“I’ve been stuck on his ranch with no escape.” Jade prayed she could confuse and distract Franco to the point he wouldn’t think about Finn being gone. Jade hoped if she were to leave the ranch with Franco, Chase nor anyone else would get hurt. “How was I supposed to contact you for help under these circumstances, Franco?”
“But I saw you run to him the morning you escapedmyhouse.”
“It was a coincidence Chase was there at the crack of dawn.” Those last three words secretly made her feel closer to Chase. Taking a calculated risk, Jade said, “I was running only because Margo and Greta both said they’d kill me if I didn’t leave. Neither one of them has any intention of sharing you with me.”
“What?” Franco cocked his head to one side and pulled on his ear, “What do you mean?”
“Margo and Greta are in love with you, Franco,” Jade said, appealing to his massive, narcissistic ego. “Surely you know that.”
“I knew about Greta, not Margo. But I did wonder why she stayed with Mateo throughout his years of cheating.” Preening a bit, Franco said, “So Margo was waiting for me? Is that why she wanted me to give up on you?”
“Yes, and yet,” shaking her head, Jade said, “you expect me to live with the knowledge that at any time you might return Margo’s affection? Really, Franco?” Slowly turning the tables on him, she asked, “Or maybe you have already returned her affection? And Greta’s?”
“No! No! I haven’t. They’re peasants!” Franco spat. “You’re a goddess, Jade.”
“What about Mateo?” Jade pressed him. “Is it fair to steal Margo from your brother?”
“Ol’ Mateo and Margo ain’t gonna be no problem. Neither’s Greta,” Ragsdale snickered. “Hey, where’s that boy?”
Jade stiffened and heard a gasp from Katy. Neither she nor Katy wanted them to look for Finn. Eyeing Franco’s gun, Jade feared what Ragsdale had insinuated about Mateo, Margo, and Greta. Since the ranch appeared deserted at the moment, Franco seemed to have gladly written off Finn. As Ragsdale took a step toward the front door, Jade thought fast.
“Katy is as two-faced as Margo! She wants Chase,” Jade said and pointed at her. Taking a step closer to Franco, she said, “Now that you’ve come for me, I can’t wait to get out of here.”
“I told Mateo I never trusted Katy,” Franco said, pointing his gun from Jade to Katy. “She was always changing your schedule behind our backs,” he said. Pulling what could be a ring holder in the form of a clam out of his pocket, he handed it to Jade. “Open it.”
Jade did so, revealing an inch-long, gaudy monstrosity resembling Venus. With her feet stuck in a scalloped shell and where her stomach would be, her hands held a big, blue pearl. As Jade looked from the ring to Franco, she pasted a smile on her face. “It’s so—unusual.”
“Yes, I know. I had it designed for you,” Franco said, lowering the gun just a little. “Take Chase’s ring off and put mine on.”
“Not until you let Katy go,” Jade bargained, pretending to admire Franco’s ring.
“What do you care about her? She stabbed you in the back,” Franco said.
Cautiously, Jade stepped forward and, with the utmost believability she could muster, said, “She can make sure Chase leaves us alone.” Having seen the outline of a possible weapon in his jacket pocket, she forced herself to hug him. “You and I can finally be happy.”
Clutching the gun, Franco pulled on his ear and asked, “What makes you think Chase will give you up?”
“He’s already cheating on me with Katy,” Jade snapped with feigned impatience and stepped back. “Chase admitted he wished he’d proposed to her instead of me. It’s all but over.” Turning on Katy, she demanded, “Isn’t that right, Katy?”
Playing along, Katy nodded with an uppity air. “Yes, in fact, I’m going to have my very own office here in this house, and Chase is even making a private door to the outside for me.”
“Shame on you, Katy!” Franco’s laugh was maniacal, lacing Jade’s body with goosebumps. “I wondered what was going on when Margo said you suddenly quit.”
“It was Chase’s idea for me to call in my resignation from home after my paycheck was deposited,” Katy told him with a spiteful sneer at Jade.
Franco nodded. “Because Chase was replacing Jade with you!”
“What?” Ragsdale asked. “You’re not buying any of this, are you, Franco?”
“Shut up! They’re telling the truth,” Franco said.
“Franco, let’s go,” Jade said quickly, not giving him time to punch holes in the lies. For instance, Chase’s office door was open, and a landline phone could be seen on his desk. Taking a step toward the front door, she added, “Hurry. Before Chase gets here.”
“Yes, everything is working out, my dear. Let’s be on our way,” Franco agreed. “Will you put my ring on now?”
“You’re leaving before you kill Chase like you did the others?” Ragsdale asked.
“Now who’s lying?” Franco asked. Whirling on Ragsdale, with a glance up and to the left, he shouted, “I didn’t kill anyone!”
