Counting On Cole (Wilde Ways #8) - Cynthia Eden Page 0,73
in her home. “What’s happening?”
“I’m in trouble, Evie.” His voice was so low. “I think he’s going to kill me.”
***
“This is so embarrassing,” Gia moaned. She’d dressed. Finally. And she was currently being led back to Chase’s vehicle. “God, I can’t believe I listened to him.”
Cole had just opened the SUV’s rear door. At her words, his attention sharpened on her. “Listened to who?”
She winced. “A friend. This stupid idea wasn’t mine. He’s the one who said that if I did this, if I managed to lure Harrison here to me, then everything would be fine between us again. I’d have proof that I came first in Harrison’s life.” She sniffed. “But I guess the only thing he proved was that Harrison was in love with his—”
“He’s not fucking in love with Evie, I am,” Cole corrected flatly. “And she’s in love with me. So that BS story needs to end. Now.”
She gaped at him.
“And, of course, Harrison wouldn’t come get you on his own. Harrison White isn’t equipped to handle kidnappers, and he damn well knows it. If he cared about you, he’d protect you by sending in the best to do the job.”
From his position near the front of the vehicle, Chase cleared his throat. Then he pointed to his chest. “We’re the best. That’d be us.”
Her gaze darted to him. Then back to Cole. “So Harrison…does care about me?”
“I have no fucking idea.” And Cole didn’t want to know. The last thing he wanted was to get involved in Harrison White’s sex life. “I don’t care, either. I just want to know what friend came up with this idea.” Though he had a suspicion, one that was sending every conceivable red flag flying through his mind.
A sigh blew from her lips. “Robert Demakis. He came over to my place pretty late, and maybe we had a drink or two and he was all like…” She waved one hand in the air, doing a little circle with her fingers. “If Harrison thinks you’re in danger like Evie, then you can see how he really feels…” Her voice trailed off. Her hand stopped waving.
Cole’s body tensed. “Robert Demakis told you to fake the kidnapping.”
“Could you stop using the word ‘kidnapping’ when you talk to me? Please? I like to think that this was just some creative role play, you know? And—”
“Robert Demakis convinced you to call Harrison and tell him that he had to exchange his life for yours.”
“Well, yes, but—”
There was no but. Cole and Chase had both gotten a bad feeling after they talked with Robert. This news made that feeling about ten times worse. “Harrison got a call from the kidnapper. Guy used a voice distorter.”
“That was an app that Robert downloaded on the phone,” she said miserably. “Told me it would sound more realistic.”
“Oh, it sure as shit did.” It had sounded far too realistic. So realistic that they’d gone hunting for Gia. “The call Harrison received—”
She looked even more miserable. “Robert gave me the phone to use. Said I couldn’t use my own. He had the app on it.”
James edged closer. He’d been silently watching the exchange the whole time.
“I want an interrogation with Demakis,” Cole said, voice hard. Tight.
James nodded. “Sounds like a damn good plan to me.”
Chase pushed Gia into the backseat.
“And I think we need to talk to Harrison White,” Cole added. “Right the hell now.” Because he needed to understand that Robert was involved in this mess all the way up to his freaking neck.
***
Harrison hadn’t answered his phone, and Demakis had seemingly vanished. Chase was taking care of Gia—taking her to the police station so that she could explain her disappearance. When she’d learned that the cops had been notified, Gia had almost passed out in the back of the SUV.
Cole hurtled through the city, maneuvering as fast as he could on his motorcycle. Both Cole and James were using motorcycles, courtesy of Wilde and the company’s seemingly never-ending resources. They could cut through traffic one hell of a lot faster on the bikes. James was heading to meet with the agents searching for Robert, while Cole—
I need to get to Evie.
Every instinct he had screamed for Cole to get to her. The situation with Gia had been a ruse. An attempt to lure away some of the guards who’d been around Evie, he was sure of it. Divide and conquer. The oldest trick in the book.
And they’d fallen for it.
Fuck.
The motorcycle’s wheels screeched as he took the turn