Abducted Heart (Z-Series)

by Jerri Drennen

  “How come Casey never said anything to me about this home invasion?”

  “She didn't want to worry you.”

  The woman smiled. “Such a sweet girl. Thinking of me at a time like this. What was stolen?”

  “She's still taking inventory.”

  “How did they get in? I told her she needed to get a protective service. I have one, and I haven't had any problems.”

  “I'll talk to her and Brent about that.”

  “Good.”

  “So you or Viola haven't seen anyone near Casey and Brent's house?”

  “I don't believe so. Although, the Neals are renovating their home. They have a construction crew in and out during the day. Maybe it was one of those guys? They are all supposed to be bonded, but you know the type.”

  Yeah, he did. Hard working, blue collar Americans. The people he grew up around. All trying to have a life like everyone else.

  “Where do the Neals live?”

  “A few houses down. You know, I've never seen you at Brent and Casey's. You said you're his brother? Yet the two of you look nothing alike.” Her eyes narrowed, and she twisted her hands in her lap.

  “Sorry, step-brother. My mother married his father.”

  She released a breath. “Oh, but then why haven't I seen you around? You're definitely not a man I'd forget.”

  “I hope that was meant as a compliment. But to answer your question, I don't currently live here in New Orleans. Haven't for ten years.”

  His answer seemed to pacify her, with the strain around her lips easing.

  “Are you sure I can't get you something to drink, some wine maybe?” The spark of interest in her eyes had Lynch thinking it was time to go. He'd gotten the information he came for.

  “No.” Lynch rose. “I've taken up enough of your time. Thanks for speaking with me.”

  A look of disappointment crossed her features, then quickly disappeared. She got up and led him to the door.

  “Can I ask a huge favor of you, Marian?” Lynch asked in a tone that always worked to get what he wanted.

  She looked at him and swallowed. “S...ure. What do you need?”

  He'd hit his mark.

  “Could we keep this conversation between us for now? I want to catch this guy and I think a buzz in the neighborhood could scare him off.”

  “Of course. My lips are sealed.”

  Lynch winked at her, then opened the door and left.

  She'd given him two leads to follow up on. The Neals' construction crew and the neighborhood's morally corrupt woman, Theresa Flynn, a voluptuous redhead who had allowed him in early that evening. His kind of gal. Between both, he hoped he'd find something to lead him to Brent. But first thing in the morning, he was going downtown to his ex-step-brother's place of business to find out if the man was involved in anything that could have gotten him kidnapped.

  *

  Casey's eyes flew open. A noise had startled her awake. She pulled herself up against the headboard and listened, thinking after a few moments she'd been dreaming.

  A squeak of a floorboard made her heart race.

  Was someone in her house? Coming up the stairs.

  Her mind went crazy with images of an intruder, hell-bent on taking whatever he wanted. Flashes of a man on top her, forcing her legs apart sent a cold chill skittering across her skin.

  Casey snatched her cell phone off the nightstand and stared blankly at the face. She couldn't call 9-1-1. Not when Brent's kidnappers could be watching the house.

  She scrolled down and found the number Lynch had given her before he'd left hours ago. She punched it in and waited, watching the door.

  One ring.

  Two.

  Pick up your phone.

  Three.

  Four.

  A groggy voice answered.

  “Lynch,” she said under her breath.

  “What's wrong, Casey?”

  “I think someone's in the house.”

  Another creak came, and it took all Casey's reserve not to scream. This one was closer. Practically outside her bedroom door.

  “Go hide. I'll be right there.”

  Casey scrambled from the bed and crawled to her closet. She eased open the door. Inside, she hid behind a large suitcase, her cell phone still clutched in a vise-like grip in her hand.

  How did someone get in the house?

  What were they after?

  Maybe it was Brent's kidnappers. Come to get the money. Or maybe not. Thank God the ransom was safely tucked in her office, where no one could find it.

  Rattling of the knob at her bedroom door had Casey drawing in some air. What if they found her? What would they do?

  Hinges squeaked. Someone was entering her room.

  If Lynch didn't get here soon, she could be...

  No. Don't think like that. He'll be here.

  She heard muffled steps. The person had to be standing next to the bed. The sound of the spread and sheets being torn from the mattress stopped her heart.

  The guy's guttural grunt restarted it again and had the blood pumping loudly in her ears.

  Close to the closet, a thump served as a warning that the intruder hadn't given up his search.

  Casey scooted farther against the wall, terror gripping her. Perspiration coated her prickly skin, and the nightgown she wore stuck to her body.

  A tall figure outlined the slats in the door and rough, heavy breathing resonated around her.

  Was it his or her own?

  Squealing brakes from outside the house had Casey sucking in another breath.

  Lynch.

  Muffled footsteps stumbled across the floor. Whoever was in her room was fleeing.

  Casey threw her head back against the closet wall and started to sob.

  When arms came around her, she fought to get free.

  “It's me, Casey. Calm down.”

  She looked up with tear-filled eyes and saw Lynch, then wrapped her arms around his neck, too relieved to care that the only thing separating her body from his was a thin piece of nylon fabric.

  “You're all right, Casey. I'm here. You don't have to cry.”

  She sobbed while he cradled her into his arms and lifted her out of the closet. He held her tight, whispering reassuring words until she became aware of him. The feel of his warm skin next to hers. He wasn't wearing a shirt and he smelled of sandalwood and pine. The scent stirred a fire in her belly. This was the man she'd loved from the moment she had met him. The man who said he loved her and then walked away.

  The thought hit Casey like an icy blast to her system.

  “Put me down.” She pushed forcefully against his chest until he placed her onto the bed. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, she asked, “Did you see anyone?”

  “No. But your back door was wide open. That's how I got in.”

  Casey shook her head. “No way. I always lock my doors.”

  “Did Brent have a set of keys on him when he was taken?”

  “Of course. You think the kidnappers took them? That it was them in the house? Why? What were they after?”

  “My guess is they didn't want to wait for the money. They came to get it. Which means, they've been watching your every move. Somehow they knew you'd gotten the cash.” He glanced around the room. “Where is it? Could they have found the money?”

  Casey shook her head again. “No. It's in a hidden safe, and only I know the combination.”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Lynch stared at Casey, who sat fidgeting on the edge of the bed. His body instantly reacted to what she wore—or better yet, what little. The clingy, pale-pink nightgown left nothing to the imagination. Her pert nipples beckoned , causing a firestorm to erupt inside him.

  He blew out a breath and glanced around. The bedding lay in a heap off to the side of the bed, suggesting that whoever had been in the room was after Casey.

  He looked back at the woman in question.

  She rubbed her hands up and down her arms, her back ramrod stra
ight.

  Lynch had no intention of telling her what he thought. She looked scared enough.

  “I'm going down to see if I notice anything out of place.” Lynch started for the door.

  “You won't leave, will you?”

  He turned back and shook his head. “No. I'm just going to check out everything below.”

  Lynch took the stairs to the lower level, searching for anything that appeared odd. Hell, this whole thing was weird. Brent's kidnappers were going to get the ransom tomorrow night. Why break in to take it?

  A bitter taste filled his mouth.

  He quickly checked each room, a sinking feeling growing in his gut.

  If the intruder came for the money, why wasn't a thing out of place? By all rights, the house should have been ransacked. Yet it wasn't. That in itself told him whoever was in the house had Casey in his sights. But why? What were they planning to do with her?

  Lynch threaded his fingers through his hair.

  No way could he leave her alone now. Not with this.

  So, how was he going to find out who kidnapped Brent when Casey needed around-the-clock protection?

  He might be able to take her with him in the morning, but then what if Brent's abductor called while they were out? Would they stick to their plan and contact her tomorrow night? Who could say?

  There was only one thing he could do. Call in reinforcements.

  He unclipped the phone from his belt, punched four on his speed dial and waited.

  “Hello,” a gravelly voice answered.

  “Zack, I need you to fly to New Orleans, and I need you to do it like yesterday.”

  “What's going on?”

  “I'll tell you when you get here.”

  “Be on the next flight.”

  Lynch snapped his phone shut and went to secure the back door he'd left open when he'd rushed into the house. He'd been too worried about Casey to care about anything else. He hadn't even bothered to put on a shirt when he'd left his mother's.

  In the kitchen, he was surprised to find no chain lock on the inside. That alone would have slowed the intruder down. Lynch intended to put one on when he got a chance. Better yet, he'd do what Marian suggested and call a home security service and get them to come out and install a system. The kidnappers couldn't get past it—not when Brent wouldn't be privy to the password. Lynch was sure they'd taken his ex-step-brother's keys to get into the place. Probably even interrogated him into telling them where the master bedroom was located.

  The thought of the two sharing a bed knotted Lynch's stomach.

  He brushed the feeling aside and walked up the steps.

  Back in Casey's room, he found her standing next to the window, staring out into the night.

  “You okay?”

  She turned toward him, her face shrouded with worry. “Why is this happening?”

  “I don't have an answer for that. Are you sure Brent wasn't involved in something shady?”

  “I don't know,” she said in a weak voice. “We weren't exactly on the best of terms.”

  Lynch stared hard at her, fighting the urge to smile. He couldn't say he felt sorry for his step-brother since apparently she'd been fair game the minute he left for boot camp. “Why aren't you two talking?”

  She turned to glance out the window again. “I filed for divorce.”

  “What? When?” He couldn't believe it.

  “A few months ago. No one besides us knew. We were going to tell everyone when he moved out next week.”

  “Can I ask why?”

  “I really don't want to talk about it.”

  Lynch would respect her wishes for now, but this turn of events left him with so many unanswered questions. Clearly, Brent hadn't told his father about the impending separation. Because if he had, Lynch's mother would have told him. The two were divorced, yet spoke almost every day. Lynch didn't know why they didn't get back together since it was clear the two still loved one another.

  “A friend of mine is coming into town tomorrow to keep an eye on you while I do some digging into Brent's life. As soon as he gets here, I'm going down to where Brent works and see if something could be there. But the first thing I intend to do is call a security company and get you a system installed. Why don't you have home security? Or chain locks for that matter?”

  “Brent didn't think we needed anything since we live in a gated community.”

  Lynch rubbed at his stubbled chin. Something about this whole thing had him questioning his ex-step-brother's intentions. Then again, that could all stem from never liking the man. Maybe he was just looking for something.

  But who knew? This was one thing he intended to look into once Zack was here and he didn't have to worry about Casey's safety every minute.

  *

  Casey smiled and shook Zackary Kyle's hand. She still had no idea why Lynch felt she needed a chaperone, though she appreciated it.

  But would anyone in their right mind try to break into a house in broad daylight?

  For a brief moment, she compared his friend to Lynch. Zack was a half-inch or so taller, but the two were about the same in muscle mass. She assumed in their line of work, they had to be in top-notch shape.

  Zackary was handsome in his own right, with a head of sun-streaked blond hair that waved down around the bottom of his ears. His eyes were a warm jade-green and sparkled with a sense of mischief. So unlike his counterpart. Casey had barely ever seen Lynch smile. Though, she knew about his harsh upbringing, at least until his mother met Brent's father. The one person she'd truly miss when she divorced her husband, Alex Jackson had always been kind to her with no strings attached—strings she always seemed to encounter in her life. Even Brent had threatened to expose her dark secret—until she finally had told him she'd had enough of his blackmailing and to go ahead.

  He never did. She knew that now.

  Casey shook the thought and turned to Lynch, fighting to keep from staring at the wide expanse of chest and shoulders in the charcoal-gray tee she'd lent him. He filled out the stretched-cotton shirt belonging to her husband—something Brent had never done.

  She forced down the lump in her throat. “I have to call a friend. I was supposed to be attending her baby shower today. I want to tell her I'm not coming.”

  “No. I want you to go. Everything needs to appear normal. Zack'll tag along with you.”

  “What?” His friend looked as if he'd just been given a death sentence.

  Lynch squeezed the man's shoulder. “This is called taking one for the team. Remember?”

  “I don't recall ever being told by my commanding officers that I'd be expected to infiltrate a room filled with cackling hens, trying to guess what the hell they filled a diaper with.” Zack shook his head. “No way. You can't make me do this, Lynch.”

  “I need you to, man. I'd go myself but someone might recognize me. You won't have to stay long. Just make an appearance. Say you're Casey's third cousin removed. That you'd come to New Orleans unexpectedly and trailed along to spend time with Casey since you're only in town for the day.”

  Zack looked disgusted by the prospect, but nodded. “All right. I'll do it. But you owe me big time, and if you tell anyone, I mean, anyone at all, I'll put my boot up your ass so far it'll leave a taste of leather in your mouth. Got it?”

  “Understood.”

  Casey might have found their exchange amusing under different circumstances, but Brent's life was on the line here. She didn't love or respect him in any way, but she didn't want to see him dead. “I don't know if I can go to this and act like nothing's wrong.”

  Both men turned their attention to her.

  “You have to, Casey. Brent needs you to be strong.”

  “But these are my friends. I'm not sure I can hide my feelings from them.”

  “Do they know about your impending divorce?”

  Casey shook her head. “No. I haven't told them yet.”

  “If you could keep them in the dark about that, you can pull this off.
Like I said, you don't have to stay long. Make an appearance and use Zack as an excuse to leave early so you can get back here to wait for the kidnappers’ call.”

  “All right. So you'll be going to Sterns and Cromwell then?”

  “Yes and somehow get into Brent's office to snoop around. Maybe I'll find something to lead me to his abductor.”

  “On Sundays, there are only a few people in the office. Brent has worked more of them since we've been on the outs. They'll probably be surprised he's not there today.”

  “I can use that. Say I was meeting him and see if they won't let me wait in his office.”

  “I'm sure they won't have a problem with that since there's not a lot of espionage in their line of work.”

  “Good. I'm going to get going. Keep your phone on you. If I learn anything, I'll call.”

  Casey exhaled a breath then nodded. “I will.”

  “Remember to act as if nothing's wrong. Zack, keep your eyes and ears open.”

  Lynch left, and Casey turned to his friend. “Are you sure you want to go?”

  He gave her a lopsided grin. “I've made eye contact with an Iraqi civilian strapped with a chest full of C-12. I think I can handle this.”

  *

  Lynch thanked his luck that a young woman sat behind the front desk at Brent's office, though the ring on her finger could be a problem. “Hello. I'm here to see Brent Jackson.” He graced her with his signature smile.

  “I believe Mr. Jackson's not in yet.”

  “I wasn't counting on this.”

  “And you are?” she asked, her gaze roaming the length of his body. So much for loyalty to the woman's fiancé.

  “I'm Brent's step-brother, Lynch. I just got into town and wanted to surprise him. He's such a workaholic. I thought he'd be here.”

  She studied his face. “I didn't know Brent had a brother.”

  “Well, technically he's my ex-step-brother since my mother and his father are now divorced.”

  She nodded. “No one stays together anymore.”

  “Would it be all right if I waited for Brent in his office?” Lynch focused his attention on the woman's peach-tinted mouth. A diversion from her thinking clearly was the goal.