Chapter 57
Tori stared at Eli. “What do you mean, he’s not your father?”
“Do I have to draw you a map? What part of that don’t you understand?” Without waiting for an answer, he climbed out of the SUV and slammed the door and then walked to her door and opened it. “Get out,” he said, motioning with the gun.
The first step was a long one. “I need your help.”
She thought Eli was going to refuse, but then he held out his left hand. “Just don’t get any ideas of trying to escape. Your nephew tried it, and I don’t think he’ll try it again.”
“If you hurt him—”
“You’ll what?” His mouth twisted. “I don’t think you’re in any position to threaten anyone. Now get inside.”
Tori’s shoulders slumped. There was nothing she could do if he’d hurt Drew—past, present, or future. At least not in her power. She straightened her shoulders. No matter what Tori faced inside the house, her mom was right—she wasn’t alone. God was with her.
He gripped her arm as they climbed the rickety steps to the porch. At the top, she stumbled on a loose plank. She fell, jerking from his grasp, and rolled onto her back. Eli staggered, his arms flailing to get his balance. Tori kicked at him with both feet, connecting with his knees.
He screamed and grabbed his knees as he fell. The gun clattered to the floor. With her hands still zip-tied, Tori scooped it up and pointed it at Eli. “Get up.”
He moaned. “I can’t, you broke my kneecaps.”
“I don’t think so. I didn’t kick you that hard. Now get up!”
He glared at her before he rolled over and used the porch rail to pull himself up.
“Where’s Drew?”
“Inside.” He spit the word out.
“Who else is in there?”
“Why don’t you go in and see.”
His cockiness made her want to kick him again. She was pretty sure someone was inside waiting for them . . . the zip ties dug into her wrists, but she wasn’t about to let Eli near her with a knife. Once she had Drew free, he could help her get loose.
“I have a gun on Eli,” she yelled. “Whoever is in the house, come out or I’ll use it.”
At first there was no response, then feet shuffled toward the door. Drew appeared first. She couldn’t see who stood behind him. “Are you all right?”
He shook his head, like he was trying to warn her. Then Stephanie Livingston stepped where Tori could see her. Not Richard. Tori had forgotten the couple had matching Cadillacs. The woman held a gun near Drew’s head.
“You can let Eli go now,” Stephanie said.
“I don’t think so. Why don’t you release Drew?”
“Let’s cut to the chase. You won’t shoot Eli—you’re not that kind of person. But I am. And unless you want your nephew to die in the next minute, lay the gun down and come inside.” She pressed the gun to Drew’s temple as if to prove her point.
Tori stared into Stephanie’s hard eyes. The woman would pull the trigger and not think twice about it.
“Okay. Don’t shoot him.” She moved the gun away from Eli, and he snatched it from her hand.
“Inside,” he growled.
Tori stepped through the doorway into a dark room and followed Drew and Stephanie down a hallway. A faint light spilled from under a closed door. Stephanie nudged Drew to open it. Once he did, she shoved him inside and told him to sit down. Then she motioned for Tori to follow.
“Sit there.” Stephanie pointed to a chair beside Drew, facing the window. “Tie her to the chair.”
Once Tori was secured, Stephanie stuck her gun in her waistband. “Where’s the drive?” she asked. “And what took you so long?”
“Got here as soon as I could, babe.”
Eli had avoided the subject of the data drive. And babe? That plus his tone suggested familiarity, like they had a close relationship. “So, you two . . .”
The other woman laughed. “It’s a business deal.”
It didn’t appear to be totally business, at least on Eli’s part. Tori glared at him. “How could you do this to your dad?”
“I told you, he’s not my father. Dear old Uncle Walter was my dad. Of course, I didn’t know until I submitted my DNA to a site, and, well, let’s just say Jenny wasn’t the only one surprised when she found out who her father was.”
What a messed-up family. But despite Eli’s sarcasm, the information had hurt him.
“And since you are so interested in who killed Walter, it was my father,” he said, putting the last word in air quotes. “I understand he was livid when he discovered my mother’s unfaithfulness. With his brother, no less.”
Richard killed Walter? And let Huey go to jail for it? “I suppose you have proof.”
“Enough reminiscing, you two.” Stephanie turned to Eli. “Give me the drive.”
Eli’s face reddened. “She claimed she couldn’t find it, and then we had to beat it because the cops were coming.”
A string of expletives spewed from Stephanie’s lips, then she shook her head and paced the room, muttering. “I should’ve taken care of it myself.”
While the woman ranted, Tori scanned the room.
There had to be a way out of here. The room was small, maybe ten by twelve feet with a battery-powered lantern in the middle of the floor.
One window. One door. Something in the corner .
. . She frowned. Then she blinked. It looked like a body. “Who is that?”
Stephanie stopped in front of Tori. “I see you’ve discovered my cousin, Cal.
I thought he’d be useful since he lived in Knoxville, and he had an interest in keeping tabs on you.
Then he got fire-happy, which would’ve been fine if he hadn’t bungled the job.
Our problems would’ve gone away if he’d managed to burn your studio down with you in it. ”
“Is he . . . is he dead?”
“Not yet.” The cold words sent a chill through Tori. She was dealing with a true sociopath. She glanced at Eli. Make that two.
Stephanie turned on her partner. “He’s as bad as you. Why didn’t you go with her into her brother’s house?”
“I wasn’t ready to reveal my hand. I thought she’d bring the drive out with her, but then she said she couldn’t find it.”
“You thought.” She waved the gun. “We have to get that drive and destroy it.”
“Jenny’s dead, and if she can’t find it,” Eli said, jerking his head toward Tori, “maybe it’ll never surface.”
“Don’t tell me you believe her?” The corner of Stephanie’s lip curled. She shook her head. “The drive has proof that we—”
“Not we,” Eli snapped. “You.”
She glared at him. “You’re in this just as deep as I am.”
He palmed his hands. “No. I’m only taking what’s mine, or will be one day.”
Stephanie let out a huff. “Not if Richard discovers that you’ve been embezzling funds from the company.”
Eli shrugged. “Then I’ll be happy with my mother’s part. You’re the one who got too greedy and hooked up with money launderers.”
“You were happy to take their money. You think they’re going to just let you walk away? Especially if we don’t come up with that drive?”
“Why did you keep records anyway? That was plain stupid.”
“It was for insurance to use against the cartel if they ever got too unreasonable.” She turned back to Tori. “I want the location of the drive, and I want it now.”
“I didn’t find it.” She stared Stephanie down.
“There’s more than one way to find out.” Stephanie walked to Drew’s chair and held the gun to his head. “You know where the drive is, don’t you?”
Drew shrank back.
Tori strained against the rope binding her to the chair. Stephanie had killed once to cover up her illegal activities. She would have no problem killing Drew. “He doesn’t know anything.”
“I think he does.”
Tori’s heart almost stopped as Stephanie’s finger tightened on the trigger.