Page 36 of Abducted

His eyes darkened. He tossed the money into the bag behind her. “It’s money.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “I was looking for a bottle of water.” Why was she explaining herself to him? “I found that. Why are you carrying so much money around?” Her throat tightened. Had he lied to her? Was there something he wasn’t telling her?

He stood close, his shoulders so wide she couldn’t see the parking lot beyond. Her breath sucked in. He reached behind her and pulled out two water bottles, then put everything back in the bag and zipped it up. “Here,” he said, handing her one of the bottles. “Get in so we can leave.” His tone was terse.

She folded her arms in front of her chest. “I’d rather you answer my question.”

“I plan to. In the truck.”

She accepted the water and climbed in the passenger’s seat. He got in, started the engine, and turned to her instead of pulling away. “I had to accept the money, Lana. Otherwise, they would have suspected I wasn’t going to complete the job. They were to pay me the remainder later.”

Her stomach churned. Later, as in after he’d killed her. She believed him. It made perfect sense, yet nausea threatened to take hold. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

One dark eyebrow rose. “I told you Stamos had hired me, remember? What do you think he was paying me with? Coupons?”

She squinted at him. Her lips pursed. “Of course not. But there’s a big difference between telling me that and carting around a hundred grand in the vehicle with us.”

He nodded. “You’re right. I meant to tell you about it at my house, but everything got out of hand after that.”

Realization dawned on her. “That’s why you said that they had destroyed your house looking for the money.”

“Yup.”

She hadn’t had the chance to ask him about it. It had never occurred to her that “the money” had anything to do with her. “How much did they pay you?”

“They offered to pay me one hundred fifty thousand. Half up front, half later.”

She swallowed over the hard lump that had formed in her throat. The other half—after she was dead. That wasn’t chump change. That was serious money. The air grew so thick in the vehicle that she couldn’t draw any into her tight lungs. The seat belt rubbed against her neck, much too tight. She pulled it away.

Cal’s hand grabbed her shoulder. “Are you okay?” He gave her a shake.

She wouldn’t fall apart. Not now. She nodded and concentrated on slowing her thumping heart. She brought her eyes to his. “I’m fine.”

The corner of his mouth lifted. “It’s okay to be upset.”

Her hands twisted in her lap.

“It’s damn scary. You’ve done a hell of a job holding up. I’ve seen grown men break down over less—men who are used to this shit.” His hand found hers and squeezed. “I admire your strength, but it’s just me here. You can trust me.”

She squirmed under the scrutiny of his gaze. He was right. She was strong. She lived under constant judgment and scrutiny. She’d had no choice but to grow a thick skin. “I do trust you, very much.”

He smiled and brushed his lips over her knuckles. “You sure about that?” His breath caressed the back of her hand. “You looked pretty pissed off when you saw the money.”

She tried to hide her smile, but couldn’t. “I wasn’t pissed. But it did raise some questions.”

“Ah, the truth comes out.”

She gripped his hand tight. “I do trust you, Cal. It’s just hard to let certain guards down.”

“Showing weakness?”

She took a deep, shuddering breath. “Apparently. I never realized it was a problem until now.”

“It’s not a problem. As long as you know I’d never hurt you, I’m happy. I don’t want you feeling like you have to bottle things up.” He pressed a firm kiss to her mouth. This time, she didn’t push him away. “Not with me, okay?”

She nodded.

“All right. Now, let’s go get some coffee before I start having withdrawals.”

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