Page 21 of Tangled With You

“Yeah. We’re still friends. I thought she’d run far and fastfrom me after what I did, but she’s got a good heart.”

But do you love her?

He didn’t ask it. Why would he? He already knew the answer.He’d overheard Ollie himself saying it to Damien: You’ve had someone youlove kidnapped, too.

Love. Not loved. The present tense.

He shook himself. A woman had been kidnapped. What the fuckkind of asshole was he for dwelling on how Ollie felt about her?

With no small amount of effort, he forced himself toregroup, then turned his attention back to Ollie. “What about family money?Could that play into this?”

Ollie shook his head. “There used to be. But they hit hardtimes a few years ago. As far as I know, they’re leveraged to the hilt.Probably beyond.”

Trevor nodded, thinking. “The kidnapper might not knowthat.”

“True enough. We’ll work that angle.”

“What kind of journalism? Investigative? Maybe she stumbledacross something.”

“No, nothing like that. Assignments for entertainmentmagazines, mostly. That kind of thing. Puff pieces.” Ollie checked his watch.“I need to call her parents, but I’m going to wait another hour. They’re onvacation in London, and I don’t want to wake them up with this news.”

He started pacing, shock and grief etched on that faceTrevor had come to know so well.

“What a conversationthat’s going to be. Hey, it’s the asshole who kicked around your daughter, andby the way, she’s been kidnapped. Don’t worry, the ransom is taken care of, butso far we don’t know shit.”

Trevor took a step toward him and held out his hand. Olliedidn’t take it. Slowly, Trevor pulled his hand back. “We’ll get answers,” hepromised.

“Yeah, but it doesn’t feel like it right now.”

“I know.” He put his hand on Ollie’s shoulder, and Ollieimmediately shook it off and started pacing again.

Trevor sighed, frustrated and confused. “Come on, Ollie—oh!Fuck me,” he said as he realized what they’d all been missing.

Ollie stopped pacing and turned to face him. “What?”

“We’re too close. I’m off my game. You, too.”

“Dammit, Trevor. What are you talking about?”

“This isn’t about a ransom,” Trevor said, watching asconfusion played over Ollie’s features. “It’s not about money at all. Not atthe core.”

Ollie shook his head. “What are you talking about?”

“It’s about you, McKee. The ransom note was addressed toyou. Not to her parents. And it’s no secret that you’re in tight with Stark.Whoever did this had to know that you’d be pulled in right away.”

Ollie went completely pale. “Me,” he said. “The sick bastardtook her to punish me.”

* * * *

Within minutes, the team was assembled around the conferencetable, and Ollie was beating himself up for somehow being at the crux of this.He shot a quick glance toward Trevor, who met his eyes, then shook his headjust slightly. The message was clear—this isn’t your fault.

Short and to the point, and it made Ollie feel a tiny bitbetter, if for no other reason than knowing that there was someone who had hisback.

Their eyes held another second, then Trevor turned hisattention back to the table and nodded at ASAC Horowitz. “Can you take a lookat Ollie’s closed and cold cases?”

“Already on it,”Horowitz said, holding up his phone.

“I’ll call Charles,” Ollie said, referring to his old bossin Los Angeles. “See if anything rings a bell from one of my old cases here.But off the top of my head, I’ve got nothing.”