"Mmm," Kate murmured as she nuzzled her head against Jack's side. She was half asleep, her eyes still closed.
"Don't open your eyes," Jack said sternly, his voice low. "Pretend you're unconscious."
Kate was immediately alert despite not opening her eyes. She felt the crackle of dried blood on her head and remembered being pistol whipped. She didn't need to open her eyes to recognize the pattern of passing street lights in the dark. They were moving.
Jack stroked Kate's hair, praying she had heard him. Between the flashes of streetlight he inspected the gash on Kate's head. As much as he wanted to keep her awake in case of concussion, he knew it was safer for Kenneth to think she was still knocked out.
Jack's own head was pounding; he'd been hit just like she was but refused to pass out. Instead, he'd pretended in the event that he needed a surprise attack to protect Kate. He felt the vehicle stop on what sounded like gravel.
Almost immediately, Kenneth dumped bottled water on the duo. "Wake the fuck up," he grumbled. Kate gave Jack a worried glance before sliding out of the car, letting him follow suit. She was lucky Kenneth walked ahead of them; it gave them a chance to hold each other's hand, neither knowing if that would be the last touch they shared but neither would dare say.
"Kenneth, please." Jack stepped in front of Kate, separating the two.
"I'm going to get answers, one way or the other."
"What answers?" Kate's voice squeaked from behind Jack.
"You were having an affair with my father," Kenneth accused rather than asked.
"No."
"Did you know he left my mother?"
"No, I didn't. But that had nothing to do with me," she assured him, taking a step forward.
"He was obsessed with you, not just finding you, obsessed with you."
"I don't know what to say," Kate gulped, giving Jack a questioning glance.
"You called him. On Christmas. I was there."
Kate felt tears building in her eyes. He was right; she had called Edward Mars on several occasions, Christmas included.
"You were toying with him, teasing him!"
"It wasn't like that!" Kate cried.
"What was it like? Explain it to me!" Kenneth yelled, waving the gun around.
"Easy," Jack raised his hands in surrender as he stepped in front of Kate.
"Kate!" Kenneth yelled.
"I didn't have anyone else!" Kate burst. "It was lonely; he was the only person in the world who cared about my whereabouts and even he only cared so he could lock it up." A tear slid down Kate's cheek, making Jack's heart break for her.
Kenneth lowered the gun, studying Kate. "It was just nice to hear someone's voice... to know someone out there was looking for me..."
"Don't you see how you lead him on? How you gave him false hope? And now he's dead, my mother is heartbroken and the two of you are living out your dreams."
"None of that is Kate's fault!" Jack kept his arms raised in surrender. "Look, your father made his choices, not Kate. She can't control his feelings."
"Tell me what to do," Kate begged.
"Are you trying to seduce me now, too?"
"What?" Kate looked over at Jack, questioning her own behaviors. He shook his head, silently reassuring her that she did nothing wrong.
"Go ahead, show me what you do," he snapped. "Both of you. Undress."
"What are you going to do?" Kate's voice shook and she sounded smaller than he'd ever heard.
"I'm going to teach you a lesson. Show you what happens to maneaters." He held his gun to them; forcing them to strip down.
"Go ahead," Kenneth waved the gun to illustrate his point.
"Go ahead with what?" Jack snapped, growing frustrated.
"Fuck." Kenneth shrugged as if it were nothing.
Jack stared at Kate, who was trembling in fear.
"I'll make it simple. Jack, if you refuse I'll kill Kate. Kate, I'll kill Jack if you do. I'm going to prove it."
"Prove what?" Jack asked.
"She's incapable of loving anyone. Did she tell you? She married someone and still left him when she got what she want.
"I didn't want him implicated," Kate whispered, the guilt taking her over.
"You don't have to explain," Jack whispered.
"Tick tock." He waved his gun.
"Jack… we can just pretend it's just us," Kate whispered, cupping his face.
"You're shaking like a leaf. If you refuse—"
"I'm not leaving you," Kate promised him. Her body trembled violently but she unbuttoned her shorts. "Just focus on me," she whispered, tears sliding down her cheeks.
He felt her tears against his own cheeks as he kissed her. He tried to get lost in the moment but it was impossible. He couldn't even close his eyes for fear of something happening. "I'm sorry," he pulled away from her. "I can't put you through this."
"Promise me you'll spare Jack," Kate pleaded rather than attempt to save herself.
"You really love him, don't you?" Kenneth asked. Kate wondered if just maybe there was hope for them.