“Don’t bother,” Isabella said. “She won’t be waking up for roughly…five hours.”
“What?” I climbed out of my seat. “Kennedy.” I grabbed her shoulders. “Wake up.” I shook her. What the fuck is happening? “Kennedy!”
Isabella laughed. “Tragic, isn’t it? That someone like her could possibly ever believe that I would be friends with them? Like I’d ever be friends with a mutt.”
God, you hateful bitch. I turned to face her. “What did you do?” I tried to keep my voice even, but I’m pretty sure it betrayed me.
She just laughed.
For a few minutes, I thought that she and Kennedy were actually friends. But Isabella wasn’t capable of having real friendships. She was demonic. “What did you do to her?!”
Isabella brushed some unseen piece of lint off her shoulder. “I slipped something in her drink. And then learned just enough about her to manipulate her into getting you both in my limo with me tonight. You know…the usual.”
Oh God. “Wh…why?” I hated how much my voice shook.
“You’re about to find out, sillykins. That’s half the fun, don’t you think?”
The limo pulled to a stop.
I looked out the window. We were definitely in some kind of parking lot. I squinted and saw what looked like a rundown warehouse in the darkness. Shit.
“Now get the hell out of my car,” Isabella said.
“What are you talking about? I’m not getting out here.” I turned back to Kennedy. “Kennedy, wake up.” I shook her harder, but her head just lolled forward. Please, Kennedy. You’re not a mutt. You’re perfect. I’m sorry I was a bad friend tonight. But I love you. Wake up.
“Get out of my limo, peasant.”
Then I heard a noise that I’d only ever heard in movies. The sound of a gun being cocked.
It felt like my heart was beating in my throat. I turned to see a pink pistol pointed right at my forehead. Oh my God, she really is going to kill me. And it wasn’t like she just picked up a random gun. It was pink. She owned the thing. Mr. Pruitt had to know she owned a gun. He knew what she was capable of and he still let her have a weapon?
I dropped Kennedy’s shoulders. “Isabella…”
“Get out. Now.”
I didn’t want to leave Kennedy like this. But my brains getting blown out wouldn’t exactly help anything. And it would be better if I got Isabella and her gun away from Kennedy. I backed up, my butt hitting the door. I felt behind me for the handle and pushed the door open.
Sir Wilfred whimpered as I climbed out of the limo, followed by Isabella. She slammed the door so her dog couldn’t follow us.
“Just like home sweet home, yes?” Isabella said.
I didn’t take my eyes off her. I got the point. We were standing in an abandoned lot surrounded by decaying buildings. But this was nothing like my home back in Delaware. Our house had been small, but it was beautiful and full of beautiful memories that a person like Isabella would never get to experience.
I looked at the limo. Why wasn’t Donnelley doing something? He was supposed to be protecting both of us. Why was he letting this happen?
“Answer me,” Isabella said. She lifted the gun a little higher.
“Yes, this is just like home.” That was the answer she wanted right? “Because I’m garbage.” I didn’t believe the words I was speaking, but saying them out loud made me feel so small.
“Rotten. Disgusting. Hideous. Pathetic. Oh my God, are you crying?” She laughed.
I reached up to touch my cheek. I didn’t realize I was crying. But the moisture on my cheeks proved otherwise.
“This is even better than I imagined. Now take it off.”
I stared at her. “Take off what?”
“This isn’t the time for sass, Sissy. Take it off.”
I was pretty sure she was staring at the top of my head. The tiara. Of course that’s what she wanted me to take off. My hands shook as I reached up to unpin it from my hair.
“Now!” she screamed, her voice echoing around the empty parking lot.
My fingers were still shaking, making it impossible to unpin fast enough. So I pulled the tiara, and did my best to stifle my scream as it tore out some hair with it.
“So much better. But I mean all of it.”
I was clutching the crown in my hand. “What?”
“The dress. Take it off.”
“Isabella…”
“It’s as hideous as you. I’m doing you a favor.” She took a step forward. “Or would you rather I kill you?”
I pushed the straps off my shoulders. And when she kept the gun pointed at my face, I reached around and tugged at the zipper. The dress fell to the ground, pooling at my ankles. I was standing there in my underwear, bra, and sneakers. The cold fall air bit at my exposed skin.
“Oh my God. Get rid of the shoes too.”
My body was shaking. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the cold or because I was terrified. Maybe it was both. But I couldn’t take off my Keds. I couldn’t let her take the last thing my mom had gifted me. “Please, Isabella.”
“Take them off and maybe I’ll let you live.”
I swallowed hard. Isabella could destroy physical things. But she’d never be able to take away my memories. Unless she killed me. I slowly kicked my shoes off.
“Much better. Now do you want the good news or the bad news?”
I didn’t want anything from her. I just stared at her.
“You’re no fun.” She backed up and tapped on the limo window.
Donnelley slowly climbed out of the car. He was holding a large cardboard box in his hands.
“Donnelley!” I said and took a step toward him.
“Don’t even think about it,” Isabella said. “Donnelley is on my side. Not yours. Isn’t that right Donnelly?”
He didn’t say a word. But he looked miserable. And so freaking guilty. I could tell he wasn’t coming to my rescue tonight. Especially since he was looking at the ground instead of at me.
“So which is it, Sissy? The good news or the bad news?”
Chapter 37
Saturday