“You’re right.” He scrubbed his face with his palms, wishing to hell he could turn back time and make her wait for him at Brian’s. Ethan led the way to the front door and he stopped when he reached the entryway.
His gaze landed on the area rug of mosaic shapes as he tucked his Glock at the small of his back. Something was missing…
Her shoes.
“Her shoes and car are gone, but she left her purse and the front door ajar. She wouldn’t have left the house without her purse, nor would she not have locked up.” His thumb ran over the pads of his fingers. Someone must have come to the door. Someone she would have left with, and had let her guard down for.
But who? Who could have sidelined her?
“Maybe she was looking for something. She could have run next door to your place. Let’s go check there.”
Ethan yanked the door open and shut it firmly behind him. Who the hell could have taken her right off her porch? He had to talk to the neighbors, maybe someone had seen something, even a vehicle description would be helpful at this point.
His gaze lingered on the porch and walkway, then over the grass. Not a thing jumped out at him. No clue, no breadcrumb…fuck all.
He dug his keys out of his pants pocket and preceded Nate up the steps. He gripped the handle and shoved the wooden door with his shoulder first—it didn’t budge. Hope deflated in his chest with the force of a popped balloon. He inserted the key and swung the door open.
“Riley!” he called, his voice boomed through the kitchen and to the back of the house. He didn’t bother kicking his shoes off and his feet scuffed across the linoleum. The blinds were drawn tight, blocking out the natural sunlight that normally filled the house.
He never shut the blinds this morning.
His senses prickled and his skin puckered at the back of his neck. He scanned the quarters around him and made his way further into the kitchen.
She had to be here.
Please, god—
The scent of rotten eggs reached his nostrils and he crinkled his nose. What the hell? He extended his hand along the kitchen wall just outside the living room, groping for the light switch.
“Ethan!” Nate gripped his bicep and barreled him to the front door. His rough hands shoved at his back until he careened down the porch steps. The hard, unrelenting concrete walkway slammed into his back, knocking the wind from his lungs. A low ring from the house’s landline on the kitchen counter carried through the open window.
“Jesus! What the—”
Boom!
The front kitchen windows exploded and glass erupted into the air. Ethan covered his face with his elbow and got to his feet, pedaling out of harm’s way of the shards leaping out like jagged fangs. His eyes burned from the smoke and debris that coated his clothes. He stumbled to the sidewalk with Nate at his heels, pain shot through his shoulder from where Nate had thrown him to the ground. Flames licked around the frame that used to be a window and through a hole in the roof. Black smoke billowed out from every orifice.
He gulped in fresh air but it did nothing to stifle the panic rising in his chest.
Nate gripped his elbow. “You can’t go in there man, there’s a fucking gas leak. Didn’t you smell the sulfur?”
Sweat rolled down the side of his neck and collected at his shirt. The wet material turned abrasive.
“She’s not in there,” he continued.
His pulse dropped to a low hum. He wanted to take Nate’s word for it, but there was no way he could. “I need to see for myself. Call the fire department while I look in the windows.”
He didn’t wait for Nate to reply as he charged for the side of the house. A thick knot sat between his shoulder blades. If he had turned on the light switch when he’d been in the house, they’d both be dead.
Someone had planned that.
That’s why the blinds had been drawn during the day in the middle of summer—so that he would turn on a light. He shook his head. Fuck, he hadn’t been thinking. He’d been too concerned with finding Riley that he hadn’t registered the odor as gas.
Heat radiated off the exterior as he ducked along the house. He reached the living room and glass and faux wood blinds lay on the grass from the force of the ignition. He covered his nose and mouth and hefted himself to the windowsill. Light streamed inside from the now broken windows, but thick smoke made his sightline murky. His gaze scanned over the vacant couch, and the objects from the walls that now lay on the floor.
He leapt down and circled the back of the house where the only bedroom lay. Pulling himself up to the window again, he took in the ten-by-ten space. Aside from the bed and dresser, the room was vacant. Relief spread through him.
She hadn’t been in the house. The explosion had been intended for him and him only.
Which meant Riley had to be alive…
Somewhere.
Chapter 24
Riley… Riley… Riley…
The chant pierced the fog that enclosed her. She squinted and pain exploded through her head. Her eyelids refused to lift open.
“Riley!” Raw terror rippled through her and her eyes snapped open. Her chest rose and fell erratically as she darted her eyes around the room. Thick, off-white cushions encased every inch around her, including the ceiling.
She was in a padded room.
She bolted upright. Nausea tore through her, heaving her stomach muscles. She sucked in a deep breath and squeezed her eyes tight. She fisted her hand in her hair as she sucked the stifling air in. A small fan whirred from the corner of the room, stirring the hot air and doing absolutely nothing to cool it down.
“Riley, are you okay?”
She froze. Her eyes snapped open and her head shot up. At the far corner of the small room sat Hanna. Her pale strawberry blond hair scattered messily around her shoulders, her eyes wild in her thin face. Her skin was pale, and a loose men’s T-shirt covered her to midthigh.
Riley’s heart leapt into her throat. She scrambled to her feet and dropped down beside Hanna. She closed her arms around her. She was so small and frail…not like the Hanna she’d grown up with—but it was her.
“Hanna. Oh my god,” she ground out through the constriction in her throat. Tears stung her eyes.
“Riley, you shouldn’t have come here. He’ll lock you up too. He’ll—”
“Shhh. It’s fine. Everything’s going to be okay. The FBI is here and they’ll be looking for me by now.” She held Hanna at arm’s length, her hands grasped her boney shoulders. Bruises covered Hanna’s wrists where the handcuffs restrained her. Anger simmered inside her.
“I’m going to get you out of those.”
Hanna caught her arm, her eyes wide. “He’ll be back any minute. You have to find a way out. You won’t be able to get me out of these,” she said, rattling the chains. “He reinforced them to the stud after I loosened it.” Fear clouded her eyes and the smooth plains of her face creased with angst.
Rage inundated Riley’s muscles. Michael had Hanna terrified. If she could find a way to get Hanna uncuffed, it would be two against one. But would Hanna be able to put up much of a fight?
She had to find a way out first. If he managed to tie her up, she’d be a sitting duck and no good to either of them. She got to her feet and her legs wobbled beneath her. She locked her knees and straightened her spine. She’d found Hanna, now all she had to do was get them both out alive.
“Where does he keep the keys when he comes in? In his pocket?”
Hanna nodded vigorously, her lips as pale as her face. “Yes, the right one.”
Her feet sunk into the thick memory foam-like mattresses. They were everywhere. Not a piece of wall, or floor was exposed except for where the light fixture was attached to the ceiling. She mapped out Michael’s apartment in her mind, and then compared it to hers. If her calculations were right, they’d be sitting
directly on top of her room.
“What are you thinking?” Hanna shifted so she sat on her knees, her palms rested on her thighs.
“I’m trying to imagine where this room is in location with my house below. I think this would be right above my bedroom.”
“It is. Michael always laughed when he showed me the tapes of you. I tried to call to you, to make noise…” her voice broke. She cleared her throat. “He thought it was hilarious because we were right above your head and he said you’d never find me.”
Riley’s jaw worked. “Well, he was wrong, wasn’t he?”
The corners of Hanna’s mouth lifted into a smile. “Damn right.”
Riley winked at her. She couldn’t fail Hanna. Not when she’d come this far. By now, Ethan would be losing his shit. If he came back to her house, she might be able to get his attention. She dropped to her knees and ran her fingers along the seam of the thick material. She wriggled her hand between the cracks and measured it to be about eight inches thick before she hit the hardwood.
She slid her hands under the corner and hefted the edge up. Riley grunted and the muscles in her forearms screamed. Material tore with each yank. The mattress moved up inch by inch.
“Oh god. Be careful, Rye. If he notices you’ve damaged it…” Hanna swallowed and she closed her eyes, and then opened them. “Never mind. We need to escape.”
Ice washed over her like a bucket of cold water. What had he done to Hanna to make her so scared? She swallowed and shook her head. She couldn’t think about that right now. She gave one last heave, and the mattress lifted clean off the floor.
Satisfaction coursed through her veins. She smiled at Hanna and shoved the mattress to the side. She leaned over to peer into the shallow hole. Old hardwood floorboards lay beneath, and at the very end of the hole partially hidden beneath another mattress, was a raised layer of plywood—the access. Her fingers tingled with anticipation. She got into the hole and lifted the other mattress. This one came up much easier than the last. She moved it aside and inched closer on her knees.
“I found the attic access.” Her voice pitched with excitement as she glanced back at her friend. Hope filled Hanna’s face, and her pale blue eyes sparked with life.
“Can you open it?” Hanna stretched as far as the chain would allow, bringing her to the end of the mattress she sat on.
Riley turned her attention back to the access. A cut piece of plywood covered it and nails littered the perimeter of the sheet. Her throat tightened. There was no way in hell she’d be able to get the wood off. Disappointment swirled in her chest and her eyes burned.
“It’s tightly secured. But without the mattress on, I can alert someone when they go inside to look for me.”
The blood drained from Hanna’s face. “Cover it up, quick.” Her eyes darted around wildly. Goose bumps raced over her skin.
“Why, what’s wrong?”
“Cover it up, please. He’ll be back any minute. If he finds that you’ve gotten that loose—”
If she covered it up, she wouldn’t be able to hear when Ethan came. Surely, he’d be there soon. Hanna’s breath came out in fast gasps, soft wisps of her hair flew away from her lips with each exhale.
She slid the mattresses back into place and moved to sit next to Hanna. She would keep it covered until Hanna calmed down. “I won’t let him hurt either of us. I’m going to attack him as soon as he comes in. If I can—”
Hanna’s hand shot out to cover Riley’s, rattling the metal chains that restrained her. She shook her head and squeezed her fingers. “He’ll chain you up and we’ll never get out. You have to do what he says, just for now. Don’t make him mad, Rye.”
Riley clamped her teeth together. The last thing she wanted to do was upset Hanna when she’d been through so much. But she wasn’t going to let them both die. Ethan would be hot on their trail and he’d ordered a background check on Michael. He wouldn’t leave any stone unturned until he found her.
She turned her palm to cup Hanna’s. “Everything’s going to be fine, I promise.”
The door handle turned, the faint sound muffled with all of the padding. It swung open and Michael walked in. He shut the door firmly behind him.
“Aww, isn’t that sweet. I’m sad I missed the reunion,” he cooed.
Riley set her jaw and got to her feet. Hanna tugged on her hand, but she didn’t sit. She wouldn’t be submissive. He was going to pay for what he’d done to Hanna.
Michael’s eyebrows rose above his wire-rimmed glasses. “You still have some fire in you. I’m impressed.”
She dropped Hanna’s hand and dug her fingernails into her palms. She advanced on him.
“Riley, no,” Hanna cried. Michael held his hand up, and her feet slowed to a stop. Her hands shook with unspent rage.
“It’s only fair for me to warn you, that if either of you act out your friend will suffer the repercussions.” His finger waved in the air back and forth between her and Hanna.
A lump lodged in her throat. The air in her lungs expelled through her nose. Goddamn him.
Michael’s eyes twinkled. “Ah, now I found your weak spot. This should be fun.” He smiled and backed toward the door, careful not to turn his back to her. “I need to go dispose of your car.” He dangled Riley’s keys in the air. “Play nice you two.”
The door closed and the dead bolt clicked into place. Riley threw herself at the door, her punches sank into the cushiony mattress. A scream tore from her throat. She dropped her head against the padded door and closed her eyes. He’d taken her damn car keys. If only she had remained conscious, she could have hidden them and used them as a weapon.
She had to stay strong. She couldn’t crack now. He could get rid of her car, he could take every piece of clothing in her house, but there was no way he’d fool Ethan.
She straightened away from the door and swallowed. At least now, she had some time. They were getting the hell out of here.
* * * *
He pulled the car down a gravel road leading to the beach. Ideally, he would have taken it somewhere else and disposed of it. But he hadn’t thought this one out. Hanna had been much easier, because no one had been suspicious. With Riley sniffing around town over the past month, not letting Hanna’s disappearance fade away, he’d had to improvise. And he didn’t like it one bit. He scanned the area, but the tall grass on either side of the gravel road stretched above the hood of the car. He got out, shoved the keys in his pocket, tucked his wide brimmed hat low, and strode out to the street. At least this would buy him some time. Until her car was found, it would be assumed she had gone somewhere.
Taking her car to the middle of nowhere where it wouldn’t be found couldn’t happen. Not when she’d been expected at work and people might be concerned and looking for her. He didn’t trust anyone in this shithole of a town to pick him up anywhere. And really, that would be damn suspicious. The town’s dentist stranded with no vehicle. Even a damn cab company would talk.
Sweat rolled over his cheek and he dashed it away. He needed to pick up more chains from the hardware store, but he couldn’t go to the one in town. With Hanna, he’d been prepared and had had them ready. He’d have to take a drive and get them tomorrow.
He kept to the side streets as best he could. By now, Ethan would be looking for her and would soon check his house. He picked up his pace. He couldn’t miss that opportunity. In a normal situation, he’d stop somewhere, let half the town see his face so he would have an alibi when they questioned him. With the three small scratches under his eye from Riley’s damn fingernails, he couldn’t do that. He’d covered his cheek with a small piece of gauze and ointment, but it looked suspicious as hell.
She’d pay for that.
Better yet, Hanna would.
A tremor of delight moved over him. He shoved his hands in his pocket and strode through the bustling streets. The summer mont
hs always brought an influx of tourists, which meant delicious young bodies squeezed into itty-bitty swimsuits. A young woman sat on a bench, her head tilted back on a laugh. Her skin was dark against the fluorescent strapless bikini top and shorts. He forced his gaze to the sidewalk and tucked his chin. He had Hanna and Riley, a third would be too many at once. The young woman lifted her sunglasses from her eyes. Her brow furrowed at him. She leaned toward her friend next to her and whispered something. Heat crept up the back of his neck as he looked behind him. A young, shirtless man strode toward the women.
His shoulders relaxed. He never got paranoid. Paranoia could screw him—everything—up. His footsteps quickened as he turned down the sidewalk to his street. In the busy main streets, he’d blended in with the crowd. On his quiet street, everyone knew who he was. As he got closer, his eyes narrowed. A big, black sedan sat at the curb in front of his house.
Two tall figures stormed down Riley’s front steps and toward Ethan’s house.
Yes, yes, yes.
This was his chance. He’d wait for them to enter the property, and then place the call. He’d covered all of his bases. If Ethan had entered while he was disposing of the car, all Ethan would have to do is turn on the light switch and the house would go up in flames. But on the off chance he went to the blinds first, Michael would call the landline. With the amount of gas lingering in the house now, just the connection of an incoming call would create enough of a spark to cause an explosion.
And the best part was, it’d look like a total freak accident.
Ethan and Nate let themselves inside and Michael’s lips curved into a smile. It was too bad he couldn’t record the explosion for Riley. Would it be loud enough for her to hear in the padded room?
He pulled the encrypted phone from his pocket and typed in the property’s landline number he’d already memorized. He placed the device to his ear and continued down the sidewalk as casually as if he’d left the beach. A flutter of movement snapped his gaze up. Ethan careened backward down the steps, his blond friend landing on the ground beside him. Michael’s stomach pitched.
Bait Page 23
