Free A Twist of Betrayal by Allie Harrison

fought for control. “You don’t even know me well enough to know if you like me,” she pointed out.
    “I know what I like to look at. And,” he went on, his smile growing into an evil grin, “I also know Danny Boy loves you a lot even though he doesn’t deserve you, even though you cheated on him.”
    “I did not cheat on him.”
    “I’ve been watching you a long time. So we’ll see how much he’s willing to pay to get you back.”
    Again, he spoke as if he and Dan were more than casual acquaintances. Although perhaps he simply knew Dan if he’d been watching for a ‘long time.’ She probably would have dwelled more on that idea if her heart hadn’t dropped to her feet when she realized he knew about something about her that she couldn’t exactly remember herself. She pushed that bad thought to the back of her mind and concentrated on what he just said.
    He planned to ransom her?
    Being held for ransom was not a guarantee to keep her safe and it didn’t sit well with her. She and Dan were comfortable, but their lives were still ruled by house payments and car payments and insurance and a number of other things. They didn’t have the stash of money she guessed her abductor was planning to demand.
    Also, she couldn’t help but feel there was more to this than simple ransom, it was like he was after something specific.
    “Just how much do you plan to ask for?” she asked. She was more than a little curious as to what was she worth.
    She was also stalling for time until she thought of something else. Something better. It was an old courtroom tactic she’d been known to use—ask useless questions in a hope to rile the witness into saying something stupid that might help the case later, or useless questions meant to confuse the jury.
    “Two point nine million dollars,” he said, sweetly.
    That’s a pretty specific amount . “Is that how much you think I’m worth?” she asked, hoping to get some insight on this madman’s motivation. Justine’s stomach grumbled, reminding her she needed to eat, and she did her best to ignore it. The road twisted and turned more, and Justine completely lost track of her direction. And the clouds told her only of time slipping away as the sky darkened with the approaching evening.
    “It’s how much Danny owes me, but if you give me any trouble, it’s hard telling how much you’ll be worth. Understand?”
    The calmness in his voice, as if this were nothing more than a usual business deal, sent a shudder through her.
    Dan owes him? She nearly blurted out the question. She knew if she wanted straight answers, she had to keep him on a path that left him feeling safe and in control. Which meant she needed to stay in control. She was almost afraid to try any path at all. He was liable to clam up at any moment. Besides how could Dan possibly owe a man like him anything? He had to be mistaken. “You asked for this so-called trouble,” she reminded him. “I didn’t.” She felt as if she tested his limits with every word she said.
    She watched the darkening sky and found the idea of being in the dark with her kidnapper even more terrifying than being in the light. She didn’t know how much good talking to him was doing, but it helped ease her own fears.
    The motion of the van mixed with her empty stomach brought on a bout of nausea that she continued to fight against. She had a feeling that if she got sick in his van, he’d probably shoot her.
    He glanced over his shoulder at her. “If you do as I say and your hubby doesn’t try to be a hero, you’ll be home to serve him his usual French toast tomorrow. If not, well, you might just be serving me French toast,” he said shortly.
    For a long moment, she could think of no reply. That he should know Dan’s favorite breakfast was French toast was too much of a coincidence to sit well with her. It bothered her more than his knowing about her one night of maybe falling off the grid.
    “What if the police find you before