Page 34 of The Maverick

He drove without taunting her for the rest of the way to the house she’d rented. She thought he was taking her to the cabin he’d rented but maybe he thought it was too easy to find him there.

“Why are you bringing me here?”

“Because this is the last place anyone will look. You’re “safe” here.” He used his fingers to make the quotation marks.

She looked around as he pulled onto the street her house was on. It was quiet. Everyone was probably at work. “His team won’t take long to figure this out. What will you do when a cop comes to the door? Act like you didn’t hear them knock or ring the bell, as you usually do?”

“Just get out of the car and stop giving me lip.” He leaned over and grabbed her shoulder. “Don’t think about running.” Then he pulled the pistol from his waistband and pointed it at her. “Don’t think I won’t use it.”

“Fine.” Her jaw ached from clamping it closed. “You’ll regret this, Greg. You’re going to regret all of this.”

He clenched his jaw and snarled at her. “No, I won’t. The only thing I regret is signing those divorce papers. You’d still be mine.”

Rachel was infuriated by Greg’s attitude, but she knew she couldn’t show the fear that clamped down on her insides. Her heart pounded in her chest and her whole body wanted to shake, but she kept a tight rein on it. “I wouldn’t. I’d have found a way for us to escape. You’re insane.”

He backhanded her. “Get out. Now.”

Rachel’s face hurt where he hit her, but she wouldn’t show the pain to him. That would only encourage him. She unfastened her seatbelt and opened the door. Upon standing, she looked around, hoping she’d see someone...anyone...who could help. The street was empty.

“Get inside. The door is open.”

She walked up the sidewalk to the front door and went inside. though she knew this would be her end, at least Jake was safe, and that was all that mattered.

CHAPTER9

Nick ran a hand through his hair. “What do you mean you lost her?” He was on the phone with Earl at the gate.

Earl shouted into the phone. “She was taken. Rachel was taken by a guy in a late model Toyota Camry.”

Nick pulled his phone away from his ear. “Did you see which way they went?”

“Back toward Denver. But he could take a dozen exits between here and there,” said Earl.

Ivan, one of his security team, a burly Native American man with black hair in a long braid down his back, and dark brown eyes, spoke up. “We ran Greg Bennett through the system and he rented a Toyota Camry, two weeks ago at DIA. He’s late returning it.”

Nick took a deep breath, as anger threatened to overwhelm him, and let it out slowly. “Did you find out where he’s staying?”

“Not yet. We’re still running his credit card for any charges.”

They were in the security room at the Circle K, located in a building of its own. It was filled with computers, cameras and other surveillance equipment. Not a space existed in the room that didn’t have some machine or another running. The entire ranch had cameras at various locations.

Keeping Bailey safe was paramount in Nick’s mind when he’d set this up. She was just a baby when Janet left, and Nick wanted to make sure his daughter was safe not only from potential kidnappers but from her mother, as well. He didn’t feel Janet would do anything to hurt Bailey, but he wasn’t willing to risk her safety on something hefelt.

He paced within the confines of the security office. “There’s got to be something we can do.”

“Look, Nick.” Reggie Jackson grabbed Nick’s arm as he strode by. The large, black man with the shaved head was the head of his security team. “We’re doing everything we can. The guy didn’t just drop off the edge of the world. He’s here and he’s close. We’ve caught glimpses of him for most of the past week. Every time I send men out to check the location, he’s gone, and he’s not leaving much trace. He’s not a smoker and apparently doesn’t eat when he’s out there. Or if he does, he doesn’t litter.”

Nick rubbed the back of his neck to relieve the tension. “I have to?—”

The phone rang.

He snatched it out of its cradle. “What?”

Nick listened. “Okay, send her back. I’ll meet her at the house.” He hung up the phone.

“Well, are you sharing with the class?”

“Jake’s bus driver is here. She wants to talk to me. Reggie come with me. The rest of you keep looking. Check everywhere. Check her house. Check everywhere.”