She knew? How was that possible? No one knew. “I…” Her voice trailed off when she spotted the gun held close to the blonde’s side.
“Let’s go. Out the back. Now.” The flat American tone the woman had been using morphed into an Australian accent without missing a beat. She only recognized it as Australian and not British because she’d been watching an Australian baking show in the evenings after work.
“What are you doing? Did Jeremy send you?”
“I don’t know Mr. Brewster personally, though he definitely knows you and was very chatty when I spoke with him. He’s extremely unhappy to hear that you’re seeing Nick Vincent.”
“You know Nick?”
Who was this woman and how did she know everything about her life? Her mind whirled, trying to block out the acrid taste of fear in her throat. Alice was in the back, but she was dealing with stock. Gracie didn’t want her involved in any way with a crazy person with a gun. The poor girl was barely out of high school, naïve and sweet. She’d protect her with her life before she’d let Miss Crazy-Pants here touch her.
“Nick Vincent is a parasite. A miserable worm who doesn’t deserve to exist on this planet.”
“I guess we know two different Nick Vincents, because the Nick I know is kind, generous and loving. He’s got a lot of people who care about him here in Shiloh Springs.”
“Ugh, I am so sick of this stinking town. I want to go home. But I can’t. Not until I look Nick Vincent in the eyes, make sure he understands exactly why he must atone for what he’s done.”
Gracie’s eyes widened at the vehemence behind the woman’s words. Whoever she was she hated Nick. She’d never seen the woman before today, so she couldn’t be sure how the blonde knew about her and Nick, but that didn’t matter. She knew all the danger signals, had taken self-defense classes that emphasized never leaving or going to a secondary location with a possible kidnapper. Except if she tried to do anything, Alice might get hurt.
“What do you want from me? I barely know Nick.” She didn’t mind lying to Blondie, not if it meant keeping her away from Nick, at least long enough that she could warn him.
“We’re going to take a little ride. I have a car parked behind your shop in the alley. Turn around slowly and walk through the back and straight to the door. Don’t think I won’t shoot you right now if you try anything.”
Gracie raised her hands to shoulder height, letting the woman see that she was cooperating. She couldn’t put Alice’s life in danger. And hadn’t she known that this day would happen sooner or later? The only difference was it wasn’t Jeremy who was going to finally kill her. It was somebody wanting revenge against Nick, and they were going to use her to get it.
As she walked, she looked everywhere, hoping to find a way to stall, or maybe find a weapon she could use. Too bad there was nothing, not even a box opener, left on the shelves in the back of the shop.
Walking slowly to the door, her hand wrapped around the doorknob and started to twist it open.
“Gracie, I think there’s been a mix-up with the dark roast…” Alice’s voice trailed off when she spotted Gracie standing by the tall blonde. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“It’s okay. We’ll finish up the order later. Why don’t you head on home? Lock up the front when you leave, okay?”
It was the best she could do, trying to keep Alice from becoming collateral damage in this nightmare situation.
If anybody has to get hurt, let it be me.
“Sure thing, Gracie. Thanks for letting me go early. You have a great afternoon.”
Alice’s cheerful disposition was one of the reasons Gracie had hired the girl not long after high school graduation. Smart, cheerful, and the customers loved her because she was a local girl and a hard worker.
“Good move, sending the girl home. Let’s go.”
Taking a deep breath, Gracie reached for the door again and pulled it inward before stepping through into the alley. A black SUV was parked with the engine running. A man with dark hair and sunglasses sat in the driver’s seat. He glanced their way once before turning his attention back to the front of the vehicle.
“Get in.” Blondie shoved Gracie in the back and she stumbled toward the SUV, pulled open the back door, and slid onto the seat. Blondie gestured toward her to move over, before sliding in beside her and pulling the door closed, keeping the gun pointed in Gracie’s direction.
Without another word, the car pulled smoothly out of the alley and headed south on Main Street. The driver glanced in the rearview mirror before tossing something black over the seat, which Blondie caught. She handed it to Gracie.
“Put this on.”
“What?”
“Put it on unless you want me to knock you out. Your choice.”
Shaking out the fabric, Gracie saw that it was a black hood, looking almost like a pillowcase, but the material was so thick she couldn’t see through it. Terror rippled through her, and her hands shook as she forced the black hood over her head. An immediate sense of claustrophobia had her clawing at the bottom, trying to rip it off.
“I can’t breathe…” The words came out as a scream, as panic welled through her. She felt like she was drowning in blackness, a weight crushing down on her chest.
