Laurenâs appearance had been marred to the point of being almost unrecognizable.
She laid the blame wrongly at Raeganâs feet.
In her eyes, it was entirely Raeganâs doing.
Blaming Raegan entirely, Lauren sprung forward, yanked Raegan back by her hair, and hurled her across the room.
Thankfully, Raegan hit a haystack, not the hard floor, but the throw still dazed her.
âThought you could escape, huh?â Lauren taunted, moving closer with a terrifying glint in her eyes.
Her madness was palpable.
Laurenâs deranged state and effect of the drug granted her an extraordinary force and agility, rendering her nearly unstoppable.
Raegan worked to keep her voice steady and said, âLauren, killing me now is just what they want.
â
âYou think I canât see through you?â Laurenâs eyes narrowed, âYouâre just spewing nonsense to get away, right?â
Raegan said yes inwardly.
She said to Lauren, âDid you ever stop to think who might want us both out of the picture?â
This question seemed to hit Lauren hard.
It was something Lauren hadnât thought about.
As Raegan leaned back subtly on the floor, she continued, seeking to gain time, âShouldnât we at least know whoâs behind this before the end? Got any ideas who it might be?â
Lauren mulled over Raeganâs question, her thoughts in disarray, feeling like her mind was under attack.
Raegan insinuated, âDo you think Katie orchestrated your rescue?â
The look on Laurenâs face said it all.
Lauren never really knew Katie up close, but the pieces fell into place.
Her savior was on Katieâs payroll.
Despite donning with a mask, Lauren recognized her savior as precisely the one who had slipped her drugs in that dimly lit alley.
Raegan knew her guess was spot-on.
âKatieâs behind this, right? Sheâs not out to save you.
She wants to hurt me while throwing you under the bus!â
Lauren lost her cool.
âThatâs ridiculous! Youâre just trying to confuse me!â
Lauren refused to believe the truth.
She never had issues with Katie.
Even though Katie was once engaged to Mitchel, Katie had always been nice to her.
Plus, Katie was the one who brought clients for her back when she couldnât get any near to Mitchel.
âWhy do you think Katie went out of her way to save you? Whatâs in it for her?â Raeganâs voice was sharp with accusation.
âRemember what those guys said? Katieâs playing you as her pawn.
Sheâs got a knack for pulling strings from the shadows, never touching the dirt herself!â
Laurenâs face showed a flicker of doubt as she weighed Raeganâs point, which held some truth.
Raeganâs true motive wasnât to convince Lauren.
She was just buying time.
Trying to negotiate with someone as unpredictable as Lauren was a gamble.
After all, Lauren had already ended two lives without a second thought.
As Laurenâs attention wavered, Raegan edged toward the exit and, seizing her moment, sprinted out.
She wedged a stick sheâd found into the door handle, jamming it shut.
Laurenâs reaction was immediate, her fists pounding against the barrier.
Raegan knew the makeshift lock was temporary.
Spinning around, she noticed a black SUV by the entrance.
She pulled the door open and started searching, her hands finding the keys in the glove box.