Page 73 of This Time I'm Keeping You
“Yes,” she whispered.
“I have someone in there who is an excellent shot, and he’s got a gun pointed at your fuck buddy.I don’t want to make a scene, but I will if you don’t do asI say.Only you can ensure that Nicholas Atherton stays alive, Poppy.”
“Wh-what do you want?”
“I think you know by now what I want.I’m not in the van, but the men inside will bring you to me, so listen carefully.”
“How did you find me?”
“I’ve had someone following you, Poppy.They report to me where you are.When I realized you were finally alone, I paid those men a lot of money to grab you now.”
“No,” Poppy whispered, feeling the desperation claw at her throat.
“Yes, or he’s dead.Get inside the van.Try nothing foolish.Two minutes, Poppy.Your time starts now.”
She disconnected the call and hurried to the counter, where she handed the phone back to the man.“Listen to me and do nothing but smile,” Poppy said quickly.
He looked wide-eyed back at her.
“Go to that portable office across the road and tell Nick Atherton that Malcolm Davy has Poppy.White van,” she said.“I’m going to get in that.”She then turned and walked out the door, praying he would do what she asked.
The van door slid open as she approached.A hand grabbed her, and then she was pulled inside and forced down face-first on the floor.Seconds later, they were driving away from Nick, and she knew that she’d never see him again.
Chapter29
“We like what your company is offering, Nick.I’ve reviewed the proposal along with my board and want to go ahead with the contract.”
“Thank you.”Nick held out his hand to the head of Clarksons—one of the biggest retail families in Oregon.His eyes shot to the window again when he stepped back.
The white delivery van was no longer there blocking his view of the café.He still couldn’t see Poppy, but she was probably just ordering more coffee, he reassured himself.
“I’ll talk to my brother, and we’ll be in touch regarding finalizing a start date,” Nick said.
“Excellent, I will speak to you soon,” Peter Clarkson said.
Nick walked out of the office and headed straight across the road.A guy wearing a striped apron was running toward him.He moved to the right to step around him and get to Poppy, but the man mirrored him.
“Do you know a Nick?”he demanded.
“I’m Nick,” he said, walking backward until they were on the sidewalk.“Why?”
“Someone called Poppy got a phone call in the café.She then told me to go to the portable office across the road and tell Nick Atherton that Malcolm Davy has her.I watched her get into a white van before it drove away,” he said.“I thought she was crazy, but you can’t be too sure, right?”
“Which way did the van go?”Nick demanded.
“Right.”
He ran then, pulling out his phone.Fear iced his veins as he called her.It went to voicemail, which he’d known it would, but he’d hoped Davy would pick up.Cutting the call, he rang Billy.Davy had Poppy.He couldn’t let anything happen to her.Not now, when she’d just come back into his life.
“It’s my lucky day.I get to talk to you twice,” Billy said.
“Davy’s got Poppy!I was in a meeting, and she was across the street.I could see her, and then this white van pulled up?—”
“Slow it down, bud.”
Nick exhaled and told Billy everything he knew.His eyes were going everywhere searching for a white van, but he couldn’t find it.
“I’m getting someone to track her phone now, Nick.Davy is nobody’s fool, and that’s how he’s stayed a step ahead of the game all these years, but maybe he’s not thrown it away yet,” Billy said.
