smooth sheet and soft blanket of the giant bed.
She pulled to loosen the bed linens, sat up and looked around. It was all coming back. Liddie listened to hear if anyone was in the bathroom. No. He was gone. The curtains were closed, but light shone through cracks. It was morning.
Someone was banging on the hotel door downstairs.
Slightly panicked, Liddie got up. She was dressed in that sexy negligee and the sight of it made her cringe. In the light of day, it seemed more silly than sexy.
W ho had been here?
Liddie pushed away the flash of memory that threatened to upset her. Whoever was at the door, they were still knocking, and the sound of it poked like a cattle prod into her brain.
She ran into the bathroom and grabbed one of the plush white hotel robes that hung on a hook by the door. She quickly slipped into it. Holding onto the banister, she took the stairs slowly. Her head hurt and both legs were weak and wobbly.
“ Who is it?”
“ The concierge, Miss.”
Liddie looked out through the peephole and saw a uniformed staff employee. She cracked the door open.
He passed a paper through the opening. “A note from Mr. Maxon.”
“ Thank you.” She took the note and closed the door, then opened it quickly.
“ Excuse me.”
The concierge turned around immediately.
“Can you please have someone bring up a tray of toast and tea? I don’t seem to have a phone.”
He appeared surprised by that. “Of course. I’m so sorry.”
Liddie was relieved to have finally been able to place an order for some food. Her stomach felt like a hollow hole. All she’d had to eat since leaving New York was that granola bar on the plane, some champagne, and a few chocolate-covered strawberries from the candy basket on the counter.
She went into the living room and sat on the sofa. The curtains were open and the room was flooded with light. She looked at the note. It was on computer-generated paper with the hotel logo.
Be ready by nine. Parker.
She flipped the note over, but there was nothing else .
Liddie walked over to one of the windows and took in the view. The sun was already high over the city, and the beach was active with early risers. It might be later than she thought. She ran upstairs to the bedroom to look at the clock beside the bed.
Eight -fifteen. She cursed. He wasn’t giving her much time at all.
A n image from the night before threatened to distract her, but Liddie pushed it away once more. There was no time to think about it. No time to deal with it. Not now. She grabbed some clean clothes and ran into the bathroom, ripping off the nightie.
She ’d freshen up with a quick shower and then have enough time to enjoy the toast and tea. Right now, that was the only thing she cared about. Her stomach was dead empty, her limbs tired and weak, and her head threatened to explode.
How much of that champagne did I drink?
****
Garrett searched the entire hotel room for Liddie’s passport. He’d gone through both Parker and Liddie’s things, but could find nothing.
When he left the resort to go back to the plane, Liddie was in a solid sleep. While it took every ounce of resolve to leave her there, it would have been far worse for them both if he’d been caught taking her away.
Back at the plane, Garrett looked in cabinets, drawers, and anything else that opened up like a compartment. No passport anywhere. Parker’s two stooges had disappeared upon landing, and he assumed it was with them. Or Parker. By taking her passport and drugging her, Parker was making sure Liddie had no opportunity to leave.
Garrett tried to come up with a plan, but there was no way to get Liddie out without giving up on his mission. Running off with Liddie would mean losing the location of the camp. Without the evidence, he’d never be able to put Parker away – or his father, or any of the other crooked cronies who called themselves collectors.
It wasn’t an option. Liddie had unwittingly placed herself in the middle of a
She pulled to loosen the bed linens, sat up and looked around. It was all coming back. Liddie listened to hear if anyone was in the bathroom. No. He was gone. The curtains were closed, but light shone through cracks. It was morning.
Someone was banging on the hotel door downstairs.
Slightly panicked, Liddie got up. She was dressed in that sexy negligee and the sight of it made her cringe. In the light of day, it seemed more silly than sexy.
W ho had been here?
Liddie pushed away the flash of memory that threatened to upset her. Whoever was at the door, they were still knocking, and the sound of it poked like a cattle prod into her brain.
She ran into the bathroom and grabbed one of the plush white hotel robes that hung on a hook by the door. She quickly slipped into it. Holding onto the banister, she took the stairs slowly. Her head hurt and both legs were weak and wobbly.
“ Who is it?”
“ The concierge, Miss.”
Liddie looked out through the peephole and saw a uniformed staff employee. She cracked the door open.
He passed a paper through the opening. “A note from Mr. Maxon.”
“ Thank you.” She took the note and closed the door, then opened it quickly.
“ Excuse me.”
The concierge turned around immediately.
“Can you please have someone bring up a tray of toast and tea? I don’t seem to have a phone.”
He appeared surprised by that. “Of course. I’m so sorry.”
Liddie was relieved to have finally been able to place an order for some food. Her stomach felt like a hollow hole. All she’d had to eat since leaving New York was that granola bar on the plane, some champagne, and a few chocolate-covered strawberries from the candy basket on the counter.
She went into the living room and sat on the sofa. The curtains were open and the room was flooded with light. She looked at the note. It was on computer-generated paper with the hotel logo.
Be ready by nine. Parker.
She flipped the note over, but there was nothing else .
Liddie walked over to one of the windows and took in the view. The sun was already high over the city, and the beach was active with early risers. It might be later than she thought. She ran upstairs to the bedroom to look at the clock beside the bed.
Eight -fifteen. She cursed. He wasn’t giving her much time at all.
A n image from the night before threatened to distract her, but Liddie pushed it away once more. There was no time to think about it. No time to deal with it. Not now. She grabbed some clean clothes and ran into the bathroom, ripping off the nightie.
She ’d freshen up with a quick shower and then have enough time to enjoy the toast and tea. Right now, that was the only thing she cared about. Her stomach was dead empty, her limbs tired and weak, and her head threatened to explode.
How much of that champagne did I drink?
****
Garrett searched the entire hotel room for Liddie’s passport. He’d gone through both Parker and Liddie’s things, but could find nothing.
When he left the resort to go back to the plane, Liddie was in a solid sleep. While it took every ounce of resolve to leave her there, it would have been far worse for them both if he’d been caught taking her away.
Back at the plane, Garrett looked in cabinets, drawers, and anything else that opened up like a compartment. No passport anywhere. Parker’s two stooges had disappeared upon landing, and he assumed it was with them. Or Parker. By taking her passport and drugging her, Parker was making sure Liddie had no opportunity to leave.
Garrett tried to come up with a plan, but there was no way to get Liddie out without giving up on his mission. Running off with Liddie would mean losing the location of the camp. Without the evidence, he’d never be able to put Parker away – or his father, or any of the other crooked cronies who called themselves collectors.
It wasn’t an option. Liddie had unwittingly placed herself in the middle of a
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