Yes, he’d lied to her about where he’d gone, and she had full intentions of finding out exactly why later. For now, Charlie chose to focus on what shedidknow, and that was that Derek West was not a cold-blooded murderer.
“I believe you.”
The relief in his eyes was palpable, solidifying her gut feeling. Detective York, however, looked at her with pity and shook her head.
Ignoring her, Charlie listened as Derek shouted out instructions.
“Get your keys and drive to the station. Call Mac and have her get ahold of Jake. He’ll know what to do. And call Eric.”
“Your brother already knows.” York gave him an arrogant smile. “The Captain has him in his office right now, watching him to make sure he didn’t give you a heads up so you could split town.”
“My brother wouldn’t do that,” Derek growled. “And I wouldn’t split town because I didn’t kill Porter.”
“Uh, huh.” Detective York rolled her eyes as they entered the elevator. “Never heard a guilty man say that before.”
“Derek!” Charlie yelled, but it was too late. The doors had already closed.
“Shit.”
Running back into her apartment, Charlie threw on some shoes and grabbed her phone, purse, and keys. Knowing she’d have no signal in the elevator, she waited until she got into the lobby to do as Derek instructed.
After frantically explaining to Mac what had happened and that Derek wanted her to call Jake, she tried calling Eric. Just in case York had been bluffing. Her heart sank when it went to voicemail.
Still reeling from what had just happened, her trembling legs finally managed to get her to her car. She’d just unlocked the door and tossed her purse into the passenger seat when something cold and hard jabbed her in the ribs.
“Hello, Charlotte. Did you miss me?”
Her breath seized in her chest. Frozen with fear, Charlie couldn’t move, let alone speak.
“I’ve missed you,” Caleb whispered near her ear.
Oh, God.
“C-Caleb?” she choked out the monster’s name. “H-how? They said you were d-dead.”
His deep laugh vibrated against her back. “That’s because I wanted them to think I was dead.”
Ice shot through her veins. “W-why?”
“Why?” He grabbed a fist full of hair and yanked her head backward. “So, I could punish your boyfriend for taking you from me.”
Her scalp burned, and uncontrollable tears fell from the corners of her eyes. “H-he didn’t take me. It was m-my decision to leave.”
“Oh, don’t worry. You’ll pay dearly for that decision.”
“Caleb, p-please. Don’t do this.”
“It’s already done.”
Before she could say another word, Caleb slammed her forehead against the door frame. Charlie felt a sharp pain and then...nothing.
What could have been hours later, she woke with a splitting headache. Groaning, she tried to remember what had happened. When she did, her eyes flew open, and she gasped.
She tried to sit up, to move away from him as far as she possibly could, but the seatbelt prevented it. The bastard had kidnapped her, slammed her head against the car, but made sure to put her seatbelt on?
“Relax, sweetheart. You’re fine.”
Blinking against the dizziness and pain, she looked over at Caleb, who sat calmly behind the wheel. Glancing out the window, her stomach dropped. They were no longer in Dallas.
