Wrong Exit by N.L. Hinkens

Author:N.L. Hinkens [Hinkens, N.L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781947890336
Publisher: Dunecadia Publishing
Published: 2022-04-27T16:00:00+00:00

17

I wake with a start the following morning, shattered and wrung out from a night of troubled dreams: CJ breaking into our hotel room and holding us hostage with a machete, Gianna jumping out from behind him, laughing maniacally, Adele’s face slowly melting into a puddle. Everything in me wants to pick up the phone and call the police to report CJ for assault. His words play on a continual loop in my brain: You haven’t heard the last from me. Why would he say that? We already told him we don’t know where Gianna is. The only thing I can think of is that he suspects we’re helping her hide from him. If her stories of abuse are true, he knows we wouldn’t willingly give away her location. If my hunch is right, there’s a good chance CJ will continue to follow us—a thought that fills me with dread.

The issue nagging at me is where Gianna disappeared to. I was hoping, by now, she would have contacted me about getting her journal back, but maybe I was wrong about how attached she is to it. If CJ doesn’t know her whereabouts, and her parents haven’t heard from her either, it leaves the possibility that something too awful to contemplate has happened to her—something I might have unwittingly participated in. After all, I’m the one who brought her to a strange city, and we didn’t end up staying in the safest part of town. Gianna might have gone out early to get some fresh air and stretch her legs before another long day in the car, and fallen victim to a mugging, or been attacked by some drunk—abducted even.

Adele stirs in her bed next to mine. “What time is it?” she mumbles.

“Almost seven,” I say. “Time to rise and shine. We have a big day ahead of us. The Civil Rights Museum opens at 9:00 a.m. I’d like to check it out for an hour or two before we head to Nashville.”

Adele sits up and stretches her arms over her head. ”I want to spend as much time as possible at the Country Music Hall of Fame. I’ve always wanted to get my picture taken next to those Gold and Platinum record walls.”

“I have to admit, I’m mostly looking forward to the costumes,” I say, rummaging through my bag for some clean clothes. “They have an amazing collection of country western fashion—everything from Taylor Swift outfits, all the way back to Hillbilly dungarees and straw hats. It will make for some awesome shots for my blog.”

Adele swings her legs over the edge of the bed. “You’re really lucky, you know that? You have such an interesting job compared to me, not to mention the flexible hours and not having to answer to an overbearing boss anymore.”

“You could quit—figure out something you’d love to do and start moving in that direction.”

Adele twists her lips. “It’s not that easy. You have Clay’s career to fall back on if your fashion blog ever falters.

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