Grace picked up on the hint of regret in his voice and seized it with all she had. “Then don’t! You don’t have to do any of this, Tommy. Call off your bodyguard, don’t let him hurt Rick. Please. I’ll go with you. We… we don’t have to have a wedding, not yet. But we can start over. Wouldn’t you like that?”
She would do it, too. Anything to keep Rick from getting hurt. Grace refused to let him pay when his only crime was caring for her. Then, when she eventually broke free of Tommy again, she had to hope that she was far enough away from Hamlet so that he wouldn’t go back and take his anger out on the innocent townsfolk.
This wasn't just about her. She had Rick to think of. Maria. Sylvester. Phil. Jefferson and his wife. Even Natalie Newton.
For a moment, as Tommy moved away from her and leaned back against the Jaguar’s leather seat, she thought she might have done it. He might just give in. She waited on bated breath, her heart lodged in her throat.
Please. Please, please, please.
His eyes darted over to the front of the house. A wrinkle marred his perfect brow for a moment, a tic in his jaw the only other sign of his anger. When he turned to face her again, his expression was carefully blank.
“You’ve had your fun. I?
??ll forgive it because maybe I wasn’t as clear as I should’ve been. You’re mine, Grace, and you have been from the moment I saw you dance. We will get married, and we will do so tonight. And then I will never let you get away from me again.” He paused, and even in the dim light, Grace saw the dark look that shadowed his face. “Hart has to die. If you have no one to escape to, it’ll make it that much easier to keep you.”
She knew in that instant that all of her words—her explanation, her pleading, her promises—had fallen on deaf ears. Tommy Mathers has made up his mind and, as always, it was final.
That didn’t stop her from trying one last time.
“You—you can't do that.”
Tommy pressed the start button. The Jaguar purred all around them, soft enough that Grace still heard him when he said—
“You can’t stop me.”
22
Rick’s house was located on the outskirts of Hamlet. However, it wasn’t set far back in town, on the side closer to the rugged mountain that acted as one of the natural boundaries. No, it was a gulleyside home—which meant that it was nearer to the narrow strait that led visitors back out again.
That also meant there wasn’t much time. She only had one chance. If Tommy drove her out of Hamlet, she would never see any of her friends again. And Rick—
Her heart ached as her stomach clenched.
If Tommy’s goon did anything to hurt Rick, if his blood was on her hands, she would never forgive herself. It would be better to fight now than to give in and let Tommy win.
Grace took stock of how she felt. Her scalp was tender from where he pulled her hair, but she could deal with that. With her heart pounding and her body tensed and ready to run, she barely noticed the aftereffects from Tommy’s sedative. Okay. The blasted gown and the heels would be a problem. She knew that. It was a good thing she was prepared to climb out of them and take off naked if she had to.
The realization that she’d rather go streaking than spend one more second in Tommy’s company was sobering. She’d do anything to get away—especially since it was the only chance she had to make sure Rick stayed safe.
It was obvious from the quiet that no one else knew about the threat in Hamlet. Unless she managed to snag the radio hanging off Tommy’s belt and figured out how to break into the sheriff’s channel, her only hope was to get away and find help.
Rick wasn’t home yet. She’d only been in the car for minutes. She could do this—
In one fluid motion, she unfastened the seat belt with one hand while reaching out with her other. The passenger door flung open as the seat belt whipped back into place.
Cursing under his breath, Tommy jerked the wheel, slamming on the brakes so that the car came to a sudden squealing stop. Fury and fire blazing in his dark blue gaze, he unclasped his own seat belt, lunging across the console so that he could grab her.
Grace was already halfway out the door. The most Tommy got was a fistful of her gown and she tore it from his grip with an adrenaline-fueled strength. Knowing she wouldn’t get far in the murderous heels he slipped on her feet, she kicked them off, then started to sprint.
Tommy stayed by the Jaguar. He didn’t have to chase after her, not when his simply stated threat followed close on her heels.
“If you don’t get back here right now,” he warned, “I’ll call my associate and tell him to hurry it along. You wouldn’t like that, would you, Grace? Maybe he doesn’t wait, but he goes looking for Hart instead.”
Rick.
If she didn’t do what Tommy wanted, she was as good as signing Rick’s death warrant. If Boone found Rick before she could warn him, there was no doubt that the bodyguard would shoot first and ask questions later. If Tommy gave the order? There wouldn’t even be any questions.
Despite the threat, Tommy’s voice was cajoling, giving her the hope she desperately wanted to cling to. Even so, there was a hint of steel beneath it. He’d follow through on that threat in a heartbeat. He made it clear that he wanted Rick dead just because she chose him instead. Even if she went back, he could still take his jealousy out on the other man.