Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
FIVE MINUTES EARLIER
“I take back what I said.” Knox lifted his shades and found Eva’s eyes.
She lowered her coffee mug to the terrace table. “What are you talking about?”
“I told you to forget about whatever happened between you and Luke.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“You’ve changed him. In a good way, I mean. He’s always been rough around the edges, but aside from his team, he never made room for anyone else in his life.” He smiled and slipped his sunglasses back in place.
“Yeah, you mentioned the rules.” A lump started to claim her throat, emotions punctuating each second that lapsed until he talked again.
“But man, you should’ve seen him when you got into Malik’s car. Hell, he clobbered Asher and me. He was ready to kill us.”
“Sorry about that.” She rubbed her hands against her thighs, hoping to slow her pitter-pattering heart.
“I think the man is falling in love with you.”
“What? He doesn’t love me. We don’t love each other, I mean. We’ve known each other a week.”
He shrugged. “My mom fell for my dad in twenty-four hours.”
“He’s rich,” she teased.
“Before he had money.” He smiled back.
“Well, we’re not in love. I don’t know him well enough to even dance around the idea.” Her stomach tucked in at the words that left her lips. “You can believe in the possibility of love, but it takes time to truly know if someone is the one.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. All I’m saying is you could be the one to break his rules, and maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad idea.”
“Why? Are you bored of playing the field? Do you want to settle down without quitting?”
“This isn’t about me. This is about what I think is best for my boss. For my friend.” The sincerity of his words blew through her and warmed her heart. “Anyway, I gotta take a piss.” He stood and patted her on the shoulder.
And that killed it, she thought, lightly chuckling.
She eyed the untouched mimosa next to her coffee. “Why not?” She started to reach for it but stopped when a shadow fell over the table.
Her gaze swept up to a man connected to a rope with a gun pointed at her head.
Too shocked to move, to think, to do anything—she only stared at him as he dropped beside her.
All black from head to toe. She could only see the pale green of his eyes. “Scream, and I put a bullet in your head,” he whispered, his gaze darting to the open door. “Where are they?”
“Not here,” she rushed out.
“You’re lying.” His finger slipped to the trigger, and the muzzle of the gun touched her forehead.
She lifted her hands in the air in surrender, tears building in her eyes. “They’re gone. They went somewhere.”
“Where? To get the safe?”
Oh, God . . . “Yes,” she cried.
“You’re coming with me.” The guy pointed to the terrace wall. “Climb up. We’re jumping.”
She looked at the rope looped around his waist and lifted her gaze, trying to locate its point of attachment.
“I won’t let you go. You’ll have to trust me.” He flicked the gun again, urging her to hurry.
She knew if they didn’t leave soon, Knox would appear, and the masked man could get a shot off before Knox had a chance to draw his weapon.
“Okay.” She shook as she hoisted herself up the three-foot wall to stand on the cement ledge, only a few inches in width.
“Wrap your arms around my waist,” he said once he stood next to her.
Knox would be there any second. She didn’t want him to die, and so she did as he’d said.
“Jump,” he yelled, just as she caught sight of Knox before they went over the ledge.
She screamed, but it was a waste of breath against the duct tape over her mouth. Her hands and feet were bound, and her body jerked from side to side, rolling with every bump in the road as the vehicle raced down the road.
The trunk was small, and her knees were pinned to her chest.
She’d tried to calculate in her head how many seconds had passed since they’d left the hotel.
Seconds had turned to minutes.
And now she’d lost count.
Knox had peered down at them after she’d landed on the sidewalk, a hard slap to her bare feet. The guy had held a gun to her temple as a warning to Knox not to fire, and then he’d hissed, “You did lie,” as he forced her to run toward a bank of palm trees.
Now the car came to an abrupt stop, and she pounded her bound fists at the roof.
Hope climbed into her chest at the memory of the diamonds Jessica had given her to keep her safe if anything had gone sideways last night.
She lifted her shoulder to her earlobe, then remembered she’d already given them back. “No,” she bellowed, tears streaking her face, a harsh sob fighting against her taped lips.
The engine died, and a door slammed shut.
He was coming for her, and he’d want the location of the safe.
But she’d die before saying a word.