by Krista Lakes
“I hope so,” Craig agreed. “I don't want him to have to learn the hard way.”
The way he looked at her made Laura's blood run cold. He looked at her the way a teacher looked at a difficult test. She hoped that Ethan was going to pass.
“When is he supposed to get here?” Laura asked. She had to figure out a way to escape before then.
“Soon.” Craig pulled out a pocket knife and began to play with it. It made a metallic click every time he snapped it shut. She tried not to wince at the sound.
“Could you untie me until then? I promise not to run,” she told him, already figuring which way to run to get away. “These ropes really hurt.”
He shook his head and clicked the knife shut. “I'm sorry, Laura, but I don't trust you. No offense.”
“None taken. I know you're just trying to do what's best for him,” she told him. She had to keep him talking. The longer he talked, the better off she was. She got information and hopefully provided a distraction. “You mentioned the other team was following stupid leads? What lead?”
“They think his old secretary is the one they need to worry about,” he said, flicking the knife open. She stared at the blade and tried not to shy away.
“The old secretary? You mean Janie? The crazy one?” She winced after the word “crazy” left her mouth. It probably wasn't the best word to use around him. “She broke into his house?”
He snapped the knife shut. She wasn't sure if it made her feel better or not.
“He just made me so mad,” he told her. “After all, I've done, he just fired me.”
Laura frowned. “I'm afraid I don't understand.”
Craig sighed. “I keyed his car. I wasn't thinking. I was just mad.” He shrugged like he was truly sorry for it. “I'll pay him back for the damage, I swear. I just lost it. It won't happen again.”
She watched as he flicked the knife open again. She really hoped he didn't lose it.
“I get it,” she told him, her eyes on the knife. “There are a ton of country songs about that very thing.”
“There are, aren’t there?” he agreed with a smile. “When his security team saw the car, they told him it was his crazy secretary.”
“How very silly of them,” Laura said, keeping her tone as neutral as possible.
“I know, right?” Craig closed the knife. “Like his secretary would know how to turn off the cameras? And then the whole house thing...”
“The house? What happened to his house?” She almost didn't want to know. Why hadn't Ethan told her any of this?
“I broke into his house,” Craig admitted sheepishly. “I wanted to apologize for the car.”
“So you broke into his house?”
“You say that like it's a bad thing.” The knife flicked open.
“I'm sorry, Craig. I'm just trying to understand,” she said quickly. “He didn't tell me any of this.”
Craig fiddled with the knife for a moment before closing it.
“When did this happen?” Laura asked.
“About a week ago. We had just gotten back to California,” Craig said, staring at his knife.
She nodded. That was probably part of why he was so upset when he got back. He wasn't just dealing with business while away. He was dealing with Craig breaking into his house.
“And Ethan thought it was Janie that was doing all this?” she asked. She had to keep him talking. If she'd learned anything from cop TV shows, it was important to keep the bad guy talking.
“That's what Bruce convinced him,” Craig said the name like it was bitter in his mouth. “Stupid. She wouldn't know how to do any of it.” He turned and looked at her again. “That's why Ethan needs me.”
“I agree,” she assured him. “He needs you to keep him safe.”
“See? I knew you were good for him,” Craig told her with a smile. “You should have some more water.”
He picked up the water bottle and opened it again. He was so gentle and careful as he held it to her lips and let her drink that it was hard to believe he was the one who tied her up. She finished the last of the water.
“He should be here soon,” he told her. “I'll get you something to eat when this is done. There's a decent hamburger place just around the corner.”
“That sounds great,” Laura replied. “Thank you.”
He put his hand on her shoulder. “Don't worry, Laura. Once I show him how much he needs me, I'll keep you safe too.”
She did her best to smile even though she was shaking on the inside. “Of course.”
He patted her cheek and picked up the water bottle before walking off. The light was getting brighter, telling her it must be morning. She could now see the door that he was going out of. The door opened and closed and he was gone.
She stared after him, her entire body shaking.
“Please God,” she whispered. “Please don't have Ethan bring anyone with him...”
Chapter 38
Laura
Laura dozed off. There was no way for her to keep time in the quiet of the empty warehouse. She watched as the sunlight shifted against the floor, but her eyes were still heavy from the drugs Craig had given her.
When she woke, the sun was at a different angle and more yellow than gray. She was thirsty again, and now she had to pee as well. She wondered what had woken her up when she heard the metallic thud of the warehouse door.
She prayed it wasn't Craig. She wasn't ready to pretend to be the compliant captive. She still hadn't found a way to get out of the ropes tying her to the chair. All she had to show for her struggles were bruises.
She watched with baited breath as a man came through the door. She wasn't sure if she could handle another conversation with Craig. She pressed her ankles and wrists against the ropes that held her to the chair, but the didn't budge. It felt like all she was doing was bruising herself.
The man stepped into the light and Laura gasped.
It wasn't Craig. It was Ethan. Her heart soared and stuttered at the same time. He was here to save her. She was being rescued. But, what if he had brought someone with him? What if he didn't do as Craig had asked?
Ethan glanced around the room before running across it to her chair.
“Are you okay?” he asked, checking the ropes. They didn't budge.
“I am now,” she told him, her voice shaking with relief. She wished she could just collapse in Ethan's arms and have this whole nightmare be over.
“I'll get you out,” Ethan promised, cupping her face in his hands. She looked into his green eyes, and she believed him. She nodded and did her best to smile.
“I'm glad you made it, Ethan.”
Craig stepped out from the shadows. Laura didn't know how long he'd been there and it made her uncomfortable. She didn't like thinking of him watching her.
“Craig, come help me with these. She'll be back any minute,” Ethan called to him, motioning to the ropes. He turned back to Laura, then did a double take on Craig. He frowned. “What are you doing here, Craig? Where's Janie?”
“He's the one who tied me up, Ethan,” Laura whispered, her eyes on Craig. She could see the outline of the knife in his pocket.
Ethan's eyes went wide. “What?” He looked at Craig, then at Laura, then back to Craig in disbelief. “Why would you do that?”
“To show you how much you need me,” Craig explained, taking a step toward him. “The rest of your 'security' team was so busy chasing after Janie that they failed to keep the woman you love safe.”
“Janie didn't do this?” Ethan asked, shock filling his features.
“'Janie didn't do this?'“ Craig mocked Ethan, using a high pitched voice. He spat onto the floor. “Of course she didn't. You're missing the point.” Craig came closer. He pointed to Laura. “She's important to you, and they failed. Miserably. But I didn't fail. I keep you safe.”
Ethan stood in complete shock. “It was you? The voice was disguised, but I would never have thought it was you.” Ethan frowned, betrayal filling hi
s eyes. “I trusted you.”
“You should trust me, Ethan. You must trust me,” Craig said. He smiled up at him as a dog would to his master. “I protect you. I keep you safe.”
“Why are you doing this, Craig?” Ethan asked, hurt in his voice. “Why would you do this to Laura?”
“You fired me.” Craig's voice was low and dangerous. Laura could hear the pain in it.
Ethan shook his head. “No, I didn't.”
“Yes, you did!” Craig's voice echoed through the empty warehouse. He took a breath and visibly calmed himself. “Yes, you did. You had Bruce tell me you didn't need me.”
Ethan frowned and shook his head. “Craig, I didn't fire you,” he explained. “You had too much overtime. You couldn't work anymore this month.”
“You left me behind,” Craig shouted. “You left me!”
“He was worried about you, Craig,” Laura cut in. Her heart pounded in her chest. If Craig got upset, he would lose control and hurt her. She softened her voice, trying to stay and sound calm. “He was worried you were working too hard.”
Ethan's brows came together since that clearly wasn't the case but then raised as he figured it out. He nodded.
“She's right, Craig,” he said, agreeing with Laura and going with what she said. “I don't want you to work too hard. That's what it was. I was looking out for you.”
“Protecting you isn't work,” Craig informed him. He took a step closer across the empty room. He was now close enough that if he brought out his knife, he could reach her. Laura's heart pounded in her chest.
If he decided to hurt her, there was nothing she could do. She pressed against the ropes, but all it did was hurt her bruises. Fear clutched at her throat. What would Dallas and Ivy do without her? Who would make sure that they got the right kind of ginger ale when they were sick? Who would tuck them in at night?
“I understand that now. I was wrong,” Ethan replied. He motioned to Laura. “Will you untie her? You've made your point.”
Craig shook his head. “Not yet. I need you to understand.”
“Okay,” Ethan said quickly. “I'm listening. You have my complete attention.”
Craig swallowed, and his eyes went big. This was his moment. This was the moment that he'd been waiting for and needed.
“You need me, Ethan. I just want to keep you safe,” he explained. “You're like a brother to me. I had to take her to show you that. I never meant to hurt her. I just need you to understand how much you need me.”
Ethan nodded. “I see that now, Craig. I don't have an actual brother, but if I did, I would want him to be like you,” Ethan said with a smile. He put his hand on Laura's shoulder. “Will you please untie her now? She doesn't need to be a part of this. I understand now.”
“Will you hire me back on?” Craig asked in a small voice. He looked at Ethan with hopeful eyes.
“You will be my primary bodyguard,” Ethan promised. “I need someone as dedicated as you. You've really shown me how much I can't trust anyone else. No one else can protect me. You've proven that.”
Craig's eyes narrowed. “How do I know that you aren't just saying that?”
Ethan looked at Laura. “Do you know how it felt to hear she'd been taken?' He swallowed hard. “I love her, Craig. And I have spent the last twelve hours terrified that something had happened to her. I don't know what I would do if I lost her.
He met her eyes, and the weight of his words hit her. He loved her. She struggled down tears.
Ethan turned back to Craig. “You saw that. You were the only person on my security team to look out for all my interests,” Ethan told him. “You're willing to go the distance. You saw what I needed, and you did it. I need you, Craig. You've proven yourself.”
Craig considered Ethan's words. Laura's heart was an out of control freight train in her chest. This was the moment of truth. If Craig didn't believe Ethan, then she was dead. If he didn't believe that Ethan was going to hire him back on and that all was forgiven, she would never see Ivy and Dallas again.
Craig pulled the pocketknife from his pocket. Laura closed her eyes. If this was the end, she didn't want to see it coming. She was just glad she'd gotten to see Ethan again and know that he loved her.
“I“m glad you've seen reason,” Craig announced. He crossed the remainder of the room in six quick steps. Laura winced as the knife came close, but he only cut the ropes holding her to the chair. The ropes fell to the floor, and she opened her eyes. She was free.
“Go to the door, Laura,” Ethan told her, helping her stand. Her legs wobbled, and she nearly fell. Her feet were both asleep from either the binding or sitting too long, or possibly both. She took a small, wobbly step of freedom.
The knife clicked shut as Craig put it back into his pocket. He grinned proudly at Ethan like he had done a good thing. Ethan held out his hand to him, and Craig happily took it.
“Thank you, Craig,” Ethan said, pulling the man into a hug. Craig's face split into a broad smile, and he happily closed his eyes. It was then that Ethan plunged a needle into Craig's neck and pushed in the syringe.
Chapter 39
Laura
She tried to scream, but nothing came out. Her lungs didn't seem to work. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Craig looked up at Ethan with the biggest, saddest eyes. They were full of the ultimate betrayal as he collapsed to the floor. Laura even thought she heard a soft whimper come from the strong man.
Ethan caught him, guiding him down as gently as possible. Craig's eyelids fluttered as his knees buckled and the drugs took hold. Ethan lay Craig's head on the floor like he was tucking Craig into bed rather than knocking him out for the count.
“He's down,” Ethan said to no one in particular. He sighed as he made sure Craig was safe on the floor.
Laura was such a mess of adrenaline and fatigue that she was having a hard time understanding what was going on. Things seemed to be going faster than she could track and her head still hurt from being roofied. She was afraid she might be hallucinating all of this and that she'd wake up still tied to the chair with Craig flicking his knife at her. This didn't feel real.
It didn't help when four doors all opened at the same time, and armed men ran inside. There were people in police uniforms, people in all black with SWAT stamped on the back, and unfamiliar faces of a security team. She stared at them as they ran past her, guns in hand to secure the room.
Two sets of EMT's came in through the door Ethan had entered once the police shouted an all clear. Each pair had a gurney and an oversized medical bag. One set went to Craig's fallen body and the other to her. She pushed them away and went to Ethan instead.
He hugged her to him, pressing his face into her shoulder. She, in turn, held onto him like she might float away at any moment. After the day's events, she felt like it was certainly possible. She closed her eyes and felt the tears of relief start to flow. He felt real.
Ethan held her tighter, his own breathing choppy. He was shaking in her arms, and she was holding him up as much as he was holding her. He repeated her name into her hair, keeping her safe in his arms. She felt safe for the first time since he'd left her house.
“Sir, we need to check her,” one of the EMTs said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Slowly, Ethan relaxed his grip on her. He wiped his cheeks with his shirtsleeve as they took her hand and had her sit down on the gurney. Her legs still didn't work right, but at least the pins and needles sensation was gone. Ethan hovered beside her, watching their every move to make sure she was being taken care of appropriately.
The EMTs did their best to work around him as they took her blood pressure and shined lights into her eyes.
“What just happened, Ethan?” she asked, blinking as the EMT removed the bright light. “You stabbed him.”
“It was a sedative,” Ethan told her. “He'll be fine. Well, he'll have a nasty headache, but it was better than the alternative.”
Laura shivered. She didn't want to think ab
out alternative ways this could have gone down.
“He said that he told you to come alone,” she said. She looked around at the swarm of police, SWAT, security, and EMTs. “This isn't exactly alone.”
“He did tell me to do that,” Ethan replied. “I should begin at the beginning.”
Laura nodded. “That would help.”
Ethan took a big breath in before starting his story.
Chapter 40
Ethan
Eight hours earlier…
“Come alone, or I'll kill her.”
The electronic voice clicked off, and the line went dead.
A picture came through of Laura tied to a chair and address to meet.
Ethan stared at the phone in his hand. He was shaking. He never shook like this during business meetings or even when climbing over hundred foot drops. But this had him shaking like a leaf in a tornado.
Someone had Laura and was going to kill her.
He swallowed hard. It had to be Janie. The car, the break-in... and now she had Laura.
His knees buckled, and he sat down hard in his office chair. The chair swiveled, nearly dumping him over and he cursed. He hated this Colorado temporary office.
“You need a plan,” Ethan whispered to himself. He closed his eyes and started visualizing. It was what he did when he faced a difficult vertical mountain climb. He would visualize each spot his hands needed to go to and just how to grip the rock. He would plan the entire ascent up the rock face and anticipate any hidden obstacles. What if a rock breaks? What if his fingers slip? He visualized all of it, so there was always a backup plan.
He did this during business too. What if the acquisition goes south? What if the stock falls the day before a merger? Having a plan was critical. It was soothing in a way. He knew if he had a plan, he would know what needed to be done next. So, he looked at the problem and came up with solutions.
First, Laura was taken by an unknown entity. He assumed it was Janie, but just as a handhold could look secure and crumble as soon as he put weight on it, he knew better than to trust an assumption.