Page 125 of Doyle

She didn’t know who to trust, really. Not after, at zero dark thirty, she’d answered a knock on her door only to find Keon—seriously, Keon—standing in the shadows, holding a gun.

He’d slammed his big hand to her mouth, shoved her back into the room and against the wall, and said, “Don’t scream.”

Yeah, whatever.She still might have if he hadn’t added, “Or Kemar dies.”

So there was that.

Although she hadn’t seen Kemar, even after Keon led her through the compound, his gun to her back. And maybe she’d thought?—

No,definitelyshe’d thought that this might be one of those times when Doyle showed up, the superhero he was with his cape and quick thinking, to save her.

But nope.

Keon had loaded her into his Jeep, strapped her in, and driven her—yep.To Sebold’s resort.Look who’s back.

And when she’d made a break for it the minute Keon pulled up to the outside entrance, he’d tackled her, hauled her up, and told her not to fight him.

Whatever.

He hadn’t hit her, however, when she did exactly that, just grabbed her by the arms and twisted them behind her back and marched her into the compound by dawn’s early light.

She didn’t see Sebold on the way to her new accommodations.

“Why are you doing this?”Her words to Keon as he’d tied her up, then forced her to sit on the floor. She’d shouted at him on his way out the door.

Whoops.Apparently not the right move, because he’d returned holding duct tape, which he’d pasted over her mouth.

She’d wanted to quip something about the hospitality at this place. The words kept replaying in her head. She was probably losing her mind.

Now, her arms ached and her backside hurt. She’d been able to loosen, just a little, the tape from her mouth. Outside, the sun rose and baked the room, the ocean culling the shore.

And all she could think was...

Doyle wouldn’t know what happened to her. He’d think she’d left him, maybe.

Or not.Could be he wouldn’t notice.

“You’re so beautiful, Juliet.”

She might have overreacted to that just a smidgen. Or a lot. Because it had been a long night and he’d been tired, and the names of people we love get stuck in our heads and maybe it had just been a reflex...

“Tia!”

He’d tried to run after her. That much she could admit. Although he hadn’t chased her to her room, hadn’t knocked on her door, so what did that mean?

She’d probably talked herself into the meaning behind that kiss. Because she definitely remembered his words—clearly spoken about her.“I thought, This woman is going to drive me crazy.”

So, yeah,probably he wouldn’t miss her at all.

The door opened, and she looked over. Stilled.

Sebold walked into the room. He wore a pair of jeans, slides, a sleeveless T-shirt, and chewed on a toothpick. He took a straight chair with the wicker back kicked through and set it down near her. Straddled it, leaning on the back. Took out the toothpick and smiled. “You’re back.”

She might have responded, but she had this duct tape, see...

So she tried to communicate with her eyes something that might turn him to a pile of ash.

He grinned, then looked over at the door. “Good job, Keon.”

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