Page 44 of Sensual Nights

Tray came and sat at the table as did Jace. Tray shook his head. "No, we weren't able to find him yet. Last we saw him was today when you got shot."

Erin turned her head to Tray, then said, "Oh." She opened her notebook, then looked him in the eye. "Okay, please tell me everything that happened."

25

Carley's mouth was dry. She tried moving her tongue around her mouth, but it felt like she'd swallowed a bag of sand. Dry and gritty and her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth.

She opened her eyes; it took a few blinks to moisten them enough to open them. Once she'd managed it, all that met her was darkness. The room was dark. She couldn't see anything. There didn't seem to be a window or a sliver of light anywhere.

Her head felt like someone was hammering a nail into it. More than a dull pain, the back of her head throbbed.

She took slow, steady breaths. She needed to figure out where she was. She raised her right hand to rub her forehead, but it was stuck...She tugged to loosen it, but it was held tight. Tugging again, the binding bit into her skin, and she stopped. She tried to move her left arm, but it was also fastened, but to something around her waist. She tugged a few times. It was tightly fastened to a belt or something. Opening her fingers, she felt the device around her waist. About three inches wide, and it felt like material. A strap of some sort. Obviously, with rings orclips on it to secure her hands. The dread began filling her mind, and her breathing increased.

She moved her feet; they weren't tied. She was lying on a bed or a cot or something. She remembered the cloth covering her head, the prick in her neck, and her stomach twisted. Her heartbeat increased, and the horrible scenarios began playing in her mind. Where was she? Who took her? Why? Would she get out of here alive? She felt the tears sting her eyes. She closed them tightly, at least there was moisture in them now.

She listened for sounds. A radio, a television. Anything. It was eerily quiet wherever she was. She inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. Then she heard a sound. She froze and listened intently.

Footsteps.

Slowly coming toward her.

She held her breath until they stopped. The sound of a key scraping into a lock, then the click of it unlocking. She counted her breathing to keep it even. All the safety videos she'd watched over the years always said the same thing. Try to stay calm and think clearly.

The door opened and a sliver of light illuminated the room for a brief moment. She saw a chair and table near the door. The person neared her slowly, the footsteps were heavy and measured.

"You have something that belongs to me. I want it back."

She let out a breath. This again. This guy was a pain in the ass. She took a deep breath. "I gave it to the police."

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying."

Her heartbeat increased, and she could feel panic rising in her stomach. She took a slow, measured breath and let it out slowly. She swallowed or tried to, but her mouth was still so dry.

"When?"

"Ah." She stopped and searched her mind. It was still slightly disoriented. When was that? "Two days ago. I think."

"Bullshit." The footsteps moved away then turned and came back. A chair scraped across the floor, at least it sounded like a chair. Then the squeak as he sat in it.

"Now, let's try this again. When did you give it to the police?"

She tried calming herself. Stay calm. Think. "I think about two days ago. I don't know. I gave it to my brother-in-law. He took it to the police."

Another squeak of the chair and she waited. Steady breaths. Stay calm. You can do this.

"Who's your brother-in-law?"

The pounding in her head increased. She tried swallowing again.

His voice deepened. "I'm waiting..."

She didn't want to give Jace up. She didn't want them in trouble. She didn't want her sister to be taken too. Her heartbeat increased and she felt the sweat between her breasts. She shouldn't have said as much as she did. She'd never make a good spy.

He leaned in closer. "Let me take a guess. I did some checking on you and found out you recently bought Price Realty from your sister, Margo Price...Marriott. How is that for some investigative work? So, I'm going to take a stab at this and say Jace Marriott has what belongs to me."

"He doesn't. He took it to the police."

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