Page 43 of Hidden Dane
She swallowed—Ted had no problem shooting people. What did he want with her? The ship docked.
If they were on land, she’d have more opportunity to run. She stilled as Ted came in and leaned against the small bar in the room as he showed her the ceremonial star and badge he’d taken from Dane.
Dane never should have locked her in—he’d made her a sitting duck for Ted’s henchmen. She’d find her freedom and they could discuss it later.
Her mind instantly whipped to Ted as he tapped the bar and said, “Miss Mira. I’ll need the necklace you possess. This time the real one and not the fake you that you pawned off in the crypt.”
“Boss, the French authorities have our identities, and photographs,” Alexandre said.
Hopefully she’d planted seeds of doubt in Alexandre. Michael always said confusion was a weapon to wield against an enemy. Adrenaline made her hyperaware of her jewelry hidden in her bra pocket. “My necklace? That’s on the ship, with D…Uriel.”
His gaze narrowed, and he walked toward her with his hand out. “You’re lying.”
Her face heated. Darn. Evasion was easier. Her words came fast as she shook her head. “I’m not good at lying. You kidnapped me when I was taking a nap.”
Ted snapped his fingers and she winced, remembering when he’d shot her friends. “My men searched the room, and it wasn’t there, which means you have it somewhere. Alexandre will find the real necklace on you.”
Alexandre ran his hand down her sides, including her breasts, as she struggled. “Let me go.”
Ted laughed at her but didn’t stop Alexandre. “Let me be clear; Alexandre is upset that you drugged him and wants to rape you as punishment.”
Her heart froze. No, no, no. She needed to escape. They were docked. She needed to distract and dash, as Michael would have instructed. Her brother-in-law always said that the mind was the best weapon. She made eye contact with Alexandre. “I thought you loved your wife and wanted to go home and have breakfast with her.”
Hopefully she’d painted the right mental picture because Alexandre paused and dropped his hand from her hip.
“The only way this doesn’t happen is if you hand over the necklace and earrings,” Ted said.
The jewelry was all she’d ever have of Dane in the end. He wouldn’t stay. He hadn’t stayed before and wouldn’t now. She shook her head and said, “I don’t-”
“Alexandre.” Ted snapped and Alexandre ripped at her shirt.
She pressed her elbows to his hands to knock him off her as she leaned back in the chair. It moved an inch on the wooden planks. She eyed the door behind both men. Could she make it past them, with a distraction?
“Wait. Okay. You can have your necklace.” She reached into her bra and removed the jewelry, flashing it in front of her. “Now you can let me out of here and no one gets hurt. It’s not me, Alexandre, keeping you from your wife.”
Emily slowly scooted her chair closer to the exit. Ted asked, “What do you mean?”
She held the necklace next to her still, thinking of her sister, and Michael. Surely Dane would have called him, right? Okay, the two men hadn’t talked in ten years, but they’d both want to rescue her. Adrenaline raced through her as she said, “My family will do whatever it takes to get me back.”
Ted reached for the necklace. “Is that supposed to mean anything?”
No. She glanced at Alexandre, a Frenchman with a hook for a nose, whose face grew darker as he listened to something on his radio. Hopefully she’d caused friction—Ted walked around her and the hair on her body stood on its ends. She clutched her necklace as she said, “You had to trick Uriel to get to him, but he and his friends are smarter than you give them credit for. He’ll find me.”
Ted pried the necklace from her fingers and she had to let go, or risk breaking it. He pocketed her jewelry. “But will your hero be in time to save you? That’s the question you can’t answer.”
The dock was only ten feet away. If she was free of restraints, she imagined how she’d run to her freedom and get help. Alexandre had returned to monitoring what was probably the police lines, but she scooted her chair backward another inch and said, “If I’m harmed, he will murder you both in your sleep. Revenge is a family trait and you don’t want to be on the end of that cat and mouse game that runs in Uriel’s veins.”
“I sleep with a gun,” Alexandre said with a growl—from nowhere, he tightened his hold against my shoulders, sending pain shooting through her.
Using her body weight, she bounced in her chair, and the chair leg landed on his toe. He let her go. She said, “That will make it easier for him then—he won’t have to bring his own.”
Ted grinned at Alexandre. “At least she’s good for a laugh.”
Something rocked the boat. Alexandre pressed his lips together as he listened to whatever the police broadcasted into his ears.
Ted knelt in front of her as he asked, “What’s going on?”
She scooted toward the gangway like she might escape, but Ted knocked her chair backward and by extension her too until he reached down and held her neck, tight. She struggled and wished her she’d been cut free, but then she heard Dane’s voice as footsteps echoed on the deck. “Give up, Ted. Let Emily walk away from this.”
