“Where are we going?” Cindy stared at the man’s profile, recognizing instantly what she’d found so appealing about him. Toby had always struck her fancy with his physical appeal. The dark blue eyes, the thick dark hair, and the interesting symmetry to his face. He was nice to look at, both back then and now. And she could recognize that, even though she was a little peeved at him.
So yes, from a physical perspective, he was certainly good-looking, but to be fair, she’d always been more attracted to his personality. He was boisterous and witty, but he could be smooth and charming in an instant. Even his scatterbrained reputation had been alluring in some way.
However, this hard-as-nails tough-guy thing he was pulling on her now wasn’t sitting well.
“Just to talk,” he said smoothly.
“Toby, hiding isn’t going to help the situation,” she said, wishing she could convince him to turn himself in. “The police are still looking for you.”
“The police are the least of my worries right now.”
“What does that mean?” She didn’t understand what was going on with him. She did know, however, that she didn’t recognize this man anymore. He was not the Toby from her past, the man she’d allowed herself to develop feelings for because her husband had encouraged it.
Her heart constricted as she thought about Thomas. She still missed him. Then again, she figured she would always miss him. He was the love of her life, and while she was moving on, trying to find happiness to fill her remaining days on this earth, she knew no one would ever replace him in her heart.
“It’s okay, sweet girl,” Toby crooned, reaching over to pat the top of her hand. “You have nothing to worry about.”
The instant his fingers touched hers, she pulled away. How could he dare touch her when he’d just forced her out of that restaurant at gunpoint? Did he really think she would willingly leave Hugh behind and ride off into the sunset with him?
“What do we need to talk about?” she asked, trying to remain calm. She figured that was the only way to get herself out of this mess. Or, worst case, to give her sons time to find her. Which they would, she knew. As soon as Hugh realized she was gone, he would call Z or Reese and let them know. Since they’d assigned bodyguards as protection, they’d obviously suspected this might happen.
Damn it.
She mentally kicked herself for thinking there was no threat, for insisting Z call off the bodyguards because she didn’t want to worry Hugh. Just for a couple of hours, she had told him. Just long enough for them to share a nice meal at a restaurant so she could hear how his day was. She adored the man, and she always felt safe with him. It was one of the reasons she loved him. Poor Hugh. He was probably worried sick right now.
Cindy rode in silence for a little while, and with each passing mile, the tension ramped up another notch until she began to shake.
“Toby?” she prompted when she feared she was going to break down in tears. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“I will,” he said firmly. “I promise.”
She watched him in profile as he drove. “Reese and Z can help you. If you turn yourself in, they can ensure you’re safe until your court date.”
His gaze cut to hers, and she saw something on his face, something she’d never seen before. It made him appear harder, more intense. Gone was the good-natured silly man who’d made it his mission in life to tease her back when they’d been friends.
“I can’t turn myself in, Cindy.”
“Why not? I read what happened. I’m sure the police—”
The muscles in his neck tightened, his jaw bunching. “None of it’s real, Cindy.”
“I don’t understand.”
He peered over, and his expression cooled somewhat as though he knew he was frightening her. “You will. I promise. I’ll explain everything as best I can.” With his attention back on the road, he added, “Although you won’t understand. Hell, I don’t understand it anymore.”
Cindy frowned as she processed what he’d just said.
What was going on here?
Chapter Twenty-Four
“We’re not gonna sit around and talkabout this,” Reese declared.
Brantley moved to stand beside him. “I agree with Reese. We need to find them. If Toby is who you think he is, we don’t know what his next move is gonna be.”
From the moment JJ told them she believed Tobias Land and Patrick O’Brien were one and the same, Brantley hadn’t questioned it. Too many things about this hadn’t felt right from the beginning. All the pieces of the puzzle hadn’t fit in their neat, tidy spots. If Toby was the reclusive mobster, it definitely helped to fill in some of the blanks. Of course, it presented a shit ton more questions, none of which they had answers for.
Worst of all, he wasn’t sure what any of this meant for Cindy Tavoularis. What the hell did Toby/Patrick want with her? Why kidnap her? What would it gain him?
