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She bit her lip as tears fell down her cheeks. “I wanted to leave but I can barely stand up. I’ve been terrified all day that he’d be back.”
He’d make sure the asshole who did this suffered as much as Payton had. He’d take his time and inflict the maximum pain. Fuck the rules. He pulled out his phone. “Karl? I need another favor. You have someone who can sit on a hotel? I need a woman kept safe.”
“I can call a buddy. I have the Halloween thing going on here. Which hotel?”
Flynn gave him the name of the hotel and the room number. “Medical is on the way from Boston.”
“It’s like that, is it?”
“Yeah,” Flynn said. “Tell him to stay until they get here but do not under any circumstances let anyone else in.”
“Got it,” Karl agreed. “He should be there in about a half an hour.”
“Great. Thanks.” Flynn hung up. “I’ve got someone coming to watch over you until medical arrives. I will stay until he gets here. Payton, I am so sorry this happened to you. I will make the man pay, I promise.” He knew he was asking a lot, but he had to know. “Who did this to you?”
She nodded and gave him the name. It was not a surprise. Flynn ground his teeth. He wanted this fucker badly. He needed to get back to the Manor as soon as possible but he wouldn’t leave Payton on her own. If taking down this asshole was what caused him to have to pull the ripcord and disappear then he was fucking fine with that. It would be worth it.
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
Harper’s arms crossed over her chest as she stared through the salon’s French doors toward the area where the tents were set up. She’d searched the house, but Gina was nowhere to be found. She’d even asked Karl at the gate if Gina had left but he said she hadn’t. That meant she needed to search the secret passages. Part of her wanted to wait for Flynn. She wanted his strength and his protection. She always felt better when he was around. Harper knew she was going to have to face what that meant at some point, but not right now.
“Ms. Edwards,” a voice called. She turned to see a group of men sitting around a table sipping drinks. “Do come join us.”
One of these men was about to blackmail Susan. The others were involved in human trafficking and God knew what else. She had no interest in talking to them but as Flynn had pointed out a few times, it was better to not let them know what she knew.
“Gentlemen, what are you up to on this fine day?”
“The sunshine is glorious,” the man who’d called her over said. Fisher, if she remembered correctly.
“I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced,” Harper said and then offered her hand. “Harper Edwards.”
Fisher laughed. “Of course, we all know who you are.” He took her hand. “Eli Fisher.” Then he went around the table to his left. “Steven Bryson, Peter Webber, and Richard Lockerby.
“Nice to meet you all. I hope you will join us this evening for our Halloween event.”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Fisher said.
She smiled. “Then I guess I will see you there.” Turning on her heel, she headed toward the staircase into the basement. Two minutes later she was making her way quietly up the secret staircase.Here goes nothing.
Harper’s heart hammered against her rib cage as she went to the room they’d heard the small group meeting and was disappointed to find it empty. She went back to where Flynn had scared the life out of her but there was nothing in that direction except another exit. Standing at the intersection of the two hallways, she leaned against one of the beams and tried to picture it in her head. Were there any other spaces or passageways?
She headed back to the meeting room, but this time she bypassed the doorway. It looked like a dead end but when she got closer to the end of the corridor she realized another staircase was tucked into the shadows in the corner.
Did she venture up on her own? Maybe now was the time to call Flynn. Astrid and Calli were both dead. She could be risking her life. On the other hand, they deserved answers and since she was the only one on the scene at the moment, it fell to her to get them. A fine sheen of sweat broke out on her upper body as she climbed the narrow staircase, going as quietly as possible.
It didn’t take long to reach the top. Her head poked up over the low wall to the right of the staircase. This must be the attic. The roof slanted steeply on each side but the walls were green. The same hue as in the library and under Astrid’s fingernails.
Harper’s breathing quickened. She peered around. The single large room had a couple of double beds that were little more mattresses on the floor, with a table with four chairs in the middle. Dust motes danced in the beam of sunlight streaming in from a small window at the far end of the room. The only window, Harper noted.
She climbed the rest of the staircase and entered the attic space looking for any signs that Astrid had been there. She walked to the window. There were scratches in the frame. Nausea twisted in Harper’s stomach. This is where they held her. Poor Astrid. At least she left something of herself behind. There would be DNA in the scratches on the wall. That should be enough to prove she’d been here and held against her will. Now, maybe she could figure out who had held Astrid and then killed her.
Turning, Harper stopped dead. Gina had snuck up behind her and was holding a gun pointed right at her belly. “How did you get up here?” she demanded.
The urge to scream and run right through the woman was almost irresistible. Blood hammered away through her veins. Her hands started to shake. She took a trembling breath and then said, “The same way you did. Why are you hiding, Gina?”
Gina’s eyes darted all around. “Who says I’m hiding?”
“No one can find you and we’ve been looking. I’d call that hiding. Why? What are you so afraid of?” Harper glanced at the gun and willed her hands to stop shaking.
