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“Hales went to find them,” Zak said calmly, turning to Kane. “What do you know?”
“Very little, I’m afraid.”
Coco rushed Kane as if she had every intention of striking him. “How could you let this happen? You promised me! You told me you’d guard her with your life! How can you stand here in front of me and draw air while telling me someone has taken my sister!”
Coco threw her arms over her head. Her wrists rested against her forehead and she screamed out in agony before wilting to the floor. About that time, Drina, Dallas, and Hales entered the kitchen. Drina glanced around before she searched Zak’s face, “What’s going on here?”
“It’s Norina,” Kane said.
As if it pained her to look away from Zak, she slowly turned her full attention to Kane. “What’s happened?”
“Your father’s enemies found her. She’s been abducted, Drina.”
* * * *
They set up camp at the Baldini home, hoping to hear something before the seventy-two-hour deadline came and went. Kane had paced the floor for most of the evening, dragging his hand through his hair and stopping every few minutes to squeeze Peyton’s shoulder.
Brandon, Kurt, Liam, Dante, and Mason had stayed at the farm with Coco. Kane had explained to them that someone might try and contact Coco since she was the oldest Baldini sister. They wanted things to appear normal in case the place was being watched. Apparently, Kane hadn’t given much thought to how it might look to an outsider when a Cadillac SUV with North Carolina plates had rolled into town at sundown.
In any event, Zak, Dallas, and Hales had followed Drina back to her place. Gemma had met them there, wide-eyed and drunk. At least Gemma kept things on the up and up. She’d gained quite the reputation as Erwin’s party girl and it wasn’t all that unusual to see her coming and going at all hours of the day and night.
“How did this happen?” Gemma slurred her words as she tried to hang her poncho on the coat tree right inside the back door.
“I don’t know,” Drina said, staring out the window and willing the home phone to ring.
“Do we know…I mean…are you…sure…this is related to Daddy?”
Drina snorted at that. “What do you think, Gemma? Hmm? Or are you too soused to even care?”
“That was uncalled for,” Hales said, seemingly quite interested in Gemma.
“He’s right,” Kane snapped. “We don’t turn on each other now.”
Gemma combed her fingers through her hair and crossed one of her legs over the other. Bouncing it playfully, she cocked her head and studied Hales. “Are you one of my sister’s fellas?”
He smirked. “We can talk about that later.”
“Yeah, that sounds like a fine idea,” Zak bit out, clearly disturbed because Hales and Gemma seemed to have an instant connection.
About that time the phone rang. Kane nodded at Drina. They’d already run through this a do
zen times. She knew what to say, how to say it, and what instructions she needed.
Zak squeezed her right hand. Dallas gripped her wrist in passing. Surprised, she turned and noted the exchange between brothers. Zak appeared unmoved by Dallas’s outward show of affection. Shaking off thoughts of her current relationship predicament, she mentally criticized herself for thinking about anything or anyone other than Nory.
Disgusted with herself, she nodded at Kane and snatched the cordless phone. “Yes, hello?”
“Tell Cartwell to hang up the other phone,” the man said.
Drina turned to Kane. He frowned and reluctantly hung up.
“Excellent,” the man said. “Here’s what you’re going to do, Miss Baldini. You’re going to get in the car and drive to Paddles and Picnics. You know the place?”
“Yes.”
“Of course you do,” the man said, a dry chuckle coming across the phone. “I forgot exhibitionism runs in your family. You’ll bring a hundred thousand dollars with you tonight, unmarked bills, and you’ll buy your sister another week of life until we figure out how to keep her alive and retrieve all the money your father owes us.”
“I can’t get my hands on that kind of money tonight.”
