Phillip: Lanning's Leap - Paranormal Erotic Romance by Kathi S. Barton Page A

him what he needed. It helped that the guy was a shifter, and they’d been running together since they’d been kids. He told them what he knew as he worked on the other four numbers.
    “So they ordered five pizzas four days before they left, then ten the next day. Sounds like…I don’t know. Can three teenagers eat that much pizza, you think?” Rider assured Murph that they could, no problem. “So we can assume that they got the food for themselves. The credit card company is giving me a hard time about getting the last known usage of their cards. But the company that he works for is sending what they have on his company card now. They don’t think we’ll find anything on it but a few company meals. I guess Mr. Rainer is a straight up kind of guy.”
    Andrew said he’d make a few calls on the credit cards and banks. As he moved to the back of the plane to have some quiet, Phillip continued trying to figure out the rest of the calls. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary until he tried calling the last one to verify.
    “Seventy-six and Weston.” The line went dead almost as soon as it was connected to the person. Phillip started to call the number back, thinking he’d gotten the wrong number, when it rang again. Before he could say anything, he could hear voices in the background and hushed everyone around him to listen. The plane got silent just as someone spoke again.
    “I asked you where it was. Now you’ll either tell me this time or I will break your other leg.” A small whimpering sound made him think that the person was in pain. The sound of something hard hitting what Phillip knew was a hand made the person cry out. “Now, we’re going to do this again. Where is the money? All of it. I swear to Christ, I’ve had enough of you and your bullshit.”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” There was a scream this time and the phone was dropped. Phillip wondered if that was the end of what they were listening to when someone spoke in a low urgent whisper.
    “Please hurry. Seventy-six and Weston.” Then the line went dead.
    No one moved. Phillip stared at the phone for a long time before Murph took it from him. He had no idea what she was going to do until she put it on the floor and crushed it. Misha asked her what the hell she was doing.
    “It’s a trap.” Rider asked her how she knew. “Okay, several things. But first of all, how did they know where they were being held? Usually, that’s not something the kidnappers tell their victims. Then, and this is the kicker, why assume that the person on the other end of the line is going to know what the fuck you’re talking about when you just give an address? If a regular Joe Blow answered that call, they’d just think it’s a prank, then hang up. On both calls. She didn’t say come and get me, I’ve been kidnapped and they’re killing my dad. Nope, just the street address.”
    “Okay, but what else? And why did you kill the phone?” Phillip knew and told Misha. “Okay, so they can track us with it. I understand that. So you’re thinking this has to do with us and not just the family.”
    “I do. And the other things are not lining up either. Like the car…why shoot it up? That just screams foul play at you. Why not leave it in a parking lot with the doors and windows locked? Now you’ve just told the world you have the family.”
    Phillip liked where this was going. Not that it was a trap but that they were working it out before anyone got hurt. When Andrew came from the other room, he looked confused.
    “The cards have been maxed out. I asked my buddy at the office about it, and he said that it’s normal for the card’s balance to be low, but about six weeks before, they’d maxed it out. Nearly eleven grand on the one card alone. He said he’d bet that all of them were like that…the man and woman have two each with the company. I called the other two companies they have cards with. It’s the same, they’re all maxed