Kidnapped at the Gun Show

by Lavender Daye

  “I’m—”

  “No, wait. Don’t tell me. Something really strange is happening around here. The police were asking questions about you yesterday. There was a man here at my apartment early this morning, saying he needed to talk to you about coming back to work.”

  “Short, heavy-set guy with a mustache? Probably Mr. Nealy from the club I work at. I should call him.”

  “No, Sara. I’ve met Mr. Nealy. Remember, I came by the bar that time and he bought me a drink? The one this morning was different.”

  A shiver slid down her spine and she thought about the questions Riley was working through for her. “What did he look like, Emma?”

  “Scary. Tall, black hair, a beard. I didn’t see his eyes, he kept his sunglasses on, even though it was overcast. He said he needed to talk to you immediately or he’d be back to talk to me and it wouldn’t be a friendly conversation.”

  “Emma, that’s a threat. Did you call the police?”

  “No, I didn’t know who to call. I left a message on your phone. Did you get it?”

  “No. I just turned it on before I called you. Look, hang up the phone and call the district attorney’s office in Dallas. Tell them you’re a friend of mine and tell them about the man you saw. They should help. If you get the runaround, call the police and tell them about the man who threatened you. Tell Paige to be careful, too.”

  “Do you really think that’s necessary?”

  “Yes. Just do it. Call me back if anything changes.”

  Sara closed the call and her phone beeped, signaling missed calls. The first was from Emma. The second curled her toes, but not in a good way.

  “Sara. Adams here. Sorry to get you into this, but you leave me no choice. You will meet me in Dallas tomorrow morning. I’ll call you at seven and tell you where to be. You will have ten minutes to get there or one of my employees will pick up one of your girlfriends, such sweet young ladies.” His voice roughened. “If you call the police, those perverts you are with now will be dead within twenty-four hours.”

  The cell fell into her lap, and Sara scrambled to catch it before it fell all the way to the floor and broke. She needed the phone. It was the only link to keeping Emma and Paige safe.

  Oh, God. What about Kale and Riley?

  Sara stared at the closed laptop in front of her, trying to think of some way to protect the people she loved.

  Her friends.

  Kale.

  Riley.

  It hadn’t taken any time at all to fall in love with Riley. She’d loved Kale for years. Now they were a package deal and a rare find. Two men who adored her and wanted her with them.

  Her eyes refocused on the computer, and it all clicked. They wanted the online storage information.

  When business overflowed last fall, Sara had run out of space on the hard drives in the office. She’d opened an online account to store inventory and shipping information. The files were locked away under her password somewhere on the Internet.

  Sara clicked open the laptop and accessed the files. They were still there. Good. They were her only bargaining chip. Next she searched listings for cab services in the Austin area. She searched the drawers in the desk and finally found a bill with Riley’s home address then she requested a cab to pick her up as soon as possible.

  She scrambled to get dressed. If she was still at the house when Kale and Riley got home, they wouldn’t let her go alone. She didn’t want them to be a part of this. It was her problem, her job to take care of it. She had to protect Paige and Emma. She had to protect her men.

  A short message for the guys, letting them know she loved them and would be back when she could, was left on Riley’s desk. She walked out the door just as the taxi pulled into the drive.

  She was on her way.

  Chapter 14

  Riley pulled into the garage and cut the engine, wondering what Sara was doing and whether or not she’d be naked when they walked in the door.

  “Do you think she’ll be bare-assed naked for us?” Kale asked with a laugh. “Her face was priceless when we talked about it yesterday.”

  “It would definitely keep us both home and happy,” Riley agreed.

  They walked into a quiet house.

  “Sara?” Kale called. No answer.

  “Maybe she’s sleeping,” Riley said. He walked down the hall and found the bed made, pillows fluffed. No sign of Sara. “Found her yet?”

  “Riley, come into the office.”

  Kale’s voice was dry, cold, as Riley walked up to him and took the paper out of his hand.

  “Son of a bitch. Where did she go?”

  “She left us. What the hell?”

  “Kale, get a grip. She was happy when we went to bed last night. Something happened this morning, but I don’t think it had anything to do with us.” Riley lifted the lid on his laptop, and the browser came on. One click and he had the history. “She called a cab.”

  He dialed the number and spoke to a dispatcher, then a supervisor. It took about ten minutes, but he finally got a clear answer.

  “Let’s go.”

  “Where?” Kale asked.

  “Get your head together, man. She didn’t leave us. She’s in trouble. My bet is she’s trying to protect us.”

  “What in the hell would make her do that?”

  “She called a cab to take her to the Federal Building in Austin. She hasn’t been gone long. Before that, she was in a program called ‘Surekeep’ and I’m betting the information the U.S. Attorney needs is in that file.”

  They were in the car in minutes, the garage door barely closing when they were already flying down the road. Riley hit two numbers on his cell and waited for his secretary to pick up. “Terri, I need you to call the U.S. Attorney and tell him I’m on my way to his office. He is not to speak to my client until I arrive or I’ll tie him up in court for years. No, tell him she’s under duress and I’ll file against him if he violates attorney-client privilege.”

  Kale half listened while he waited for Sara to answer her cell. It went to voice mail. He dialed again. Left another message. The third time he called, she picked up.

  “I can’t talk to you right now, Kale. I’m washing my hair. I’ll call you back.”

  “Where are you washing your hair, ’cause you sure as shit aren’t at our house.”

  She disconnected.

  He dialed again. Four voice mails later, she answered.

  “Just leave me alone for a little while. Give me time to think things over.”

  “Fuck you, Sara. Don’t you trust us to take care of you? I know you’re not running because of our relationship. Something else is bothering you. Talk to me.”

  Silence answered, but at least it wasn’t a disconnect. Kale could hear her breathing, and it almost sounded like she was crying and trying to hide it from him. She just wanted to be strong.

  “Talk to me, Sara. I love you. I can help with whatever it is.” Kale looked up as the sun dimmed. Riley was pulling into an underground parking garage.

  “I love you, too. And Riley. But I have to do this by myself.”

  She disconnected, and Kale cursed a blue streak as they entered the building. Riley knew his way around, and in minutes they were in the U.S. Attorney’s waiting room.

  “I represent Sara Brennan. Where is she?”

  The secretary stood and motioned to the closed door. “She’s with Mr. Sinclair. He asked not to be disturbed.”

  “I’m her legal counsel. He can’t keep me out.” He took two steps toward the door, and the woman moved to block his way.

  The full force of his stare pinned her. “Move out of my way. My client is under duress, and if I’m not allowed to speak with her, I’ll have you and your boss before a judge tomorrow morning.”

  Reluctantly, the woman allowed Riley to pass. Kale stayed right behind him until they got into the room. Sara was in a chair, her hair falling into her lap as she cupped her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook. Kale knelt at her feet while Riley
spoke to Sinclair.

  Sara’s head came up when Kale placed his hand on her knee. “What are you doing here?” she said, her eyes searching frantically for Riley. “You should both be at home where it’s safe.”

  “Honey, we’re here because we want to be” He sucked back a few harsh words and evened out his mood. A little. “You need to explain yourself. Tell me what happened. When you’re through, I’ve got a few things to explain to you, too.”

  “But—”

  “No buts. We are in this together. You, Riley, and me. Don’t forget it, and don’t think you can run and hide from us.” Kale took in some air, a lot of air, and slowly exhaled. His nerves were firing wildly, and he needed a clear head to get through to Sara without scaring her half to death. “Tell me what happened this morning to make you freak and run away from us.”

  Tears started flowing again, long streaks down her cheeks making him quake like nothing else ever had. And he’d had his share of tough spots.

  “Sara, trust me. Please, baby.”

  Her hands shook when she took his. “He called. My old boss. Said I had to be in Dallas tomorrow morning or he was going to hurt Paige and Emma. Then he was going to come after you and Riley.”

  “We won’t let him hurt you, baby. Riley and I will take care of everything.”

  Kale looked up as two men in dark suits walked into the office and closed the door behind them. He stood and put himself between the men and Sara.

  Riley met the men before they were anywhere near Sara. “Gentlemen, I’m Riley Cooper. I represent Ms. Brennan.”

  “Ralph Miller, NSA. And this is Jax Thomas, also NSA.” Both men looked past Kale, trying to get a look at Sara, but he was having none of it.

  “I understand your concern, but my client is distraught. I just arrived and would like a few minutes to speak to Ms. Brennan before you question her.” Riley turned to Kale, who nodded. “Mr. Sinclair, is there some place private where I might confer with Ms. Brennan?”

  Kale watched all four men exchange heated words, bickering about who was in charge. Finally, Riley reminded them that critical time was passing and he would speak to his client before any of the others could. They were ushered into an adjacent office, and Kale closed the door to the others.

  Riley jerked her into his arms and held her close. “Don’t ever do that again, do you hear me? You scared us half to death. Damn it, Sara. I can’t lose you. We can’t lose you.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to get caught in this. I would die if anything happened to you or Kale.”

  He kissed her hard and let her go. Kale took his place, kissing her breathless. Riley waited for them to finish then sat her in a chair.

  “Tell me everything.”

  “I found my cell in your office. I called Emma, and she told me my old boss was looking for me. He threatened her, said if I didn’t get in touch with him, she’d be hurt. Paige, too.”

  “Baby, I wish you’d called us. We’d have come straight home.” It was all Kale could do to speak softly and keep his hands to himself. The time to correct her distrust of them would come later, but for now she needed support.

  “There were messages on my phone from Mr. Adams. He told me to be in Dallas tomorrow morning. He’s going to call me at seven and tell me where to meet him. If I don’t show, he’s going to hurt Paige and Emma then come after both of you.”

  “Sara, do you have any information to share with the y U.S. Attorney and the NSA agents?”

  “I think so. But what exactly is the NSA?” she asked.

  Kale answered, “National Security Agency.”

  “Will I go to jail because of my boss?” she asked.

  Riley answered with a firm no, and Sara slumped in her chair.

  “I have some information. I was using an online storage site when our system was overloaded with orders last summer. It’s password-protected, and I’m the only one with access.”

  “Thank you, Sara. Thank you for trusting us with this.”

  She snagged Riley’s arm when he started to stand. “It’s not that I didn’t trust you. I’d forgotten all about it, but after the phone calls, I was just sitting and staring at your laptop, and I remembered the account.”

  “I understand, sweetheart. Now, just follow my lead.” Riley opened the door and let the other men in.

  Chapter 15

  The surge in male arrogance swamped Sara as U.S. Attorney Sinclair and four other intimidating men surrounded her, all looking incredibly somber and scary as hell. Not one of them would invite warm fuzzies in a dark alley, even though she knew they were the good guys.

  “Miss Brennan, let me introduce you to Agent Jax Thomas and Agent Steve Levy, both with NSA, Tim Lincoln from Homeland Security, and Special Agent Raife Donnelly of the FBI.” Mr. Sinclair speared her with a hard eye. “I hope you have good news for us.”

  Riley stepped in before she could open her mouth.

  “Gentlemen, Miss Brennan was contacted by her former employer and her life was threatened, as were the lives of her friends in Dallas. She is willing to cooperate completely with your investigations but requests protection for her friends. They have no knowledge of her employer or his business dealings but are in imminent danger, since he has knowledge of them and is willing to use them to keep Miss Brennan from testifying.”

  “I don’t think we’ll have a problem providing security,” Agent Thomas said. “If you can provide a name and address for each lady, I can have a detail in place by this evening.”

  “What about your personal safety, Miss Brennan?” Mr. Sinclair asked. “Surely you understand the significance of your testimony if you’re requesting protection for your friends.”

  Special Agent Donnely replied before Sara could speak. “I believe she’s got that covered. Will you need any assistance, Special Agent Kinsley?”

  Sara’s head swiveled to Kale, a cold chill wrapping around her. He was an FBI agent? Wait, they’d discussed this before she knew about Adams and her life got crazy. Loving a man in such a dangerous profession wasn’t something she’d ever planned to do, but it made sense. A few details fell into place, and little nagging questions she’d had about his whereabouts and his demeanor suddenly had answers. He nodded in her direction, no doubt in full work mode. No wonder he’d had no problem carrying her out of the gun show. The cops at the door knew who he was and who he worked for.

  “Miss Brennan?”

  The agent’s use of her name registered through her muddled brain, and she turned back to him. Nice-looking fellow, as tall as Riley, broad shouldered, dark hair cut stylishly over his ears. Not as handsome as either of her men but ruggedly attractive.

  Sara closed her eyes and took a second to regroup. Her head needed to be in the real world for at least a few more minutes. When she looked up, Special Agent Donnelly was watching.

  “Miss Brennan, can you give me the names of the women we need to protect?”

  “Emma Warner and Paige Easterling. They both live in Dallas.”

  Agent Thomas looked up from his notepad, one brow lifted in question. “Paige Easterling?” He turned to his fellow agent with a grin and then resumed studying her. Sara felt the beginnings of a wariness of this man and his intentions toward her friends slip into her consciousness, and she shivered. Something was going on here that didn’t make sense, but she recognized his intent. He looked almost predatory for a moment before his business face reappeared. “How well do you know Miss Easterling?

  “She’s my best friend.”

  “Does she have any family that you know of?”

  “Of course. Her parents live in Houston, and I think her brother, Noah, does, too.”

  Agent Thomas smiled. “Thanks. We’ll get right on this.”

  “As soon as you share the information you have on your former employer,” the other agent added.

  Sara turned her face to Riley, waiting for his permission to speak, and was rewarded with a warm look and a nod.

  “Last summer, w
hen we were very busy, the office computer couldn’t keep up with the billing records. I couldn’t get a straight answer from my boss about a new computer, so I started using a Surekeep account for storage. I moved most of the files there. I checked this morning, and the information is still on file.”

  “Will you agree to turn this information over to the NSA and the FBI?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  Riley handed her a notepad, and she wrote down the web address and her log-in information. There were other papers for her to sign, one was notarized, and they were able to leave. She saw Kale pause next to one of the agents, his head bent while they shared a quick conversation. It looked intense, and she wanted to know what was going on, but Riley took her elbow and led her out of the conference room.

  Walking past the two NSA agents, Sara overheard a strange conversation. “This is going to be a hell of an interesting job,” said the agent who took her friends’ information. The other man just laughed, and a kernel of worry formed in her gut.

  Kale joined them just before the elevator doors opened and the three of them stepped inside together.

  Just the three of them.

  As the doors closed, Kale jerked her into his arms. “Do not ever leave us out of a decision concerning your welfare. We will protect you with our lives, and you will allow us to participate without question.”

  Riley stroked her head, his hand gliding down to her shoulder then fisting in her hair. “If you decide you don’t want to be with us, tell us. We won’t keep you against your will, but running away without a word is just heartless.”

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, the near pain in her scalp causing tingles of desire to bubble under her skin. “I thought I was protecting you.”

  “Not your job, sweetheart.”

  Kale kissed her hard, and they both let her go as the elevator door opened into the garage. Kale put her into the backseat and joined her. Riley backed out of the parking slot, and she caught his expression in the rearview mirror. He was pissed.