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“Oh, I have the wrong—”
“No, you don’t,” Corey interrupted. “You’re Bobby’s friend, right? He’s not here right now. Did you have a message for him?”
After a moment’s hesitation Drysdale spoke again. “Tell him that I know where his special lady is.”
Corey wanted to yell in triumph. “Where?” he asked, pretending that he didn’t know exactly who he was talking to. “This is his friend, Corey. I work with him.”
“Tell him he needs to pay me first.”
Drysdale wanted money, but Bobby’s threats against his daughter had gotten more traction. “Look, I know he owes you money and he will pay you. But if he doesn’t finish this job, there won’t be any money. And I’ll be pissed. I understand your daughter Laurel is in college up north. I’ll kill her and send you the video so that you can watch it over and over.”
“No,” Drysdale gasped.
“Give me the address for our special lady.”
“Okay, but don’t hurt Laurel.” And he spilled out the address.
Bella was in Metairie, not too far from Corey’s house. And Drysdale said that she had no security because two of her security personnel hadn’t shown up for work—Allyson being in the wind and Zach being dead. Excellent.
“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Corey asked Drysdale. “Don’t worry. You’ll get paid. But if our special lady isn’t at this address? Laurel’s dead. So don’t be wrong.”
Ending the call, he gave Bobby another shake. The asshole was in no shape to fetch Bella. But leaving Bobby alone with the three women? That was a stupid idea.
Except that Bobby would be sleeping like the dead for hours with all the booze he’d consumed. Especially on an empty stomach. They hadn’t eaten since before they’d grabbed the little baker.
Corey pocketed Bobby’s phone in case Drysdale called again, reloaded his Glock and his rifle, loaded up his pockets with full magazines, then grabbed a handful of Ed’s protein bars.
He’d get real food after he got Bella.
He loaded the weapons and ammunition into his boat. He’d be back with Bella before Bobby woke up. But Bobby wouldn’t be getting the blond bodyguard. He hadn’t earned her, and Corey wasn’t giving her back to Cardozo.
She’ll be my reward.
Lake Cataouatche, Louisiana
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 3:45 P.M.
Val stared up at the ceiling, struggling to stay calm. She couldn’t cry anymore, not with the duct tape covering her mouth. She’d nearly suffocated in the damn trunk of that car, unable to breathe through her mouth when the tears had caused her nose to become stuffed up.
Corey had her. The man who’d watched while Aaron Gates gutted her brother had her. The man who’d tried to kill sweet Jace had her. The man who now knew exactly how to make her suffer by “reliving her past traumas” had her. Hearing Corey threaten Kaj with her rape had nearly had her crying out in terror, but she’d managed to hold it in. Had managed to maintain her facade of calm.
She wanted to kill Corey Gates, but she wasn’t sure she’d survive to do it.
The NOPD hadn’t found Corey’s hideout in days of looking. Kaj had less than an hour. He’d sounded so scared just now. Scared and angry.
Me too. Because, barring a miracle, she was on her own. Do not panic. Think.
She pulled her body into a sitting position, the movement sending pain burning from her ribs to her hip to her back. Corey and Bobby had kicked her hard, but she didn’t think anything was broken.
Not like Noni Feldman. Val gazed sadly at the woman, who lay unmoving. Corey had said she was barely alive. Bobby had broken her and didn’t seem to have a shred of empathy.
I have to get us free. And she didn’t have much time left.
Okay, okay. What do I have? Not her gun. They’d taken her primary and backup weapons before they’d left Kaj’s house, and then Corey had patted her down before moving her from the trunk to the boat, taking both her boots and the knife she kept in one of them. He’d searched her in a clinical way, refusing to let Bobby do it. Because Bobby was apparently insane.
Can I have her after you’re done with her? he’d asked Corey in the boat.
Me, Val had thought. He’s talking about me.
