another symbol of her captivity.
Who sent them?
she wondered as she sagged down to the floor, one hand pressed against her chest to stop her heart’s frantic pounding.
And did the sender realize the significance? How? The only person who knew about the gardenias was Rosario, who had never asked why Talia always threw away the flowers as soon as they arrived.
She went into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of red wine and tried to come up with a logical explanation.
But she kept coming back to the same place: the necklace David had given her and the same flowers he used to buy her showing up in the same week? It couldn’t be a coincidence.
Unless… the scenario was so unlikely it was ridiculous.But even as her brain screamed at her that there was no way Jack had bought her flowers, much less the same exact kind David Maxwell used to send, her fingers had dialed Jack’s number before she could stop herself.
She tried not to be devastated when her call went straight to voice mail.
Idiot.
Of course Jack was busy, on a job. It wasn’t like he was just sitting around waiting for her to call.
She considered calling the police, then dismissed the idea. All they would do was take her statement and file a report, something that could be just as easily taken care of in the morning after she confirmed what she already knew—they didn’t come from Jack.
She set the phone down and sipped at her wine and thought about turning on the TV to distract her. But even as she tried to convince herself there was a nonsinister explanation for both the flowers and the necklace, she couldn’t shake the idea that with the TV on she might not hear someone creeping around outside.
She picked up a magazine from the pile on her table and jumped, sloshing coffee everywhere when her phone buzzed to signal an incoming text.
Working, can’t talk. What’s up?
It was from Jack.
Talia quickly wrote back before she could think better of it.
Did you send me flowers?
Why would I send you flowers?
The blunt question startled a laugh out of her, even as she felt a little pinch in the region of her chest. Why indeed?
That’s what I thought.
She texted back.
WTF is going on?
Nothing to worry about. Will explain later.
R U SAFE???
She looked around the house, at the locked windows, bolted doors, thought of the state-of-the-art alarm Jack had installed. She wasn’t sure.
Jack texted her again.
Coming over. 20 mins tops.
Part of her wanted to let him, but she knew it was overkill, not to mention unfair for her to make Jack abandon what was clearly a high-profile client. Whoever had left the flowers was gone. Talia was safe inside her house and no one was getting in without her knowing about it.
Not necessary.
She texted back quickly.
Am fine.
Stuck here all night. Do you want me to send Ben? Or Alex?
No, she didn’t want either of Jack’s old army buddies and now coworkers camping on her couch, no matter how creeped she was feeling.
I am fine,
she reiterated.
Talk tomorrow.
She turned off the ringer and stuffed the phone into her purse so she wouldn’t hear it. She knew Jack, knew he would keep texting her, trying to get her to tell him what was going on.
But for months she’d managed to keep quiet about the identity of her sugar daddy while Jack had her tucked away in a safe house, despite his constant badgering. He could wait until tomorrow to hear about the flowers.
Talia could hear her phone vibrating in her purse as she walked up the stairs to climb into bed.
By the time Jack tracked Talia down at Gus’s gym the following afternoon, he was mad enough to throw a fewpunches himself. Talia had ignored all of his phone calls and texts, forcing him to do a drive-by after he’d left the Blankenthorns at two in the morning to make sure everything was okay.
He’d found her car in the garage, the house locked up tight, and the log from the alarm system indicating no one had entered or left the house since he’d received her
Who sent them?
she wondered as she sagged down to the floor, one hand pressed against her chest to stop her heart’s frantic pounding.
And did the sender realize the significance? How? The only person who knew about the gardenias was Rosario, who had never asked why Talia always threw away the flowers as soon as they arrived.
She went into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of red wine and tried to come up with a logical explanation.
But she kept coming back to the same place: the necklace David had given her and the same flowers he used to buy her showing up in the same week? It couldn’t be a coincidence.
Unless… the scenario was so unlikely it was ridiculous.But even as her brain screamed at her that there was no way Jack had bought her flowers, much less the same exact kind David Maxwell used to send, her fingers had dialed Jack’s number before she could stop herself.
She tried not to be devastated when her call went straight to voice mail.
Idiot.
Of course Jack was busy, on a job. It wasn’t like he was just sitting around waiting for her to call.
She considered calling the police, then dismissed the idea. All they would do was take her statement and file a report, something that could be just as easily taken care of in the morning after she confirmed what she already knew—they didn’t come from Jack.
She set the phone down and sipped at her wine and thought about turning on the TV to distract her. But even as she tried to convince herself there was a nonsinister explanation for both the flowers and the necklace, she couldn’t shake the idea that with the TV on she might not hear someone creeping around outside.
She picked up a magazine from the pile on her table and jumped, sloshing coffee everywhere when her phone buzzed to signal an incoming text.
Working, can’t talk. What’s up?
It was from Jack.
Talia quickly wrote back before she could think better of it.
Did you send me flowers?
Why would I send you flowers?
The blunt question startled a laugh out of her, even as she felt a little pinch in the region of her chest. Why indeed?
That’s what I thought.
She texted back.
WTF is going on?
Nothing to worry about. Will explain later.
R U SAFE???
She looked around the house, at the locked windows, bolted doors, thought of the state-of-the-art alarm Jack had installed. She wasn’t sure.
Jack texted her again.
Coming over. 20 mins tops.
Part of her wanted to let him, but she knew it was overkill, not to mention unfair for her to make Jack abandon what was clearly a high-profile client. Whoever had left the flowers was gone. Talia was safe inside her house and no one was getting in without her knowing about it.
Not necessary.
She texted back quickly.
Am fine.
Stuck here all night. Do you want me to send Ben? Or Alex?
No, she didn’t want either of Jack’s old army buddies and now coworkers camping on her couch, no matter how creeped she was feeling.
I am fine,
she reiterated.
Talk tomorrow.
She turned off the ringer and stuffed the phone into her purse so she wouldn’t hear it. She knew Jack, knew he would keep texting her, trying to get her to tell him what was going on.
But for months she’d managed to keep quiet about the identity of her sugar daddy while Jack had her tucked away in a safe house, despite his constant badgering. He could wait until tomorrow to hear about the flowers.
Talia could hear her phone vibrating in her purse as she walked up the stairs to climb into bed.
By the time Jack tracked Talia down at Gus’s gym the following afternoon, he was mad enough to throw a fewpunches himself. Talia had ignored all of his phone calls and texts, forcing him to do a drive-by after he’d left the Blankenthorns at two in the morning to make sure everything was okay.
He’d found her car in the garage, the house locked up tight, and the log from the alarm system indicating no one had entered or left the house since he’d received her
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