Page 34 of Lone Star Hostage

“I’m healing,” she said after a short pause. Victoria cleared her throat. “Presley, I need to see Billie and you. Because, uh, I think I know who was behind my kidnapping.”

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Chapter Twelve

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It didn’t surprise Billie that Presley once again went into the bat out of hell mode as he drove to the hospital. Victoria had dropped a bombshell, and it was the bombshell that Presley and she had wanted.

I think I know who was behind my kidnapping.

Finally, they might get some answers about this ordeal that Victoria had been through. Of course, Presley and she had been through part of it, too, and they needed to know if they were the reason this had happened.

Billie remembered the hatred she’d heard in Hattie’s voice, and if Hattie had actually orchestrated the kidnapping, then maybe Victoria had learned that. The kidnappers had held her a long time, and all it took was a slip of the tongue to reveal something that they might not have intended to reveal.

Presley turned into the hospital parking lot and found a space that wasn’t far from the ER doors. They hurried in, threading their way to her room, where they saw Angel standing guard at the door. He showed no signs of surprise at seeing them, which meant Victoria had probably told him they were coming.

“Is Jesep or her stepkids around?” Presley asked him.

Angel shook his head. “They all left about an hour ago. Not sure when they’ll be back, so whatever Victoria’s got to sayto you, try to make it fast. She doesn’t say much of anything important whenever they’re around.”

“Does she seem scared of them?” Billie asked.

Angel lifted his shoulder. “Maybe. She sure as hell seems a lot better when they’re not here. Don’t get me wrong. She needs to be in the hospital, but I don’t think she’s as weak as she makes out to be to Jesep and his kids.”

Interesting, and Billie wanted to know why that was. But Presley and she also needed to take Angel’s suggestion of doing this fast.

“It’s Billie and me,” Presley said, giving a single knock on the door.

“Come in,” Victoria replied.

The greeting was quick, and when they stepped into the room, Billie saw what Angel had meant about the woman maybe doing better than she was leading her family to believe. She didn’t look the picture of health, but she was fully sitting up, and there was some color other than the bruises on her face.

“Thank you for coming,” she said, and even her voice was stronger. She set aside a tablet that someone had obviously brought in for her since their last visit. “I’m not sure how much time we have. Jesep is talking to his doctor to convince him to come to Outlaw Ridge and take over my care.”

“You can’t just tell him no?” Billie pressed.

Victoria shook her head and seemed to offer a silent apology about that, making Billie wonder if Jesep was abusive to his wife. But that serious topic would apparently have to wait because Presley launched right into the reason for this visit.

“Who’s responsible for your kidnapping?” he threw out there.

The woman closed her eyes a moment. “I’m not certain, but I suspect Ari could be behind it.”

Bingo.Billie suspected the same thing. Then again, that suspicion also applied to Jesep, Olivia, and Hattie.

“I don’t have any proof,” Victoria went on a moment later. “But Ari hates me, and I feel in my gut that he would like me out of his father’s life.”

Billie didn’t groan. Not out loud, anyway. But she’d been hoping for more than a gut feeling here.

“Has Ari said or done anything to make you believe he’d hire those kidnappers?” Presley asked.

“No,” she said but then paused. “He’s been acting strange though. For instance, last week he was talking on the phone when I walked into the room, and he just hung up on the caller. And later that day, he wasn’t where he was supposed to be. He told Jesep he had a business meeting in Austin, but when I spoke to his PA about another matter, she said there was no meeting, that Ari had gone home for the day.”

Again, nothing major. Still, Billie couldn’t dismiss the fact that Victoria said that Ari hated her. That was motive.

“What about Olivia?” Billie pressed. “How does she feel about you?”

Victoria drew in a weary-sounding breath. “Well, I can’t imagine she’s pleased with her father’s new will.”

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