Page 104 of Between Now and Always

“We needed something besides that case file. I knew you’d pay a ransom. We’ll get you that money back, I swear. But I couldn’t jeopardize the case.”

“So, why didn’t you tellmewho you were?” Phil asks.

“I knew you loved your sister. I just didn’t trust your motives.”

“Mymotives? What could they have been?” Phil snaps.

“I don’t know. You’re like a phantom. There is very little background on you. You showed up out of nowhere. We weren’t taking chances that you’d talk to Wolfe.”

“Damn.” Phil shakes his head.

She looks askance at us.

“Why are you two here? At Duke’s, I mean? ”

“We thought Beth would be here.” Phil tells her glumly.

Her face pinches in confusion. “Why would Beth be here? ”

We tell her about the texts and all the color drains from her face.

“Oh no.” She stands up.

“What?”

“Fiona isn’t avictim. She’s working with Duke. They’re planning on getting rid of Drew Wolfe and his mother and taking everything for themselves once they get the money from Beth. It was her damn idea. She planned it all. From Duke seducing Elisabeth Wolfe in the hopes that she’d get pregnant. When that didn’t work, they decided to get rid of James. He was standing between them and you. All of that was her.”

“Why didn’t you say that first?” I stand, headed for the door, not sure where I’m going. Phil is hot on my heels.

“I didn’t know she was here. We were waiting on this final piece of evidence, and Dina found it today. She called me this morning and said she was afraid they knew about her. She told me to meet her here, but I got here and no one is here. But if Beth is with Fiona, she’s in trouble,” Serena says.

“We need to get to my grandmother’s house. If Cameron is there, and she’s the lure, then that’s where Beth would be, too.”

We head for Phil’s car.

“We’ll take my car and I’ll radio for backup. I hope we’re…” she trails off when she sees the expression on my face, but I already know what she was going to say.

We’re all hoping the same thing - that we’re not too late.

That’s Your Plan?

BETH

My head is pounding, and my mouth tastes like someone shoved rancid cotton into it. I blink a few times, gripped by panic when my vision doesn’t clear. Then, I register weight of the fabric resting on my shoulders.

Horror curls around my insides, squeezing them to the point of pain. My pulse kicks into over drive and I close my eyes and force my mind to still so that I can think.

But I can’t, and sucking in air, only draws the fabric into my mouth.

I try to remember…the last thing I saw before this.

Memories flicker like a malfunctioning tv set, but then start to coalesce and clear. I’d been in my hotel room. Fiona was there, I was rummaging in my suitcase for something. We were talking, and then, I felt a sting in my neck. I remember slapping my hand over the spot and turning around to face her and seeing six of her instead of one.

That’s the last thing I remember before waking up here.

That fucking cunt.

But…why?

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