Page 113 of Scandalous Secrets

“Hello, Troy,” she answered in a voice that sent a shiver down my spine.

“Veronica. What the hell? Where is Monica?”

“Oh, she’s right here,” she said with a snide satisfaction, as if she were a cat pawing at a toy.

“Put her on. Right now.”

“Oh, I don’t think so.”

“Damn it, Veronica. Put her on the phone.”

“If I can’t have you, then no one can…” Her voice was cold and breathy, and it stopped me dead in my tracks.

Then there was the click that ended the call. I looked down at my phone, realizing my hand was shaking. I tried dialing Monica, but it went straight to voicemail.

“Shit,” I yelled, causing the rest of the office to look up curiously. I didn’t care.

I ran down the rest of the hall to my office. Hurriedly, I sat down at my desk and called the police. I quickly filled them in on everything that had been happening with Veronica, and that she was possibly dangerous. I told them how she had taken Monica somewhere, and that it probably wasn’t willingly. It didn’t sound like they were taking me seriously, so I dropped my name, and that got their attention. Once they assured me they would do everything they could to help, I hung up and tried to think of my next move.

I sat at my desk helplessly, going over all the places that Veronica might be taking Monica, but couldn’t come up with anything significant. Then a thought struck me. I turned on my computer, tapping my foot impatiently as the welcome screen slowly appeared on the screen. Once I was logged on, I immediately opened the Find my iPhone feature to track Monica’s phone. It was a feature I had all my personal assistants utilize, even though I had never used it until now. I sucked in a breath as I spotted the little blip on the screen moving down the interstate.

Where the hell were they going? I had no idea what Veronica’s plan was, but I knew it couldn’t be good. Also, I knew I couldn’t stay here and do nothing. I connected the tracking device to my phone before running out of my office. I hoped I could get to her in time. What I needed to be in time for, I didn’t know, but with how Veronica had been acting lately, it couldn’t be good.

Chapter 49

Monica

As we rode in silence down the elevator, I kept looking at Veronica, who stood in the corner, staring at the black, shiny floor. She was biting her cuticles until they were ragged. She must have been just as worried as me because she looked a mess. Her coat tried its best to cover her wrinkled white, baggy t-shirt that hung over her faded pair of jeans. I had so many questions to ask her about Troy. What happened? What was his condition? Where was he?

I was about to open my mouth to ask the questions that were pounding in my head, but the elevators dinged and the doors opened to the lobby. She quickly stepped out and gestured for me to follow her. Theclick-clackof her heels, the only thing put together about her, echoed as we walked. I could hardly keep up.

“Miss Mews,” called the receptionist from behind the large slab of marble that was her desk, looking at us with a trace of concern.

Veronica either didn’t hear her or ignored her and kept walking. I noticed the security guard at the door shifting his feet unsurely as he eyed us approaching.

“Miss Mews,” called the receptionist again, more urgently.

I gently grabbed Veronica’s arm and turned her toward me. She whipped around so quickly that it took me off guard, and the look in her eyes was off-putting. I stumbled backward slightly.

“What?” she snapped at me impatiently.

I nodded toward the receptionist, who was rounding her desk and walking toward us with caution behind each step.

“You know you’re not supposed to be here,” said the receptionist warily.

“Like hell I’m not!” shouted Veronica.

“Mr. Gunner made it explicitly clear that you were no longer allowed in the building.” The receptionist put her hands up in defense, as if to say she was only the messenger.

I looked from the receptionist to Veronica, chewing the inside of my cheek nervously. I knew that Troy had banned Veronica from his apartment building after everything she had pulled, but I didn’t realize he had put the same orders in here. It made sense, but right now, I couldn’t afford for Veronica to be carried away by security when I had no answers about Troy.

Veronica’s face construed into something vicious, but before she could speak the nasty words that were surely on the tip of her tongue, I stepped between the two women.

“It won’t happen again,” I assured the receptionist.

She looked from me to Veronica, her face unsure, and eventually nodded. She looked at the doors in a silent plea for us to leave. I led Veronica toward the large glass doors and pushed our way through to the fresh air outside. If I didn’t feel like I was suffocating, the fresh air might have felt good on my lungs, but they still felt like they were being squeezed tightly by a fist.

Veronica looked up and down the street, running her hand through her hair that looked like it hadn’t been brushed in days. I gently placed my hand on her forearm.

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