Deadly Payback (Hardy Brothers Security Book 22) Read online

  As for James, he refused to sleep. He took one look at the bed he shared with his wife and slammed the bedroom door before storming outside. The family kept an eye on him as he paced, even feeling hopeful when he let himself into the guesthouse after midnight. Once inside, though, he poured himself a drink and proceeded to sob when he stumbled over Mandy’s stuffed shark on the game room couch.

  Rather than see his brother wallow in a bottle, Grady made the bold move to confiscate every stitch of liquor in the guesthouse. James watched him with a reproachful stare, but didn’t argue when Grady carted the bottles to the main house – and then locked them in the garage. Even James had to admit that being drunk when Mandy needed him wasn’t the way to go.

  Sometime in the night he left the guesthouse – without getting a lick of sleep – and found his way to the living room. Once there he clutched the stuffed shark animal to his chest and sank to the floor, staring at the wall for the rest of the night.

  “He’s not good,” Grady answered. “We took turns watching him, essentially sleeping in shifts. We need sleep to help him. He needs it, too, but it’s as if he’s vowed not to get any sleep until Mandy comes home.”

  “That’s not what he’s doing. He can’t go to sleep because he’s afraid if he does he’ll wake up to news Mandy is dead or something,” Ally said wearily, pushing a mug of coffee in front of Jake as she rested her forehead against his temple. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you, too, angel,” Jake said. “I wanted to be with you. I know you miss Mandy almost as much as James does.”

  “I do miss her,” Ally confirmed. “I haven’t given up, though. He’s bordering on giving up.”

  “He’s not giving up,” Grady argued. “He’s just … lost. He can’t think straight. The lack of sleep isn’t helping. He hasn’t shut his eyes in more than twenty-four hours. Before that he was already sleep-deprived because Mandy locked herself in the guesthouse. He’s going to go crazy if we don’t get him to rest.”

  “Do you have any suggestions?” Jake asked. “I’m up for helping any way that I can. He looks as if he’s about to keel over.”

  “I do have an idea, but it’s going to go over like a lead balloon and Mom and Dad will never let me hear the end of it if I do it.”

  “What’s the idea?” Jake was intrigued, despite himself. “If it’s good I’ll do it. They can be angry with me all they want.”

  “I’m going to drug him.” Grady made the announcement as boldly as if he said he was going to make a cherry pie. “I’m going to ask Peter for a sedative and drug the crap out of him.”

  “You are not,” Ally challenged, mortified. “That’s breaking every family rule we have.”

  “I understand that, Ally, but he’s never going to forgive himself if lack of sleep clouds his mind,” Grady said. “I firmly believe we’re going to find Mandy. I also believe it’s going to take all of us to get her back.

  “Peter is on his way over right now,” he continued. “He’s loaning us men and has ears on the street. If anyone out there hears a hint about where Mandy is being kept, Peter will know and we’ll move right away. How do you think James is going to feel if we have to rescue Mandy without him?”

  “Terrible,” Ally acknowledged. “I just … do you really want to do that to him?”

  “Want? No. Do I think it’s necessary? That’s an entirely different story.”

  Ally shook her head. “Let me talk to him first.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea, angel,” Jake said. “He’s clearly gone. He has a tendency to fly off the handle when Mandy is in danger. He’ll yell and scream at you if you go over there.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “Well, I do,” Jake said. “I cannot stand by and let him verbally abuse you. I don’t have it in me to put up with that.”

  “He won’t verbally abuse me,” Ally said. “He doesn’t have the energy right now. He needs someone to talk to. You said it yourself. I love Mandy as much as he does.”

  “I said you missed her almost as much as he does,” Jake clarified. “The love he shares with her is different. It’s special.”

  “I know exactly what it is,” Ally said. “I also know how to get through to him. You have to give me a chance.”

  “No.”

  “Well, I’m not asking permission,” Ally said, evading Jake’s hands when he reached out to snag her around the waist as she moved around the counter. His reflexes were dulled from exhaustion. “I can handle this. Trust me.”

  MANDY was in dire straits the next morning. Her mouth hurt it was so dry and her muscle pain had shifted from pins and needles to outright screams. That didn’t mean she was happy to see Clint when he cheerfully made his way into the basement.

  “I made you oatmeal,” Clint announced, smiling brightly. “I’ll bet you’re hungry.”

  Mandy glowered in his direction. “I’m not hungry.”

  “You need to eat,” Clint admonished. “You won’t be able to keep up your strength if you don’t eat.”

  “I can’t eat,” Mandy shot back. “I’m in too much pain.”

  “Oh, no,” Clint cooed. “What hurts, my love?”

  “Stop calling me that,” Mandy hissed. “As for what hurts, everything hurts. You tied the ropes so tight that you cut off my circulation. I think my arms are about to fall off.”

  “Oh, that,” Clint intoned, wrinkling his nose. “There’s no reason to get dramatic. I can fix that up in a jiffy.”

  Mandy wanted to kick anyone who used the word “jiffy.” Since Clint was responsible for her incarceration – and Heidi’s death – she wanted to use knife-studded boots when she kicked him. “Great.”

  Mandy had every intention of attacking Clint when he loosened her bindings. Unfortunately for her, the second her blood flow returned to her extremities she groaned and sank to the floor. Her muscles couldn’t support her.

  “They were a little tighter than I realized,” Clint said, offering a rueful smile. “I’m sorry about that. I should’ve checked before I went up for the night. Oh, well. I’ll know better next time.”

  Mandy had no intention of there being a next time, but she didn’t tell that to Clint. Instead she made a big show of rubbing her wrists and leaning against the chair as she groaned. “Ugh. It hurts.”

  “Oh, my poor baby.”

  Mandy gritted her teeth and bit her tongue to keep from lashing out at Clint’s term of endearment. James was the only one who could call her “baby.” James. Mandy’s heart hurt at the mere thought of him. He was probably struggling more than she was with their separation. At least she knew he was okay. He had no idea what happened to her. How long did he look before panic set in? Did he fly off the handle when he realized I was gone? Oh, God, did he think I left him on purpose?

  “What are you thinking?” Clint’s eyes were keen as they locked with Mandy’s. “Where did you just go?”

  “Honestly? I tried to shut my mind down for a minute because this hurts like you wouldn’t believe,” Mandy lied. She knew bringing up James right now wasn’t going to help her cause. “You have no idea how painful this is.”

  “I think you’re exaggerating,” Clint said, chuckling. “Heidi said you were something of a hypochondriac. I thought about strangling her the day she said it because I thought she was insulting you. It turns out I was wrong.”

  It turns out Clint was a flaming tool, Mandy thought. She managed to keep that insult to herself – but just barely. “I’m not exaggerating,” Mandy said, an idea forming. “I have anemia.”

  Clint’s eyes flashed. “What is that? Is it catchy?”

  “No. It’s an iron deficiency,” Mandy said, searching her memory for ways to use the ailment to her advantage. She didn’t really have it, but Emma was diagnosed during her pregnancy. Mandy figured what she couldn’t remember she could just make up and see how far Clint was willing to go to fulfill their happily ever after destiny. “When I go without my medication, my blood clots and can caus
e me to die.”

  Clint was dumbfounded. “That’s not true.”

  “Look it up,” Mandy prodded. “I have a severe case of anemia. I have a prescription at home.”

  “Heidi never mentioned that … and this is your new home.”

  Mandy ignored the admonishment. “I meant that my medication is back at James’ house,” Mandy said, chewing on the inside of her cheek to refrain from saying something hateful. “Without it I could form more and more blood clots. They could get into my lungs. When that happens, I’m going to die.”

  “No, no, no,” Clint said, shaking his head. “I would’ve known about that. You’re lying.”

  “Look it up on the internet,” Mandy suggested. “Personally, I’m in so much pain I don’t care if I die.”

  “Don’t say that,” Clint snapped. “You’re going to be my wife. You can’t die.”

  “Well, if you want to keep me alive, you’re going to have to get me some medication,” Mandy said. “I doubt very much you’re going to be able to break into James’ house to get it, though.”

  “I … need time to think,” Clint said, rubbing the back of his neck. He was clearly confused. “Will you be okay for a few minutes while I go upstairs to research this?”

  “I guess,” Mandy said, adopting a faint tone as she rested her head against the chair. “Hurry up and make your decision, though. I’m getting weak.”

  “I’ll … be right back.” Clint bolted for the stairs but stilled his ascent halfway up. “Don’t try to escape.”

  “I’m too weak to escape, Clint,” Mandy said. “Even if I did, dying in the woods holds no appeal. I don’t want to die alone.”

  “You’re not going to die!”

  “Then figure out a way to keep me alive,” Mandy said. “I can only think of one way and you’re going to have to go to town to do it.”

  “Oh!” Clint flapped his arms. “I need to think for a minute. I’ll be right back.”

  Mandy managed to hold back her smug smile until Clint slammed shut the upstairs door. Then she furiously went to work on restoring blood flow to her hands and feet. The plan she formulated wasn’t much – and there were plenty of holes – but at least she had something to focus on.

  “I’VE GOT something.”

  Finn was exhausted by the time he got to James’ house. One look at his brother, though, told him that he was doing better than at least one member of the family. Ally sat next to James, holding his hand and murmuring quietly. He had no idea what she said, but Finn was almost mesmerized watching his siblings interact.

  “They’ve been talking for an hour straight,” Grady said, keeping his voice low. “She’s the only one who has been able to keep him calm. I have no idea what she’s saying to him, but he’s listening and talking back to her. He’s not yelling or anything.”

  Finn furrowed his brow. “Has he been yelling?”

  “Screaming is more like it,” Jake said, his eyes never leaving Ally’s sad face. “She’s magic.”

  “Oh, geez, we have another lovesick cow on our hands,” Grady groused, lightly cuffing the back of Jake’s head. “You’re just as bad as James.” Grady realized his mistake as soon as the words were out of his mouth. “I didn’t mean that.”

  “I know,” Jake said, waving off the apology. “We’re all going through it. We know what will happen if we don’t get Mandy back.”

  “Oh, we’re getting Mandy back,” Finn said. “It took forever … and I swear I’ve been looking at gun purchase documents so long my eyes want to bleed … but I’ve figured it out.”

  “You’ve figured it out?” Grady asked, dubious. “What, exactly, have you figured out?”

  “I know who has Mandy.” Finn made the announcement a little louder than he planned, and when he shifted his eyes to the left he found James’ haggard face hovering a few inches from his own. “Cripes, man. Make a sound when you do that. Oh, and you might want to shave.”

  James grabbed the front of Finn’s shirt and yanked him closer. “Who has my baby? You said you know.”

  “I think I do know,” Finn said, wrenching away from James’ iron grip. “Has anyone considered making him shower?”

  “We’re just glad he’s not drinking or threatening to kill someone,” Grady said. “Seriously, though, I have to agree with him right now. For the record, I think he’s borderline crazy because he hasn’t slept. You’d better tell us what you have.”

  “Well, I was going through Red’s records and coming up empty,” Finn said. “I thought about giving up, but I knew I couldn’t do that. I decided to go through a second time and just focus on the last names.”

  James was at his wit’s end. “And?”

  “And I found a last name that kind of … jolted me,” Finn replied. “When I added the first name to the last name, it didn’t stand out. When I just took the last name into consideration, though, it did. Then I ran the entire name through our database and found out that the name on the registration belongs to the mother of someone we know.”

  “What was the name on the registration?” Jake asked, curious. “I looked at all of those registrations and nothing stood out.”

  “Yes, because we weren’t looking for an Abigail Phillips,” Finn said. “I recognized the name from an investigation a long time ago. It was before you joined the business.”

  “Who is Abigail Phillips?” Ally asked, confused. “I don’t recognize that name.”

  Finn’s gaze was pointed when it landed on James. “Do you?”

  “I … know I should,” James muttered. “I can’t seem to make my mind work.”

  “That’s okay. We don’t have a lot of time and I’m going to solve this one for you,” Finn said. “Abigail Phillips was married twice. Her first husband’s last name was Miller. Her son took his stepfather’s name until a few years ago, and then switched back to his real name when he was an adult.”

  That’s when things slipped into place for James. He recognized the background check from when Mandy first approached him. The first time she was in trouble they weren’t together. That’s how they got together, though. Clint Miller was a suspect back then.

  “Clint.” James swore under his breath. “I just … can’t believe it.”

  “I don’t understand,” Ally said, her face draining of color. “Are you saying Clint kidnapped Mandy?”

  “Worse than that,” Jake said gently. “He also killed Heidi.”

  “He’s been stalking her this entire time,” James said, hopping to his feet. “I want every possible location for that … animal … that you can find. I’ll call Peter. We’re going to need help finding him. I doubt very much he’s keeping Mandy at the house he shared with Heidi.”

  “I told you,” Grady said, smiling. “We’re going to find her.”

  “We have to do it now,” James said. “I believe she’s still alive. I also believe she’s running out of time.”

  “We’re going to find her today,” Grady said. “You’ll have her before nightfall. I promise.”

  14

  Fourteen

  “We double-checked Clint’s house,” Peter announced, walking into the Hardy living room without knocking. “It is completely empty. He moved everything out.”

  “That’s not surprising,” Grady said, his eyes thoughtful as they bore into James’ back. His brother still hadn’t slept. He was bordering on manic. “Did you talk to the neighbors?”

  “I’m not new,” Peter said. “He packed up and moved out four days ago. He told the neighbors he couldn’t bear living in the house without Heidi. He made a big show of breaking down and acting as if he could barely carry on without her.”

  “That sounds about right,” Grady said. “He’s obviously had this planned for a long time. He might’ve had it planned long before James and Mandy even got together.”

  “I’ll bet Heidi’s pregnancy pushed him over the edge,” Jake volunteered. “In his mind, Clint was playing a game. In Heidi’s mind, she was about to get everything
she ever wanted. I’m going to guess that the idea of having to take care of a baby was too much for him.”

  “It’s probably not that simple,” Peter said, rubbing his cheek as his eyes touched on James and then returned to Grady. “Mandy told people she was leaving the courthouse, right? Clint had to know he would lose access to her. He’s probably delusional on some level.”

  “I don’t care if he’s mentally ill,” James growled. “He took my wife!”

  “That’s not what I’m saying,” Peter said, his tone gentle. “I’m saying that Clint most likely built up a rich fantasy life in his head. Every time Mandy looked at him he told himself she was sending a message only he could hear. Every time Mandy smiled he told himself she felt the same way.

  “It’s not technically mental illness,” he continued. “It’s a severe form of narcissism. Clint convinced himself he was the center of Mandy’s world and that they would end up together. Her announcement that she was leaving, coupled with Heidi’s news about the baby, threatened that fantasy.”

  “I’m going to threaten his life,” James spat. “If he’s not at that house, where would he go? Are we searching property records?”

  “Maverick is in the kitchen doing just that,” Grady said. “He needs a little time to work.”

  “Well, he’d better work faster,” James muttered. “How hard is it to track down property documents?”

  “Since he’s doing it for more than one name, probably not as easy as you would like,” Peter replied, refusing to kowtow to James and his belligerent attitude. “Son, you need to take a nap.”

  Grady widened his eyes, stunned Peter would go there with James given what was happening. He was impressed, and silently thankful. Peter said the words James needed to hear and Grady was terrified to utter. James was going to fall down if he wasn’t careful.

  “I’m not taking a nap,” James snapped. “My wife is out there and she needs me. A crazy man took her. I will not sleep until I have her in my arms.”

  “You have to rest,” Peter said, not backing down. “You’ve gone a good thirty hours without sleep … and you look it. You also smell it, but that’s neither here nor there. You cannot function on no sleep.”