Page 25 of Holiday Hostage
I readied myself for a plunge through the glass and into the snow.
A howl of wind rattled the windowpanes, making me second-guess my decision.
“Payton.” My name rumbled from his lips in a deep, authoritative voice that rang with calmness.
“What?” I snapped toward him. Then it hit me. He’d said my name. “How do you know my name?”
“Because I know your father.” He motioned at himself. “I’m Maverick. That’s Tarron.” The blond dipped his head. “And that’s Reed.”
The one with hazel eyes swept his arms out and bowed. “At your service.”
My fingers ached from my tight hold on the scissors. My arms shook, and I almost collapsed onto the couch.
“Your father, Frank Rivers, sent us to retrieve you after he received a frantic phone call from your adventure guide.” Maverick paused, probably to let the words sink in.
They tried, but all I could think was that I’d told my captives these details. It didn’t prove anything.
They might be trying to gain my trust for some crazy reason.
Maverick didn’t move, but there was a sudden shift in the energy that lifted the temperature a few degrees. “The state police have been looking for you, but your father didn’t want to leave anything to chance. He called us because we are the best in the business. I promised we’d bring you home, and that’s exactly what we plan to do.”
“Home?” The trembling that started in my hands spread to my entire body.
I’d told myself I’d survive long enough to go home.
Standing in front of these three men who might or might not have been sent by my father, proved that I had never really believed it.
Relief tried to settle in my bones and help hold me up, but I needed more.
“Would you like to talk to him?” Maverick’s mouth was a thin slash across his face.
Understanding warmed his gray eyes.
They should have been full of anger, full of stormy shadows.
Instead, they were the kind of warm gray that reminded me of home.
“We have a satellite phone, and your father gave us explicit instructions that we’re to call anytime, day or night, to keep him updated. We would have called him earlier, but we were a little busy with your escape.”
Dad. Tears pooled so thickly in my eyes they obscured my vision. “I want to talk to him. Right now.”
“Okay.” Maverick dug into a pocket on his thigh and extracted what looked like an ancient cell phone.
He turned to the side, angling the antenna toward the windows.
Seconds that felt like hours passed as I tried to hold onto that sliver of hope and relief that promised all this was real and not a figment of my overwrought imagination.
“Please don’t try to run away.” Reed shifted again, almost like he wanted to move toward me.
I shuffled backward, keeping the scissors between us.
They were a pitiful weapon, but they were stronger than my fists.
“Sir, Payton would like to speak to you.” Maverick had the phone to his ear, and he turned slowly to face me. “Yes, sir. She’s right here.”
My chest caved in as my father’s voice carried across the entire room with a boom. “Put her on the phone. Now.”
“Daddy.” I dove for Maverick’s outstretched hand and yanked the phone from him, slamming it to my ear. “I’m here.”
