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“I’ll escort you out to your car,” Ed said immediately.
“That’s really not necessary.” She went red at Isa and Cleo’s interested looks.
“It is necessary.”
“Better to be safe than sorry,” Georgie told her.
“You stay here,” Ed told Georgie. “Harry?”
“I’ll watch her.”
Georgie made a scoffing noise. “Like I can’t take care of myself.”
“But you shouldn’t have to when I’m here,” Ed told her.
So damn sweet.
Ed escorted her out and saw her into her car. She waved to him as he watched her drive away. It didn’t take long to get to her hotel. She parked her car in the parking lot at the hotel right on ten.
“Gwen? Hey, Ms. Anderson?”
She let out a small scream as someone called out to her. “Oh my God! You scared the crap out of me!”
“I’m sorry. I was trying not to scare you, but I’ve been waiting here for a while to talk to you.”
She watched Clarke, the server from Delicious, shuffle back and forth, staring around the parking lot. He was standing in the shadow of the building.
“What’s going on? What do you want?”
“I needed to talk to you, but I can’t be seen with you. Or anyone.” He looked around shiftily.
“What’s going on, Clarke?” She moved over toward him. On one side was the hotel and the other side was a dead-end street. She was guessing mostly utility vans used this street to access the back of the hotel.
“I didn’t know who else to tell. I can’t go to the cops. They’re watching me. Always watching.”
He was jittery, on edge.
“Are you on drugs?”
“Of course I am! It’s the only way to get through this.”
Shit. Could she believe whatever he was going to say?
“That’s what they’re doing. Drugs. In the restaurant. It’s all a front.”
“What? Seriously?” This wasn’t what she expected. The most she was hoping for was a hygiene violation.
“Yes. Do you think I’d be this scared if it was just some hygiene issue or him overcharging for his food? Fuck. I had to go back the other night to get my jacket after my shift. When I walked in, I saw them. They were bagging up meth.”
“But why?” she whispered. “Why here in Wishingbone? There’s nothing here.”
“Maybe that’s the genius of it. No one would suspect them of doing it here. The restaurant is only open a few hours a week so there’s plenty of time.”
“But wouldn’t people see them coming and going from the restaurant when it’s not open?”
“There’s a back entrance. A small courtyard, but there’s a door that they can use to access the building behind. I think that’s where people enter.”
Well. Hell. That made sense.
“Davidson is a sleazy asshole. But I just thought he was a guy with too much money having some fun. That maybe he thought owning a restaurant would bring him some chicks.” He ran a shaky hand over his face. “It always seemed to be people he knew at the restaurant; the locals didn’t like the food or prices.”
“Which kept them away,” she said slowly. “Jesus. I need evidence.”
“I’m out.” He shook his head, backing away. “Sorry, I can’t be here.” Turning, he took off.
“Clarke! Shit, Clarke!”
He was gone.
Fuck. Shit.
She itched to go find some evidence herself. But she wasn’t a dumbass. This wasn’t worth risking her safety. And she’d promised Dominic she wouldn’t put herself in danger.
She really needed to tell someone about this, though.
Reaching into her bag, she grabbed her phone. She would head to her hotel room and call Ed.
A screeching noise had her turning and she stared in shock as a van pulled into the street beside her. Instinct took over and she started running toward the hotel.
But she was too late.
And let’s face it, way too slow.
Someone grabbed her, their hand going over her mouth before they picked her up and carried her back to the van.
Shit. They had to be strong.
Not the time to think about that!
She tried to scream, but it came out muffled. Her legs kicked, but other than one grunt from her kidnapper, he didn’t make a noise or falter. He climbed into the van and slammed her onto the floor.
She stared up at him, trying to catch her breath. The world swum, her heart skipping a beat. Shit, she needed to calm down or she was going to be in real trouble.
“W-who are you? What do you want?” she asked.
Fuck. Where was her phone? Her bag? She must have dropped them both.
The man in front of her was dressed all in black and had a balaclava over his face.
She was going to take the balaclava as a good sign. If they didn’t want her to see their faces, then surely that meant they planned on letting her life.
Lord, she hoped it was what it meant.
The van took a corner and she slid into the metal siding, wincing.
