.
I tried to remain calm and count the seconds that passed, but it was difficult with Theo's presence right beside me. I felt vulnerable and exposed, and the loss of sight made it all the more nerve-wracking.
I didn't know how long had passed when the car finally pulled to a stop. The door opened on Theo's side, and I heard him exit.
Then the door on my side opened, and a firm hand took me by my arm. I resisted, shrinking further into the car, but Theo's iron-grip made it impossible.
“Don't make me drag you out by your hair,” he warned.
“Go to hell,” I spat, struggling harder.
His hand let go of my arm abruptly, only to grab my ankles instead.
I screamed and kicked as I was dragged across the leather of the car seat. I heard a muffled curse when my feet collided with a hard torso, and a second later, my entire body was lifted up and tossed over a shoulder in a fireman's carry. Blood rushed to my head in my upside-down position, but fear made me continue my thrashing in Theo's grip.
Smack!
A slap cracked across my ass.
My cheeks heated with humiliation and fury. “Fuck you!”
“Like I said, ask nicely, and I might let you.”
My head bobbed as Theo walked, and I vaguely registered that we were in an open space, with a cold wind blowing across the area. There were only a few voices in the distance, and none who came to my aid.
A couple minutes later I felt us ascending three short steps, then the biting wind was cut off as we entered a room. There was a strange humming in the background, and my mind raced as I tried to place the unfamiliar sound.
Theo finally deposited me in a soft seat, and my head throbbed as the blood rushed back in.
“Where are we?” I strained against the cable ties, but they held firm, cutting into the skin of my wrists.
“Not to be a downer, but telling you would defeat the purpose of the blindfold, wouldn't it?”
“You bastard,” I growled in the direction of his voice. “Ryland will find me.”
“I won't be so sure if I were you. He's likely balls-deep in Aurelia right now.”
A sharp pang twisted my chest, but I knew Theo was just goading me. It was exactly the kind of sick game he liked to play.
I shook my head sharply, clearing the painful thoughts. If I wanted to kidnap Ryland Wyatt's girlfriend, where would I hide?
The answer came to me immediately.
Somewhere far away from New York City.
I quickly pieced together the scant information I'd gathered. The open space outside could be an airfield, and the soft hum in the background was the sound of an engine. The plush chair I was in could be a leather seat.
“We're on a plane,” I said dazedly. “You're taking me away from him.”
A pause.
Then my blindfold was yanked off.
Light flooded my eyes immediately, and I blinked against the sudden assault on my corneas.
“Not bad,” Theo murmured in approval. “You're smarter than I gave you credit for.”
Squinting at my surroundings, I saw that we were in the cabin of a private plane outfitted with luxurious leather seats and wood paneling.
And then I realized that Theo and I weren't alone.
He wasn't seated across me—he was adjacent, and the person facing me was…
“Estelle,” I whispered.
“Hello, darling.”
My father's murderer reclined in the seat across me, looking like a faded version of her younger self, but no less evil. She had swapped out her halter mini dress for a tailored sheath, but her green eyes were the same, watching me like a cat's. Her blood-red lips curved with satisfaction as she twirled a blonde curl about her clawed finger.
Fury and hate roiled in my stomach.
“You bitch,” I breathed. “How dare you show your face in front of me?”
Estelle merely looked amused. She gestured at Theo, who withdrew his gun from his jacket and handed it to her.
“Watch your words,” she remarked as she examined the gun idly, turning it over and over in her hands in a careless manner, her finger coming too close to the trigger every time. “You really don’t want to annoy me.”
Oh god. She was unhinged.
I looked around the cabin desperately, but there was nobody else aside from the three of us. No one who could help me.
I turned to Theo in a panic. “You don't have to do this. Ryland trusted you—”
“Save your breath,” Estelle cut in. “Did you honestly think you can persuade my own son from me? He came to me the moment Ryland contacted him, and I had my eyes on you both for the past two months. And it all worked out perfectly. Here you are.”
I didn’t take my eyes off Theo.
The early afternoon sunrays streamed in from the oblong windows in the plane cabin, bouncing off his dark hair and gold eyes. He had his cheek propped on his knuckles, watching me with a sharp gaze, but otherwise he made no indication that this was anything more than a show to him.
Help me, I begged silently.
His indifferent expression did not change.
But lower down, a tiny movement caught my eye. His other hand had shifted, just an inch. It was half hidden in his jacket, but what I saw there made my heart seize.
A red LED light, blinking in slow beats.
My gaze jerked up to Theo again, a desperate question in my eyes.
Could that be…?
Theo watched me with his emotionless golden eyes.
Then as an answer to my question, he blinked once, slowly.
My eyes widened.
Ryland had been right—Theo was on our side after all, and that recording device in his jacket was proof of that.
By why the elaborate act to kidnap me? Was it all just to get Estelle to lower her guard?
My blood rushed in my ears.
If so, then I had to keep up with the pretense. I had to get Estelle to confess everything on record.
“In fifteen minutes, we'll be on our way to Theo's property in Switzerland,” she said casually, as if we were chatting about her next shopping destination. “The flight will take about eight hours, but don't worry, you’ll find that this jet is very comfortable.”
“My dad is dead because of you.” My nails dug painfully into the palms of my hand. “You stole everything from me and my sister.”
Estelle merely looked amused, as if I were a misbehaving kitten. “I only took what was mine, dear.”
I was stunned. “You took his life!”
Her smile didn’t waver. “You poor thing. Horace never told you, but he willed everything to me. The house, the business, the money… They all belonged to me anyway.”
Bile rose at the back of my throat.
Was she for real? Was she seriously trying to justify my dad’s murder?
“You’re a monster.” My voice trembled with sheer fury. “He loved you, and you murdered him in cold blood. Don’t you dare deny it, don’t you fucking dare!”
Estelle cocked her head, her red lips curving slowly. “Since you want to hear it so badly… Fine, I did. I shot Horace in his face. Then I made it look like an accident. Does that make you feel better, Alecia?”
I froze, choking back my pain as I waited for her to say more.
“The boys were the perfect backup plan. It looks simple, but that’s the beauty of it. It took me years of planning, and even the great Ryland Wyatt can't figure a way out.” She crossed one toned leg over the other.
“I’m a little proud of that, actually,” she admitted, still watching at me with that faint smile. “Too bad I can’t share it with anyone else.”
“You're crazy,” I whispered, hot tears stinging my eyes. “You're completely crazy.”
I was furious. Grieving.
But I was also relieved. Estelle had admitted everything on record.
We finally had her.
“So that's it,” Theo suddenly murmured.
Estelle glanced at him in question. “What is, dear?”
Theo didn't answer immediately, instead reaching into his pocket to withdraw the slim black device.
“I think you know what this is,” he said, turning it over in his hand leisurely.
He still had his cheek propped on the other hand, but even with the casual position, he still managed to look strangely intimidating.
Estelle’s blonde brows drew together warily. “What are you doing?”
Theo pressed a button.
“My dad is dead because of you. You stole everything from me and my sister.”
Estelle's face went completely white as the recording went on, the words floating in the silence of the cabin like a damnation.
“Since you want to hear it so badly… Fine, I did. I shot Horace in his face.”
Her voice.
Theo thumbed the button on the device again, cutting off the playback.
Estelle was now frozen in shock.
“Stop this, Theo,” she said unsteadily. “This isn't funny.”
“Isn't it, though?” Theo tossed the recording device in the air and caught it again in his hand. “I think you know where I'm going with this.”
Estelle shook her head several times. “You can't do this to me. I'm your mother, I'm the only person who cares—”
Theo gave an incredulous laugh. “Don't give me that bullshit. You never gave a damn about anyone but yourself.”
He withdrew a pocket knife and reached over to me, slicing through my bonds.
“No hard feelings,” he said casually. “I needed a convincing show for her to let her guard down, and I couldn't bank on your acting skills.”
“No problem,” I said dumbly.
I rubbed my wrists, still shocked at the turn of events. Out of the three of us, Theo was the only one who looked composed.
But if he had captured everything—and I knew he had...
That meant Estelle's entire confession was on record.
After all these years, Ryland was free.
“No,” Estelle suddenly snapped. “I won't let you ruin it. I worked for this!”
I gasped as she brandished the gun at Theo, her eyes darting wildly.
“Give that thing to me,” she cried. “Give it to me!”
Without taking his eyes off her, Theo reached his arm towards me. I took his hand, and he quickly shoved me behind him.
“Or what?” he taunted, once I was at his back. “You're gonna shoot me?”
Estelle paled. “I…”
To my horror, Theo took one step forward, and another, bending down until his forehead was right against the barrel of the gun in Estelle's hands.
“Then do it,” he said softly. “The only way you're getting this is over my dead body, so do it. Shoot.”
Estelle's hands were shaking violently by now.
“I don’t want to do this,” she pleaded, mascara tears trailing down her face.
“Did I mention that this thing has Wi-Fi?” Theo continued conversationally, as if she hadn’t spoken. “If I press this button right here,” he tapped it with his thumb, “the entire recording will be sent to my secretary, who will proceed to forward it to every media outlet in the country. Do you want that to happen, Mum?”
Estelle choked in fear. “No, don't—”
“Then shoot,” Theo said simply. “Three…”
My eyes widened. “Wait, don’t—”
“Two…”
My eyes squeezed shut, but not before I caught the sudden flash of determination in Estelle's eyes, as if in slow motion.
I saw the jerk of her hand as her finger moved, and then...
Click.
I snapped my eyes open.
Estelle had pulled the trigger.
But nothing had happened.
“You didn't think I was stupid enough give you a loaded gun, did you?” Theo straightened again, his lips twisting coldly.
“You…” Estelle whispered, her face red with shock. “You bastard…”
The useless gun slipped from her fingers, clattering to the floor.
Theo took my arm and led me toward the exit of the plane, keeping himself between Estelle and me.
“Where are you going?” Estelle screeched behind us.
“I think the better question would be, where are you going,” Theo threw back as we stepped out of the plane and onto the tarmac.
He kicked the retractable steps back into the plane and slammed the door shut just as Estelle launched herself in our direction.
A flurry of desperate screams and kicks sounded on the other side of the door.
Then he snapped his fingers at the team of medical personnel I hadn't realized were waiting around us.
“Sedate her, then make your way to Switzerland as planned,” he ordered. “I want her confined to my property within the next twelve hours.”
My mouth fell open in shock at his words.
Theo ignored me, stepping aside as the doctors and nurses rushed past us into the plane like a SWAT team.
Estelle's screams grew louder, there was the sound of breaking glass, and then suddenly, it was silent.
Satisfied, Theo turned and strolled off towards a couple of cars a short distance away.
“That’s it?” I demanded, hurrying behind him. “You’re letting her go just like that?”
Theo didn’t break his stride—or bother to look at me. “Are you deaf? I explicitly used the word “confine.” Either you know what that means, or you're not as smart as I thought.”
I gaped, nearly tripping at his words. “She killed my father! And she tried to hurt us—”
“That's your problem, not mine. And one last thing. I'll be holding on to the recording.”
“What?”
Theo gestured to one of his men standing nearby and handed the recording device to him.
“Per my instructions,” he told him.
I stared dumbfounded as the man got into his car and drove off, taking the precious recording with him.
I rounded on Theo in disbelief. “You have no right—”
“I have every right,” Theo said, rolling his eyes impatiently. “The gun Estelle has won't mean jack now that I have her confession. I planned this shit for two months, and now Ryland and I are even. You're fucking welcome.”
“You are not even,” I retorted hotly. “She could hurt someone again in the future. She just tried to kill you—”
I froze when the meaning of that sank in. “I…I'm so sorry.”
Theo didn’t look like he even cared. “Whatever. I predicted it.”
A man in a pilot’s uniform came up to him then, and they exchanged a few words.
“Stay put,” Theo told me. “I'll get someone to send you back after I've settled shit here.”
Then he headed back towards the plane with the pilot, leaving me on the tarmac with a serious case of whiplash.
In the past minutes, I’d raced through fear, fury, hopelessness, shock, and fury again… All I wanted at that moment was to be back in Ryland's arms.
Crap, he must be worried sick.
I reached for my phone in my pocket to call him, belatedly realizing that I had left it in my bag in the car that Theo hijacked.
Suddenly, the deafening roar of car engines and screeching tires echoed within the airfield.
Seconds later, three sports cars pulled up in front of me, one black, one red, and one blue, followed closely by an entire fleet of black sedans moments later.
My eyes widened when I recognized the black Maserati as Ryland’s, and I nearly collapsed in relief.
Ryland got out of his car, sprinting towards me and crushing me in an embrace that forced the air from my lungs.
“Fuck,” he said hoarsely into my hair. “Bloody fuck.”
Then he pulled back and coasted his hands over my body. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”
“No,” I swallowed, clinging to him in relief. “No, I'm fine.”
“Thank fuck.” Ryland took my face in his hands and pressed a hard, anguished kiss to my lips. “I thought you were… goddammit, I thought…”
“Look, I appreciate the touching reunion and all,” Gabriel's voice said from behind us, “but can someone tell me where the bastard is? I wanna beat the shit out of him.”
“Wait!” I rushed. “It's not how it looks. Theo made it look like a kidnap so we could get a confession out of Estelle.”
Ryland's arms tightened. “What kind of dumbass plan—”
“Did it work?” Cam broke in.
I nodded. “I accused her of the murder, and she admitted to everything.”
“So we have everything on record,” Cam said, looking dazed.
Ryland stared fiercely at me. “You're damned amazing, did you know that?”
“Um thanks, but... there's still one problem.” I paused. “Theo doesn't want to hand the confession over.”
“He what now?” Gabriel snapped.
“And he plans to send Estelle away. She’s on that plane over there, and it’s headed for Switzerland—”
The door of the plane slammed in the distance then, and all three guys turned with matching looks of murder.
Theo froze in the spot where he'd just descended from the plane.
“I'm gonna kill him,” Ryland growled.
He deposited me with Cam and took off towards Theo, who immediately sprinted in the opposite direction.
Theo was fast, but Ryland was faster, driven by pure rage. I winced as both guys went down in a tackle that would have made an NFL coach proud.
“Help him!” I turned to Cam and Gabriel urgently. “Ryland's going to kill him!”
“That's kind of the point,” Gabriel said. Sounds of muffled curses punctuated his words. “But fine, I'll help. I've been waiting for this for years.”
He shed his jacket and tossed it on the ground heedlessly, and I watched as he bounded towards the two brawling men on the ground.
“He's heading over to beat Theo up, isn't he?” I muttered.
“Yeah, but don't feel too bad for Valentine. He deserves it for all the shit he put us through.” Cam exhaled. “I guess I'll just make sure Estelle doesn't get away—”
A roar of turbine engines split the air.
We watched as the plane made its way down the runway, gradually at first, then quickly picking up speed.
“Too fucking late,” he muttered as it disappeared down the runway, taking off in the air moments later.
“We'll think about later.” I looked back at the fight, which was turning bloodier by the minute. “First, you need to help Theo. I don't want Ryland in prison for murder when we've just gotten you guys out of the threat of it.”
Cam rolled up his shirtsleeves without hurry.
“Guy's really lost it, huh?” he mused. “I've known him my whole life, and I’ve never seen him this scared.”
I bit my lip, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. “He was just worried.”
“More like out of his goddamn mind,” Cam scoffed. “It's fucking pathetic. I'll never let myself fall that low, trust me on that.”
Shaking his head, he strode off towards the three brawling guys, looking like he'd done this a hundred times before.