Tease Me (Private Listing #4)

“What’s wrong?” My stomach twists.

“I’m not getting a signal. Usually I have to go up the drive a little.” She looks from her phone to me. “Do you want to go with me or see if your friend is in the basement?”

My heart is pounding so hard. If Hope is here and we can get her out, I don’t have to face my stalker. I’m only here to save Hope. I want to be gone from here as quickly as possible, before the stalker comes for me.

“I’ll check the basement.” I straighten.

She nods. “Okay, give me five minutes.”

She walks out the door, and I head to where she said the basement door is hidden. I open the cabinet and see stairs leading down into the darkness. When I flip the switch, a dim light comes on down there.

Fuck, this feels like a stupid move. What if she’s just trying to lure me into the basement without having to drag me there? I glance over my shoulder, but Anna is still outside. What if this is all a trap? Yes, Madison, go into the basement where all my torture devices are waiting.

A noise rises from the basement. A muffled thump. Fuck. I creep down the steps slowly and turn on the flashlight function on the phone. The thumping gets louder the closer I get to the bottom.

My heart feels like it’s going to burst out of my chest as I reach the floor and turn the corner. Hope’s blue eyes meet mine. She’s muttering something behind the gag tied around her mouth. Her foot stops kicking at the footboard.

I rush to her side. The cut on her arm is cleaned and bandaged. I lift her head to untie the cloth across her mouth. I have so many questions, but all I can do is focus on freeing her.

We can talk as soon as we’re both safe.

A beep sounds as the front door opens and closes.

“She’s down here,” I yell. I frantically work at the knot with my fingernails. To Hope, I say, “Don’t worry. Anna is here and she’s going to get us to safety. We’re going to be okay. Everything’s going to be okay.”

Heavy footsteps walk across the floor overhead, making me pause and look back to the stairs. Ice trickles down my spine as Hope makes noises behind the gag. My pulse stutters as the door to the basement slams shut.

Chapter 162

Informed Decision

Blake

Traffic has tied me up for too long. My foot taps on the floorboard as my fingers twitch on my knees. He’s taking her now keeps running through my mind. I can’t be too late. When Tim pulls up to the curb, I throw open the door and get out. The car engine stops and another door opens and closes.

“I’m not letting you go in there alone.” Tim straightens his suit as he walks up the sidewalk to join me. “You can’t just rush in.”

He’s right, but if she’s in danger . . .

“Let’s go.” I nod to the door that’s ajar. I hate that she lived here. Sure, she was a broke college student, but all the times she might have been in danger because of where she lived and who she lived with, it makes me angry.

We climb the stairs quickly. Both of our drivers are physically fit, retired military, and able to handle themselves if we need bodyguards. It’s the reason we hired them. As soon as Tim and I top the stairs, Robert’s door opens.

“Hey!” He steps out into the hallway. “Madison left thirty minutes ago.”

I look him up and down. He runs a hand through his already messy hair.

“She was in a hurry, but she gave me this.” He holds out his phone with a screenshot of a phone. Madison’s bracelet can be seen in the shot. “She said she was following instructions.”

I go to her door and turn the knob. It’s unlocked. As I open the door, I hiss out a breath and stare at the furniture. Fuck, it looks like her apartment before we cleared it out. What the fuck is the point of this?

Tim brushes past me as he walks through the door and carefully checks every room.

In the kitchen, there’s an open box and a note. I read the note. He sent a car for her. I check her phone’s location and it’s still here.

“All clear. Blake, you’re going to want to see this.” Tim’s voice carries through the apartment.

Discarding the note, I head to Madison’s bedroom. It’s just like it was when she lived here. A box similar to the one the torn dress came in sits on the bed. A note lies inside.