Bait

by Samantha Keith

  “No, but I remember her giving me his card. Ugh, I have no idea what I did with it.” She pulled her hand from his and dropped her face into her fingers.

  His hands closed around her waist and he pulled her to lie back down, her head dropped against his shoulder.

  “Don’t beat yourself up over it. We don’t know that’s our guy. But it’s a lead. Tomorrow you should ask Jean some questions.”

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  “If you can get his name I’ll add it to the two suspects I gave to Nate. Hopefully he’ll have information on Michael and Brian soon.”

  “Okay. I’d hate to worry Jean though.” Her throat threatened to close on the words. Ethan tucked her hair behind her ear and brushed his mouth over hers. Her lips tingled, wanting more. There was no way she could give in to the pulsing in her body. Not when someone had been listening to her this whole time.

  “I know but it’s important to know who could have keys to this house. I’m sure they would want to help.”

  Riley nodded. Jean definitely wouldn’t want to leave any stone unturned.

  “Can you sleep now?” His hand found the back of her head and his smile curved against her temple as he pressed a kiss near her hair. She nodded and cuddled closer to him. She slept on Ethan’s chest and the gentle beat of her heart fell into rhythm with his as she sunk deep into his warm embrace.

  * * * *

  Buzz, buzz, buzz.

  The mattress shifted and the annoying vibrating stopped. Ethan’s warm arm slid under her shirt and over her belly. The soft prickle of his arm hair sent a shiver over her. His fingers intertwined with hers and his stubble abraded her knuckles as he kissed her hand.

  She kept her eyes closed against the sunlight streaming in through the gap in the curtains. Ethan shifted beside her and she cracked her eyes open as he lay on his back, his gaze on the screen of his phone.

  “I think I’m going to go into work today. I should probably get back to my usual schedule don’t you think?”

  “We can’t hang around here all day waiting for him to make a move. We’ll come back tonight though. Nate just messaged me. He has some information on our guys. I’m going to meet him for coffee right now.”

  “Will you let me know what he says? I’d like to know if we have a strong lead.”

  He climbed out of bed and her body ached at his absence. He stepped into his shorts and then pulled his shirt on. “I’ll call as soon as I know. But I’m not leaving here until it’s time for you to go to work.”

  She picked up her phone and illuminated the clock. “That’s two hours away. We can’t sit here that long and how are we going to leave together? He could be watching and spot us.”

  They’d have to be careful. The kidnapper should know by now that she and Ethan had split up. If anyone saw them together, it’d throw off their plan.

  Ethan scraped his fingers over the side of his jaw. “Well I’m not leaving you here alone, that’s for damn sure.”

  “I can go to work early. But you’ll have to sneak out the back.”

  The plains of his face hardened. “We won’t be able to get in our cars at the same time either, my truck is in the driveway. But I want to follow you to work to make sure you get there.”

  She shook her head. “We can’t risk it. It will only take me a few minutes to get to work. Why don’t you leave after I do and drive by the diner in ten minutes or so?”

  He nodded but his eyes turned dark and brooding.

  “Ethan, we’ll be apart a few minutes. There’s no other way. We can’t chance someone spotting us together.”

  He exhaled on a low sigh. “You’re right. But I don’t like it. It could take half a second for him to—”

  She leaned forward, snagged his hand, and pulled him down until his lips met hers. “I know. But we have to stick to the plan. If he sees that we’re plotting, the whole thing will blow up in our faces.” She pushed herself off the bed. “I need to grab my work clothes.”

  She slipped out the door and past the bathroom. Her skin tingled with the need to scrub her skin raw after learning of the bugs. This mess had to end. Like a ticking time bomb, with every passing second the kidnapper seemed to be pushing another limit.

  The next one could be her life.

  Or Hanna’s.

  She entered her bedroom and her senses buzzed to life. Her instinct told her to move slowly and quietly, but she couldn’t. The kidnapper had no idea that she was onto him. If she tiptoed around, it would only alert him. She forced a low hum through her lips as she floated around the room, collecting everything she needed for work.

  In the spare room, she stripped out of her pajamas and pulled on her work uniform. Ethan’s hip rested on the bed, his gaze on his phone.

  “I told Nate the plan. I’ll text you as soon as we chat and give you the rundown.”

  She tugged the plain black T-shirt over her head and fit her arms though. Ethan’s thick fingers curled around her hipbones as she shimmied the shirt over her breasts.

  “Be careful. And text me if anything seems off at work. Even if it’s just a hunch or a strange look from someone. Okay?”

  She rested her hands on his shoulders. Tension radiated in the muscles beneath her palms, her touch did nothing to ease it. His blue eyes, crinkled with concern, searched her face.

  “I will. I promise. Now let’s get going.”

  He nodded and got to his feet. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. She closed her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against his breastbone. His fingers drew lazy circles on her shoulder blades.

  “It’s almost over, babe.”

  Tears burned the back of her eyelids but she forced them away. They might be getting closer to finding him, but would they find Hanna? Pain curled into a tight ball in her chest and she sighed and pushed away from the comfort of his arms. If she didn’t, she’d never leave.

  She smiled and squeezed his hand. “Let’s go.” She led him into the hallway and turned for the front door.

  Ethan caught her arm and squeezed her hand. “I’m going next door to change, I’ll drive by the diner shortly,” he said. She nodded and Ethan snuck through the house and out the back without a word.

  She grabbed her purse and slipped on her shoes. She let herself out the front door, and locked it behind her. The habitual motion made her scoff. A lot of good locked doors did. Birds chirped in a nearby tree and the sun had already heated the air to a barely breathable temperature. Her gaze racked over her rental car as she approached, searching for any sign of tampering. She wasn’t Ethan, she wouldn’t be able to spot a threat with her naked eye, but her instinct told her to at least attempt it.

  She unlocked the door with the key fob and slid into the driver’s seat. She kept the door open wide until she started the ignition and had the window down and A/C blasting. She pulled away from the curb and cruised slowly through the streets until she reached Main Street.

  “Riley, I thought you weren’t coming in until Tuesday.” Jenny frowned at her in the back room when she got to the diner.

  She shrugged and lifted an apron. “I was bored.”

  Jenny’s lips firmed and she nodded. The urge to tell her the truth and to take away the grim smile from her friend’s face ebbed through her. But she couldn’t. Not yet.

  “It’s dead now. You just missed Brian…and he was full of questions about you.”

  Riley froze, the apron hung midair in her hands. “What did he say?”

  “He was awfully curious about what happened between you and Ethan last night. He asked for your number but of course, I didn’t give it to him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he comes looking for you later.”

  A pool of unease opened in her belly. She swallowed. Ethan had wanted to talk more about Brian. Could he have taken Hanna? He was a nice guy, and a firefighter, and becau
se of that probably the last person anyone would suspect.

  She should call Ethan…but there was no doubt he’d jump at the opportunity to question Brian—or anyone for that matter. And if he did, and Brian was the one who had Hanna, their plan would go to hell in a hand basket.

  She had to talk to Brian herself. If she could just look him in the eye…maybe ask him a couple of questions, she might be able to gauge if he was the one. If she even sensed for one second that it was him, she’d call Ethan and risk the whole thing.

  “Shoot, I forgot something at home.” She hung the apron back up. “I’ll be back in a bit, sorry.” She scooped up her purse and sailed past Jenny’s wide-eyed face.

  Ten minutes later, she pulled her car to the curb in front of a small duplex. Ethan would be pissed. She climbed the steps to Brian’s apartment. Jenny’s words about Brian’s questioning had burned into her brain since she’d left the diner.

  God, she was stupid. When they’d been together, Brian had always wanted to videotape them having sex. She’d been a virgin when she was dating him and his suggestion had freaked her out. And now they’d found a camera planted over her bed? That couldn’t be a coincidence. Her hand shook as she lifted it to the door and knocked. The glass screen door rattled beneath her knuckles and footsteps sounded from inside.

  She closed her eyes on a sigh. She wouldn’t go inside, she’d ask to talk to him on the porch…surely if he was the one he wouldn’t attack her in broad daylight. Dread climbed up her esophagus. Dammit, she should have called Ethan…but she needed to see Brian’s face. She’d know if he was lying.

  The door swung open and Brian stood on the other side of the screen door. His blond hair swept messily over his head, and his eyes widened with surprise.

  “Riley, what are you doing here?” He pushed the door open in welcome, but she kept a couple paces away from it.

  “Do you have a minute?”

  “Sure, come in. It’s hot as hell out there.”

  She hitched her purse higher on her shoulder. “Actually, I’m in a hurry. I need to be at work shortly.”

  His brow furrowed. “Sure, what’s up?” He stepped his long bare feet onto the porch and closed the door behind him. His hard eyes slid over her body, not suggestively, but it made her senses prickle regardless.

  She cleared her throat. “I heard you were looking for me. Is that true?”

  He cleared his throat and ran his hand over the top of his messy hair. “Uh, yeah. I saw what happened at the bar last night. Just wanted to make sure you were okay.” A beat passed and his eyes landed on hers. “Are you?”

  She worked her fingers over the leather strap of her purse. “Yeah, I’m fine. Ethan and I broke up, but I’m sure you heard that.” She smiled, but her lips trembled on the movement. Brian’s eyes sparked to life.

  “Sucks though. If you ever want to talk, I’d love to get together.”

  She nodded slowly. Shit. She needed to ask more questions…get on the topic of Hanna, otherwise this had been a wasted trip.

  She lowered her gaze to the porch. Heavy butterfly wings scraped against her stomach lining. “Thanks. It’s been really hard this past month…since Hanna’s disappearance. Did you talk to her at all before she went missing? It’s just so bizarre.”

  His eyes sharpened on hers. “Not really. We bumped into each other a few times but other than a little small talk, we never really caught up. She was always so nice.”

  Riley let a soft laugh tumble out. “I’m surprised she didn’t ask you out. She always told me she had a thing for you after we broke up.” The lie burned the tip of her tongue, but she had to keep him talking.

  His mouth slid into a salacious smirk. “Is that right? Wish I would have known.”

  The butterflies morphed into a tornado, beating against the walls of her belly. That smirk…

  Her cheeks tingled as the blood drained from her face with the force of a sinkhole. She took a step back and a tremor of fear rattled through her.

  It could be him.

  His head jerked back. “Wait, do you think I had something to do with Hanna?” His voice turned hard and unrelenting. He stepped toward her and she pedaled backward and out of reach.

  She swallowed. Shit.

  Chapter 21

  “You got the address?” Nate asked as Ethan slipped into Nate’s rental car, passing him one of the two coffees he’d bought. Getting out of Riley’s house in broad daylight had been a challenge. But he’d used the alleyway and snuck in his backyard. He’d changed clothes and drove by the diner and sure enough, Riley’s car had sat in the parking lot. Nate opened the lid of his coffee and sipped.

  “Yup.” He pointed Nate in the direction of Brian’s house. “I even got his work schedule, how good am I?”

  Nate’s eyebrows rose. “That’s pretty good. Your hacking skills kind of freak me out to be honest.”

  Ethan shrugged. “Not much to it, just got into the fire department’s database. I don’t think security is their top priority. Brian was off between the days Riley had been attacked and when we had found the snake.” He buckled his seat belt and took a sip of the warm brew. He hated that Riley was at work and that he couldn’t watch over her. It was important for her to stick to her regular schedule, but part of him wanted to sit in the parking lot and be nearby if something happened. But Brian would be at work in an hour. If he didn’t question him now, it would have to wait until tomorrow morning. They couldn’t wait that long.

  “We could have our guy.” Nate backed out of the parking lot and pulled onto the road. “Michael is squeaky clean, but that other dude, Brian, has a restraining order from his ex-girlfriend.”

  Ethan’s fingers gripped his coffee; the scalding paper cup burned his fingers. He didn’t flinch. “Shit.”

  “Nothing too serious, there weren’t any charges. But she claimed he’d uttered threats and was stalking her.”

  “When was this?”

  “Eighteen months ago.”

  Ethan exhaled through his nose. “I guess we’ll find out more in a few minutes.”

  “Damn right.” Nate loosened the seat belt across his collarbone and cleared his throat. “I’ve been meaning to ask, how’s Maddie doing?” Nate’s voice squeaked. Ethan’s eyebrows snapped together and he settled back in his seat and narrowed his eyes at Nate. His friend kept his gaze on the road.

  “She’s good. A pain in the neck as usual. Hang a left at the light.” He gestured ahead, and then turned his attention back to Nate. “Why do you ask?”

  Nate looked at him, his brow furrowed. “Just curious, man. I haven’t seen her since Dana’s wedding. What’s with the tone?” Nate’s voice had returned to normal and Ethan shook his head. He was bent out of shape about Riley and it was starting to show.

  “Sorry, dude. I have a lot on my mind. Thanks for asking. Truth is she’s driving me nuts.” He slammed back the rest of his coffee and let the liquid burn his throat. He set the empty cup in the holder next to him. “Did I tell you she wants to get into the bureau?”

  Nate grunted. “Yeah, I could see that.”

  Ethan shook his head, frustration seeping into his veins. “She’s too damn cocky.”

  “That’s what you get for training her in combat hapkido and MMA. She’s a tough girl. I’m pretty sure she could kick your ass.”

  “I don’t doubt it, but that’s her problem. She’s going to get herself hurt. I don’t know why she can’t be happy where she is. She always wants more than what she has.”

  “I take it you shut down her ambitions?”

  Ethan clenched his hands into fists. “I didn’t shut down any of her ambitions for fuck’s sake. I’m trying to save her from a world of danger and devastation.”

  “You know you can’t protect her forever, right? Besides, she doesn’t need your permission.”

  Ethan massaged the spot bet
ween his eyes. He didn’t need to have this conversation again. Riley had already said the same damn thing.

  “Let’s drop it. I’m getting a headache.”

  “Sure. We’re here anyway.” Nate pulled up in front of the light blue colored duplex and slammed the car into park. “Holy shit. Is that—?”

  Ethan’s gaze snapped to Brian’s porch. Sure enough, Riley stood talking to Brian in her work uniform. Anger coursed through him, igniting his veins.

  “Yeah,” he hissed. He flung the door open and stalked down the sidewalk. His eyes never left them. Brian stood with his shoulders tense, his hands clenched into fists and his gaze zeroed in on Riley.

  “Riley,” Ethan barked. She whirled around as he advanced up the steps and he caught her wrist in his hand. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  Her gaze shifted from him to Brian, but he didn’t miss the relief that relaxed her shoulders. “I, uh, had some time before I had to be at work. I just wanted to talk to Brian.” She straightened her spine and turned her attention back to Brian. Ethan locked his jaw, biting back the irritation that prickled his skin. As if coming here alone wasn’t bad enough, she hadn’t even told him.

  Ethan’s Glock nestled snugly against his spine, and his fingers itched to pull it out and press it to Brian’s reddening face.

  “Can I help you?” Brian crossed his arms across his chest. His brown eyes turned chilly. He stood a couple of inches shorter than Ethan, but was in good shape.

  “S’up? We just want to chat with you.” Nate flipped his badge out and Brian’s eyes widened. “Mind if we come in?”

  Brian’s surfer boy tan faded. “Uh…do you have a warrant?”

  Ethan’s blood pumped through him. He pressed his feet into the concrete step to resist the urge to shove Brian through the door.

  “A warrant?” Nate nudged Ethan exaggeratedly. “No, bro. We aren’t here to raid. But if I feel I need a warrant you can bet I’ll get one. Are you going to let us in, or do you have something to hide?”

  Brian’s face tensed and the corner of his eye twitched. He stepped back and the door fell from his fingers. “Of course not. Come in.”