She checked the phone’s screen to find a message from an unfamiliar number.
UNKNOWN: Do exactly as I say and I’ll let your parents live.
Adrenaline punched her in the gut. No one but her parents, Todd, and Marti had this number.
With jittery fingers, she tapped out a response.
LINDSEY: Who is this?
She knew—sheknew—but it couldn’t be. Right?
UNKNOWN: You’re smarter than that, LinLin.
LinLin. The casual, friendly nickname chilled her, as if she and Megan were just two friends having a normal chat, not…whatever the hell they were now.
A picture taken through a window of Lindsey’s mom sitting at Tia Ana’s dining table immediately followed the message. A gun barrel and sights were blurry in the foreground while her mom smiled at someone across from her, oblivious to the danger.
Panic hit Lindsey like a sneaker wave, making her shake so hard she nearly dropped the phone.No no no. She had to warn Mom. Warn everyone.
If she called the police, what would keep Megan—or whoever was there—from shooting before help arrived? Scanners were easy enough to come by these days. Lindsey knew someone who monitored local police activity through a website, no special equipment required.
She took a deep breath. The photo might not be live, but based on her mom’s haircut, it was recent. Besides, if someone could get close enough to take this picture before, they could do it again.
UNKNOWN: Stop thinking. You have 60 seconds to exit the house through the front door alone WITHOUT ALERTING ANYONE to our communication and get into the black car parked three houses down.
A vise clamped around her throat. There had to be some way Todd and his team could help. Except, they were here, not in LA.
There was a chance Megan was bluffing, that she wouldn’t harm the people who’d always welcomed her to Garcia family gatherings. But the woman had been willing to have Lindsey killed, and to ultimately do the deed herself. Lindsey couldn’t take the chance with her family members’ lives.
UNKNOWN: If you warn anyone, I’ll kill them all. But you’re the one I want. 60, 59…
Oh, God. Lindsey braced her hands on the counter to keep herself from collapsing.
If she told Todd, he’d never let her leave the house. She’d wanted to lure Megan out of hiding, and she’d done it. She had no idea how the other woman had found her, but she should’ve known Megan would find a way to circumvent all the security Todd had in place.
Her phone chimed again and she almost dropped it.
UNKNOWN: 40, 39…
Fear drove a spike into her chest. She didn’t trust Megan to honor her end of the deal, but if anyone got hurt because Lindsey didn’t take the threat seriously… She couldn’t chance it.
“Fuck.”One way or another, Lindsey was going to end this. She’d thought she’d be more prepared—and that she’d have Todd by her side—but at least the wait was over.
Anger made her face hot as she frantically looked in the drawers and cabinets for anything useful and came up empty.
With only a few seconds to spare, she left a message for Todd and slipped unseen out the front door.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“SEEMS LIKE THINGS have improved with Lindsey,” Jason said, snagging a cookie off the table.
“They have.” Todd could feel heat rushing to his face. “We…talked.”
Jason laughed at that understatement, but didn’t ask for details. “Good. So, what’s next?”
“What do you mean?” He was already designing wedding rings in his head, but no way in hell was he going to share that with Jason, even if they were surrounded by some of the best examples of true love he could imagine. Especially since his friend was the only one here without a date. “It’s going to take time to convince her I’m serious.”
“Are you going to move to LA?”
