him. And why not? He makes you want to please him so he’ll be kind and make you feel like you’re special. When he’s mean, you try harder to get back to the way you know it can be again. But then you realize you can’t get back the way he was in the early days when he cast his spell on you, because he can’t carry off nice and kind for long. Right?”
“Uh . . . yeah. You’ve been his assistant for a while, haven’t you?” Liz had seen her twice, three times maybe, at Clint’s office when she met him there for lunch, or after work to get drinks or dinner.
“He convinced me he loved me. He was so warm and attentive in the beginning. It was fun to carry on our affair without anyone in the office knowing about it. Of course, he was seeing one of the other girls, too. He got bored of me and moved on to others, always stringing me along, saying just enough to make me believe we’d be together again. He knew just what to say and do to get me to keep coming back.” She slammed her hand on the steering wheel again. “I’m so stupid. I fell for it every damn time.”
“He’s ruined the lives of every woman he’s ever charmed.”
“Charmed? He lied. He hurt. He made promises. He didn’t mean anything that came out of his mouth.”
Clint talked a good game in the beginning, but it all fell apart when his desires and demands weren’t met, because he never considered what would make the woman in his life happy. He thought she wanted to please him. He wanted her to be his everything. But that was a two-way road.
“I’m sorry he hurt you.”
“That’s the least of my worries. He knows things about me. He’s got videos.”
Liz understood all too well the shame and embarrassment Clint inflicted by using those videos to keep his victims compliant. Or in her case, to humiliate her. “He’s done it to me and others.”
“Yep. I’m just one of many.” The hurt in those words made Liz’s heart ache.
“You’re just the latest obsession. He makes you feel like you’re the one. But you’re not.” Pain filled her eyes.
Liz had a feeling she spoke more to herself than Liz. “What’s your name?” Liz wanted to connect with her and find a way to get her on Liz’s side.
“It doesn’t matter.” The resignation in her voice scared Liz.
If she really didn’t think she mattered, what would she do?
She pulled into the parking area by the path that led up to the Lover’s Leap bridge, parked the car, turned off the engine, and sat for a moment. “Some things, you just can’t fight. But everything comes to an end.”
That ominous statement settled like a lead ball in Liz’s gut.
What does she mean?
Is she with me?
Or against me?
She turned to Liz. “Let’s not keep him waiting.”
Tate sat behind Adria in the back seat of the truck. Drake drove like a maniac, but Tate didn’t care so long as they got to Liz in time.
Adria turned in her seat, phone to her ear. “They found Trinity.” The relief in Adria’s voice didn’t even come close to how happy Tate was to hear that.
“Clint drove her a couple miles from the shop, took the picture to send to Liz, then pulled her out of his car, and pistol-whipped her, but she’s okay. He wore a mask, so she can’t positively ID him, but she knows like everyone else that it was him. He dumped her on the side of the road. She flagged down a passing car. She’s with Detective Valdez. They’re on their way to meet up with us at the lake.” Adria narrowed her eyes. “She refused to go to the hospital, too.”
Tate and Drake shared a look in the rearview mirror.
McGrath stubbornness won out.
Tate had trouble breathing through the pain, but his need to get to Liz overrode good sense. He needed to see a doctor about his head and ribs—and soon—but he wouldn’t until he found Liz.
He hoped his injuries wouldn’t prevent him from helping the woman he cared about more than his own life.
Adria rolled her eyes. “He’s sent backup to the lake. He says to let the cops handle it, but he knows you’re not going to do that.”
“Fucking right.” Tate pressed the heel of his hand to his throbbing head. “I’m getting her back and making sure Clint gets what’s coming to him