by Roxy Wilson
He stared at her as if she’d punched him in the face.
For a moment, she thought about throwing herself in his arms and telling him to choose her over Amor. She desperately wanted to do that, but her pride wouldn’t allow her.
“So you don’t mind if I get back with Amor?”
It would kill her. She would rather die than see that happen. Paige smiled. “Of course, yes. It would sting a little.”
“Sting?”
“Just a tiny bit, but it’s okay. I’ll move on.” She turned back to tend to the horse. Please go away. Please go away. She closed her eyes even as she rubbed the animal. It was impossible for her to do this anymore. Couldn’t he see that the sight of him hurt her now? He wasn’t hers. Never was hers to begin with. Of course, why would he choose her over that famous model? When he walked away, she breathed a sigh of relief even though tears pricked at the back of her eyes. It was her fault for getting involved with him. She should’ve done a better job of protecting her heart.
It was stupid of her to go out with him. She should’ve listened to the voice of reason in her mind and said no. The man hurt her. Well, it isn’t really his fault. Yes, it is. She swayed between anger and self-pity until, finally, she threw herself into her work and stopped thinking about him. It was impossible to keep her thoughts away from him, but with an effort, she managed to make it look like she was very busy and not demonically depressed.
Once her work was finished, she went back home. Paige showered and changed. She could have a quiet dinner with her mother and ponder over all that went wrong in her life. Lando had moved on already. She should do so too.
But the restlessness within her refused to settle.
It was a pain unlike any she experienced before.
When night fell, she had a quiet dinner with her mother. Paige wasn’t sure if Jackie was aware, although there was generally little that she didn’t know about, but her mother didn’t ask anything and Paige didn’t volunteer any information. When the time came, she would drop her head on her mother’s shoulder and cry her heart out, but right now, she was waiting to see what Lando did.
What if he decided to go back with Amor?
He had a contract with Cullen, but of course, they would eagerly let him go if he wasn’t happy. They weren’t the sort to keep people who weren’t eager to work there. The thought that she might never see him again depressed her even more. Still, there wasn’t much she could do about it. The choice was out of her hands, and he had to decide now.
Paige slipped on her jacket and bounded down the stairs.
“Hey, where are you off too?” Jackie asked.
Paige barely glanced at her mother. If she did, the storm would unleash and she would spill out her guts. All she wanted to do was to forget about her problems for a while. “I’m going out,” she said. “Don’t wait for me.”
Before her mother could ask anything, she strode out of the main door. Paige didn’t have a destination in mind. All she wanted to do was escape from the farm for a few hours, so she could think about something else. She took her mother’s car and drove out. The night was silent. There was a half-moon that hung on the sky. She had no clue where she wanted to go. Her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as she thought about the daydreams she’d spun around Lando.
She shouldn’t have fallen in love with the man.
He wasn’t meant for her.
The man all but spun her in a web and then dumped her when he got a better offer. Amor was the one he loved. She wished she’d stuck to her initial decision of not dating him, but he pursued her, convinced her, and when she gave him her heart, he stomped on it.
There was no way she could ever forgive him.
As she neared the town, Paige turned towards the pub. She parked the car but sat inside. A laughing trio strolled in. Such a direct contrast to the mood she was currently in. The lights were on, and she could hear the faint sounds of music. Some company might do her a world of good. She could meet someone new, or perhaps someone she already knew. Zack might be there; he had asked her out. He was a nice guy. Maybe she could take him up on his offer of a meal. At least, he wouldn’t hurt her the same way Lando did.
Shit. She couldn’t just take up with any person, even if he was her ex-boyfriend.
No man interested her.
That was the sad truth she needed to face. If she couldn’t have Lando, she didn’t want anyone else. At least not yet.
Damn the man.
He spoiled her life. She wanted to go back and confront him. Paige wanted answers. How dare he sweep her aside as if she wasn’t important, as if she didn’t matter? Why did he spin so many lies if he was waiting for his ex-girlfriend to turn up?
No. She wasn’t going to do any fool thing like that. If she had nothing else, at least she had her pride and she wasn’t going to let him trample all over it. She opened the car door and stepped outside. Rather than waste her time and emotions on Lando, she was going to walk inside and find someone she knew. Paige was determined to have a good time.
“Hi there,” someone, a man, said in a gruff voice.
Paige turned back to see who it was. A damp cloth landed on her face, and the bitter vapors that swept through her nostrils made her head spin. “What the—?” Her eyes rolled. Unable to finish her sentence, she collapsed on the ground.
The sensation of falling was the last thing she remembered.
Chapter Nine
The pain was numbing, relentless.
She didn’t love him. While he’d been daydreaming about their future, she was passing her time and stringing him along for the ride. The callous manner in which she dismissed him hurt. His heart was a bleeding mass of muscles, and there was no way he could heal the wound.
Lando didn’t know what to do.
On the one hand, was Amor who apparently wanted him back but he didn’t love her, and on the other hand, was Paige whom he was devoted to but she didn’t seem to want him. Perhaps it was time to pack his bags and go back to Spain? At least, he would be able to lick his wounds in private. Here, he would see her every day, and the anguish of knowing he couldn’t have her would kill him.
It wouldn’t take too long to collect his belongings and go back. Sure, he didn’t want a future with Amor, but he also didn’t want to stay here and see Paige who rejected him with a casual flick of her hand.
He wasn’t a coward. No, sir, he wasn’t.
If he was going to move away, he intended to have at least one conversation with her before he got out of her life. Did the time they spent together mean nothing to her? Didn’t she harbor any feelings for him? If she told him once more she didn’t want him, he would go—but he needed to be sure.
As he marched towards the farmhouse, Lando firmed his resolve. Whatever she decided, he would accept it, but he wasn’t leaving until he heard it all. Climbing up the steps, he knocked on the door. Cullen opened it.
“You?”
Her tone took him by surprise. She never spoke to him like this ever before. “I would like to talk to Paige.”
“Where is she?” Shayne asked as she walked out of the kitchen. Jackie followed her. “We tried to call her last night, but she didn’t answer the phone. We figured she was with you.”
His chest tightened. The three women stared at him as if he had done something terribly wrong, and for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what it was. “I—didn’t see her in the evening. We talked in the morning, and that was all. Where is she?”
“That’s exactly what we’ve been trying to figure out,” Cullen snarled. “You messed her up pretty good.”
“I—I…” He sputtered.
Cullen planted her hands on her hips. “Why don’t you tell us, Lando? Are you two-timing on our sister?”
“I’m not,” he said. “Not that it is any of your business, but I’m in love with your sister and as soon as I see her, I’m going to tell her that.”
The sisters glanced at each other. “Then what about that woman,
Amor?” Cullen asked.
“Once she was important, a long time ago, but now she isn’t. I’ve already told her that.” Lando was too impatient to give them all the details. “Where the hell is Paige?”
Jackie put a hand on Shayne’s shoulder. “She would’ve called if she was spending the night somewhere. Paige is very responsible. Something has happened. I can sense it.” A sob escaped her lips. “I know it. I just do. Where’s my baby?”
“Mom, please.” Shayne hugged her mother. “We’ll find her. I’m sure she’s doing fine.”
Lando’s heart hammered against his chest. “Paige is missing. But—”
“Did you have a fight with her?” Jackie asked.
“She was upset because his ex-girlfriend is here,” Cullen said.
“She told me…Shit. Never mind. Amor is going back. I’ve had nothing to do with her. We have to find Paige.”
“Where could she be?” Shayne asked. “Her phone is switched off.”
“She took my car,” Jackie said. “What if she went to stay with a friend?”
“I’ve already called everyone I can think of. She’s nowhere,” Cullen said. “We have to go out and look for her.”
Shayne reached out and grasped her sister’s arm. “Wait…shouldn’t we file a missing person report?”
Realizing that the women were panicking, Lando took charge. While his heart was breaking, he couldn’t afford to wallow in it. If something was wrong with Paige, she was his priority until he found her. “Shayne, call the police. See if they want you to go down there with her picture or something.” He faced the eldest sister. “Make a list of all of her friends who are still nearby and call each one of them, even if she hasn’t been in touch with them for a long time.” His gaze alighted on Jackie. “Please call all the men who are on the ranch. Send a few of them out on the ranch to see if she’s there, and send others out into different towns. We’re going to find her.”
For a long moment, the three women just stared at him, bewildered by his take-charge attitude, then they all scattered.
Jackie reached forward to hug him. “God bless you. Find my daughter and bring her back.”
He intended to do just that. “Keep in touch on the phone. Make sure everyone knows what they’re doing. They should all cover different towns.”
“I’ll organize everything. Where are you going?”
“I want to retrace her steps,” he said. He strode out before she could say anything. Lando didn’t have a clue how he intended to find Paige, but there was no way he could sit at home and just ponder over what could have gone wrong.
If he didn’t take action, he would go crazy.
As he stepped out, Amor blocked his path. “Lando, we need to talk.”
“I don’t have time,” he said. “Gotta go. Paige is missing and we’re all looking for her.”
“Paige is missing?”
She might have asked something else, but he didn’t stick around. Graeme’s car was right outside, and he saw the keys inside. He walked back to the house and saw Cullen on the porch with her cell phone to her ear. “Tell Graeme I’ve taken his car. If he wants to talk to me, he can call me on my cell phone.”
She nodded her head and continued talking on the phone.
He got in the car and zoomed off. Where would she have gone? She’d given him the impression she didn’t much care what he decided regarding Amor. What if that wasn’t true? What if she was angry Amor was with him? Would she have left town, so she could be as far away from him as possible? She might have done that, but she wasn’t callous. Naturally, she would know her mother and sisters would get upset. She would have called to let them know she was all right. No. Something bad happened. Jackie’s instincts matched the turmoil in his heart. Paige was in danger, and he intended to find her. Rather than waste his time wondering where she could have gone, he allowed his mind to take the first step that occurred to him. He headed for the nearest town. Lando drove the car around. If she only went out for a drive, she would have headed for the place closest to the farm.
An idea occurred to him, and he turned the car around and headed a bit out of town. The pub they visited on their first date came into view. He braked. Lando saw Jackie’s car in the parking lot. He stared at it for a few seconds, and then he turned the car off. He got out of it and looked at her vehicle. She was definitely not in an accident. The car was fine. He stormed towards the pub. It was closed. Lando banged on the door but there was no response.
Shit.
What was he supposed to do now?
Taking out his cell phone, he called Jackie. “I found your car. It’s parked outside the pub, Blaze but she isn’t here.”
“Check inside.”
“It’s locked.”
“I’m going to call the owner of the pub. Wait there.” He heard the click on the other end. Lando was too impatient to wait. Rather than stick around, he went around the building to see if he could figure out where Paige could have gone. He looked down and stopped in his tracks. Something lying on the ground made his heart stop.
Jackie called back. “The guy says he saw the car parked last night when he locked up, and he figured one of the girls left with someone else and planned to take the car back in the morning.”
“I found her purse,” he stated. His hand trembled as he looked at the black bag she habitually carried. Inside were her wallet and the phone. Her cell battery must have died.
“Oh, my god!”
“Tell the police it was dropped under the tree. I’m putting it under the hood of the car, so they can come and take a look.”
“What are you doing?”
“I have no idea.” He ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket. Paige could be anywhere. If someone kidnapped her, she could have been taken in a car. She could be hundreds of miles away by now. They had no idea what time she dropped the purse. What if she wasn’t alive anymore?
No, he wasn’t going to think like that.
He’d promised Jackie he would find her, and that’s exactly what he planned to do. Someone took her against her will. That much was pretty clear. He just had to figure out what the person did. If the kidnapper had a car, he would have had to lift…or even drag her, kicking and screaming into it. She would have struggled but it’s possible she wasn’t conscious. Someone who planned to take a woman by force would have used a car. He wouldn’t have risked carrying her.
She could be anywhere.
But still he had a feeling she was somewhere in this town.
This wasn’t his job. He wasn’t trained for it. Lando was honest enough to admit he didn’t know what he was doing. The police would be better at this task. Still, he couldn’t give up now.
He simply couldn’t.
Chapter Ten
With great effort, she peeled her eyes opened. Paige’s bleary gaze darted around the room, but for the life of her she couldn’t figure out where she was. To make matters worse, her head throbbed. Putting a hand on her forehead, she sat but when she tried to get off the bed, the rattle of a chain startled her. Horrified, her gaze took in the shackle that was tied around her ankle and then to the bedpost. “What the hell?”
“Easy, honey. If you pull on it, it will hurt you.”
She whipped her head around to stare at the man who was sitting on the couch. If he hadn’t spoken, she would’ve never known he was in the room.
His face was lean and pale, and there was a quiet quality about him. This man could be in a room full of people and still no one would notice him.
“Who are you?”
“Honey, I know you’re upset with me because I went away for such a long time, but this isn’t the way to treat your husband.”
Wait.
What?
Paige licked her lips. She’d known she was in trouble the moment she woke up in an unfamiliar place, but now she was aware that trouble didn’t begin to describe the mess she was in. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
The
man smiled. “Don’t be like that, honey. I’m here now, and we’re together. We can do whatever you want, go for a vacation, and have fun. Whatever you want.”
His smile scared her more than his words.
“I’m willing to do anything to make you happy.”
He was insane. He surely was. Her eyes darted to the door. It looked as if she was in a cabin. If she was right, all she needed to do was dash out the door and she would be free. While she did feel a bit dizzy, Paige was sure she would be able to outrun this guy. He looked a little weak, as if he hadn’t eat well in days. “If you want to make me happy then why don’t you unlock this chain? It’s hurting me.”
He frowned. There seemed to be confusion in his eyes. He was struggling with a decision. Then he smiled. “I don’t think so, honey. Not now. You’re not well, and I think you should rest.”
“I—please let me go.” She sobbed. What the hell did he plan to do with her? “Please, I want to go.”
He stood up so fast, she skidded back on the bed. “You’re not going anywhere,” he screamed. “Never. Ever. You’re mine, mine forever. I’ve seen you, honey, and you’ve been with other men. I saw you at the pub. You were happy. Didn’t you miss me?”
“What? When—when did you see me?”
“With that Spanish guy,” he snarled. “You should have waited for me. I love you. I’ve always loved you, and yet when I was gone…you were with another man. You’re my wife, and you shouldn’t have been with another man.” He took a step forward.
Now for the first time, she saw the gleam of madness in his eyes. He wasn’t sane. But he seemed vaguely familiar. She didn’t know why because she could swear they’d never met before.
“That wasn’t right,” he continued. “It made me angry.”
She was trapped in a cabin with a man who wasn’t well. As he lunged forward, an idea struck her. “I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I shouldn’t have—I was only trying to find you.”
He halted. “What?”
Her mind wasn’t working right, but she had to think of something fast. “I—hired that guy to find you, and we met to talk about you.”
