Never Say Necklace (Love on the Run Book 1)

by Jaclyn Hardy

  Dani shrugged. “They mostly went after your stuff, so it’s just papers.”

  Carlie pushed off the floor and went to see what her room looked like. This was worse than her office, which she didn’t think was possible. Someone knew this was her room, and they came to find something that they wanted. She got that they could find her apartment, but the fact that they knew it was her room was disturbing. There had to something that tipped them off.

  She stood and ran her hand along the lamps, curtains, and other furniture looking for bugs. There. Three small bugs hidden throughout her room. That explained how they knew where she slept. Carlie took them out into the kitchen and used a hammer to smash them before dropping them into a glass of water.

  “Hey, guys?” She waited for both girls to come out of their room and stood closely to them so she could whisper. “Check for bugs. I found a few in my room and I’m willing to bed you’ll find some too.”

  Dani’s eyes grew big as she turned and went back to her room.

  Now that her room was bug-free, she started in on the living room. One hid under her couch, while another was stuck behind Dee’s painting on the wall. Her roommates both brought out the ones they’d found in their room as well. Carlie threw them in the glass with hers.

  “Hey, girls? I think it’s time you all go visit family.” She held a hand up when they started to argue. “They’re not going to stop here and I don’t want them coming after you. Please. I’m going to leave too.” Not that she had anywhere to go at that point. “Take everything you can and go.”

  Dani stared at Carlie for a moment before going into her room. The sounds of drawers opening and closing came soon after.

  “You too, Dee.” Carlie looked over at her best friend. “Please go.”

  Dee rested her hand on Carlie’s shoulder. “Be careful.”

  “I will.” Carlie went to her room to find what wasn’t damaged and packed everything in her duffle bag. She hadn’t taken off her backpack since she’d gotten home. She didn’t dare leave it sitting around.

  Her roommates left an hour later, both begging her to be careful. Carlie watched them go and went back inside. She dialed Ed’s number.

  It took four rings before Ed finally answered. “Up late tonight, huh?’

  “I’ve been compromised. I need a place to stay.”

  There was a sharp intake of breath. “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, but I can’t stay here tonight. I sent my roommates away too. I haven’t been able to get ahold of Frank, so I’m asking you.”

  “Give me five minutes.” The phone went dead.

  Carlie put her phone in her pocket and grabbed her bags before heading to her car. She checked for bugs there too and found one near the steering wheel and other one under the backseat.

  The phone rang and she picked it up. “You found something already?”

  “How would you like to stay on campus for a day or two? There’s a dorm open, but you’ll be stuck with other students.”

  Carlie hesitated. “Sure. But I need the best security you can get.”

  “They’re on their way now. You’ll be in 24C. It’s a private room, but we’ll make sure it has an extra lock.”

  “Thanks, Ed. I smashed most of the bugs, but I’m sending a few pictures for you to try to track. There’s got to be a way to find who’s been watching me.”

  “Perfect. I’m off to bed. I suggest you do the same thing.”

  Carlie headed for the dorms and parked in the small lot. It was exposed, but after the scare at her apartment, she hoped they wouldn’t come after her again that night. The hallways were fairly empty this late, but there were a few parties going on.

  While her dorm room was private, it was still tiny. The locks were flimsy, but they’d do until Ed could get his guy there to fix it. She dropped her duffel bag on the floor and collapsed on her bed, still keeping the backpack close.

  Someone had to know exactly where her office and apartment were. Most of her team had never even met. Frank and Ed had been with her from the beginning so she trusted them completely. Chet was too far away and wasn’t any part of this except for when she’d shown up at his doorstep.

  Carlie thought of the bugs and wondered if there had been any in her office. She should have thought to check while she was there. Although . . . there had to be security cameras in the area. Chances were whoever it was knew how to block the cameras in the hallways, but it couldn’t hurt to look.

  She pulled out her laptop and typed a few codes before she had access to the university security system. It was one of the first things her dad had taught her to do. Carlie zoomed in on her office and sped the camera up.

  Several people passed by the office, which was normal for the school offices. Except that one person seemed to walk through several times, looking away when he passed directly under the posted cameras. It was too bad for him that her father had insisted on a few hidden cameras around his office. While she could only get a profile, there was something familiar about him.

  Wait. She rewound and grabbed the image where he looked right at the camera. Zooming in made the picture fuzzy, but Carlie gasped. The guy from the airport. She froze the shot and took a few pictures before texting them to Ed. Fast forwarding through the rest of the tape showed that it was him who broke into her office. He left a few minutes later, most likely heading to her apartment.

  Carlie knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep until she heard from Ed, so she curled up next to her backpack and waited for sleep to come.

  Her phone buzzed, shooting adrenaline through her. “Hello?”

  “You sure this is who broke into your office?” Ed’s voice was quiet enough that Carlie had to strain to hear him.

  “Yes, why?” Carlie gripped the phone. “You know him?”

  “Carlie . . . that’s Frank.”

  Carlie laughed. “What are you talking about? I met Frank in Thailand. This guy doesn’t look anything like him.”

  “What are you talking about? Frank was with me trying to figure out how to get you home. Or at least that’s what I thought he was doing.” Ed swore.

  “That’s—” Carlie rubbed her forehead. She hadn’t actually ever met Frank before Thailand, so she supposed it could be possible. But why would he do that? He’d gotten her out of trouble several times over the years. “If that’s true, then who was with me? He helped get us in to grab the necklace.”

  “Do you have pictures? I can try to figure it out that way. In the meantime, don’t take calls from him. Avoid Frank at all costs. And it sounds like we should be getting you another place to stay. I’ll have something by tomorrow.”

  Carlie sighed. “Thanks, Ed. And be careful.”

  “You too.” Ed hung up and Carlie stared at the phone. Things just kept getting more and more messed up. And the worst part about it was that she didn’t have Braden there to help come up with a plan.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Braden coughed and squinted up at the light from his cell. His throat was parched from sitting there for days. He’d been told his boss wasn’t angry. And even after they saw the necklace, he was assured that he was still in their good graces. Two hours later he’d been thrown in this cell.

  Carlie would have been home for a few days by then. The look of betrayal on her face had stayed with him since they parted in the airport. They’d taken his phone as soon as he’d been shoved into the car, so there was no way he could contact her. He shook his head. Stephen had sold him out. He knew what was going on every step of the way. The perfect place for a mole.

  The cell door squeaked open. A large man in a suit stood in the doorway. “Sloan wants to see you.”

  “Wait—Frank? What are you doing here?”

  “The name is Joe. You and your little girlfriend are much too trusting for your own good.” Joe smiled menacingly and yanked Braden up off the floor.

  “You work for Sloan, then?” Braden tried to wrap his head around things. Chet and Carlie had both let him into
the house with no questions asked.

  Joe snorted. “No. Let’s just say I work for myself. And if you so much as breathe a word to Sloan, you and your girlfriend will pay.”

  Braden’s shackles were unlocked and he was able to stretch. “Yes, because being a traitor to two different parties makes me want to believe everything you say.”

  The snark earned him an elbow to the stomach. “Clean yourself up. The meeting is in half an hour and you’d better be presentable.”

  Joe shoved him into a small bathroom where a suit, shaving kit, towel, and soap sat. The shower was cold, but it was the first he’d had in days. His hands shook as he tried to shave. He wasn’t sure when they’d even fed him last. He took several drinks from the sink, not caring if it was safe or not.

  “Time’s up. Let’s go.” Joe grabbed his arm and practically dragged him up the stairs. “I suggest you show some manners.”

  “Got it.” Braden pulled his arm out of the man’s grip and straightened his tie. He wanted nothing more than to punch Sloan in the face for how he’d been treated—how Carlie had been treated—but his life was in their hands at that point.

  Sloan sat in his chair writing when Braden approached his desk. It was another minute or two before Sloan finally set down the pen and leaned back in his chair. “I trust you’ve enjoyed your time here.”

  “It’s been wonderful. The view of the building next door is just amazing.” Braden smiled.

  “I thought you might like that. Especially after all the traveling you’ve done over the last few weeks.” Sloan leaned forward. “You were told countless times to ditch the girl. Would you mind telling me why you went against our wishes?”

  Braden stared at Sloan for a moment before answering. Anything he said could be taken wrong. He had to tread lightly. “She was an asset to the search. She’s spent years researching this necklace. Dropping her in the middle of a foreign country would have helped no one.”

  Sloan tapped his desk. “So teaming up with her and staying with people who have been a thorn in our side for decades was all because she was an asset?”

  “Yes. I had to gain her trust. Her father was an archaeologist before her. She’d learned not to trust anyone. I had to prove her wrong.” Again, her look of betrayal crossed his mind. And with good reason. He hadn’t done it on purpose. He’d fully planned to let her have the necklace. But there was no way to get her to believe that now.

  The man chuckled. “We trained you better than I’d thought. And because of that, we have a piece of history that the entire world is after. Well done.”

  Braden raised his eyebrows. “Well done? I’m locked away for days with no food or water, and I get a well done?”

  “It could be worse. You could be dead.” Sloan pulled a folder out of his drawer and held it out for Braden to take. “I want you to read over these files and let me know what you think. If your plan is acceptable, I might actually let you go on another run.”

  “What about my teaching job? I need to get back there before they fire me.”

  Sloan waved his hand dismissively. “You can go back once this job is done. By that time the necklace will be secure and we’ll let you around your little girlfriend again.”

  “Wait—you still have it?” Braden had just assumed they’d sell it like they usually did with priceless artifacts. “What are you going to do with it?”

  “That is none of your concern. Now leave. Look those over. We’ll talk after.” Sloan went back to his writing.

  Braden turned to leave and nearly ran into the men who had dragged him up there. He pushed past them, thumbing through the files Sloan had given him. The emerald from the shipwreck. Braden knew exactly where it had gone. He stopped and felt for a pen in his pockets.

  “You two have a pen by any chance?”

  One of the men grunted. “What do you need a pen for?”

  “I need to write down the information Sloan asked for.” Braden waved the file in the air. “Do you really want me to keep him waiting?”

  They exchanged glances and walked Braden back to Sloan’s office. Sloan looked up from his work with an annoyed expression until he saw who it was.

  “You’ve solved it already?” His tone was amused.

  Braden took a pen off Sloan’s desk and wrote down a name. “They bought the emerald that night in Thailand. I can find the address for you but it might take a bit.”

  Sloan grinned, sending a chill down Braden’s spine. “I figured you might have that information. It was the one thing we couldn’t recover that night. Besides the necklace, that is. Well done. Very well, I suppose you can go.”

  Braden bowed slightly before leaving the office. His hands shook as he went to gather his things from the storage room. He wanted to put as much distance between them as possible. His phone was still in his jacket pocket but it was dead.

  The feeling that something was wrong wouldn’t leave him. He burst out of the office and looked around, trying to get his bearings. He flagged down a taxi and climbed in. “Hey, I need to get to LAX.”

  The driver nodded and pulled out into traffic. The streets were packed with people going about their business, not realizing he’d been kept prisoner. Life had gone on without him. He ached to call Carlie, let her know that he cared for her. That he wanted to be with her.

  A screeching of tires came just before impact and then the world was black.

  ***

  The screaming of sirens were the first thing Braden heard when he woke. It was hard to breathe through the pain in his ribs, and he could feel the sticky liquid running down the side of his face. He groaned as he crawled toward the open window to climb out.

  The accident may have been just that, but Sloan had been too eager to let him go. He crawled out onto the sidewalk and lay down on the cement trying to catch his breath. A woman bent over him, worry etched on her face.

  “Stay still. The ambulance is almost here.”

  “Can . . . I borrow . . . your phone?” Braden asked. Blackness kept trying to overcome him, but he fought it off.

  The woman fumbled around in her purse before she pulled out her phone. Braden dialed in Carlie’s number and waited for her to pick up. It went to voicemail.

  “Carlie . . . it’s me. I need help. I’m in . . . L.A.” He handed the phone back and allowed the blackness to swallow him again.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Carlie listened to the voicemail again and fought back tears. He’d called, but she’d been in the middle of a class. The possibility that it was a trap was likely, but Carlie couldn’t stay away. She grabbed her bag from her desk and ran out of the building, nearly plowing over several students. She took two steps at a time up to the her dorm and had to tap her code in four times before she finally got it right. Her bag was already packed just in case she needed to escape whoever was stalking her.

  This time she didn’t bother asking Ed to help her with transportation. He’d already done enough for her, and she was going to help someone who had caused a lot of problems for their team.

  Traffic was slow for the time of day and every minute she had to spend in the car made her want to scream. Braden needed her. She found a parking spot in the airport parking lot and grabbed her bag before running to buy a ticket. There was enough of a line that she was able to pull herself together.

  “Hi, I need a ticket to LAX, please.”

  The woman smiled. “It’ll be three hundred dollars and I need to see your ID.”

  Carlie pulled her card out and handed the woman her ID. As soon as she had her ticket in hand, she checked her bag and went through security. Because she’d bought tickets last minute, they took extra time to let her through. By the time she got to her gate, it was time to board.

  While the stewardesses went through the safety protocols, Carlie used her tablet to search for any accidents or suspicious activity in LA for the day. A few accidents had happened, but nothing out of the ordinary. Except one where a taxi had been broadsided at an intersection
. Carlie took note of the location and did a few more searches. There was definitely something up there.

  She pulled up another window and searched for the nearest hospital to that location. Ed would have been helpful at that point, but again, this was to help someone who had supposedly betrayed her. She’d have to do it herself.

  “Miss? You need to put your tablet on airplane mode.” The stewardess smiled down at her.

  “Oh, sorry.” Carlie turned it off and waited for the flight to take off. The rest would have to wait until they were high enough in the air to purchase internet.

  ***

  Carlie collected her bag from baggage claim and headed out to find a taxi, but decided at the last moment to find a car. If Braden’s call was traced, they’d know she was contacted.

  The hospital was a few miles away from the airport, but it took a good hour to reach it because of traffic. She went inside and found the information desk.

  “Hi, I’m looking for a Braden Wyatt. He was in an accident a few hours ago.” Carlie searched the board above the desk, but his name wasn’t listed. But there was a Kramer.

  “I’m sorry, there’s no one here by that name. Are you sure you got the right hospital?”

  Carlie glanced back up at the name again and nodded. “Thanks. I’ll check another department to see if he was moved.”

  The nurse called out as Carlie dashed off. She watched the room numbers until she got to the right one. A quick search told her she hadn’t been followed. The beeping sound of the heart monitor met her as she opened the door slowly. Braden lay in bed with a bandage around his head and his left arm had a cast. Bruises covered his face, but it was him.

  Carlie slipped inside and closed the door. She peeked around the curtains to make sure no one else was in the room then went to his bed. He didn’t stir as she took his hand. A tear ran down her cheek as she watched him breathing slowly. Who had done this?

  “Carlie? You made it.” Braden coughed.