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Christ.
I couldn’t think about her or what I’d done to her right now. Making things right would have to start here in the monitors and computers, maps and murmured voices.
“How much did Mr. Lewis tell you?”
I straightened my shoulders. I felt small and inconsequential in this room full of so much motion and intent. “Just that there was a call.”
“Well, I’m Aidan. I’m the head of this unit. We aren’t the usual security team. I’m a former SEAL, as are half of my men.”
I frowned. “All I know about that is from television and movies.”
“We deal with kidnappings on occasion, but our specialty is protection and extraction. Since bringing the cops into this is less than ideal, we’re going with extraction.”
“Not paying?” My stomach dropped. “I’m not sure what kind of associates Jerry has.”
“The problem with paying is that then they’ll have no reason to give her back.”
Which was my greatest fear, but Jerry had never been more than threatening. Knowing he could hurt my mum at any time was always his best and most often used card. But murder?
Would he go that far?
I swallowed. “What did he ask for?”
“Three million.”
“Sweet Jesus.” That kind of number could make people stupid.
“Tell me about this Jerry guy.” His voice was sandpaper over steel. No nonsense as he fiddled with something with wires on the table beside us. He didn’t even bother looking at me. I was purely a means to an end.
“Mostly digital stuff.” I worried at the burn on my arm. Aidan glanced at me, his dark brow arching. I dropped my hands to my sides and cleared my throat. “I wouldn’t exactly call him a hacker type, but he seemed to have access to money when he needed it, but he was always looking for more.”
“Kidnapping is a step up from cyber crimes.”
I took a deep breath that somehow made my still raw throat ache even more.
Aidan’s gaze sharpened. “What are you not saying?”
“I don’t have any proof.”
“Well, we don’t know this guy and you do, so spill.” He moved in front of me and flipped back the button placket of my shirt.
I stepped back.
“I’m just checking your clothes to see what kind of tracker I can put on you for the drop off.”
“Oh.” We stood toe-to-toe and we were about the same height, but Roth had me by a good fifty pounds of muscle.
“Jerry?”
“Right. I got the idea that it wasn’t part of the plan. My mum called me in a panic and that’s when it went all sideways.”
His near-black eyes bore into my head like a fucking laser. “So, this is a panic move? Like they didn’t plan a kidnapping?”
“It wasn’t the plan. Ransom was, but for my mum. Not for anyone else. When I didn’t play along with their plan, it feels like they went off script or however you want to say it.”
“More opportunistic.”
“Yes. Jerry always seems to operate that way.” I clenched my fingers. “The wildcard in all of this is my mum. She plays with men to get what she wants, but she’s not stable.”
