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He loved her.
Shaking his head at the incongruity of that admission, he focused on the boys, needing whatever they could tell him. “I’m sorry, and you’re right.” He took out one of his business cards and tucked it behind the clip on his phone. “Is either one of you a good catch?”
The other kid snorted with cocky adolescence. “None better’n me on our summer league.”
“Then catch.” Brett tossed him the phone, the youngster proving his bragging was justified. “That’s my card. As you can see, I’m a lawyer, and I’m looking for Ms. Sauer. She’s a good friend of mine and is missing. You can call my office if you need reassurance, but I’m worried about her, and time is important.”
The boys exchanged a look, communicating without words as twins were rumored to do then nodded and walked over to Brett. “Someone has been scaring Ms. Sauer, but it weren’t us. We don’t know anything about her getting locked in the laundry room, but we saw the lady who dumped those flowers and bugs in front of her door. We live up there.” The kid pointed to the building catty corner to Allie’s.
Brett wanted to lecture them on withholding the information all this time, but he needed anything they knew without delay. “Do you know who she is?”
“No,” they said simultaneously.
“I’m Tim. She wore a scarf around her head, but we could see enough of her face to know she doesn’t live here.”
Tim’s brother smirked. “We were only watching her because she parked near our building in old man Craig’s spot. We were waiting for him to get back from getting his morning coffee so we could watch him lay into her. He’s a grouch.”
The kid pointed, and Brett could tell they would have a view of parking spaces around the corner that Allie wouldn’t. “Describe her car,” he urged as Reed pulled up, Slade hot on his heels in his own truck. Their backup eased some of his tension until the boys’ description sent a wave of incredulous fury through him.
“No back doors and it was white.”
“And a crazy-ass hot chick hanging in the front window.” Tim wiggled his eyebrows.
Slade joined them in time to hear and sent Brett a questioning glance. “Doesn’t Gina have some Zodiac gadget hooked to her rearview mirror with a...”
“Yes,” Brett snapped. Only Gina could find a sexy Virgo angel to dangle from her mirror. “Let’s go. You two did good. Thanks.”
“She’s nice. I hope she comes back,” one called out as Brett and his brothers climbed into his truck.
“She will,” he assured them, determined to see that outcome. Nothing else was acceptable except moving Allie out to his place. Guilt settled like a lead weight pushing on his shoulders. He’d never considered Gina’s greed would trump all common sense, morals, and legalities. She must have hired someone to run Allie off the road, maybe even lock her in the laundry. Who knew how far she would have gone to get what she wanted?
Brett peeled out of the lot, forcing Reed to grab the safety handle. “Get us there in one piece, or we won’t do your girl any good.”
“I’ll get us there intact. Can’t say we’ll leave Gina’s with my ex so lucky,” Brett vowed.
****
The grinding gearsof a garage door closing roused Allie into full focus. Cradling her aching jaw, she struggled to sit up and identify the man who slid out of the front driver’s seat. Scalding anger doused her surprise as Ricky opened the back door, lending her the courage to lash out at him with feet and words. Bringing up her knees, she kicked at his hands, screeching, “Damn you, Ricky, what have you done? Leave me the hell alone.”
“Calm down. No one is going to hurt you,” he said, his tone eerily smooth as he grabbed her hand and yanked her out of the car.
“You already did, you imbecile.” Funny how she wasn’t scared, only pissed, Allie contemplated, tugging on her captured wrist to no avail. She liked Brett’s snug hold much better than this jerk’s bruising grip.
Ricky wrapped his free arm around her shoulders, forcing her against him where she shuddered in revulsion. “I’m sorry about that. I panicked.”
The matter-of-fact manner in which he spoke chilled her; he behaved as if his actions were normal or made sense. Treading a little more carefully, she looked up, her eyes snared by the calculating gleam in Ricky’s steady gaze, her throat going dry from the cruel twist of his mouth.
I really can pick them.Her track record with men had never been all that good, but her choice of guys had never been so wrong, either. “Whose house is this, and why have you brought me here?” she asked, proud of her calm voice given the return of her fear.
“Yes, Ricky, why have you broughtherhere?”
Allie jolted, recognizing Brett’s ex standing in the open door into the house. Gaping, she couldn’t believe the coincidence and how this was playing out. “You two know each other?” Disbelief brought a return of her anger when she realized how they’d connived to dupe her. Struggling against his grip didn’t slow him from hauling her inside the house and her trepidation made her forget caution. “Let me go, you lunatic!”
“Never, and I’m your lunatic, so get used to it.” Ricky shoved her down on a sofa in a large den off the kitchen. One quick glance told her where a chunk of Brett’s money to Gina had already gone. The home was large, the furnishings expensive, and the décor high-end.
“What have you done, you idiot? This sure as hell wasn’t our plan.” Gina glared at Ricky and fisted her hands on her hips.
Allie took in Gina’s sheer camisole and short slip that revealed she wore nothing but a pair of panties underneath and guessed their arrival interrupted her dressing, even though her face reflected not an ounce of embarrassment.
