Page 51 of Betting on Lizzie

“Honey, it was not your fault.” Ben put his arm around her.

“What will happen to them?” Maya asked.

“I talked to one of the officers,” Noah said. “Once they’re done with them here, they’ll be extradited to Nashville. They have a long list of crimes to answer for there. They won’t be out of jail for quite some time.”

“Don’t worry about them coming back,” Ben said. “You’re safe now.”

After getting the all-clear to leave, Noah and Daisy said goodbye. Lizzie drew her fingers across her lips to Daisy as she left. Daisy threw up the three-fingered Girl Scout promise signal and nodded. Lizzie knew she’d hear about it later, but at least she’d kept her mouth shut in front of Ben.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, she got a text from Daisy.

Call me soon. I want first scoop.

Lizzie sighed. Thankfully, due to all the pre-Christmas family activities coming up, Sunday dinner had been cancelled, so the men could play poker. That would make it easier to put Daisy off for a day or so.

The drive back to Ben’s place was quiet. If Maya had put two and two together about why Lizzie had been with her dad, she didn’t bring it up. Ben could handle that conversation.

When they arrived, Lizzie went in just long enough to retrieve Charlie. Maya looked exhausted, and she was Ben’s only concern. Lizzie drove back to her place, took Charlie for a quick lap around the building, and fell into bed.

Now that she’d calmed down, and the danger was over, she could think rationally. It had been a terrifying couple of days—yesterday, the condo fire, and today, a kidnapping. The fierce feelings she was having for and about Ben unsettled her. This was exactly the type of thing she tried to avoid in relationships—feeling too much.

The mental connection she’d had with Ben in that motel room also freaked her out. It was weird enough with her twin sister, but uncomfortable as hell with a man she hardly knew. Think of the damage he could do to her heart if she continued getting close to him.

Also, he was a serious guy. He’d made it clear he wasn’t the type to have a fling. And that’s all she knew. All of her relationships ended eventually, making her wonder if continuing down this path with Ben was a good idea.

She didn’t want to hurt him, but this had a strange feel to it. Like maybe she could be the one who got hurt. Sleeping with him had been an impulsive move—a mistake, she saw that now. It must have been the adrenaline talking after watching him go into a burning building. No other way to slice it—that was hot!

She should probably nip this in the bud before he had a chance to wreck her. Guarding her heart was priority number one. Always had been, always would be.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Once they arrived at Ben’s condo, Lizzie helped him get Maya upstairs. She’d taken Charlie and left, saying they’d talk later. Maybe he should have said something more to her, but he was sure she understood that Maya was his primary concern at the moment.

“You want some tea or something?” he asked Maya.

“Yes, please,” she said. “Could you grab me a water bottle too?”

Ben filled the kettle and set it on the stove, grabbed a water, and came in to sit with her. She drank half the bottle in one go.

“So,” he said. “What happened?”

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “The movie had ended, and Bella and I were fixin’ to get something to eat. We’d driven separately, so we were gonna meet at the restaurant. Bella had just left when she called.”

Ben didn’t have to ask who “she” was. “Was this the first time she’s tried to contact you?”

“Yes,” Maya said. “I asked how she got my number, and she said social media. Anyway, she said she wanted to see me, to which I replied, ‘Uh, no thanks.’ I was about to hang up when she blurted out that her friend had you tied up and would hurt you if I didn’t do what she said.”

“Good lord,” Ben muttered.

“She demanded to know where I was, and I told her. She said to wait there, that she was on her way to me and not to call anyone. I freaked out, Dad. I didn’t totally believe her, but I couldn’t take a chance she was lying either. So, I waited. A beat-up old minivan pulled up, and the man driving pointed a gun at me and told me to get in. They took my purse and keys.” Tears filled her eyes, and Ben moved to the couch to put his arm around her.

“I’m so sorry this happened, baby.”

Maya wiped her eyes. “I thought they were gonna take me to where you were and that everything would be okay. Instead, he dropped Mom off here and then took me to that crappy motel. I heard them whispering about using you to get money.”

“Your mom got our address from your driver’s license and the house key from your ring. She was waiting here when I got home. I never should have gone out. I could’ve gotten to you much sooner. Damn it.” He’d been traipsing around town, chasing a skirt and drinking while two demented idiots tormented his baby. He would never forgive himself.

“Dad. It’s not your fault. I know you’re beating yourself up, but don’t. I’m happy you were out with friends.”

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