Yes, please, Luke said. Shed found her connection, and now she had to make the most of it.
How about I just give you a hint about how to get to the baby giraffe? That way, itll still be your game, and I wont really be helping you too much.
Okay.
The hopeful little voice cut her to the bone. She wanted to get him out of there. But she couldnt. Creating a distraction and keeping the situation calm was the only thing she could do right now. Heres the hint, Luke. When you cross the river, dont go in a straight line. Do you know what that means, not to go in a straight line?
Sure, I do. Im smart, and I can do it. This time, I bet I get away from those hippos.
Ill bet you do, too. Youll get to the other side, and youll be one step closer to finding the baby giraffe. She took a moment and thought out her next move. Luke, why dont you put Mr. Perkins back on the phone?
That earned her a raised eyebrow from Colin. What are you doing? he mouthed.
What I need to do, she mouthed back.
Oh, yes. There it was. The inevitable tension. When Callie had called her and asked her to come to the Vaughn estate, Danielle hadnt known that Colin would be there. But if she had, it still wouldnt have stopped her. She wanted to help this child, even if she had to go through the emotional roadblock that Colin would create.
Besides, she needed to talk to Colin.
At least Danielle thought she did. She was in her element talking to Luke, but her soon-to-be ex was a different story. Communication had never been their strong suit. Ironic, considering their jobs both hinged on excellent verbal interaction.
Yeah? Boyd snapped when he came back on the line.
I need a favor, Danielle calmly explained. This is something thatll help all of us, you especially. A three-year-old child gets bored easily, and if Lukes bored, hell keep thinking about whats going on. Hell keep whining. She nearly choked on the word. It wasnt whining when a child was being held hostage. It was a natural human reaction.
So how do I keep him from not being bored? Boyd wanted to know.
Let Luke play his video games. No matter where you are in the house, the system shouldnt be that hard for you to set up. In fact, hell probably be able to help you with that because Lukes very smart. She needed to remind this monster that he was dealing with a precious life. While youre at it, give him some books, crayons
And thatll keep him quiet?
Danielle decided to push a little. Well, the only sure way to keep him quiet is to release him so he can be with his family.
Youre wasting your breath, Doc.
Fine. That was Colins area anyway. Shed leave that to him. Just please give Luke the activities to do. And make sure hes eating right. Not too many sweets, or it might make him hyper or irritable. Do you have a good supply of food at the estate? If not, we can have some brought in
Ill give the kid his video games. Thats all you need to be concerned with.
How do you know me? Danielle asked before he could end the call. Have we met before?
Boyd laughed. Not from
humor, though. It seemed as if he was taunting her. And then he hung up.
Colin reached over, turned off the recorder and made some notes. I think he has a visual on the van. Maybe some hidden camera that the owner didnt know about. He seemed to be talking to himself. If he saw us get inside here, he could have used a laptop to do a computer search.
Yes, but that wouldnt explain how he knew her name so he could do such a search. And that only added to all the other questions and concerns.
Danielle tried to control her reaction. She tried to tamp down her breathing and her racing heart. But she failed. Her breath shattered, and she got up, despite the sudden dizzy spell. She had to get out of there. She couldnt come unglued, not in front of Colin.
Are youokay? Colin asked.
Fine, she lied.
Danielle knew she couldnt go far in case Boyd called right back, but she maneuvered herself around Colin. No easy task in the converted van. She had to squeeze herself between him and the table while she was hunkered down so her head wouldnt hit the ceiling.
It put them face-to-face.
So close, she took in his scent. The clean smell of the rain. His musky aftershave. The wet leather of his black jacket and Lucchese boots. Unfortunately, even with the slight scowl he was sporting, Colin was as hot as ever. He had a face that women noticed, with those classic good looks, midnight-black hair and sizzling blue eyes.
Well, she noticed anyway.
Always had. For better or worse. Colin Forester knew how to make her body beg. But at thirty-eight she was old enough to know that she needed more than great sex. She needed a husband. A family. And while Colin was a pro at his job and in the bedroom, they hadnt seen eye to eye in other facets of their lives.
And that was the very reason Danielle quickly moved away from him.
That scent, those eyes, could pull her back in, and she couldnt go there. He obviously didnt want to do that, either.
The rain had turned to a light mist so Danielle didnt bother getting an umbrella. Besides, she was already damp from the earlier trek from her car to the van. She stepped onto the soggy ground, the mud squeezing over her heelsagain. Shed made the mistake of dressing for work in a skirt suit, but this obviously wasnt a normal work situation.