Page 40 of Jonathan

Jon had sounded worried. She could hear it in his voice when he called. And those had definitely been gunshots she heard. But he had not said anyone had been killed. In fact, he had not said much of anything.

Hissing out a breath, she went to check the lock on the front door again, before setting up her laptop on the table in the kitchen. It did not make much sense, sitting here and worrying about something she could do nothing about. And she was absolutelynot going to think about his declaration of love. This was not the time.

Pouring herself a cup of coffee, she brought it back to the table with her and intent on focusing on her work, she booted up the laptop and started typing.

The outline had been made and printed out so that she would be reminded of the different topics. It was a self-help book geared towards the restaurant industry. Not just the food preparation, but the presentation as well.

Too many time she would step into a restaurant and recognize the bad lighting and the ad hoc seat settings. The attention to detail was as important as the meal itself. When people step into an eatery, especially one that advertised lofty standards, they should get what they were paying for.

Giving a grunt of satisfaction at the pages she had managed to get done, she stretched languidly and realized to her surprise that her cup was empty. First, a trip to the bathroom and then another cup of coffee and perhaps something to eat.

Over the next few hours, she would ask herself how she did not hear him enter the cabin, but the first thing that slammed into her mind was fear, raw and potent and mind numbing, which had her rooted to the spot right inside the doorway of the bathroom.

He was standing a few feet away with a charming smile on his attractive face and there was blood all over his flannel shirt. And he was holding a rifle pointed at her chest.

“Hi there, darlin’ - didn’t anyone tell you that it’s rude to leave a guy in the middle of a dance?”

Her phone was on the table in the kitchen, so there was no way to make a call.

“Brant.” Even though her blood seemed to be frozen, she managed to gather her wits about her. “What’s going on?”

He waved the gun at her and came closer. “I am sure your boyfriend already filled you in on what’s happening at the ranch.I made a lot of mess back there for them to clean up. Oh, and by the way, the name is Michael Goodman, just thought the name Brant sounded cool. What do you think?”

“What do you want?”

He tsked, moving even closer and it took everything inside her to stay where she was.

“I want what any guy wants, sweetheart,” he said with a smirk. “A bit of company, some good conversation, and oh…, your help with a little problem I have.”

She swallowed hard, trying to keep her voice steady. “What problem?”

“Well, you see,” he began casually, as if discussing the weather, “I’ve found myself in a bit of a bind. There are people looking for me, and it’s all because your dear boyfriend decided to meddle in my affairs. Now, I need you to call him and convince him to back off.”

She shook her head, feeling a mix of defiance and terror. “I can’t do that, and he’s not my boyfriend.”

“Oh, but you can,” he countered, eyes narrowing. “And you will. Otherwise, things might get..., messy.” His eyebrows wrangled up and down. “And there’s no need for you to lie. See, I heard the rumors about the two of you tearing up the sheets and from the way he behaved last night, it was clear to everyone that he called dibs.

Oh, and while you were tinkling, I took a peek inside the bedroom. Sheets all tangled up and your panties on the floor.” She sucked in a breath when he reached into his shirt pocket and came out with the black lace she had been wearing last night.

Pressing against the doorway, she watched horrified as he put it to his nose and sniffed. “No wonder he’s all over you. This smells like heaven.” His light blue eyes wandered over her face and settled on her bosom. “I aim to get a taste before this is all over.”

“You will have to kill me first.”

He cackled at that. “It just might come to that. Now,” his expression turned menacing, “as you have probably surmised, I have absolutely nothing to lose. I have already done the deed that’s going to have your man gunning for me.

I need a little insurance and you’re it. But I have a feeling that the first place they will be heading to is here to see if you’re safe and sound. We should get going.”

“I am not going anywhere with you.”

He arched an eyebrow, his smile turning cold. "Oh, but you are," he said, grabbing her arm with a grip like steel. She struggled, but his hold was unyielding. "And if you value your life, you’ll stop resisting."

Her mind raced, searching for a way out, any way to escape the imminent danger. She need to have her wits about her. She had seen the look in his eyes, the evil lurking there and knew he would have no compunction about hurting her. Her one hope of keeping herself alive was to go along for now.

“Okay, fine. Please don’t hurt me.” She would play the damsel in distress for as long as she could and hope to God that Jon or someone came along to rescue her.

“Good choice.” His fingers bit into her flesh as he dragged her along, the gun jammed into her ribs. “No sudden moves. I ‘borrowed’ a vehicle from the garage and hid it under some clumps of bushes a mile away. And I have already staked out and discovered a nifty little cabin tucked in the middle of nowhere.

We will hide out there and wait. I want some much-needed dough, and I have a feeling your boyfriend will pay any price to get you back.” He grinned at her, “how does five million sounds? And a ride out of here in his fancy jet.” His expression hardened.

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