A sense of despondency swept through me, and I felt boxed in. What was I supposed to say to this man? Lord, help me to know what to do. Give me wisdom and the appropriate words.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of maroon out the window on my right, just beyond where Magnus sat, and my heart nearly leapt out of my chest. Please let that be Troy. When the car sped up and passed us, my heart sank. It wasn’t Troy. The disappointment was severe, but I hadn’t given up hope yet.
I leaned forward, my bound hands in my lap. I needed to keep him talking. “Why are you doing this, Robert? I thought you cared about me.”
“All I ever wanted was for you to love me,” he said. “I need that more than anything.”
“Kidnapping me isn’t the answer.”
“You were almost there with your feelings, but he messed it up.” Disgust settled in my stomach because I’d never had those kinds of feelings for Robert and never would.
“Troy has nothing to do with you and me. What you’re doing… It’s—”
“Just…stop,” he said. “This is for the best.” He let out a breath and stared ahead. “I was taken with you the first moment I saw you. Won’t ever forget it. You wore a red dress, and your hair fell loosely over your shoulders in waves. So beautiful. So sexy. I’ve never wanted to get rid of a man so badly.”
I winced at the “sexy” comment, not wanting him to think of me that way, and a nauseous feeling turned my stomach, making me want to retch. My heart ached to think of Daniel and all that I had lost. He didn’t deserve what this man had done. He’d had a life and a future, and all of that had ended so abruptly. I didn’t have doubts anymore. Robert was behind everything. He hadn’t admitted the truth yet, but I sensed he would if pushed.
The last happy moment I’d had with Daniel flashed through my memory. We were out to dinner and he’d held my hand. I love you, Kayla. God knew what He was doing when He brought you into my life.
It felt as if someone twisted my heart like a rag, slowly pulling the life out of me. Tears sprung to my eyes and slid down my cheeks. My wrists were bound, so I couldn’t wipe my tears and was forced to let them dry on their own. It seemed pathetic and sad, but I was mostly just furious that Robert had stolen so much from me. Not only had he taken my husband’s life, he’d stepped over the line and made himself a trusted friend. I wanted to gag every time I remembered how he’d comforted me.
We drove through a tunnel and then merged onto the 5 freeway. Robert glanced at me over his shoulder. “Don’t cry for him. He was your past, Kayla. I am your future.”
I closed my eyes to stop myself from crumbling. Never. Troy is my future. Not you. After a few painful moments, I opened my eyes, determined not to let him get to me. “How can I be your future? You already said I’ll never love you.”
“I didn’t say it wouldn’t ever happen. It just won’t happen today.”
“Where are you taking me?” My voice sounded remarkably calm considering the anxiety residing in my chest.
Where were the police?
What if the button hadn’t worked?
“I have a home in the desert. An isolated spot. That’s all you need to know.” He paused. “Didn’t want to have to resort to this, but you pushed me to it. I can’t let you pursue a future with Troy.”
“Why did you hire a bodyguard for me if you were behind everything?”
“I wanted you to trust me, to see me as the hero.” That was probably as much of a confession as I would get.
“That backfired, didn’t it?” I laughed bitterly, wishing I’d seen through his fiendish plan sooner. All it had done was make me see Troy as the hero.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of maroon out the window to my left and a spark of hope fluttered in my chest. I turned my head slowly so Robert wouldn’t notice, and my gaze fell on a Toyota SUV that looked like the one Troy drove. The vehicle was far enough back and to the side that I couldn’t see the driver.
Robert cleared his throat nervously. “Yes, I guess you could say it backfired.”
Lights flashed to my right, catching my eye, and I turned in that direction. A siren blared, and my heart raced within me. Could it be?
“Pull over to the side of the road,” a police officer said through a loud speaker.
Magnus stiffened and glanced out the window. “Cops! There are at least three cars.”
Sweet relief washed through me, and I let out the breath I’d been holding. Thank you, Lord. You brought help.
Robert cursed and swerved to the left, nearly hitting the car next to us. “How did they know where we are? They must be tracking her phone.”
“She dropped her purse during the struggle in the parking lot,” Magnus said. “There is no phone.”
“Check her pockets.”
He shoved his hands into both pockets of my black dress pants and pulled out the watch, his eyes bulging. “Look at this… It’s a tracking device.”
Robert glanced over his shoulder to see what he held. “Throw it out the window.”
“It’s a little late for that,” he said, dryly.
“Just do it!” Robert wiped his forehead, and I tried not to smile. He was starting to sweat, which meant he knew he was in trouble.
Magnus pushed the button to lower
