Kendall threw back her head and exhaled for a long time, the relief showing on her pretty face clear to see. “Exactly, Mac, and he’s crazy enough to carry out his threats, too.”
“Yeah, after what you’ve told me, I’ve gotta agree with you, honey.”
“He demanded I keep my mouth shut for seven days, or he’d kill Ashley. Told me he needed time to get a new passport and get out of the country for good. I believed him, too, because he’s crazy.
“I’m sorry, Mac. I know I should have confided in you at the beginning, but I was just too frightened to tell the truth. Not so much for myself you understand, but for Ashley.” She worriedly checked her watch again. “I was supposed to receive a call from him eight hours ago, saying he’d released her unharmed.”
“And he hasn’t called, huh? That figures.” Mac knew everything now, after hearing her side of the story, he realized how courageous she’d been. He wasn’t angry with her anymore, and he didn’t give a fuck about the million bucks. It meant nothing to him. Without the slightest doubt in his mind, Mac now knew he was deeply in love with the beautiful woman who sat frightened and vulnerable on his lap.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer still. “Believe me, honey, I know just how frightened you must have been. Any girl would have been scared to death with the dilemma you faced.” He paused for a moment, trying not to make her more upset than she already was. “But, I can’t help feeling disappointed that you didn’t trust me enough to let me in on the secret. We’ve shared a lot together since this all started. If you had trusted me, I’d have been right there for you.”
She patted his hand. “I’m sure of it, Mac, and that’s comforting to know, but it’s also the reason why I couldn’t tell you.”
“Huh, that sounds like a woman’s logic if ever I heard it. Go on.”
“You’re a full-on guy, and therefore too macho for your own good. Testosterone pumps from every part of your body, and I just know you’d have made it your mission in life to personally track him down and make him pay for what he’d done.”
“Yeah, that sounds about right. And what’s wrong with that approach? Extermination is the only way to deal with vermin like this Graves guy.”
“On the face of it, yes, but you don’t know Karl Graves like I do. He’s just not human, Mac. The animal is devoid of any humanity and compassion, and should he suddenly be faced with an angry and intimidating adversary like you, then he wouldn’t think twice about killing Ashley just for the hell of it. He’s crazy, and evil with it, so don’t expect him to play by same rules as normal people.”
The way Kendall put her argument across made him realize she really hadn’t had a viable alternative open to her, and he now felt guilty as hell for using this beautiful, courageous woman as his sex slave.
Mac sighed deeply before continuing, “The way I see it is this. You kept your word, saying nothing for seven days, because you believed your silence was the only way to get your friend back alive and well.”
She checked her watch again. “Seven days, eight hours, and twenty-three minutes to be precise. I suppose I was hoping there was a reason he hadn’t called me.” He watched the tears well up in those expressive blue eyes again as realization dawned. “But now I know he’s not going to, and that Ashley must be lying dead somewhere. Oh, God, Mac, what have I done?”
The tears streamed down her face again, and however much he wiped and kissed them away, they were instantly replaced.
“How did it all go so wrong? I thought I was doing the right thing, but…if–if Ashley is dead, then it’s all my fault.”
He felt for Kendall, he really did. She looked so broken and defeated. Her stoic bravery filled him with admiration, but he saw she was at the end of her tether. Mac rested his chin on top of her head and wrapped his arms around her even tighter, cocooning her, trying to give her the strength she needed to carry on. “Shhh, honey, don’t cry. You don’t know Ashley’s dead for sure. She could still be alive.”
“But if she is…” She sniffled. “Why hasn’t she contacted me?”
“I don’t know, Kendall, I don’t have all the answers, but I’ll tell you this, I’m gonna pass all the information you’ve given me onto my man, Frank Carrell.”
“Frank Carrell?”
“He’s a private eye. One I regularly use, and the best in the business. Frank can track down just about anyone or anything. Low-life scum being a specialty of his. If anyone can find your friend alive, it’s him. He uses his own handpicked team made up of ex-military guys.”