Page 45 of Dangerous Secret

“You both can go to hell.” Anger was taking over her good sense. She knew better than to talk to him like that.

He pushed his body hard against hers, pinning her to the wall. “You have one week, Harlow. In seven days, if you aren’t back, I’ll drag you there myself.” He slammed his mouth over hers.

Bile rose in her throat when he forced his tongue into her mouth. When she gagged, he laughed, enjoying her reaction. He bit her bottom lip hard, and she tasted blood. “Stop it.” She put her hands on his chest and tried to push him away.

“We’re just getting started, doll. I was going to wait until you came home to take what’s mine, but what the hell. Why wait?” He glanced around, his gaze stopping on the hallway. “Let’s take this to the bedroom.”

She dug her feet into the floor and screamed, praying that a neighbor would hear and call the police. Einstein raced out from under the sofa where he’d been hiding, howling in a way she’d never heard from him before. He jumped on Anthony’s leg and dug his claws in.

Anthony yelped and let go of her, and she raced toward the door. She glanced over her shoulder to see Anthony pull Einstein off him and throw him against the wall. She almost went back to get him, but he got his feet under him and took off for the bedroom.

Okay. Okay.Einstein was safe and she needed to get the hell out of here because Anthony was stalking toward herwith murder in his eyes. Her hand was on the doorknob when she was jerked back by her ponytail.

“Bitch,” he snarled. “You’re lucky I don’t kill you right now.”

She clawed at his hand as she screamed again.Please, God, let someone hear me.As if her prayer was answered, someone banged on the door.

Anthony slapped his hand over her mouth. “One word, and I’ll break your neck.”

The knocking came again. “Harlow? Hey, it’s your neighbor. I heard you scream. Are you okay?”

Her relief that someone had heard her was so great that her legs buckled. Anthony let go of her hair, and with her body shaking, she folded up on herself right there on the floor.

“One word, Harlow. Just one word from you and you’ll never see Tyler again. I’ll make sure of it.” He walked past her, opened the door. “Everything is fine here.”

Liar!She lifted her gaze to her neighbor, intending to tell him the truth, but the man staring back at her, giving a slight shake of his head, wasn’t her neighbor or the police. He was Grayson’s friend Cooper.

Chapter 21

“What’s that smile for?”

Grayson glanced at Cooper. “Was I smiling?” He probably was since he’d been thinking of Harlow. Had she found his note yet? He hadn’t wanted to leave her this morning, but this trip to talk to Veronica’s mother was important.

“Have you made contact with Pressley’s driver?” he asked to change the subject. He wasn’t ready to share where he’d spent the night.

“He plays racquetball a few mornings a week at the club. I’m going in the morning and try to get a game with him. Start feeling him out.” Cooper turned the Jag onto Mrs. Osorio’s street. “You sure about this plan?”

“It’s the best one I can come up with to get close to Pressley. It depends on the driver.” He was working on a plan B should Pressley’s driver have scruples. They came to a stop, and Grayson opened the door. “Let’s see what the lady has to say.”

Madeline Osorio was an attractive woman, and even at nine in the morning and not expecting visitors, she was dressed as if she’d expected company. Grayson estimated her to be in her early fifties, and even though it didn’t appear that she had a lot of money based on the sparse furnishings in her small apartment, she was stylishly dressedin a blue silk blouse and black pants. Her brown hair with blond highlights was cut short, and her makeup was flawless.

When she’d answered their knock at the door, as soon as they explained that they were looking into the disappearance of her daughter on behalf of a client, she’d invited them in. She seemed to welcome their company even though they were strangers, and she’d insisted on serving them coffee.

Although Mrs. Osorio had reported Veronica missing, she had never been found. Even though Grayson assumed Veronica had been killed and dumped in the ocean based on what Harlow had overheard and what she’d seen in Pressley’s safe, he wouldn’t tell her mother that. Not without definite proof.

Grayson took a sip of coffee, then set it on the coffee table. “Mrs. Osorio—”

“Madeline, please. Do you know where my daughter is?”

“No, ma’am, but we’re searching for her and hope you can give us some insight into her life before she went missing.”

“Why are you searching for her?”

On their drive here, he and Cooper had discussed possible questions Mrs. Osorio might ask, and that had been one of them. They couldn’t tell her about Harlow. For one thing, there was client privilege, but even if Harlow gave them permission to do so, he wouldn’t. He didn’t want her name floating around as a connection to Veronica.

“Her name came up in another investigation, but I’m sorry, I can’t tell you the reason at this time. What I do want you to know is that we’re very interested in finding your daughter. Look at it this way. You’re getting a skilled team of investigators at no cost to you.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “I tried to find her, even hireda private investigator. About all he was good for was emptying out my small savings account. It was his opinion that she didn’t want to be found. As if my girl would just disappear like that knowing what it would do to me. I told him she wouldn’t do such a thing, but he thought he knew better.”

---