Rock Me Deeper (Licks of Leather #5) - Jenna Jacob Page 0,39
called out, cringing at the fear in my voice.
“I’m sorry to disturb you. I’m not sure if I’m at the right place or not,” replied a woman with a hauntingly familiar voice. “I’m looking for Caris Burton.”
“Who are you?”
“Caris? It is you, isn’t it? Open the door, honey. It’s Mia.”
Mia?
What on earth was she doing here, and how in the hell had she found me?
Yanking the door open, I gaped at her shivering on the front porch wearing a heavy coat, blue jeans, and boots. Idling in my driveway was a long black stretch limo with heavily tinted windows. For once, I was glad I lived in the boonies. A limo in Diamond City was akin to finding a unicorn.
“Mia? What are you doing here? Please, come in.” I started to shut the door but stopped and glanced at the glossy black vehicle again.
Was Syd inside, looking at me from behind those dark windows?
Don’t be ridiculous, scoffed a little voice in my head.
“I’m sorry to just show up like this, but I found out a couple days ago that—”
“Zattman’s been arrested.”
“You know?”
“Yeah. It was on TV this morning.”
She blinked and gaped. “Shit. The DA was supposed to keep a lid on it another twenty-four hours. I’m sorry, Caris. I wanted to be the one to tell you.”
“Why?”
“Because…” Mia paused and exhaled a heavy sigh. “Because Zattman posted bail.”
“I suspected he would. I mean, he is rich and famous, and—”
“No, he’s struggling financially and has a shitty reputation in the industry. But he put up his mansion as collateral in lieu of a cash bond, and the judge accepted. Zattman was released late last night.”
“How do you know all this?”
“The guys gave the photos they stole from Zattman’s safe to Reed Landes. He’s our agent Quinn MacKinnon’s lawyer. Reed has a friend in the DA office out in LA, whose old frat brother is friends with another lawyer who works in the firm representing Zattman.”
“Let me get this straight. Zattman’s lawyer is feeding information to Reed?”
“I gotta plead the Fifth on that. The less you know where those details are coming from, the better.” Mia paused and nibbled her bottom lip, then sent me a sad smile. “But since he was arrested, Zattman’s been running his mouth. He hasn’t mentioned you to his lawyer by name, but he’s screaming about being set up. Since you were his last victim, he thinks you’re the one who stole the photos and turned him in. He’s promised that once he’s free, he’s going to, quote, take care of you.”
The room started to sway as my whole body began quaking uncontrollably.
“I need to sit down.” I didn’t wait for Mia to follow, simply plopped on the couch and numbly stared out the patio door.
“I’m so sorry to have to lay all this on you, Caris. I know it’s a lot on top of what Zattman put you through, but Reed and I don’t think you’re safe here, honey.”
Panic punched me like a blinding uppercut.
Launching off the couch, I paced the small living room.
It wasn’t my overactive imagination.
“You think Zattman’s coming here…to k-kill me?”
“Like I said, he didn’t outright say your name, but Reed is concerned, especially since Zattman has your purse and thus knows where you live.”
Head spinning and stomach churning, I could barely breathe past my terror.
“What do I do now?” I panted as fear gripped and squeezed my heart and the breath out of me. “I-I don’t even own a gun. I-I mean, I know how to shoot, but…”
Mia stood and wrapped her arms around me, forcing me to stop pacing, then pinned me with a fierce stare. “You’re going to pack your bags, then we’re going to get inside the limo and drive to the private jet that’s waiting for us in Gaston. Then we’re going to fly to Denton, Texas and take a limo to Quinn’s ranch. It’s beautiful, huge, safe, and best of all, it’s in the middle of nowhere. Zattman will never find—”
“A private jet? And a Texas ranch? Are you kidding me right now?” I screeched. Tearing from her arms, I started pacing again. “I can’t leave. I-I have a job. People are counting on me.”
Numb, scared, and confused, I flitted a wild gaze around my living room…my home.
On the beautiful painting of a serene lake I’d found at a garage sale last spring.
On the fragile bone china dragon fly I’d picked up at the thrift store the day I signed my lease.