to you that Alexander planned to frame Jerry to get his hands on Cora?”
“That’s Cora’s problem. She wouldn’t be in this mess if her father were honest.”
Like Keith could recognize honest. Nick clenched his fist to control his temper. “Do you care that Alexander stole your million dollars?”
A chilling look came over Keith’s eyes. A murderous look.
Nick kept going. “You have an innocent man held hostage downstairs.”
Keith coolly stared at his son while John and Michael stiffened in their leather chairs.
“We’re going to find Alexander, one way or another, and hear what he has to say,” John said. “Maybe you should get back with the program and help us.”
Nick remained quiet, but Keith said, “We don’t need to go looking for him. Either she’ll show up here again, looking for Jerry, or Alexander will hand deliver her.”
Keith’s words ran up Nick’s spin like a cold knife blade. Knowing that he needed to bluff, he waited a long minute and said, “So we wait for them to show up here. But then what?”
Keith stood up from leaning on the desk. “You’ve been disrespecting us for some time. But I still gave you one job to do, and look how that turned out.” He walked past Nick to the door and opened it. “We’ll let you know when there’s something you can do.”
Nick left the room and Keith shut the door behind him. He could try to eavesdrop, but that wouldn’t find Cora.
Was it possible that he misread the look in her eyes? Could a woman kiss like that and not mean it? Or was she afraid of him, along with his family?
He drove away, wondering where to look. Her apartment was empty still. Cora was too smart to endanger anyone else, so that didn’t leave her many choices.
His cell rang. He wouldn’t have answered calls from very many people just then. However, it was Adam.
“Hey bro,” Adam greeted. “Where are you? I’ve been trying to reach you.”
“I’m driving . . . I’m surprised I haven’t spotted someone following me yet.” Nick glanced in his mirrors and heaved a sigh. “I didn’t take my phone in when I talked to King Kong and his thugs.”
That’d been their nickname for Keith when they were kids.
“You were there?”
“Just now. Why?”
“I went there last night, looking for you, and Alexander stopped by.”
Damn it! They had lied to his face. Of course Alexander beat him there. “Cora?”
Nick yanked the steering wheel and drove the car over to the curb, realizing he wasn’t watching the road at all.
“Alexander sounded sure that Cora’s going to show up there Friday morning.”
“How could he know what Cora’s planning to do....unless she’s with him. Great, just great.” Nick punched the steering wheel. “So Alexander is bringing Cora to Keith. Why is he waiting? Did he try to make a deal with Keith?”
“That’s where I’m confused. Listen, man, I couldn’t get the whole picture, but what I understood was bad. I heard Alexander tell Keith ‘make sure she sees it. I’ll get her out of there and get you the key.’ I’m not sure what it is.”
“Can’t be good. I’m going in tomorrow morning. With me?”
***
Cora dreamed of Nick striding to her and kissing her, throwing her into the cold stream, flashing her that charming smile. Her mind was saturated with thoughts of his smile, his strong hands, his scent, his smooth voice talking in almost musical tones. Images and feelings mixed. Nick was looking into her eyes, making her feel like the universe centered around her. Then he was holding her, cradled back against him, while he nuzzled her neck and whispered in her ear. Sometime in all her dreaming, she forgot Nick wasn’t there.
She woke up looking for him, expecting to find his scent and launch into a new argument. Instead it was dark. And she was alone.
Oh. Alexander had found her.
Nick. Where was he right now? It must have hurt him when he realized she was gone. But she had to leave. Her dad
“That’s Cora’s problem. She wouldn’t be in this mess if her father were honest.”
Like Keith could recognize honest. Nick clenched his fist to control his temper. “Do you care that Alexander stole your million dollars?”
A chilling look came over Keith’s eyes. A murderous look.
Nick kept going. “You have an innocent man held hostage downstairs.”
Keith coolly stared at his son while John and Michael stiffened in their leather chairs.
“We’re going to find Alexander, one way or another, and hear what he has to say,” John said. “Maybe you should get back with the program and help us.”
Nick remained quiet, but Keith said, “We don’t need to go looking for him. Either she’ll show up here again, looking for Jerry, or Alexander will hand deliver her.”
Keith’s words ran up Nick’s spin like a cold knife blade. Knowing that he needed to bluff, he waited a long minute and said, “So we wait for them to show up here. But then what?”
Keith stood up from leaning on the desk. “You’ve been disrespecting us for some time. But I still gave you one job to do, and look how that turned out.” He walked past Nick to the door and opened it. “We’ll let you know when there’s something you can do.”
Nick left the room and Keith shut the door behind him. He could try to eavesdrop, but that wouldn’t find Cora.
Was it possible that he misread the look in her eyes? Could a woman kiss like that and not mean it? Or was she afraid of him, along with his family?
He drove away, wondering where to look. Her apartment was empty still. Cora was too smart to endanger anyone else, so that didn’t leave her many choices.
His cell rang. He wouldn’t have answered calls from very many people just then. However, it was Adam.
“Hey bro,” Adam greeted. “Where are you? I’ve been trying to reach you.”
“I’m driving . . . I’m surprised I haven’t spotted someone following me yet.” Nick glanced in his mirrors and heaved a sigh. “I didn’t take my phone in when I talked to King Kong and his thugs.”
That’d been their nickname for Keith when they were kids.
“You were there?”
“Just now. Why?”
“I went there last night, looking for you, and Alexander stopped by.”
Damn it! They had lied to his face. Of course Alexander beat him there. “Cora?”
Nick yanked the steering wheel and drove the car over to the curb, realizing he wasn’t watching the road at all.
“Alexander sounded sure that Cora’s going to show up there Friday morning.”
“How could he know what Cora’s planning to do....unless she’s with him. Great, just great.” Nick punched the steering wheel. “So Alexander is bringing Cora to Keith. Why is he waiting? Did he try to make a deal with Keith?”
“That’s where I’m confused. Listen, man, I couldn’t get the whole picture, but what I understood was bad. I heard Alexander tell Keith ‘make sure she sees it. I’ll get her out of there and get you the key.’ I’m not sure what it is.”
“Can’t be good. I’m going in tomorrow morning. With me?”
***
Cora dreamed of Nick striding to her and kissing her, throwing her into the cold stream, flashing her that charming smile. Her mind was saturated with thoughts of his smile, his strong hands, his scent, his smooth voice talking in almost musical tones. Images and feelings mixed. Nick was looking into her eyes, making her feel like the universe centered around her. Then he was holding her, cradled back against him, while he nuzzled her neck and whispered in her ear. Sometime in all her dreaming, she forgot Nick wasn’t there.
She woke up looking for him, expecting to find his scent and launch into a new argument. Instead it was dark. And she was alone.
Oh. Alexander had found her.
Nick. Where was he right now? It must have hurt him when he realized she was gone. But she had to leave. Her dad
Similar Books
