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“I’ll give you another answer,” she quipped. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”
“Ah, so you want to play games,” he said, grinning as he straightened up. “Not a problem, but are you sure you want to play with a big boy, little girl?”
“If you think I’m a little girl, I have an advantage already,” she retorted. “Bring it on.”
“This evening will be even more entertaining than I thought,” he remarked, taking her hand and starting to walk from the room.
“Nick, wait, what about the fireplace? Don’t you need to turn off the gas?”
“It’s on a timer.”
“A fireplace on a timer? I’ve never heard of that.”
“This is a frighteningly smart house,” Nick said as they continued down the hall and out the front door. “My brother-in-law is into all things tech. It drives my sister crazy, but there are certain advantages.”
“Why do you always refer to her as your sister? Doesn’t she have a name?”
“Alexandra.”
“Ooh, you mean like Nicholas and Alexandra?”
“Yeah,” he replied, rolling his eyes as they walked to the car.
“That’s why you don’t use her name?”
“I’ve heard too many bad jokes over the years, and she doesn’t like to be called Alex. Besides, Alexandra is a mouthful.”
“I suppose it is,” she said thoughtfully, then glanced around the empty motor court. “Nick, where are Brad and John? Aren’t they supposed to be going with us?”
“They’re waiting halfway down the canyon on a side street. After I’ve driven by, they’ll wait to see if anyone is behind me. If there is, they’ll follow the car to see if it parks near the restaurant or continues on. It’s a simple maneuver, but effective.”
“That’s brilliant,” she exclaimed as he opened the car door and she climbed inside. “Have you ever thought of becoming a private detective?”
“Have you ever thought about becoming a comedian?”
“Can’t say I have.”
“Just as well, you’d starve,” he declared with a grin, then closed the door.
She laughed for a moment, then closed her eyes and said a silent thank you to the gods who had allowed their paths to cross. He hadn’t just saved her skin, she was falling in love, and that was something she never thought would happen to her.
* * *
Parked a short distance away, hidden under the canopy of low-hanging branches, Mike watched the Porsche emerge from the beautiful home.
Throughout the afternoon, he’d scouted for a way over the wall. Keeping his eyes peeled for security cameras, he’d ducked around them when he’d spotted one, but he couldn’t be sure he’d seen them all. Since he hadn’t heard any alarms, and no one had appeared to chase him away, he assumed his presence had gone undetected.
But it had been a futile exercise.
There was no back gate, and no area of the high fence was climbable without wearing a thick pair of overalls, gloves, and some kind of acrylic mask to protect his face. His only option was to wait outside and hope the evil men holding his beautiful Bianca would leave, then he could slip through the gates before they closed.
But in an instant, his plans changed.
As the SUV slowly turned onto the canyon road, he saw Bianca’s tell-tale short blonde hair in the passenger seat. Convinced they must be taking her to another location, he pulled out and began to follow.
With no cross traffic and only a couple of side streets, it was easy to keep his distance through the twisting canyon, but when they reached the bottom and entered a residential neighborhood, he had to draw closer. To his shock, the Porsche stopped in front of a small restaurant with valet service, and Bianca stepped out looking resplendent in an emerald green silky dress. Completely confounded, Mike’s mind went into overdrive.
Had she been drugged?
