Page 115 of Absinthe Minded

The lock opened with an audible click.

One hand free, the cuffs dangled from my other wrist. No sense in wasting time picking the other side. Plus, if they stopped, I could slip my free hand into the loose cuff to make it look like I was still bound.

I felt along the trunk door near the lock, where the safety latch should have been. I found the release wire and wedged my bracelet between the wire and the metal. Turning my wrist side to side, I wrangled the wire loose.

The trunk door presented another problem. The kidnappers would see if it flew open.

I ran my fingers over the latch in search of a groove or hole to hold onto when I pulled the release cord. I found a hole large enough to push the end of the open handcuff into. Yanking to test the hold, I grabbed the wire with my free hand.

Keeping the tension on the handcuff and the trunk door, I yanked down on the cord and flexed my other arm at the same time. The latched released, but thankfully, the door only opened an inch.

It worked!

I pushed on the metal above my head. The trunk opened enough for me to taste freedom. Unfortunately, we were traveling at a good speed, too fast for me to jump.

* * *

Gabe

I rounded the corner into my parents’ living room and stopped dead in my tracks. Chantal fucking DuBois stood next to the fireplace with Shanna.

“Where the hell is she?” I had the woman a foot off the ground and pinned to the wall before I’d realized I’d moved.

“Stop it. She doesn’t know anything.” Shanna tugged my arm, but no way in hell would I let Chantal go before I got some answers.

“Why are you here?” I shook her hard enough that her head thudded against the wall.

“To talk to you.”

I knew better than to trust her tears. I’d seen them before. They meant shit. “Talk.”

Shanna sighed. “Gabe, put her down.”

I released her but refused to step back.Fuck her personal space.

Chantal straightened her shirt. “I swear, I don’t know what happened to Maggie.”

“This is the second time your name’s come up when someone I love is in trouble.”

She turned her head and nodded.

“If you didn’t have anything to do with this, why have you been following Maggie?” I studied her reactions for any hint she was lying. A waste of time, but it gave me something to do that wouldn’t land me in jail for assault and battery.

“I went a little nuts when I saw the engagement announcement—”

“No fucking kidding.” I balled my hands. “You threatened her.”

“I know and I’m sorry.” She drew a deep breath. “I was okay leaving Gabriella with you. You’re rich with a huge family. I knew she would be loved, but I didn’t know anything about Maggie.”

What the hell is she talking about?“Don’t tell me you actually care aboutElla.”

Chantal hung her head. “I can see why you’d think that, but I carried her inside my body for nine months. I tried to love her when she was born, but all I could see was you in her.”

I stepped back to keep my balance. I knew she’d played me the entire time we’d dated, but I had no idea how much she hated me. “Did you get pregnant on purpose?”

“Yes, because I saw a child as a way to get back what your family stole from me.” Her bluntness surprised me.

“Tell him why you followed Maggie.” Shanna stepped closer to me.

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