“Traffic is a nightmare. I’m taking a shortcut. We’re not that far away now.”
Warning bells went off and Olivia pulled her phone up as if she were working. “Thanks. I’m swamped with emails back here and the faster I can get out of the car, the faster I can stop feeling as if I’m going to throw up. I hate reading in the back of the car.” She snapped a picture of the driver and emailed it to herself.
The side street turned into an alley and Olivia knew her fear was warranted. She dialed 911 as the car rolled to a stop. Her adrenaline kicked into high gear as she silently slipped off her shoes. She moved the phone into her left hand even as she heard the 911 operator pick up. “Why are we in the alley behind The Thirsty Taco? This isn’t where I live,” she said loudly. She hoped the 911 operator would pick up on her clues and dispatch police.
A man dressed in head-to-toe black materialized from behind a dumpster on her side of the car. He ripped her door open and was reaching for her before Olivia could try to escape out the other side.
“Don’t hurt me!” Olivia cried. “Help!”
There was no way in hell they were getting her out of this car. Olivia gripped the shoe in her right hand and prepared to fight. The man in black reached for her and she stabbed the stiletto heel into his hand.
“Bitch!” The punch to the face came hard and fast. Olivia felt her head snap back and her eyes water. She struggled against the darkness as she felt the man’s hands grab her ankles and begin to pull her from the car. The world snapped back into focus. She had to fight.
“Help!” she screamed at the top of her lungs as she pulled her leg back as far as she could and kicked. She didn’t stop at that. She kicked and kicked and screamed and screamed, hoping someone would hear her.
The man smacked her feet away as if she were an annoying gnat and grabbed her computer bag. “I got her computer. Get her phone.” This wasn’t a standard robbery. They needed something from her electronics. She hoped the 911 operator had enough information because she ended the call and pressed the button to put her phone in sleep mode. Her phone was now completely locked down. No facial recognition or finger touch to open it. No, to open it, you had to have a six-number code that she changed monthly. They would never get it from her. Period. If they thought the code on her phone was tough, they were in for a surprise with her laptop.
Olivia tried to climb into the front, but the driver opened the other back door, fisted her hair in his hand, and yanked. Olivia screamed, her hands automatically coming up to hold his hand on her head to limit the pain. She was flung backward from the front to the backseat, then dragged like a rag doll from the backseat and out the door.
Olivia’s butt hit the dirty ground hard. It jarred her, making her head throb even more as a hand that smelled of cigarettes was placed over her mouth. “Do you have her phone and computer?”
“I got the computer up but need the password. What is it, bitch?” the man in black asked as he bent down in front of her and put his mask-covered face in hers.
Olivia shook her head and lashed out with the best punch she could muster. The satisfaction of landing the surprise punch was short-lived. He punched her hard and fast in the stomach.
“What’s the code?” he demanded again.
Olivia coughed and tried not to panic. She couldn’t get any air. It was all gone. Her lungs burned, her head spun, and she thought she was going to vomit.
“Try the phone. Maybe she has a password app,” the driver suggested. The man picked the phone up from where it had fallen in the backseat even as Olivia struggled to regain control of her mind. There was so much pain mixed with panic that she had to fight to calm down. She knew she had to be clearheaded to make it out alive.
The ski mask was back in her face as he held her phone in front of her. The driver gripped her head to make sure she didn’t move. Olivia smirked when the phone wouldn’t turn on with facial recognition. With a growl, the man in the ski mask yanked her thumb forward and placed it on the reader, but it still wouldn’t unlock.
“Dammit. We have to get the phone and computer or we won’t be paid,” the driver cursed.
“I’ll get it from her.” The man in the ski mask stood and the booted kick to her side came as a shock, as if it were happening to someone else. Olivia’s mind was screaming for her to run, to fight, to do something . . . but the booted kick came again and again.
She felt the masked man’s hand grip her hair and pull her back up to sitting. Olivia couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t make sense of what was happening to her. “What’s the password?”
“Screw. You.” It hurt as she gasped the words but they felt satisfying to say—until the punch to her face landed.
“Shit, sirens,” the driver said. The increasing noise of the police sirens broke through the fog in Olivia’s swimming head.
“You’re lucky, bitch.” Olivia didn’t see the fist coming as her eye was already swelling shut but then blissful darkness overtook her.
Trent couldn’t wait to get home. It was amazing how his own house didn’t feel like his anymore at all because Skye wasn’t in it. It was 4:53 in the afternoon. Close enough to the end of a workday. Trent closed down his shop and went inside. He changed clothes, packed a couple more things, and then snuck out the back. He walked over to Tinsley’s house and used the ATV to drive through the woods, across North Cypress Lane, and into the back part of the Bell Landing farm. He drove the distance of the farm until he turned onto a path that led to Palmetto Drive. He looked both ways and when he didn’t see any people or cars, he gunned the ATV and shot down the short distance to Ryker’s house. He entered the code and could finally breathe when he entered the compound.
Edie’s car was still parked in front of the guesthouse and Trent knew the sight that would greet him. He parked and walked inside. He looked the length of the house and found Edie and Skye knitting out on the patio. Home. He was finally home.
Edie glanced up and then Skye as soon as he opened the glass door to the patio.
“Hey, sweetie. You’re home early,” Skye said, smiling up at him. Trent placed a kiss on her lips and his hand automatically fell to her shoulder as he stood next to her. His whole body relaxed with her touch as she welcomed him home. There was that word again. Home.
“I hit a good stopping point. Your knitting is coming along nicely,” Trent told her.
Edie stood up and stuffed her things into her tote bag. “She’s doing really well. The girls will be excited to see your progress at knitting club.”
Trent wasn’t relaxed anymore. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Don’t worry, Trent,” Edie told him as she packed her knitting bag. “It’s four days away. A lot can happen in four days. And if it doesn’t, we can totally sneak her in through the back. No one will see her, I promise.”
Trent wasn’t so sure about that.
“Do you think we could have it here?” Skye asked. “There’s enough room, isn’t there?”
“That’s a great idea! I’ll run it past them. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Edie bent down and hugged Skye before patting Trent on the shoulder as she walked by.
Trent took a seat on the couch with Skye and pulled her against his side as she finished her knitting. The silence was comfortable and once again that warm feeling of being home wrapped around him and soothed him.
“How was your day?”
Skye didn’t look away from her scarf as she spoke. “Busy if you can believe it. I have such good news, and I also have something I wanted to talk to you about. Let me just finish this row.”
Trent watched the way Skye concentrated on her knitting. She was so focused on it that she probably didn’t notice the tip of her tongue was peeking out between her lips.
“What’s the good news?” Trent asked when she finally set down the scarf.
Skye’s eyes were shining with happiness when she looked up at him. Trent automatically smiled at her joy. “Karri is going to buy the building next to Harp
er’s bar and they’re going to work together!”
“Wait, Karri’s staying in Shadows Landing? And how are she and Harper going to work together?” Trent was not expecting this news. It was great, though. It might mean that Skye was serious about staying herself.
“Yes, she’s staying. She had a dream that Shadows Landing and this restaurant were her home. Then Harper walked in this morning and told us the building was for sale and offered to make the drinks for Karri’s restaurant if Karri made the food for Harper’s Bar. Isn’t that great?”
“Great? It’s genius. Harper hates trying to come up with a menu. Now she can focus on what she loves and Karri can focus on what she loves. What’s the other thing you wanted to talk to me about?”
Skye’s whole demeanor changed. Worry clouded her eyes and dimmed her smile. Trent wanted to know what was wrong, but he wanted Skye to go at her own pace. Skye took a deep breath and then looked toward the property next door. “I’m afraid you’ll think I’m moving too fast, and I know I am. I mean, we just started dating and I don’t want this to sound as if I have any expectation of our relationship.”
“Okay,” Trent said slowly, not knowing where she was going with this.
“The house next door will be going up for sale in the spring. Tinsley took me over there and I met Mrs. Cramble. She showed us the estate. We had to hop the fence, but it was worth it. I want to buy it. However, I’ll only do it after everything is settled and if you support my move to Shadows Landing. This is your home. I want to make it mine too.”
Trent’s initial reaction was excitement. Then what she was really saying set in. She would move her whole life here. What if they broke up? What if they didn’t? Now he understood why she looked nervous. This was a conversation that most couples had after they’d been together for a while, not just a week.
“I understand exactly what you mean. This is a huge step. Let’s not even consider our relationship in this. Will moving to Shadows Landing make you happy?” Trent asked. “Really think about it. This isn’t a big town. Remember what it was like growing up in a small town? Everyone will know everything about you. However, it’s almost the farthest from Hollywood you can get.”
Skye took a deep breath as he used his thumb to trace a gentle circle over her shoulder while he held her. “Yes. Both Karri and I felt it instantly. We were at peace here. We are happy and we love the residents. Somehow, in less than a week I feel as if I’ve been here for my entire life.”
“If I weren’t in the picture, would you buy Mrs. Cramble’s house?” Trent asked next.
“Yes.” Skye’s answer was instantaneous. Then she took a breath and looked back at him. “But, I want to know if we’re together long term, which,” Skye paused and bit her lip nervously, “which I really hope we will be. In that case, could you see yourself there with me? For all that it’s my house right now, I want it to be our house when we’re ready.”
He was ready now. He wanted to tell her he loved her. He wanted to rush headlong into forever, but the fear of Skye changing her mind and breaking his heart held him back. “I’d love to look at it with you. Why don’t we set up a time with Mrs. Cramble to look at the house again in a couple of weeks? She’s not putting it on the market until the spring, so we have time, right? That way we can get things settled with your career and not have to sneak over the fence. I’d love to see that, though. It’s a tall fence.”
“Don’t worry, Ryker has it on camera,” Skye said with a chuckle. “I was not at my most graceful.”
“I refuse to believe it, but I’m totally asking Ryker for the footage.” Trent loved teasing her. He loved her laugh as he pulled out his phone, but before he could fake-text Ryker, his phone rang.
“It’s like he’s listening,” Trent said, turning the phone to show it was Ryker calling. “Hey. We were just talking about you and Skye’s fence-vaulting skills,” Trent said with a wink to Skye.
“It’s Olivia.” The icy tone in Ryker’s voice changed everything in a split second.
20
“What is it?” Skye shot up and looked at Trent the second she felt his body go rigid. He moved to put the phone on speaker.
“Ryker, you’re on speaker with Skye and me. What happened to Olivia?”
Skye felt as if an icicle had replaced her spine as she shivered with dread.
“She was attacked. She’s not conscious yet. Surveillance shows she thought she was getting in her usual town car and she ended up severely beaten in an alley about fifteen blocks away. The police found my business card in her purse. The town car was still there. It had been stolen from the company under contract to provide rides to the firm. They took her phone and computer. But she was smart. She called 911 and the police were able to get to her within a couple of minutes.”
“Is she going to make it?” Skye’s voice trembled as ice shot through her veins.
The short time it took to hear Ryker’s voice seemed like an eternity. “Yes. She has broken ribs, a concussion, and a broken nose. She’ll make it, though.”
“Why did this happen to her? What can I do?” Skye felt so helpless and she didn’t like it. She feared she already knew the answer to why this happened to Olivia. It happened because of her. “It’s because of the court date for my contract in two days, isn’t it?”
“We don’t know,” Ryker answered honestly. “The doctor is signaling me. I’ll text with updates.”
The line went dead and the tears that had been threatening froze as cold determination took hold of her. “This is because of me and I’m going to fix it.”
“No. You’re going to stay hidden here where you’re safe,” Trent ordered as he reached for her. His body was warm as he held her against him, but Skye wasn’t thawing in her resolve.
Skye pulled out her phone and dialed. “I have to warn Morgan.” The phone rang and then went to voicemail. Skye looked up at Trent, her eyes wide with worry.
“I’ll call Miles,” Trent said and Skye knew in that second he too knew this was all because of her.
“Are you sure you don’t need me to stay, Morgan?”
Morgan Davies looked up from her desk in Lexington, Kentucky, and smiled at her assistant. It was dinnertime and her assistant had a young family to get home to. “No, go on home. Thank you. I’m just working on these press releases until Miles gets here.”
“It’s so cute you two still commute to Lexington together. I hope Robby and I are still so in love when we’ve been married thirty-plus years.”
“You will be,” Morgan said with a smile. She heard her assistant leave before looking back down at the three Skye Jessamine press releases she’d been working on. One was to be used if Olivia was victorious in court in two days, one if she lost, and a third if the judge didn’t rule immediately.
The door to her lobby opened again and Morgan called out, “I’m in my office.”
She and Miles were planning on a romantic dinner out in downtown Lexington tonight. Her husband was a nervous wreck over the fact their only child, Layne, was pregnant. It didn’t matter that the pregnancy was trouble-free and both baby and Layne were completely healthy. Morgan’s rough and tough former Special Forces husband was a mess. He was reading so many pregnancy and baby books that he was seeing danger at every turn and she needed to distract him for the night.
A shadow covered her desk and Morgan looked up with anticipation at her husband. Her smile slid from her face, though, as she saw not her husband but a man in a ski mask with a knife in hand standing there.
“Bless your heart. You picked the wrong place to rob.” Morgan stood slowly as she palmed the fountain pen Miles had given her for Christmas many years ago. She slowly pushed the cap loose and waited to see what his next move was. She knew that all he saw was a woman in her sixties alone in her office. She almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
“Where’s Skye Jessamine?” the low, gravelly voice asked as he leaned forward threateningly.
“Oh, now this is interesting,” Morgan sa
id, widening her stance and rocking up onto the balls of her feet. She was ready to make her move at any second. “Why do you want Skye?”
“That’s none of your concern, but do you know what is? The fact that if you don’t tell me where she is, I’ll kill you.”
The lack of hesitation in his voice told Morgan he meant it. Her cell phone rang in the thick silence and drew their attention to where the phone sat in the middle of the desk.
“Who is Eugene Fitzwilliams?” the man asked.
It was the fake name she had Skye’s number listed as, that’s who. “My accountant.”
His eyes drifted down to the phone and as he reached to pick it up, Morgan made her move. She sent the cap flying on her fountain pen as she stabbed it down into his hand. She felt the nib of the pen plunge through the man’s skin and sink down into his palm. He screamed and fumbled with the knife in his free hand as he reached for the pen skewering his left.
Morgan grabbed the front of the man’s shirt and smashed her head into his with a head-butt that sent him flying backward right as the door to her office was flung open.
“Hi, honey. Are you ready for date night?” Morgan asked her husband who had burst into the office like an avenging angel.
“Let me just take out the trash first.” Miles sent her a wink that still made her body flush with anticipation. Dinner was suddenly off the table as a whole new menu was about to be served up.
Miles leaned down, grabbed the man around the neck, and hoisted him up. “Let’s have a little chat about how to treat my wife. Not that she didn’t tell you already, but I really want to drive the point home.”
Morgan watched her husband haul the man out by the scruff of the neck and reached for the phone. Miles would handle it from here. She needed to talk to Skye.
“Morgan, you’re in danger!” Skye blurted out the second the phone was answered.
Broken Shadows: Shadows Landing #5 Page 16