Free Steal My Heart by Linsey Lanier Page A

in the white suit? Surely that was just coincidence. The kidnapper couldn’t know she’d been married to Mark. Why would that matter to him anyway?
    If only the horrid man on the phone had let her talk to Holly. If only she could hear her little girl’s voice again. She should have demanded to speak to her. Tell him he wouldn’t get his necklace if he didn’t. But she’d been too afraid he’d hurt Holly.
    Six o’clock. She could go crazy by then.
    She should fight back. Come up with some sort of a plan. But she couldn’t think of a thing that wouldn’t put her daughter’s life in more danger.
    She made her way around another block and ended up turning into a garage near the mall on Broadway.
    Hardly knowing what she was doing, she parked her Acura, got out and blended into the crowd on the sidewalk. A bright neon sign caught her eye and she glided through the store entrance as if in a trance. She made her way to the open area, wandered across the glossy checkerboard tiles, past the lingerie shop, the vitamin store, and displays of color-coordinated dresses on skinny mannequins.
    She stepped onto an escalator and rode it up to the brightly lit second level. A toy store caught her eye. Holly had been asking for a “friend” for Jack the Rabbit. Paige had said no but now she wanted to buy every stuffed animal in the place.
    She headed straight for the store. She’d almost reached it when her cell rang. The kidnapper?
    Her heart racing, she reached into her purse and pushed the button on her phone. “Hello?”
    “Is anything wrong, dear?”
    Paige exhaled, partly in relief, partly in exasperation. “Hello, Mom.”
    “Honey, I’ve been calling all morning. Where have you been?”
    She ran a hand through her hair. “I’ve just been…shopping.”
    “Oh. Shopping? Without me?” Her mother laughed. “What are you buying my grandchild this time?” Her mother loved to spoil Holly with gifts.
    Paige squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she could tell her the truth. “Nothing.”
    “Tightwad,” her mother teased. “Let me talk to her. We’ll both conspire against you.”
    Paige stared blankly at the door to the toy store. A young woman in a blue sweat suit pushed past her. She turned away, found a bench near a potted tree and sank onto it. Her mind spinning, she forced herself to think of something to say. “Holly’s still at her friend’s, Mom.”
    “Really? She’s awfully young to be away from home so long. Don’t you think?”
    Paige put her hand to her mouth. She couldn’t break down. She couldn’t lose it. Not now. “She, uh, called me this morning. They were having so much fun. I just couldn’t say no.” It was such a heartbreaking lie, she couldn’t believe the words were coming out of her own mouth.
    “You’re not usually such a pushover.”
    “I guess I’m getting more like you, Mom.”
    “Oh really?” Holly could get anything she wanted out of her softhearted grandmother and Paige was the one who often said no.
    She watched a young couple with a baby in a stroller roll past. “I…I just needed some alone time.”
    She could feel her mother’s sympathetic  smile. “Now that makes sense. Every parent needs a break now and then. It’s perfectly natural, dear. I understand.”
    “I’m glad you do, Mom.”
    “But you could have asked me to take her.”
    “Maybe later.”
    There was a long pause and Paige thought she might blurt out the truth. She couldn’t do that. The kidnapper could be spying on her.
    “Well, I guess I’ll let you go.”
    Paige winced at the disappointment in her mother’s voice and promised herself she’d make it up to her when this was over. “Thanks, Mom. I do have some things I need to do.”
    “Have Holly call me when she gets home. I want to hear all about her sleepover.”
    “Sure. I’ll talk to you later.”
    “Bye.”
    More guilt ridden than ever, Paige hung up and gazed at the toy store again. All she had to do was wait until six and Holly