Key Lime Pie (39 page)

The tears overflowed as Megan clenched her eyes shut and shook her head as if clinging desperately to the lies she’d been told—perhaps even been telling herself. But Sadie knew she couldn’t deny the fact that Alex was willing to sacrifice these babies. No way could Megan be okay with that—not really. Megan placed her hands on her belly and bowed her head, tears dripping from her face as emotion took over. She looked so anguished that Sadie instinctively lifted her hand to reach out to her before realizing she was still taped up.

“Megan,” she said, gently, “the police are going to figure everything out. They have Liliana’s body—Hugo’s too—and they will find out what happened to them and why.”

Megan looked up in surprise, and her face reflected desperation. “I didn’t know about Liliana,” she whispered. “Not for a long time. They told me she left Alex and abandoned the boys. When Hugo told me the truth, I didn’t believe him. I loved Liliana; she was my friend.”

Sadie was so relieved to hear that and wished she had more time to discuss the particulars of just how Megan had justified
becoming
Liliana if she truly believed Alex’s first wife had left on her own. But there was no time. “Even if you go back to Puerto Rico, the police won’t be too far behind. You can’t return to the life you left there, Megan—even if you love Alex, the life you’ve shared with him is over one way or another.” Understanding was beginning to show on Megan’s face, and abject fear was replacing her sorrow and earlier confusion.

Sadie continued. “You’re the only one who can get any of us out of this.” She glanced down at Megan’s rounded stomach to indicate just how many lives were depending on her. “You won’t get another chance to—” She heard the click moments before a hand clamped around Sadie’s right arm and pulled her through the passenger door before it was even opened all the way. Her shin caught on the door, and she yelped in pain.

She was immediately slammed against the side of the car, her head snapping backward and causing her to bite her tongue. Before she could lift her head and focus on Monty’s face, his hand connected with her left cheek, causing her to cry out as her head twisted sideways. With his other hand he held her against the car, crushing her chest and making it hard to breathe.

The sight of the ground, the open trunk, and the trees spun as she tried to process what had happened. The taste of blood filled her mouth, and the left side of her face throbbed. She tried to focus on one thing in order for her vision to adjust. In the next moment, she could feel Monty’s breath on the side of her face, only inches away. She didn’t look at him, but felt her body shaking involuntarily.

“I have my orders, but there are always circumstances that call for split-second decisions and I have no reservations relieving Alex of dead weight again—if you know what I mean.”

“You think I don’t already know you’re going to kill me?” Sadie said, though she didn’t believe it. Not yet. As long as she was alive there was hope she’d get out of this.

“I wasn’t talking about you,” Monty said, his voice even lower and his face even closer. His breath smelled like mint, which Sadie felt was yet one more thing that made him seem so harmless. Evil people should have evil breath . . . and crooked teeth.

“Alex wants her back,” Sadie said, her stomach sinking. She kept her head turned so that she wasn’t looking at him. Less than a minute ago she’d been trying to convince Megan not to go back to Alex, and now she was trying to convince Monty that she had to return. She felt the cold metal of what she could only assume was the gun against the side of her face. The coolness almost felt good against the swelling of where he’d hit her moments earlier, but mostly served as a reminder of who was really in control.

“There’s an endless supply of stupid women in this world,” Monty said. “Alex will have no trouble finding a replacement. And I’ll have no trouble getting rid of that one too, if needed. Alex didn’t lose much sleep over Liliana; he won’t waste time mourning this one either.”

This one.
Megan wasn’t even worthy of a name to this man. “Then why take her back at all?” Sadie said, unable to keep the words back. “Why bother?”

“Because Alex is very generous when he gets what he wants,” Monty said. “Alex makes it possible for me to have the means of a better lifestyle, while the cab gives me the cover that so often comes in handy—such as today. I do things his way as much as I can.”

“Like killing Hugo?” Sadie said.

“Dead weight,” Monty said. “Hugo should have done as he was told, not make up new rules based on his current view of morality.”

“People like you don’t win forever,” Sadie said, wanting to make sure he understood that though he’d obviously gotten away with horrible things, it wouldn’t last. It couldn’t. She finally looked at him, feeling her eyes narrow at the arrogant look on his face.

“I don’t need forever,” Monty said. “Today is good enough.”

“They saw your cab at the hospital.”

“They’ll never trace it, and no one else saw me but you. So, in a sense I’ve already gotten away with it, but we’re on a tight schedule, and I’d rather you disappear a little better than Liliana did—which is going to take time I don’t have at the moment. So, you hang in there, keep your
faith
alive, and behave yourself until we get things sorted out—all for her, of course.” He nodded toward the car before meeting Sadie’s eyes again. “I’ve heard all I can stand of your voice today, so if you open your mouth again for any reason, I’ll let you watch her bleed to death in the backseat.”

There was no doubt in Sadie’s mind that he meant what he said. In fact, she imagined it would give him a great deal of satisfaction to show her what he was capable of. She clamped her lips together as the situation fell heavy around her shoulders. Liliana was dead, Hugo was dead, and Megan and her babies would be next—closely followed by Sadie herself—if Sadie didn’t keep quiet. It really was a brilliant plan on Monty’s part. Sadie’s own life was worth risking, but Megan? Two unborn children? There was no comparison.

“So, do I have your word that I won’t have to resort to such measures?” Monty asked in a purely conversational tone.

Sadie nodded, feeling spineless even while knowing she had no other option. “I’m holding you to that, then,” Monty said, tapping the gun against her swollen cheek, causing Sadie to wince.

This was a promise she wouldn’t break, but it might very well cost her her life.

They started driving, and it took only a moment for Sadie to realize they were continuing south, toward the Florida Keys. The construction cones and equipment continued alongside the road, and patches of water began appearing intermittently on either side of the road. It was too dark to be as beautiful as it probably was during the day, but she watched the light reflecting off the surface of the water and wished she could dive in and swim away from all this. It was so surreal outside the car, and so utterly frightening on the inside.

Monty turned on the radio, some icky rap music that certainly didn’t make Sadie feel any better. Now and then she’d feel him looking at her. She refused to meet his eyes and simply watched the scenery, sprinkled with construction paraphernalia, pass by. She took deep breaths to calm herself, and continued saying internal prayers for guidance and help.

She came up with a hundred scenarios that could lead to her escape, with Megan of course—a police barricade, an accident, Monty eating peanuts and going into anaphylactic shock due to an unsuspected allergy—but as the miles stretched on, both ahead of and behind them, she found it harder and harder to imagine how she’d get out of this.

There were a few other cars on the road, but it was fully dark now, and traffic was sparse. Sadie imagined people preferred not to drive this road after dark. It was remote and lifeless, and she was sure the water was full of snakes and alligators and all kinds of tropical critters.

Unable to ask questions out loud, she asked them in her mind, then made up answers.

Where are we going?

Key West, of course.

Why?

So I can smuggle Megan back to Puerto Rico and throw your body to the sharks, of course.

Or,

Could we stop for some key lime pie in Key Largo?

Is that what you want for your last meal?

The questions all seemed to end the same way so she tried not to ask them anymore, focusing instead on anything that might come in handy should an unknown opportunity present itself.

Her kung fu skills, obviously, were a huge asset. Her hands were taped and going numb, but she had fingernails and quick reflexes. She could also spit and scream, and . . . she looked around the cab, noticing it had an emergency brake between the front seats and what looked like a road atlas in the passenger door pocket. She wasn’t sure road atlases counted as an actual weapon, but it was all she had to work with. Yet all the thinking and planning didn’t block out the fact that she was responsible not only for her own life, but for Megan’s and her children as well.

They were several minutes, and miles, down the road ahead of them when Megan spoke. Sadie couldn’t hear what she said, the music was too loud, but after she said it again, louder, Monty turned down the radio.

“Where’s Hugo?” Megan asked. Her voice was quiet and scared. Sadie wished she’d at least try to sound confident instead of so weak, and yet she understood why Megan was feeling the way she was.

“Can’t say that I know,” Monty answered. He reached for the volume knob again.

“Is he dead?”

Sadie felt Monty look at her as though suspecting she’d told Megan, which she had. She didn’t meet his eyes. “Now why would you ask such a thing?” Monty said, his voice patronizing.

“He’s the one who brought me here,” Megan said. “Alex said he would look out for me. You were only his backup, right?”

“Now I’m looking out for you,” Monty said, looking in the rearview mirror.

“What happened to Hugo?” Megan asked.

“Stop asking stupid questions,” Monty said, turning up the volume of the radio, though not as loud as before. “Alex will explain everything when we get there.”

“Is he sending a boat?” Megan said loudly in order to be heard over the music. Even though it was only an increase of volume, it made Megan sound stronger.

“He’ll meet us in Nassau,” Monty said.

“He’s not meeting us in Marathon?” Megan asked.

“Of course not,” Monty said, laughing and shaking his head. “Alex has more important things to do than clean up other people’s mistakes.” He looked in the rearview mirror again, and Sadie assumed he was looking at Megan. “Which would be a good lesson for you to learn.”

Sadie cringed inside. What a horrible thing to say to anyone, let alone a woman in Megan’s situation. Megan didn’t say anything else, but Sadie could hear a slight sniffling from the backseat. Monty turned the music up even more.

A few more miles passed—monotonous with clusters of trees, waterways, and construction cones. Sadie wondered if the road would look like this all the way to Marathon Key, where she assumed there must be a marina where Megan would get on a boat, and Sadie would be left to Monty and whatever fate he had in store for her. She looked down at her hands, which were tingling, yet balled into fists, and forced herself to unclench her fingers. Her palms pressed together as though she were praying.

“What are you doing?” Monty asked, turning down the music.

Sadie thought he was talking to her, which was downright rude since he’d told her not to talk, but when she turned to him, he was looking in the rearview mirror again.

“I’m j-just taking off my jacket,” Megan said. “I’m too warm.”

Monty didn’t respond, and Sadie looked over her shoulder long enough to catch a look from Megan as she shrugged out of her jacket before Monty’s hand grabbed Sadie’s chin and faced her forward.

“Don’t look at her,” he said.

Sadie clenched her teeth together to keep from talking and forced herself to look at the endless road ahead of them. But she kept thinking about that look from Megan. She’d looked directly at Sadie, holding her eyes as though wanting to say something but being unable to. Did it mean something or was Sadie desperately grabbing for any hidden meaning that might offer her some hope?

There was a light ahead of them on the road. At first Sadie thought it was an exceptionally bright streetlight, but as they drew closer, she realized it was a huge halogen lamp lighting up the road for a construction crew. People.

Monty swore and started slowing down per the illuminated speed limit sign flashing his speed at him and telling him to slow down.

“Hide your hands,” Monty said to Sadie. “If they stop us . . .”

Sadie appreciated that he didn’t finish the thought out loud since she was certain it was another threat against Megan, and Megan didn’t need any more stress. Sadie put her hands and wrists between her thighs, as though she was cold, which, she realized she was. The night had cooled off considerably, even though the air was still thick. Yet, Megan had taken off her jacket, claiming she was warm.