"I know, baby. But we'll--shit." He cursed the interruption, then grabbed his ringing phone out of his back pocket. "We were supposed to silence them for the contest, but with a ten man team inside and outside the building, I wanted to be able to get calls."
Now, he frowned at the screen, then lifted the phone to his ear. "Go ahead, Sanchez."
He was silent for a minute, and even in the noisy bar, Taylor could hear the beating of her heart. Something was happening. She didn't know what, though. His face was blank. Or at least it was until he looked at her. Then a wide smile lit his face. "Baby," he said. "We got him."
"What?" The squeal broke out of her at the same time she launched herself at him. He caught her and spun her, barely missing one of the speakers.
When he put her back down, she was breathing hard, but deliriously happy. "Tell me."
"The team outside identified him and grabbed him. Smooth as silk. They've already notified Louisiana and Arkansas, and he's currently in a cruiser on the way to a holding cell."
"It's over." She held his arm, because if she didn't, her legs probably couldn't support her weight. "I can't believe it."
He bent to her, his lips brushing her ear. "Let's get out of here and go celebrate."
Laughing, she danced backward. "Oh, no. You have to spend time with your adoring public. And I," she added with a wink, "need time to get ready. My apartment. Come when you've finished here. I'll make sure I'm ready." She stepped closer, then rose up on her toes to kiss him, slow and deep and very thoroughly. "Make sure you're ready, too," she whispered.
She broke away then, blowing him one last kiss before she hurried out the door to a street that was safe. A town that felt like hers again.
She'd loved her days with Landon, but dear God how she'd missed the freedom of not feeling like she was under a microscope.
Since she still didn't have a car, she caught a
rideshare home, using the short drive to think about the various pieces of sexy lingerie she owned. Or, maybe she should just meet him naked at the doorway...
She was considering all the possible outcomes of that lovely idea when she reached her door and slid her key in, only then remembering that she had a security system that she didn't know how to use. For a second, she hesitated, then recalled that she was supposed to have come back with Landon so that they could arm the system and he could make sure she knew all of its features.
Which meant the place hadn't been locked down. But, she thought gleefully, that didn't matter since the supreme asshole jerkwad of her life was on his way to a long and fruitful life in prison, where she hoped he'd enjoy his new status as the butt-monkey of someone named Brutus.
With that happy thought dancing in her head, she opened her door and stepped inside--then screamed so loud it felt like she'd ripped her vocal cords as Beauregard Harkness grabbed her by the ponytail, slid the cold blade of a knife against her throat, and whispered, "Hey there, little girl. Bet you missed me, huh?"
Chapter Fifteen
There was no doubt that the women gathered around him begging for selfies were good for his ego, but after fifteen minutes, Landon had his fill of the adulation. He wanted Taylor, and only Taylor. He wanted to hold her, touch her.
And, yes, he wanted to tell her he loved her. Something his mother had realized even before he had. But Gayle Bartlett was a smart woman, and she knew her son. Because he was head-over-heels. And the sooner he told her--the sooner he learned if she felt the same--then the sooner their life together could begin.
Brent came up to him and slapped him congenially on the back. "Congrats. Couldn't have happened to a better man."
Landon chuckled. "Be careful what you say. You know you're not getting out of playing this game, right? Eventually, either Jenna or Megan's going to talk you into standing exactly where I'm standing now."
"But until then, I'm the one wearing a shirt."
Landon rolled his eyes and grabbed his shirt off the stage. He was pulling it on when his phone rang, and he missed the damn call. As soon as the shirt was over his head, he pulled his phone out, then frowned when he saw that it was Sanchez. He was about to hit the number to call the detective back, when the phone rang again.
He answered it, an icy dread curling through him.
"Christ, Ware," Sanchez said. "I just got word. It's so fucked up. There was a wreck. Hell, almost half an hour ago, and--"
"Beauregard Harkness," Landon's voice was as taut as a wire. "Where the fuck is Harkness?"
"That's just it," Sanchez said. "We don't know."
* * *
Landon sprinted for the door, Brent right beside him. "Call dispatch," Landon barked. "Get hostage rescue to her apartment. Hell, get the whole goddamn department there. I'm going to call Taylor. Maybe we got lucky and she hit the grocery store on her way home."
"Already on it," Brent said. "Go."