Chapter Thirty-One
My head was pounding. Muffled sounds started to become clearer. The voices began to make sense.
“She’s been out for over twelve hours. How much did you give her?” The voice was familiar, yet not. It was hard and masculine.
Still, my eyes were too heavy to open, my body too numb to move. Are they talking about me?
A woman’s voice answered, “I used the syringe I was given.”
It was different yet maybe familiar. I wasn’t sure.
“Wait in your room. If she doesn’t survive this, you will pay.”
“Yes, sir.”
Survive. Pay.
I could hear footsteps as someone moved around the room.
Syringe. Twelve hours.
I tried to open my eyes to no avail.
The door creaked and then shut. Am I alone? Garrick. Where is Garrick? No. If it had been him, he wouldn’t have left me. What happened?
The thrumming in my ears increased.
I relaxed my face, hoping the fog would clear. I tried to recall my last memories, but the images were garbled in my head.
Pound.
Pound.
Pound.
A hammer had taken up residence inside my head.
My mouth was dry. I needed to cough but couldn’t. Warning bells were going off in my head; something wasn’t right. I tried to move, but my arms and legs wouldn’t respond. I finally realized I was strapped down. I opened my mouth to call out when I remembered the words—Call me the moment she wakes up.
Café.
Coffee.
Sick.
Bathroom.
My eyes shot open.
Marlena.
She had been there.
Why?
She’d refused to help me. In my attempt to get to Arnold, something had pricked my neck. All the memories began to rush forth. With a clearer head, I looked around.
Yet the woman in the room hadn’t sounded like Marlena.
Where am I?
I pulled frantically at the binds that constrained me. Wait. They wanted me awake. So I had to be quiet. The man’s voice—it had to be Navarro. It had to be.
Stay calm. I need to stay calm. Figure out where I am. Trace my steps.
The man had said I’d been out for around twelve hours. It had been around eleven when I went to the café. That would make it eleven or midnight now.
What had happened at work?
Garrick would have to know I was gone by now.
Wait.
Arnold would have known something had happened. Yes, Garrick must have been informed that I’d been taken. All this thinking was making the headache thrum even harder behind my eyes. Make it stop. I was dehydrated and woozy.
Creak.
Someone was at the door. I closed my eyes and tried to calm my breathing as much as possible. More time. I needed more time before they knew I was awake.
The door opened, and I froze. Though my heart raced, I tried to breathe shallow and evenly, as though I were asleep.
Step.
Step.
Step.
There was a whooshing sound in my ears as panic set in. Who’s in the room with me? Are they going to hurt me?
The footsteps stopped for a second. I felt eyes on me, assessing me.
Breathe evenly.
Don’t move.
Remain calm.
They came closer. I could hear breathing.
Please don’t touch me.
A hand touched my cheek, and I wanted to scream. Somehow, I remained still. The touch was soft…feminine.
“I’m sorry, Knoah. I promise you’ll be safe.”
Marlena. Yet it wasn’t. The southern accent was gone.
Stay calm. Don’t open your eyes.
Betrayal raced through me. Hurt. Anger.
She had fooled me. She’d fooled all of us.
More silence.
Step.
Step.
Step.
The door opened and closed.
I was alone again…hopefully. Staying perfectly still, I listened carefully for more moments but heard nothing. No one else moved. No one else breathed. Cautiously, I opened my eyes and let out a deep sigh. The room was empty.
Water.
The dryness in my throat nearly choked me, but I swallowed it down and took in my surroundings. I was in a bedroom—a rather nice bedroom, actually. The curtains were red trimmed in gold fringe. The bedspread matched. The dark wood furniture was expensive looking with its intricate carvings. There was dim lighting from a lamp in the corner. I pulled on my restraints again now that I had a clearer head, but the leather binding had no give. There was no way I could get out of them without some help.
Think. Think. Think.
A sweet smell filled the air…some sort of flower, I thought, but I wasn’t able to place it. Then I saw the vase on the dresser…lilies. Lots of lilies. This had to be Navarro’s. A shiver ran through me when I remembered he placed the flower on every victim he killed. The drugs or whatever she’d given me had left me lethargic and fuzzy. My best bet was to stretch my “sleeping” for as long as possible. The longer I was asleep, the better. It gave Garrick more time to find me before I faced my kidnapper.
I attempted to move my fingers to reach the buckle of the bindings, but it was no use. I was completely trapped. There was nothing obvious in the room I could use to free my hands, and my purse lay on the chair. Where’s my cell phone?
Time seemed to stand still. How long have I been in here?
Using my saliva, I tried to coat my mouth and throat constantly to refrain from coughing.
Panic kept trying to take over, so I had to continually talk myself down. I wondered how much time had passed since Marlena checked on me and when she’d be back.
I heard voices growing louder. And I froze again. Pretend to be asleep. I repositioned myself and relaxed the muscles in my face.
More time. I needed more time for Garrick to be able to find me.
The door creaked open again. These footsteps were heavier. Not Marlena. Was it the man—Navarro? Fingers touched the inside of my wrist. The hands were firmer, masculine, and I recoiled mentally from the revolting contact.
My heart raced a million miles a minute. He had to know.
Then silence. “Yes, she’s been out for fifteen hours. I’m concerned, as her heartrate is elevated. Let’s force the wake-up if she’s not awake within an hour. I’ll have someone stay in the room to monitor her.”
Navarro.
Now that I’d heard the voice more clearly, I knew it was him. It was the same cocky voice I’d heard at the gala when he challenged Kurt and me to sing for charity.
A few minutes later, the door opened. “Watch her from the door. Do not enter. If she wakes, call me immediately.”
“Yes, sir.”
Being tied to the bed left me feeling exposed. Someone watched me from the door. I had no idea who, how, or why, and I hated it. But I had an hour to figure out something. I began to silently count the seconds. I would “wake up” in about forty-five minutes.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five.
I kept counting. And more counting. When I guessed about forty-eight minutes had passed, I pretended to stir. Having something else injected in me was not what I wanted.
“Sir, she’s beginning to wake. She’s moving. No, her eyes are not open yet. Yes, I’m still at the door. I will.”
Slowly, I opened my eyes. The shadow of a man darkened the doorway. He was large. A shiver ran through me at the thought that he’d been watching me.
What do I do?
When I’d first woken up, I’d freaked against the binding. Now I moved, testing the restraints. “What’s going on? Where am I?”
“Shh, bella. You’re safe.”
I froze again at the sound of Navarro’s voice. Inside I was terrified, but this time I didn’t fight to hide my reaction and simply let my chest heave with my panicked breaths.
Navarro walked into the room. Tonight he was dressed more casual than at the gala, in slacks and a dress shirt. His hair was still short and his face clean shaven. The dangerous feel clung to him like a cloak. “I’m glad you’re awake. I’m going to untie you so you can drink. I expect you to stay put; there are several guards in the hallway. Understand?”
I nodded but remained silent. Being untied was better than having the restraints left on. At least with my hands free I could attempt to defend myself.
With deft fingers, he unbuckled each of the restraints. I massaged my wrist and sat up. Whoa. I was dizzy.
“Slower. Drink this. It’s water.”
Eyeballing the glass, I saw nothing swirling around, but I wasn’t sure if it was safe.
“I would tell you if there was something in it.”
“What?” My voice was hoarse.
Dark, calculating eyes met mine. “If I was going to do something to you, I would tell you.”
“Why?”
“Because you have no control. None. I could easily have you restrained.”
He made a psychotic point. Greedily, I drank the glass of water. The security guard handed me another, which I finished, as well. “More?”
“No, thank you.”
Please let him be telling the truth about the water.
For some reason, I believed him.
Then his phone rang. “I need to take this.” He connected the call. “Yes. I want to know the minute he leaves Miami. Remember what I have of yours. Keep me posted.”
The call ended. Casually, he took a seat beside the bed. “How are you feeling?”
Really? Is this how he planned to start things off? I blurted out the first thing that came to mind and watched his reaction. “Are you going to kill me?”
He narrowed his eyes. “That’s not the plan.”
Not the plan. But he wasn’t opposed to it. I shifted on the bed. My throat grew dry. “What is the plan?”
“What specifically do you want to know?”
Navarro enjoyed this game of cat and mouse. So I kept playing. “Why am I here?”
“I will explain that later.”
I took another deep breath, trying to remain calm. “Who drugged me?”
“That too will reveal itself when it’s time.”
“Are you brokering a deal with Garrick?”
“No.” The way he said it was final and offered no hope. No pretenses or lies. Simple and straight. Fear crept in. Navarro probably never said anything unless he meant it.
No? He planned to keep me. Or kill me. Tears pricked the backs of my eyes. I had to get back to Garrick. A life without Garrick was no life at all.
“I’m sure you need to use the facilities.”
Facilities?
He nodded to a door, and it took me a moment to realize he was talking about the restroom. “Yes, please.” A few minutes alone to gather my thoughts would be good.
Navarro stood. “So we’re clear. If you try anything, there will be consequences.”
“Consequences?”
The darkness of his eyes grew colder, his face harder. “Your parents. It wouldn’t take much to get to Barb and Wyatt.”
My parents. Wouldn’t take much. This was how he stayed in control—terrifying those in his grips. His words echoed in my head. From what I knew about Navarro, he delivered on promises. Mom and Dad. I can’t lose them. “O-okay. I won’t. You have my word.”
Satisfaction spread across his face. Navarro now had my ultimate weakness—those I loved.
I stood and grabbed the bedpost, feeling a little unsteady. “Do you need help?”
“No,” I snapped. I closed my eyes for a second. “What did you give me?”
“You were injected with a tranquilizer.”
A tranquilizer. What made me sick, though? Or was that just perfect timing? No way. “Marlena.”
“Yes. She also put ipecac in your coffee to make you sick. But dinner is waiting after you finish. It should help.”
Ipecac. I knew it induced vomiting, but not much else about it. Will there be any serious side effects? Why did Marlena do this? There were so many questions regarding what happened. I needed a few minutes to get my thoughts in order. I took a step and swayed.
Navarro touched my elbow, and I jerked my arm away. “Please don’t touch me.”
He took a few steps back. “As you wish…for now.”
For now?
What’s his endgame?