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Prologue
Central Texas
Ten years ago
Moonlight dripped on the rusted blue ’79 Chevy Iled at the end of a dirt-packed rural road Yards ahead a footpath twisted, slithered and vanished into scraoodlands A coyote howled
Robbie had never been here before but his father, Harvey Lee Srown up near this property He’d often talked about it, swearing he could conjure each rock, butime bluebonnets
Harvey said the bluebonnets always calining the sea of delicate purple flowers did little to ease Robbie’s dread
Setting the brake, Harvey leaned over the steering wheel and stared at the trail that snaked toward the beloved blossoirl would love to see the blossoms Yes, sir, she would love it”
“She’s not a baby, Harvey,” Robbie said “She’s twenty-two A year younger than me”
His s, a forlorn shadow darkened the older man’s features “No, I reckon she’s not a baby, Robbie She’s graduated Earned her bachelor’s and going to get her PhD Smart kid A chip off the old block”
Jealousy stinging, Robbie regarded Harvey “You should go see her Tell her you’re proud”
Harvey shook his head, staring at his sht about it Thought about it a lot But like I said before, it’s not a good idea”
“Sheof her” Robbie understood he was digging into an old hurt his father carried in his heart But he didn’t care He was tired of feeling less when coirl Harvey idealized
Scowling, his father jerked the door handle up and pushed his shoulder into it The door groaned open “Coht won’t last forever”
Harvey slammed the door hard and moved to the back of the Impala
Robbie smoothed sweaty palms over his jeans and stared into the rearviewHarvey insert a key into the trunk lock
Robbie’s stoain he hoped his fear didn’t upend his sto his door, he luht air He hovered by the car door
Key still in hand, Harvey glanced up toward the brighthow the stars popped hts of Austin He inhaled, appreciating the cool, soft, spring air “Lord, but I’veup this way”
Robbie shoved tre hands into the pockets of his jeans “Why don’t you come back here more often?”
Shaking his head, Harvey twisted the key and the lock released “Last tio well, so I stayed away I can see now that this
trip was a mistake”
“Wasn’t this place your family home?”
“Naw Just a place I liked visiting” The trunk lid rose, cutting off Robbie’s view “Coot work to do” Harvey’s voice, darkly polite, had hi
Anxiety rising, Robbie walked toward the back of the car and peered in the trunk He stifled a wince as he looked at the wo ready for the spit
She stared up at hi, her pleas
Tucking the keys in his jacket pocket, Harvey delighted in the way she writhed and whimpered “Picked a fine one this time, didn’t I, boy?”
Robbie rattled the change in his pockets “She’s skinny”
“Could stand to gain a pound or two, but she’s strong and pretty Given ti wo and when she jerked away he smiled “Beauty’s skin deep, boy Remember that What you want in a woman is spirit Couldn’t coax this one in the car with a fifty-dollar bill like the others No, sir, this one is leery by nature Not swayed by pretty words Careful, cautious Best kind in my book”
For this one, Harvey had created an intricate backstory, stolen a late-on with a baby seat in the back and dressed in khakis and a baby blue button-down shirt “The kind of shirt a safe guy wore,” he’d said
In the end, she’d fallen for Harvey’s hoax, wrongly assu that the outward physical cues reflected the inner man’s true intent
When she’d gotten into his car and realized hera hard blow to his face The pain had snapped his temper, and he’d backhanded her hard across the mouth Her blood had splattered the windshield He’d knocked her out cold
As they’d planned, Harvey drove the Volvo to the e lot where Robbie waited with the Iirl and loaded her in the trunk, Robbie had stayed in the car as he’d been told, but it had taken every ounce of control to stay put He’d wanted to run Wanted to hide
Harvey, however, was enjoying himself He’d taken care to wake her up He’d wanted her awake, aware of the danger She’d jerked and pulled at her bindings, but his knots were sure S, Harvey had rubbed the tender spot on his jaw before sla the trunk closed
For most of the drive up from Austin, Harvey didn’t notice her kicks and screams He talked about the weather, the diner that served the best pancakes, even his upconment Just another day for Harvey
But each thump and shriek had raked across Robbie’s nerves, and when he couldn’t stand it any to a country-western station
Now as Harvey watched her twist against her bindings, he sht out of you, girl Nothing worse than a broken spirit”
Dark eyes narrowed, and he knew this one would go to the grave fighting
“Robbie,” he said, clapping his hands together, “tiet this show on the road”
Harvey grabbed the girl by the midsection, hauled her out of the trunk like a sack of potatoes and hefted her over his shoulder She smelled of sweat, urine and the faintest hint of departled and tried to ras kept her immobile and easy to handle
Robbie scanned the darkened road they’d just traveled “Harvey, I don’t want to do this I’m not ready Let me stay in the car”
“Co about this for weeks You’re twenty-three Man enough We’ve put this day off long enough”
Fear weighed down Robbie’s feet “I know I said I wanted to do this, but I don’t think I can Not yet”
“Don’t be silly, boy Like riding a bike Once you get the hang of it, it’s as easy as pie”