain lion that appeared to retreat.
Who do you fear the most? I wanted to whisper to Joshua. Because both will tear you apart if you let them.
In the face of the knife that pricked at my neck,
