His fingers were warm and strong, his grip firm yet careful. “I feel like I’ve been running my entire life. Even after we settled in Breckenridge, I never felt safe. I knew someone was out there, watching me, waiting for some sort of signal I didn’t understand.”
“Knowledge is power. I won’t pretend the danger is gone, but you know who’s behind it and you’re much more prepared to deal with it now.” His thumb caressed her knuckles and awareness arced between them, making the air sizzle with anticipation.
He took the mug from her hand and leaned in to kiss her when hurried footfalls sounded on the stairs. They turned to the half-open doorway as Enya stepped into the room.
“We’ve got big trouble. Throw yourself together and get downstairs.” With no further explanation, she handed Kyle a stack of clothes and hustled back the way she’d come.
Ava threw back the sheet and crawled out of bed. Kyle handed her the clean clothes and said, “I’ll find out what’s going on. Take the fastest shower of your life then join us downstairs.”
Accepting the bundle, she nodded and headed for the bathroom. Ava quickly showered and dressed. She ran a comb through her hair and rinsed out her mouth with toothpaste then rushed downstairs. Jake was pacing the floor in the railed entryway between the bar and restaurant. His expression was thunderous as he talked to someone on a cell phone. Enya and Kyle stood off to one side, watching Jake with obvious concern.
“What’s going on?” Ava whispered as she pressed in close to Kyle.
“Someone snatched three of our females,” Enya replied. “One’s our sister. The two little ones are our nieces.”
Jake ended the call and shoved the phone into one of his pockets as he pulled keys out of another. He looked at his sister as he said, “They’ve been gone for hours. They could be anywhere by now.”
“Why did Liz wait so long to call us?” Enya crossed her arms over her chest, looking every bit as upset as Jake.
“She didn’t. Cheyenne agreed to take the girls so Liz and David could have a night to themselves. Liz went to Cheyenne’s about an hour ago to pick up the girls and found an empty apartment. All three of them were gone. Chey’s pretty sure they were taken some time last night, but she has no idea who or why.”
Apparently Liz and Cheyenne were two of Jake’s sisters and the “little ones” belonged to Liz. “What can we do?” Ava asked.
“We can’t be sure this isn’t a ploy to scatter our forces,” Jake warned. He looked at Kyle as he went on. “Take Ava to my place. Have Ian meet you there. I’ll organize the search while you and Ian investigate our theory about the teleportation.”
Kyle caught the keys Jake tossed him and said, “Got it.”
“What about me?” Enya asked. “Do you want me to join the hunt?”
Jake shook his head. “You need to go calm down Liz. She might be able to sense the girls if she can get her emotions under control.”
“I’m on it.” Enya departed without a backward glance.
“Be careful,” Jake stressed. “This has trap written all over it.”
* * * * *
While Osric was sleeping soundly in her bed, Carly rushed to the conference room and called the backers. She’d been thrilled when she was given the security code to the conference room. It was the only room in the complex from which outgoing calls were possible. Her excitement fizzled soon after as she realized she had no one in the outside world who gave a damn about her. She’d always been an outcast, isolated by her ambition and intelligence. Her lack of family and friends was likely one of the reasons she’d been recruited for this project.
Any one of the three backers could respond to her page. Tonight Roberto came online. He wore a silk robe and his dark hair was tousled as if he’d just crawled out of bed.
“I’m sorry to bother you, sir.” If he lived in Italy, as she suspected, it was likely about nine o’clock at night. “I just finished questioning Osric.”
“Were the drugs helpful?” The wall behind his desk was wainscoted in rich reddish-brown wood and the edge of a large gilt-framed painting was barely visible. He’d obviously positioned his desk so that few clues to his location were evident.
“Very. It took a bit longer for him to go under than I would have liked, but once the drugs kicked in, he was extremely cooperative.” She hesitated, unsure if indulging her curiosity was worth the risk of annoying her boss. “May I ask a question, sir?”
“Of course and stop calling me sir. Milliner might need his ego stroked on a regular basis. I prefer candid honesty.”