He swore and grabbed his phone as he rebooted the computer.
Clarisse realized it had to be bugging Bryan that she wasn’t pleading and crying and groveling like she normally would when he went after her.
That she showed no fear for herself.
He set down his bottle of beer and leaned in close. Grabbing her chin, he dug his fingers into her cheeks. “You’ll have plenty to say to me later, bitch.” He always got more angry when he drank, which frequently happened when they were together. On his third beer, he was on his way to getting very drunk.
And very angry.
He released her after slapping her one final time. That one, harder than the first two, rocked her head and left her seeing stars.
Nevertheless, somehow she managed to choke back her smile.
“You slap like a girl, asshole.” Okay, not the smartest thing to say, and she knew the second she uttered it she’d regret saying it.
He drew back his fist to hit her when her phone rang the Mission Impossible theme. Mac’s phone.
Sully. It had to be him, because he had Mac’s phone.
“Is that your other boyfriend?”
She forced the lie. “No.” Well, technically not a lie. He wasn’t her boyfriend, he was her husband.
He stepped back, grabbed her phone, and looked at it. She couldn’t believe it when he flipped it open and held it to her face. The beer must have fogged his judgment. Thank God she’d set the caller ID to read Sir B instead of Brant.
She didn’t cower, didn’t drop her eyes from Bryan’s. “Hi there, Sir. How are you doing?”
“Pet, it’s me. How are you?” Clarisse tried to read Sully’s voice, knew he must have found the note Bryan had left at Mac’s bedside, but she didn’t know what the note had said.
“I’m fine, Sir. It’s nice to hear from you. Thanks for calling.
We’re getting along okay. It’s been rough.”
Sully paused, and when he spoke, his voice sounded soft. “Good girl, pet. I’m rebooting my computer. It’s going to take a minute.
Keep talking. He’s right there?”
She thought fast. “I decided to alternate with Sully. He told me to come back at nineteen-hundred hours, give or take, after shift change in the ICU. I might go back a little early though.”
Another long pause from Sully. “Understood. Where does he have you? Give me a clue in case I lose you.”
“That’s okay. It’s been a long few days. I didn’t feel like going all the way back home so I’m at the motel. You can call his cell, though.”
Another pause. “Seminole?”
“No, that’s the number he had before. Call the new number.”
Less hesitation. “Largo? Keep talking in case he takes the phone away. My computer’s not up yet.”
“Not quite, but they’re hoping sooner than later.” Bryan watched her for any sign of treachery. She refused to look away.
“You’re amazing, pet. I’m so proud of you. Dunedin?”
“No, if you come by tonight, you have to park where you did before and keep going, around to the other hospital entrance. It’s farther up. You could park in the north garage but you have to pay.”
“Holiday?”
“That would take you too far from the hospital. You don’t want to walk that far in this neighborhood. The Harborside parking lot where they have all the palm trees, that’s the one I mean.”
She heard a muffled male voice in the background and the rattle of what sounded like paper. “Palm Harbor? A motel in Palm Harbor?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Good girl, pet. Sit tight. Has he hurt you?”
If she had half an opportunity, Bryan would be the one in serious fucking pain. “No, Sir. I’m getting along okay. Things are very tight right now.”
“I love you, pet. So much, you have no idea. I promise I am coming for you. I will bring you home safe. Just sit tight. Fucking computer, I’m trying to get the air card to log on so I can track you.”
Bryan made a slashing motion across his throat.
“Same here, Sir. I’m sorry. I have to go. Thank you for calling.
Good-bye.”
Bryan didn’t drop his gaze as he pulled the phone away and hung up. “Who the fuck was that? Sir B?” He turned it off again. “Your battery’s low. We’ll call your little friend later.”
“I’ve been taking some…spirituality classes at the Greek Orthodox church in Tarpon. Bill. He’s the teacher. We all call him Sir. He’s British. He was knighted.” She mentally winced, wishing she’d come up with a better story. Lying wasn’t easy anymore, not even to Bryan, and not even when faced with death. It felt wrong to lie. Her skills had atrophied with disuse.
She never had a reason to lie anymore. She never had to fear telling the truth.
Clarisse fought back the old fears returning to cripple her, how oppressive life had been with Bryan. Like a thick, nasty slime it wanted to suck away all her hopes.
His eyes crawled over her face, then dropped down her body.
“You’ve changed, Clarisse. I don’t know what, but I think I like it.
Too bad you didn’t find religion before when you were with me. It looks good on you.” He turned and dropped the phone on the bed.
“I’m taking a shower. I’ll leave the bathroom door open.” He ripped a piece of duct tape from the roll and slapped it over her mouth. “Just in case.” Then he drained his beer, grabbed another, and headed for the bathroom.
Sully hung up and studied the map. They’d had Mac’s phone on speaker mode and taped the call. Sully used Mac’s knowing his own phone appeared as “Master” on her caller ID. He didn’t want Jason’s phone associated with this.
He hoped she’d come up with a good explanation for “Sir B.”
Sully worked on his laptop to trace her phone’s GPS, then swore when he realized the fucker had shut it off again. He tried to call back, but it went straight to her voice mail.
“She’s in a motel in Palm Harbor, on or near Alternate 19,” Sully said, studying the map.
“How can you be that sure? I know the Palm Harbor part, but the location?”
“She specifically pronounced it ‘alternit’ and used military time.
Nineteen-hundred. She never uses military time. Alternate 19, in Palm Harbor, but not on Alt. 19, close by.” He flipped between windows on the computer, trying to locate any motels that would fit the bill. A minute later, he pointed at the screen. “There.” He couldn’t believe Bryan hadn’t ditched her phone. Even more astounding, that he let her answer it and talk. The trifecta, that he let her keep talking as long as he did.
Thank God for the tracking software. Next time, he’d be ready.
Jason looked over his shoulder. “There’s at least six different motels in that area. We don’t know which side of Alt. 19 she’s on.
“We’ll find her.” He powered down the laptop and started packing. “Come on.”
Jason helped him gather some things. Sully followed Jason to his house, where Jason grabbed a bulletproof vest and another gun. “You gonna help me pay my mortgage if I lose my bennies over this?”
Jayce snarked.
“Buddy, I’ll pay off your fucking mortgage.”
After his shower, Bryan sat on the bed and looked at Clarisse.
“You’ve really changed. What the fuck happened to you?” He’d viciously ripped off the duct tape and grinned when she glared at him.
“You happened to me.”
“Yeah, well, I’m about to shit on your parade. I read in the paper about that guy on the boat. Glad I didn’t kill the cash cow. We’re going to call your writer cop buddy, and he’s going to make a little withdrawal at his bank. By the time I leave, I’ll have enough to get to South America and retire. I’ve got a contact there who needs a computer expert. Easy money, no fucking hassles.” He stretched out on the bed. “So what’s the deal? You fuck that guy Nicoletto for rent?