AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Think, Kaylie! This is important.” Zane rewound the tape and played it again and again until Kaylie could repeat the conversation word for word.
“I don’t know,” she admitted, biting her lower lip.
Zane snapped the recorder off and plowed angry fingers through his hair. “Obviously Ted knows you and your connection with me. He also knows all about Whispering Hills and Lee Johnston. And he knows that you and I are together.”
“He does?” she cried. “How?”
“You weren’t on the show, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you were with me. However, the fact that Ted’s quit calling makes me think he’s got a line on us.”
Kaylie’s fingers slipped on her glass. She spilled wine on her pants, but quickly mopped it up. “A line—”
“Well, maybe that’s a little drastic. Maybe he would’ve quit calling anyway. He only called a couple of times. But it’s a coincidence and I don’t believe in coincidence.”
“So, what—what does that mean?” she asked, not feeling safer knowing that some other nut case might guess where they were.
“It means we stay put until Hastings gets some more information.”
“Don’t you think this Ted, if he’s so smart, might find us?”
Zane frowned into his wine, swirling the glass thoughtfully. “I don’t think so. Only a few people know I own this place.”
“But he could find out.” Fear strangled her. “Do you think Ted is Johnston?” she asked, her thoughts racing ahead wildly. “And that he placed the call to you, knowing that you would drag me up here?”
Zane shook his head, but his expression remained grim. “I doubt it. You were too visible in San Francisco. He could find you more easily. If he’s going to be released, he wouldn’t want to tip you off.” His gaze moved from his glass to search her face. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.”
Surprisingly, that thought was comforting.
“But it would help me a lot, if we could figure out who Ted really is.”
He played the tape again, and a headache began to pound at Kaylie’s temples. She finished her wine and, before she began feeling too cozy and safe with Zane, set her glass on the coffee table. “I think I’ll turn in.”
She started to stand, but Zane placed a restraining hand on her shoulder. “Just remember one thing,” he said, his voice firm.
“What’s that?”
“If you try to escape again, I’ll have to make sure that it doesn’t happen. And that means I’ll stick to you like glue.”
Shrugging off his hand, she couldn’t help but rise to the bait. “You’ll have to catch me first.”
“I know.” One side of his mouth lifted, and his eyes glowed in the firelight.
She knew then that she loved him with all of her foolish heart. And if she didn’t leave him soon, she never would be able to. She would have to give up her freedom and independence for the sake of love.
She hurried upstairs to her room. “Oh, Zane,” she whispered, her throat aching. She had no choice but to escape—for both their sakes.
* * *
Zane drained his glass and wondered how long he could keep up this charade. Soon he would have to go back to the city and he couldn’t, even in his wildest fantasies, keep her locked away forever. Tomorrow morning she’d miss another taping of her program and sooner or later the producer would start checking. Margot wouldn’t be able to keep Crowley at bay forever.
And he couldn’t force Kaylie to love him.
That thought tore open old wounds. He’d lost her once, and the surest way to lose her again was to keep imposing his will on her.
Absently, he flicked on the tape again, and Ted’s hoarse voice filled the room. “Who are you?” Zane said aloud. “Just who the hell are you?”
And what about Johnston?
An icy knot curled in his stomach. Maybe this Ted character was wrong. Surely the courts wouldn’t set a psychotic like Johnston back on the streets. But it had happened time and time again. He shivered inside. He loved Kaylie; he’d never stopped. But he wasn’t going to sacrifice her life for anything—not even for a reconciliation. So, if it meant Kaylie would hate him for the rest of her life, so be it. At least she would be safe.
