"Joy Lipton." It might be a coincidence. But Forbes didn't think so. "Any idea if that was where they met?"
"That's a big fat no. According to Stover's phone records, they spoke several times a week for close to six months before his trip. I dug a little deeper. Joy initiated the relationship by contacting Stover online. Shit!"
Muscles tensing, Forbes sat forward. "What?"
"My contact just texted me. Joy missed her shift at the casino tonight. She hasn't been seen for almost a day."
"I thought we had eyes on her twenty-four seven."
"Somebody fucked up," Kai ground out. "I'm sorry, Forbes. I fucked up."
"Kick yourself later. I need your brain working overtime, not dealing with misplaced guilt. Got it?"
Forbes heard the sound of Kai taking a deep breath. "Right." She exhaled. "Okay. Joy didn't leave town by plane, train, or bus. I would have received an alert. By car, she could get here in sixteen hours. Maybe less if she drove straight through. But why would she? There's nothing for her here. It isn't logical."
Sophie's words when speaking of her mother popped into Forbes' head.
"There is no logic when it comes to Joy. That's what makes her dangerous."
Needing to hear Sophie's voice, Forbes grabbed the landline on his desk, dialing her number as he picked up the receiver. Straight to voicemail. Forbes cursed. Dialing Aaron, he checked his gun, making certain the clip was full.
Aaron answered after the first ring. "Forbes. Thank God. I was just calling you."
Forbes' fingers dug into the side of his desk. "Where's Sophie?"
"Somebody grabbed her. She's gone, Forbes."
"GET HER OUT of there and into the house. Put her in the back room and make certain she's tied up. Tight. After that, move the car someplace where nobody can see it."
Sophie must have lost consciousness. How long she was out, she couldn't say. Maybe minutes. Maybe hours. Pretending she was still unconscious, she opened her eyes just enough to get a peek at what was happening. It was still dark. The moon brightened things considerably, illuminating the man's face as he bent to pick her up.
Eli Stover! What was he doing with Joy? Sophie stopped herself from laughing aloud. Stupid question. When Joy was around, a man couldn't be far behind. But Deputy Stover. Even for her mother, it was dragging the dregs of the barrel. She preferred her conquests to either have money or looks. Stover possessed neither. Unless… She needed something from him.
Strong. Not too bright. And a police officer. Sophie realized that in his way, Stover was exactly Joy's type.
"I think one of those women recognized me." Stover's voice quavered. Out of breath, he puffed as he carried Sophie into the house. "I need to get out of town. Right away."
"The fastest way to look guilty is to run." Joy was out of Sophie's line of sight, but the click of her heels on the wooden floors couldn't be missed. "Don't lose your head and you'll be fine."
"But—"
"Eli." Changing tactics, Joy lowered her voice to a purr. Bossy wasn't working, so she switched to her specialty. Seduction. "I need you. That stupid Daphne couldn't keep her mouth shut. I told her if this would succeed, she had to keep a low profile. But no. Her blathering made Forbes suspicious. When he started checking up on me, I had no option other than to accelerate our timeline."
Daphne and Joy. Working together? Sophie couldn't believe her ears.
Before Sophie could process the implications, she felt Eli's grip loosen. Unceremoniously, he dropped her onto the floor, her fall cushioned—barely—by what felt like a paper-thin mattress. Her face smashed into the material, she wrinkled her nose at the musty smell. It had been a long time, but she would never forget how many times she had fallen asleep with the sickening scent in her nose. Stale cigarettes, sweat, and several mystery odors she was happier not identifying.
The room was lit only by a thin beam of moonlight from a small, curtain-covered window. However, if she squinted, Sophie could make out Stover's substantial shadow. He reached out, pulling Joy into his arms for a noisy kiss.
"There's my big bear," Joy laughed, patting his cheek. "Finish up in here. If you're fast, there might be time for a little fun before you leave."
Sophie had always been repulsed by the way Joy used her sexuality to maneuver and manipulate. However, this time, she found a reason to be grateful for it. In his haste to enjoy a little fun, Eli wasn't as careful tying her hands as he should have been. She was able to keep a fair amount of space between her wrists so that when he finished, the rope wasn't as tight as Joy had directed him to make it.
The second Eli scampered away, shutting the bedroom door, Sophie gave a tug. Yes. Slowly, she worked her way free, her mind running over the information she had gathered by eavesdropping on Joy and Eli's conversation.
Whatever plan Joy had fashioned must involve money. Which made this a true kidnapping. A public, witnesses present, kidnapping. Forbes would know. And unless both of her earrings somehow fell off, he would have her location. The cavalry was on the way.
Sophie gave another tug at the rope. Forbes would get here as soon as possible. But she wasn't waiting for him to rescue her. Joy sounded frazzled. She was the brains of this operation, and though she was smart, she tended to act on impulse. She wanted money. Sophie wouldn't give her a dime. When she figured that out, who knew what she would do.
Twelve years ago, a desperate Joy could be vindictive. Petty. She lashed out with words using her tongue to cut deep and painful wounds. She lied. Cheated. Stole from her lovers when she was certain she could get away with it. But she had never been a flat-out criminal. To sink to kidnapping, Joy must have hit a new low. Which—as Sophie could attest—would be saying a lot.
The air in Sophie's lungs released in a burst of relief as her hands came free. First thing, she grabbed her earlobes. Oh, thank God. The studs were still there. Just to be safe, she tightened the backs and said a little prayer that she could open the window without having to break the glass. Not that she would hesitate if necessary. But she wanted to get away causing as little noise as possible. Hopefully she'd find some trees nearby. Or other buildings. Someplace she could hide out until Forbes arrived.
As Sophie was about to roll to her knees, the bedroom door opened. A second later, Joy strolled in, accompanied by the sound of her heels on the hardwood. Click. Click. Click.
Okay, Sophie thought with a shrug. Change of plans. Instead of sneaking out the window, she would barrel straight out the front door. If she had to take the bitch down with a solid punch to the face? So be it. Sometimes a woman had to do what a woman had to do—and love every second of it.
"Have a nice nap?"
The smug tone to Joy's voice made the idea of hitting her all the more appealing. Until Sophie saw the gun. Though shadowed, the outline was unmistakable. Especially when Joy raised it slowly, using the barrel to caress her cheek. As if pausing for dramatic effect, she posed, then flipped the light switch.
Sophie turned her face away, giving her eyes a few seconds to adjust. Joy retrieved a chair from the corner—the only piece of furniture in the small, square room—and set it a few feet from the mattress.
"It's been a long time."
"Not long enough." Sophie kept her hands behind her back, hiding the fact that they were no longer bound.
"I agree." Gracefully, she took a seat, crossing her pant-covered legs. "Here we are nonetheless. Aren't you going to comment on how I look?" Joy gave Sophie a long, unblinking stare. "Better than you. That's nothing new, is it?"
Joy looked good. Her long honey-colored hair was perfectly blown out, flowing in a silky cascade over one shoulder. Her figure was trim. Admittedly, her face sported quite a few more lines and creases. Once, she had easily passed for Sophie's sister. Now? She looked like what she was. A beautiful woman on a quick slide toward fifty. Like somebody adrift in the middle of a huge, endless sea whose survival depended on one tiny piece of driftwood; inevitably, she
would lose the battle.
Joy had always been a master at deluding herself. However, even the best plastic surgeon could do just so much to stop the progress of time.
"Considering the way you staged this little reunion, I don't think you brought me here to stroke your already overblown ego."
Joy's eyes narrowed, her mouth tightening with displeasure. Leaning forward, she waved the gun. Part threat, part reminder of who was in charge. In other words, Sophie had better watch her mouth.
"We're going to be here until I get what should have been mine a long time ago. Ask me what I mean."
Sophie knew this game. Joy had played it with her often enough. She expected Sophie to play along—tossing out questions while pretending she was interested. Not this time. Sophie wasn't in the mood.
"You want money."
"You always were a stick in the mud, Sophie." Joy sighed. "I deserve a share of Newt's estate. After all, I am his wife."
"Ex-wife."
"I didn't sign any papers."
The way the woman's mind worked was unbelievable.
"This isn't an argument you can win." Sophie adjusted the way she sat. The second Joy dropped her guard she would take her down. "You already know that, or you wouldn't have kidnapped me."
"It isn't a kidnapping."
"Let's see. Your goon grabbed me—at gunpoint. Drugged me. Stuffed me into the trunk of a car. He tied my hands—per your instructions. And now, you're waving that same gun around in what can only be called a threatening manner." Sophie felt she had covered the pertinent facts. "If that isn't kidnapping, I'd like to know what it is."
"This is simply a friendly negotiation between a mother and daughter. In the morning, you'll call your bank and authorize the transfer of five million dollars into an off-shore account. After that, you can go home."
Sophie's mouth dropped open. "Five million… Years of hairspray abuse has damaged your brain. Even if I were willing to give you the money. And let me make it perfectly clear, I am not. But if I were? Where did you get the idea I had access to that much?"
"Don't play stupid, Sophie." Joy sat back, crossing her legs. The gun rested near her knee with the barrel pointed toward the window. "I kept my eye on you over the years. You may not be much to look at, but you did inherit my brains. My sources tell me the ranch is thriving. The land alone is worth a fortune."
Arguing with Joy had always been an exercise in futility. Though for once, she was right. The ranch land and other assets were worth a fortune. If Sophie wanted to raise five million dollars, she could do it. It would take three or four days, but it could be done quite easily. However, she wouldn't admit that fact to Joy.
Sophie knew better than to try to change the subject. But that didn't mean she couldn't shift it slightly. "This source you mentioned. By any chance would her name be Daphne Parks?"
"You were only pretending to be passed out," Joy accused.
"I don't understand. Why would Daphne help you in any way?"
"Why else? Money. It is a universal balm that heals all wounds. We're both in need of a large influx of cash. So we joined forces. Getting in bed with the enemy is so much easier when it means a big payday." Joy smiled slowly. "Daphne was behind that fire at the ranch. And all the other things. And before you ask, the answer is no. I had nothing to do with any of that. Petty vandalism is hardly my style."
Sophie agreed. Still, if Joy had wanted to create a bit of chaos, getting somebody else to do it was exactly what she would have done.
"If what you say is true, what was Daphne's motive?"
"I suppose it was her way of letting off steam. She didn't like that you had money when she didn't—I can relate to that. Daphne used sex to manipulate a police officer into doing the dirty work for her."
Another thing Joy could relate to, Sophie thought. It seemed the two women had more in common than they could have imagined.
"The police connection is how I found out. Eli and Daphne's lover are friends. He told me. I used it as an in. At first, she was reluctant to work with me. But as I said…"
Sophie was angry. Livid. But she couldn't help the wave of sadness that washed over her. Joy, she understood. Money had always been the driving force in her life. But Daphne? She wasn't destitute. She had a home. Family. And yet she was willing to put it all at risk. And for what? The ability to buy a nicer pair of shoes? It was crazy.
"The fact that you're sleeping with Forbes didn't endear you to Daphne." She noticed an edge of bitterness in Joy's voice. "He never had any taste. But what is wrong with the man?"
Forbes had rejected Joy's advances. A fact that obviously still stung. Smiling, Sophie couldn't resist rubbing a little salt in Joy's wounded ego. "I've seen Forbes up close. Every inch of him. And I can state without reservation that there is nothing wrong with him. Not a single, solitary thing."
"You little bitch. Do you really think you can hold onto a man like Forbes? He'll tire of you soon enough. And then what?"
Joy flicked her hair over her shoulder—a gesture she used as a show of superiority and disdain. Unwisely, she used the hand holding the gun. The moment Sophie had been waiting for. Tightening her fingers into a fist, she reared back and swung.
WITH NO LIGHTS on in the house—no movement to be seen—it was quiet. Too quiet. Frustrated, Forbes grabbed Eli Stover by the shirt, giving him a bone-rattling shake.
"You're sure Sophie isn't hurt?"
"She was fine when I left," Eli whined. Turning his head, he spat out a mouthful of blood. "I think my front teeth are loose."
Aaron took Eli by the arm, shoving him onto the ground. With his hands cuffed, his balance was non-existent. As he toppled over, his face smacking into the dirt, he let out a cry of pain.
"You were stupid enough to take the first swing. Be grateful Forbes didn't break every last tooth in your mouth and shove them down your throat." Aaron took Eli by the collar, propping him up against a tree. "Now sit there and shut the fuck up."
Ignoring what was going on behind him, Forbes raised a pair of night-vision goggles. The small, dilapidated house, was the only building for miles. It sat in a hollow surrounded by trees. If it weren't for the tracking devices in Sophie's earrings, the chances of him finding her would have been been slim to none.
The thought sent a shudder through Forbes' body, and just as quickly as it came, he shoved it aside. Now wasn't the time to worry about what ifs. He had to concentrate on making certain nothing went wrong. Sophie's safety—her survival was the only thing that mattered.
Thank the Lord for modern technology. The second after Forbes received Aaron's call, he pulled up the tracking app on his phone. Finding Sophie's location was simple. Calming himself down so he didn't run off half-cocked took some effort.
First, he contacted Ian Drysdale. Giving the man a brief rundown of the facts, Forbes told him to gather the necessary weapons and equipment—plus the three security guards patrolling the ranch. They needed to head out ASAP. Ian had the tracking app, so he knew where to go.
Next, Forbes sent Ollie to the bar to interview witnesses. He didn't expect much help there, but it had to be done.
The hidden lockbox behind the seat in Forbes' truck was already loaded with everything he needed. As he started the engine, he took a deep breath, saying a silent prayer that Sophie was all right and would stay that way. Just as he shifted into drive, the passenger side door opened, Aaron, Mike, and Jerry piling inside. A thunk in the back had him looking in his rearview mirror. Brent and Truck sat in the bed.
Forbes didn't have time to argue. Not that he would have. These men cared about Sophie. He would have been surprised if they hadn't shown up.
"Where are we headed?" Aaron asked, his hand braced against the dash as Forbes took the turn outside of town at a dangerous speed.
"Northeast." The screen on the truck's built-in computer showed the tracking device as a moving red blip. Wherever they go, we follow."
Nobody s
aid another word for the next twenty minutes. Forbes had one eye on the road, the other on the screen. Aaron, Mike, and Jerry sat in grim silence. Then, the red dot stopped moving.
"Where the hell is that?" Aaron asked "I don't know of anybody who lives out there."
"GPS will take us there."
"It's part of the old McHenry place." Mike knew the area around Cloverdale as well as anybody. "The family moved away almost twenty years ago. The land was broken up into separate plots. Now it's mostly rented out as grazing land."
Forbes took a left as directed. "Is there any kind of building? A house?"
"More like a shack. Wasn't much even then. But those old places were built to last. Chances are pretty good it's still standing."
The last road Forbes turned onto was little more than a deer path. However, the flattened weeds were evidence of another car having passed this way. They were close. Less than a mile away. Taking another turn, he was momentarily blinded by an oncoming set of headlights. Forbes hit his breaks, the other car swerved, hitting a tree.
Forbes ran from the truck, pulling open the car door. He found Eli Stover struggling with the airbag.
"You son of a bitch." Forbes pulled the deputy from the car. "If you have harmed one hair on Sophie's head, you won't live to see the sun come up."
"She's fine," Stover swore, raising his arms in self-defense. "I swear."
"Aaron, grab the handcuffs from the glove compartment and—"
Forbes didn't know what prompted Stover to take a swing. Stupidity coupled with desperation? But it felt damn good to have a reason to punch the bastard in the mouth.
"Where is Sophie?" Forbes ground out, towering over the other man. "How many people are guarding her? Are they armed?"
Stover realized he was going to jail. Wisely, he figured out that if he didn't want to get there via a hospital stay, he needed to talk.
"There's an old house, in a hollow, just around the next curve. She's in the bedroom. Tied up. But that's all I did to her. I swear. After the chloroform."
With One More Look At You Page 30
