CHRISTMAS AT THE CARDWELL RANCH by B.J. DANIELS

Author:B.J. DANIELS [DANIELS, B.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ROMANCE - - SUSPENSE
Publisher: HARLEQUIN
Published: 2013-10-05T04:00:00+00:00

GUHA BKOPAR

CAKNCA IKKNA

BNWJG IKKJAU

HSQ SWUJA

YHAPA NWJZ

NWU AIANU

LWQH XNKSJ

IEW ZQJYWJ

YWH BNWJGHEJ

HWNO HWJZANO

DWNHWJ YWNZSAHH

DQZ OWRWCA

She’d decoded enough to see a pattern, but it hadn’t held up either because whoever had come up with the code had been in a hurry and made mistakes or because they’d gotten confused and sloppy.

As she watched Gerald work, she saw that she’d been right. There were two lists of names. It amazed her how quickly he filled in the names. She had to give him credit. Gerald really was a master at this sort of thing.

“You were on the right track,” he said. “Just off a little.” Within minutes, he’d come up with two lists of names. “Is this all?” he asked, sounding disappointed as he handed the sheets to her and rose from the chair. “You’re sure there was nothing more on the original data?” He obviously would have much preferred some cryptic message. She would have, as well.

She glanced at the names, one of them taking her breath away.

Gerald didn’t seem to notice as he walked over and closed his suitcase with a finality that rang through the room. But when he turned toward her again, he said, “You and I are good together, Lily. You need me, now maybe more than you realize. I should leave you my cell phone number in case you change your—”

“I won’t change my mind, Gerald,” she said as she shoved the papers into her shoulder bag with trembling fingers.

“I see.” He had pulled out his business card as if about to write his new cell phone number on it, but now he stuck it back into his pocket. “I hope you don’t live to regret this, Lily. Clearly your behavior has taken a dangerous trajectory—if that cowboy is any indication.”

She smiled. She’d never been one to hold grudges, always quick to forgive and forget. But she took some satisfaction in realizing that Gerald was jealous. If he only knew.... “Goodbye, Gerald.”

He started to reach for her as if to kiss her cheek as he used to do when they parted, but she stepped back and walked out the door, leaving him standing there.

She had a death grip on her shoulder bag and the papers inside, and couldn’t wait to show Tag. As she walked out, she heard Gerald’s cell phone ring.

“Yes, I talked to her,” he said into the phone. “No, she won’t listen to reason.”

Gerald had apparently involved one of his sisters, Lily thought as she rushed to her vehicle. No, she won’t listen to reason? She gritted her teeth, never more glad that she hadn’t weakened and gone back to the man.

She was so deep in her thoughts that she didn’t even notice the large black SUV parked next to her on the driver’s side. Nor did she hear the back door of the SUV open or the man jump out directly behind her.

Lily didn’t even have time to scream as something wet and awful smelling was clamped over her mouth and she was dragged into the black pit of darkness in the back of the massive SUV.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.