Before I Go: A dark and tense psychological crime thriller. by Marie Reyes (the false prince series txt) 📗

appeal to him; he would rather hightail it out of there and be done with the whole thing, but there was no way Josie was going to let it go, not now. They were clear of Arenales and on a main road. Maybe they were safe now; maybe not. Michael had no idea how long it was to the next town, but assumed that was where Julio was taking them. They took an exit off of the main highway along a two lane road with trees running along each side and the odd car speeding past them.

Josie fumbled with her phone, and he looked over to see what she was doing. She loaded up a GPS application and honed in on where they were.

“How far is the police station?” Michael asked. Josie ignored him and leaned forward.

“Julio, why are we going this way? We should have stayed on Carre Merida, shouldn’t we?”

A switch went off in Michael’s mind as soon as he heard the click of the child-locks being activated. Before Josie even knew what was happening, Julio reached into the back and grabbed the cell phone straight from her hand. “Yours too,” he demanded, glaring at Michael before pulling into a dirt layby. Josie yanked at the door handle as Michael reached into his pocket.

“It’s not here. I must have dropped it when that man chased us.”

“Bullshit.” Julio’s change of demeanor shocked Michael so he could barely hold a thought in his head as he tried to remember where he last had it.

“It’s not here. I swear,” he stuttered in time with his racing heartbeat.

Josie was still struggling to open the door despite it not opening on her last few attempts—the definition of insanity.

“Stop.” Julio’s voice blasted like a deafening siren as he reached into the glove compartment, pulling out a gun. Michael knew fuck all about guns. He’d briefly considered it as a suicide option, but after an afternoon spent looking at photographs and videos of gunshot victims on the Internet, he had decided against it. The mess they left behind was not like the movies, a neat hole. He’d seen waterfalls of blood, crushed, distorted faces that didn’t resemble humans anymore. The backs of exploded heads from the exit wounds. Skull fragments. Brain fragments. He didn’t want anyone finding him like that.

He looked Michael up and down, sizing him up. “If you lie to me, I shoot your girlfriend straight in the head. You hear me?” He started the car back up, kicking up dust as he turned back onto the road.

“Where are you taking us?” Josie asked. Michael wished she would keep her mouth shut. He didn’t want this guy angered anymore than he was already. Maybe if they sat quietly—they could think—formulate a plan. Julio didn’t respond to her anyway and kept his eyes on the road ahead.

Michael didn’t know whether to look at her or not, whether Julio would decide they were colluding and pop a bullet in their heads. He took the risk and looked up from the floor just long enough to shoot her a glance. He had expected her to look as scared as he was, but if anything, she had a fire in her eyes, a fury waiting to be unleashed at the first available opportunity. She took his hand firmly, interlocking her fingers with his as if telling him with certainty that everything was going to be fine.

Perhaps together they could overpower him, make him lose control of the car, get the gun off of him, climb over and get out the front. Too many ifs and buts, all they could do was bide their time. See whoever he was taking them to, reason with them. He got the impression that all she wanted was the truth, at whatever cost. The truth was worth dying for to her, and he was okay with that. The light changed as the orange hues of sunset formed in the sky ahead. If it weren’t for the circumstances, it would have been beautiful.

As a car came towards them from the horizon, Josie pulled her hand away from his and pressed up against the window. As it got closer, he could see black and white. It was a police car. He concentrated on it as if willing it to stop with the power of his mind, yet convinced it would just drive past. It was slowing. The car’s lights flashed, indicating Julio to stop and Julio complied. He wound down the window and started talking to them. If only Michael could understand what they were saying. He looked over at Josie again. Should they say something? They had to fight, and this was there one and only chance. The gun rested in the right-hand side of his waist-band, invisible to the cop, but within reaching distance for Michael—it’s as if Julio knew Michael didn’t have the balls to take it and left it there, taunting him. Michael had no doubt Josie would have. Maybe that was Michael’s problem. He was incapable of taking control of any situation, especially his own life. Julio reached for the glove-box and pulled out some papers and passed them out the open window. As the police officer glanced over the documents, Julio slipped the gun from his side, and before Michael could speak, could form a thought, Julio raised the gun up and pulled the trigger. The officer dropped to the ground in a second and flecks of blood sprayed against the window. Julio had not hesitated in shooting a cop, they didn’t stand a chance.

Chapter Sixteen

“You don’t move.” He opened his door, waving his gun at them, before sliding out. Despite his lack of physical fitness, he had no trouble pulling the body around the front of the car, and dragging it into the bushes. A line of blood followed behind on the gravel like a slug trail.

While Julio was distracted, Josie leaned down and pulled an empty rum bottle from the floor that was