Beautiful Stranger

“Hold on,” he said when it looked like she was on the verge of taking off the way they’d come in. “We don’t know that.” He quickly crossed to the front window and peeked out through the blinds.

A white van had pulled up in front of his house. It was unmarked, but he knew immediately where it was from. He didn’t miss the fact that it completely blocked his driveway. Cutting off any possible escape.

He shook his head. Claire’s conspiracy theories were starting to get to him. He was getting as paranoid as she was.

As he watched, a car pulled up behind the van. A man slowly climbed out of the driver’s seat. The three men exiting the van seemed to expect him, acknowledging his presence. He made no move to join them.

A chill rolled down the back of Josh’s neck. Four men seemed a little excessive for one woman. Did they really think it would take all of them to retrieve her?

It’s not paranoia if they really are out to get you.

It was the man who climbed out of the second vehicle who caught Josh’s attention. He could immediately tell there was something different about this man, the way he carried himself. He held back as the others moved toward the house, his stance watchful, his expression a stony mask.

As Josh watched, the man pushed back the side of his jacket, his hand reflexively checking an object that was briefly exposed in that moment.

The sight propelled Josh into action. He turned away from the window. “We have to get out of here.”

Relief flashed across Claire’s face until she saw his expression. “What’s wrong?”

He was already across the room, herding her toward the hallway with a soft but insistent hand at the small of her back. “Can you think of any reason why they’d have guns?”

“You mean tranquilizer guns?”

“Not unless Smith & Wesson started making those.”

He felt her flinch, but didn’t stop to react, just kept moving. Despite what Aaron had said, he had to believe she wasn’t violent unless provoked. When he’d led her to the bathroom, he’d kept his guard up in case she decided to attack him when his back was turned. She hadn’t. Which made the four men outside seem like overkill.

Or something more sinister.

He could try to turn them away, but he suspected the fourth man was there to ensure they didn’t take no for an answer.

They made it back to the kitchen. She started for the garage. “Not that way,” he told her, motioning to another door. “Through here.”

Grabbing his keys from the counter, he stepped out into the backyard and moved to open the gate. This side of the house wasn’t visible from the front, but something told him he couldn’t count on their visitors not circling the house. They still had to hurry. Once the gate was open, he crossed to where he’d left the Harley. He looked back to find Claire had stopped just outside the door.

“Does that thing even run?” she asked doubtfully.

From the toolbox he’d left out and the various dirty rags around, it was obvious he’d been working on the motorcycle. “I sure hope so. Either way, we’re about to find out.” He climbed onto the bike and raised a brow in question at her. “You coming?”

She didn’t hesitate further, breaching the distance in a few quick strides. Bracing her hand on his shoulder, she swung onto the back of the Harley behind him. Her arms automatically went around his middle.

The sensation of having her so close, her limbs wrapped around him, sent a jolt through him he did his best to ignore. As soon as she was on board, he kicked the engine to life. Sure enough, it gave an encouraging roar that left no doubt of its ability to get them out of there fast.

Seemingly reassured, Claire tightened her grip and leaned close, her breasts tight against his back. Quickly attributing the tremor that quaked through him to the rumble of the bike, he leaned forward and sent them roaring off into the night.

Chapter Four

Ahmed waited until the group from Thornwood drove away, heading back to inform their boss that they were as incompetent as he was, before breaking into the house. It was pathetically simple. The home’s security system wouldn’t keep out a determined child.

Once inside, he slowly made his way through the rooms, searching for any clue to where the doctor might have taken the woman. In truth, this mission was beneath him. He had several men loyal to their cause who were capable of finding one woman.

But few of those devout men would enjoy what they could do once they found her as much as he would.

He allowed himself a moment to savor the burst of anticipation before refocusing on the task at hand. If they had gone to the police, then all was likely lost. He suspected they had not. She was from a wealthy family, connected to a prominent company. She wouldn’t want the attention. At the very least, he had to proceed as though they hadn’t until he knew otherwise.

If she tried contacting her family, he would be informed. The most obvious places she might choose to go were all covered. That left him to learn of the places the doctor might choose for them.

As he searched, he studied the man’s home, gathering an impression of the man who lived here, all the better to understand his quarry. It was clear he lived alone. The house was small, the furnishings basic.

A simple man.

A man who had no idea what he was interfering with.

A man who shouldn’t prove to be much of an adversary.

Pictures lined the walls, displaying a multitude of faces, each of them a possible ally the doctor might turn to. Even if Ahmed was able to identify all of them, the sheer number made it unlikely he would be able to locate the correct one.

Arriving in a home office, he found an address book sitting next to the phone. A quick flip through its pages revealed names, addresses and phone numbers, all meticulously documented. Perhaps the doctor would turn to one of the people listed. He tucked the book into his coat pocket.

He was about to leave the room when a business card tacked to a board above the desk caught his attention. He didn’t question why the man had it. All that mattered was that he did.