EIGHTEEN
Neither Whitney norWallace spoke to each other as they walked up the road. The weather had turned chilly today, and she rubbed her palms up and down the goosebumps rising on her arms in an attempt to bring warmth into her body. She needed to become angry again. That would get heat flowing through her like a volcano ready to spew lava.
From inside a group of trees, something shiny and white caught her attention. The closer they walked toward that area, the more she could see the white truck. Her stomach twisted and she bunched her hands into fists. If only she’d known it was Wallace and not the senator’s hitman...
But she couldn’t look back. So much has happened since that time, and she wouldn’t trade it for all of Zack’s billions. But now, she doubted that his billions would keep him out of danger. It hadn’t so far.
“Tell me, Wallace,” she said stiffly. “How were you able to keep tabs on me while I was growing up?”
“Joe, of course.”
“But,” she glanced at him over her shoulder, “he and my mother were divorced.”
“He hired a private investigator to watch you. He wanted to make sure you were all right.”
Her heart softened toward Joe. “Why would he do that?”
“He worried about you because of the way your mother treated you.” Wallace’s expression hardened. “I’m happy to see she hasn’t damaged your mind, or she would have been next on my list to pop-off.”
How many times had she faced hardened criminals while being an FBI agent? And yet, she would never be able to figure out what made them want to take another human’s life. “Well, I’m also glad she hasn’t damaged me, either.”
Whitney watched the road again until they reached Wallace’s truck. He hurried ahead of her and opened the passenger side door.
“Hop inside. The world is ours now.”
Her stomach lurched. If only she had something in it to regurgitate, she’d love nothing better than to throw-up all over him. “How can I convince you to let me go? Wallace, I don’t love you, and if I go with you, I’llneverbe happy.”
“I’ll make you happy, don’t worry.”
“No, you won’t.” She took a deep breath for courage and stepped closer to him. “The only man who will make me happy is Zack Greyson.”
Wallace glared at her. “I suggest you get him out of your system, or I’m going to have to beat it out of you.”
She skimmed her gaze over his body, wondering if he was really strong. She was strong enough to keep a man from attacking her. She’d be able to take this puny man down in a heartbeat.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Wallace sneered. “But I’m the one with the gun, so you’d better do as I say.”
