Ivy refocused on the laptop, bringing the screen to life with the tap of a finger.Beau should probably password-protect this device.The fact he hadn’t served her for the moment.She would mention it later.Then again, if he used it here on the ranch, there weren’t many outsiders around to do anything nefarious with his tech.Life in Austin meant locking doors and basically securing anything you couldn’t nail down.
What would it be like to live on a ranch like this one?To be free to leave her purse lying around without worrying where it was or who might steal something.Having gone to UT, she’d doubled down on security after having her wallet stolen on the city bus.The damn thing had been in the front zipper of her backpack.The bus had been full, like always.The zipper had been closed, which was how she knew someone had taken her wallet as opposed to it falling out somewhere.
It had taken weeks to clean up the mess, cancel what needed to be canceled, and request new cards for everything in her life.At least her ATM card had a PIN.That had saved her from her bank account being cleaned out.
Losing her ID had been a PITA.Replacing her driver’s license and student IDs had been annoying.Like everything in life, she’d figured it out on her own.
Ivy refocused on the map on the screen.She sat and virtually moved around the area of the strip mall.There was a nearby downtown area with its share of empty buildings.In fact, the entire area gave off ghost town vibes.
She zoomed in on a couple of buildings as she virtually walked the downtown area.
There were very few cars around.
This would be a good place to hide in plain sight.It was close enough to the strip mall to be feasible.
Was it too obvious?
She might as well get a second opinion.“Beau, can you take a look at this?”
He nodded and then moved to the seat next to hers.Incidental contact with his outer thigh sent more of that electricity rocketing through her.She ignored it and its impact on her body.There was no use trying to connect with someone who didn’t want the same thing.
She moved her leg.
If it bothered Beau, he didn’t show it.“What do you have?”
“The buildings are possible new locations,” she said.“I checked the blocks near the strip mall center and found this.”She pointed to a smaller building tucked behind and to the side of another larger one.“This could be a good place to hide without traveling too far.”
“Why don’t you think they’d want to get as far away as possible?”
“Good question,” she said.“They stayed relatively close to the campground the first time they moved them, so I’m thinking they would do the same here.”
Travis lifted his head and turned toward them.“Which could mean they’re searching for something valuable they believe your parents know the location of.”
It made sense.“If our parents weren’t talking, these guys would try to find a way to force them into revealing the location.”She studied Travis.“We talked about the fact that no crime had been committed that we could report, except now that’s not true.I was abducted in broad daylight in the middle of downtown Austin.”
Travis’s eyes lit up.“Did you file a report?”
She shook her head.“I haven’t had a chance to.This all happened too quickly.Plus, don’t I have to file that in Austin with the PD?”
“I can take your statement and notify APD since they’re the primary jurisdiction,” Travis said.“In fact, I was just about to suggest it even though Chloe said you didn’t want official law enforcement involvement.”
“It seems like we have no choice.”She could only hope doing so wouldn’t put her father and Beau’s mother in additional danger.
She must have made a face because Beau leaned in and said, “You’re not in this alone.I’m here to support your decision.”
For now.He might be all-in right now, but that would soon change.
After giving an official statement to Travis, she stood up and took a step away from the table.“It’s time to go to my apartment.”
“Okay,” Beau said, standing.
“I think I should go alone.”Her statement sent a hush across the room.
Beau’s expression was unreadable.“Fine.”
Why did she believe the opposite was true?And, more importantly, could she afford to care?
12
