Asshole.
“Let her go, Alan. This is between you and me,” Gigi said between gritted teeth, her entire body shaking with a combination of fear and rage. He’d gone too far this time, using Aubrey against her.
“It was,” he agreed. “Until you left. Now get in the car like a good girl. This just shows me that you can’t be trusted to take care of yourself. You need me. You’ve always needed me.”
A single tear was sliding down Aubrey’s cheek. There wasn’t anything left to do but admit that – for now – Alan had the upper hand.
Forgive me, West. I can’t let him hurt my sister.
Steeling herself for what was to come, she stepped toward the curb but stopped in surprise when Alan’s reached for her handbag.
“Your cell phone.”
He had his hand out, waiting not so patiently. She reached in, wishing there was a gun in her purse instead of a billfold and a hairbrush and pulled out her cell, placing it on his outstretched palm. His fingers closed over it and then before she could protest he flung it against the brick building. The phone broke into pieces and rained down on the sidewalk while Alan watched with a cool smile on his face.
“Now we’re ready to go. Have a seat, darling.”
Tightening her grip on the strap of her purse she stepped into the limousine, the inside cool and dark. Two of Alan’s minions, large and armed, sat on the opposite seat while Gigi slid next to Aubrey and grabbed her hand.
“It’ll be okay,” she said softly, squeezing Aubrey’s cold fingers between her own. Gigi’s palm was sticky with sweat but she was determined Alan wouldn’t see her fear. Not anymore. She wouldn’t give in this time. She’d fight to the very end.
Aubrey nodded but the fear was still there. Gig wrapped an arm around her sister, trying desperately to comfort the shaking young woman who clearly comprehended the gravity of the current situation. Alan was going to take them somewhere out of the way and keep them prisoner. With the cell phone smashed on the street she had no hope that West would be able to trace it, which she was sure was Alan’s plan.
Gigi was on her own but this time was going to be different. She’d learned to be strong and resourceful in the last two years. She’d learned to fight for her freedom and she didn’t intend to stop now.
* * *
West re-read the note that Gigi had left on her pillow.
Gone to coffee shop. I’ll be back with breakfast. Love you.
Smiling and feeling happier than he had in a long while, he levered up from the bed and reached for his blue jeans, tugging them up his legs. He wished she’d woken him before she left so he could go with her but he knew she was relishing her newfound freedom. She’d been scared and on the run for so long she had to be chomping at the bit to go somewhere – hell, anywhere – all by herself.
Even if it was only a trip two doors down from the hotel.
He zipped up his jeans and grabbed a t-shirt from his suitcase, his mind already thinking about the day. They needed to contact Gigi’s sister Aubrey who was probably upset that her boss was behind bars. He’d explain as much as he could and then hopefully she’d agree to travel back to Montana with them so she and Gigi could spend some time together. He wasn’t as fond of big cities as Travis was, but if Aubrey wasn’t willing to visit Tremont then he and Gigi would stay here in Chicago for a few weeks. Zach had said he was perfectly at ease doing either and that his employment situation was “casual”, whatever that meant. West was pretty sure it meant that if Zach had to quit his job at the martial arts gym to spend time with his sisters he’d damn well do it.
West’s cell on the bedside table chirped and he finished pulling the shirt over his head and reached for the phone.
Jared Monroe, Jason’s computer research genius.
“You’re calling early,” West laughed, pressing the phone to his ear. “What time is it in Seattle?”
“Around six, but we live by the baby’s schedule. I hope I didn’t wake you up.”
“I was awake. What’s up? Is everything okay with Shane?”
West had received a text from his cousin last night that he was home and resting comfortably but that didn’t mean he still didn’t feel guilty about Shane’s injuries. Hellfire, he was shot. West was going to have to buy Shane a car or something to make up for what happened.
“Everything is fine as far as I know. I talked to him last night and he sounded good. No, I’m calling about this Alan Morton guy. I’ve got some information you might find interesting. I just sent some photos to your email along with every detail I could find on your suspect. But you need to look at the pictures. You’ll see what I mean.”
“Talk to me,” West said, flipping open the laptop and clicking on the email attachments. He didn’t see much that interested him until he came across a picture of Morton’s family when the man was a teenager. “Shit. Just…shit.”
“That’s what I said after I saw a picture of your girlfriend. They’re dead ringers for each other, aren’t they?”
West couldn’t stop staring at the picture of the girl sitting next to a young Alan Morton, his brain having trouble comprehending what Jared was showing him. “Who is she?”
“Morton’s stepsister, Anna. His father married her mother when Morton was sixteen and Anna was fifteen. She died in a car crash three years later. There were two couples in the car and all of them had been drinking and partying. The driver lost control on a rainy night and hit a tree.”
That’s why Morton was so obsessed with Gigi. He wanted to replace Anna with a look alike. Sick bastard.
“That’s why he never gave up.”
“From what I’ve been able to find out from some of Morton’s friends he was obsessed with his stepsister,” Jared continued. “He never liked her boyfriends and he kept her on a tight leash – walking her to and from school and convincing his parents that she shouldn’t be allowed to drive anywhere by herself. His friends thought that it was strange but he told them he felt protective because Anna was pretty wild and didn’t always use the best judgment.”
“That is fucked up about ten different ways.”
“Apparently his attempt at controlling her only served to make her even more rebellious than your usual teenage girl. She drank, smoked, and basically ran around with the biggest losers in school. Of course that just made him more determined.”
West sighed and closed the photo array. “I appreciate all the digging you’ve had to do to find this out. It explains a lot.”
“Glad I could help. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do.”
West hung up but didn’t even get to set his phone on the table before it was buzzing again. The name displayed read Agent Faulkner and West eagerly swiped the screen wanting to hear the latest news regarding Alan Morton.
“Anderson.”
“This is Faulkner.” The man sounded tired as if he’d been up all night. West wouldn’t have been surprised. “I’m afraid I have some bad news.”
West’s heart sunk and his stomach churned as bile rose in his throat. “He’s going to make bail today isn’t he? The bastard.”
“It’s worse. You need to keep your girlfriend close to you. Morton’s already made bail. He’s got friends in high places in Chicago and he called in a favor. A judge crawled out of bed and arraigned him in the dead of night. Morton never saw the inside of a jail cell. He’s probably out celebrating right now.”
West’s heart stopped in his chest. He couldn’t have heard correctly. “What? Are you kidding me? He’s out? How long has he been free?”
Faulkner sighed tiredly. “Four or five hours maybe. Shit, I just found out about it ten minutes ago. I’m not any happier about it than you are. My balls are in a wringer over here about the bust as it is. The powers that be are threatening to demote me down to dog catcher.”
This wasn’t Faulkner’s fault but that didn’t make things any better. Gigi was out there…somewhere. Unprotected and on her own.
“Gigi left alone for the
coffee shop. I have to go find her.”
West didn’t wait another second, ending the call and shoving his feet into a pair of tennis shoes before bolting out of the room and into the nearest elevator. The ride seemed to take twice as long as it had last night and the doors had barely opened when he dashed into the lobby, his breathing ragged with full-on terror. He couldn’t let anything happen to Gigi, not after all she’d been through to hide from that psycho-bastard.
Shoving open the hotel doors, he ran onto the sidewalk and straight into the coffee shop only two doors down. The customers must have thought he was some kind of lunatic when he made his entrance. He hit the door so hard it flew back on its hinges and slammed into the wall while he stood there, panting and a wild look on his face. His gaze darted from corner to corner but Gigi was nowhere to be found.
He backed out of the door and stood on the sidewalk, barely controlling the urge to yell her name at the top of his lungs. She wasn’t in the coffee shop and if she’d been walking back he would have ran into her. She was gone.
He stumbled a few steps back toward the hotel but stopped when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Kneeling down, he scooped up the broken pieces of Gigi’s cell phone in his palm. The pink flowered case was split and cracked but there was no doubt this was hers. He’d helped her pick it out in the early days of their relationship, teasing her about how girly it was. She’d taken his crap and simply stuck out her tongue in response and giggled.
He’d give anything to see her do it again right this minute.
The sound of running footsteps caught his attention and he looked up to find Travis and Zach standing over him, wearing puzzled expressions.
“What’s going on? Where’s Gigi?” Travis asked as West stood in shock holding what was left of her phone.
“I don’t know where she is but I don’t think she would give this up willingly.” West held out his hand with the broken phone and Zach’s face turned pale.
“Fuck, he’s got her, doesn’t he? When did he get out of jail? When I find him he’s going to wish he’d never been born.”
“I think we all want a beat down on this guy,” Travis replied, retrieving his cell from his pocket. “I’m calling Jason and we need to call Faulkner. Maybe the police too.”
“I’m going to kill Morton.” West’s tone was quiet but deadly, matching his mood. He didn’t know what this sick fuck was going to do and he didn’t want to wait around to find out. But running off half-cocked wasn’t smart either. They needed to figure out where Morton would take her and then put together a plan that wouldn’t get her and the rest of them killed.
“Easy, little brother. We’re going to find her. I promise.”
West had promised Gigi last night that everything was going to be alright and somehow he’d fucked up. He should have kept her close until…shit, after the trial? Gigi would never have put up with that. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was all his fault. He’d let her down and now she was in that bastard’s clutches again.
“How can I help?” Zach’s jaw was tight and his shoulders stiff as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I want in on this. Don’t leave me out. I can handle myself.”
“We’re going to need every man we can get,” West assured him. “No one gets left behind.”
A promise was a promise. West would get Gigi back from Morton if it was the last fucking thing he’d ever do.
Chapter Twenty-Six
‡
Alan had locked Gigi and Aubrey in the basement of an older home out in the suburbs. They’d driven for a long time, Alan keeping up a one-sided conversation about his efforts to find her the last two years. Gigi refused to respond but that didn’t stop him from explaining how he’d tracked down Zach in Las Vegas and Aubrey in Chicago, even going so far as to hire her away from her last job so he could keep an eye on her.
He was a diabolical asshole who was also clearly a psychopath. It had never occurred to him in the last few years to simply give up and move on. He’d made it clear…he’d never let her go.
The basement had a living room and small kitchen plus a separate bathroom in the corner. Gigi had already climbed up on a table under a tiny window and tried to push it open, but it was jammed closed and refused to budge no matter how hard she shoved. She and Aubrey had combed through every cabinet and drawer looking for a screwdriver, hammer, or anything that they could use to pry the window open. Or break it. Gigi wasn’t fussy about how they escaped.
“I thought I’d dodged death last night but now I’m not so sure,” Aubrey sighed, falling into the couch cushions a defeated expression on her face.
“You almost died last night?” Gigi paused her search under the kitchen sink, alarmed at her sister’s statement. “Is that when Alan kidnapped you?”
“No, he didn’t get me until this morning when I came into the office.” Aubrey shook her head and nervously pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Last night I was at Alan’s club and when the police came in there were shots fired. An incredibly handsome man pushed me to the floor and kept me down there until the action died down. He may have saved my life.”
“That was Travis.” Gigi slapped her forehead as she remembered the story she’d heard last night. “He’s West’s older brother and a great guy. He had a cut on his forehead and he told us a story about pushing a woman to the floor and her jewelry cutting him.”
Aubrey held up her right hand and displayed a silver filigree ring on her pinkie. “It must have been this. I honestly didn’t realize he was hurt. I was kind of freaked out and may have not thanked him properly.”
“It was a small cut,” Gigi assured her sister, coming to sit next to her on the sofa. “You can thank him when he and West come to our rescue. I know they’re trying to find us right now.”
Gigi had no doubt at all that West was in a frenzy trying to find her. The only question in her mind was if he would succeed. She didn’t know where she was so how could he? Alan had never brought her here in the past and she wasn’t aware of any connection to this house. He could have purchased it just for this one purpose – keeping her prisoner.
Aubrey hopped to her feet and began to pace the floor as she wrung her hands together. “All these months that I’ve been working for Alan and this is why he wanted me. He was a pretty lousy boss too. He was weird and lately he’d been given to fits of temper. I was actually planning to look for a new job. And all this time he really only wanted to use me as bait to trap you. I feel so awesomely stupid. I should have known when he hired me away from my last job. I’m a good assistant but there’s nothing special about me.”
“Alan fooled me as well. When I first met him I thought he was a nice guy who really cared about me. It was only as time went on that I truly began to see what and who he really was. He’s good at hiding his intentions. Don’t feel badly, Bree. He’s had lots of practice at this. He’s an expert.” Gigi rubbed her damp palms against the denim of her jeans. “I’m just so sorry you were dragged into this. So very sorry. I made the mistake of telling him that I wanted to find you and look how things ended up.”
Aubrey quickly sat down beside Gigi and pulled her into a hug. “We’ve found each other again and for that I can’t be sad. I never forgot you and Zach.” Her smile widened and she took a deep breath. “I can’t wait to meet him. Has he changed a lot?”
“Actually, he looks the same except older. Same hair and eyes. He’s quite handsome. I bet he has a lot of girlfriends. Remember how the girls in his class would always have crushes on him? He’d always get the most valentines at school.”
Aubrey giggled and sat back into the cushions, a smile on her lips. “I’d forgotten that until you mentioned it. My new family didn’t want me to think about the past very much so I learned not to talk about it.”
Gigi and Aubrey had quickly caught up on each other’s lives when they’d been dumped into this locked room. Like Zach, Aubrey had been adopted into a new family which explained her chang
ed last name.
“That’s kind of sad but not a surprise. Even at the group home they encouraged concentrating on the future and not dwelling on the past.”
Aubrey’s expression softened. “I’m sorry that you didn’t find a family.”
Gigi had made her peace with that part of her life. “Me too, but it just wasn’t in the cards. The first foster family I was with wanted to adopt me but then they got a divorce so I was shuttled off to the group home. It wasn’t a bad place. They were good to me. I’ve heard some real horror stories and I don’t have any of those.”
Smiling, Aubrey squeezed Gigi’s hand. “From what you told me about West you’ll be a family with him, and he has parents and brothers and sisters. You’ll have that big happy family we always dreamed about.”
Gigi had deliberately stopped dreaming about having a home when she was in her teens. Not wishing for things that would never happen made her day to day life easier. It was only when she’d held on to hope that she was frustrated and sad.
“We’ll see,” Gigi replied, still not sure she had what it took to create a family and home. West had promised they’d learn together but then he at least had good examples to follow. What did she have? Families she’d seen on television. Books she’d read. “We have to get out of here first or neither one of us will be planning any happily ever afters.”
Shuddering with what had to be fear, Aubrey wrapped her arms around her torso. “Is he going to kill us? Just tell me the truth. Don’t baby me because I’m your younger sister.”
Swallowing down the acid she’d been choking on since the moment she’d seen Alan again, Gigi shook her head. “I don’t honestly know. He always said that if he couldn’t have me that no one else would either. If he found me he has to know that I’m with West now. Alan won’t be happy about that and he can be violent when he’s angry. I’ve seen him do terrible things to some of the men that work for him.”
Hiding From Danger (Danger Incorporated Book 2) Page 17