Chapter 40
“Ineed cake.”
Angie stared down at her phone with dread. They were in Jared’s office, about to call her sister.
And she was nervous.
“You don’t need cake,” Jared told her.
“I do. Cake is my emotional support. I need it.”
He cupped her chin, tilting her head back. “Baby, you don’t. Now, turn your phone on.
She turned on her phone and it immediately started buzzing with messages and missed calls.
Oh hell.
She should have pushed to call Keira sooner.
Guilt swirled in her stomach. “She must be so upset.”
“It’s not your fault, baby,” Jared said to her, reaching over to pull her into his lap. “It’s mine.”
“That’s right. It’s yours. And North’s. Since he kidnapped me.”
North was sitting in the armchair across from them. He simply crossed his arms over his chest. He’d made her hold his hand down the stairs again.
Which was odd.
But she couldn’t say that she didn’t like it.
Suddenly, the phone rang and she answered it, setting it to video. She wanted to see her sister and for Keira to see her.
Instead, it was Miles who appeared. He seemed as startled as she was.
“Oh, fuck. Where are you? Zander! Fuck!”
She’d never heard Miles swear like that. The poor guy jumped to his feet and then there was a loud thump. She winced as she realized he must have banged his knee into the underside of his desk. “Zander! It’s Angie!”
The phone was dropped. And there was more swearing.
“He seems panicked,” North commented.
“Because he was worried about me,” she said.
Then the phone was picked up. By Zander.
“Zander,” she said in a high-pitched voice. She felt surprisingly emotional as she greeted him. She angled the camera so he couldn’t see Jared’s face.
She wanted to explain things first.
“Angie! Where the hell are you?” Zander demanded.
She blew out a breath. “Before I tell you, I need you to know that I didn’t want to come here, but now that I am here I want to stay.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” Zander yelled.
“Is that Angie? Angie? Oh my God!” Keira burst into tears as she appeared.
“Keira, don’t cry,” Zander demanded. “Keira. Keira, stop.” His voice softened and they disappeared out of camera view for a moment. She could hear them in the background, Zander trying to console Keira.
Shit.
She felt awful.
“This isn’t your fault,” Jared said. “I will explain.”
“Hey. Who is that who just spoke?” Honey asked, popping into the screen. “Babe, you look good for someone who was kidnapped. What’s the deal? Where are you? And who do I have to fuck up?”
North’s eyebrows raised at that.
“Are Zander and Keira there?” she asked. “I want to tell you all.”
“Keira, quit it,” Honey told her. “Angie is okay. I told you I’d know deep down if she wasn’t. But Angie, why didn’t you use the flame thrower?”
“Flame thrower?” North asked.
“Hey! That was a different voice,” Honey said. “What’s going on?”
“Angie? Where are you? We’ll come get you now.” Keira stared at her through watery eyes.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t call you earlier,” Angie said. “So sorry.”
“That wasn’t Angie’s decision, so don’t blame her. It was mine. I wouldn’t let her call until now.” Jared moved the camera so they could all see him.
“Bartolli!” Zander roared. “You’re a fucking dead man. I am going to track you down and kill you, you motherfucker!”
“Actually, that would be a very bad idea,” North said smoothly as he sat next to Jared. “Because then I would kill you.”
“No one is killing anyone!” Angie cried. “Zander, I need you to listen to me. Okay? Everyone be quiet and listen.”
“We’re listening,” Keira said.
“Are you sitting down, Keira?” Angie asked worriedly.
They moved onto a sofa that she recognized from the security room. Everyone appeared even if she could only see small bits of them.
“I miss you guys and I’m so sorry I worried you.”
“Why are you apologizing?” Zander asked. “Did you run?”
“No, she was kidnapped,” North said.
“By a Bartolli!” Zander yelled. “I fucking called you and you pretended to know nothing. My wife is pregnant! Do you know what worry you’ve caused her?”
“Actually, it wasn’t Jared. It was me,” North said.
“Who are you?” Keira asked.
“This is North, Jared’s assistant. I have no idea of your last name,” she said to North.”
“Smith.”
Right. That sounded plausible.
“Okay, North Smith.” She explained what happened. North kidnapping her without Jared’s knowledge. And how she convinced them to send a message.
“Once you learned about her why the fuck didn’t you call me, Bartolli?” Zander said. “Send her back?”
“Because I wanted to keep her,” Jared said. “But it had to be her decision because I’m not like my father. And so I was buying time so I could convince her.”
She frowned. “I thought you were keeping me here because you didn’t want Zander to come after North and you were worried I wasn’t safe back living on my own.”
“That too,” Jared admitted.
“You were right to be worried because I’m going to kill that bastard for kidnapping Angie!” Zander told him.
“No, you won’t,” Jared said.
God help her.
This was impossible. She shared a look through the camera with her sister.
Are you all right? Keira mouthed the words.
I really am. I want to stay here. With them.
Keira nodded. I love you.
Angie’s eyes filled with tears. Love you too. Thank you for everything.
We’re sisters. That’s all that matters.
“All of you, stop!” Keira and Angie said together.
Wow. They’d never been in sync like that before.
“Angie is staying with Jared and North,” Keira said. “Because that’s what she wants and we’re not retaliating.”
Zander scowled.
“I like both of them, Zander,” Angie said quietly. “Sure, I might not have wanted to be kidnapped. And I certainly didn’t want to be locked up—”
“Locked up!” Zander yelled.
Right. She’d left that out. Deliberately.
“And I never wanted to worry anyone. But I want to be here now. Can you be okay with that?”
“As long as they treat you right, I’m okay with it,” Honey said.
“I didn’t realize she got a vote,” North said.
“Everyone gets a vote,” Angie told him. “Even the baby.”
“Makes total sense,” Jared murmured.
Everyone else nodded and agreed until it got to Zander. She held her breath as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“I don’t like it. Any of it. Definitely don’t like seeing my wife upset all the time.”
“Zander,” Keira said.
“I’m so sorry,” Angie said.
“Not your fault.” Zander pointed at her. “Stop apologizing. Now, I want to talk to Angie alone. Without you two fuckers.”
Jared frowned.
“Please,” she said to Jared.
He sighed and then nodded, gesturing to North who left with him. Although she noticed the door stayed open.
“They’re gone,” she said.
“Show me,” Zander demanded.
She moved the phone around so he could see the entire room.
“Good,” he grunted. “Now, do you really want to stay?”
“I really do. No one is forcing me to stay.”
He groaned. “Fine. But I want to hear from you every day. And you’ll call your sister. And you’re to tell me if you ever need to get away from these two. Understand?”
“Yes, I understand. Thanks, Zander.”
“Don’t thank me, either. I’m going to go hit something. It will make me feel better.”
“He was worried about you,” Keira told her as the others disappeared. “I’m so happy you’re okay. Call me.”
“I will. Rest up. Love you.”
“Love you too.” Keira’s smile was everything as she hung up.
Angie slumped against the sofa as Jared walked in to sit next to her.
“You all right, baby?” he asked, rubbing his hand up and down her back as she leaned against him.
North walked in with a blanket which he wrapped around her.
“Yeah, that was just a lot.”
“You need to start wearing more clothes,” Jared stated.
“I’ll turn up the heat,” North stated.
“You don’t have to do that!” she protested.
“Yes, we do,” Jared told her. “Because your comfort comes first. I’m sorry that was so hard.”
“Me too. But it was also good. I feel better after talking to them.”
“That’s good.” Jared kissed the top of her head.
“I guess I should let you guys get to work,” she said as she tried to get off Jared’s lap.
“No.”
“No?”
“Just sit. Rest.”
Fine. She didn’t have the energy to argue. Even if he was extremely bossy.