“Oh, he found it.” Boone falls into peals of laughter, and I stand up.
“That’s enough.” I push back from the table to get up, but Boone holds up his hand.
“I’m sorry, I’ll be good.” He smirks, but I narrow my eyes at him, and he stops.
“She was purchased as an escort, I’m sure you can figure out exactly what Sherman was paying for.” I hate saying the words, but this needs to stop.
The agent nods as he makes another note, and thankfully he doesn’t say another word about it. “I think the best thing to do is to set up a meeting with them through our contacts and use her as bait.”
Boone glances at me, and I clench my fists at my side. This is exactly what I said I didn’t want to happen. “No, I won’t put her in harm's way.”
“It might be the only way to lure them out of hiding.” The agent looks at me and spreads his hands out on the table. “From what I’ve heard, the only thing they want is Miss Slater. I think we should give that to them.” When I go to interject, he holds his finger up to stop me. “But what about if you’re with her when we make the exchange? I’ll have my men waiting, and we can grab them before they have a chance to get their hands on her. And with you by her side, you’ll be there to make sure nothing happens to her.”
I think over his offer and try to figure out if this is the only way or if there’s something else we can do. “There’s too many scenarios that could go wrong. What if your men don’t get to her in time? What if they try to kill me to get to her?” I shake my head. “It’s too risky.”
“We have a small window of opportunity to flush these men out and put them behind bars for good. I haven’t had a shot at them as good as I do right now. I’m not sure we have a choice.”
“Curt,” Boone says from beside me. I hear the slight plea in his voice.
“What would you say if this was Phoebe?” He snaps his mouth shut, and I see his jaw tic. “Exactly.”
“Why don’t you talk to her about it and let her decide?” the agent suggests.
“It doesn’t matter what she wants.” I hear myself say the words even though I know I should give her the chance to turn this down.
Somewhere in the background I hear a phone ring, but I ignore it. I’m ready for this conversation to be over, but nothing has been resolved. I won’t put the woman I love in the line of fire. The thought is sobering because I didn’t really put it into words before now. I love her—that’s why I can’t stand the thought of losing her.
The phone rings again, and I see Boone look into the other room. “Can someone grab that? I keep forgetting Mrs. Birch is still in the hospital being treated for her injuries.”
A moment later, a man in uniform walks in holding out what looks like a burner cell phone. “Whose is that?” I ask Boone.
“No idea.”
“This was sitting on the front steps,” the security guard says and hands it to me. “They want to talk to you.”
“Me?” A shiver of cold dread shoots down my back as I take it from him and put it on speaker phone.
“Hello?”
“Curt, don’t—” Demi’s voice is cut off, and it’s silent before a man comes on the line. “If you want her back, it will cost you.”
“What have you done with her?” I don’t even recognize my own voice as a rage like I’ve never felt comes over me.
“I’m the one making the rules now, and if you want to see her alive again, you’ll do exactly as I say.”
Fifteen
DEMI
I should have known because nothing ever lasts for me. If I didn’t have bad luck I’d have no luck at all. This time, though, I’d really let myself believe I could keep Curt. So much so I’d let all the girls talk me into trying on wedding dresses. No matter how badly I try to hang on to something, it’s always yanked away from me. Only this time it’s far worse than it’s ever been before. I’ve gone and pulled so many others into my mess.
I watch as the driver tosses the phone he called Curt from out the window. He speeds onto the highway to get out of Hollow Oak, taking me farther away from Curt and back to the world I actually belong in.
“I’m so sorry.” I swipe at my tear-covered cheeks with my bound hands. They duct taped them together in front of me.
“This isn’t your fault,” Gracie tries to reassure me, having no idea this is actually my fault. My decisions led to this. How Gracie manages to give me a smile as she says it, I’ll never know.