Standing close and holding Jake’s hand, the love of his life chatted with her father. In a clingy white satin gown, Angela Reardon looked like an angel, except for her rediscovered sensuality, which seemed to glow like an aura. Wishing he was the only one who could see it, Jake scowled at the wolfish leers on other men’s faces. And he was certainly no angel because he had to keep restraining his desire to peel the slinky dress from Angela’s slender body and bury himself deep inside her where thoughts of his awful past never reached him.
Angela’s father, a former US ambassador, had managed to arrange for the last-minute invitations to the Vanderbilts’ Thanksgiving gala, not only for Jake and Angela, but also for tonight’s guest of honor, Harlan Bradley, and his wife. Jake had surmised correctly that Randall Reardon would accomplish the impossible in his quest to rebuild a relationship with his daughter.
“Ah, I see the Bradleys over by the buffet line. Come with me, and I’ll introduce you,” Randall said. Although sophisticated in many ways, the man was nothing more than an unwitting pawn in the night’s chess match.
“Target in sight. Wait for my signal,” Jake whispered into his hidden mic. With his hand on her lower back, he guided Angela to follow her father across the packed room.
Harlan and Allison Bradley were easily recognizable from the pictures Elle had shown him in her computer files. Jake clenched his teeth at the thought of what her father had put her through to protect his client’s goddamn business deal with Secretary Carmichael. Prison was too good for the bastards, but hopefully, that was where both men would soon be living.
When they finally reached the Bradleys after several stops along the way for introductions, Randall gave Harlan’s shoulder a comforting pat. “I’m sure this is such a difficult time, old friend, so it’s especially good to see you both here. If you have a moment, I’d like you and Allison to meet my daughter and her new beau.”
Beau? Jake almost laughed at the absurd word. Did people still use the archaic term? Besides, he was far more than a boyfriend. And soon, he’d be Angela’s fiancé, if all went as planned.
He gave himself a mental shake to refocus on the current mission. His CIA and SEAL training had taught him that distractions could be disastrous.
When the Bradleys turned to acknowledge Randall’s greeting, the distress on Harlan’s face almost drew a bit of sympathy from Jake, but he brushed it aside. Even Allison, who Elle had predicted would be having the time of her life at the grand soiree, appeared pale and tense.
Randall handled the introductions with articulate ease born from years of experience. When it was Jake’s turn, he gently shook Allison’s hand but then clutched Harlan’s in a death grip. The older man winced, giving Jake meager satisfaction.
“I’m so very sorry to hear your daughter has been kidnapped again.” Jake spoke each word slowly and distinctly to be sure his mic picked up the prearranged signal.
Before either Bradley could respond, he heard the muffled buzz of a cell phone.
* * *
Luke wrapped his arm around Elle’s shoulders as they tried to stay warm by snuggling together. The frigid November night made hiding outside the brick wall surrounding the Vanderbilts’ rear gardens a serious challenge for a SoCal guy. But he wasn’t about to admit it.
Their gazes were glued to the screen of Whitaker’s phone. The text Luke had sent a few minutes earlier glared back at them: do u have the $
“What’s taking so long?” Elle asked.
“Your dad is probably looking for a private spot to check his phone and respond.” He cocked his head as a garbled transmission came through his earpiece. “Say again, Stone. You’re breaking up,” Luke said into his mic. “Anyone else catch that?” A static-filled response from another voice confirmed his own equipment was the culprit. “Shit. I can’t hear you either.”
“Something wrong?” Elle asked nervously.
“Tech trouble. Nothing serious.”
Silent seconds ticked by as they continued to stare at the screen. He wished like hell he’d been able to convince Elle to stay at the hotel. Not because of the freezing temperature, but because she had suffered enough already. Confronting her dad for what he’d done might hurt her more than it hurt Harlan Bradley. As expected, though, she had refused, adamantly reminding Luke this was her fight. Hadn’t she noticed he had taken up the fight with her? That he was wholly invested in the outcome—on several levels.
Finally, thankfully, a message popped onto the screen: $ yes show me proof of life
Harlan might be greedy, unethical, and heartless, but he wasn’t stupid. At least the request didn’t pose a problem since it was standard in ransom situations and Luke was prepared for it.
Beside him, Elle pulled the front page of Saturday’s Washington Post from her coat pocket and unfolded it. After stepping a few feet away, she held the newspaper and Luke’s watch beneath her quivering chin. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, her entire face a picture of dismay. Unfortunately, she wasn’t pretending.
Luke took the photo and texted it.
Only a couple seconds passed before Harlan responded: where do u want the $
“This can’t be happening. How could my own father have done all this?” Elle slapped a hand across her mouth to silence a whimper. Her forlorn expression revealed the same disbelief that had dogged her since she’d heard the family clock chiming through the phone two days ago.
His chest tightened with the need to shelter her from the pain yet to come. “I’m so sorry, Elle. I’ll get someone to take you back to the hotel.”
Her hand dropped away from her mouth. “No. Absolutely not. I…I need to see his face when he realizes he’s been caught.”
“You sure?”
She nodded.
He hurt for her, for the unimaginable betrayal she was feeling, for the gut-wrenching deception by her parent. After giving her a long, comforting hug, he typed: outside gate in rear garden wall canvas duffle hurry
The maddening wait began again. This time, Elle paced. Each step seemed slower than the last as if the weight of the world were slowing her down.
A staticky voice tried twice to communicate something to him but failed. Luke hated operating without all the information, but someone would’ve come in person to alert them if anything serious had gone wrong. Or if the mission had been aborted. Since no one had showed up to stop the sting, it was still on. All they could do was wait.
Luke’s biggest fear was that Harlan Bradley would get cold feet and not cooperate. Or realize his illegal activities had been discovered and make a run for it. Either way, this trap needed to be sprung as soon as possible.
Almost ten minutes later, the metal garden gate creaked open.
Elle stopped abruptly near the corner of the wall and froze.
Luke listened closely as footsteps crunched on the frosty ground and fallen leaves. First, they went in the opposite direction before reversing and heading back toward the end of the wall where the duffel was hidden. Frowning at the sound, he angled his head and concentrated.
Something was off.
Soft thumps carried through the cold night air as small bundles of hundred-dollar bills were dumped into the bag. Then another text arrived: $ delivered where is Elle
He started to type, but his head snapped up at the sound of running feet. Before he could even call out to her, Elle disappeared around the corner of the wall.
Her shocked cry instantly sent him flying.
Chapter 34
Mother!” Elle cried.
The earth tilted and spun faster. Had the world gone mad? Or had she finally cracked from the stress? Whatever the cause, reality and her vision blurred.
Elle blinked rapidly as lightheadedness made her sway, but she shook off the beckoning darkness. She gaped at her mother, who stood several feet away with one hand holding a cell phone and the other hand hidden inside the purse hanging from her shoulder. The stunned expression on Allison Bradley’s face surely matched her own. “Wh-wha
t are you d-doing here, Mother?” she stammered.
“Elle!” Luke shouted as he rounded the corner at full speed.
She turned and held up her hand. “Stop. I-I’m o—”
“Fuck,” he muttered, looking at something behind her.
She whipped back around to find her mother aiming a tiny pistol at Luke. Panic gripped her, and she gasped for air.
“You bastard,” Allison said. “How dare you kidnap my daughter again.” She pointed the gun at Luke’s chest.
Elle jumped in front of him. “No! No, Mother. This is Deputy Luke Johnson, the man who rescued me. He’s not the kidnapper.”
Confusion washed across Allison’s face, and she blanched as white as the moon spotlighting the unfolding drama. Her gaze darted from Luke to Elle and back multiple times. She frowned and narrowed her eyes. “I…I don’t understand,” she said without lowering the gun.
Elle glanced over her shoulder at Luke. Their gazes connected. Almost imperceptibly, he shook his head. Damn, what’s he trying to tell me?
Her brain scrambled to make sense of it all. Obviously, Allison thought Luke was the kidnapper because he was here with her. But why was her mother—not her father—paying the ransom?
Massaging both temples with her fingertips, Elle concentrated until she identified the incriminating clue: the cell phone. The one Allison held wasn’t her large iPhone in its bejeweled gold case. The small black phone in her hand must be the one Luke had just been texting—the same phone the kidnapper had called for the past month.
Elle’s heart sank as reality registered. Oh God. My mother is Whitaker’s boss. She had me kidnapped. In horrified disbelief, she glared at the woman who’d done the unthinkable.
“Then I’ll explain it to you, Mother.”
“Elle, don’t,” Luke hissed in warning.
But she couldn’t stop. She stiffened her spine and squared her shoulders. “Deputy Johnson has my kidnapper’s cell phone, the one he used to communicate with his boss. We’ve been texting that person to arrange this sting operation. You received those texts on the phone in your hand—which means you’re the kidnapper’s boss. You are the person who paid Todd Whitaker to kidnap me.” Her voice cracked. “Why, Mother, why?”
Allison’s mouth hung open. The burner phone slipped from her fingers and fell to the ground. Shaking her head and blinking, she mumbled incoherently for several seconds. Then she sighed heavily, and her shoulders drooped. “You stupid, stupid girl. Why couldn’t you just marry Richard as you were supposed to?”
The question caught Elle by surprise. “What? Um…because…because I don’t love him.”
“Love doesn’t matter.”
“Seriously? You would want me to marry him even if I don’t love him?”
“There are more important things in life than silly, worthless love, sweetie,” her mother said as if talking to a child.
“Well, he’s also a domineering snob who doesn’t understand me.”
“Again, not important.”
Movement at the gate fifty feet behind her mother caught Elle’s attention. Guns drawn, Jake and Special Agent Philips stood beside the garden wall, assessing the situation. She quickly dropped her gaze to the ground and faked a laugh, so Allison wouldn’t notice the two new arrivals. “Okay, Mother, I give up. What is important enough to make me want to marry Richard?”
“Think about the bigger picture, Elle. Consider your place in the world.”
“My place in the world?”
“Yes. Who you are. What status you hold. How people judge you. How important you are.” Her mother’s eyes glazed over with a dreamy, faraway look.
A sick feeling swelled inside Elle. She cringed with disgust.
“Oh, my God, Mother. You’re talking about Washington society…not the actual world.” She splayed her hands on both sides of her head. “You’re obsessed with it.”
Allison huffed. “At least I’m not obsessed with drugs or alcohol or…or gambling. I deserve a lot of credit if it’s my only obsession.”
“Credit? Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Such despicable language, young lady. Women of good breeding don’t use that word.”
Elle rolled her eyes. “Dammit, Mother. Don’t you have any idea what you’ve done?”
“Of course, I do. I’ve worked so hard to help you realize that you should marry Richard. I tried to reason with you, but as usual, you wouldn’t listen. And then, as if that weren’t bad enough, you had to go snooping around in your father’s business. Arthur warned us that you’d called him with questions about BLM. I couldn’t let you publish one of your ridiculous reports about the mining deals Harlan has been doing with Arthur. It would’ve been a terrible scandal for both families, and we would’ve become social outcasts. My psychiatrist says much of my ‘issue’ is the result of having no control over situations, so I decided to take drastic measures myself.”
“‘Drastic measures’ doesn’t begin to describe what you’ve done.”
Allison huffed again. “I don’t see how I’ve caused any harm. Now I won’t even have to pay the ransom to have you released.” She grinned briefly as she glanced down at the duffel bag.
Elle began to tremble. Could her mother actually be so oblivious to reality? “You don’t believe there’s any harm in having your daughter tied to a bed—naked—with a strange man jerking off beside her? You think there’s no harm in your daughter being scared to death her kidnapper would rape or kill her at any moment? What you did wasn’t just illegal, it was sick!”
Allison stiffened. “I most certainly didn’t know Todd was behaving in that horrid manner.”
“How did you even find such a ‘horrid’ person to…to do your dirty work?”
“I overheard one of the Alpha and Omega Mining executives telling Harlan that Todd could take care of the whistleblower problem. So, when I needed help, I called Todd and explained what I wanted done. I never even had to see him. It was so easy.”
“That’s all you have to say about Todd Whitaker?”
“Well, Todd should be very grateful. He’s nothing but a lowly miner who got a special bonus. Thanks to me,” Allison said proudly.
“Todd’s dead, Mother. Dead.”
Allison’s eyes widened. “What?” Her gaze darted to Luke. “Did the deputy kill him?”
“No. Remember my stalker with the blue van? He killed Todd to protect me.”
Allison nodded thoughtfully. “Well, maybe it’s all for the best. Todd treated you very inappropriately.”
Elle’s heart pounded. Her mother’s nonchalance and justification didn’t make any sense. Her thinking wasn’t rational. And while Elle wanted to scream, Allison remained terrifyingly calm.
“A man’s dead, and another is going to jail…because of you. And you think that’s okay?” Elle asked incredulously.
“They deserve their punishment. They’re the ones who did something wrong.”
Tears filled Elle’s eyes. “Don’t you get it, Mother? You caused all of this. You’re going to prison, too.”
“Shit,” Luke said behind her. “Elle, stop before—”
But she didn’t hear the rest of his warning. Spellbound, she watched her mother’s transformation.
Allison’s expression turned hard and cruel. Her eyes held a wild gleam. She sneered and lifted her chin. “You’re wrong, sweetie. This is all your fault. If only you’d married Richard and minded your own business. I’m sorry, but you need to be punished also.” Using both hands, Allison steadily raised her gun to eye level.
Elle heard Luke rushing closer at the same time someone shouted from the opposite direction. She gasped at the sight of her father just outside the garden gate. Jake and Agent Philips were restraining him as he struggled to get to his wife and daughter.
“What are you doing, Allison? Stop, please stop,” Harlan Bradley yelled.
Hearing her husband’s voice, she spun around.
In that instant, Luke snagged Elle’s arm and yanked
her behind him. Then he launched himself at Allison. Towering over her, he grabbed for her gun, but she jerked it away. He wrestled the flailing, kicking, screaming woman to the ground.
A second later, a gunshot pierced the cold night air.
Chapter 35
I gave Philips hell about your defective earpiece,” Stone said, handing Luke another Styrofoam cup of sludge masquerading as coffee.
“Shit happens.”
Luke didn’t give a damn about the earpiece. He didn’t care about anything but Elle. He hadn’t seen her since they had been separated hours ago when they’d first arrived at the FBI’s Washington field office. After answering a million questions and making official statements, the two men were waiting for Philips to finish Elle’s interrogation.
Stone dropped onto the chair next to Luke. “Well, maybe less shit would’ve happened if I’d been able to warn you and Elle that it was her mother—not her father—who had the cell phone you were texting. I figured even a few minutes might help ease the shock.”
“Thanks for trying. The scene with Allison was definitely a clusterfuck.”
“Wrong. You and Elle dead would be a clusterfuck. If you hadn’t tackled Allison, I’m sure she’d have shot both of you. And that close, it would’ve been hard for her to miss.”
“You or Philips would’ve taken her down before that happened.”
“Not before she got off at least one shot. Remember, we had our hands full with Harlan. The old guy went berserk when he saw his wife about to shoot their daughter. Trust me. Elle’s lucky to be alive,” Stone said.
“I doubt she’s feeling lucky at all since both her parents will probably go to jail.”
“Elle’s gonna be okay.”
“I know,” Luke said and sighed. Yeah, she was going to be fine—eventually. Too bad it would be without him.
“She’s a lot like my Angela: brave, smart, strong.” Stone paused and then added, “Lovable.”
Only Obsession (Rogue Security Book 3) Page 27
