Page 130 of Ghost Hunted

“Eighteen years?” I echo in confusion.

“Your father is a coward who hid behind powerful organizations all his life. He never meant to pay me; I found that out soon enough. He sacrificed Jane, and he sacrificed you. I and my men are not the villains; we are only here to collect our debt. Your father is the one to blame.”

I know it already, but it hurts to hear it said so plainly. My father saw me only as an object, to use when convenient, to sacrifice when necessary. His whole life was spent trying to protect himself. And when he went into hiding, he took me with him, but not because he loved me. Because he viewed me as a possession.

If he’d loved me, he’d have given me the choice.

If Logan loved me…

I close my eyes, unwilling to finish the painful thought.

“Please tell me…” I swallow. “Please tell me how much my father owed you.”

There’s a pause, and then my captor says, “The payment can no longer be made in money. Only in life.”

With those words, he turns toward the door. “If you make your decision before the end of the hour, only one will die. If you do not, both of them will. In either case, my patience has run out. I will collect my final debt tonight.”

I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to shut out the words that mean the nightmare is real.

But I can’t prevent him from speaking them. Or keep myself from hearing them.

I already know what it is, before he speaks the words. And I already know that I will never make the decision. I know it even before I see the golden key dangling from his neck as he walks toward me.

“You must decide which of your two daughters to sacrifice. You have one hour to choose the daughter who will die for the sins of your father.”

43

Logan

“It’s you. Jane.” I’m so shocked to find her that the danger that threatens Lia fades… just for a few moments.

“No.” She blinks. “No, I’m Billie.”

Her voice comes out breathy and a little shaky around the edges. She looks up at me in shy confusion, and realizing she must be freaking out about a strange man gripping her to him, I release her onto the soft ground.

“Billie. Do you have a death wish, Billie?”

Her face grows red, and I regret my words at once. But to find my daughter, after all this time, while she’s in the middle of a suicide attempt, and as I’m chasing down my kidnapped girl… my mind is reeling.

“Logan? Hello?”

Damien’s voice coming from my phone brings me back to reality. I lift it up to my ear. “Did you get an address? I’m here with…” I swallow. “Jane.”

For once in my life, I think I’ve taken him utterly by surprise. There’s a long silence, and then he says, “Vincent’s on it. Do you want to send someone else after Lia?”

“No, no. She’s mine. I need to find her.”

“Okay. And… what about… Jane? Should I call Everest and have him hold onto her?”

“No. I mean, yes. I need to…” I find myself in that old dilemma. Who am I going to save? Who am I going to choose?

The girl I’ve lost or the girl I’ve found?

“Please have Everest come for Jane. And tell him… she’s suicidal.”

I hang up before Damien can say anything else. Then I stare down at my daughter.

She’s drawn herself up at my words, and although she looks just as nervous as before, I can tell she’s doing her best to overcome her shyness.