Page 7 of Wicked Obsession

“Then I’ll move slowly because a great deal of my skirt will drag on the floor and wrap around my feet.” Langley wasn’t lying. The hem brushed the carpet already and the court train was a potential nightmare without her shoes.

He swore at her. “Move as fast as you can.”

She did as ordered, because he had the gun pointed at Sarah. If there was a chance any of theSEALs would spot them, she might have dawdled, but their room was over the kitchen and Langley didn’t believe that would happen. It was too early for anyone to check on the bride.

Obstacle two was maneuvering the stairs. Langley’s thoughts echoed the gunman’s muttered curses—she was every bit as aggravated by her attire as he was. Hanging onto the railing with one hand and as much of her train as she could with the other, she carefully made her way down. She knew he’d become angrier when they reached his car, and she wasn’t wrong.

“What the fuck is the problem now?”

“My dress is tight to my knees. It’s not easy to enter a car in a garment like this.” It was why she’d changed clothes in the bride’s room. If he’d burst in an hour earlier, she’d have been wearing jeans and running shoes.

“You better figure it out fast, lady.”

Sit and swing.Langley half fell onto the seat, almost slid out, but grabbed the steering wheel in time to prevent that. She rocked, giving herself momentum to swing her legs into the Impala, then pulled her train in before it became stuck in the door. As he got in the back with Sarah, she took a second to adjust the seat. Her hands visibly shook. Langley clenched them and released a quiet breath as she worked to regain control.Feel later.

With her nerves steadier, she tried to hike up her skirt to make it easier to move her feet between the accelerator and brake, but the satin didn’t have any give and she only managed about an inch before she ran out of ease. This was going to be a challenge.

“Drive,” he ordered, and in the rearview mirror, she saw the gun pressed into Sarah’s side, positioned in a way that would make it nearly impossible for someone in another vehicle to spot the weapon and contact the police.

For an instant, she met her friend’s gaze and tried to make her own reassuring. Tough to do when she wasn’t certain herself that they’d get out of this alive. Then, not willing to risk the kidnapper’s wrath, she put her foot on the brake and pushed the button for the keyless start. The engine roared to life.

“Don’t do anything stupid. I got the gun trained on your friend. I’ll fucking kill you both if I have to. Won’t bother me none.”

Langley didn’t doubt it. “Which way do I go?” she asked as she neared the exit.

“Turn right and don’t try nothing funny. Do the speed limit, use your turn signal, and follow the traffic laws.”

With a nod, Langley flipped on the blinkers and turned onto the road. Keeping her gaze moving, she searched for a police car. If she could onlyfind a cop, she’d come up with a way to catch his attention without risking Sarah.

“Head toward Pomerado,” the kidnapper ordered.

She hesitated. “Um, sir?”

“Wait, don’t tell me. You don’t know where to go.”

“I’m only visiting,” she said, trying to sound as foreign as possible. Langley’s heart pounded faster and she squeezed the steering wheel.

“Shit, you’re fucking worthless.”

He spouted off a series of instructions, and despite her anxiety, she made sure she listened. Being useless was a good way to get killed, and she’d already proven herself to be a liability. Langley recited the directions back to him, and when the guy grunted, she released a quiet sigh.

Driving was difficult, her nerves were screaming, and there wasn’t a cop in sight. Honestly, where were the police when she needed them?

They were near Sarah’s house, she recognized the area. If she turned left there—

The traffic light went yellow, and she barely caught the brake with the toe of her pump, but her heel became trapped in the train. She wouldn’t be able to reach the accelerator if she didn’t get it loose, and Langley didn’t want to think about the kidnapper’s reaction to peoplehonking at them because the light was green while they remained stopped.

Shifting her leg, she tried to free herself from the chiffon. Her toe slipped off the brake.

The car moved into the intersection.

Her eyes went wide and her heart leapt to her throat and lodged there. The kidnapper started yelling at her. Threatening her, threatening Sarah.

With a hard yank, she got her shoe free and stopped the car inches away from the oncoming traffic.

A sob welled up, but she swallowed it.Ambassadors’ daughters don’t cry in front of others—especially their kidnappers.“I’m sorry.” She had to fight to prevent her voice from trembling. God knew the only reason he couldn’t see her hands shake was because of the death grip she had on the steering wheel. “I’m sorry.”

“You did that on purpose,” he accused.

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