He tried to force himself up, but his arms and legs wouldn’t cooperate. Beside him, his cell phone lay on the floor, and he stared curiously at it as it wavered in out and out of his vision, so blurred he had to blink to try to bring it back into focus.
And then it came back, sharp, like a lightning bolt. Knowledge exploded through his head and he panted against the pain.
Angelina. Chad. Oh God.
He was an idiot. He’d trusted the wrong person and now Angelina would pay the price.
He closed his eyes and swallowed, forcing himself to focus, to shake off the nausea and the pain. He wiped at his head, and his fingers came away red and sticky with his blood.
With shaking hands he grabbed at his cell phone, swearing when the buttons wouldn’t work right. He punched the speed dial for Connor because he knew he couldn’t navigate through his address book for another number.
“Hey, man,” Connor said, and Micah winced as the too loud voice seemed to crack his skull all over again.
“Chad Devereaux,” Micah rasped. “He has Angelina. Came here. It was him all along.”
“Whoa, back up. First, are you all right? You sound hurt. What the hell happened?”
“Get here,” Micah gritted out. “Need you to call it in. Get everyone looking. Find what you can on him.”
“On it,” Connor said and the line went dead.
Micah dropped the phone and tilted his head back, closing his eyes as an agony of a different kind flooded him.
Bits and pieces of the exchange between Angelina and Chad came back to him. He’d drifted in and out of consciousness, but he’d heard her agree to go with Chad if Chad wouldn’t shoot him.
Fear and rage slashed viciously through his chest. Fear for her. Rage at Chad.
She’d given herself to a man who’d tormented her for a year—to save Micah.
I love you, Micah. You may not want it. You may not need it. But you’ll always have it. It doesn’t come with any strings or expectations. It’s given freely.
Her words hit him like a ton of bricks. She loved him and she’d just sacrificed everything for him.
He’d been so afraid to love again, to open himself up to the kind of pain that came with losing someone. He’d loved Hannah deeply, the kind of love he thought he’d only feel once in his life. And he’d lost her. He hadn’t wanted to love Angelina. Hadn’t wanted to form an emotional attachment to her. He’d lost her anyway.
Shut the fuck up. You haven’t lost her yet. You’ll get her back.
He sagged against the couch and then tried to elbow his way up by putting his arms on the cushions and levering. It took longer than he’d have liked, and he felt like a goddamn wimp, but he finally managed to get himself off the floor.
I’m coming, Angel girl. Don’t give up. I’m coming for you.
Angelina looked up wearily when Chad pulled onto yet another bumpy backwoods road. They’d been driving forever. She’d tried to keep up, to notice road signs, landmarks, but all she knew was that they’d driven north of Houston, and he’d taken her on a veritable maze of unmarked, shabby roads. On purpose she was sure. He wasn’t a man who left anything to chance.
The road narrowed and the surrounding woods grew thicker, until they were following what looked to be an old ATV trail. At the end, they came upon an old frame house that looked like the woods had tried to swallow it up.
Gnarly bushes grew up the sides. Two trees stretched their massive branches over the roof, dipping low as if they’d punch a hole right through it.
The house looked intimidating. It looked isolated. Like it hadn’t been lived in for years.
“How did you find this place?” she asked helplessly.
“Spent a lot of time looking for just the right spot after you left Miami. I knew you’d wind up in Houston sooner or later. You were so transparent. Like a bitch in heat after Hudson. I just had to wait for you to appear.”
She closed her eyes. All that work for nothing. Her predictability and her love for Micah had been her ultimate downfall.
“What are you going to do to me?” she asked calmly. As calmly as she could when she was afraid she’d die. He’d picked the perfect spot. Who would ever find them here? Who would hear her screams? Or a gunshot?
He ignored her question and opened his door. None too gently, he hauled her across the seat, forcing her out his side. Still attached to him by the cuffs, she had no choice but to scramble out or have her arm ripped off. She winced when her bare feet hit the ground and immediately picked up at least three stickers.
He grabbed her arm and propelled her forward, onto the sagging porch and then inside. There was no electricity, probably no running water. The house had been abandoned for years.
Once inside, he fumbled with the cuffs and removed them, but he took his gun out of his holster and kept it up and ready.
“Don’t be stupid. I’ll shoot you before you ever get three steps. You made me a promise. Now let’s see you deliver.”
“What do you want me to deliver, Chad? I told you I’d come. I did. I told you I wouldn’t fight. I haven’t. Now you tell me. What am I supposed to do? What do you want? Did you bring me out here to kill me? Why not just shoot me back there with Micah?”
He curled his hand around her shirt and yanked her to him. He held the gun to her cheek with his other hand, and his breath blew hot over her face as he seethed.
“Don’t push me, Angelina. I’m already pissed at you. You’ve fucked with me for over a year, teasing, making promises you had no intention of keeping. You’re mine now. I’ve run out of patience.”
She gaped at him. The crazy asshole honestly believed she’d somehow led him on some merry chase. He’d made her life hell, forced her to leave Miami and spend many exhausting hours running. He’d drugged her, terrorized her friends and now he’d hurt Micah and kidnapped her.
She wanted to knock the ever-loving shit out of him, but she forced herself to calm. She didn’t have the advantage ... yet. No matter what it took, she had to play it smart and wait for her chance.
“I’m sorry.”
It nearly choked her to say the words and actually sound sincere. But they seemed to have the effect she was going for. He loosened his hold on her and pushed her away.
He circled the room, lighting candles. It was obvious he’d spent time here and arranged everything just so. Was this his attempt at seduction? Nausea rose in her throat. How could she endure him touching her?
He returned to her a moment later, a box in his hand. He shoved it at her, and to her astonishment it was a home pregnancy test.
“What is this for?”
“Get in the bathroom and take it. Now. I have to know. I want to know what I’m dealing with. If you’re coming to me with someone else’s baby.”
“Chad, this is ridiculous. I use birth control.”
It was the wrong thing to say. His face darkened into a savage mask at her reminder that she’d had sex with another man.
“I won’t have it. I won’t have Hudson’s bastard. Your babies will be mine. Just like you’re mine. Now get into the bathroom.”
She stumbled when he pushed her forward. God, this was crazy. More crazy was the worry of what would happen if she was indeed pregnant. Frantically she searched her memory for her last period. She couldn’t think. How long had she been here? Had she taken all her pills? Had she missed any? Would Chad go over the edge if she was pregnant?
He stood in the doorway and lit two candles on the small counter. Coupled with the thin stream of sunshine from the hallway, the light was enough for her to see.
“Are you going to watch?” she demanded. “Don’t I deserve some privacy?”