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The bathroom door opened, and he glanced up to see a man enter, eyes on his phone. Vince swiped a hand down his face, said a prayer for Raina, and headed for the exit.
As soon as he stepped through the door, something stung the back of his neck and he whirled to see the man who entered seconds ago.
“Might want to lean on me so you don’t fall,” the guy said.
“What?” Then the dizziness hit him, and his legs went weak. He stumbled toward the main area, arm outstretched, but the man simply grabbed the back of his jacket and yanked him toward him. Vince had no strength to fight.
“Not that way,” his attacker said. “We’re going out the back.” His hand gripped Vince’s upper arm and he led him to the emergency exit.
“Did you take Raina?”
The man shot him a funny look. “No. That’s why we need you.”
“What’d you give me?”
“Scopolamine.”
No wonder he was as obedient as a well-trained dog.
Fight it!
But he couldn’t and he walked out the door, vaguely wondering why the alarm didn’t sound, climbed into the car, and passed out.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-THREE
Raina stayed seated while Kevin—no,Keith—paced. If she moved, he spun with the gun and she was terrified it was going to go off. She finally had enough of being silent. “Keith, please...”
“No.” He whirled on her once more, but at least he left the weapon pointed at the floor. “I’m thinking. If you didn’t mean to leave me, then that changes everything.”
She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what he meant by that. “What were you going to do once you took Michael?”
Her question seemed to throw him, and he paused for a moment. Then shrugged. “I was going to bring him here for a bit. Get to know him. Let him get to know me. After that? I’m not sure exactly. I guess I was going to take him home to California.”
His answer sent chills up her spine. Was he really that far gone mentally? “And what about when the BOLO went out on him and the AMBER alert with his face all over national television. What were you going to do about that?”
“I have a whole team of lawyers. I’d let them figure it out. The adoption can’t be legal because I was never given a chance to say I wanted him. Not to mention Christopher can fix any trouble I get into.”
“Christopher?”
“My brother. He’s the one who always helps me.”
“Helps you ... what?”
A cold smile tilted the corners of his lips. “Clean up the mess.”
Okay, Raina had had just about enough, but she needed to be careful. Rein in her fear and desperation to get away from this man. “So, do you plan to—”
“It doesn’t matter right now. At the moment, I have a kid to find.” He aimed the weapon at her. “And the security is going to be ridiculous now, thanks to you. Go down the hall into the first bedroom on the left.”
She held up her hands in supplication. “Keith, no. Leave Michael alone. He’s a happy, well-adjusted kid. If you care so much about him, you’ll want what’s best for him.”
He slapped his chest with his free hand. “I’m what’s best for him! A complete family is what’sbestfor him. If you tried to find me, you must have planned to stay.” He paused. “And now I know.” He spoke the words low, as though to himself.
“Know what?”
“There was a reason I couldn’t ask Daphne to marry me, no matter what my father demanded.” His eyes lifted to meet hers. “It’s because I never forgot you or stopped looking for you and this was meant to be. So, I’ll get our son and we’ll be a family. Now walk down the hall into the room or I can just knock you out and carry you there. Your choice.”
