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She reached for the door, then paused, staring Derek down “You used ive it”

Sloane was more than halfway to her parents’ apartain She clicked her Bluetooth headset to answer the call “Sloane Burbank”

“It’shis voice as low as possible

“Dad? What is it?”

“It’s bad, Sloane” His voice held that saht of the robbery when he’d called her from the hospital But now, it was muted to almost a whisper He was clearly desperate to keep Rich Willia him

“I just got a call from your mother,” he said

“She’s in the hospital In the Bronx Thewasn’t her driver He was sootten behind the wheel while Fred was getting coffee, and Jake and To shifts The son of a bitch kidnapped her, broke her ar her to God knohere—to kill her”

Sloane felt ill “How do you know that?”

“Because he told her He said he was killing her to punish me That the FBI was about to drop in and I’d talk How the hell he knew Williams was on his way over here, I have no idea All I know is that there was a traffic incident, your mother jumped out of the car, and she ran for help I don’t have specific details She’s on heavy pain rill her But I can’t leave the apartent Williams an explanation What should I do?”

Before clas, Sloane asked one question “Are you sure Moht?”

“Yes I spoke to her doctor”

“Good” The professional Sloane Burbank kicked in “Give me her doctor’s name and number I want the hospital staff to keep Mom comfortable—and there—until after I’ve had et rid of hih on our plate without adding Mom’s attack and abduction to the mix There’ll be plenty of time to fill him in later” A pause “Unless the cops have already been notified”

“No Yourthe fact that she’s in too much pain and too woozy from the meds to provide a coherent story So no cops are involved yet”

“God bless Mo us tiood use First, hang up the phone We don’t want to make Williams suspicious I should be there in a half hour Then we can deal with one crisis at a time”

CHAPTER ELEVEN