Blaine rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. “I didn’t sleep last night, out patrolling and all. Wake me if anything worrisome happens.”
“Don’t worry, Commander Lewis,” Charlie said, a bit of snideness in his voice. “The Royal Air Force is on it.”
Blaine shook his head and resolutely closed his eyes.
“Once he’s asleep, we can chat about your handsome captain,” Charlie said, winking at her.
He entered the tight canyon that led to the larger Summit Valley.
“Please don’t,” Blaine muttered. “I might register some of it in my sleep and have nightmares.”
Charlie laughed heartily at that. He slowed to navigate some of the curves and said to Mia, “Are you ready for the ride of your life, love?”
She blinked at him. That was an odd question for a hopefully uneventful ride to the airport. “Just get us there safe,” she said.
“Safety … highly overrated.” Charlie grasped the steering wheel with his left hand.
Blaine’s phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket.
Mia saw the glint of black metal in Charlie’s hand an instant before the retort of the gun firing nearly blew out her eardrums. She screamed as blood sprayed Charlie from Blaine’s head wound.
Charlie slammed on the brakes and shoved the gearshift into park.
Blaine wasn’t moving. Was he dead? He had to be dead.
Mia screamed louder. She had to get out of here. Charlie had just shot Blaine in the head. She couldn’t wrap her mind around it, but she had to escape.
She yanked on her door handle. It didn’t open.
Charlie grinned back at her, still pointing the gun at Blaine. “Childproof locks, love.” He looked her over. “You made this one a challenge. I had to hire one of my faithful mates who’s helped me on other jobs to drug Alden and Thomas, kill Thomas, and plant all the evidence in Alden’s old flat. I won’t be able to go back to being the Sneaky Stalker, but that’s all right. I’ve got buyers chomping at the bit to pay top coin for you. Plus, I’m going to get ransom payment after ransom payment out of the duke. Until he wises up and realizes he’ll never see his little girl again.”
She was so terrified she couldn’t even scream.
“Now, the commander is still breathing. I can even see his chest rising and falling. He’s knocked out, as I purposefully grazed his thick, pompous skull, and he still has a good chance of living. Lean forward and give me your wrist or I’ll shoot him again and finish him off for certain this time.”
Mia had no idea what to do, but she couldn’t let him shoot Blaine again if there was even a chance he might still be alive. She closed her eyes, prayed desperately for help, sick that Zeke was driving away from them with no knowledge she was in danger.
She unbuckled her seatbelt, scooted into the middle seat, and shakily extended her hand toward Charlie. He grabbed her wrist and slapped a handcuff on it, holding on to the other end and muttering about where to secure it.
She’d be sold to the highest bidder before nightfall. She had to do something.
So she balled up her fist, thought of her tough Rambo, and slugged Charlie in the hand as hard as she could. He released the manacle in surprise, and she flung her shackled wrist at his head. Her hand and the handcuff caught his eye and the free part of the cuff whipped around and cut his ear open. He cursed and grabbed on to her hand, squeezing so tight she cried out in pain. It made her think of Zeke’s parents squeezing him as a small child, but he wouldn’t cry out. She clamped her lips shut and glared at Charlie as the pain bit deep and sharp through her hand.
“Don’t, love. I hate to sell damaged goods,” he snarled at her, only able to open one eye.
He released his clamp on her hand and slammed the other handcuff around the metal underneath Blaine’s raised headrest. He turned to yank the car into gear and Mia knew she was as good as dead. Well, she might live, but she’d be sold as a slave and never see Zeke again. She leaned between the front two seats and yanked at Charlie’s arm with her free hand, keeping him from putting the car in gear.
He snarled at her and threw back his hand to hit her, but she ducked and he hit Blaine’s shoulder.
She looked up and saw Blaine’s eyes open. She gasped in surprise.
“What?” Charlie demanded.
She didn’t want to draw his attention to Blaine being awake. She dodged back up between the seats and grasped at his shirt with her free hand. “Charlie, please. You’ve always been so kind and friendly to me. Don’t do this. Let me and Blaine go and I will deposit whatever money you want in an account. I’ve been very successful and my dad will add as much as you want.”
“It’s not about the money,” he told her, all smiles again. “It’s about being smarter than everybody else, the look of terror in the women’s eyes when I catch them, and knowing that while these peacocks strut and show off and get the beautiful women to swoon, in the end I’m simply the best.”
Her stomach curdled and icy fear made her palms sweat.