Page 85 of Baited

She dropped Hanna’s hand and dug her fingernails into her palms. She advanced on him.

“Riley, no,” Hanna cried.

Michael held his hand up, and her feet slowed to a stop. Her hands shook with unspent rage. “It’s only fair for me to warn you, that if either of you act out your friend will suffer the repercussions.” His finger waved in the air back and forth between her and Hanna.

A lump lodged in her throat. The air in her lungs expelled through her nose. Goddamn him.

Michael’s eyes twinkled. “Ah, now I found your weak spot. This should be fun.” He smiled and backed toward the door, careful not to turn his back to her. “I need to go dispose of your car.” He dangled Riley’s keys in the air. “Play nice you two.”

The door closed and the dead bolt clicked into place. Riley threw herself at the door, her punches sank into the cushionymattress. A scream tore from her throat. She dropped her head against the padded door and closed her eyes. He’d taken her damn car keys from her pocket. If only she had remained conscious, she could have hidden them and used them as a weapon.

She had to stay strong. She couldn’t crack now. He could get rid of her car, he could take every piece of clothing in her house, but there was no way he’d fool Ethan.

She straightened away from the door and swallowed. At least now, she had some time. They were getting the hell out of here.

***

He pulled thecar down a gravel road leading to the beach. Ideally, he would have taken it somewhere else and disposed of it. But he hadn’t thought this one out. Hanna had been much easier, because no one had been suspicious.

With Riley sniffing around town over the past month, not letting Hanna’s disappearance fade away, he’d had to improvise. And he didn’t like it one bit. He scanned the area, but the tall grass on either side of the gravel road stretched above the hood of the car. He got out, shoved the keys in his pocket, tucked his wide brimmed hat low, and strode out to the street. At least this would buy him some time. Until her car was found, it would be assumed she had gone somewhere.

Taking her car to the middle of nowhere where it wouldn’t be found couldn’t happen. Not when she’d been expected at work and people might be concerned and looking for her. He didn’t trust anyone in this shithole of a town to pick him up anywhere. And really, that would be damn suspicious. The town’s dentist stranded with no vehicle. Even a damn cab company would talk.

Sweat rolled over his cheek and he dashed it away. He needed to pick up more chains from the hardware store, but hecouldn’t go to the one in town. With Hanna, he’d been prepared and had had them ready. He’d have to take a drive and get them tomorrow.

He kept to the side streets as best he could. By now, Ethan would be looking for her and would soon check his house. He picked up his pace. He couldn’t miss that opportunity. In a normal situation, he’d stop somewhere, let half the town see his face so he would have an alibi when they questioned him. With the three small scratches under his eye from Riley’s damn fingernails, he couldn’t do that. He’d covered his cheek with a small piece of gauze and ointment, but it looked suspicious as hell.

She’d pay for that.

Better yet, Hanna would.

A tremor of delight moved over him. He shoved his hands in his pocket and strode through the bustling streets. The summer months always brought an influx of tourists, which meant delicious young bodies squeezed into itty-bitty swimsuits.

A young woman sat on a bench, her head tilted back on a laugh. Her skin was dark against the fluorescent strapless bikini top and shorts. He forced his gaze to the sidewalk and tucked his chin. He had Hanna and Riley, a third would be too many at once. The young woman lifted her sunglasses from her eyes. Her brow furrowed at him. She leaned toward her friend next to her and whispered something.

Heat crept up the back of his neck as he looked behind him. A young, shirtless man strode toward the women.

His shoulders relaxed. He never got paranoid. Paranoia could screw him—everything—up. His footsteps quickened as he turned down the sidewalk to his street. In the busy main streets, he’d blended in with the crowd. On his quiet street, everyone knew who he was. As he got closer, his eyes narrowed. A big, black sedan sat at the curb in front of his house.

Two tall figures stormed down Riley’s front steps and toward Ethan’s house.

Yes, yes, yes.

This was his chance. He’d wait for them to enter the property, and then place the call. He’d covered all of his bases. If Ethan had entered while he was disposing of the car, all Ethan would have to do is turn on the light switch and the house would go up in flames. But on the off chance he went to the blinds first, Michael would call the landline. With the amount of gas lingering in the house now, just the connection of an incoming call would create enough of a spark to cause an explosion.

And the best part was, it’d look like a total freak accident.

Ethan and Nate let themselves inside and Michael’s lips curved into a smile. It was too bad he couldn’t record the explosion for Riley. Would it be loud enough for her to hear in the padded room?

He pulled the encrypted phone from his pocket and typed in the property’s landline number he’d already memorized. He placed the device to his ear and continued down the sidewalk as casually as if he’d left the beach. A flutter of movement snapped his gaze up. Ethan careened backward down the steps, his blond friend landing on the ground beside him. Michael’s stomach pitched.

The line connected and rang in his ear.

Boom!

No!

Sweat leaked from his armpits and down his sides. His jaw quivered and his footsteps halted. No, it couldn’t be. They’d gotten out. How? He couldn’t let them see him yet. Not until he gathered his bearings and came up with another plan. He darted down the alleyway and skirted behind his and Riley’s house, entering in the backyard. He dropped onto the step and lowered his head to his hands, sucking in deep, ragged breaths of air.Heat and smoke radiated across the backyard, crowding out his focus.

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