“Drop the gun, Moreno.”
When they turned the corner into the master bedroom, Jackson knelt down so he could see around his brother. His heart almost stopped. Eli had convinced him that it was better if he went in with his guys first. They were licensed bodyguards and if someone had to take a shot, it was better if it was one of his team instead of a civilian.
He’d agreed mainly because he’d still been hoping his brother’s theory was wrong. But clearly they’d figured it out too late. Moreno held Ridley in a chokehold, his gun pointed at her temple.
“Not a chance. Not until I get what I want.”
Jackson nodded to Nick. Now that they were sure Moreno was here, they could alert Eli’s contact at the FBI. Nick raised his chin and pulled out his phone and walked back down the stairs.
“What is it that you want?” Jackson spoke up. “I’ll give you whatever you want if you let her go.”
“Who is that? Show yourself!” Moreno screamed.
Jackson stepped to the side so he was visible. He held his hands up in the air, showing he wasn’t armed. “I’m right here.”
“Jackson, what are you doing?” Eli muttered.
“I’m just trying to deal,” Jackson said loud enough for everyone to hear. “If you want money, I can do that. You need a car to get away from here, you can have mine. Nobody needs to get hurt.”
“I don’t need any of that. All I need is the necklace.”
“Oh, you mean this?” Jackson pulled the necklace from his pocket and held it up to the light. The crystals on the front caught the light as it spun on its chain. “You can definitely have this if you let her go.”
“What about them? You expect me to believe you’ll just hand it over and let me walk out of here? I’m not an idiot.”
Jackson looked at Eli. Eli turned to the other men and motioned for them to hang back. They fanned out to the edges of the left side of the room, leaving the center open.
“Tell them to drop their weapons.”
After a momentary hesitation, Eli nodded. The three men bent down and placed their weapons on the ground.
“We’re not going to stop you from leaving. Just let Ridley go. You walk away and so does she. Everyone’s happy,” Jackson said.
Moreno walked forward, Ridley stumbling to keep up. He maneuvered them until they were close to the door. “You all think you’re so smart. Let me guess, you’ve got more guys downstairs waiting to bust me when I leave.”
“There’s no one downstairs,” Eli said.
Moreno shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. There’s only one way I’m getting out of this alive and that’s if she comes with me. So this is what we’re going to do. Ridley, you go get the necklace. Keep it high in the air where I can see it. You try to run, you die. You say anything to lover boy over there, you die. Got it?”
She nodded and bit her lip. He let her go slowly and she walked toward Jackson. He gave her the necklace and as instructed, she held it over her head as she walked back.
Eli kept his weapon pointed at Moreno. His brow furrowed as he watched Ridley take each slow step. His brother looked frustrated and Jackson didn’t need security training to know why. If Moreno got her out of this room, the chances of him seeing Ridley alive again were slim. The police were on their way and once Moreno realized he was surrounded it was unlikely he’d just surrender.
It was much more likely that he’d panic and start shooting.
“It was an honor meeting you, Ridley,” Eli said. “I really enjoyed getting to know you on Sunday. I’ve never had such a connection with a woman before—I feel like I really taught you a lot.”
Jackson looked at his brother in confusion. What the hell was Eli doing? Was he saying goodbye? Was he giving up?
“Me too!” Ridley was staring at Eli and the sound of her voice drew Jackson’s attention. “I remember everything you told me.”
Eli nodded at her.
“Sorry to interrupt your touching reunion, but we have to go.” Moreno prodded Ridley in the head with the gun and she flinched. “Now!”
“Okay. I just wanted to say goodbye,” Ridley stammered.
“Well, say it and then move!”
Ridley’s eyes met Jackson’s. For a moment, it could have been just the two of them in the room. There were so many things he wanted to say.
It’s going to be okay.
I’m sorry I didn’t believe in you.
I love you.
But he couldn’t say anything. All he could do was watch helplessly as she inched backward until Moreno put his arm around her neck again. As he tugged her backward toward the door, she looked at him and said, “Goodbye.”
Then she dropped to the ground.
* * *