“This is Harper.” As the conversation progressed, her face went sheet white, and Chase softly cursed.
Whoever it was, it meant trouble.
The conversation was brief and one-sided. She set the phone limply in her lap. “It’s Shana,” Harper said, her eyes big and her hands shaking. “Montoya’s men have Shana.”
Harper felt a crushing weight on her chest. Her best friend was in trouble. And it was all her fault.
“Let me guess,” Chase said, turning in the driver’s seat to face her. “Montoya’s men are willing to make an exchange. You for her.”
Harper swallowed and nodded.
“Not gonna happen, sweetheart.” Chase cranked the key, and the powerful Mercedes engine rumbled back to life.
“They said not to tell anyone. They said if I go to the police, Shana is dead.”
Chase’s jaw looked hard. “They really think you’re just going to hand yourself over? That isn’t even a remote possibility.”
Harper didn’t bother to argue. It wasn’t open to discussion, not with Chase or anyone else. Shana was in trouble because of her. This was something she had to do. But she wasn’t a fool. She needed Chase’s help.
“They know about you. I’m supposed to find a way to get away from you. They said they would call again with more instructions.”
“When’s the exchange?” Chase asked, pulling the car back out of the garage.
“They’re calling back.”
“Good. Maybe that’ll buy us some time.” As he drove onto the street, he punched a number into the hands-free, and Harper recognized Jason’s voice on the other end of the line.
“Maddox.”
“Hawk, I need your help.”
“What’s going on?”
“Guy behind all this is a Colombian drug lord named Luis Montoya. Montoya wants Harper as payback for some beef he’s got against Knox Winston. His men took Harper’s business partner, Shana Davis. You met her at my place.”
“Yeah, beautiful girl.”
“They want to trade Shana for Harper.”
Jase swore foully. “Well, that ain’t gonna happen. How are you planning to get the girl back?”
“Who else is in the office?”
“Ryker’s here. That’s it. Wolfe’s out with a client. Nobody else around. Bran’s with Michael and Pia out at the ranch.”
“Yeah, I talked to Bran this morning. We can’t pull him away, but we’re going to need more men and we don’t have much time.”
“The cops?”
“We could call in the Feds. I trust Zach Tanner—he’s a straight shooter, and he knows what he’s doing. But Tanner’s DEA. That means he’ll be bringing in his superiors. Once that happens, we lose control and a thousand things could go wrong.”
“Shana Davis’s life is at stake,” Maddox said. “Bringing in the Feds? I don’t like the feel of it.”
“Neither do I. No cops. Not unless we have to. Stay at the office. I’m coming to you.”
Harper felt a jolt of surprise when Chase voice-dialed her father.
“Winston, it’s Garrett.”
