Counting On Cole (Wilde Ways #8) - Cynthia Eden Page 0,59
knew that I never wanted to be wrong, never wanted to risk hurting an innocent, ever again.”
Her gaze searched his. “That’s why you started working for Wilde.”
“I started working for Wilde because I wanted to be someone you could be proud of.” He turned his hand so that he was holding hers. “Because one day, I was determined to have another shot with you, and when that chance came around, I wasn’t going to screw it up.”
I want that chance. Don’t take it from me now.
“Did someone hurt you?” Evie whispered.
“You don’t want to know about that.”
“I do. I want to know everything.” A pause. “After you left me, what happened to you?”
His lips parted.
And his phone rang.
What the hell?
He knew the ring tone. Chase. The guy had only left a little while before to go back to his hotel. Shit. A call from him so soon had to be about the case. Cole yanked up the phone. Shoved it to his ear. “Your timing could have been about a million times better—”
“Gia Eastman has vanished.”
“What?”
“Our agents went to interview her. Only she’s not at home. Not at work.”
“Maybe she’s with some friends who—”
“You think I haven’t checked that angle? I have. I got Wilde to pull some strings—and by strings, I mean I got the tech people to tap into some street cams. You’re not going to like what I found out.”
He waited.
Chase didn’t say anything else.
“Spit it out!” Cole snapped.
Evie winced.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” he immediately said.
“Oh, that’s okay,” Chase told him warmly. “We all get stressed. I know you didn’t mean to snap at me.”
I wasn’t talking to you! “What. Did. You. Find. Out.”
“Around dawn this morning, Gia headed out for a jog. She didn’t make it back to her building. A black SUV swooped in behind her near Central Park. Guy grabbed her, and they shot out of there in a flash.”
“You’re telling me she was abducted?”
“It sure looks that way. I’ve notified the cops, sent them an anonymous tip to check for her and to take a look at street cams from this morning.” Chase’s voice roughened as he added, “We saw her as a potential suspect, but she could be the next victim.”
Because after Evie, she was the closest person to Harrison White. Maybe the kidnappers thought that since they couldn’t get Evie, they could use Gia against Harrison.
“Stay on this,” Cole ordered. “See if you can get Wilde to track her phone. I’ll talk to Harrison.”
“You think he’s going to get some kind of ransom demand?”
“If she’s been abducted, is there anyone else in Gia’s life who could pay?”
“No.” Grim. “No family. No close romantic ties, not that I’ve found.”
“My gut says this will go back to Harrison.”
“And if your gut is wrong?”
Then he didn’t know what the hell would happen to Gia.
He spoke to Chase a bit more, then shoved the phone back into his pocket. His gaze had been on Evie the whole time. “How much of that did you hear?”
“Too much,” she said, voice shaky. “Someone kidnapped Gia?”
“Maybe.” Looks that way. “We don’t know exactly what’s happening yet. But we’re going to find out.” He caught her hand in his. Threaded his fingers with hers and turned for the door. He kept his hold on her as they hurried down the hallway, then toward Harrison’s office.
When they entered, Harrison spun around. He seemed pale. Nervous.
His attention immediately focused on Evie. His gaze swept over her, then…stopped at Evie and Cole’s joined hands.
“Yes, deal with that shit,” Cole told him flatly. “We’ve got other issues right now—”
Harrison’s phone rang.
He ignored it. “What issues?”
“Who is on the phone?”
“What?”
The phone was still ringing. Harrison was still not answering it.
“Who is on the phone?” Cole asked again. “Look at it. Now.”
Harrison scooped it off his desk. “Unknown number. Probably some damn telemarketer.”
“Answer it.”
Harrison’s expression clearly said he thought Cole had lost his mind, but he answered the phone. His finger swiped across the screen, and he lifted the device to his ear. “Yes, hello—”
He stopped. His eyes widened.
Aw, hell.
“Who is this?” Harrison demanded.
Cole surged toward him. “Put it on speaker.”
Harrison nodded quickly and put the call on speaker.
“We have Gia Eastman.”
“Why?” Harrison asked. His face showed his confusion and shock. “Why the hell would you take her?”
“Because we could. Want her back? Then you’ll have to pay.”
Cole heard Evie suck in a sharp breath.
Shit. It was looking like his suspicions from a few moments before might have been right. The kidnappers hadn’t been able