Page 67 of Diagnosis Attraction

As that thought flickered through Matt’s mind, the front door opened.

Another guest?

It was apparently someone so sure of his welcome here that he didn’t need to ring the bell or knock. The footsteps in the hall gave him a bad feeling.

Matt turned to see a tall, broad-shouldered man who appeared to be in his late forties stride into the room with the confidence of someone who knew no one would challenge him.

He stopped short when he saw Elizabeth, and a smile spread across his face.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“So good of you to show up here,” Derek Lang said as he and the man beside him drew handguns. The other man pointed his weapon at Matt. Lang covered Elizabeth.

Elizabeth went cold all over. This was the thug she’d been running from for over a week, and she’d just put herself into his clutches.

Above the buzzing in her brain, she heard Matt switch his attention to Lang.

It’s all right. Everything’s okay. We’re not doing any harm. We’re going to walk out of here with these girls. And you’re glad to see them go. None of them was working out, anyway.

Elizabeth knew she should add her power to Matt’s mental assault, but for long moments, she simply couldn’t manage it. It was all she could do to lock her knees and keep standing there in front of the man who had been trying over and over to kill her.

And apparently, Matt’s mental suggestion wasn’t affecting Lang.

Help me,he shouted in her mind.

She pulled herself together and added her strength to Matt’s, but Lang’s will must be strong. He acted like he hadn’t heard the powerful suggestions they were now both aiming at him, andshe realized that they should have simply zapped him instead of trying to convince him of something so against his best interests.

But it was already too late. He slammed Elizabeth against the wall, making her head ring as he fixed her with a murderous look. “You’re going to be sorry that you ever got involved in my business.”

He kept his hand on Elizabeth as he turned to the tough-looking man beside him. “Southwell, lock them in the basement.”

He stopped and thought about the order. “No, wait. There’s something strange about these two. They keep getting away, and I can’t explain why. I want them separated. Leave Ms. Forester with me up here and put Dr. Delano in the basement.”

Elizabeth was still trying to clear her head, and she understood why Matt hadn’t zapped Lang. The man was holding on to her, and if Matt hit him, he’d hit her, too.

Southwell flicked the gun at Matt. “Come on, let’s go.”

Elizabeth wanted to scream, but she wouldn’t show Lang that she was terrified. She watched the minion hustle Matt out of her sight.

It’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay.Matt sent her the reassurance over and over, but she didn’t believe it. How could they possibly get out of this?

When Southwell and Matt were out of sight, Lang looked toward Mrs. Vivian, who was watching the scene wide-eyed.

“How did that guy get in here?”

“He said he was a friend of Harry.”

“Harry who?”

“I … don’t know.”

Lang snorted. “We’ll discuss that later. I want the girls upstairs out of the way. Elizabeth will stay here with me, he said, tightening his hand on her arm. “Bring me some rope.”

“Yes, sir.” Mrs. Vivian turned to the women. “You heard Mr. Lang. Go upstairs to your dormitory.”

She followed the young women out of the room, leaving Elizabeth alone with Lang. He looked pleased with himself as he kept the gun on her and inclined his head toward a straight chair near the wall. “Sit down there.”

With no other choice, Elizabeth sat, struggling to calm the pounding of her heart. She’d understood that sneaking into The Mansion was dangerous, but in a million years, she hadn’t anticipated that Lang would show up.

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