Page 129 of Lawton

"This doesn't make any sense."

"Yeah." That was funny. I knew the feeling. "But when you see it, you'll understand."

"See what?"

For starters, she could see Bishop's cell phone, containing the video of those two guys ratting her out. After that, I didn't know. Bishop was still talking to her so-called kidnappers. He had a way of getting answers. In an hour, maybe two, Chloe and I would have a lot more to talk about.

"Look," I told her, "we can go around like this all night. But it's not gonna change anything. The ball's in your court. You wanna go down there? That's the price."

I waited, wondering if she'd actually do it. If she was smart, she'd run away and not look back. But even smart girls, I knew, could do very stupid things.

Finally, she spoke in a small, quiet voice. "All my clothes?"

I considered the question. At the thought of marching her downstairs fully naked, I almost smiled. She had a nice body, and the way it looked, she wasn't shy about flaunting it. Maybe I'd takeherpicture, see how she liked that.

But I hadn't sunk that low. Not yet. Give it time. "No," I finally said. "Guess not. Just the outer ones should be good." I crossed my arms and waited.

She stood, silent, for a long moment. And then, she blew out a long, unsteady breath. "Fine," she muttered. "You win." With small, jerky movements, she yanked off her T-shirt and hurled it to the floor. Then, she kicked off her tennis shoes and shimmied out of her jeans.

Underneath, she wore lacy black panties and matching bra. Her face was flushed, and her breathing was shallow. "There," she said, lifting her chin. "You happy?"

"Not particularly."

Now that she'd done it, I had to be careful. There was another reason I'd made her undress. I crossed the room and picked up her shirt. I ran it through my hands, checking for any electronics, hidden cameras, that sort of thing. Afterward, I did the same thing with her shoes and jeans.

Chloe was glaring at me now. "What are you looking for?"

"Nothing."

"Drugs? Because I'm not on any, if that's what you're wondering."

I almost laughed. Drugs? By now, those were the least of my worries. I turned and started walking toward the center of the house. When I heard no movement behind me, I glanced back. "You still coming?"

Chloe hesitated. And then, with a look of defiance, she strode forward as if she weren't half-naked and headed for trouble. "You bet I am."

I led the way, leaving her to follow me through the house and into the kitchen, where the basement door was located. When I reached it, I stopped. I lifted a hand and gripped the knob. Once I turned it, all bets were off.

But then again, I'd known that, anyway, hadn't I?

Chapter 55

With my hand still gripping the doorknob, I turned my head toward Chloe. She stood, defiant, in her black panties and matching bra. Her skin was flushed, and her mouth was set. The way it looked, she wasn't turning back.

Apparently, she was calling my bluff.

Big mistake.

Still, something made me say, "Last chance."

"Last chance for what?" she said.

"To run."

She lifted her chin. "I'm not running."

"Suit yourself." I turned and pushed open the basement door. I flicked on the light and started heading down. I kept my gaze straight ahead, listening to the sounds of her soft footsteps behind me.

The light was dim, and the air was cool. As far as I knew, this was Chloe's first time down here. Or who knows? Maybe she'd gone through the whole damn house when I wasn't looking.