“Of course he does,” she purrs, puffing out her much smaller chest. “Once you’ve had me, no other woman ever compares.”
Delusional whore.
“I don’t know how you did it, but he never stops talking about you. Did you know his home is like a shrine to you?”
“It is?” Delighted surprise lights up her eyes.
“She’s playing you, baby girl.”
“No, she isn’t!” Gwen roars, waving the gun in her father’s direction. “I’m the one who played her! I outsmarted all of them! I’m the queen, and Callan lovesme. Not her or the mini-me.Me. Only me.”
I almost have enough room to slip my hand free. I just need another little bit of slack. The skin on my wrist stings from the chafing of the rope as I work to untie myself, but I barely feel it, adrenaline and the will to survive masking any pain.
“Don’t make me regret getting you out of jail, angel. You’re starting to sound as unhinged as your sister, and you know how she ended up.”
“You take that back.” She glares at him, poking him in the stomach. “Saffron Roberts was a junkie whore loser, and I am nothing like her!” She brandishes the gun again, but her dad doesn’t seem to care, taking out a pack of cigarettes and lighting one up.
Where have I heard that name before?“You have a sister?” I ask as the rope slackens enough I can free my hand. I clutch the outer edge so I don’t give the game away and start trying the same with my other wrist. That rope is pulled tighter, but there’s enough give that I can free myself if I keep at it.
“Half-sister,” she hisses. “I never knew her cause the stupid slut got herself killed years ago. I’m way smarter and way prettier. I’m going to be an actress like her, but I’ll be much better.”
Her old man laughs. “Baby girl, I can actually see it. I think you’re a natural.”
I remember how I know that name, but I disguise my surprise. They even look alike, but I’m not mentioning that because I won’t win any brownie points. “I think I heard about her. She was from L.A., and you lived there, right? Is that howyou reconnected with your father? I’m so happy for you, Gwen. I know you always wanted to find him.”
The prick laughs in between puffing on his cigarette. “It won’t work, what you’re doing.” I hope he gets lung cancer and dies a slow and painful death.
I ignore him and focus on Gwen as the rope starts to loosen on my right wrist. “How long ago did you meet?”
“Daddy approached me three months after I moved to L.A. He’d have come for me earlier, but he had to leave Vermont and return to L.A. after the cops put a warrant out for his arrest.”
Sounds about right.
“I get my smarts from him.” She beams at him before swaying on her feet and grabbing onto him to steady herself. “Oops.” She giggles. “Daddy staged his own death in L.A., years before I was born, to avoid jail time for a bank robbery. He moved to Vermont and fell madly in love with my mom, but I’ve forgiven him for that, haven’t I, Pops?” She leans up and kisses him.On. The. Mouth. He gropes her ass, and I’m going to be sick.
I whip my head to Darcy, grateful she’s looking at her lap and quietly humming to herself. I work harder to free the second wrist tie, forcing myself to slow down when the motion becomes too obvious.
“He was so proud of me when I told him everything I’ve done,” Gwen continues. “We set up business together, and we were making lots of money selling drugs and pussy until one of our associates went to the cops—when a deal went wrong—and sold us out. I took the fall so Daddy could go underground, but he came back for me like he promised. Got me released due to a technicality that had my case thrown out and my sentence quashed.”
Why the hell wasn’t Callan notified she was released? I know he was on a list of people who were to be told. Unless Gwen’sfather had somehow intercepted that communication or stopped it from being made. He seems money-hungry enough to do it.
“I think that’s enough blabbing, angel. Call Riggs and find out what the fuck is going on. This is taking too long. I want my money. I have a plane to catch.”
“Riggs will call when my man arrives. He’s probably been held up at the bank.”
“Riggs know you plan to ride off into the sunset with this prick?”
“Callan is not a prick! He’s the love of my life, and you won’t speak about him like that!”
“Riggs will probably shoot him in the woods upon sight.”
Icy tendrils of fear tiptoe up my spine at the knowledge they have someone outside.Fan! I force myself to calm down. There are cameras everywhere on this property. Callan will know, and I can’t afford to think otherwise. I need to keep my composure. I almost have my second wrist free, but I don’t see a way to untie the ankle ropes without getting caught.
“Riggs is fucking dead if he harms one hair on my lover’s head!”
“Riggs is fucking dead anyway, right, baby girl? That’s your plan, isn’t it? You’re going to kill him after he’s served his purpose.” He narrows his eyes. “You planning to off me too?” He grips the gun. “Give me that.”
“It’s mine, Daddy.” She wrestles with him, and Darcy screams when the gun goes off. “Now, look what you made me do.” She sighs, like it’s a minor inconvenience, looming over her father as he staggers to the ground, clutching his stomach. Blood oozes through his shirt and leaks over his fingers.
