“Audrey—”
“I have them.”
He blinked. “What are you talking about?”
“His family. They’re at the house. I told them if they leave, I’ll kill Franklin. And the kid is in the cage. The mom will never leave him there, because I’ll kill him and she knows it.”
Garrett’s head was spinning. Audrey had kidnapped the lawyer’s family?A kid?
“You’re not making any sense. You told me you had a lawyer who would help and look the other way.”
“And he is.”
“What’s this about his family then?”
“Look, I know Franklin. He fucked me over years ago, so now he gets what he deserves. I put him in my back pocket in case we needed him. And we did. You should be happy I have a long memory.” She pouted again, her eyes watering. “He hurt me, Garrett.”
“What did he do?” Garrett was beginning to second-guess their entire plan. He didn’t like unknowns.
She put her chin up. “I don’t like your attitude. I love you, and everything I’ve done, I’ve done because you’re my one and only.”
Garrett squeezed his eyes shut. Took a deep breath.
“Did they see you?” he asked quietly.
“Do you think I’m stupid?”
Now she was getting mad, and Garrett knew better than to make Audrey mad—she might do somethingreallystupid.
“Of course not,” he said. “But the police don’t know anything about you, and while I don’t want to go to jail, I don’t want you there, either.”
“Aw, you’re so sweet.” She kissed him. “I blindfolded them and I had a disguise just in case. They never saw me. So we’re safe. And they won’t leave.” She still had Franklin’s phone. She edited the photo of herself and Franklin so that she was blurred out and then she sent it to his wife with a message, which Garrett read over her shoulder.
I’m not joking. If you leave the house, Franklin is dead. Maybe that’s what you want?
“Not only do I have their total and complete fear, I have cameras everywhere. Sunday morning, she tested me. Nearly got her leg blown off. I called her. Made sure she understood that next time, Franklin would die—or her son. She got the hint.”
“Sometimes, you drive me crazy.”
“Like this?” She grinned and put her hand on his penis.
He moaned and shifted. “No. Like not understanding the risks.”
She called upstairs. “Franklin! Get down here now!”
“I don’t want an audience.”
“Shh,” she said and kissed him. “Trust me.”
A moment later, Franklin came down the stairs. He stared at them half naked on the couch and blushed. He actually blushed. Garrett was now really wondering how this lawyer had screwed over Audrey.
“Franklin,” Audrey said with a smile, “just so you know, this little game we’re playing? We already won. I know where your wife and brat are—you don’t. Remember that. I know everything about you, about Lily, about your properties and how much money you have in the bank. I know where your in-laws live, and I even know where your ex-wife and daughter live in Texas. And your daughter is going off to college next year, isn’t she?”
His eyes widened and Audrey laughed. Garrett didn’t think it was smart to push Franklin too hard—there was only so much humiliation a man could take.
Audrey said, “They’re all safe if you obey the rules I laid out very clearly. Do you understand?”
“Y-yes.” His voice cracked and he looked terrified.
