Page 54 of Keeping Her Safe

“No, Zephyr, we have to get you out of here. Have you finished the last book?” he asked, looking at each of the sisters.

“Yes, it’s done,” she admitted, no reason to lie.

“I need the USB drive, and then we have to get out of here.” He walked towards her with his hand out.

“I will help you get it out of the safe,” Della stated firmly, leaving the spot she had been frozen in and taking Zephyr by the hand.

“Please do. Time is running out,” Ken replied and followed them from the room.

In the office, Della went around the desk and opened the drawer to get a key and went to a small safe in the corner. Opening it, she blocked Ken’s view of what they were doing, and Della handed her a USB drive. Zephyr slipped a hand up her shirt and pulled out a USB drive and handed it to her sister. Smiling, she hugged her sister. She, too, felt something was off.

“Here you go, Ken.” Zephyr handed him the blank USB drive.

“Okay, now we have to go. Where is Zachary?” He barely looked at it as he slid it into his pocket.

“He’s probably with my husband somewhere. My husband likes to take long walks around town. It relaxes him.” Della lied as they headed back to the kitchen.

“I will call him later then. The most important thing is to get Zephyr out of here.” Ken grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the back door.

“Can I say goodbye?” She tried to pull her arm away.

“No, we have no time.” Ken pulled her harder.

“What do you want, Ken?” She dug in her heels in the middle of the kitchen.

“To get you to safety,” he hissed at her.

“How did you get past the cops?” Zoey asked from behind her.

“I’m her editor. They let me through,” Ken stated his title as if he was that important.

“Was it you the entire time, Ken? Did you write the letters?” Zephyr finally managed to pull her arm out of his, almost dislocating it in the process.

“It’s time to go, Zephyr,” Ken hissed again, not answering her question.

“No, I don’t think I am in any danger here.” She sat down on a chair.

“There is a man who is trying to kill you!” Ken tried to grab her arm again, and she jerked it away.

“Why?”

“Because of who you are,” Ken explained.

Zephyr shook her head. “Nobody knows who I am.”

“A lot of people know,” he insisted.

“No, nobody really knows. I know, Zachary knows, and you know. Not even your assistant actually knows who I am.” Zephyr’s mind started the puzzle she had been putting off for days.

“More people than that know.” She knew he was lying to her now.

“But nobody cares who I am. Who benefits if I die?” Zephyr questioned him from her chair.

“Zachary Wainwright,” Ken stated with a smirk.

“No, Zachary gets the beach house, and that’s nothing.”

“These women,” he said very quietly.

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