Their Virgin Captive(66)

She wished those men were here now. Slade and Dex were back in River Run investigating Preston’s suicide. Or had his death been suicide at all? Hannah nibbled nervously on her bottom lip as all kinds of possibilities rolled over her. Had Scott killed Preston? How far was he willing to go to take her?

Would Gavin be able to hear her if she screamed?

“I tried to call. I can’t get cell service.” Scott’s gaze bounced all over, clearly skittish. “I think he’s blocking it. There are several ways to block local signals. He’s way smarter and more devious than I gave him credit for.”

Hannah looked back to the French doors. Could she make it through them and into her bedroom before he caught her?

If she hadn’t been so damn stubborn, she would have been with Gavin, talking through their problems.

“Where’s Mr. Townsend? I tried the front door, but no one answered. I really need to talk to him, or Mr. James. Hannah there’s something you need to know.” Hannah stopped and let his words sink in. “You tried the front door?” Scott nodded. “Yeah. I knocked. I didn’t, like, open it or anything. This is a rich folks’ place.

You never know, they might release the hounds or something. I thought maybe everyone had come out back, but…Hannah, someone’s after you.”

“I know.” She couldn’t keep the fear from her voice.

“Oh, crap. You think it’s me.” Scott shook his head and held his hands up, showing her he’d come unarmed.

“Well, you’re here, not in Dallas where you’re supposed to be. The whole reason Slade, Dex, and Gavin brought me up here was to escape this stalker.”

“That makes sense. I was on my way to your office to pick you up for an early lunch so I could warn you when I saw your…exit. But he saw it, too. An hour later, a virus had crashed the River Run facility. So I volunteered for this assignment, hoping I’d get a chance to see you and—”

“Who saw my exit? Who are you trying to warn me about?”

“Lyle.”

The truth washed over her. Lyle Franklin. She’d met him her first day on the job. He’d brought her laptop and helped her set it up. He was the head of the help desk, but he’d found time to help a new girl out. He’d been patient with her. She’d heard rumors that he was difficult to work with, but brilliant when it came to systems upkeep and repair. She’d never found him difficult. Anytime she’d had trouble and called the help desk, he’d come personally.

At the time, she’d thought he’d taken care of her because she was the boss’s admin. There wasn’t an employee at Black Oak who didn’t want Gavin James to owe him or her a favor. She’d had lunch with Lyle on a couple of occasions in large groups, but turned him down for dinner because it had seemed too much like a date, and she hadn’t wanted to lead him on. She’d never felt anything beyond vague friendship for the lanky, self-conscious man.

How much had he hidden from her?

“I think I should go and find Gavin.” Hannah knew she needed to be cautious. She wasn’t about to fully trust anyone except her men. She would go and get Gavin, and they could talk to Scott together.

Unless Scott was lying to gain her trust. Then he wouldn’t let her move an inch off this patio.



She backed toward the French doors, easing closer to them. She would lock them behind her and find Gavin. They could get the sheriff, who could sort out everything in a nice, safe interrogation room where all the employees had guns and the right to shoot people.

That sounded like a plan.

“That’s a good idea, Hannah.” Scott’s voice had taken on a soothing quality. He sat down at the patio table, carefully placing his hands on top. “Please tell Mr. James not to shoot me on sight. I get that you have to be cautious. I do. I’ll wait here.” Hannah still didn’t turn her back on him.

“And Hannah, if your computer’s on, turn it off.”

“Why?” She’d turned it on earlier in the day hoping to check her e-mail. It was still sitting open on the desk in her suite. She almost always left it up and ready to use.

“You have a webcam on that computer, Hannah. He’s been watching you through it for months. It’s how I figured out his scheme. Preston made us share a conference room back in Dallas for one of those installation task forces on Monday. Lyle left to go do something, and I was looking for a missing file. Instead, I saw videos of you.”

“Me?”

Scott flushed a bit. “Yes. He has a ton of videos of you. He’s been watching you day and night. Some are just long videos of you lying around in your undies reading a book or talking on the phone. It looks like you’re in the bedroom.”