“Leave Lucas out of this. He has nothing to do with what’s between us.”
“He’s your husband. You divorced me to marry him.”
Emily shook her head. “No. I asked him to marry me to protect me from you.”
“That’s rich. He didn’t do a very good job of it did he? I have you now.”
“Adam, please. Don’t hurt him. You and I can go away together.” Emily wanted to throw up even suggesting such a thing.
“I’m not stupid, Emily. I know you don’t mean it. You’re just trying to get me to leave him alone.”
She scooted up to her knees. “No. I do mean it. We’ll go away together. We can go anywhere you want.”
He leaned down and put his face close to hers. “I’m not going anywhere with you. After I take care of both of you, I’m heading north into Canada. They’ll never find me.” He straightened up, “They’ll never find you either.” With that, he spun on his heel and started toward the stairs.
“You always were a cruel man. You poisoned my horse, didn’t you?”
Adam burst out laughing. “Yes. I put Foxglove in his feed after your ranch hand passed out.” He turned to face her.
“Did you pay Marylou to knock Nick out?”
“It’s amazing what people will do for money. Except your husband. If he‘d taken the money, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. You and I could be in Canada enjoying our new life.” He shook his head. “No. I’m done with you. It’ll be over soon.”
“What about Marylou? Where is she now?”
Adam laughed. “What makes you think I know or care?” He spun on his heel and headed upstairs.
The tears rolled down her cheeks. She knew it would do no good to shout. Since Adam hadn’t covered her mouth, she knew they had to be somewhere no one would find her. She laid down on the floor and cried. Cried for herself and Lucas. What was he thinking right now? She knew without a doubt he’d look for her but she was so frightened of Adam getting to him. Lucas didn’t deserve to die for any of this. Emily had been the one to ask him to marry her to protect her, and now he was in danger. Damn you Adam! Damn you!
* * * *
Lucas paced in the living room. This staying around and doing nothing wasn’t sitting well with him. He needed to be out there, looking for Emily. His wife. He flopped down on the sofa and leaned his head back. Closing his eyes, he thought of how much he wanted her back. How much he loved her. How he wanted to tell her. Putting the heels of his hands on his eyes, he rubbed them. They were gritty. He hadn’t slept since Emily had been taken three days ago. When was Adam going to make his move? Tilting his head back, he let out a sigh. Munch jumped onto the sofa and meowed at him. Lucas stared at the cat.
“Yeah, I know. I miss her too cat.”
“We’ll do what we can Lucas.”
Lucas turned his head to see his friend Montgomery Bradford standing by the sofa.
“I have no doubt you’ll find her, Mont, but will it be soon enough?”
Mont took a seat in the chair opposite him. “There really isn’t a lot we can do until he makes a move.”
“It could be too late by then.” Lucas jumped up and glared at his friend.
“He has an agenda. He’ll call you or have Emily call you but he’ll get in touch then we’ll find him.”
Lucas strode over to him. “What if you don’t? He has revenge on his mind for her moving on without him.” Lucas clenched his hands into fists.
Mont stood slowly. “I’m sure you’re right, but he wants to make you suffer too. Trust me on this. I know what I’m talking about here.”
The two men glared at each other until Lucas gave a terse nod. “We have to find her, Mont.”
“There is no ‘we’ Lucas. You will leave this to the FBI. Believe it or not, we know what we’re doing.”
“Shit, I know. It’s just that it’s been three days. He has a head start on you.”
“He hasn’t called yet. He will,” Mont said with certainty.
“I don’t know why he’d call, Mont. The man doesn’t need money. He’s loaded.”
“He has an agenda, I’m telling you. He took her for a reason and since you politely put him in his car, he’s going to enjoy making you wait.”
Lucas swore and sat down. He laid his arms on his knees and his hands on his head. The sitting and waiting was slowly killing him. What was Walters waiting on? Lucas quickly stood and strode from the living room. Montgomery followed him.
“Don’t even think of leaving.”
“I have to get out of this house. I can’t stand sitting here and waiting.”
Mont grasped Lucas’s arm. “You have to stay here in case he calls.”
Lucas muttered under his breath and took a seat at the kitchen table. He glanced around and saw how empty the house seemed without Emily there. God! He missed her.
Mont sat down in a chair beside him. “I know you’re worried but we have to let him get in touch with you. He can’t do it if you’re not here.”
“He could call my cell phone, Mont.” Lucas narrowed his eyes at his friend.
“Which you will put on speaker if he does. I need to listen to him. I need to be able to locate the son of a bitch in order to get to Emily.” Mont shook his head. “I’ve been doing this for years now, Lucas. Let me handle it.”
Lucas huffed and nodded. “All right, Mont. I’ll listen to you.”
Mont burst out laughing. “That’s a first. Didn’t I tell you not to steal that last car?”
“Fuck you Bradford,” Lucas growled.
“That’s Agent Bradford to you.”
Lucas laughed for the first time in days. But he quickly sobered and stared at Mont. “I can’t lose her, Mont.”
“I know, Lucas. I can see how much you love her. I’ll do what I can to get her back to you safe and sound.”
The back door opened and Tinker came in with Storm, Cooper, Dakota, and Lincoln on his heels.
“We’re here to do whatever you need, Lucas,” Dakota told him.
“I appreciate it, but according to secret agent man here, there isn’t anything to do until the bastard calls.”
Mont smiled at Dakota and shrugged. “He’s not real happy with me right now.”
The men all took seats around the table and waited. Lucas paced while they played poker. When night fell and there was still no word, his friends left but told him to call if he needed them. Mont assured them he would.
* * * *
Emily sat in the dark basement listening to the voices upstairs. One was Adam but she had no idea who the others belonged to. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, though. Glancing around, she tried to figure out a way to get away and the results were the same as the last four days. No windows or doors. Only the stairwell in front of her. Adam had untied her hands and showed her a bathroom to use in the basement. She shuddered. It looked as if it hadn’t been cleaned in a decade.
The door at the top of the stairs opened, the light bulb above her came on, and she could hear several footsteps coming down. Emily scooted back to the corner. Three shadows loomed in front of her. She recognized Adam but the other two were strangers.
“Well, well, well. Look what we have here,” one of them said.
Adam glared at him. “Back the fuck off. She’s my wife.”
The other man laughed. “She ain’t your wife. She divorced your ass while you were in prison. I’d like a shot at that.”
Adam grabbed the man by the collar and pulled him close. “You will not touch her. Do I make myself clear?” he said through clenched teeth.
The man nodded. “Yes. Jesus, Walters. I was just kidding.”
Adam shoved him back. “That isn’t something to kid about. Don’t even look at her. Either of you.”
The man who hadn’t said anything just nodded. The other one straightened his shirt. Adam squatted down in front of Emily and reached a hand toward her. She jerked back. He glared at her.
“You should be nice to me,”
he whispered.
“Never. You make me sick,” Emily shouted.
The men laughed until Adam spun around and stared at them. “Go upstairs. We’re going to make a phone call in a few minutes.” He turned to Emily. “Give me his number.”
She shook her head. “No.”
Adam sighed and stood. “I’ll just call the house then, but if he has the police or FBI there and I find out, I’ll make him suffer before I kill him.”
“Adam, please—” She wasn’t ready for the slap.
“Do not plead with me for him. Give me his number. Now.” He grabbed her hair and pulled her face close to his.
Tears filled her eyes as she rattled it off to him and watched as he entered it into his phone then he left. She sat in the corner as the tears rolled down her face. How was she going to get out of this? If she could get away from Adam in some way, she could make her way back to Lucas. That’s all she wanted to do, get back to Lucas and tell him she loved him.
* * * *
Lucas jerked when his cell phone rang. Mont ran into the living room with a raised hand.
“Wait. Put the phone on the table and on speaker.” He nodded for Lucas to set the phone down.
Lucas sighed. “Hello?”
“No one else better be listening,” Adam told him.
Lucas glanced at Mont. “I’m alone. Let me speak to Emily.”
Adam laughed. “No. You and I are going to talk.”
“I’m not saying anything to you until I know my wife is still alive.”
“First, let’s get something straight. She will never be your wife. It doesn’t matter if you have a piece of paper stating otherwise. Emily belongs to me and she always will. Second, I don’t have to prove anything to you, but I’ll let you hear her. Just so you and I can come to an understanding.”
Lucas could hear shuffling noises then Adam telling Emily to say something. Lucas was relieved when he heard Emily telling Adam to go to hell. He glanced up at Mont who nodded.
“She refuses to talk. You must have pissed her off.” Adam’s sinister laugh came across the line.
Lucas snorted. “You’re an idiot. She’s not talking because she doesn’t want to upset me.” Lucas looked at Mont and saw him glaring. Lucas shrugged. “All right. I know she’s still alive. What do you want?”
“I want you Taggart. You and me. Alone.”
Lucas grunted. “Now why don’t I believe that? You already know I can kick your ass, so how do I know you’d come alone?”
Adam laughed. “You don’t, but if you want to see Emily again, you’ll show up. There’s an abandoned house east of Whispering Pines on Carter’s Bend. One hour.” He ended the call.
Lucas glanced up at Mont. “I don’t suppose you’d let me go alone.”
Mont grumbled. “You know better.”
Lucas sighed. “Then how are we doing this?”
“Let me think. I doubt if she’s where he wants to meet, but we can’t take any chances. If she is, we have to figure out a way to get in without being seen.” Mont turned to the other two FBI agents in the room. “Get me a satellite view of the house.”
“If he kills her, he’s a dead man,” Lucas told him.
“Don’t make me arrest you, Lucas.”
“I won’t care if he kills her,” Lucas said softly.
Mont stared at him before he spun on his heel and left the house. Lucas watched his friend go outside to the Sport Utility Vehicle, retrieve a laptop from it then came back in. He set it on the table then took a seat.
“The men will send me the map of the property in just a few minutes. Then we’ll see what we can do.” Mont stared at Lucas. “Do you know the property Walters is talking about?”
“If I’m right, it’s the old Browne place.”
Mont leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. “I remember the place. We used to sneak some girls into the barn.”
Lucas laughed. “Yes, that’s the place.” He shook his head. “We were a rough bunch, Mont. All of us.”
“Yep, we sure were.” Mont chuckled. The computer screen lit up with a map of the property. Both men sat forward to gaze at the screen.
“The house doesn’t look too bad but the land is a mess,” Lucas said.
“That’s good. We can sneak in. You drive in and I’ll go through this field.” Mont pointed at the screen. “I’ll see if I can find her while you talk with Walters. Get him outside. Tell him you have no intention of going into the house with him. I’ll get in and look for her and take out anyone else in there.”
Lucas nodded. “All right. Just get her out if she’s there.”
“I will. I can promise you he isn’t there alone though. He just wants you there so he can kill you and either kill her or take off with her.”
“I know. There’s no way I’m going to let him do any of that.” Lucas looked at him. “You let me know if she’s not in there. I’ll get it out of him.”
“Not going to happen, Lucas. If she isn’t there, I’m taking him in.”
“And just how do we find her then?”
“He’ll want a deal. He has no desire to go back to prison.”
Lucas glared at him. “You can’t be serious?”
“Hell no, I’m not serious, but he won’t know that.”
Lucas nodded. “Good. He doesn’t need any deal.” He looked up when the other two agents strolled in.
“We’ll get out of here in a few minutes.” Mont glanced at the agents and nodded for them to go out. “I’m riding with you,” he told Lucas.
“You don’t trust me?”
“Not for a fucking second. You’ll take out of here like a bat out of hell. We’ll get him, Lucas. Agents Tucker and McCann will follow us.”
Lucas sighed and nodded. He had planned to take off and lose them but with Mont going with him, it wasn’t going to go his way. He ran his hand around the back of his neck. “All right. How are we handling this?”
“You’re going to drop me off at the end of the road. I’ll get to the house. Take your time getting to the house. I want to get into position before you even get close to the bastard.”
“What about the other agents?”
“They’ll park at the road and go in the opposite field. They’ll be keeping an eye on you.”
“You can’t go into the house alone, Mont.”
“Don’t worry about me, you just keep Walters occupied. I have a silencer on my gun so I’ll have to get the jump on anyone inside.”
Lucas didn’t like the odds. He was sure Walters had other men with him. He just wasn’t sure how many he had and where they’d be. Mont was a good friend and he didn’t want him hurt, but he was also a highly trained FBI agent.
“Let’s do this,” Lucas said as he headed toward the door.
“You need to calm the hell down first,” Mont told him. “Unless you do, you will be staying behind.”
“I can’t stay behind. He wants me,” Lucas growled.
“You’re exactly right. So calm the hell down. You’re not going in there guns blazing.”
Lucas took a deep breath and blew it out. “I’m not. I just want to get this over with and get my wife home.”
Mont nodded. “I understand, but I also know you and you’re chomping at the bit to get there. I’m telling you if you go in there hell bent on beating the shit out of him, you’ll get her killed. He’ll see you coming from a mile away.” Mont sighed. “Would you please just listen to me? I know what I’m doing.”
Lucas stared at his friend for a few seconds before nodding. “All right. We’ll do this your way but I’m telling you if he’s killed her, I’ll take him down.”
“And I’ll take you in. As much as I’d love to see him taken down, we have to do this legally. You will do what I say or you stay here. You understand me, Lucas?”
“Yes.” Lucas clenched his jaw.
Mont gave a terse nod. “Good. Now, we’ll go and you will do as I say or I’ll make you turn the truck around and bring you
back here.”
They were about to go out the door when Tinker stepped onto the porch. He held his hat in his hand, his face lined with worry.
“You bring my girl home, Lucas.”
“I will, Tinker.” Lucas put his hand on Tinker’s shoulder as he strode past him to the truck outside.
Chapter Eight
Emily jumped when the door at the top of the stairs opened and footsteps came down them and toward her. Adam stood in front of her with a smirk on his face. She glared up at him. He squatted down.
“Taggart is on his way here.”
She gasped. “No. I don’t believe you.”
Adam laughed. “It doesn’t matter if you do or not. You heard the conversation.”
“Please, Adam. I’ll go away with you.”
“He’d come after us.” He shook his head. “No. I need to get him out of the picture then I’ll take care of you.” He sighed. “I really can’t make up my mind on what to do with you, Emily.”
“If you hurt him, I won’t go anywhere with you,” she screamed at him.
“Then I’ll just kill you both.” He leaned down, put duct tape over her mouth, and then tied her hands behind her back. He spun on his heel and headed toward the stairs then turned back to her. “He should be here any time.”
Emily tried to scream behind the tape but she knew it would do no good. Although he hadn’t bound her legs, she knew she couldn’t go anywhere. The only way out was the door at the top of the stairs and Adam and his two cohorts were there. Tears of frustration fell from her eyes. God, please don’t let Lucas come here alone, but she knew he would. He’d come alone to take on Adam, if for no other reason. She didn’t pray often but she did now.
* * * *
Lucas stopped the truck and watched as Mont got out then turned to him.
“Go slow so I can get through the field. McCann and Tucker will head through the other field. They’ll be watching you in case anything goes wrong.” Mont narrowed his eyes at him. “Don’t get cocky. If something does go wrong, yell for them. They’ll be there for you. I’m going into the house to look for Emily.” He closed the door of the truck and headed toward the field.
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