“Check the GPS. See if Nick’s made it here.” Cassandra glowered at her cousin, who simply rolled his eyes and pulled free the laptop from the backpack, and walked over to the countertop peninsula separating the kitchen from the living area. While it was strictly builder grade stuff, the layout was straight from a couple of decades ago, meaning there wasn’t much of an open floor plan to this house.
“When Nick gets to the parking lot, what are you going to do?” Gracie asked the question, her mind whirling with thoughts of escape. She wasn’t about to sit back and wait for the cavalry to ride up or a white knight on a steed. Fairy tales had been forgotten a long time ago, and while she knew in her heart Nick was coming and he’d do his best to rescue her, she wasn’t a fairy princess or a damsel in distress waiting for her prince. She’d had enough sitting back and letting life toss her around, make her feel less than useless. First, she’d allowed Jeremy to ruin her young life, destroy her relationship with her parents and her friends. Now Cassandra and Jesse were threatening to do far worse.
“I have a few hoops he’s going to have to jump through before you get to see him. Make sure he hasn’t been followed. From what I’ve gleaned while in Shiloh Springs, it seems the Boudreaus could be formidable foes. You’d better hope they listened when Nick was told to come alone.”
“GPS is pinging at the parking lot, Cas. It’s not moving, so Nick is at least following directions.”
“Good. Can you access the CCTV or traffic cameras nearby, see if he’s talking to anybody? If he was followed,” she cut her gaze to Gracie, a wicked smile on her lips, “then all bets are off.”
“Seriously? What am I, some kind of magician?” Jesse started muttering under his breath and hitting the keys. “CCTV and traffic cameras. Like that is so easy. Remember, cousin, this is America. Things are different here than back home.”
“Just do your best. I need to start putting Nick through his paces. I’m worried though that we haven’t heard back from Uncle Simon or Alex. She should have texted by now.”
“Give it a little more time. Remember, they might not be able to use the phones while they’re on the helicopter. Good news is, once Uncle Simon is free, he can access all that money he’s got hidden away, and we’ll be rolling in dollar bills.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Cassandra paced back and forth, and Gracie stood in the living room, watching the two intently. Jesse hadn’t locked the front door behind him, when he’d shoved her through it, so there was a possibility she might be able to bolt. One moment of distraction, just one, that’s all she needed.
“Cas, I can’t get into the cameras. Everything’s worked swimmingly so far, call Nick and let’s get this finished. I’m ready to go home. I’ve had enough of Texas to last me a lifetime.”
She sighed. “You’re right. Okay, I’ll call.”
Gracie watched Cassandra dial. With a smirk, she put the phone to her ear. “Hello, Nick. Ready to meet me? Tut-tut, such language. No cookie for you.” She listened intently for a minute before putting the phone on speaker. “Alright, Gracie’s right here. Gracie, tell Nick that we haven’t hurt you, that you’re fine.”
“Nick?”
“Hey, baby, you okay?” His voice was the sweetest sound she’d heard in hours.
“Nick, Mighty Oaks subdivision—”
Cassandra smashed her hand over the phone, effectively muting the sound. “That was a mistake, Gracie. You’d better hope I cut you off in time. Otherwise, you might meet the same fate as Nick.”
“You’re a fool if you think killing him will do anything but have you hunted by the police on two continents.”
“They can hunt all they want. By the time they find Nick’s body, I’ll be in a country with no extradition agreement and enough money to buy my own island. Heck, there are a few countries out there I could probably pick up if I want to.” She pulled the phone back to her ear.
“Leave the parking lot and walk toward the Riverwalk. Go to San Fernando Cathedral and wait by the front entrance. Call me back at this number when you arrive.”
“You know we can’t monitor him once he leaves the car. The GPS only works on it. You gonna trust him to do what he’s told?”
“As long as we have his girlfriend, he’ll cooperate.” Cassandra started toward the kitchen. “Watch her.”
Gracie watched Cassandra open the sliding glass door leading to the back. There was a lovely covered patio out back with a pool, loungers, and an outdoor kitchen. The fresh air wafted through the open door, dispelling some of the suffocating heat inside the house. The air conditioning either wasn’t turned on or they didn’t think they’d be here long enough to need it.
A tall privacy fence encircled the yard. Gracie wondered if there was a gate leading either outside or to the alley. Most houses similar to the ones in other subdivisions were like her parents’ home, where the trash pickup was in the alley behind the house, and the occupants had to wheel the trash cans out there for pickup. She needed to stay alert; it might be a possible route of escape.
The minutes stretched past, the hands on the clock on the kitchen wall never seeming to move. Worry ate at her. Not for herself, but for Nick. He knew he was walking into a trap. Knew Cassandra taunted him, wanted him off balance and not thinking about anything but Gracie.
Please, please, let Nick have understood my message.
She jumped when the phone rang, splitting through the silence. The smug look on Cassandra’s face had Gracie’s palm itching to slap her. There was no doubt Nick was on the other end of the line, having reached his destination.
Unable to hear from this far away, Gracie started toward the open doorway, but Jesse grabbed her upper arm.
“Nope. You stay put.”
With a barely suppressed growl, Gracie jerked her arm free and paced the floor, back and forth across the sparse living room. A few pieces of furniture decorated the space, mainly consisting of two recliners and an end table between them. The recliners looked like something from Goodwill, the pleather held together with duct tape and hope. The kitchen held no furniture that she could see, not even a dish. Dark brown cabinets lined two walls, the countertops a gray granite. A thoroughly depressing room, but it was the style when the house was built.
