Chapter 33

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

I t took Piper a moment to realize she'd just woken up in the trunk of a car.

A moving car. With someone squished in next to her, not moving.

What the hell?

She'd been in the trunk of a car a few times in her youth, thanks to her brothers, so she immediately looked for the trunk release lever. Like in all new cars, it was glowing in the dark, easy to find, but the car was moving too fast.

She'd have to wait until they slowed down.

Her eyes began to adjust to the darkness, and she could see Kitty's dimly lit face beside her. The older woman's eyes were closed, and panic clamped down on Piper. "Kitty! Are you all right?"

"Shh! I'm faking it, like they do in the movies."

Relief rushed through Piper. "We're alone. No need to pretend."

The older woman opened one eye and looked around, then opened both. "We're alone."

"I literally just said that." Piper frowned at the older woman. "You all right? "

"I am." Kitty grinned at her. "You got kidnapped!"

"Is that why we're in a car? Dammit. I was hoping it was Declan's way of having a surprise party for me. Do you have your phone with you?"

"No, don't you?"

"I can't find mine." Dammit. Piper touched her head and felt a lump in the back. "I got hit? By who?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I was looking at the computer when it happened, and when I looked up, some man was carrying you out onto your patio."

"Then how did you get in here?"

"I attacked him to save you, and then he grabbed me." Kitty sighed. "I should have thought about the fact Declan was out front and screamed for help, but in the heat of the moment, it felt very important not to let you out of my sight. Sister solidarity is powerful. You're safer with me than you would be alone."

Piper's heart tightened. "You attacked a kidnapper to save me? That is incredibly sweet."

"I'm not sweet. I'm a mom, and it's in my nature to go mama bear for my kids. And that includes you. Call me fierce, a badass, a creature of darkness, but never sweet."

Sudden tears threatened, and Piper finally couldn't keep up the lies anymore. This woman had sacrificed herself to help her. "Kitty, I really appreciate you helping me with my business and getting yourself kidnapped to save me, but I can't lie to you anymore. Declan and I aren't really engaged."

"Of course you're not. Do you think I'm a complete idiot?"

Piper stared at Kitty, the older woman's silhouette barely visible in the dim light of the trunk. "You knew?"

"My husband and my son were both cops. I have a very suspicious and logical brain. It didn't take much."

"But you went along with it?"

"Of course I did. My goal was to get Declan dating, and it worked." She paused. "And then I realized that you two are a perfect match. I was clearly a visionary when I propositioned you."

Piper cleared her throat. "We're not a perfect match?—"

"Of course you are. Declan has joy in his heart. That doesn't come lightly. He lets very few people in, and he's let you in." Kitty patted her arm. "He's in love with you, my darling. Don't you know that?"

Piper took a breath. "He told me a few minutes ago." Not that she could focus on that right now. She'd been kidnapped with a national treasure, which meant she had to get herself free as well as Kitty. Who had kidnapped them?

"Declan admitted it?" Kitty hit her on the arm. "That's fantastic! Do you love him back?"

Piper grimaced. "I'm not ready for love."

"Is that what I asked? It's not what I asked."

Piper felt along the sides of the trunk, looking for something to use as a weapon. "We need to focus on getting out?—"

"Hey!" Kitty grabbed her shoulder. "I sacrificed myself to save you. You don't get to blow me off, missy. Do you love my son?"

Piper stared at her. "That's what my mom used to call me when I was being sassy."

"Missy?"

Piper nodded. "She died when I was sixteen. We were going to open a wedding planning business together and I was going to get her out of her life. But she died first. And just then, you sounded like her. You reminded me of her."

Kitty's face softened, and she put her hands on Piper's cheeks. "Sweet Piper," she said softly. "You've been scrambling since you were sixteen to make your mom's dreams come true?"

Piper nodded. "I'm trying so hard."

"As a mother, I can confidently say that your mom's only dream is for you to be happy. That's it. Are you happy?"

"I love my friends," she said. "I love making brides happy. I really do."

"And what about love? Does Declan make you happy? Just be honest. This might be our last moments before we die. Do you want an old lady to die without knowing if her son is loved?"

Resolution flooded Piper. "We're not going to die."

"We might. You never know. Do you love him?"

Kitty's voice was so warm, so full of love that suddenly, Piper's resistance disappeared. "I tried not to fall for him," she admitted. "But he's impossible not to love."

Kitty let out a little whoop. "Best news I've had in years. Did you tell him that you love him?"

"No."

"Why not?"

She sighed. "I'm scared."

"You don't think he was scared? My baby boy got his heart broken when Diana died in his arms. He's probably scared to death to put his heart out there again, but he did it for you. If you're remotely worthy of him or your mom, you'll go live with courage, not fear."

Piper almost started laughing. "You're lecturing me?"

"I am. Because when you marry Declan, you'll have a mom again, and I have to set the expectations that I'm not going to be a pushover. If you're being an idiot, I'll interfere. And if Declan is, I'll interfere there as well."

A mom again . Real tears started to threaten. "Marry him?" Piper let out her breath. "I think you're getting a little ahead of things."

"My son's heart goes in one direction. Once he falls in love, it's forever. Do you deserve forever?"

Piper heard the challenge in Kitty's voice, and she lifted her chin. "I do, actually."

Kitty chuckled. "That's my girl. You both do. Lean into it. I didn't run from your kidnapper, so you don't get to run from love."

Piper rolled her eyes. "I've been stupid about love before."

"Haven't we all? But if you keep putting yourself out there, then you have a chance of getting it right." She gave a fist pump. "This is fantastic news. I've been working so hard on manifesting love for Declan, and I did it. I'm going to call Jennifer Aniston and tell her that the Instagram video in which she was talking about manifesting was the spark that got me started."

Piper almost started laughing. "You and Jen are friends?"

"Not yet, but as soon as she realizes that I'm willing, she'll be in."

"Of course she will. Who would turn you down?" Piper went back to searching for a weapon, relieved that Kitty had gotten distracted from the marriage talk. She was stunned by the realization that she did love Declan, but when Kitty had mentioned marriage, familiar fears had clamped down.

How would she know she was choosing the right man? How did anyone ever know? "I can't believe I got kidnapped. I've always been very confident in my abilities to defend myself."

"To be fair, you were distracted by me yelling at you," Kitty said. "I take up a lot of emotional space. I'm very proud of that. Most women try to stay small, but you gotta lean into your bigness."

"Can you describe him?"

"Broad shoulders. Gray sweatshirt. Short dark hair. Jeans. Nice ass." Kitty grinned. "I only saw him from behind, and I was more concerned with your safety than noticing his features. But the ass was worth a notice. Never say women my age lose their libido."

"I'd never dare." Piper's fingers closed around a small object that she quickly realized was a golf ball. Yes. It wasn't a can opener, but she could do some damage with a golf ball. "See if you can find a golf ball in the corners. I found one, and there's usually more than one if he's a golfer." Clark had been a golfer, so she knew?—

She froze. Clark? Her ex-fiancé? A sudden chill gripped her. If Clark had snatched her, it would be personal. How dangerous was he? She hadn't stayed around to find out, but her gut had ordered her to leave..

Kitty hit her. "What are you thinking? You thought of something. "

"It could be my ex-fiancé who abducted us."

"Bad guy?"

"Maybe." She held the golf ball up to the glowing quick release lever. "He has monogrammed balls. If I can read it—" She shook her head. "It's too dark."

"We can use the flashlight on my phone."

"You don't have your phone?—"

"Of course I do! You think I'd get myself kidnapped without my phone? I stuffed it in the crotch of my pants so he wouldn't search for it."

Piper stared at her. "You lied to me when you said you didn't have it?"

"Of course I did. I had to pressure you into admitting you loved my son." Kitty shuffled, then swore. "Dang it. My phone's off. Declan hasn't been tracking us. We'll have to stay alive longer?—"

The car suddenly took a hard right turn, slamming them against the side of the car. Another turn, then a hard stop.

Then Piper heard the unmistakable sound of a garage door closing.

Locking them in.

And Declan was nowhere close.