"Or half that if I just outright sold it to a jeweler." Tim inspected the ring, then pocketed it. "If you come out with the cash, well call it even. How's that sound?"
Tine." What else could she say? Especially when it was her and her unborn baby's life at stake?
"I expect you out of there in twenty minutes," Tim said. if you aren't back by then, I'll know there's trouble and then I'm gone. If-"
"But wait! What if-" Lisa protested, feeling her nerves rise.
"Don't interrupt me," Tim said, glancing at Animal. "If there's a big line, Animal will give me a ring on my cell phone." He tapped his index finger on a small cellular phone in his breast pocket. "He'll do that within a minute of the two of you walking in. But if I see anything funny going on, I'm gone, you understand me? I ain't waitin' around for Animal. He knows the protocol should he get picked up by the cops; he'll be clean."
Lisa listened in dread as Tim continued. He extracted his cellular phone from his shirt pocket. "Animal's got one of these babies." Animal grinned and patted his jeans pocket, indicating the bulk of a small cell phone. Animal knows that we're to be out of here in twenty minutes. If it looks like things are legitimately going to take longer, Animal will call me at the nineteen-minute mark to tell me that. If I don't get that phone call, you and your family are dog meat, you got me?"
Lisa nodded, swallowing a dry lump. "I got you."
"Just be cool, don't tip off the teller, pass her a note that you've been kidnapped, or any of that shit. You do, and Animal will know and he's out of there. You might not want to admit it, but having Animal by your side for the next thirty minutes is going to be very beneficial to you. Because you know what will happen if I see him come out of that bank and you aren't with him?"
"I know," Lisa said.
"Say it "
Lisa glared at Tim, her stomach churning. "Me and my family will be dog meat."
Tim chuckled. "Not just dog meat. Movie stars!" He laughed sickly. Lisa trembled at the sound of his laugh. It was the laugh of a man with no conscience.
"Okay!" Tim clapped his hands together. "Let's get this show on the road.*
Animal slid open the door of the van and Lisa followed him out, her heart accelerating as she tried to appear normal while at the same time trying to seek an avenue of escape that wouldn't end disastrously.
Fifteen
When they walked through the double glass doors into the cool interior of the Bank of America on Beach Boulevard in Huntington Beach, Lisa felt her gut clench when she saw that the line to the tellers wasn't very long. Tim's threats weren't really getting to her now; if she had still been tied up, she might have been scared. Being untied and walking around was beginning to work on her selfesteem and at chiseling the fear away. Fuck Tim and his idle threats! So what if Animal ditched her and they left! So what if they had her address. She and Brad could go into hiding; she could identify all three of them; she could funnel money into getting an investigation started. She could have them caught quickly, she was sure of it. And just to play it safe, she would use her own connections in the legal profession to have her and Brad's identities changed. Nobody would find them. They would be safe.
When they entered the bank, Animal surveyed the interior then reached for his cell phone. He pressed a speed-dial button and said," twenty minutes tops! Then he hung up. He replaced the phone in his pocket. They walked together to the line that fed to the bank tellers, her mind working on overdrive. She knew exactly what she was going to do now. Forget the heroics. She was going to stand calmly with Animal in line. And when it was their turn, she was going to walk calmly to the next teller and tell him or her point blank that the man she was with had kidnapped her and was robbing her and please, would you press that silent alarm button now! Animal would probably fake a look of surprise-Whatever are you talking about, dear? And Lisa was going to let her instinct take over. She knew the teller would be able to see what was happening was the real deal, that this wasn't a joke. And then Animal would probably make a dash for the door and maybe security would stop him, maybe the police would arrive quickly and they'd get Tim and then-
They were the next customers up, and Lisa felt a sudden rush of adrenaline pour through her. This was going to work. She was sure of it. Everything was going to be fine. She allowed herself one small glimmer of courage, and then she felt the blade of a knife in her back as Animal put his arm around her from behind.
"Let me give you a friendly warning," he whispered casually in her ear. "I won't have this knife on you the entire time we're in this bank, but I will be at your side like the ever-faithful husband. And at the slightest sign of you making a break for it or calling for help, this knife comes out and I sever your spinal cord " She felt the blade pierce through her skin and she winced at the pain, feeling warm blood run down her back from the wound. She felt Animal's lips on her earlobe, his warm breath on her cheek. "And then I'm out of here before your body even hits the floor. And if you live, I'll know. And then the next time we see each other, we'll both be on Al's set and I'll be jamming this knife up your cunt. Do we have an understanding?"
Lisa nodded, trembling. She heard the female teller call her over, and then suddenly the blade was gone and she was walking toward the teller, Animal at her side and slightly behind her, his arm around her shoulders casually, a smile on his pensive, handsome features.
"How can I help you?" The teller was a small woman, maybe five feet one with delicate porcelain features, shoulder-length black hair and big brown eyes. She smiled at Lisa. The name on the badge pinned to her blouse identified her as Trish Lynn.
*I'd like to make two withdrawals, please," Lisa said, pushing the withdrawal slip she had filled out a moment before to the teller. Her voice sounded like it was coming from another dimension. "One from my savings account, the other from my IRA."
The teller looked at the withdrawal slip and her slim fingers danced on the keyboard of a computer terminal at her station. The teller's fingernails were impeccable; it looked like she'd had a manicure recently.
"You wish to close out your account with us at this time, Mrs. Miller?" the teller asked.
Lisa started; her mind was in a funk. The small of her back still stung from the knife wound, and she could feel the back of her shirt and her panties grow sticky with blood. She looked at the teller and blinked. "Excuse me?"
"Would you like to close out your account with us, Mrs. Miller?"'Ihe teller frowned slightly.
"Yes," Lisa said, trying to smile. "Yes, I would."
She felt a hand enfold hers and saw that it was Animal's; he was smiling at the bank teller. "We're both a little nervous about this, Ms. Lynn. My wife and I are relocating back east, and we plan to bank back there!
Mish nodded, seemingly indifferent. "You wanted to withdraw funds from your IRA as well?"
"Yes," Lisa said, forcing herself not to let her voice tremble. "Yes, I would."
"Do you have the account number?"
"Right here." Lisa fumbled for her purse and, with Animal's help, she presented Trish with the appropriate account number.
"You'll have to fill out some paperwork," 7Yish said, looking at her computer screen, then back at Lisa and Animal. "I can close your savings account here, then I'll have to direct you to our special accounts person for the IRA withdrawal. In fact, if you like, I can direct you to Mr. Walsh now. He'll help you fill out the appropriate paperwork, and when you're finished with him he can walk you back up here and I'll close out your accounts."