Page 55 of No Good Deed

Despite the stress, Troy smiled and put Oreo down. The two sniffed at each other, and then Oreo turned a few times and plopped onto the floor. Moose licked him again and then flopped down with his front paw, circling the smaller dog.

Lia laughed. “That was easy.” Then she sobered. “He’s welcome to stay here with me for as long as you need. Anything new on Piper?”

He shook his head. “Not yet.”

But his phone rang with Marcus on the other end. “What have you got?”

Marcus blew out a breath, and Troy’s stomach tightened. Marcus didn’t make him wait long for answers. “No word on Piper, but we have a few people who are pretty sure the car went south. I’ve made some calls, but no one has spotted it yet. We have to assume he’s got her.”

Troy closed his eyes and concentrated on breathing until he could speak. “That bastard is going to pay for this.”

“Damn straight.”

“There are more present and past law enforcement agents and military people in these few square miles than almost anywhere in the country. How the hell did he get past us?”

“Good question.”

Troy paced the room. “Has anyone else reported two men in the car?”

Marcus paused for a moment. “No. What are you thinking?”

“I think it could be a decoy. What if Ethan was dropped off here and has Piper close to home?”

“But he will need a car to get out at some point.”

Damn. That was true. “What if he’s taken her to my place? Used my car? Or Piper’s car?”

Troy raced out the door and wasn’t surprised when Joe ran with him. Marcus drove the official squad car and caught up to them just as they arrived at his home. Troy’s car sat where he’d left it when they’d walked to the Saloon earlier in the day.

Marcus parked to block the driveway while Joe raced around the back to cover that exit. Troy moved to the front door while Marcus covered the exit through the garage.

Troy checked the door, but it remained locked. He used his key to open it slowly. No reaction inside. He peeked inside to find the alarm still set. He quickly entered the code and disarmed it.

No one was in the living room, and a quick peek showed the kitchen area was also empty. Troy unlocked the back door and Joe came in. They swept the bedrooms and bathrooms but found nothing. Which only left the garage.

He texted Marcus to let him know they were entering from the mudroom. Marcus had Troy’s spare key and would enter from the front.

As they entered, Marcus called out, “Police. Hands where I can see them”, but Troy could tell by the feel of the place that it was empty. Her car was there, but Piper wasn’t.

CHAPTER 20

Epic Phail

Piper closed her eyes until she could only see a tiny strip of the door. She forced her breathing to slow even while her heart drummed and blood raced through her veins.

Feigning unconsciousness wasn’t much of a plan, but it was all she had.

The door eased open without a sound, and she spotted black pants and shiny boots. If she’d been smarter, she would have rolled over to where she’d started, but she’d been trying to stand and hadn’t thought of it in time.

The feet halted abruptly, and a male voice swore softly. He closed the door quietly and turned in her direction. The feet moved her way. No snow on the bottoms and no wet trail. He hadn’t been outside recently. Look at her being all Nancy Drew.

“I know you’re awake. You’re not where I left you, stupid bitch.”

The voice was soft and harsh. Was he hiding her from someone else? If she screamed, would they come running? Except she couldn’t scream with the gag in place. Maybe she should thump the walls or the floor and try to get their attention.

As she thought about how best to make the noise, the man approached her. One foot drew back and kicked her in the ribs, stealing all the breath from her lungs and making her cough against the duct tape.

“You’ve been nothing but a pain in the ass for weeks. Why the hell did you have to make a mess of everything? If I don’t get it back, it will cost me everything, and that means I’ve got nothing to lose.”

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