Page 40 of Mysterious

“Your daughter walked around in utter terror after every one of those letters. How could you do that to her? You have no idea what it feels like to think someone is lurking around every corner, stalking you and you have no way to stop them.”

Again, she waves away my concern for Mia. “She was never in any real danger. My daughter’s a survivor. I knew she’d be able to take it.”

And then one last mystery solves itself as I stand there in disbelief in front of her. “It was Michael who shot me, wasn’t it?”

That makes Andrea uncomfortable, and she moves away from me toward the door as she stammers, “Tha-that was a mistake, and I am truly sorry about that. I never told him to shoot you or Mia. He was just supposed to follow you two that night.”

“How? How did he follow us? We were in your car,” I ask, stunned at what she’s just admitted on top of everything else.

“All the vehicles at the estate are tracked. I had to do that once Mia got her license. If I didn’t, then she might take off and I’d never be able to find her.”

Taking a step back, I shake my head at how evil this woman is. “You fucking LoJacked your own car and never told Mia. Jesus Christ, Andrea.”

“Stop acting like it isn’t done all the time. It’s perfectly normal, especially when you’re dealing with someone like Mia.”

“Someone like Mia? You talk about her like she’s a pet who might get away or like she’s a performer in a circus you have to keep in line. Your little friend Michael shot me and could have hit her that night with that bullet. Did that ever occur to you when you sent him out to follow us?”

“He got out of hand. I’m afraid he got a little jealous when he saw you with her. But you’re obviously all right.”

I point at my right arm and explode, “He fucking shot me! What makes you think that jealousy of his won’t rear its ugly head and make him shoot her? Tell me where she is, Andrea. I need to get her away from him right now!”

She moves to run out of the room, but I grab her by the arm and yank her back, throwing her onto the bed and her new clothes. Staring up at me in utter terror, she sobs out the address where Mia’s being held. It instantly imprints on my brain, and I run out of there to get Drew and Jack.

Just give me a little time, baby. I’m coming for you. I promise.

CHAPTERNINETEEN

Mia

Something’s happened.I don’t know what, but something’s changed with Michael. In the past hour, he’s started acting strange, like all the cockiness he was giving me before has disappeared for some reason.

Instead of sitting in that chair across from me and smirking like he’s the king of the world, now he’s pacing back and forth in front of me and looking nervous. Worse, he’s waving his gun around like he’s expecting to have to use it on someone soon.

Using a much softer voice than before, I say to him as he walks over near a wall of boxes, “Michael, whatever happened here, this doesn’t have to end badly. I don’t know why you did this, but we’re friends. We have been for years. I can help you put an end to whatever you’re doing here so neither one of us gets hurt.”

He merely shakes his head but says nothing to me. Worry looks like it’s been etched deep into the lines in his face, especially around his mouth. Instead of smiling like before, now he frowns and mumbles something about people not being able to be trusted.

“I know how that can be,” I say, seizing upon his aggravation with people in this world who say one thing and do another. “Sometimes you feel like you can’t believe a thing people say, right? I feel that way too, Michael. It’s okay.”

Some part of that upsets him, and he whirls around with his gun in his hand and waves it angrily in front of my face. “It’s not fucking okay! I did everything she ever wanted. Every fucking thing! It didn’t matter how ugly it made me feel. I did it because she said that was the only way I’d get what I want. Well, this ain’t what I ever wanted. That’s for sure.”

Confused, I try to think of something supportive to calm him down and make him see I’m not the enemy here. Whoever is screwing him over is. I don’t know why he keeps saying she. Maybe he’s getting me mixed up with whoever his partner is.

“I know you did, Michael. You were a good friend to me. You really were. I’m sorry you got fired for helping me run away to that hotel. That wasn’t right. I never wanted you to lose your job over that.”

He stops in front of me and stares down into my eyes, making me think I’m getting through to him. So I keep talking, hoping he’ll untie these ropes and let me leave this place.

“I’m sorry about a lot of things. You deserved better than to be let go like that. I can talk to my mother when I see her and we can figure out some way to fix this. You just have to let me go, Michael.”

Shaking his head slowly, he finally says, “You have no idea about anyone around you. Do you realize that? You think I’m angry about getting fired. Andrea never fired me. If you weren’t so stupid, you’d check the payroll when someone gets fired to make sure they don’t keep getting paid. The only thing that happened was my job location was transferred from the estate to my apartment.”

Now it’s my turn to shake my head. What is he talking about?

“I don’t understand. My mother fired you. She did that without even asking me, but she did it and brought in a new head of security. What are you saying? That you’re still getting paid? For what?”

In a flash, he looks like the man who taunted me for hours earlier today. Smiling broadly, he laughs and sits down in that chair of his across from me. He holds the gun over his head and sighs heavily.

“No wonder she thought you were so easy to manipulate. You really are. You’re so busy being lost in your life and your music that you don’t pay attention to a damn thing. Andrea has kept paying me because she had things for me to do. Things only I could do because I’m the one who’s been with her for all this time doing her dirty work.”

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