“Everything?”
“Yes, I knew about the men you dated after you graduated college, and I especially knew when they left you and broke your heart.”
She rolled her eyes. “How could you possibly know that when I lived in New York City?”
He cocked his head. “I haven’t been working for Joe every day of my life. I have vacations, you know.”
She pushed him away. “You’re crazy. There’s no way you knew about those men.”
“You dated Tim and Scott. Tim lasted four months and Scott lasted six weeks. The reason they dumped you was because I was telling them things about you that weren’t true.” He shrugged. “I needed a way to get rid of them. I couldn’t have my future wife falling in love with those losers.”
Her heartbeat slammed against her chest and her mind whirled with things she could say – or do – to make him leave. Where were Zack and Joe? Of course, they wouldn’t come up here to bother her, especially when they knew how much she loved to paint. But if she and Wallace could at least get down the stairs, she’d scream and alert the household.
She took a deep breath and slowly released it. Before she could take control over this situation, she needed to have a clear mind... and courage. Lots of it.
“Then I suppose I have you to thank for chasing them away. They were all wrong for me.”
Wallace’s face relaxed and he nodded. “Exactly. Just like Zack Greyson is all wrong for you, but don’t worry, I’ll get rid of him, too.” Irritation crossed his features. “I apologize for not putting an end to his torment sooner. If you hadn’t run from me at the airport, I would have been able to kill him, and the blame would have been placed on the senator.”
Fear turned her blood to ice.The airport?That couldn’t have been... No, she couldn’t believe Wallace would have done such a thing. But he confessed, which meant he had it in him to be a killer.
In an instant, she recalled their conversation last night. He’d called Zack by his real last name, not the one they’d made up. And just now, Wallace had referred to ZackGreyson. She was staring at the person who wanted Zack dead. He’d been right here all this time.
She licked her suddenly dry lips. “Wh-what about yesterday? Was that you shooting at us?”
“I was aiming for him, but when the bullet came too close to you, I knew it was time to stop.” He caressed her cheek. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Her breathing accelerated as anger filled her. “Wallace, you could have killed me.”
“No, I wouldn’t have done that.”
She scowled. “The bullet whizzed right by my cheek!”
She slapped his hand away, shoved him aside, and rushed down the stairs. He was right on her heels. Their fast footsteps made a loud ruckus in the stairwell. Before she reached the last stair, he yanked on her hair. She slipped on the last step, falling backward, her bottom landing on the step.
Pain shot up her back from the fall, but she pushed the pain aside. There were more important things to concentrate on right now.
He maneuvered around her and stood right in front of her. In his hand was a gun...HerGlock. Her heart dropped. Had he actually sneaked into her room andstolenher gun? But then how else could he have it?
“I’m warning you right now,” Wallace began slowly. “If you make one peep, I’ll kill anyone who tries to take you away from me.”
Tears pricked her eyes and she nodded, gritting her teeth as not to verbally lash out at him.
“Now, we are going to leave the house without anyone seeing us, aren’t we?”
She nodded again. “But... what if they see us anyway?”
“As long as you don’t draw attention to what we’re doing, they will live.”
“What if they ask where we’re going?”
He shrugged. “Make up a lie. I don’t care, just as long as they don’t try to follow us.”
She glared at him but didn’t satisfy him with a reply. He motioned with the gun for her to move ahead of him. As she walked to the stairs on the second level, she inwardly seethed. As each second passed, her fear slowly disappeared and rage filled her instead. She would follow his instructions, but when she finally got a chance to lay him low... He wouldn’t know what hit him.
Surprisingly, they walked through the house without anyone stopping them. It relieved her, only because then those she loved wouldn’t be in danger of Wallace trying to kill them.
Once they were outside, she scanned the yard. It was empty, too. At first, she wondered if Wallace had already killed everyone at the ranch, but then knowing Wallace, he would have boasted about it. She must keep thinking that it was a good thing nobody was getting in Wallace’s way.
