Chapter 17 Annie
ANNIE
I don’t know where we’re going or what we’re doing, but once we’re back inside the office where I first met Josh, I throw myself into his arms. “I don’t want anyone to get hurt,” I murmur against his chest.
He’s wearing a black shirt and dark jeans.
The fabric of his shirt is so soft, and I wish I could close my eyes and stay here, breathing in his spicy cologne and fresh soap smell.
But I can’t. I can’t pretend whatever this is hasn’t changed.
Things are going to get worse before they get better.
I just have to believe they will get better.
And that in the end, we’re all going to be okay.
Josh leans back and lifts my chin so our eyes meet. “Nobody is going to get hurt,” he vows. “Tiny’s at the compound, and Leo will look out for Lia and Rider. You have me, and I’m not going to let anything happen to you. You know that, don’t you?”
I nod. I do know. I mean, of course I believe that. It’s just that this has gotten so big. So out of hand. So many more people are involved, and I still don’t have any answers.
“Knock knock.” Morris peeks his head into the office. Alice trails just a few paces behind. “All right, Arrow. What’s the plan?”
Josh releases me, and I grab my phone.
“I’m going to have Annie text the number from the last note. We’ll make a plan when they reply.” He looks at me and nods. “You ready, babe?”
I open my phone and punch in the number from the note. Then I type out the message Josh and I talked about on the drive over.
Who are you, and what do you want from me?
Then, I immediately text Neveah. Josh thought it would be useful to see which number responded first, and to see what, if anything, Neveah said.
Neveah, I’m in trouble. Are you around?
I hit send, putting two messages out into the world that might just change everything.
If I’m lucky, they will both respond. I’m not even sure what I hope for.
Part of me hopes Neveah answers fast and answers first. I so desperately want to believe she has no part in whatever all this is.
But as the seconds pass by, I have to start accepting that she is probably not the person I think she is.
She might be someone who’s never cared about me. Who’s meant harm to me all along.
I don’t have the heart to feel sad. I don’t have tears for the friendship I lost. I’m scared. Angry. And more than anything, I am motivated. I want answers. I want to end this.
The number I don’t recognize texts back first.
Lobby of the Royal Garden Hotel. Two hours. Tell your tattooed, jerk-off boyfriend he’s not going to be a hero today.
Hands shaking, I hold out my phone to Josh.
“I don’t think this is Neveah…”
Josh takes my phone and reads the message. “Nothing from her?” he asks. “Just this?”
I nod.
Josh starts pacing the floor. He runs a hand through the front of his hair and tugs on it in frustration.
“All right, here’s what we know. Someone wants something from you.
Let’s assume they hired Neveah to keep tabs on you until they get what they want.
They know about me, and they still want access to you.
We have to assume at this meeting, they’ll be armed. Dangerous.”
“But what do they expect?” I ask. “That I’ll hand over my debit card and PIN? I don’t have anything. I don’t know anything.”
“We have to assume there is more than one person involved,” Josh says. “Neveah might still be involved. She probably carries a firearm.”
“A gun?” I squeal the word. Suddenly, the room starts to spin. I drop into one of Josh’s office chairs and cover my face with my hands. “A gun,” I mutter. “A fucking gun.”
“Annie.” Josh’s voice is calm as he puts his hands on my shoulders.
He stands behind me and squeezes gently.
“We’re going to be in the lobby of a crowded, upscale hotel for a reason.
They’re not going to try to open fire in a place like that.
There are cameras, security.” Josh shakes his head.
“To be honest, it doesn’t make any sense.
It’s like they want to lure us away from something. ”
Morris interrupts then. “Could be they plan an ambush. You may never make it inside the lobby. If they know what you drive, there could be people along the route lying in wait.”
Josh nods. “Yeah, or they could plan on taking us at gunpoint from the scene to a bank, to hold us for ransom. Anything is possible.”
“Ransom…” The word echoes in my ears, and I blurt out a violent laugh. “I can’t believe any of this. Who the hell is this, and what do they want?”
“Only one way to find out.” Morris paces the office, looking from me to Alice. “Bait and switch.”
Josh looks confused, but it’s Alice who asks what he means.
Morris nods at his wife. “You put on a pair of sunglasses, at a distance, you’re a dead ringer for Annie.
” He chuckles and scrubs a hand through his hair.
“I’m no pretty boy, and these grays won’t fool anybody who knows Arrow.
But what we can do is send Alice in place of Annie.
Arrow stays close to Alice to convince this fuckwad she’s Annie.
Meanwhile, I’m in the shadows with eyes on my old lady. ”
Alice looks at me. “It’s a good plan. Josh will be with me the entire time, and Morris will be close by. Whoever wants to get close to you might reveal themselves. By the time they realize I’m not you, Morris will have the guy on his knees.”
“If I don’t get to them first.” Josh’s arms are crossed, and his jaw is set. “If it’s Neveah, Annie, are you going to be able to call the cops on your friend?”
I look down at my phone. There’s still no response from Neveah.
“Yeah,” I say quietly. “I won’t hesitate.” If she is the one behind this—or if she’s involved at all, of course. I want this nightmare to end.
Josh starts rummaging through his desk drawers. “I’m going to want Annie to have eyes on Alice the entire time,” he says. “If there is someone you recognize in that lobby—anyone, I don’t care who it is—you say the word.”
I can’t believe this is happening.
Morris pulls his cell phone out of his pocket. “I’m going to make some calls. If I’m going to send my wife into the line of fire, I want more than your scrawny ass on my back.”
Josh nods, but he’s busy unlocking a drawer and pulling out equipment like we’re in some kind of spy movie. I can’t believe this is happening. A week ago, my biggest worry was that I had no idea what kind of artist I wanted to be. Now, I’m in the middle of some kind of shakedown?
I walk around Josh’s desk and grab his arm. “Josh, wait.” I shake my head, a sick feeling rising in the back of my throat. “Maybe we should go to the police. Bring them this latest note and show them the text from the burner phone. It can’t possibly be safe to do this alone.”
He turns to face me, looking flustered for just a second.
Then he puts down everything he’s gathered from his desk and pulls me into his arms. “Annie,” he says.
“If we go to the police, they won’t be able to mobilize any kind of presence in two hours.
Not with this note. There is no demand, no threat of bodily harm.
The person doing this knows what they are doing.
They didn’t demand money. I’ve been chasing down bad guys for a while.
There is nothing in this text or that note that would justify a police response.
” He meets my eyes, and I know from the intensity there that he’s worried.
Concerned. Maybe even scared. “This is on me. I’m the person you’ve entrusted to help you.
And I’m going to make sure nothing happens to you or Alice or anyone else.
But you’ve got to work with me, and you’ve got to trust me. Do you, Annie? Do you trust me?”
I look up at the man I didn’t know existed a week ago. Six months ago, I didn’t know Neveah. So much has changed so fast in my life. But I believe in my heart that of all the crazy shit that’s happened, the one thing I can put my faith in is Josh.
“I trust you,” I whisper. I close my eyes and squeeze him one long, last time. Then I release him and lift my chin. “Tell me the plan.”
The Royal Garden Hotel is absolutely beautiful.
An upscale boutique hotel, it has a white stucco exterior with thick red Spanish tiles on the roof.
It’s a small hotel with a U-shaped drive and a glistening fountain up front.
Valets in matching golf shirts greet guests as they pull into the drive and park their cars, unload luggage, or offer assistance to visitors to the small tearoom that’s open to the public.
Morris and I park on the street two blocks away and walk toward the valets.
I’ve changed into a dress that I bought from a discount store near the strip mall and a pair of sandals. I’ve got a large sun hat on to cover my hair which is styled in a bun underneath. The brim of the hat is wide and covers the wireless earpiece I’m using to communicate with Josh.
“We’re here,” I say. There is no clicking sound or anything. Just Josh’s gentle voice in my ear.
“Look for me. Northwest corner of the lobby, table closest to the door, babe,” he says. “Alice and I are both seated. She’s facing me, and I’m facing the exit.”
I’m wearing sunglasses and holding Morris’s arm like he’s my date.
In the crook of my elbow, I’m carrying the purse with the tracking device we found.
We figured if the device was not in the same place I was, whoever was keeping tabs on me might figure out this was a setup.
As we walk up to the valets, I literally feel like every eye is on me.
I feel exposed, even though I’m in the shadow of a hulking tattooed man whose wife is filling in for me.