Page 54 of Trick's Trap

She was more excited than usual to get down there today. The front desk had called and told her Gina was waiting there to see her. It was a surprise visit, but a welcome one.

Gina was probably in town to scout out schools with her daughter.She’d mentioned her daughter Jenny’s interest in a few Boston-area colleges several times and talked about visiting Tufts and Brandeis the last time they spoke. It was part of a mini-college tour she was planning.

I guess business finally calmed down enough for Gina to get away.Perhaps getting on the Caislean’s preferred vendor list finally convinced her she could afford it.

Patrick was in meetings all day again, but hopefully, she could catch him in between two of them so she could introduce him to her friend. She knew Gina would be thrilled to meet one of the hotel’s owners—and it would be a lot less intimidating for her if that someone was Patrick and not Liam. Maggie was still away, covering for Patrick at some of their European properties, but the third-party vendors weren’t her purview in any case.

Tahlia walked into the cafe with a spring in her step, excited to catch up. She knew as soon as she saw the expression on Gina’s face that something was terribly wrong.

Her first instinct was to turn and search for threats, but there was nobody there outside of the Caislean’s friendly and efficient staff. Holding her breath, she walked over to Gina and sat down, her eyes darting around before settling on her friend.

Gina watched her with stark dry eyes—too wide. “You’re not wrong. They’ve been to see me.”

Tahlia’s heart sank. Gina stared down at the table, her fingers tracing aimlessly over the fine honey pine surface.

“They threatened you, didn’t they?”

“No.” Gina’s mouth twisted. “That wouldn’t have worked.”

Tears stung her eyes. “Then it was Jenny they went after.”

She knew how Uncle Lucas thought. He was ruthless when it came to getting what he wanted.

Tahlia started to rise, her impulse to run to Patrick, or to get Ethan and Jason down here, but Gina waved her back down.

“Don’t worry. Jenny is fine. Her father is watching her at home.”

Gina’s ex was a former junkie who hadn’t managed to clean up his act in time to save his marriage. Tahlia had never met him, but she knew his reputation was that of a hard man, one Gina would rather not deal with unless necessary. The fact she’d contacted him to watch her daughter was enough to convince Tahlia she knew the threat was real.

Don’t cry.The whole hotel would know something was wrong if she did.

“What did they want you to do?”

Gina pulled an envelope from her bag. Tahlia took it from her hands with trembling fingers.

Stop it.Falling apart wouldn’t help anyone.

Her fingers were so numb she could barely open the envelope. Tahlia peeked inside, her heart pounding, expecting a note detailing the dire consequences of not returning home to Florida. But it wasn’t a note. It was a picture.

“That’s your young man, isn’t it?” Gina asked as Tahlia stared at the photograph, the blood draining from her face.

Too overcome to speak, she nodded.

It had been taken from the street just across from the hotel. Patrick was standing next to a car in from of the hotel, chatting with one of the valets, presumably while he waited for his car to be brought around.

Tahlia traced his handsome face. It was open and friendly, the same expression he wore every day as he dealt with a staff he considered more like family.

A huge red slash was drawn through his neck. Tahlia crumpled the picture, holding it against her stomach. Words wouldn’t have been as effective.

“I’ll go back to them.”

“No.”

Gina shook her head until her greying ginger curls flew. “Don’t you dare. Not for me and not for him.”

“I can’t stay here anymore.”

They knew about Patrick now. They must know everything to have made a specific threat against him. He wouldn’t be safe until she gave herself up.

---