by Barb Han
He took his right hand off the steering wheel once he got the SUV up to speed on the highway and squeezed her left. The contact sent a jolt of electricity up his arm. “Neither do I.”
Tyler managed to dig into his front pocket while keeping the wheel steady. He produced a cell and placed it in Jessica’s hand.
“Now, let’s see what’s on this phone.”
Chapter Seven
Tyler made sure no one was following them before exiting the highway. He located the closest parking lot, a Dairy Queen, pulled in and parked.
“There are three calls from my sister,” Jessica said, and her face had gone bleached-sheet white.
“Put the phone on speaker,” he said.
She did.
Sis, I’m so sorry that I got you involved in this mess. This is so much bigger than I imagined. I’m worried about you. Call me ASAP and get far away from James. He isn’t who I thought he was. I gotta go. Call me.
Tyler shouldn’t be surprised at the likeness of Jennifer’s voice. After all, his twin brothers’ voices were similar, too. And yet it still threw him off.
The message also confirmed what Tyler already knew, Jessica had no idea what was going on. He’d trusted her and confirmation that he hadn’t made a mistake in that trust eased a little bit of the tension cording his shoulder muscles.
“She sounds good,” Jessica said, wringing her hands together. Fear, anxiety and apprehension were embedded deep in her eyes.
Are you okay, sis? You’re not calling me back and I’m starting to get worried about you. If James has hurt you in any way... Click.
“What’s that noise in the background?” Tyler asked. “Do you recognize any of the sounds?”
Jessica tilted her head to the left and leaned toward the speaker. “I hear zydeco music and that must mean she’s with her friend. He lives in Spanish Town. That’s encouraging. She’d be safe with him.”
“You said there are three messages,” Tyler said, holding off his warm and fuzzy feelings for now. Jennifer had already misjudged one so-called friendship but he didn’t want to burst Red’s bubble of hope just yet. With millions of dollars on the line, Jenn shouldn’t trust anyone.
Sis, run. Jennifer sounded out of breath, like she was running, and there was the sound of splashing water in the background. There was a long pause. Wherever you are, run. Hide until I tell you it’s safe to come out. Oh, God, I hope you’re okay. If James figured you out don’t believe anything he says. I had no idea what was going on. Don’t go to the police. Don’t trust anyone and especially not... NO!
Jessica heard her sister scream.
...I’ve gotta go. I’ll figure a way out of this, I promise. And then I’ll meet you on the bayou.
Her words came out at a frantic pace now. Another scream came through the line and then there were sounds of a struggle. More screaming and a male voice telling her to stop kicking. He yelled a profanity and then came the sound of her phone being dropped in water.
A desperate Jessica held the phone so tightly her fingers lost color and now matched the pallor of her face. Anger quickly overrode all other emotions. She banged her fist on the dashboard. “They got her. It’s the only logical reason the calls stopped.”
“Do you recognize the man on the recording?” Tyler asked.
“No.”
“What did she mean about the bayou?” he asked. Maybe he could nudge her out of an emotional state into logical thinking. Get her wheels turning.
“It’s just a saying we have between us. Doesn’t really mean anything.” She turned to him, those sea-green eyes wide. “But they have her and now they’ll kill her.”
“Can I see that for a second?” Tyler peeled her fingers off the phone and scrolled through the call log. She was worth millions to them. They wouldn’t kill her. He didn’t see the need to bring up the fact that they would most likely torture her to get that information. “The last call came in while you were in the hospital.”
“They got her so they no longer needed Milton,” Jessica said. Good, she was using her anger to switch gears and think this through, and that was the best chance they’d have of finding Jennifer.
“That’s one thought. Another is that someone else, a freelancer, has gotten in on the game. This necklace is famous and, like I said before, it’s worth is going to bring people out of the woodwork to find it,” he said, needing her to have a realistic picture of what they were facing and hoping he’d be able to convince her to bring Tommy up to speed. Tyler never went back on his word. He wouldn’t go behind her back.
“She was at The Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center during that last call,” Jessica said.
“How do you know?”
“She’s my sister and that’s where she’d go if she was in trouble.” Jessica’s matter-of-fact tone had him convinced. “Plus, I heard her sloshing through water and there were sounds of nature all around her in the background. And I heard her slap her skin from mosquitoes a couple of times. This is the first place she’d go to hide because that’s where I used to find her when she had a bad breakup with one of her boyfriends. She knows the area and probably figured it would be a good place to lay low, which also means she didn’t want to involve her friends by staying with them.”
“We’ll start there.” He handed her the phone and put the gearshift in Reverse.
“That’s got to be a six-hour drive from here, at least,” she said, sounding defeated. “Plus the call came in yesterday. She won’t still be there, not if that jerk got to her, and I know he did. That’s the only reason she wouldn’t call again.”
“Maybe she lost her phone. I heard the sound that it made hitting the water,” he offered.
“She would’ve borrowed someone’s to call and check in with me. We never go more than a day without talking and it’s been at least twenty-four hours since her last attempt.”
Tyler believed her, having witnessed the same phenomenon firsthand with Ryder and Joshua. Those two spoke daily.
“Baton Rouge is only an hour away from here by plane.” He redirected the conversation. Last thing he needed was her dwelling on the negative.
Tyler made a few calls using the hands-free Bluetooth feature preloaded on his SUV and had set up their flight and itinerary by the time they reached the airstrip. He just hoped like hell they got to Jennifer first.
* * *
THE FLIGHT WENT off without a hitch and a private car waited at the airport. Jessica’s stomach had braided into an unbendable knot the second she’d heard her sister’s voice on the third message and it hadn’t let up.
“You said before that few of her friends know about you,” Tyler said, ushering her into the backseat of a stretch limousine with blacked-out windows.
“That’s right.”
“I’d like to keep it that way,” he said. “Especially since we believe she’s been taken and others may not realize that.”
“I wouldn’t exactly call this incognito.” She waved her arm in the air.
“Sometimes, the easiest way to hide is to be in plain sight.”
The limo zigged in and out of traffic terrifyingly, but then southern Louisiana drivers were notorious for fast lane changes, tailgating and high speeds. Even being from Louisiana, Jessica had a difficult time navigating traffic in and around Baton Rouge. Don’t even get her started on the bridges or thoughts of the alligators that lurked beneath them.
Rain threatened and a wall of humidity hit full force as they stepped out of the limo, stealing Jessica’s breath. She’d get used to it in a minute, but those first few breaths after stepping out of an air-conditioned car were always staggering.
Tyler paid their entrance fee into The Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center.
“I promise to pay you back as soon as the sheriff releases my personal belongings,” she said
earnestly, thinking about everything he was doing for her and hit hard by the realization that she’d never be able to equalize this debt.
He waved her off.
“No, seriously.” It was important for Jessica to feel like she could cover her own bases. That was the only thing she didn’t like about her sister. It was too easy for her to flash a smile and let someone else do the work for her. And even though Jessica had that same smile, she’d always known it would get her and her sister in trouble if used improperly.
Tyler mumbled something she didn’t quite catch. She’d let it go, for now. A man as good-looking and wealthy as Tyler O’Brien was most likely used to getting his way. But he hadn’t seen stubborn until Jessica put her mind to something. He’d learn just how persistent she could be when this was all over and she could put her affairs back in order. For the time being, though, she had to live off his generosity if she wanted to find her sister in time.
“There must be dozens of boardwalk trails here.” He stood behind the Nature Center building looking at the maze of wooden paths.
“She likes a certain place. There’s a bench close to an old cypress tree. The branch is huge. They built the walkway beneath it. Follow me,” Jessica pushed past him, plucking at her shirt as beads of sweat rolled down her chest even though the temperature was barely seventy.
Jenn’s favorite bench was a good ten minutes’ hike from the Nature Center building. At their pace, they made it in seven. “There it is.”
She ducked under the cypress branch, a good three feet wide, and dashed to the bench, wanting to soak in everything from the last place she knew her sister had been.
Tyler walked to the bench and dropped to his knees to get a better look at the water.
“I hope you’re not planning on going in there,” she warned.
“It’s not like I want to,” he said. “But we might be able to locate her phone.”
“We?” No way was she getting in water with snakes and alligators. Jessica involuntarily shivered. “You know what’s in there, right?”
“Sure do.”
“I can’t help my sister if I’m in the belly of an alligator chewed up into little pieces,” she said, frustrated. Because she would do anything to save her sister, including jumping into that murky green water that scared her beyond belief.
Tyler’s chuckle was a deep rumble in his throat and it sent a sensual vibration skittering across her skin. She was about to be eaten by an alligator and the cowboy she’d brought with her was causing her to have inappropriate sexual thoughts.
“At least let me take my shoes off first.”
“How deep do you think the water is here?” he asked.
“A few feet, four at the most.”
“Look for bubbles before getting in.” He was lying flat on his stomach on the boardwalk, watching the surface of the water. “I’d rather wait at least twenty minutes but we don’t have that kind of time, so I want you to look hard.”
Wasn’t that reassuring? A serious case of the heebie-jeebies trickled down her spine as she moved to the other side of the boardwalk. Okay, she could do this. She needed to talk herself up for a minute to steel her nerves, but this was going to be no big deal. She scanned the water intently, watching for any signs of life.
“I think I should be good here,” she finally said, stopping twenty feet from her original spot.
Tyler popped to his feet and moved a good ten feet from his first location. “All right, then. We’re looking for her cell or anything that might indicate she was here.”
He ducked through the slats in the wood and then she heard the splash that said he was in the water on the other side. Jessica took in a deep breath, held it, and then slid through the wooden slats on her side. The murky green water was cold against her stomach as she waded through waist-deep water. Moss gathered on her stomach and she nearly lost her cool. Every survival instinct inside her begged her to get out of there and run away.
Jenn needed her. The fear and desperation in her sister’s voice would keep Jessica on the right path.
“Something just brushed past my leg,” she said, letting out the breath she’d been holding.
“We better move quickly before someone sees us and kicks us out,” Tyler said.
Jessica dropped down, trying to feel her way around in three-foot-high water. All she touched was slick rocks and she tried not to think about all the bacteria lurking around and what that would do to a cut in, say, her finger.
Every noise made her jump. Every animal sound made her heart race. Every scrape of her finger across a new surface made her pull her hand back.
After searching for what seemed like an eternity and coming up empty, she returned to the boardwalk and scrambled out of the water. She quickly checked her body for leeches or any other creepy-crawlies. “Did you find anything?”
“No.” The water-sloshing sound came from the other side of the walkway.
“It’s useless.” And worse yet, felt hopeless. She should’ve known this would be a dead end.
* * *
THE ARCHITECTURE OF Spanish Town was mostly post–Civil War. Rows of early twentieth-century homes of wood construction lined the narrow streets. Houses were small but had large front porches and there was more pink in one place than Tyler had ever seen. “What’s up with the flamingos on all the lawns?”
But “on the lawns” was an understatement. They hung in front windows and stood on porches. There was even one on a roof.
“People used to look down on this area as having questionable occupants, so everyone decided to give them something to stare at,” Jessica said. “Mostly artists and musicians live here.”
“And what do we think we’ll find amongst all this plastic fowl?” he asked. Their shoes and clothes smelled like swamp. The limo driver hadn’t wanted to let them back inside wet. Tyler had had to slip the guy extra money to convince him it would be a good idea. He’d also promised to pay for having the limo properly cleaned and aired out, which he figured he owed the guy.
“Jenn has a friend here. I might be able to trick him into thinking I’m her.”
“The zydeco music playing in the background of the first message?” he asked.
“Yes. I’m hoping she confided in him, but she might have just wanted a place to lay low. His name is Elijah, by the way.” She scanned the houses. “I’m just not sure where he lives, exactly.”
“Do you think it’s safe to go in like this?” he motioned toward their soaked clothing.
“Probably not, but what choice do we have?” she asked with a shrug.
“We need to play this smart. Not attract too much attention. Someone could be watching Elijah’s place and we’re soaked to the bone. Give me a few minutes.” Tyler fished his cell from his front pocket and made a call. “Janis, can you book a room for me at the Hilton in Baton Rouge?”
“Fine but I’m putting you in the Presidential Suite,” Janis said.
“Okay.” Normally, he’d argue. There was no need to put him up in the best suite in any hotel. But this time, he had a lady with him and the two-bedroom suite would give her the privacy she needed. They were still practically strangers, even though it felt as if he’d known her for a lot longer than thirty-seven hours. Rather than try to get inside his head about what that meant, he requested fresh clothes in a woman’s size five to six to be delivered to the hotel. And then he asked for men’s. Janis already knew his sizes. “Casual stuff in a breathable fabric. Also, I’m going to need hats and maybe a few ladies’ scarves. Think you can get all that to my room in the next hour?”
“Does a dog have fleas?” Janis quipped.
“Thank you, Janis. You already know I think you’re the best.” Tyler buzzed the driver who rolled down the partition between the cab and the backseat. “Can you take us to 201 Lafayette Street?”
“Yes, sir, Mr. O’Brien,” the driver said.
“I’m going to need your services 24/7 while I’m in town,” Tyler said. “Is that a problem?”
“No, sir.” A smile lit the driver’s face.
“Thank you. I’ll double your current rate.”
An even bigger smile curved the driver’s lips. “You don’t have to—”
Tyler put his hand up. “It would make me feel better for inconveniencing you on such short notice.”
“I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”
“What’s your name?” Tyler asked.
“Zander, sir.”
“How about you call me Tyler? Every time I hear ‘Mr. O’Brien’ I look over my shoulder to see if my father’s standing behind me.”
Zander chuckled. “You’re the boss, Mr.—” he glanced in the rearview with a sheepish look “—Tyler.”
“Thank you, Zander.” Tyler turned to Jessica. “You haven’t eaten since breakfast. What sounds good?”
“Nothing, I’m okay.”
“You need to keep up your strength.” He placed a call to the hotel manager and arranged for soup, sandwiches and bottles of water to be waiting when they arrived. Tyler ended the call to Jessica’s wide eyes.
“Can I ask a question?”
He nodded.
“I’ve seen your place and where you live is beautiful. There’s more security than a...a...maximum security prison. So, I hope I’m not being rude, but just how rich are you?”
Tyler couldn’t help but laugh. He never really thought of himself as wealthy. Rich in land and family, maybe, but not rich in the loads-of-money-in-the-bank rich. Maybe it was the way he’d been brought up. Pop had had his feet firmly planted in the soil and all the boys had followed suit. They cared more about running their horses—speaking of which, Digby needed exercising—than running up credit cards. But by all measures, they were loaded. “Guess I never think about it.”
“How can you not?” she asked, eyes wide. “When I first met you I thought you were some kind of ranch hand, which was fine by me. You seem so...normal. But now I see that you own your own plane and can fly it rather nicely, by the way. You can snap your fingers and have almost anything you want delivered or arranged...am I on the right path here?”