Anything He Wants: The Betrayal(14)

A man sat in the driver’s seat, working with a phone in his thick hand. Figuring he didn’t know I was awake yet, I surveyed my surroundings, blinking away the grogginess. Everything was covered in black leather, the textured, expensive type, and it smelled brand-new, but the car itself was unfamiliar to me. The backseat was narrow, with very little leg room—I stayed curled up to keep from bumping the sides—so I guessed it was a sports car of some kind. The whine of an engine used to going fast speeds confirmed that suspicion but didn’t give me any other details. I turned myself up to peer up through the window to the overcast skies outside. The leather squeaked beneath me, attracting the driver’s attention, and my heart skipped as I recognized the familiar face. “Ethan?”

He turned back around, staring at the road. He tossed the cell phone onto the passenger seat and I realized it was mine, the replacement Jeremiah had given to me after I broke mine in Paris.

“The girl is awake?”

My eyes widened when I heard the other voice. I peeked around at the passenger seat in front of my head but nobody else was in the car. The voice hadn’t come from any one direction, and Ethan didn’t seem surprised although his jaw did tighten.

“The sedative wore off early,” Ethan replied. His voice was gravelly, angry, as if he didn’t want to respond.

My cell phone on the seat in front of me burst into sound, visibly startling Ethan. “What is that?” came the disembodied voice, annoyance creeping into its unctuous tone.

“The girl’s phone.” Ethan picked it back up and looked at the screen. “It’s Jeremiah,” he added flatly.

My heart raced at the name. Chest tight, I bit my lip to keep from crying out.

“Answer it,” the voice directed. “Put it on speaker.”

Ethan put the call through, then set the telephone on his lap. Before he could say anything, however, I exclaimed, “Jeremiah!”

“Lucy. Where are you?”

Something cold inside my soul melted at his voice. He sounded strong and sure, and I desperately needed the assurance. “I’m in the backseat of a car,” I replied, hating the desperate quality of my voice but eager to get out as much as I could. “Some sports car with all black leather. I can’t see anything but overcast skies out the window. I’m with Ethan.” I stopped, not sure how to break the news about my kidnapping.

My eyes met Ethan’s stony gaze, then the big man sighed. “I’m sorry about this, Jeremiah.”

“Ethan?” he growled. Perhaps if I could see Jeremiah’s face I could decipher the emotion I heard hanging on that simple word—surprise, rage, betrayal, disappointment—but for now there was only the word and the demand for answers behind it.

“They have Celeste.” Profound regret tinged the big man’s voice, and I saw his mouth turn down.

Jeremiah cursed. “When?”

“I don’t know but I got the call while you were arguing with your family. You know I’d do anything to protect her.”

“So you set this up?” Even over the phone, the rage in Jeremiah’s voice bubbled over. “You let three men die because—”

“No,” Ethan exploded, “that was not me. I didn’t know anything until that call and the lights went out before I was off the phone. I swear to you on whatever honor I have left that I had no part in that attack.”

“You ask for trust after kidnapping my—” Jeremiah cut himself off, then asked, “Where are you going?”

“To make the trade.”

“Goddammit, Ethan!”

“You’d do the same for her, don’t bother denying it.” Ethan glanced back at me, then gave a harsh laugh. “This whole thing is just like Kosovo.”

There was a pause at the other end of the line, then Jeremiah growled again, “Goddammit, Ethan…”

“When this is over, don’t blame Celeste. This is all my decision.” Ethan picked up the cell phone. “I’m hanging up now. Good-bye Jeremiah.”

“Ethan, wait—”

Ethan disconnected the call, staring at the phone in his hand.

“Throw the phone out the window.”

I started at the smarmy voice beside my head as Ethan did as he was told, lowering the window and tossing out the cell phone. I looked up beside my head and realized the voice was coming from the car speakers. Part of me was relieved there wasn’t another person in the car with us but I had the sinking sensation I would very soon meet the voice in person.