by Mallory Kane
Carlos began coughing in earnest. Sean nodded at Javier, who started preparing a mild sedative.
“I’m doing everything I can to find Sonya. As soon as we hear from the kidnappers, we’ll be ready. We’ll do what they ask, and we won’t call in the police.”
Carlos nodded.
Sean rose and gestured to Sophie to follow him out of the room. It irritated the hell out of him that she’d listened in on the kidnappers’ call. And the reason it bothered him irritated him even more.
There was a battle raging inside him. He wanted to believe that she was just like his ex-wife. An adrenaline junkie. That would make it easy to break the spell she’d cast over him. Or it should. It should also make him stop wanting to protect her and shield her from hurt.
On the other hand, he wanted to believe she was different. That her claim about loving the danger was a smokescreen hiding her real purpose. That the sadness in her eyes was real.
Either she was a thrill-seeker, or she was lying to him. Neither choice was acceptable. So why couldn’t he stop thinking about her?
“Sean, wait.”
He looked up to see her rushing down the front steps to catch up with him, the pale blue dress and her blond hair making her look as if she’d stepped out of a watercolor painting.
He’d walked all the way through the large foyer and out to his car without realizing it.
Damn it. It was her fault. She was a distraction. Her presence interfered with his ability to do his job. He should be thinking about the kidnappers and trying to figure out a way to stay one step ahead of them, not chauffeuring Sophie around the city.
He got into his car and started it. She walked around to the passenger side and reached for the door handle. It was locked.
With ill grace, Sean pressed the unlock button.
She climbed in.
Neither of them spoke as Sean drove past the guardhouse and headed toward the interstate. He pulled out his cell phone.
Sophie watched his hand as he punched in a number and held the phone to his ear.
“Winstead,” he said. “Got a complication. Yeah. We need another two million.”
He scowled as he listened to the man on the other end of the phone.
“I know. But you’ve got to get on it. They could call at any time. Twice as heavy. I know that. Just get it. Any denomination. Call me when it’s ready.”
He snapped the phone shut and glanced at Sophie. “Botero’s money manager,” he said unnecessarily.
But his comment broke the silence between them and opened a connection. Sophie half turned in her seat. “Thank you for thinking about my clothes.”
He shrugged it off.
“I mean it. You were very thoughtful. The long skirt, I mean. You have a lot on your mind, and so much has happened in the past twenty-four hours. Johnson dying, two near misses on the highway, my apartment booby-trapped. Oh, my gosh!” Sophie’s stomach turned over. “I hadn’t realized—since Johnson died, everything has been aimed at me.”
“Finally picked up on that, eh? At least you’re getting your wish. I’d think anyone would have gotten their fill of excitement and danger by now.”
His bitter tone scraped across her sensitized nerves. She wanted to shake him, to kiss him, to put her arms around his neck and swear to him that she was nothing like his wife. But it wouldn’t change his mind about her.
And anyway, it would be a lie.
So she leaned back in her seat and uttered a tight little laugh. “Last night was plenty of both. But why? Why are they targeting me?”
Sean’s teal blue eyes sent her a disbelieving look. “How about because you rode in the elevator with the man who murdered Johnson? You are the only person who knows who he is.”
“But that’s just it. I don’t know who he is. I don’t know anything. He had a mask over his face.”
“You chased him. He knows you were suspicious of him. So he’s decided to silence you.”
Sophie nodded, her throat constricting at the permanence of the word silence. She swallowed. “I get that. What I don’t get is why. If he’d just lie low, he’d probably never be caught.”
“I don’t think he can afford to lie low. I think he may be a major player in this ransom game.”
“You think he has Sonya?”
Sean shook his head. “No, but I think he knows where she is.”
“Sean, I doubt I could identify him, even if we were face-to-face.”
“You said he had a scar.”
“Across his brow, as if he’d been in a fight. It looked old.”
“There you go. An identifying mark. You told Montoya and the police, right?” Sean turned into the Weddings Your Way parking lot and cut his engine.
“Of course. In fact, I wonder why I haven’t been called to do a lineup.”
“That is a good question.” He got out of the car, rounded it and opened her door.
She pulled the skirt of Sonya’s dress down over her bare knees and got out.
Sean’s hand rested just above her hip as they walked up to the door. It was warm, strong, protective.
Ironic that within the past twenty-four hours, her life had been threatened three times, yet the same twenty-four hours with Sean at her side were the closest she’d ever come to feeling safe. She trusted him—knew he would jeopardize his own life to protect her.
Too bad it couldn’t last. When all this was over, Sean would go back to his little girl, and she would go back to her lonely apartment.
Ms. Sophie Brooks, spinster. That was her life. The way it had to be. Even if there were something between her and Sean, she could never tell him everything. He already didn’t trust her, didn’t want her around Michaela, because he thought she was too much like his ex-wife.
A wry smile twisted her mouth. He had no idea how right he was.
As she stepped into the Weddings Your Way main salon, Vicki, the receptionist, and Julia Garcia, who was showing a client the extensive array of wedding gown accessories, gasped in shock.
“Sophie, what happened to you?” Vicki whispered.
Julia stepped over. “Look at you. Are you all right?”
Sophie nodded.
“If we’d known all it would take to get you out of those skirts and stockings was a fender bender, we could have arranged one a long time ago.”
Julia grinned and hugged her.
Sophie awkwardly hugged her back. Another first. No one had ever spontaneously hugged her.
“You look fabulous in that blue,” Julia said as her sharp gaze took in the wrist brace and the purple discoloration on her forehead. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Sophie nodded, touching the bruise. “I’m fine. I had a disagreement with an air bag and it won.” She smiled tentatively at the two women.
“Oh, Ms. Brennan is waiting to see you and Mr. Majors,” Vicki said. “She said to notify her as soon as you got here.”
“We’ll go on up,” Sean said, urging her toward the staircase. His hand still rested protectively on the small of her back.
Sophie glanced back at Julia, who winked and pretended to fan herself. Her message was clear. Hot guy.
Sophie just sent her a knowing smile as they started up the staircase.
Rachel Brennan’s office door was open, and she was pacing back and forth, talking on her cell phone. She gestured them in and pointed to the large round table where Rafe Montoya sat.
“That really isn’t my problem,” she said into the phone. “If you can’t do a lineup, get me a photo array. We need to identify this man who has targeted one of my employees.”
As Rachel finished her conversation, Rafe looked at Sophie. “How you doing? You look fantástica in that blue dress. It’s the same color as your eyes.”
“Thanks, Rafe. It doesn’t quite match my forehead, though, does it?”
“Are you feeling okay? Where have you been all night?” Rafe’s black eyes slid over to Sean.
“At Mr. Botero’s estate. I spent the nigh
t there. Sean thought it would be safest.” Sophie didn’t mention the kidnappers’ call. She figured disclosing that information was Sean’s call.
“What did the police find at Sophie’s apartment?” Sean asked.
Rafe leaned back and pulled a small notebook from his pocket. “No sign of forced entry. A few fresh scratches on the lock indicate he picked it. He’s very good. He relocked your dead bolt from the outside when he left.”
“What about the wires?” Sean’s voice held a note of impatience.
“Definitely hot.” Rafe turned his dark eyes on her. “It’s a miracle you weren’t electrocuted.”
Sean cursed under his breath.
Sophie glanced up and caught a look in his eyes that she couldn’t interpret. He looked angry, but not at her. He looked pale, as if something had scared him.
Thinking about the night before, it was hard for her to believe that she’d been a fraction of a second away from death. “I’d barely stepped into the shower when Sean banged on the door.”
Sean nodded, his mouth a thin line, his lips white at the corners.
“What about prints?” Sean asked.
Rafe shook his head. “No prints except for Sophie’s—and yours.”
Sophie’s face grew warm. How pathetic. There were no prints because she had no visitors. She rubbed the sore place on her forehead. Her goal had been to depend on no one but herself. She’d apparently succeeded.
“In fact, yours were all over the apartment.” Rafe’s voice held an accusatory note. “The living room, the refrigerator, her bedside table.”
Sean lifted his chin and held Rafe’s gaze, his jaw working.
Sophie waited, holding her breath.
Rachel finished her conversation and joined them at the table, breaking the deadlock between the two men. She spared a sharp glance for each of them. As they shifted and lowered their gazes, Rachel spoke to Sophie.
“You need to view a photo array. I’m not sure how much good it will do. The photos will be the employee photos from the hospital, and apparently they never update them. So some will be quite old.”
Sophie nodded. “I’ll do my best. What will you do if I can identify the man I saw? Arrest him?”
“No.” Sean’s answer was immediate.
Sophie stared at him, as did Rachel and Rafe.
“I believe the man Sophie saw is a major player in this cat-and-mouse game we’re in. He identified her and had her followed.”
“You think he’s in charge?” Rafe muttered.
“It’s logical. He got on the elevator on the fourth floor wearing a surgical mask right after Johnson died. He lost her by going through a secured door to the emergency room. Then she left immediately. He must have watched her go to her car. Then either he followed her or, more likely, had someone do it for him.”
Rachel nodded briefly. He had her full attention. “Go on,” she said.
“He’s obviously very good with his hands. He slipped a syringe into Johnson’s room and killed him in practically no time. He picked Sophie’s double dead bolt lock. He knew how to pull electrical wire.”
Rafe scowled. “So why don’t you want him picked up?”
“Think about it. If he’s involved with Sonya’s kidnapping and we pick him up, it will alert the people who may be holding Sonya, and it will put Sophie’s life in even more danger.”
Rafe nodded reluctantly.
Rachel turned to Sophie. “I think you need to be in a safe house until this is over.”
“No, please!” Sophie’s heart jumped into her throat. “I need to be here. I need to help.”
“There’s another issue,” Sean interrupted. “Carlos received a phone call this morning.” The tension level in the room immediately went up a couple of notches.
“From the kidnappers? Why didn’t you say so? What did they say? Do we have a time?”
He shook his head at Rafe. “They refused to give a time. Said they’d be in touch. The ransom has doubled, to four million. They threatened to send Carlos his daughter’s thumb to prove how serious they are. And they want him to make the drop.”
“Can he do that?” Rachel asked. “He’s still very weak, isn’t he?”
Sean sat forward. “He’ll do it. I’ll be there with him.”
Rafe doubled his fists on the tabletop. “We still don’t know if Sonya is in this country or in Ladera. If the kidnappers are threatening to cut her thumb off and send it to Botero within a reasonable time, it could mean she’s still in the U.S.”
“It could,” Sean agreed, “but it could just be a threat.”
“I still don’t understand what this has to do with Sophie. Why can’t we hide her until this is all over?”
Rafe’s voice was harsh. She understood his frustration.
Sean looked intently at Rafe, then at Rachel. “I think Sophie’s guy in the mask may be running this operation. He’s worried that Sophie can identify him?”
“If he’s running it, why did he risk killing Johnson himself? Why not have one of his men do it?”
Sean ticked off the reasons. “We know he has a job at the hospital, because he can enter authorized personnel areas. We know he’s arrogant—he likes to handle the big jobs himself. He lets his henchmen do things like following Sophie and me last night. One of his henchmen was keeping me occupied, but I’d bet big money that Sophie’s guy was driving the car that forced her off the road. If he thinks he’s been fingered, he might disappear on us.”
Rachel stood. “In that case, we should spin it to indicate we have no leads.”
“Right. But I want Sophie to look at the photos anyway. We can be way ahead if we know who we’re looking for. We can check his priors. If we could get hold of his phone records, we might be able to find out who he’s in contact with.”
“I can take care of that.”
Sean’s eyes snapped to Rachel’s. “Yeah, I’ve been watching you taking care of things. How does that work exactly, Ms. Wedding Planner Extraordinaire?”
Rafe pushed his chair back, preparing to stand, but Rachel waved a hand.
“That’s a fair question, Mr. Majors. Unfortunately I can’t answer it just now. Can you trust me when I tell you that I have connections, and I am using them? We are as committed to getting your employer’s daughter back safe and sound as you are.”
Sean’s scalp tightened, and his chest burned with frustration. “I don’t like it.”
“I’m well aware of that. But I guarantee you that Rafe will keep you fully informed. Now, what are we going to do about Sophie?”
“She stays with me.”
Again, all eyes were on him.
“As closely as they’ve been following her, they have reason to think—” He stopped at a tiny sound from Sophie.
She was blushing and shaking her head at him. But he couldn’t worry about her possible embarrassment. His focus was on keeping her alive and safe.
“They have ample reason to think she and I are involved.”
Two sets of eyebrows shot up. Sophie’s lowered in an embarrassed frown.
“We need to keep them thinking that. Once again, if something changes—if Sophie suddenly disappears—they’ll get suspicious.”
Rachel folded her arms. “Anything else, Mr. Majors?”
“We need to work out some contingencies. If I’m right, the ransom drop will be tonight. And I’ll guarantee you the location won’t be anywhere around here.”
Chapter Ten
While Sean and Rafe worked out a plan for backup, Sophie finished up some pending orders for invitations and fended questions from her coworkers.
It was an odd feeling, having people constantly asking how she was doing, whether she needed anything. She found she liked the attention, the feeling that she was part of the group.
From her first memories, she’d always been on the outside looking in. Raised by an Hispanic family, she’d been the odd one out. Growing up so different had been difficult. Her first memories were of being unlike th
e other children in the neighborhood where she lived.
Eventually, looking different and being treated differently had led to rebellion, which had put her on the path to where she was now. But maybe that could change.
When Julia and Isabelle tentatively approached her with an invitation to have lunch with them, Sophie realized that they had asked her often in the past but she had never said yes before. Eventually they had quit asking.
This time, she smiled and accepted, and cringed when they looked surprised.
Lunch with them was the most fun she’d had in a long time.
No one talked about the case, or her injuries. Instead, they talked about fashion, food, yoga, movies—girl things.
When they got back to Weddings Your Way, Sean was pacing.
Sophie thanked Julia and Isabelle for asking her to lunch and walked past Sean to her desk.
He followed.
“Where have you been?” His eyes held the promise of a thunderstorm.
She sat down and looked up at him. “We went to lunch.”
He pushed his suit jacket back and stuck his hands in his pockets. “Didn’t we just agree that you would stay with me?”
She was still exhilarated from the carefree lunch and in a playful mood. She widened her eyes. “Oh, did you mean 24/7? I must have missed that part.”
He scowled. “What you apparently missed is the fact that your life is in danger. I guess you’re still searching for that bigger thrill.”
She cringed at the censure in his expression.
“I’m sorry. I really didn’t think lunch with two other—” She stopped. She’d almost said two other Confidential agents. “Two other people would be a problem,” she finished.
Sean took his hands out of his pockets and straightened his suit jacket. “The photos are here. You need to view them.”
Sophie stood. “Of course. Where are they?”
“Upstairs, in Rachel’s office. They were just delivered.”
It only took a few minutes with a magnifying glass to identify the man she’d ridden in the elevator with. “It’s him. I’m certain. See that scar? It cuts through his right eyebrow.”