The second Isaac made contact with Pippa, Angus’s heart nearly stopped. He listened for a while, and then somebody started a fire, effectively killing the bug. So much for listening in on Isaac again. But Angus had heard enough.
He quickly dialed Mal’s number.
“I’m in the middle of something here,” Mal snapped, his voice hushed.
“We have a problem,” Angus said, adrenaline taking over. That was the understatement of the century.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Pippa parked her car in a turnout about a mile away from the address Isaac had given her. The road was deserted, and forest blanketed each side. She stepped out of the car and shivered. The rain had ebbed to a mist that instantly coated her face.
The persistent wind continued its hold on the spring weather, making the trees sway and throw pine needles against her legs.
Dark clouds covered the moon. Save for the lack of light, the night was eerily similar to the one when Pippa had fled the family.
Maybe fate did always bring life full circle.
Chances were slim she’d make it back to the vehicle, but she left the keys beneath the driver’s seat, just in case. Then she hid her gun in her boot and covered both with her jean pant leg. A knife went into her other sock, while her burner phone went into her back pocket. There was no reason to leave it.
Zipping her jacket, she strode down the road, keeping to the tree line in case a car came out of nowhere.
An owl hooted above her, and in the distance, a coyote howled.
The sound sent chills down her back. Her hands were freezing, as was her blood. She had hoped never to see Isaac again. The memories he brought back made her feel like a helpless child. But the heavy gun in her boot said otherwise.
The only way out of this was to kill him.
It was early enough Thursday morning that it was still dark, so there was time to stop whatever he’d planned for the following day. If anything. Knowing Isaac, he might just be spewing bullshit.
Or not. He was fine with killing, as she knew well.
She walked about ten minutes until a wide stone archway showed an entrance to a long drive. Isaac had outdone himself with this one.
She took a deep breath, steeled her shoulders, and started under the archway.
Strong arms banded around her waist from behind, and a hand clapped over her mouth. Her body seized. It took a second for her brain to catch up with reality.
She tried to scream, and the large male hand muffled the sound. The man lifted her right off her feet and turned, forcing her past the archway in the opposite direction from her car. Panic burst through her, and she started to struggle, fighting against him with all her strength.
His stride didn’t shorten.
His hold didn’t relent.
She struck back with both hands, hitting his thighs uselessly. Her lungs hiccuped and the blood rushed through her head, roaring in her ears. He was too strong. Whoever he was, he was too powerful to fight. She’d have to wait until he set her down.
She went limp.
“That’s better,” he said, low in her ear. It took her a second. It really did. The moment she recognized Malcolm’s voice, she lost it all over again. Her teeth snapped at the flesh of his palm, and she kicked wildly, her right heel catching his knee. She hit back as hard as she could, wiggling like a fish on a line.
“Stop.” His order was harsh enough, she almost obeyed.
Then she fought harder. Stronger and fiercer than ever before, she battled him.
To no avail. Not a bit. He carried her in perfect control, as if he’d kidnapped her a thousand times before.
They reached a van parked in the darkness of a stand of trees. Still holding her, he yanked open the passenger side door, flipped her around, and deposited her butt on the seat. In an incredibly fast movement, he drew zip ties from his back pocket and secured her wrists together.
“Found these in the supply closet,” he said, almost conversationally.
