Jake knew that voice…
Simon heard it too and looked up. “I said no cops, you fucking bitch.”
He pushed Astrid hard and she fell to the ground, then he darted back to his car and sped away with a squeal of tires.
Jake held up his hands at shoulder height. “You fucking idiot, Daniel – you’ve just screwed up everything.”
Daniel’s voice was full of snidey anger. “Turn around slowly, Jake… Astrid, come over here…”
Jake turned and saw Astrid hurrying over. She opened her mouth to ask what had gone wrong, but she stopped as she saw Daniel standing in front of Jake, pointing a gun at his head.
“Daniel, what are you doing!”
He ignored her and glared deeply into Jake’s eyes. “I didn’t realize you were a music fan, Jake. Or were you just saying hi to your little brother?”
“What the hell do you want? And how did you find us?”
“I followed you when you left town. You’re driving a bright red Ferrari, so it’s not exactly hard to track you. Drop your weapon.”
Jake stalled. He was still holding his gun tight, but Daniel had the advantage. He just needed a little time… “Daniel, why aren’t you doing your goddamn job properly? You need to alert the Feds and tell them there’s been a kidnapping.”
“Kidnapping? Come on, Jake, we all know Emma’s just gone off in a sulk.”
“So why the hell are you holding me up in a fucking parking lot?”
“Because there’s more going on here than you’re telling me. I don’t know what you’ve done, but I do know you’ve done something. You killed my little brother, so who knows what you’re capable of?”
“It was a fucking accident I’ve regretted my entire adult life,” Jake growled.
“Well… if you want me to let you off the hook, just hand over the treasure map.”
Jake’s jaw dropped open. “That’s what this is all about? I told you, it was just a joke. I made it up.”
“Bullshit.”
Astrid tensed her muscles. “Daniel, we need to get my sister back!”
Daniel ignored Astrid and started to pat down Jake’s jacket with one hand – while still pointing his gun at Jake with his other hand. “I bet you’ve got it tucked away in there, huh? If you don’t hand it over, I’ll have you arrested for kidnapping Emma.”
“This is crazy,” Astrid said. “You’re supposed to be finding my sister, not your fortune!”
“Give me that map and I’ll let you both walk.”
Jake hoped Daniel was as stupid as he remembered. He reached toward his jacket. “All right.”
“Wait,” Daniel said. “Put your gun down on the ground and kick it to me…”
Jake decided to play along – there was no way Daniel was winning this. He slowly bent at the knees and dropped his gun to the ground, then he kicked it over to Daniel, who stood on it.
But now Daniel couldn’t move, or he’d expose Jake’s gun. “Astrid,” Daniel said. “Reach into Jake’s jacket and get the map, then pass it to me. No funny business from either of you, right.”
Astrid stepped over and stood in front of Jake. “Which pocket is it in?”
“Left,” he said.
Maintaining eye contact with him, she reached inside his jacket, and delved her hand into his inner left-hand pocket. Her eyes widened with surprise as her fingers came into contact with the contents.
He raised a cheeky eyebrow. “The map’s on my left, not yours,” he said coolly.
She shot him a ‘we’ll discuss this later’ look, then she pulled out the gun he’d stashed in his pocket, turned swiftly, and pointed it at Daniel.
Her hands trembled and her heart pounded, but Jake willed her to remain calm. Pulling a gun on a cop was illegal – even a corrupt one like Daniel. But this was the new Astrid. She held it exactly as Jake had shown her, and directed it right at him.
Daniel laughed. “Astrid, what are you doing?”
“Put your gun down. I need to find my little sister. Do it now, or I’ll shoot you.”
While Astrid was keeping him occupied, Jake came to life and kicked Daniel’s gun from his hands, sending it flying across the parking lot.
Astrid shouted angrily at Daniel. “We were just about to get my sister back, you stupid jerk – Simon’s got her. And now we’ve lost him, thanks to you!”
Daniel ignored this. “Astrid, lower your firearm. You’re protecting a suspected criminal – the punishment for which is prison.”
“Bullshit,” Jake said. “Suspected of what crime?”
“I’ll think of something… how about manslaughter? I know some pretty corrupt judges who’ll gladly put you both away if I pay them enough. Astrid, if you side with Jake now, I won’t protect you when I’ve hunted him down and arrested him.”
“He hasn’t done anything wrong, you asshole. In fact, he was about to save the fucking day!”
“And she doesn’t need your protection,” Jake said. He pushed Daniel away from where he was standing on his gun, then he bent and grabbed it from the gravelly ground, so Astrid lowered hers. She breathed hard, feeling confident, strong, and excited.
Daniel stumbled, but remained upright, so Jake punched him, sending him tumbling to the ground.
Jake turned to face her. “You coming with me, Astrid? Looks like we’re fugitives now.”
She gazed at Daniel who was clambering to his feet. “I… Jake – just tell me – does trouble follow you everywhere?”
Jake grinned. “It seems to. You wanna come on the run with me? We’ll find Emma, I promise. Come on, when’s the last time you did anything fun, huh?”
She laughed. “Maybe things have become a little stale and boring in my life.”
“All right. Let’s get outta here.”
They held hands and ran to his car, feeling free and full of hope. Astrid trusted that he’d help her find her sister. He was showing her a new way of life – a fun and exciting way of life. And she couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next.
Chapter Eighteen
Astrid had never done anything like this before – and somehow she loved it. She sat in Jake’s Ferrari, trying to get her breath back, feeling utterly exhilarated.
“Did you see what I did?” she said, laughing. “His face was a picture.”
Jake turned on the ignition. “You did great, babe, I’m proud of you.”
They shared a smile. Astrid leaned over and kissed him. Then reality drifted back. “We need to find my sister. I wish I understood why Simon was doing this.”
“We’ll figure it out. What did Simon say?”
Astrid sighed. “He was saying if I wanted to see her again then there were a few things I needed to do. One was that he wanted me back... He was about to elaborate, but Daniel fucked everything up.”
“Did you get a look at his license plate? The car was too far away for me to see.”
Astrid shook her head. “No. I was too focused on –”
Astrid jumped as Daniel appeared at the window and tapped on it. “Get out the goddamn car now – you’re both under arrest for pulling a firearm on a police officer.”
Astrid stared at him, unsure what to do. But Jake replied by revving the engine loudly, wheel-spinning fast, then speeding off. Astrid grabbed the handrail above the door and yelped as the adrenaline pulsed through her. “You’re crazy, Jake!”
“If he wants to fucking chase us he can,” Jake said. “If we can get to Simon – to your sister – with a convoy of cops in tow, they might come in handy.”
Astrid laughed. “You’re so bad.”
He threw her a grin. “Maybe you need a little ‘bad’ in your life right now.”
She nodded. “Maybe I do.”
She opened her mouth to thank him for shaking her life up for the better, but her phone rang in her purse. “Probably Daniel,” she said.
She grabbed the phone, as Jake drove them back toward the freeway.
“Hello?”
“Astr
id…” It was the voice of the kidnapper.
Astrid’s muscles tensed. “Simon? Is that you?”
Jake gripped the wheel. “Put him on speakerphone.”
She did. “Where’s my sister?”
The voice was distorted, gravelly. “I told you no cops. I need you to bring money. Your sister’s safe… for now.”
Astrid glanced at Jake, who was listening intently as he drove down the highway. He mouthed ‘Ask him where.’
“Where are you?” she said, trying to keep the fear from her voice.
“Philadelphia.”
“How did you get there? I only just saw you in New York.”
The voice breathed heavily. “This isn’t Simon. Bring fifty-grand in cash and you can have your sister back.”
“Let me speak to her!”
“I’ll call again with more instructions…”
The line went dead. Astrid dropped her phone into her purse. “Can we trace that call?”
Jake nodded. “When we stop in Philadelphia I’ll contact my guy at the telecoms company. He should be able to help us.”
“So we’re driving to Philly right now?”
“Sure. And hopefully we’ll shake off Daniel there too. Soon as we cross the state line, he’s obligated to get the Feds involved, which I know he won’t because he hates them almost as much as he hates me.”
“Daniel hates the FBI?”
“He likes to keep all the glory himself, you know? He thinks the Feds take the hard work of local cops and make it look like their own.”
“Who cares – as long as the crimes get solved? Surely that’s the point of being a cop?”
Jake chuckled. “I know. It’s his small-minded ego that causes all his problems. And ours. We’ll ditch this car as soon as we can and find something more subtle. Just in case he puts out an ‘all-points’ alert on us.”
“I just want my sister back.”
“We’re going to get her back, Astrid. I promise you that.”
“What about the money? The guy just said he wants fifty grand.”
“You got fifty grand?”
“Of course not.”
“Then we can’t give it to him, can we?”
Astrid let this notion sink in – Jake planned to confront the kidnapper without the ransom. But there was something she was wondering about… “Do you really have the treasure map on you?”
“Sure. I carry it everywhere. Never let it out of my sight.”
“And you think the treasure’s still there?”
“I think so.”
“Well then let’s rescue my sister, find the loot, and head to Mexico!”
He laughed and squeezed her knee. “That’s what I like to hear. A great plan.”
They drove through the night. Astrid called her parents to let them know she was okay and warned them not to tell Daniel anything. Her dad said he wasn’t surprised Daniel was that corrupt – he’d never trusted him.
“I’m going to bring Emma home, I promise,” she said.
“Be careful, Astrid, okay,” Martin said.
She knew he was worried, but she was possessed now by an intense inner-strength that soared through her like the Ferrari zooming down the freeway. “I’ve been careful my whole life. It’s time to be a little risky for once. Step out of my comfort zone.”
“Just don’t do anything stupid. I love you.”
“I love you too, Daddy.”
Astrid closed her eyes in the comfortable leather seat of Jake’s car and started to drift into a snoozy sleep to the purr of the engine. She drifted in and out of consciousness, but she opened her eyes again as she felt the car stop.
“It’s okay,” Jake whispered, covering her with his coat, “I’ve pulled into a parking lot. We’re in Pennsylvania so we can grab some sleep, then we’ll head off to Philadelphia at dawn. Best to sleep under the cover of darkness, and be ready for action when daylight comes…”
She nodded. He kissed her, then she settled down to sleep in the passenger seat, holding his hand across the center console, feeling safe, and knowing now that he’d do anything to protect her.
When she woke up again it was daylight and Jake was pulling the car into a university campus. The University of Philadelphia was clean and bright, and set in lush grounds, with glass modern buildings, as well as some older Victorian edifices, which presumably were part of the original college. Jake was cruising the Ferrari along a wide winding road that snaked through the center of the campus.
“Why are we here?” Astrid asked, pulling herself out of her sleep.
“There’s someone here who can help us,” he said, craning to look out the passenger window.
“Who?” Astrid asked.
Jake grinned. Affection washed over his face. “There she is.”
Astrid glanced outside and saw a stern-looking young woman – who was dressed in a sharp suit with blond hair – surrounded by a small group of handsome young men. They were all sitting on wooden chairs under a canopy of rusty-leafed trees, and the woman seemed to be giving them an outdoor lecture. Astrid glanced at the clock on the dashboard. It was eight in the morning. This was all very surreal.
“Who is she?” Astrid asked, feeling her jealousy well-up.
Jake smiled to himself. “Can you believe she’s here as a visiting tutor, teaching biodiversity to a bunch of post-grads? She’d much rather be out there in the field… But the pay’s good she says.”
Astrid had no idea who she was, but she didn’t get the chance to ask, because Jake pulled the car over, making the woman glance up – it was hard to miss Jake’s red Ferrari. She grinned as she saw him, then she made her excuses to the group of men, and hurried over.
Jake climbed out the car, and the two hugged. Astrid got out too and stretched, watching the scene unfold. He was now lifting the woman off the ground and spinning her with joy – sending Astrid’s envy sky-high. Apparently these two knew each other very well.
“Jake, why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” the woman asked.
He placed her down and threw her a playful grin. “I’m on the run…”
She squealed with excitement – something Astrid wouldn’t have thought she was incapable of at first glance. Jake started to fill her in, so Astrid stood there like a spare part, trying to push away her feelings of inadequacy. How stupid she’d been to give up everything for Jake like this. Of course she meant nothing to him. Of course he had women dotted all over the country. She hardened her heart against him. But actually… this was exactly what she needed – a little adventure, a little fun. She decided to continue on this new and exciting path, regardless of whether Jake was in this with her for the long haul. Astrid was going to stand on her own two feet – to become the strong and independent woman she’d always wanted to be. And she realized she could do that with or without Jake Quinlan. He’d revved her up but now she was going to take the wheel and drive herself into the sunset.
She tuned back into Jake’s reunion with the woman. They were holding hands and gazing affectionately into each other’s eyes. “It’s always so great to see you, Jake,” the woman said. “Of course you can hideout here – how very exciting!” She hugged him again, making him laugh with affection.
He broke away and turned to face Astrid, who smiled thinly. “Astrid, this is Clara.”
She tightened up. “Hello, Clara.”
“Hello, Astrid. My brother’s been telling me all about you.”
Astrid glanced at Jake – wondering how he’d had time. “Has he?”
“Oh, not this one… Joseph…”
Astrid frowned. “Joseph?”
Jake draped his arm around Clara’s shoulders. “Astrid, Clara’s my sister. My twin sister.”
Astrid’s body washed with relief and she let out a laugh. “Oh, I see!”
Clara folded her arms across her chest. “So, Jake, what trouble are you dragging poor Astrid into?”
“Nothing too bad. Astrid’s sister’s been kidnapped, but I’m o
n the run from some corrupt cop who’s got a vendetta against me because he blames me for the death of his brother. And he wants dad’s treasure map. But I don’t care about any of that.” Jake threw Astrid a grin. “All I care about it saving the day and getting the girl.”
Clara laughed. “Sounds delightful!”
Astrid rolled her eyes, but she was secretly impressed. He was so cool.
“You two want some breakfast?” Clara asked. “And a shower? You can tell me all about it.”
Jake glanced over at the group of young men under the trees. They were all gazing over – captivated by their tutor, watching her every move. “What about your students?” Jake asked.
Clara winked. “They can wait. I’ve got individual meetings with them all later, so they’ll get my undivided attention then. Come on, I’ll make you both some coffee.”
Chapter Nineteen
Clara’s apartment at the university was basic but modern, with an open-plan kitchen and living room – and a separate bathroom and bedroom through a door. Jake went off to shower, so Clara made Astrid some coffee and waffles, and they got to know each other. Astrid could see that Jake’s sister’s stern outer-shell was really just an act to keep men out, and inside was an intelligent, friendly woman.
Astrid wondered whether she was similar to Clara in that regard – except that under her shell was someone scared and timid. Clara wasn’t scared or timid – at least she didn’t seem it. She seemed larger-than-life, just like her brothers. Astrid wanted to emulate her.
“So what did the kidnapper say last time?” Clara asked, as they sat together at the small kitchen table. “Just that he’d call again?”
Astrid checked her phone for the hundredth time. “Yeah. I hope he calls soon – I’m so worried about my sister. Hopefully Jake can get his telecoms guy to trace the call.”
Clara gazed kindly at her. “Jake’ll get her back.”
They shared a smile. “Thanks.” Astrid decided to change the subject, feeling emotionally exhausted over Emma. She glanced around the apartment. “Do you like living here?”
The Billionaire's Secret: Billionaire Obsession (Tycoon Billionaires Book 5) Page 13