Page 19

He glared at me, strolling close and bending over to meet my eyes. “Your time away has made you bold.” His eyes were cold and menacing as he crowded me into the wall. I refused to back down this time.

“Get used to it,” I replied.

He slapped me, the sound of his hit loud in the room. Pain exploded in my cheek, and I had to shut my eyes and bite back my scream.

He was furious when I made no noise. He started yelling, screaming in my face, but I remained still, my eyes firmly shut, picturing Niall killing him. Slowly.

Juan pushed me down, dragging me over the rough carpet, the fibers biting into my bound arms and hands.

He threw me into the closet, still screaming, slamming the door.

I lay on the floor, panting and terrified, but the door remained shut.

I could hear his curses fading, and I realized he had left the room, Heidi’s voice trailing off as well as she followed him.

I lifted my head, my cheek throbbing. Caught on my sweater was my bracelet.

Ignoring the fresh agony that tore through my hands, I managed to struggle upright, and I used my teeth to grab the collar of my sweater, shaking the bracelet loose.

I shifted and rolled, biting back my pain and wriggling on the floor until I felt the bracelet in my hand and I got the toggle where I needed it.

Then I started to press. Every few moments, I repeated it.

“Please, Niall. Hear me. Find me.”

NIALL

I was out of the car before Rory brought it to a screeching halt. I raced to the elevator, Finn on my heels. In the security room, we were greeted with serious faces.

“What?” I demanded.

Evan clicked on the screen. “Watch.”

I saw Anna leave the front desk and again as she left the accounting area and headed to the elevator. She looked up, greeting someone, and they got into the elevator. The feed switched, and I narrowed my eyes.

“It’s that woman,” I mumbled. “Heidi, I think.”

“Yes.”

The feeds switched again, and Anna walked down the hall to what I assumed was Heidi’s room. They appeared to be chatting, and Anna looked relaxed. They walked in, and I glanced Evan’s way. “What next?”

“Keep your eyes on the screen. There’s a time jump.”

Heidi walked out of the room, rolling a suitcase. She waited by the elevator, smiling at someone getting off on her floor then stepping in, and the door closed behind her.

“Where is Anna?” I asked.

Had she stayed in Heidi’s room?

Evan didn’t respond. He cut to the main floor, and I watched as Heidi stopped at the front desk, spoke with Una, then headed out the front door.

A car waited, the same one as the other day, only this time, the driver got out and helped her stow the bag in the trunk.

I frowned, staring at the screen. He still had a beard, but his hair wasn’t long.

And the suit jacket he wore was too big—he was much slimmer than I had originally thought.

Clarity hit me, and I turned to Evan.

“It was shortly before that when the signal died,” he confirmed. “It came back as the car started to move, then disappeared again.”

“She’s in the suitcase,” I said, stunned and horrified. “They stuffed her in a suitcase and took her out of here with everyone watching.”

Just then, the driver turned, faced the camera, and smiled.

And my blood ran cold.

“It’s Juan!” I shouted. I turned to Finn. “He’s fucking alive, and they got her.”

Finn grabbed my shoulders.

“And we’ll get her back.” He shook me. “I fucking promise.”

Around me was chaos. Evan was typing away, trying to find camera angles and search for the signal. Finn phoned Roman, telling him what happened.

“It’s Juan,” he muttered. “He’s alive.”

I heard Roman’s shouted reply. “Jesus fucking Christ! We’re on our way.”

Una showed up, Finn telling her what we had discovered. She burst into tears, collapsing against his chest. He pulled her out of the room.

I was numb.

I promised Anna I would keep her safe. I insisted there was no better place than right here in this hotel. I had her watched. Finn had extra men.

And still, she was taken.

Simply the thought of how terrified she must be caused a chasm to split my chest in two.

Knowing what a sick, twisted man Juan was, I was stagnant with fear.

I watched the images on the screen over and over.

My Anna, my darling, had been shoved into a suitcase and wheeled out of here like yesterday’s soiled laundry heading to the cleaners.

My anger began to boil inside me, the rage bringing me to my feet.

“Give me a job. Now.”

Evan looked up just as it happened. My phone lit up. My watch vibrated. In my bag I had flung on the floor when I rushed in, a signal sounded from my laptop.

Anna’s SOS.

“Holy shit, it’s still working,” Evan muttered, grabbing my phone. “It’s weak.”

“Can you locate it?”

“I’ll try.”

He sat down at the computer and started typing. Finn and Una came back, her red-eyed and Finn holding a sheet of paper.

“Una had a thought, Evan.”

“What?” he asked, not looking up.

“When you check in, we require a cell number. I have hers—if it’s real,” Una said.

He held out his hand, and Finn gave him the paper. Evan turned to another colleague. “Ben, check this out.”

Ben grabbed the paper, sitting down and typing fast.

Una came to me. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “She—Heidi—has been taking things to her new place. She said it was full of clothes. I never thought…” She trailed off with a sob.

I hugged her tight. “No one would have. This was planned, and she’s been waiting.”

“Anna was right there, and I didn’t know,” she cried.

I looked at Finn, shaking my head. “It’s not your fault, Una,” I assured her. “We’re going to get her back. We’ve got backup coming?—”

My phone and watch lit up again.

“Is that a malfunction?” I asked Evan.

It happened again.

Then again.

He looked up. “I’d say no. She’s sending signals.”

I shut my eyes. Signals were good. It meant she was alive.

“Hold on, mo mhuirnín, ” I thought. “We’re coming. I promise . ”

Evan looked up. “I need room. And quiet.”

Finn nodded. “We’ll be in my office.”

We headed downstairs, Una tucked into Finn’s side, the occasional sob escaping her mouth. I was quiet, praying, desperately hoping.

In his office, Finn threw back a whiskey and handed me a glass. “You need this.”

“How is he alive?” I muttered. “And who the hell is this Heidi to him?”

Finn rubbed his eyes. “He mustn’t have been as hurt as we thought. He must have killed someone else and made it appear to be him. One of the lab workers, maybe. We didn’t have an accurate count of them.”

“Heidi never said her husband’s name. Do you really think they’re married?” Una asked.

“God knows. But she isn’t who she said she was. I guarantee there’s no condo or job transfer. She’s been trying to get Anna out of the hotel the whole time.” I stopped. “And you.”

“Jesus,” Finn breathed. “Jesus.”

He grabbed Una and held her close.

“Today must have been Plan B. Or maybe it was the plan the whole time. I don’t know.” I scrubbed my face. “He was even more obsessed than we thought.”

Evan walked in, heading straight to Finn’s computer. “We hacked into a few systems and found her carrier. Then we hacked further into her account?—”

I cut him off. “And?”

He sighed. “We located the area her phone is in. It matches with the area the tracker is pinging from.” He turned the screen. “Look familiar?”

Finn and I stared at the screen.

“Holy shit.”

Roman and Aldo walked in after Evan had stepped out, both of them serious and angry.

“Any update?”

“We think he’s holding her at the racetrack.”

Roman frowned, stroking his chin. “Good idea. Place is locked up, supposedly deserted.”

“Power is still on for the security systems. We checked,” Finn informed them.

Aldo leaned against the wall, crossing his ankles. “He’d have keys. He’d know how to bypass certain areas. He’s been lying in wait.”

Roman rolled his shoulders. “What’s the plan? I have men on standby. Luca’s away, but we’re here.” He gripped my shoulder. “We’re getting her back. Tonight. He won’t risk waiting.”

“I know.”

Evan walked in again. “Listen. When I had the drones at the racetrack last time, I landed a couple remote ones on the roof in case they were needed again. I’ve been busy and haven’t recalled them.

I just did a flyover. There’s a car parked at the back—a dark sedan.

And there are three heat sources, all in the one area. ” He showed it to Finn and me.

“That’s where Lopez’s office was located. He must have had a living space there too.”

“That’s where they are,” I said. “It has to be.”

“Then let’s make a plan,” Roman said. “Simple, quick, and quiet. In and out. We get Anna. We end Juan. Once and for all.” He met my gaze, his furious. “We kill him so hard and bury him so deep, he’ll never fucking crawl out. The bitch with him too.”

I nodded. “Agreed.”