And he did.
Beauregard slowly released Journey’s arm, but not before he bent his head and whispered something in her ear.
Tehya watched as Journey seemed to pale, her gaze darkening in distress as her companion’s head lifted and he stepped back slowly.
“Walk with me.” She held her hand out to the younger girl, and waited until it was taken before turning back to John. “We’ll just be a moment.”
That didn’t stop the two couples from rising to their feet and following behind her as she walked to the open patio. Stepping outside she turned back to them, refusing to be denied now.
“I think Journey and I can handle it from here.”
John and Travis both stared back at her for a long, silent moment, obviously prepared to refuse the demand.
“I think I can conduct a conversation by myself,” she stated. “I promise, we won’t go far.”
The group that stood just outside the patio didn’t looked pleased. Beauregard Grant looked frankly pissed, if the glitter in his gaze was any indication.
The cool solitude that awaited, just on the other side of the small grotto she led Journey to, would be a very welcome relief.
“What’s going on?” Tehya asked as they stepped into the rose- and wisteria-covered sheltered area.
“I don’t know.” The stress in Journey’s voice was apparent. “It’s Beauregard, Teylor.” Journey turned to her, tears glittering in her eyes. “I think he’s involved in something very illegal, and I think he’s going to attempt to force me to accept the proposal he made tonight.” Her voice broke. “Teylor, what am I going to do?”
“And I think you may have been warned to keep your stupid bitch mouth shut!”
Tehya hadn’t sensed anyone, she hadn’t seen so much as a shift of a shadow, but she knew that voice. She knew the evil in that whisper and she knew, she’d just been caught by her enemies.
Her lips parted on a scream that never came. A heavy cloth came over her face, a noxious scent invaded her nostrils, and seconds later, darkness washed over her.
CHAPTER 20
Tehya came awake slowly to the sound of Journey gagging and coughing in reaction to her own return of consciousness and the effects of the chloroform used to disable them.
Sitting up from the thin mattress that had been laid over a rough low table, Tehya swung her feet to the floor as she swallowed tightly and forced back the reflex to gag.
It wasn’t her first experience with the sleep-inducing drug. As she stared around the room, she was horribly afraid it wouldn’t be her last.
“Teylor?” Journey’s voice was weak, shaky. “Oh, God, what happened?”
“We’ve been kidnapped.” Tehya stared around the room. It wasn’t large by any means. The dim lights high on the metal walls were battery-powered rather than electric.
“Where are we?” Terror filled the young woman’s expression as well as her voice.
Tehya breathed out roughly. “It’s a shipping crate. The type they use for overseas shipping.”
A sob echoed through the area.
Beauregard. She wondered if he was behind this. God, he had to be. But he wasn’t old enough. He couldn’t have been associated with Sorrel.
“Teylor, what’s happening?” Journey whispered.
Tehya fought to clear her mind. She needed to think. She needed to figure a way out of this.
She remembered hearing Gregor Ascarti’s voice as the cloth went over her face. He was involved, but he wasn’t the one calling the shots.
As that thought went through her mind, she heard the sound of metal scraping against metal and the heavy door at the end of the metal shipping crate swung open.
“Let’s go.” Ascarti, Mark Tenneyson, and Ira Arthurs stood at the entrance, heavily armed.