Page 126 of Implode

“Do you still have power? I am trying to access the cameras. Everything is offline.”

“He cut it. Emergency lights are on but backup power supply on all cameras is gone. I am stuck in the elevator. He had to be planning this for weeks.”

“I’m turning the plane around.”

I want to say I am sorry for ruining their honeymoon before it even really started, but I know that Claire’s life trumps any trip. I would easily do the same if the roles were reversed.

“I love her, Graham.”

“I know, Nic. Police are on their way. Keep your head on straight. Come out of this alive so you have a story to tell your grandkids.”

I swallow hard. Claire is carrying my child. While the test results won’t be back for days, in my heart that baby is mine.

“She’s pregnant, Graham.”

“What? Whoa. Angie know?”

“Yeah, but Ethan could be the father. We just took the test this morning to find out and are waiting for the results.” And to think, we thought that Ethan and Deena were the biggest threat in our lives, when all this time an even greater danger was waiting for us to let our guards down.

The warning message of low battery pops up on my screen. It is like I am in the middle of my worst nightmare, living minute by minute. My phone buzzes, and I glance at the screen to see Dan is calling.

“Got to go. Dan is calling. Please get ahold of everyone you can and tell them Tyler is also missing,” I say to Graham, as I click accept for the other line.

I can hear Claire’s sobs in the background as Dan shouts out demands for her to move or to stop dragging her feet.

I hate myself for not seeing this sooner. For not putting the clues together that would make me realize he was out for revenge—and now out to steal the love of my life. As plain as day, my focus changes to not caring as much about my own life and worrying with all my energy about Claire’s life.

“What do you want?” I scream, feeling helpless.

“All my life,” he explains, “I’ve had to work to get to the top. Here you come along with the last name of Hoffman and just get everything handed to you. Didn’t even have to work for it. I mean, it helps that your brother is the CEO here and gave you the job I’ve been working toward. You ruined everything. I had everything I ever wanted within a fingertip’s reach and you snatched it all away with your heavy-handedness to exert your power wherever the wind blew you. Well, this is the perfect revenge.”

“Why take Claire down with you? How does she fit into this?”

“If I can’t get the job, at least I can get the girl. Nothing like fighting for the one you love, right? Makes this whole mess more fulfilling when I take the one thing you love more than your job title away from you. She would have fallen in love with me if you weren’t around.”

“Bullshit.”

“She’s the perfect hostage and leverage against you.”

“Lust is not the same as love. We are just fuck buddies.” I try to keep my voice from having any emotion. Maybe if I can convince Dan that Claire doesn’t mean to me what he thinks she means, he will let her go and find someone of more value.

“Says the man who has a video stash of recordings of this sweet brunette girl that is going to be mine soon. Nice try. It didn’t take me long to see what she means to you. When I discovered your lovely ex-fiancée still had a thing for you, I hatched a plan to fly her here, secretly get her through security, and show up in your office. Granted, she did it for the money I shelled out. She didn’t know the extent of my plan or that I was the person orchestrating it all. Not sure it would have changed anything, though. That girl is hungry for cash.”

“You are sick.”

“And it still didn’t work to push Claire away from you. I really thought you would have resorted back to your old bad habits and freed up Claire to be with me. I think I would have found happiness with just that too. This is your fault. You did this.”

“So you are butt sore over Claire not wanting you?”

“Yet. She still has a lifetime to fall in love with me. And she will. But let’s not get off topic. It’s story time after all. Where was I? Oh yes…getting those two bitches on the same plane back to Virginia was the work of the universe. But forcing them to sit beside each other was my version of sweet torment. So, don’t give me this garbage that Claire doesn’t mean anything to you. Because I know she meanseverythingto you. She is your one and only weakness. And I’m getting hard just thinking about what the future holds for us. She is a very passionate woman.”

“You fucker!”

Dan lets out an unhinged laugh. “Oh, and congrats on the baby. If it’s a boy, we are naming him Danny.” I can hear a rustle and then the sound of smacking flesh. “I said to shut up!”

I cringe over the thought of him hitting my girl. Her sniffling sounds filter through the receiver and it propels me—

SCREECH!

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