What the hell is he looking for?

“Do you know how easy it is to fake your death? When people find a mangled up car with a body in it, they tend to assume it’s you.”

“Don’t they check fingerprints or dental records? Something.”

He just laughed. “Someone’s been watching C.S.I. reruns again. Sure they look for that stuff but since the body I left in the car belongs to the real David Finemore, I’m sure the coroner found nothing amiss.”

He smirked at her before running his hands over the comforter.

“Even if there had been something to find, the body would have likely been too burned to give them much to work with. Fire covers a multitude of sins.”

Ridley shook her head in disgust. “Good to know. I’ll remember that if I ever decide to become a criminal.”

“Haven’t you heard? You already are. Tsk tsk, tsk, now why would you steal fifty grand from your new boyfriend?”

Oh god, what if he’d done something to Jackson?

It took everything within her not to ask. So far, he hadn’t done anything overtly violent. He’d just stolen money and stalked her until she thought she was going crazy. The last thing she wanted to do was bring Jackson to his attention.

“It was you.” Ridley swallowed the tears in her throat.

“Yes, it was me.” He laughed, a cold hard sound. “I had to do something to get you away from him. I’m not sure why you’re so shocked. No matter how much evidence you have to the contrary, you always want to believe the best of people.”

His eyes met hers and she shrank back against the wall. How could she have ever been attracted to him? Had his eyes always been so cold? Maybe it was the hair. He looked so different with dark hair. Forbidding.

“I like that about you, Ridley. You almost make me want to be a better man.” He winked at her before kneeling to look under the bed.

Ridley glanced at the window as soon as his head was out of sight. It was early morning and there was no one to hear her if she screamed. She didn’t dare try to run. He’d only catch her and then he’d be even more pissed off. Her best bet was to keep him talking as long as possible.

As long as he was talking, she was still alive.

“Okay, you win. You got the money. Everyone thinks you’re dead. I don’t understand why you’re here. Shouldn’t you stay hidden?”

He sat on the edge of the bed casually, as if they were just hanging out. “That was the plan. Little setback though. I need my necklace. It wasn’t in your apartment in Florida or your car or anywhere in this fucking house! So, where is it?”

“I don’t know.”

David hissed in a breath. “I’ve been really nice so far, Ridley, my dear but I’m losing patience.”

She couldn’t understand why he’d come all this way for a piece of jewelry but then again all her jewelry was fake. The jewels on the necklace he’d given her were probably real.

“Why would you even care about that now? With all the money you stole, you can just buy another one.” Ridley edged toward the side of the bed, frantically trying to think of a plan. As soon as he realized she didn’t have the necklace anymore, then she had nothing to bargain with.

And he no longer had any reason to keep her alive.

“It doesn’t matter why I need it. I gave it to you because I figured it would be easy to come back and relieve you of it later.”

David sighed and then stood. He raised his arm and pointed his gun directly at her chest.

“But you had to make this difficult.”

*   *   *   *   *

“DROP THE GUN, Moreno.”

When they turned the corner into the master bedroom, Jackson knelt down so he could see around his brother. His heart almost stopped. Eli had convinced him that it was better if he went in with his guys first. They were licensed bodyguards and if someone had to take a shot, it was better if it was one of his team instead of a civilian.

He’d agreed mainly because he’d still been hoping his brother’s theory was wrong. But clearly they’d figured it out too late. Moreno held Ridley in a chokehold, his gun pointed at her temple.

“Not a chance. Not until I get what I want.”

Jackson nodded to Nick. Now that they were sure Moreno was here, they could alert Eli’s contact at the FBI. Nick raised his chin and pulled out his phone and walked back down the stairs.

“What is it that you want?” Jackson spoke up. “I’ll give you whatever you want if you let her go.”

“Who is that? Show yourself!” Moreno screamed.

Jackson stepped to the side so he was visible. He held his hands up in the air, showing that he wasn’t armed. “I’m right here.”

“Jackson, what are you doing?” Eli muttered.

“I’m just trying to deal.” Jackson said loud enough for everyone to hear. “If you want money, I can do that. You need a car to get away from here, you can have mine. Nobody needs to get hurt.”

“I don’t need any of that. All I need is the necklace.”

“Oh, you mean this?” Jackson pulled the necklace from his pocket and held it up to the light. The crystals on the front caught the light as it spun on its chain. “You can definitely have this if you let her go.”

“What about them? You expect me to believe that you’ll just hand it over and let me walk out of here. I’m not an idiot.”