“There are only two. I’ll take them home with me. Are you sure this is necessary? Couldn’t we just have the police stop by once in a while or something?”
“I know this might seem drastic, but I don’t want anyone getting hurt. You’re a lifesaver, Steph. Please be careful when you go in today. In fact, you should call for a police standby.”
“I’ll be careful,” Stephanie said before hanging up.
Next, Maggie called her family to let them know of the new development and escalated danger. “Don’t open the door for anyone. If you can, stay home, and don’t leave the house. Keep all the doors and windows locked.”
“Honey, don’t worry about us,” her father soothed. “I’ll pass the message on to the rest of the family, and I’ll take care of your mom. You just worry about you, okay?”
“Dad, please promise me you’ll be careful,” she pleaded, not convinced he was taking her seriously enough.
“I will, I promise. You do the same. We love you, sweetheart.”
After talking to Steph and her family, Maggie needed a minute. She sat on the couch and closed her eyes. Someone was trying to kill her. It all seemed so surreal.
She should have been in a major panic, and while shewasscared, at the moment, all she could think of was the slow, sensuous way Mitch had made love to her the night before. Still tingling from his touch, she could easily recall the tender way he’d looked at her and the feeling of his arms around her.
Her cell phone vibrating woke her. It was Stephanie.Crap. How long had she been asleep?
She looked at her watch as she answered. It had been over two hours.
“Hey, Steph. How’s it going?” Maggie greeted her groggily.
“Steph’s a little busy right now and can’t come to the phone,” a man with a deep voice and strong Spanish accent growled.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she was instantly awake and alert. Oh, no. They had Stephanie. She should get the guys. She rose and started down the hallway but stopped as the man spoke again.
“Do not let anyone know who’s on the phone or your friend dies. You understand?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Are you alone?”
“I’m in a room by myself, but have friends nearby.”
“You have ten minutes to get down to your store, or we kill your pretty little friend.”
“I want to talk to her.” Maggie mustered courage she didn’t have.
She heard a rustling on the other end of the phone. “Mags?” sobbed Stephanie.
“Oh, God, are you okay? Have they hurt you?” Maggie was beside herself with worry.
“Nope, that’s all you get.” The gruff voice was back. “If you bring anyone with you, she dies. If you tell anyone, she dies. You have nine minutes.”
The line went dead. Maggie dropped the phone and stared blindly at it, thinking furiously. She couldn’t take any chances with Steph’s life. If she told Mitch, he’d either come with her and get them all killed or want to make some plan that would waste time she didn’t have.
She couldn’t risk Mitch not letting her go or not making the deadline. There was only one option.
“I’m coming,” Maggie whispered to an empty room. She scribbled out a quick note and slipped out the door.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
“I think we’ve made some progress. I’m starving. Don’t suppose you want to pick up lunch?” Mitch and Adam had been holed up in his office for hours. When Maggie hadn’t come in, he’d gone to check on her and found her and the cat snuggled up on his couch, both sound asleep. He’d covered her with a blanket and tiptoed back to his office. She didn’t need to be involved in the nitty-gritty of this anyway.
“Sure, I’ll get lunch. Right after you tell me what’s going on with you and Maggie,” Adam said.
“Huh? What’s that?” Mitch pretended not to hear.
