was going on with his company or if Marklynn was correct in implying that the disappearance of her sister was connected. If it was, then whoever was behind it could hurt her if she continued to get in the way and he didn’t want that. He felt the need to protect her.
“…for you are mine at last,”
Etta finished on a soulful note.
“You called the meeting,” she said seeming almost relieved when the song ended, which led him to believe he wasn’t the only one affected by the ambience. “You have the floor or are you going to sit there and stare at me?”
“You don’t listen very well so I feel compelled to repeat myself,” Beck’s voice was hard, Etta James forgotten. “I don’t know where your sister is. Yes, she called me but we
never
connected.”
“I don’t believe you because I have a set of pictures that says otherwise.”
“The pictures you have are just that, pictures. You don’t know what they mean,” he said, downplaying the fact that she could cause a whole lot of trouble for him. He wanted time to find out what the pictures meant and who had taken them. “Furthermore, whether you believe me or not is irrelevant. I want you to
back off
.”
She didn’t respond and Beck let out an inaudible sigh.
“Fine. Stay out of my way or next time you’ll be permanently detained.”
“Is that a threat?” She sat up straight in the chair staring at him, eyes burning with anger.
The waiter appeared again and this time it was Beck that waved him away.
“Call it whatever you like. We’re done here.”
Beck left her sitting at the table fuming. If he thought she was mad before when they first met, she was ticked royally now. He wasn’t sure what to expect when he’d called to set up the meeting, but it wasn’t the woman sitting in front of him unmoved by his words.
There was no way she was backing away and his little, ‘Call it whatever you like’ may have added fuel to the fire. A fire that he might just get caught in.
Marklynn Brooks wasn’t going anywhere. That was evident in the way she glared at him. If he had a sister and she was in trouble, he would have done the same thing, moved heaven and earth to find her.
He would have to be content with her following him until he could figure out a way to get her off his back. Beck got into his vehicle and slammed the door with more force than intended, cursing under his breath.
The woman was infuriating. He watched as she started across the street to get to her 4Runner, ready to follow him, a defiant stare stamped on her face. With the taunting look of “what are you going to do now?”
The squealing of tires burning against the asphalt dragged his attention away from her towards the speeding pickup rounding the corner. It barreled down the middle of the street right at her
He shoved opened the door and yelled, “Watch out!”
Chapter Four
M arkie turned her head when she heard the screeching tires and saw the pickup barreling towards her. Whoever was behind the wheel wanted to kill her. She raced towards the patio restaurant. People scattered in all directions screaming as the pickup jumped the curb.
She made it to the brick partition that separated the sidewalk from the restaurant and sailed over it just before the pickup slammed into the wall with a loud bang. It was like being caught in an avalanche as she fought to keep from being buried under tables, chairs, bricks and whatever else that landed on her.
Something hit her in the eye as she went down and got pinned under the debris. She couldn’t breathe and forced herself to remain calm, not giving in to the darkness that wanted to claim her.
There were voices. People yelling and cursing. Someone was screaming. Someone was crying. It wasn’t long before she felt debris being lifted off her and a hand reached out and pulled her to her feet.
Beck.
“Are you alright?”
She saw sheer terror in his eyes. It made her forget for a moment that he may have been the one
“…for you are mine at last,”
Etta finished on a soulful note.
“You called the meeting,” she said seeming almost relieved when the song ended, which led him to believe he wasn’t the only one affected by the ambience. “You have the floor or are you going to sit there and stare at me?”
“You don’t listen very well so I feel compelled to repeat myself,” Beck’s voice was hard, Etta James forgotten. “I don’t know where your sister is. Yes, she called me but we
never
connected.”
“I don’t believe you because I have a set of pictures that says otherwise.”
“The pictures you have are just that, pictures. You don’t know what they mean,” he said, downplaying the fact that she could cause a whole lot of trouble for him. He wanted time to find out what the pictures meant and who had taken them. “Furthermore, whether you believe me or not is irrelevant. I want you to
back off
.”
She didn’t respond and Beck let out an inaudible sigh.
“Fine. Stay out of my way or next time you’ll be permanently detained.”
“Is that a threat?” She sat up straight in the chair staring at him, eyes burning with anger.
The waiter appeared again and this time it was Beck that waved him away.
“Call it whatever you like. We’re done here.”
Beck left her sitting at the table fuming. If he thought she was mad before when they first met, she was ticked royally now. He wasn’t sure what to expect when he’d called to set up the meeting, but it wasn’t the woman sitting in front of him unmoved by his words.
There was no way she was backing away and his little, ‘Call it whatever you like’ may have added fuel to the fire. A fire that he might just get caught in.
Marklynn Brooks wasn’t going anywhere. That was evident in the way she glared at him. If he had a sister and she was in trouble, he would have done the same thing, moved heaven and earth to find her.
He would have to be content with her following him until he could figure out a way to get her off his back. Beck got into his vehicle and slammed the door with more force than intended, cursing under his breath.
The woman was infuriating. He watched as she started across the street to get to her 4Runner, ready to follow him, a defiant stare stamped on her face. With the taunting look of “what are you going to do now?”
The squealing of tires burning against the asphalt dragged his attention away from her towards the speeding pickup rounding the corner. It barreled down the middle of the street right at her
He shoved opened the door and yelled, “Watch out!”
Chapter Four
M arkie turned her head when she heard the screeching tires and saw the pickup barreling towards her. Whoever was behind the wheel wanted to kill her. She raced towards the patio restaurant. People scattered in all directions screaming as the pickup jumped the curb.
She made it to the brick partition that separated the sidewalk from the restaurant and sailed over it just before the pickup slammed into the wall with a loud bang. It was like being caught in an avalanche as she fought to keep from being buried under tables, chairs, bricks and whatever else that landed on her.
Something hit her in the eye as she went down and got pinned under the debris. She couldn’t breathe and forced herself to remain calm, not giving in to the darkness that wanted to claim her.
There were voices. People yelling and cursing. Someone was screaming. Someone was crying. It wasn’t long before she felt debris being lifted off her and a hand reached out and pulled her to her feet.
Beck.
“Are you alright?”
She saw sheer terror in his eyes. It made her forget for a moment that he may have been the one
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