Alex was just about to reissue his invitation to dinner when the bell jingled over the door once again.
“Alex!” The bright tinkle of laughter that followed had him cringing. He reluctantly turned to find Cynthia standing in the doorway. She laid a hand on his arm. “What a pleasant surprise to run into you again so soon.”
Unsure of what to say, Alex stammered. “Ah, yes… Hi, Cynthia.”
He couldn’t help but slide a glance toward Liz to gauge her reaction. Her whole demeanor had once again changed from warm and welcoming to cool and distant. The way she was holding her shoulders and shifting her weight made him think of a fighter balancing on her toes, preparing for an attack.
Despite the stance, he found himself feeling very protective. “Well, I have it on good authority that Liz is the best mechanic in town.” He was rewarded with a look of surprise and a subtle softening at the corners of her mouth.
The effect was instantly erased a moment later with Cynthia’s response. “Well, I suppose it figures. We all know how long she’s been working on cars.”
Alex noted the way she talked about the other woman as if she wasn’t in the same room with her. If he hadn’t been watching Liz’s reaction so closely, he would have missed seeing the sharp flare of anger in her eyes before it was quickly doused.
Before Alex could respond, Cynthia continued. “We never did set up that time to get together this morning. Why don’t I give you a call later?”
Alex knew he had to discuss finding drug paraphernalia at the house, but making plans in front of Liz made him feel distinctly uncomfortable. “I’ll get back to you after I discuss it with my father.”
At that point, Liz seemed to reach the limit of her patience. “Jimmy would be happy to make an appointment for you, Cynthia. I need to get back to work.” Her voice, while tinged with a wry edge, was unfailingly professional. Her face was a carefully cultivated blank mask.
As Jimmy took over the conversation with Cynthia, Alex turned to find Liz looking back at him, almost as if she were surprised he was still there. “Right. Well, I guess I should get going, then. I’ll be back on Thursday.”
Liz looked like she wanted to say something, but instead she shoved her hands in her pockets and turned down the hallway towards the garage. “Sure. See you then.”
Alex watched her walk away, confused. He wasn’t sure whether he’d read the whole situation wrong, or if things had just gone off track, but one thing was for certain – this visit had not gone the way he’d expected. He’d hoped to maybe catch her at the end of the day, ask her out to dinner, and get a chance to see if the sparks he’d felt last night had been mutual.
Not that they had made their presence known today.
The funny thing was, he kept getting glimpses of the warm, caring individual he knew her to be. The way she interacted with her family and friends, or even her customers, all spoke to an open, loyal, hard-working woman. The kind of woman he’d like to be better acquainted with.
So why was it so hard for him to connect with her? Sure, it had been awhile since he’d actively dated anybody, but he didn’t think he could be off his game that much. Could he?
Deciding he’d better beat a hasty retreat before Cynthia managed to corner him again, he made his way to his truck. He shook his head as he pulled out of the parking lot. One thing was for certain. Eliza Harper was still an enigma, one he was becoming determined to figure out.
Chapter Seven
“We found it.”
“You’re kidding. How?”
“You won’t believe it, but it drove right into the garage.”
“Is it intact?”
“As far as I can tell. Our contact said a customer brought it in.”
“We have to get it out of there.”
“No shit. The vehicle was left overnight, we can take a look at it tonight. This might be the only shot we have to get it back.”
“Arrange for a couple of guys to stop by. I want you to be there to oversee things. We can’t afford any more mistakes.”
The man clenched his fists. As if he didn’t already know what to do. “Got it. Oh, one more thing.”
He could hear the impatience coming over the line. “Yes?”
“Our contact wants to make sure this goes towards paying off the debt.”
“It can’t hurt, but that all depends on what we find.”
“Right. That’s what I said.”
“Just get in there and get it. We’ll worry about the rest later.”
Click.
Chapter Eight
Liz popped the final spark plug into place and stood to stretch the kinks out of her back and neck. She was surprised to find it was only a little after nine at night and was happy this was the last car of the day. A hot shower and a cold beer were calling her name.
As she went around and flipped the lights off in the shop, she stopped to take another look at the vehicle that had been dropped off earlier. Knowing she’d want to check it out first thing in the morning, Paul had parked it in the empty bay before leaving for the day. As she looked at it, she realized the dash would need to be completely dismantled in order to figure out what the problem was.
A problem for tomorrow, Liz reminded herself as she turned the music off. Even though Jimmy had locked up when he left for the day, she double-checked the front door before slipping out the back and heading up the stairs to her apartment.
Half an hour later, she stepped out of the bathroom, happy to be in her pajama pants and a tank top. She’d been listening to her stomach rumble for the last hour and knew she needed to find something to eat before indulging in the beer she pulled from the fridge. Deciding to let the food come to her, Liz went to order pizza when she realized she’d left her phone down in the garage.
Irritated, she stuffed her feet into slippers and pulled a cardigan around her shoulders before heading back downstairs. It might be summer, but the nights could still get chilly up in Maine.
She was halfway across the garage when she heard muffled voices approaching the door. What the hell? Did Paul come back to get started on that car? The old man worked harder than she did. She turned and was just about to call out when she spotted two strange men carrying a car jack and a large, red toolbox.
BOOM!
Liz’s heart jumped into her throat as she instantly dropped to the ground behind a car. Anger and panic warred in her chest. Had they seen her? Part of her wanted to flee; the other part wanted to confront whoever was in her garage. Before she could decide on a course of action, her attention tuned into what was being said.
“Peck! What did I tell you?! Did I not just say she lives upstairs? You gotta be fucking quiet!”
“Geez, Jonesy. You just get back into town and you’re already on my case? The toolbox is heavy. Next time you carry it.”
“Man up, will you? Damn crybaby. He’s going to be here any moment. If you wake her up and we’re discovered, both our heads are going to be on spikes.”
Liz froze in the shadows, unsure of what to do. She couldn’t call the cops until she got her phone, which was clear across the bay on the workbench. Deciding it would be better to get help some other way, she kept to the perimeter of the garage and began to circle back towards the door. She almost reached the exit when steely fingers grabbed the back of her neck.
Some deep, primal switch flipped in Liz. She clawed up at him, trying to wrench out of his grasp, but the man was too strong. Instead, he dragged her in towards the center of the room, out of the shadows and into the light.
“You idiots were supposed to be quiet.” At that last word, he tossed Liz to the ground in a heap. Instantly, she was back on her feet and vaulting towards the backdoor. Her slippers threatened to slide out from under her but she willed herself to go faster. The men shouted, their heavy boots pounding the concrete behind her.
Almost there! Her palm slammed against the door. Cool night air greeted her just before a pair of strong arms grabbed her shoulders and hauled h
er back into the shop. “NO!”
Liz struggled with everything she had. Desperate and trying to twist out of the man’s grasp, she screamed. Her assailant was too strong. He lifted her up and slammed her back down to the floor, knocking the breath out of her.
Shock ran through her as she came face-to-face with the man straddling her. Not even the polish and brass of his police uniform could hide the cruelty in the depths of his sneer.
His face filled with dark glee the moment he saw that she recognized him. Josh laughed. “Surprise! Bet you weren’t expecting to see me.” He let out a loud, mocking sigh. “Lizzy, Lizzy, Lizzy…what are we going to do with you?” Glancing up, he noticed the other two men, watching the scenario unfold before them. “What the hell are you two waiting for? Get back to work!”
Liz craned her neck to the side to see one of the men jump. “Wh-what are you going to do with her, boss?” he asked. Stringy hair hung down into his eyes. His pale, thin arms hung limply by his side. She could see a trail of track marks running up the length of them; some looked more recent than others. No wonder he’d dropped the heavy toolbox. There was something vaguely familiar about him, but she couldn’t quite place where she’d seen him before.
It was apparent there would be no help from that corner. Even if they both weren’t completely cowed by Josh, it was obvious they were shackled to a drug that would quell any real rebellion against their dealer.
She took a deep breath, refusing to let the anger, fear, and confusion muddle her thinking. Liz clenched her hands into fists as Josh flipped her over and pulled her arms behind her. Her chin scraped against the concrete floor as he slapped her wrists into cool metal cuffs that dug into her skin. Holding her breath, she hoped he didn’t notice the way she tensed her arms so they’d stay slightly loose.
She thought she had gotten away with it until he double checked to make sure they were secure. With a grunt, he clicked each of the shackles tighter, gauging her reaction as he did so.
It hurt like a bitch. She could already feel her fingertips prick in pain from the lack of circulation, but Liz stubbornly refused to make a sound. She knew from past experience that he was the kind of guy who got off knowing he’d hurt you. He fed off the pain he caused.
Liz’s heart beat faster as she recognized the small victory for what it was. How was she going to get out of this mess?
Suddenly, Josh gave a cry as his weight lifted from her back. Freed from his heft, her lungs filled with invigorating oxygen. It took her a second to register the sounds of an intense struggle happening behind her. Flipping herself onto her back, she wiggled her way back into a seated position, shocked by the scene before her.
Was that Alex on the ground grappling with his old high school buddy? What was he doing here?
Both men grunted with the impact of each other’s fists. Liz flinched as Josh landed an especially brutal hit to Alex’s ribs. Alex had kept himself in better physical shape, but it was obvious that Josh had more training in hand-to-hand combat. There was also a glint of viciousness in Josh’s eyes that Alex lacked.
After a few minutes, Josh had begun to breathe heavily. He was obviously struggling with the unexpected exertion and Liz began to think she and Alex might have a chance to escape. Relief turned into horror as one of the other men stepped up behind Alex. They’d seemed so weak and inconsequential before that she’d forgotten about them.
“Behind you!” Liz cried.
It was too late.
She winced as the wrench cracked against the back of Alex’s head and watched as he silently slumped to the floor in a heap. Josh panted as he bent down to check his pulse.
He stood upright and took a moment to straighten his hair before turning to the other man. “I was wondering how long you were going to just stand there and watch me fight,” he said, glowering at him. He adjusted his uniform before adding, “I want the dash out of that car in the next hour or you will regret it.”
One of the men, the one called Peck, jumped like a scared rabbit and hurried back to the car to do his bidding. The other, Josh’s rescuer, stared insolently at him before pivoting on his heel and heading back to the project. Moments later, Liz could hear them ripping out what was left of the dashboard.
Satisfied that he’d sufficiently motivated the help, Josh once again glanced down at Alex, lying unconscious at his feet. Anger infused his face when he spotted the little device on the concrete beside him. Snatching it from the floor, his face turned an even darker shade of red when he saw the screen. “You sneaky son of a bitch! Thought you could record me for evidence, did you?”
Liz flinched as he slammed the phone to the ground. Little bits of glass and plastic went spinning away as it shattered against the concrete. “This – is what – you – can do – with your – evidence!” Josh punctuated each word with a slam of his heel against the little device until there was nothing left but unrecognizable debris.
Liz cringed as he began kicking Alex in the ribs for good measure. “Not quite the golden boy any more, are you? Bet you’re glad you came back to town now, aren’t you?”
“Stop it! Just stop it!” The last thing Liz wanted to do was draw attention to herself, but she couldn’t sit and watch Alex be tortured while he was unable to defend himself. Where was all this anger coming from? Hadn’t they been best friends back in high school?
Josh turned to Liz. “Why the hell is he here?”
“I- I- don’t know.” Dammit. Being subjected to such unexpected violence, especially from her high school tormentor, had Liz stuttering. Being at Josh’s mercy had never been a good position to be in, but this had gone way beyond the everyday level of bullying she’d experienced from him before. The fact that he wasn’t bothering to hide who he was or his position could only mean worse things were in store for her.
It was the sharp ring coming from Josh’s pocket that cut short anything else he may have done. Glancing at the display on his phone, he secured Alex in the same manner as Liz and forced her to sit on the cold concrete floor beside him. Satisfied they weren’t going anywhere, he turned and answered the phone. “Hey, we’ve got a shitstorm here.”
He gave her a warning look before turning away from her. “No, it’s nothing I can’t handle, but it is going to take a bit longer than originally planned.”
“I understand that,” he ground out. “They’re taking the dash off now, one second.” He yelled at the other two men working on the car. “Well? Is it there?”
The muffled response came from the second guy, his head all the way under the dash. “Yeah, boss, it’s still here.”
A dark, satisfied gleam entered Josh’s eyes and Liz wondered what, exactly, they were looking for.
“Good. Get it out of there! Clock’s ticking.” He turned back to the phone conversation. “Yeah, it looks like it’s there and still intact. Nothing has been touched as far as we can tell. They’re pulling it out now.”
Liz watched as Josh moved closer to the car and further from where she sat on the floor. She paused for another moment to make sure he wasn’t going to come back right away, then leaned forward and inspected the locking mechanism on Alex’s cuffs. She was relieved to find they were standard issue, the same kind Mason left lying around the house.
If she could find some kind of shim, there might be a way to jimmy it open. Liz began searching the floor around her for something that might work. Alex wheezed and groaned as he slowly came to. The sharp intake of pain had Liz wincing in commiseration as he struggled to breathe while lying on his side. She could tell his ribs were killing him where Josh had kicked them. She wondered if they were fractured.
“Shhh, take it easy and try to catch your breath. Can you sit up? It might help,” she whispered.
Gritting his teeth, Alex began to move. He shifted closer to Liz and leveraged his back against her leg. Sweat dampened his forehead from the exertion and pain, but with her help, he managed to get himself sitting upright with a low groan. “Damn. Guess I need to work on my
rescuing skills.” His fingers searched around him. “Have you seen my phone?” Liz nodded her chin towards the fragments scattered across the floor. Focusing on the path her eyes took, Alex noticed the sad pile of broken plastic shards and grimaced. “There goes that idea.”
They both sat slumped and leaning against each other. Alex took stock of his injuries and the situation, while Liz kept scanning the area, looking for anything that might help free them. Finally, she had to ask. “Why are you here, anyway? How did you even know I needed rescuing?”
“I didn’t, it was a coincidence. I don’t know why Josh is here, or who those two other guys are,” he gestured with his chin, “but I recognized the car they arrived in as the one I chased off from one of my dad’s properties yesterday. I found evidence of squatting and drug use at one of his houses. Hard-core drugs – the kind that requires needles.”
“Yikes.”
“Exactly. I called the police about the vandalism and Josh was the officer who came to file the initial report. He’d already left by the time the intruder arrived, so I left him a message and gave him an update.
“And you followed the car?”
“I tried, but my starter wouldn’t work. However, on my way home, I spotted the same car parked in the alley behind your garage.
“You mean, before the dinner party?”
“Yeah. But I remembered that you and Josh never got along back in the day, so I was hesitant to say anything until I knew more. I came back tonight hoping I’d be able to grab a license plate number or something else tangible to add to the report. When I got here, I saw the car from yesterday, but I also watched two guys going through the back door.
“When the police cruiser pulled up, I assumed someone must have seen the same thing and called it in. When Josh got out of the car, I assumed he was following up on a lead. Only something about how he entered the building seemed off.”
Secret Need (The Harper Sisters Book 2) Page 5