Page 4 of Dangerous Affair (The Phoenix Three #2)

What was going on? This couldn’t be because she’d left California without telling him.

That wasn’t a reason to threaten her with a gun.

It had to be because, somehow, he’d found out she’d overheard his conversation.

She glanced around the cheap motel room and decided it wasn’t a place she was willing to die in.

If she went with him, she could find a way to escape.

“I need my suitcase.”

“No, you don’t.”

She looked into eyes that were flat and dead. Eyes that said he might just shoot her if she didn’t do as he said. Her purse was at her feet, and she scooped it up. Her phone was in it, and somehow, she’d escape and call the police.

“You don’t have to do this. We can talk here.”

“Shut up.” He pushed her toward the door. “You try anything when we walk out, and I’ll shoot you and anyone you try to talk to.”

When she left California early because he was raising all kinds of red flags, she’d instinctively known that he was a man who could be physically abusive. The kind of man who’d claim it was for her own good. What she hadn’t anticipated was that he would hunt her down and threaten her with a gun.

As they walked out the door, he pressed the barrel of the gun against her hip.

To anyone seeing them, it would just look like a couple checking out of their motel room.

The one good thing was that she hadn’t called her father yet, and when she missed her scheduled call, he would know something was wrong.

Her father would move heaven and earth to find her.

“Remember what I said I’d do if you tried anything.” He let go of her to open the back door of his car. After setting her camera bag on the back seat, he opened the driver’s-side door. “Get in and slide over.”

She glanced inside. “There’s a console. Can’t I just get in on the passenger side?”

“And have you try to run when I’m coming to this side to get in? Don’t think so.”

It was awkward, but she managed to climb over the console.

“Put your seat belt on,” he said as he buckled his. “Can’t have the cops stopping us because you’re not belted.”

Her mind was racing with a million thoughts, but there was one thing that was certain.

She had to get away from him as soon as possible.

As they drove through the dark, deserted mountain roads, she tried to come up with a plan.

She could feel Jasper’s eyes on her as he watched her every move. She had to be careful.

They drove for about an hour, and finally, they arrived at a secluded cabin in the woods. Jasper parked the car and got out. She opened her door and stepped out, her gaze stopping on the cabin. It was old and run-down, with weeds growing up around it.

He waved his gun toward the cabin. “Inside.”

Should she make a run for it now? She glanced around. It was dark and the cabin was surrounded by forest. There were probably bears and mountain lions in those woods. And she didn’t know where they were, so she had no idea which way to run. She’d be better off escaping when it was daylight.

She followed Jasper into the cabin. It was just as run-down on the inside as it was on the outside.

It was clear that no one had lived in it for quite some time.

It was small, with a living room, bedroom, and kitchen area combined.

Next to the bed was a closed door, which she assumed was the bathroom.

The power must not be on because there were oil lamps scattered around. They were burning so that meant he’d already been in the cabin. “Who lives here?”

“No one.” He motioned to the worn-out couch. “Sit.”

A spider crawled up the wall behind the couch, and she shuddered. God only knew what all might be living in that couch. And she didn’t even want to try to guess what the stains on the cushions were. “I think I’ll stand.”

“Suit yourself.” He set his gun on the kitchen counter, went to the small table, and started removing the contents of her camera bag. When he got to the two thumb drives she’d brought with her, he stared at them and frowned.

“Leave my stuff alone.” He knew better than anyone not to mess with a photographer’s cameras.

He dropped the thumb drives as he faced her. “Where is it?”

“Where’s what?” The rage in his eyes was scaring her. She eyed the gun. It was about halfway between them. Could she get to it before he did?

Thanks to her father, she knew how to shoot.

It was one of the things he’d insisted she learn when he’d accepted that she was going to go after her dream and that meant she’d sometimes find herself in dangerous countries.

She owned a gun, which unfortunately was in her gun safe at home.

It hadn’t occurred to her that she’d need it here.

A mistake she wouldn’t make again. From now on, wherever she went, her gun would go with her.

“Don’t play games, Quinn. Where’s my thumb drive?”

“Why would you think I’d have anything of yours?

” Had she accidentally taken what he was looking for when she’d hurriedly packed up her camera bag?

In her haste, she had scooped up several thumb drives that were on the table.

During her brief stop at home, she’d sorted out her cameras and accessories and had only brought with her what she would need for a day or two of snooping.

If she had his thumb drive, it was at home.

Not something she was about to tell him.

“Because you’re the only one who could have taken it.” He glared at her. “If it’s not here, I’ll start shooting you in places that won’t kill you but will hurt like hell until you tell me where it is.”

“And here I thought you liked me.” She didn’t know where her bravado was coming from because she believed him.

When he returned his attention to her camera bag, she took a deep breath.

“I’m thirsty.” The gun was her aim, not a glass of water.

Just a few steps, and she would be closer to it than him.

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, he spun, going for the gun, too. Their hands reached it at the same time, and they wrestled for it. What she didn’t see coming was his fist. It was hard to see anything when her world turned black.