hand.
“Step outside so they don’t hear their own echo from this phone,” Braden told him.
Kane walked outside and tried to remain calm. He needed to play it off like he didn’t know she was missing and without sounding like a man ready to murder the first caller, the twisted individual who had his woman.
Stephen picked the wrong damn girl-a Cartwell through and through.
“Kane Cartwell,” he said.
“Mr. Cartwell, you don’t know me but…”
“Then why the hell are you calling me?”
Silence. Damn. He fucked up.
“I have your girl. If not yours, then one of your brothers.”
“Peyton?”
“Pretty little blond hair, blue-eyed girl. Tight ass, big tits? She belong to you?”
“Who is this?”
“I said…” He did something to Peyton and she screamed. “Does she belong to you?”
Kane’s fury raged on. “You’re damn straight she does.”
“Wanna buy her back?”
“Listen, you son-of-a-bitch, you lay one hand on her and you’ll suffer the consequences. If you think that son-of-a-bitch who slaughtered all those people over at Mountain High School led people to a cruel and violent death, let me explain something to you. I have no conscience when it comes to Peyton.”
“No conscience? None?”
“None.”
“Good, then we have one thing in common.”
“What’s your price?” Kane bit out. “Name it. Name your terms. I’ll meet them.”
“Five million.”
“Done.”
“Get the money. I’ll call back in two hours.”
Kane cringed. In two hours, Peyton could be dead or worse, wishing for it. “I’ve got the money.”
“On hand?”
“In hand. I’m walking toward my truck. Where do I meet you?”
“Keep five million on hand and happen to have it on you?”
“Call it your lucky day. I have a cashier’s check in my brief case. I can make a stop at the bank before four o’clock closing and meet you afterwards.”
“You don’t mess around, Mr. Cartwell.”
“I will hand it to you with no questions asked but we have to have an understanding.”
“What’s that?”
“I hand it to you and you hand me Peyton. If I see one scratch on her, one tear, I leave.”
“Leave her with me?”
“You got it.”
“Now why would you pay someone five million dollars for a woman but refuse to follow through if she had a few scratches or tears?”
“I know what I’m looking for. If she’s hurt or you’ve had a piece of her, just keep right on going. I’ll hunt you down and gut you. Then, I’ll leave pieces of you all over the country. If you’ve got family, I’ll send them your head. Understand?”
Evan opened the door and shook his head in disgust. Braden barreled out of the house and grabbed the phone from Kane.
“Sir! Sir! This here is Braden Cartwell. My brother lacks communication skills. Let me just offer to pay you the five million dollars, and we’ll call it a day. How does that sound?”
“Sounds like Peyton has a little too much fun with you boys, if you want to know the truth. See, I saw her with the younger one at Clink. Now, your brother Kane tells me she is his woman but from the sounds of it, you’re kind of sweet on her too.”
“We’re her guardians.”
“Guardians, huh?”
“Yes. Now tell us your terms.”
Peyton knew the Cartwells had the money to pay the ransom. She cringed once she realized who Stephen wanted to deliver it. Kane wouldn’t hand it over without a fight.
“Why did you want Kane to bring the money?” she asked.
“I have my reasons,” he said.
“You’re going to kill him,” she said.
“I am indeed,” he said. “He’s the reason my father never made it out of that gym and because of him, we didn’t finish what we started. Kane Cartwell had to play the hero role and now we’re going to test him. Let’s see if he can be your hero now.”
She focused on the present. “What would you consider a fair trade for his life?”
“Yours.”
“Then you can have it.” She answered too quickly.
“How will this work then? I can’t get the money if I don’t hand you over to them.”
“I’ll help you if you let them live,” she said. She already realized her initial call was successful. She heard Kane’s roaring anger coming through the phone when Stephen called him. If anyone understood Kane and his moods, she did. She knew what made him tick, and he was on a timer when Stephen called him. It was why she chose his number to dial instead of Evan or Braden’s phone.
She didn’t want to bend down over her purse to check but if her battery life still existed, then they were still following her every move. The only chance any of them had now was if she thought ahead, planned ahead and said things to help their situation, give them an advantage.
“I need to go to the bathroom.”
“Pee your pants.”
“You want to smell pee in the car?” she asked.
“I don’t care. I’m not stopping.”
“How far are we from the hotel?”
“Fifteen minutes max.”
“Kane stays at the Hampton all the time. Evan at the Holiday Inn. Braden won’t let them bring their women home with me in the house. They know everyone at both hotels.”
He sneered as he ran his hand up her inner thigh. She flinched. “Is that right?”
“Uh-huh.”
“You’re willing to do anything you can to help me when that Cartwell’s neck is on the line, huh?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Even die for him?”
“We’ve established I’ll die for him, and you’ve stated you want me to. So what else do you want me to say?”
“Will you fuck me in front of him to save him?”
She closed her eyes and nodded.
“I told you back at the school. When I speak to you, then you answer. Yes or no. It’s not complicated.” His hand squeezed her knee.
“Yes, I’ll fuck you in front of him.”
“Perfect. Then I know where we’re headed.” He tossed his phone in her lap. “Hit redial and tell lover boy to meet us at the overlook five miles down the road from Picturesque Inn.”
She closed her eyes tightly and did what he told her to do.
