Living on the Edge (3 page)

Tanner nodded slowly. Not exactly the normal response of a worried and grieving husband.

“Why would they do that?” Hilliard ask. “They wanted ransom money, not to hurt her. I didn't think kidnappers hurt their victims. I want those people found. I want them punished for what they did to my wife.”

It wasn't much of a recovery, Tanner thought, but then maybe he was reading too much into the conversation. Still, it was interesting that Hilliard characterized his wife as emotionally weak. From what Tanner had seen of Madison, she was tough. She'd been through hell, possibly at the hands of her ex-husband, and she was still holding it together.

“Not my line of work,” Tanner told him. “You'll have to find someone else for that job. Oh, I almost forgot. About the ransom…” He paused deliberately, giving Hilliard time to sweat.

“Yes? It was paid.”

“No. Once I had Madison, I sent my men to intercept it.”

There was only silence. Tanner waited. If Hilliard wasn't involved and if he hadn't done it for the money, he wouldn't care one way or the other.

“Where is the money now?” Hilliard asked, his voice carefully neutral.

But Tanner had been in the business for too long to be fooled. The other man was angry and frustrated. He'd wanted the ransom delivered. Dammit all to hell, he thought grimly. Madison was right. Her ex was in this up to his eyeballs. But how? And why?

Questions to be answered later.

“I'm having the ransom delivered to Mr. Adams at his office. I've notified his banker, as well, so he'll be
there to take possession of the money. It's a lot of cash to have lying around. I wouldn't want anything to happen to it.”

“You're very thorough,” Hilliard said, his rage barely concealed.

“That's what you pay me to be. Speaking of which, you owe me the second half of my fee.”

“Yes. Of course.” Hilliard sucked in a breath. “Where is Madison? Are you having her delivered to her father's office, as well?”

“That's a funny thing,” Tanner said, enjoying the moment. “She's pretty shaken, as you can imagine. Right now she just wants to lay low for a while.”

“What, exactly, does that mean?”

“She'll be my guest for a few days.”

Hilliard swore. “You can't do that. You're just as bad as they are. I suppose we'll be getting a ransom demand from you, as well.”

“I'm not holding your wife against her will, Mr. Hilliard. This is at her very specific request.”

“I want my wife back immediately. It's what you were hired to do. If you don't return her, I'll go to the police.”

“In your position, that's what I'd do, as well,” Tanner told him.

“You can't do this.”

“I just did.”

Tanner hung up the phone and wondered what would happen next. If he and Madison were wrong and Hilliard wasn't playing a game, he would go directly to the police. But Tanner doubted that was likely. There was
something going on—something that had cost Hilliard twenty million dollars.

 

Christopher did his best to lose himself in work, but it was impossible. Rage interfered with his concentration. How could things have gone so badly?

He knew Madison was responsible. The bitch had been nothing but an impediment for the past three years. He'd married her expecting someone beautiful and brainless to decorate his world. Instead she'd gotten a job, gotten involved and made his life a living hell. She had opinions, damn her.

His phone rang. He wanted to rip it out of the wall, but he forced himself to answer it.

“Hilliard,” he said.

“Ah, Christopher. So glad I caught you.” Blaine Adams rambled on about problems with a circuit board.

Christopher tried to concentrate and offer reasonable suggestions when what he really wanted was to ask the old man how he could be so stupid. Didn't he realize what was going on in his own company or with his own daughter? Better for Christopher that he didn't, but how could one person be so unaware?

“Oh,” the older man said when they'd finished the mini brainstorming session. “A very nice young man stopped by earlier with the ransom money. That Mr. Keane said it would be delivered here, and it was. My banker has already taken possession of it. You were right to hire that Mr. Keane. A fine man.”

“One of the best,” Christopher said between clenched teeth. “I'd heard Keane was efficient.”

“And so he was. Now Madison can concentrate on relaxing and getting over this horrible ordeal. You'll be there for her, won't you, Christopher?”

“Of course. You know Madison is my life.”

“Yes, yes. It's a pity she got so headstrong and left. I'm sure it was nothing but a misunderstanding. I'm counting on you to win her back. Show her your soft side. She'll need that over the next few weeks. Unfortunately my little girl has too much of her mother in her. Little can be done with a weak mind.”

“I love her anyway,” Christopher said.

“I know. You're a good man. Like a son to me.” Blaine chuckled. “What a cliché. All right, back to work, my boy. The same for me. These problems won't solve themselves, will they?”

With that, the old man hung up. Christopher slammed the receiver back into place. What he wouldn't give to get his hands on Madison. He wouldn't just show her his softer side, as her father had requested, he would strangle the bitch with his bare hands.

How had it all gone wrong? Keane wasn't supposed to intercept the ransom. Christopher had been counting on that money. He'd needed fifteen of the twenty million for his next payment to Stanislav. The Russian Mafia did
not
like to be kept waiting. The remaining five million had been to cover his gambling losses. What the hell was he supposed to do now?

He stood, crossed to the credenza against the wall, picked up the vase there and threw it into the closed door. The loud smash followed by the rain of shards on
the hardwood floor made him feel better for a brief second or two, but then desperation and panic returned.

He needed the next phase of the jamming system. He'd already arranged a press conference to announce it and if he canceled now, people would talk. Word would travel around the industry that his program was in trouble. No, he had to get the money somehow.

He returned to his desk and glanced at the calendar. There wasn't much time left. Stanislav had warned him that if he was late again, the Russian would find another buyer. Christopher couldn't let that happen. He needed the cutting-edge technology and the billions it would bring in to his company and, therefore, to him. He wanted to be the biggest and the best, then he wanted to destroy everyone who had ever said he couldn't do it.

And he wanted Madison back. He wanted her crawling, broken and bleeding. He would use her until she begged and then he would kill her.

When that happened, it would be a very good day.

M
adison walked back and forth in the small room until her legs and back ached, then she perched on the edge of the bed and stared at the door. Once again, she had no idea of how much time had passed or when Tanner Keane would return. She only knew she was desperately afraid he wouldn't find whatever he'd gone looking for and that he would return her to Christopher. One thing she'd learned in the past few days was that she wasn't ready to die.

She rested her elbows on her thighs and dropped her head to her hands. Thoughts swirled—a kaleidoscope of the mistakes she'd made that had brought her to this place. Had it started when she'd fallen for Christopher, or did the roots go deeper than that? Had her first sin been committed when she'd grown up spoiled and self
ish, never looking at the world beyond what it could offer her?

A sound caught her attention. She straightened, then stood, only to sink back onto the bed when the room seemed to swim around her. In the time it took to clear her head, the door opened and Tanner stepped inside.

She forced herself to her feet and stared at him. His expression gave nothing away, which shouldn't surprise her. She wanted to speak, to ask about her fate, but her mouth was too dry. The ever-present fear grew until it pushed the air out of her body.

“I had an interesting talk with your husband,” he said as he leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Ex-husband,” she whispered, never taking her gaze from his face.

“Funny how he doesn't mention that, although I checked on the records, and you're right. The divorce is final.”

Some small measure of relief battled for space with the fear. Did that mean he would believe her? That she could be safe for a little while longer?

She waited, instinctively knowing it would be better if
he
spoke rather than her.

“I don't believe you,” he said flatly.

The blood seemed to rush from her body, leaving her cold and boneless. She sank to the bed as the room spun and a high-pitched sound filled her head.

“But I don't believe him, either.”

Madison blinked. “W-what?”

“Something's not right. I think you're a rich bitch
drama queen, but I'm not convinced your ex is telling the truth. There are secrets on both sides, and I want to know what they are.”

He defined her in words designed to wound, but right now she didn't care what he thought of her.

“You're not sending me back?” she asked, barely daring to hope.

“Not yet.”

Fear receded, leaving little to support her, and she swayed slightly. Tanner frowned.

“When was the last time you ate or slept?” he asked.

“It's been a while.”

His face tightened with contempt. “I know it's stylish to be stick-thin, but starvation isn't much of a fashion statement.”

She shook her head. “It wasn't like that. I couldn't eat there. Or sleep. This isn't about being on a diet. I just…” She drew in a breath. “Have you ever been kidnapped? It's not a restful situation.”

He didn't look convinced. The man didn't like her, and she found the realization oddly comforting. He didn't want anything from her except the truth. He was good enough not to be willing to return her to a situation that might be dangerous, but he wasn't interested in what he could get from her.

But she did have something to offer him.

“I'll pay you for your protection,” she said. “Double whatever Christopher offered you.”

Tanner's gaze narrowed and his mouth twisted. “Don't make me think less of you than I already do,” he said flatly. “I'm not doing this for the money.”

She wanted to ask why he was then. Why didn't he just let her go and be killed? But she didn't—there was no point in pushing him.

“I find it interesting that you've taken such a dislike to me when you don't know me at all,” she said instead.

“I know your type.”

“What type is that?”

“Rich. Useless.”

He spoke with a certainty that told her she wasn't the first wealthy woman to cross his path and that whoever had done it before had scarred him in some way. A lover? A client?

Tanner straightened. “I'm moving you to a safe house. No one will be able to find you there, so you can eat and get some sleep. I'll keep on investigating Hilliard. If I turn up enough evidence to validate what you've told me, we'll talk about you hiring me to protect you. If you're lying…”

His voice trailed off. She had no doubt there would be some serious punishment involved. Still, she wondered if he could come up with anything worse than what she'd already endured. He didn't seem to be the type to use physical force against someone so ill equipped to handle it. She supposed rape was a possibility, but she doubted that was his style. Wasn't rape supposed to be about power? Tanner was the most powerful man she'd ever met. He would hardly need to prove himself.

Oh, but he would think of something. She was confident. She supposed she should worry about that, but she couldn't. After all she'd been through in the past ten
days, she couldn't find the strength to be any more afraid.

“I accept your terms.”

One corner of his mouth turned up in an almost smile. “You don't have a choice.”

“Perhaps not, but I accept them anyway.”

“I'm going to have to blindfold you. The safe house works only as long as no one knows where it is. If the idea of a blindfold freaks you out, I can sedate you.”

The idea of a blindfold terrified her. It was too much like being kidnapped all over again. But the thought of being drugged was worse.

“I prefer the blindfold. I don't like the idea of losing control.”

“Some people spend their whole lives looking for the perfect way to do just that.”

“Not me.” She stared at him and had the odd thought she very much wanted him to like her. “I'm not what you think.”

He looked instantly bored. “I'll be right back.”

He walked out of the room, leaving the door open. Madison stared at the narrow concrete hallway and wondered if his actions were a test to see if she could be trusted. It didn't matter. She had no plans to bolt for freedom. Right now Tanner was all that stood between her and Christopher. She already knew what her ex-husband was capable of. For now she was more than willing to put her fate into the hands of a stranger. With Tanner, the odds were a whole lot better.

If Madison had been asked to guess, she would have said the drive had taken about forty-five minutes. She'd been put in the rear of a van of some kind. There weren't
any seats, but there were plenty of blankets. She'd curled up on them and listened to the sound of the engine and the road. Exhaustion had claimed her a few times and she'd dozed for a second or two.

When the van stopped, she straightened. She heard a garage door opening, then the van moved forward and the garage door closed behind it. There was the click of the lock followed by the creak of metal as the rear of the vehicle opened.

“You can take off the blindfold now,” Tanner said.

For reasons that had made no sense to her, he hadn't tied her hands. She reached up and pulled off the blindfold, only to find herself in a dark box inside a van. Of course, she thought, knowing that if she'd been less exhausted she would have found the situation humorous. He hadn't tied her hands because once she was in the van it hadn't mattered if she'd removed the blindfold. There was nothing for her to see.

Very slick, she thought as she crawled to the end of the van and stepped down.

Lack of food and sleep made her shaky. She stumbled as she tried to stand. He grabbed her by the arm and held her steady.

“You've been tough all through this,” he said gruffly. “Don't faint on me now.”

“I won't,” she promised, although she wasn't completely sure of her facts.

“Come on. I'll give you the quick tour, then you can crash for a few hours.”

Sleep sounded like heaven. Maybe here, with Tan
ner watching over her, she would feel comfortable enough to relax.

He released her arm and motioned for her to step around him. After closing the back of the van, he led the way into the house.

She wasn't sure what she'd expected—perhaps some high-tech, modern space done in shades of white. What she found instead was a sprawling single-story ranch-style home with a few modifications.

From the garage they passed through a laundry room and into a hallway that led into a large family room. There was a big-screen television and several electronic components, along with two black leather sofas. The house itself might be forty or fifty years old, but the paint and the furniture looked relatively new.

Madison glanced at the ceiling, looking for cameras or some kind of monitoring device. She didn't see any. She did notice a strange screening material over the windows and pointed to it.

“No one can see in,” Tanner said. “And you can't get out. But the windows all open if you feel the need for fresh air.”

She was less worried about that than being trapped. “What if there's a fire?”

“There won't be.”

He walked into a large kitchen and pointed out the basic amenities. There was already plenty of food in the refrigerator and pantry. Simple things that were easy to prepare.

“Help yourself,” he told her.

She nodded, knowing she had to eat something eventually, but right now all she wanted was sleep.

Next up was what would have been the formal living and dining room. Instead she saw several desks and shelves, all crammed with electronic equipment. None of it made sense to her. There were screens and keyboards and odd display units.

Tanner stepped inside and grabbed something from a nearly empty desk. She didn't see what it was until he returned to her side and snapped it on her wrist.

“What on earth?” She stared at the gray metal bracelet. There was no visible catch, no markings of any kind.

“My game, my rules,” he said. “You play by them or I return you to your ex.”

“Why?” she asked, not sure if she was asking why he'd done it or why she didn't get a say in the rules.

“I don't trust you,” he said flatly.

Good to know where she stood. “You could just let me go. I'll be fine on my own.”

“If he's everything you say, he'll find you within twenty-four hours. Is that what you want?”

No, but she didn't want this either, she thought as she rubbed the bracelet. “What does it do?”

“Keeps you safe and keeps you here.” He motioned to the control center of the house.

Madison glanced at him, then back to the bracelet before taking a step forward.

“You have entered an unauthorized area,” a female computerized voice said. “Please return to an authorized area or an alarm will sound.”

She jumped back. “It's some kind of monitoring system.”

“Exactly. You can go anywhere you want in the house except for in here and within five feet of the front and back door. There's a patio off the family room. You can go as far as the overhang.”

She tried to make herself feel better by thinking that at least an alarm sounding was better than him blowing off her hand, but she wasn't all that comforted. Tanner might be her only shot at staying alive, but she'd just exchanged one prison for another.

“My rules,” he repeated.

“I got that.”

She had a choice. She could accept them or she could be returned to Christopher. On second thought, not much of a choice at all.

For the first time since she'd been kidnapped, she had the overwhelming urge to cry. She wanted to slump down on the floor and sob until everything was better. Instead she sucked in a breath and forced herself to stay strong. Tanner was her only hope. She needed him on her side. He seemed to appreciate strength, so that's what she would show him.

“Anything else?” she asked, feeling her exhaustion down to her bones.

“No. Your room is down here.”

He led her along another hallway before turning into a cheery bedroom. There was a full-size bed, a dresser with a television on it, two nightstands and a small desk. One door led into a closet, the other to a small bathroom, complete with a shower.

Madison had only been allowed to bathe every third
day while she'd been kidnapped. She longed for some serious water time. But first, sleep.

He glanced at his watch. “Why don't you rest for three or four hours. Then you can eat.”

“Fine.”

He walked to the door, then paused and turned back to her. “No phone, no contact with the outside world.”

She wasn't even surprised. “So you could kill me and no one would ever know where I'd been or where to find the body.”