Page 28 of Securing the Odds

As soon as she stepped through the door, a hand covered her mouth and a strong arm banded around her middle. Her whole body stiffened as she tried to struggle against the hold, but her captor was strong and with her arms held down at her sides and their legs bracketing hers, she had no leverage.

“Thought you’d be smarter than to leave your bedroom window unlocked.” She recognized Kevin’s voice as he hissed in her ear.

Her bedroom was on the second floor. How he’d gotten up there, she didn’t know.

Shaking her head, she tried to dislodge his hand, but it pressed tighter, forcing her head back against his shoulder. “You’re a pain in my ass, you know that? You were a pain when we were married and an even bigger one now. Why’d you have to get that fucking PI involved? I had a plan. Had shit all worked out and you had to go and blow it.”

Plan? What the heck was he talking about?

“You and me, we’re going for a ride. But first, you’re gonna do exactly as I say.”

For the first time, she noticed the gun in his hand when the arm around her middle moved.

“I’m gonna let you go, and you’re gonna follow my instructions. You don’t, and you gotta know, with as much trouble as you’ve caused me, I won’t hesitate to shoot.”

He meant that. Tammy could hear it in the way he spoke so calmly that he wasn’t bullshitting. He’d never been violent, and she couldn’t help but wonder what had happened over the past two years to make him that way.

“Now, I’m gonna let go of your mouth and you’ll put your hands behind your back. You make one fuckin’ peep, and you’ll wish you hadn’t. Understand?”

She tried to nod but the hold he had on her was too tight for her to give more than a slight jerk. It must have been enough though because a second later, he released her.

“Not a fuckin’ peep,” he repeated, shoving the gun into the middle of her back.

Left with no option but to do as he said, she moved her hands behind her back. A few seconds later, the stiff bite of plastic surrounded her wrists.

“Should have tied you up years ago.” His chuckle had a slimy quality and, not for the first time, she wondered why she’d ever been married to him.

Curiosity getting the better of her but still mindful to keep her voice low, so he didn’t get any crazy ideas, she asked, “How did you get away?”

He made a tsking sound. “You’re a smart girl. Haven’t you figured it out yet? The whole thing was my plan from the start to get back the money you took from me.”

Anger made her forget his warning as she shouted, “It was my money. You got your half.” But the gun digging into her back was an instant reminder to shut up. She pressed her lips together and bit her tongue.

“I wasn’t supposed to be found. You were just supposed to hand over the money. But you had to go and hire that fucking PI. So now, I’ll take you instead. How much you figure dear old brother thinks you’re worth? One million? Two?”

“Are you insane? The original asking amount was only two hundred grand.” Kevin and his stupid get-rich-quick schemes. It had been a bone of contention between them their whole marriage, but this one took the cake.

“That was before you made me go through the hassle of kidnapping you. Consider the difference an inconvenience fee.” He prodded her in the back with the gun. “Now, let’s go. I have an important call to make and then a trip to Vegas to plan.”

He didn’t lead her out the garage door she had come in through, but out the front door, again, accompanied with a jab from the gun and a warning to remain quiet.

Tammy didn’t plan on making a scene. Even if she didn’t believe Kevin would shoot her, the odds of the gun accidentally going off in a struggle were too high for her liking. She wasn’t sure how she was going to get herself out of the mess she was in, but for the time being, the situation was out of her control.

He threw her into the backseat of an older model BMW and slammed the door without doing up her seat belt—asshole. She sat back as best she could with her arms restrained behind her and felt the weight of her cell phone fall against her upper thigh.

Thinking back, she realized Kevin hadn’t checked her person and thus didn’t find her phone. She usually kept it in her purse, and Kevin would have known that. She silently thanked Jake and her desire not to miss his call in lending to her change of habit.

Now if she could just get her hands on it.

Tammy waited for Kevin to get distracted driving before she scissored the material of her blazer between her fingers and pulled. Inch by painfully small inch, she brought the fabric around enough to reach the pocket, but strain and stretch as she might, with the plastic of the band around her wrist digging into her skin, she couldn’t reach the top opening.

“What are you doing back there?”

She popped her head up to find Kevin staring at her in the rearview mirror. Thinking fast, she said, “It’s not exactly comfortable sitting with my arms behind my back.”

“Well, quit squirming. You’re making me nervous.”

“Well, put your eyes back on the road. You’re makingmenervous.”