We were motionless, eyes locked on each other. I was between him and the only exit. Even if he wanted to run, he couldn’t.
But Gabe didn’t try to run. He just stood there, unmoving, his expression unreadable. But his heaving chest gave him away. He was scared, though he was obviously trying to hide it. For every breath I took, Gabe took three, but it was what he did next that floored me.
I’d expected him to try to explain himself or talk his way out of trouble. But his generous lips spread into a feral smile.
Every muscle in my body tightened in response.
He brought the book with him as he approached me, page open to the eight-by-ten photo I’d printed on my home computer of my gorgeous captive. Freshly groomed and stripped nude, he stared into the camera, unaware of his fate and sure he could perform his way to freedom.
My heart skipped a beat at the memories the photo evoked, Gabe’s hands on the page amping up my sudden arousal.
“Is this where you went when I was in Florida?” There was wonder in his voice.
“Yes.”
He touched the man’s face in the picture. “He looks like me.”
“That’s why I chose him.” The words tumbled from my lips before I could even think to stop them.
He nodded, eyes still holding mine as he slowly closed the book and set it on the desk. This time, he was the first to reach out.
But I held up my hand, stopping him before he shattered what was left of my self-control. Seeing my muse hold the picture of the man I’d sacrificed in his honor was more than I could bear. His touch would be my undoing. But I couldn’t hide my smile at the overwhelming pleasure catching Gabe snooping had brought me.
When he tilted his head in question, I motioned him back to the desk and turned on the computer.
“There’s something I need to show you.” My voice trembled with excitement, and it was all I could do to wait for the hidden software to open the secret site on the dark web so I could share my passion with him. Then I would see how far loyalty would take him.
And I would know once and for all whether Gabe was the replacement assistant I’d been looking for.
16
Jillian pulled into her parking space, relieved when Ellie appeared from the stairwell a moment later.
Ellie pulled the passenger door open with a wide grin. “I got your text that you were finally on your way home and thought you could use a hand.”
“Thank you. This is the last of it. It’s not everything, but it will have to do.”
“Is Captain Browning getting suspicious?”
She nodded, stepping out of the car and retrieving a box as Ellie did the same. “I think so. I dragged the project out as long as I could, but at this point, Browning could’ve finished this by now, even as slow as he types. Today he asked me to give him an estimate so he could update his records. He’s getting antsy.”
“Do you think you can buy a few more days so we can get more?”
Jillian shook her head. “Too late. He asked if this was my last box, and I said yes.” They stepped onto the elevator, bumping into each other with the large white cardboard boxes, a fake case name and number written in black ink on the labels. “Luckily, I’d already put the other box in my car, but for a moment, I thought he was going to take a peek inside.”
Ellie grimaced, using her elbow to hit the elevator button for their floor. “That would’ve been a disaster.”
“I know. But I really think there’s enough pieces of the puzzle here to get the bigger picture.”
“I hope you’re right.” Ellie shifted the box she carried under one arm, balancing it on her hip while she unlocked the door.
The living room was dim, a galloping stampede the only indication that Sam was heading straight for them. Ellie set the box down on the table in the foyer, planting her hands on her hips and fixing a disapproving stare on the dog.
Sam planted her feet, sitting down on the tile in an effort to stop her own forward momentum. She skidded across the floor, her body coming to rest a few inches from Ellie’s feet.
Jillian snorted, glaring at Sam. “Oh sure. You respect Ellie’s boundaries, but when I come into the house first, you run me over like a herd of elephants.” Passing through the living room, she set the box on the kitchen table.
Sam sneezed and buried her nose in her paws, one eyebrow lifted so she could gaze up at Jillian through the doorway to the kitchen.
Ellie laughed and shook her finger at the black dog. “Sam, you’re such an odd duck.”
Sam stood and gave a single bark so soft it was like a whisper. Going to her oversized dog bed in the corner of the living room, she melted into the memory foam padding.
Ellie’s lips were pursed tight, trying her best to hold back a laugh. The laugh escaped when Sam moaned and arched onto her back with her legs in the air. “She leads a pampered life.”
“I think she loves living here as much as I do.”
Ellie joined Jillian in the kitchen, opened her bag, and took out a stack of papers. “I think she likes this place more than you and I combined.” She spread the papers across one side of the kitchen table, placing a fresh notepad in front of her. Next, she unfolded a large sheet of paper that was covered in lines and dates.
Jillian moved close for a better view. “What’s that?”
“A rough timeline. I used the information Chief Johnson gave me to compile as much as I could about my abduction and everything that happened afterward.” She surveyed the spread. “It’s not much, but it’s more than I
