Love Beyond Words (City Lights, #1)(84)
She touched her hand to her lips. Wouldn’t he call himself? She hadn’t left her place in three days for precisely that reason. She glanced at her old machine and saw that the red light was blinking. A call had come in while she was in the shower. Hope surged again. “Hold on, please.”
She played the first message and rejoiced to hear Liberty tell her the coast was clear, that Julian was away from David. Everything’s going to be okay, she thought. She went back to the intercom. “Carl?”
He sighed uncomfortably. “Ma’am, this is really none of my business, but he also said that he’ll write a hundred books for you or never write again. Whatever you want.”
Natalie almost laughed. I just want you, love. “I’ll be right down.”
She gathered the stack of composition books and shoved them into a bag, intending to give them back. Give them back and take him in my arms instead, she thought and raced down the stairs. She opened the gate and then fell back as a huge shape filled the doorway.
“Surprise!” said the hulking blond man in front of her. “Pretty good, right? Ma’am?”
He bellowed laughter and then stopped. Recognition dawned between them at the exact instant, and Natalie backed away, her feet scraping on the cement stairs. Terror lanced down her spine, turning her limbs to jelly.
“You…” she breathed. Garrett, she remembered, one of the men who harassed her months ago, whom Julian had thwarted with boiling milk.
He grinned luridly. “Well, ain’t that something. Looks like we’re going to have our date after all.”
Natalie whimpered as his meaty fist connected with her temple. Pain radiated over her cheek and head; her eye felt like it was going to explode. His fist came again. She reeled and he caught her before she fell, her head lolling against his shoulder. Her vision blurred, stained red. He hefted her with one hand and peered into her bag.
“This it?” He snickered. “I’ll just carry this for you, ma’am, shall I?”
He slung his arm around her waist and half-walked, half-carried her to the Escalade, parked just past the windows of Niko’s Café. Upstairs, she heard her phone ring, growing fainter and fainter…
Chapter ThirtyNine
Cliff looked ready to explode. His pudgy face was beet red and a vein pulsed under his widow’s peak. “What the hell do you mean, he’s out of town?”
David squared his shoulders and met Cliff’s unyielding gaze. Behind him, he could practically feel Jesse’s anxiety, almost as tightly wound as his own.
“He’s gone to Croatia. Won’t be back for several weeks.”
“Several weeks?” Cliff’s eyes bugged out of his skull, and then a thought crossed his eyes, and he leveled a finger at David, his voice low and deadly. “Are you f*cking with me? Because if you are, Dave…”
“Of course not, Cliff, listen,” David said. “It’s perfect. It’s more plausible that his place would get robbed while he’s away. You’ll have to wait until he gets back to make the ransom demand, but isn’t three million dollars worth it?”
“No, it’s not. This whole thing is f*cked,” Jesse said from behind. “Cliff—”
Cliff held up a hand for silence and rubbed his fingers over the bridge of his nose. He stared at David from for a moment and then laid his hands on the desk. “Dave, I have Garrett over at that Natalie girl’s place right now, to bring her here. Just what the hell are we supposed to do with her?”
Jesse stormed forward before David could answer. “Garrett’s where? To bring…who? What the hell is going on, Cliff? Kidnapping? You want to add that to the rap sheet? Along with extortion and embezzlement and…who knows what else?” He ran a hand through his longish blond hair. “No way, man. No way.”
“Jesse, I need you to shut the f*ck up right now.”
“Cliff, this is crazy—”
“She won’t be here long,” David said, silencing them both. His mouth went dry. “I told you, I’ll take care of it. I promise.”
Cliff seemed reluctantly mollified but Jesse stared at him, incredulous. “You’re going to off some chick, David? Really?” He turned to Cliff. “This is what it’s come down to? Murder?”
David started to retort but Cliff rose to his feet. “Are we going to have a problem here Jesse? Because all I’m hearing out of your mouth is that we’re going to have a problem.”
Jesse stared between them for a second, and David thought Jesse might make a break for it. He looked liked he wanted to run. I don’t blame him. I want to run too.
“No, Cliff,” Jesse said. “No problem. I just…I think we all need to be very careful here, right? Let’s not get carried away. Okay, David?”
“I agree,” Cliff said, sitting back down. “Garrett’s not back yet, Dave. Go get yourself a drink at the bar. You look like you need it. It’ll calm your nerves. Tell Kyle it’s on me.”
“Yeah sure. Liquid courage,” David muttered. As he walked passed Jesse, he could see the man screaming at him with his eyes to not do whatever it was he thought he had to do.
David smiled wanly. It’s too late, Jesse. There is no other way.
He made his way from the back offices, through Club Orbit’s dance floor—still mostly empty due to the early hour—passed the pool tables, and took a seat at the bar. He ordered a gin and tonic—nothing too strong; he’d need all his faculties tonight—but strong enough to blunt the edges of the fear and revulsion of it all. He sipped his drink that tasted watered down and tried very hard to get his rampaging thoughts under control.