them moved.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched Selena maneuver the bobby pin into the lock... She struggled with her shaking hand but Leslie nodded her encouragement to keep trying. There was no way she could get free of the ropes.
Selena wiggled the pin desperately in the lock as the car continued to pick up speed on the highway and finally the cuffs broke open.
She did it!
Leslie clamped her lips together and tried to signal Selena to make a dive out of the vehicle. She might get injured but at least she’d be out of this car. She’d have a fighting chance.
Instead, the star gripped the handcuffs in both hands and, leaning over the seat, she wrapped them around Eoghan’s neck.
Surprise registered on his face as he reached up to try to free himself, but Selena leaned back, using all her strength and body weight to choke him out.
“Selena, the car...” Leslie said. With Eoghan out at the wheel, they’d surely crash. But the car was slowing...his foot releasing pressure on the gas as he struggled with Selena. His eyes bulged and Selena tugged harder.
She had to help. Yanking with all her might, she felt the ropes cut into her hands as they broke free from the door handle. Her hands still tied, Leslie crawled over the seat and took control of the wheel as Eoghan’s head fell forward, passed out.
She pressed her foot to the gas and slowly brought the car to the side of the highway, putting it in Park and exhaling a deep breath.
Oh my God...
Selena collapsed back against the seat and ripped the tape away from her mouth. “Motherfucker!” she said, rubbing her lips. She kicked the back of the seat and glared at Eoghan, slumped to one side, his head against the driver’s side window. “Can you believe this asshole?”
“No...but you called it.” And she hadn’t listened. “Can you untie me?” She extended her hands toward Selena but the movie star folded her arms.
“So, I was right about him.”
Leslie sighed. “You were right about him.”
“And you were wrong?”
“Seriously?”
“Say it.”
“Okay, I was wrong. Now untie me before he wakes up and murders you.”
Selena moved closer and untied the rope quickly.
Leslie grabbed her bag and retrieved her gun and handcuffs, then she dug around in the console for her cell phone. Battery was at twenty percent...but no cell service.
Fucking fantastic.
But at least they were no longer at the mercy of a stalker.
* * *
ARRIVING IN WILD RIVER twelve hours after receiving the call from Eddie, exhausted and fueled only by coffee and adrenaline, Levi headed straight to the police station. Leaving his crew to fight the fires in Florida on their own had been one of the toughest, quickest decisions he’d ever had to make in his life, but he couldn’t ignore his gut feeling that something was wrong. Leslie’s vehicle had a tracking device on it. That meant Selena’s stalker could know where they were. At least they’d been safe at the cabin, but the shop had reported that Leslie had picked up her vehicle hours ago.
“Any word from her?” Levi asked as he hurried into Eddie’s office. He’d had no luck reaching her on her cell phone and by now, he must be looking like a stalker himself with the number of missed calls she’d find on her phone.
He hadn’t showered or changed and he was dirty and he stank, but none of that mattered right now.
“No,” Eddie said. “But I’ve been tracking her car with the tracker and they’ve been driving south.” He looked worried, but not entirely convinced that something was legitimately wrong. “I tried calling you, but it went straight to voicemail,” Eddie said, taking in his gear.
“I was on a domestic flight back here,” Levi said.
“I hate to say it, man, but I might have put out the emergency call a little early,” Eddie said. “This could just be Leslie being Leslie.”
No way. His gut told him something was definitely off. “Normally, I’d agree but we’ve both been trying to reach her and by now she’d have at least sent a ‘Fuck off’ text,” he said.
Eddie nodded. “You’re right about that.” He paused. “So what should we do? They are about ten hours away already and other than asking a highway trooper to pull her car over, I’m not sure how to reach her.”
“Could we do that?”
Eddie grinned, reaching for his cell phone. “Probably not, but I can threaten it,” he said, texting her.
Levi sat in the chair across