“I love you.” His voice sounded as lonely as she felt. “What are your plans today?”
“Do you remember meeting Scott’s friend Elijah at Sherry’s party?”
“Yes, I remember him, tall with a lot of hair.”
“Well, he’s taking us to the shooting range today so we can practice shooting. I know how to shoot a pistol. When Randal was stalking us, Grant showed all three of us how to shoot. It’s been a while since I have practiced. Michelle tried to talk Scott out of it, but he insisted. She grew up around guns and is much more experienced than I am. I hope he is overreacting.”
“It wouldn’t hurt to practice.”
“Let me guess. The target practice is your idea.”
“Guilty.” He changed the subject. “How’d it go with Stan? Did he show you and Michelle some martial arts moves?”
“He did. I can now drop a three hundred pound man to his knees.” Dead silence ensued. Target practice, martial arts moves, Dylan was more worried than she first thought. “Do you think we are in danger, Dylan?”
“I don’t trust Robertson. He is a very devious person and I wouldn’t put anything past him.”
“You are direct. You could try to sugarcoat it just a little. No reason to scare me half to death.”
“I want you to be prepared. The target practice was my idea because I want you to be ready if something happens.” Josh took the phone away from Dylan. “Hello, Lacy. How’s it going?”
Lacy didn’t think Josh or Grant knew about Dylan’s misgivings about Bret. If they did, they would have insisted she stay at Twelve Oaks. They were going to be furious when they discover both she and Dylan were keeping secrets. “Everything’s good. Have you talked to Beth?”
“Three or four times a day.” Lacy smiled. Josh was crazy about her sister. “We are headed to the interrogation room now to speak with our suspect. I’ve got to go. Tell everyone I said hello.”
“I will.”
Back on the phone, Dylan asked, “Are you going to Twelve Oaks for dinner tonight?”
“Yes, they’ll be suspicious if I don’t show. Michelle and Scott are going with me.”
“Sounds great. I’ll call you later. Love ya.”
“Love you too.” Lacy held the phone to her chest. She closed her eyes and said a little prayer for Dylan. She wouldn’t be able to relax until he was back in Raleigh.
“Good morning.”
She opened her eyes to find Michelle in the doorway. She was wearing one of Scott’s white, button-up shirts. “How did you sleep?”
“Like a log when I went to sleep.”
“I’m so jealous.”
Michelle rolled her eyes. “Oh, please, I know you and Dylan slipped away and had sex in the limo last night.”
Lacy blushed all the way to the roots of her hair. Not wanting to talk about sex, she asked, “No hang over?”
She put her pointer finger and thumb an inch apart. “Just a little one. Wine is not as strong as the alcohol I usually drink. I took a couple of aspirin.”
“This place is beautiful, Michelle.” She ran across the floor and dived onto the bed. She scooted against the headboard beside Lacy. “I heard from Dylan. They have a suspect in the murder of Yulianna Cortez.”
“That’s great. Maybe he’ll be home soon.”
“He hopes to tie everything up today and come home tomorrow.” Lacy took Michelle’s hand twining her fingers with hers. “Are you going home with us?”
Michelle crossed her legs at the ankles, then placed her head on Lacy’s shoulder. “I don’t know. I feel like everything is happening so quick with Scott.”
“He loves you.”
“I know.”
“Can I come in?” Scott stepped farther into the room. His hair was still damp from his shower. It was the first time Lacy had seen him in a pair of jeans and they looked sexy on him. His white button up shirt was tucked in and he wore a black belt with a gold buckle. A cup of coffee in hand, he took a sip as his eyes roamed over Michelle. Lacy felt like she was intruding. “You two ladies better get dressed. Elijah will be here any minute.” The doorbell rang. “Speak of the devil. I’ll keep him entertained while you ladies get dressed.”
“We won’t be long.” Michelle scooted to the end of the bed. She stood and peered at Lacy still sitting on the bed. “Are you scared?”
“A little. I hope our men are overreacting. Anything could have been in that briefcase. I’ve been giving it a lot of thought.”
Michelle rolled her eyes. “Of course you have.”
Lacy narrowed her eyes and continued, “The briefcase could contain evidence in the case against Bret. Sebastian Robertson will do anything to protect his son.”
“That is true.”
“Yes, maybe it contains evidence.” At least that was better than hit money. She threw her long legs over the side of the bed and stood. She closed the door and pulled her tee-shirt over her head. “I’m going to get a quick shower.”
When she got out of the shower, Michelle wasn’t in her room. She towel dried her hair and rummaged through her clothes still in her suitcase. “What does a person wear to target practice?” She chose to wear a pair of jean shorts and a plain white tee-shirt. She was just buckling the strap on her sandals when Michelle opened the door and stood in the doorway.
Wearing a simple, blue dress with skinny straps, she asked, “Are you ready to go?”
“Yes, let me find my purse. You look pretty.”
Michelle beamed a smile at her. “Thank you. So do you.”
The room was a mess since she had not put any of her clothes away. Some of Sherry’s clothes were in the dresser drawers and she didn’t want to disturb anything. Hopefully, she wouldn’t need to unpack. If Dylan tied up the case, he’d be home tomorrow. Then she could go home. She moved some clothes around until she found her purse. “I guess I’m ready.”
“Don’t sound so thrilled.”
“I would rather spend a quiet day reading. I’m not in the mood to hold a pistol and shoot some target.”
“Neither am I, but for some reason our men think we need to be able to protect ourselves.” She pressed Lacy’s hair behind her ear. “Come on. Maybe it will be fun.”
Scott and Elijah stood like Southern gentlemen when they stepped into the living room. “Are you ladies ready to go?”
Elijah’s mouth curved when he saw Michelle and his eyes flickered with definite interest. In three long strides he stood in front of her. Taking her hands, he brought both to his lips. “You look amazing.” He was wearing a shoulder holster. Lacy could see the butt of his pistol.
Michelle’s smiled up at him. “You’re full of horse crap.” Instead of being offended by Elijah’s blatant flirting, she was amused.
He laughed. “I love that sexy, Southern accent.”
“You can keep that charm for someone else. She is mine.”
Ignoring Scott, Elijah peered over Michelle’s head. “Hello, Lacy.”
“Hi, Elijah. Do you know how to use that thing?” She pointed at the pistol safely snapped into the shoulder holster.
“I’m a regular Clint Eastwood.”
Lacy thought he was more handsome than Clint Eastwood. Dark, unruly hair covered his head. She could imagine him fighting outlaws in a past life. Instead of a white hat, he would wear black, but still fight for justice.
The doorbell rang. Elijah asked, “Are you expecting someone?”
“No.” Scott peeped through the door scope on his door. “That’s odd.” He opened the door and stepped back for his doorman, Marcus to enter. “Is something. . .”
Scott never finished his sentence. Marcus was pushed into the room then shoved to the floor on his knees. His hands were tied behind his back. Three men wearing black ski masks and brandishing pistols rushed inside. One of the men struck Marcus on the back of the head with a pistol sending him to the floor with a thud.
Scott shouted, “Run!”
Too shocked to move, Lacy watched in horror as
Elijah pulled his pistol from his shoulder holster. Before he could pull the trigger, one of the men shot him. He fell to the floor with a thud. The shooter stepped forward and stepped on Elijah’s right hand until the gun slipped from his fingers. He stuffed the gun into the waistband of his jeans.
Michelle’s scream vibrated in her ears. Scott charged one of the men, knocking the gun from the man’s hand. Before he could get a grip on the pistol, one of the other men hit him with the butt of his pistol knocking him out cold. Michelle fell across Scott’s unmoving body crying. “Get up, Scott! Get up!”
One of the men grabbed a handful of hair and shoved her onto the sofa. She bolted to her feet and attacked him with her fists. He grunted in pain when she connected with his stomach. She dug her fingernails across his neck. With the back of his hand, he wiped the blood from his neck. “You crazy, bitch.” He slapped her across the face, and she slammed against the sofa.
Seeing Michelle assaulted brought Lacy out of her shock. She jumped on the man’s back, but he easily thrust her so hard she went hurtling forward and landed on the wood floor. Bile filled the back of her throat as she realized just how much danger they were in.
The man lifted Lacy off her feet and whispered, “Don’t fight and you won’t get hurt.” He pointed at Michelle. “Tie her up.”
Michelle kicked and screamed but her struggles were in vain. One of the men flipped her over on her stomach, straddled her, pulled some rope from his pocket, and tied her hands and feet. Lacy assumed it was a home invasion. Maybe they would take Scott’s valuables and leave. She stole a glance at Scott lying on the floor. Blood dripped from a gash on his head. He groaned and she felt hope because he was still alive. Elijah wasn’t moving. Red soaked the front of his white shirt. It looked like he had been shot in the shoulder.
Stammering, Lacy pleaded, “We won’t give you any trouble. Take what you want and leave.”
He grabbed a fistful of hair and jerked her head back. All she could see was his eyes and lips. Every other part of his face was covered by the black mask. She cried out in pain. “We’re not here for money, we’re here for you.” Her mind tried to focus on all the moves Stan taught her. It was difficult to think when she was scared out of her mind. Stan said the knees were a vulnerable spot on the human anatomy. She relaxed as if she had no more fight in her. Just when she felt him loosen his hold, she kicked him in the knee. He relaxed his hold enough for her to jerk free. She ran for Scott’s bedroom. If she could get the door closed and locked, she could call for help. She never made it past the hall. The man’s arm hooked around her waist, pulling her off her feet. One of the other men had a cloth in his hand. She tried to avoid the cloth as it came toward her face. The sweet-smell on the cloth made her gag. When she kept struggling, her attackers held her forehead and pressed the cloth tighter against her nose. Everything began to slow and then she felt nothing.
****
The more Michelle struggled, the deeper the ropes cut into her wrists. Ten minutes had passed since the men walked right out the door with Lacy. She had used that time to stretch the rope binding her wrists so she could get one hand free. She had to do something because time was of the essence. Both Scott and Elijah were badly hurt. Tears ran down her cheeks from the pain of the ropes as she struggled to get free. She screamed in agony as she wrenched her right hand out of the restraints. She rolled to her back and untied her feet. Dropping to the floor by Scott, she shook him. “Can you hear me, Scott?” She kissed his forehead, his cheeks, his lips. She tried everything to get a response from him. Blood still oozed from his head wound. He had taken a hard hit to his head. She grabbed one of the pillows from the sofa and pressed against his wound.
He opened his pain glazed eyes. Michelle could see he was in terrible agony. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m okay.” She pressed her forehead against his. “They took Lacy.”
“Get my phone from my belt and call the police, then Dylan.” Pale and shaky, Michelle pressed his hand against the pillow to help stem the bleeding.
She sat up and scanned the room. “They destroyed your phone.” Before the intruders left, they jerked Scott’s phone from his belt and stomped it on the floor. Then they took Elijah’s phone and destroyed it.
He touched his fingers to her bruised cheek causing her to flinch. “I’ll kill them for hurting you.”
She placed her hand in front of his face. “I scratched him. I have his DNA under my nails.”
“Smart girl.”
Marcus shouted, “Cut me loose.” Michelle rushed to the kitchen and grabbed a knife from the counter. She ran to Marcus and cut the ropes around his wrists.
“I’m so sorry, Scott.” He rubbed his wrists to get the feeling back in his hands. Michelle touched her fingers to Marcus’s head causing him to flinch. He had a huge knot, but the skin had not been broken. He struggled to stand.
“They had a gun to your back, Marcus. You had no other choice.” He closed his eyes to keep from passing out. “How’s Elijah?”
Marcus slumped to his knees. He felt for a pulse. “His pulse is strong.” He lifted Elijah enough to see the back of his shoulder. The movement woke him causing him to scream in pain. Being as careful as possible, he lowered his shoulder to the floor. “It went through.”
Talking through his teeth, he whispered, “Damn, that hurt.”
Marcus ran to the bathroom and came back with two towels. He put pressure on Elijah’s entrance and exit wound. He placed his arm over his eyes and gritted his teeth to keep from screaming in pain.
Michelle searched frantically for her purse. It was nowhere to be found. Did their attackers take it with them? Dropping to her hands and knees, she looked under the sofa. There at the very center was her purse. Grasping the strap, she tugged it out from under the sofa and drew out her phone. She dialed nine-one-one and gave the dispatcher the details before calling Dylan. He answered on the third ring. “Dylan, it’s Michelle.” She rubbed her aching forehead because she was having trouble thinking. She did her best to force the panic from her voice. “Someone just broke into Scott’s apartment and kidnapped Lacy.”
Before Dylan had time to respond, Scott held out his hand. “Give me the phone.”
Michelle handed him her cell phone. Even though he was unsteady, his voice was strong. “No, they were wearing masks. Do you need me to send my father’s chopper?”
“Okay, get back here as soon as possible.”
Marcos offered, “I’ll go downstairs and wait for the police.” He disappeared through the door, but left it standing open.
“What did Dylan say?”
“He wanted to know if we got a good look at Lacy’s kidnappers. He’s going to use the bureau’s helicopter and return as soon as possible.” He handed Michelle her phone. “Call Grant and her sisters to let them know what’s happened. Dylan said he would call Director Tate Wilson.”
Scott struggled to his feet. Palms flat on the coffee table, he leaned over to keep from passing out. After he was sure he wasn’t going to lose consciousness, he sat on the sofa and waited for Michelle to end her call to Grant. “Give me your phone. I’m going to call my father.”
While Michelle listened to Scott’s conversation with his father, she pressed the towel against his head wound. He explained what had happened, leaving out the part about being injured. He handed Michelle her phone. “Father is going to meet us at the bureau.”
“The only place you are going is the hospital. You need stitches.”
Excitement in his voice, he exclaimed loudly, “James was waiting outside to drive us to the shooting range!” Eyes wide, he replied, “Give me your phone.” A smile on his lips, he punched James’ cell number. “Where are you?”
“Our attackers destroyed my phone.”
“Don’t follow too close. Stay far enough back so they won’t make you.” Scott ended the call. He leaned his head against the back of the sofa and closed his eyes.
Michelle asked, “Well, what did he say?”
“He saw the men leave with Lacy. He is following them.”
“Thank God. Maybe James will see where they take Lacy.” At least Michelle hoped everything would go that smoothly. The men did have guns. They knew what they were doing. Still the question remained, why did they take Lacy?
Chapter Eighteen
Dylan’s chest burned with fear as he sat in the chopper headed to the bureau in Raleigh. He felt cramped and helpless as the pilot pushed it as fast as it would go. His heart stuttered as all the things that could be happening to Lacy at that very moment kept spinning through his mind. He couldn’t shake the feeling Bret Robertson had something to do with her abduction.
Ten minutes ago, the last time he had talked to Director Tate, he still didn’t know anything about Lacy’s abductors. Josh reached over the seat and gripped Dylan by the shoulder. “I’m sure Lacy is okay. If we were dealing with murderers, they wouldn’t have let Scott and Michelle live.”
Not in the mood for conversation, Dylan didn’t comment. He stared out the window as the FBI building came into view. Before they even had a chance to land, he had his seatbelt undone. He couldn’t get out of the chopper soon enough. As the landing circle below came into focus, he could see Grant standing to the side with Marcy and Stan. Marcy wrapped her blond hair around her hand as the wind from the blades of the chopper whipped her hair into her face.
The first question out of Dylan’s mouth when he jumped out of the chopper was, “Is Bret Robertson still incarcerated?”
Stan yelled to be heard over the roar of the chopper. “Yes, I just called to check. He is in the infirmary handcuffed to a bed. The nurse said he was taken to the prison infirmary last night complaining with stomach pains.”
None of it made sense. Why would Robertson have Lacy kidnapped? It wouldn’t help his case any if he had someone harm her. If they were able to prove he was involved, he’d never be released from prison. Besides if he wanted her dead, they would have killed her at Scott’s apartment.
Looking solemn, Grant gestured for Dylan and Josh to follow him. “Tate is waiting to brief you.”
Blood of the Falls (Twelve Oaks Farm Book 4) Page 24
