'Where is she?' Ashe demanded, as he advanced on Buck, not heeding Buck's bodyguard's warning.
Buck motioned for his bodyguard. Ashe turned on the burly man and, using several expedient thrusts with his hands and feet, brought the big man to his knees.
'Why are you here?' Buck asked.
Evie rushed into the office, bringing two bouncers with her. Ashe pulled his gun from the shoulder holster and aimed it at Buck.
'Call off your goons,' Ashe said.
'Take them back inside the club,' Buck ordered. 'Go with them, sweetie. I can handle things in here.'
'Where is Deborah?' Ashe asked again.
'If she's missing, I don't have her,' Buck said. 'I've been trying to tell you that I'm not behind the recent threats. I thought you were checking into other suspects.'
'I'm still checking.' With gun in hand, Ashe walked across the room, motioning for the bodyguard to sit. 'Someone shot my partner at the Vaughns' home tonight and kidnapped Deborah. What do you know about it?'
Buck eased down in his big velvet chair behind his desk. 'I didn't put a contract out on Deborah, but I know who did.'
'Keep your hands where I can see them.' Ashe stood in front of Buck's desk. 'Tell me what you know.'
'I checked into the situation for you, just like I said I would.' Buck laid his hands flat atop his desk. 'I found out that a prominent Sheffield citizen hired one of my former employees—Randy Perry—to kill Deborah. Randy just got out of the pen a couple of months ago and I didn't see fit to rehire him. He's a bad apple, that one.'
'Who hired him?'
'A relative of Deborah Vaughn's, one who had a twofold purpose in wanting her dead.'
'Who?'
'The man wanted revenge on his wife's former lover, the one he's cried in his beer about here at Sweet Nothings on more than one occasion. Seems his wife has always compared him to this guy and he's always come up lacking.'
'Whitney's husband?' Ashe asked.
'Of course, getting back at you isn't his main reason. The inheritance is. Seems Jamison thinks that old Mrs. Vaughn hasn't got much longer to live, and with Deborah out of the way, his wife would be the logical one to oversee Deborah's estate and take custody of Allen.'
'My God! Is Whitney involved in this scheme?'
'Don't know. Wouldn't know what I do if Randy hadn't stayed buddies with some of my boys and if he wasn't the type to brag to the ladies.'
'Do you have any idea where he's taken Deborah?'
'I didn't even know he'd taken her tonight until you stormed in here. Why don't you pay a visit on Mr. Jamison?'
'That's exactly what I intend to do.' Slipping his gun back into the holster, Ashe nodded to the door. 'Why don't you walk me out, Buck, old friend?'
Buck chuckled. 'Still don't trust me completely? I don't blame you.'
Buck walked Ashe all the way outside to his car, then put his hand on Ashe's shoulder. 'I'll find out what I can about where Randy's taken your woman. If I learn anything that can help you, I'll send Lee Roy to find you.'
Ashe didn't say anything, only nodded, got in his car and headed back to Sheffield, straight to the Jamison house on River Bluff.
The Jamison home sat on the bluff overlooking the Tennessee River. Ashe parked his rental car behind George Jamison's Jaguar. The fury inside him had built to the 'kill' stage. His common sense urged him to stay calm, telling him that he must remain in control in order to find Deborah before her kidnapper killed her.
The very thought of Deborah being harmed angered Ashe, and created a pain deep inside him. The hired assassin had been waiting for his chance to get Deborah, and Ashe had given him the perfect opportunity. If anything happened to her, he'd never forgive himself.
He rang the doorbell and waited, checking his gun. After endless minutes of keeping his finger pressed against the buzzer, Whitney Vaughn swung open the double doors and stood in the foyer smiling.
'Why, Ashe McLaughlin, whatever brings you to my house in the middle of the night?'
Ashe noticed she wore nothing but a thin, lavender nightgown, sheer and revealing. 'Where's your husband?'
'Not in my bed.' She draped her arm around Ashe's neck. He pulled free, walking farther into the foyer. She closed the doors and followed him.
'You want to see George?' she asked. 'At this time of night?'
'Where is he?' Ashe went from room to room, turning on lights as he went. 'If he's not here, tell me where he is!'
'What the devil's the matter with you, Ashe?' Whitney planted her hand on her slender hip.
'Deborah's been kidnapped,' Ashe said. 'And I have reason to believe that your husband put out a contract on her life.'
'George?' Whitney's large brown eyes widened, giving her an owlish look. 'But George would never… What reason would he have?'
'You tell me. For all I know you could be in on it with him.'
'I'd never do anything to hurt Deborah. She's my cousin. I care deeply for her.'
'Where's your husband?' Grabbing Whitney by the shoulders, Ashe shook her soundly.
'He—he's upstairs in his room.'
'Show me.' Ashe jerked Whitney around, grasping her wrist. 'I don't have any time to lose.'
Whitney ran up the stairs, Ashe beside her. Halting, she pointed to a closed door. 'That's George's room.'
Ashe crashed through the door. George Jamison had one leg in his trousers, the other on the floor. Ashe grabbed him around the neck. When George swayed, Ashe steadied him by slamming him up against the wall. Whitney stepped inside, but stayed by the open door.
'Where did Randy Perry take Deborah?' Ashe tightened his hold on George's neck.
'I—I don't know what you're—you're talking about.' George pawed at Ashe's hand, trying unsuccessfully to loosen his hold around his neck.
'Don't play games with me, Jamison. You tell me what I want to know or I'll break your neck. Do you understand me?'
'For pity's sake, Whitney, call the police,' George said.
'I'm not doing anything.' Whitney glared at her husband. 'If you hired someone to kill Deborah, you'd better tell Ashe what he wants to know.'
'Please, believe me. I don't know what he's talking about.'
With his right hand still pressed against George's windpipe, Ashe reached inside his jacket and retrieved his gun from the shoulder holster. He pointed his 9mm directly at George's temple.
'If you have any doubts that I'd kill you, then you don't know me at all. Deborah Vaughn is the most important thing in this world to me. I'd lay down my life for her. Do you understand what I'm saying, Jamison?'
'Don't kill me,' George pleaded.
Ashe despised the weakness in this man. He pressed the 9mm against George's head. 'Where has Perry taken Deborah?'
'I don't know!' When Ashe glared at him, fury in his eyes, George cried out. 'I paid him $5,000 and promised him $5,000 more to do the job.'
'You hired someone to kill Deborah!' Whitney screamed, tears forming in her eyes. 'I knew you weren't much of a man, but I never realized what a monster you are. How could you do it? Deborah has taken care of us for years. I don't know what we would have done without her.'
'But don't you see, my darling, I did it for us.' George tried to turn his head so he could look at his wife, but Ashe kept him trapped against the wall, the 9mm at his temple, Ashe's big hand at his throat.
'With Deborah out of the way and Miss Carol dying soon, then who but to you would the courts award custody of Allen?' George said. 'Who but you would be in control of Allen's inheritance?'
