“Relax,” Crouch says sharply. “We’re waiting for approval on permits for this site. No one is scheduled to be here until they’re granted. No one is coming.”

Has Gabe worked on this project?

As soon as I allow that musing to slip to the forefront of my mind, the floodgates open. I can no longer stop the tears from tracking down my cheeks. I miss Gabe and Tobias and Banks so badly, it winds me. Bereaves me. I shouldn’t have ignored their calls. I should have stayed at Gabe’s and accepted their anger over the article like a big girl, instead of running off half-cocked to get it omitted from tomorrow’s paper. Just one more time in my life that I behaved impulsively, but now it could get me…killed.

Might as well admit it. This could be the end.

I don’t see how they can let me off with a warning now.

Not with the mayoral seat hanging in the balance. Or the potential wrath of a governor.

My parents are never going to find out what happened to me. I’ll never have the chance to enroll in classes at Baruch and set myself up for real success at something I love, instead of trying to skip to the end. Of course, I’m not afraid to commit now, when it could be too late.

I continue to twist my hands within the confines of the tightly tied laces. I can’t tell if I’m making any progress, though. I don’t think I am. My circulation is beginning to cut off.

God. I would give anything to be in Tobias’s lap right now.

He’d make some dumb joke about bondage and Banks would shake his head.

Tears fill my eyes to the brim and pressure pushes outward from inside of my ribcage. Pressure so strong that I know it’s coming from love. My love for three men.

And I feel a slight loosening in the ties.

Alexander and Crouch go silent. Abruptly.

Hands on hips, Alexander hangs his head. Crouch can’t look directly at me.

My gut pitches violently.

Not good. Not good.

They approach slowly, Crouch giving the driver a grave look.

Blood drains from his face, his arm briefly losing enough power to keep the gun aloft.

“Killing me isn’t going to solve your problems,” I rush to say, my voice unnaturally thick. “What about Karina? She knows you took me.”

“If we go down, Karina goes down, too. She’s culpable here,” Alexander says smoothly. “She’ll look the other way.”

He’s right. I don’t know Karina at all, do I? I thought she was my friend, but she sold me out. Even if she wants to help now, she won’t be able to tell the police where they brought me. They threw my phone out the window of the SUV and into a trash can several blocks before we reached this construction site. There’s no way anyone will ever find me. My dead body is going to end up encased in cement with a building on top of me. And my murderers are going to run this town. Probably go on to kill more people who stand in their way. I’m just the first of many.