Her stomach convulsed, instantly knotted.Damon. Her hand shook. How had he gotten this number? She started to hang up, but remembering the redheaded waitress, she was afraid of what he might do to someone else if she did.
“What do you want, Damon?”
“What do you think I want? I’ve missed you, Victoria. I want to see you. Since I have your little girl, I bet you want to see me, too.”
A wave of nausea hit her, making the bile rise in her throat.Oh, my God! Damon is here! He has Ivy!She took a deep breath. She couldn’t let him know how terrified she was. “I don’t believe you. Where are you?”
“I’m waiting for you at the ranch. Ivy’s with me. Mrs. Thompson gave me your number. She was very cooperative.”
She held back the sob in her throat. “You haven’t . . . haven’t hurt them? You haven’t hurt Clara or Ivy?”
“What, that nice old lady and your little girl? Why on earth would I want to hurt them? You’re the one I want, Victoria.”
She cranked the engine and pulled the pickup back onto the highway. “How did you know where to find them?”
“You really thought I didn’t know where you were and what you were doing? I’ve had someone watching you since you left Phoenix. People are such scum. Nothing they won’t do for money.”
The inside of her mouth felt bone-dry and her mind had gone numb. She couldn’t think straight. She was terrified she would say the wrong thing.
“I heard about your boyfriend,” Damon continued matter-of-factly. “Too bad he’s in the hospital.”
Oh, God.
She gripped the steering wheel, passed a car a little too fast, took a shaky breath, and prayed her voice would come out even. “If you have Ivy, I want to talk to her.”
“All right.” She heard him moving around. “Ivy, sweetheart, come over here. Your mama’s on the phone. Ivy’s a little upset,” he said to Tory, “but she’s okay.”
Ivy was not okay. She was terrified of Damon. And what had happened to Clara Thompson?Oh, God.
She passed another car, driving one-handed, slowing just enough to be sure she wouldn’t crash. “Ivy?”
“Mama, I’m scared. Damon’s here.” Ivy started crying.
“It’s all right, baby. Mama’s almost home. Just be a good girl till I get there, okay?”
“I’m afraid he’ll hurt you.”
“I’ll be all right. Just do what Damon says, okay?”
“’Kay.”
“Is Mrs. Thompson there?”
But the phone was jerked away. “The old lady’s here, but she’s resting.”
Her throat ached. “Did you hurt her?”
“She’ll be fine. Turns out chloroform is a lot more effective than a stun gun.”
“I’m on my way, Damon. Don’t do anything to hurt them.”
“If you call the police . . . if you tell anyone I’m here, you won’t ever see your daughter again. Do you understand?”
She understood. She had known since she’d awoken in that hospital in Phoenix that Damon would find a way to destroy her. She didn’t care what happened to her, but she couldn’t let him hurt Ivy.
“I’m not far away. I’ll be there in just a few minutes.”
“I’ll see you soon, sweetheart.” Damon hung up the phone and Tory stepped on the gas.
