Intend To Seduce(31)

"Is there any way to tell if they found your research?"

Mac shook her head. "It's not here. Why would they do this?"

"They were angry," Detective Ramsey said. "Probably because they couldn't find what they were after."

"All they did at the lab was break into the safe and search through my file drawers."

"There are some very influential people at the university who think they might have been after more than the formulas here," Ramsey said as he led her back out to the porch.

"What then?"

"According to the university security people, you usually work in your lab on Sundays. The Sunday of the break-in, you didn't. Then you should have been home on Wednesday. Your voice mail on campus was letting all callers know that's where you were."

Mac drew in another breath. "What exactly are you saying, Detective?"

"It's possible that whoever did this to your lab and your apartment might have been looking for you. When you weren't here, they got upset and trashed the place."

She didn't want to believe it, not for a moment.

Then she thought of Sophie who'd been using MacKenzie Lloyd's name and traveling with her ID. And it was Sophie who'd disappeared. If there was any chance that what Ramsey was saying was true, she'd just learned how easy it was to find out where MacKenzie Lloyd was staying.

"Detective, if you're right, there's someone I have to get in touch with right away."











Chapter 15

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Sophie drifted in that gray world, halfway between wakefulness and sleep. Once or twice, she'd nearly reached consciousness only to slip back under. But gradually, moment by moment, awareness was creeping in. The throbbing in her head grew more intense. As did the light, growing steadily brighter beyond her eyelids. And she was lying on a rock – a hard and lumpy one.

It was only when she tried to shift to a more comfortable position that she realized she couldn't move her arms or legs. A quick spurt of alarm shot through her.

It had to be a dream. That had to be why she felt paralyzed. Clinging hard to consciousness, she struggled to wake up.

The memories came then – in bits and pieces. California, that's where she was. And Sonny… As his face appeared in her mind, she tried to focus. She'd come to California to see him … to teach Lucas and his security chief a lesson. The flash of satisfaction was short-lived, erased by a wave of fear.

She couldn't move her hands and feet because they were bound. She couldn't see or move her lips. They were covered by something. What? How? Why?

Even as the questions poured into her mind, she turned over to one side and ran into a solid wall. A quick, panicked roll in the other direction led her smack into another wall.

Where was she?

This time she took her time, but she reached the opposite wall in three rolls. A small room. A cell? She fought against the fear even as it clawed its way to her throat. Breathe, she told herself. The air was fresh, warm. There had to be an open window nearby. Drawing in another breath, she felt the sharpness of her fear fading. And her mind was clearing.

Think, she told herself. She was in California – where? And then she remembered – running into Sonny, slipping out of the restaurant, the sharp sting in her arm.

Someone had drugged her. Who?

"You gave her too much of that stuff, I tell you."

The voice came from close by. Acting purely on instinct, Sophie curled into her original position.

"You wanted it quick and clean. You got exactly what you asked for."

"The boss wants to talk to her."

There was a sound nearby, and Sophie could have sworn that the floor she was lying on shook as if someone had jumped on it.

"Relax. She's probably coming around right now."

The voice came from over her head, then the same noise she'd heard before, and the floor shook again. She braced herself. If they wanted her to come around, it was the last thing she was going to do.

"She's still out. She hasn't moved since the last time we checked her."

"Let's just see."

She had just enough time to steel herself before she felt the sharp slap on her cheek.

"I told you. You gave her too much."

Fingers gripped her pulse. "If you don't shut up I'll give you a dose."

"It's not me you have to worry about. He's not going to tolerate any more mistakes."

"Will you relax?" The voice sharpened even as her wrist was freed. "Her pulse is steady. She's fine. Besides, he won't be out here to see her until tomorrow."

"I don't like it."

Sophie barely let herself breathe until she was sure the two men had gone. Wherever she was, it was a place the men had entered from above. There had been no sound of a door.

Was she on some sort of truck bed?

And who wanted to see her? Sonny? Had he recognized her in the bar after all?

But that didn't make any sense. Why would Sonny Falcone kidnap her? The motive for that was money. And he didn't even know who she really was.

When the headache behind her eyes began to throb, Sophie pushed the questions aside. The answers wouldn't get her out of her present predicament. Rolling over, she drew her legs up until she could touch her ankles.

Tape. That's what was binding her legs and hands. Moving to the wall, she wiggled and pushed herself into a sitting position. The first thing she was going to do was see if she could find anything to cut herself loose.

*

Lucas paced back and forth in his office listening to Tracker's report over his cell phone. They'd been in constant contact all day.

"So you're telling me that you know where Sophie is staying but she's disappeared?"

"What I'm saying is that she's not here right now. Last Wednesday, she registered as MacKenzie Lloyd at the Chateau Mirabeau in the Napa Valley. I've questioned nearly everyone who works here. The clerk says that she went out last night. No one has seen her this morning and the maid claims her bed hasn't been slept in."

"Have you notified the police?"

"No. I don't think we should do that just yet. We may be overreacting."

Lucas began to pace again. "My sister has been missing all night and you think we're overreacting if we notify the police?"

"Just hear me out. The tail that I had on Sonny Falcone says that a blond woman matching Sophie's description had lunch with him on Thursday."

"Are you suggesting that she may have flown out there on purpose just to be with Sonny, and she may be with him now?"

"I'm not liking it, but that's what I'm saying. You told me yourself that she doesn't know anything about what goes on at Wainright. She wouldn't even know the name Falcone, let alone about Vincent's other less legitimate business dealings. And Sonny has a reputation for being a real ladies' man."

Lucas stopped pacing in front of his window. The heat of the day still clung in a misty shroud around the Washington Monument. For the first time in his life he questioned his decision to keep his family isolated from all the problems at Wainright Enterprises.

Maybe Tracker was right and he was overreacting. He'd been letting fear and anger cloud his mind ever since he'd realized Sophie was missing. He had to start thinking clearly if he was going to help his sister. More than that, he had to stop thinking about Mac. He was hundreds of miles away, and he still couldn't get her out of his mind.

"Boss, you still there?"

"Yeah. I don't like what you're saying, but you may be right."

"I don't like it myself, but I want to check it out. I have someone finding out whether or not she stayed at Falcone's villa last night. It will take a little time, but I should know something soon. In the meantime, I'm going to personally check out the list of places that the concierge recommended to Sophie last night. Have you heard anything from Vincent Falcone yet?"

"No."

"For what it's worth, I don't think he had anything to do with your sister's disappearance. I know you don't trust him, but think about it. If he wants to reestablish a business connection with you, kidnapping your sister is not his best move."

Lucas sat on the edge of his desk. "He might be planning to use her as a pawn to blackmail me into investing with him again."

"Thought of that. But you always said he's a shrewd businessman. After threatening your sister, he'd have to figure it wouldn't be long before you got your revenge."

Everything Tracker was saying made sense. As much as he didn't like it, he'd much rather imagine his sister dating Sonny Falcone than being at the mercy of Sonny's father.

"If Falcone is aware that Sonny and Sophie are an item, that could be the reason he told you that his connection with Wainright Enterprises isn't finished yet. That could also be the reason he's invited you out to his vineyard. Dr. Lloyd's pretty smart, and she knows Sophie. Why don't you run my theory by her and see what she thinks?"

"She's not here. I didn't bring her back to D.C."

Tracker didn't reply.

Restless, Lucas began to pace again, until he caught himself. He never paced. Since MacKenzie Lloyd had come into his life, he'd done a lot of things he'd never done before.

"Aren't you going to ask me why I left her there?"

"None of my business."

"She lied to me." Lucas listened to the words as they hung on the air. He'd needed to say them out loud. But they didn't ease the hurt. They only made it grow.

"Women are known for that. Pretending they want one thing when they're really after something else. The best way to handle that problem is to nip the relationship in the bud."