He lifted his head and pinned her with a furious gaze. “That asshole doesn’t leave you alone for a second.”

She stepped back. “What?”

“You heard me.”

She saw a flash as Evan turned something over in his hand. It took her a second to recognize that he held her phone. “May I have that?”

Evan’s gaze followed hers to his fingers. His hands tightened around the cell. “No.”

She thought about her gun in the safe. It sat in another room and she’d never get the lock open. He’d be on her, and if he wasn’t, if this was her imagination, he’d likely still stop her from taking it out on principle, then insist she’d somehow had a break from reality.

No, she wouldn’t have a weapon for whatever was happening here. She needed to depend on her smarts. “I don’t understand what’s—”

“The whole protective guard thing got old fast.” He grabbed her arm in a grip that cut off her circulation. “Not sure why you thought bringing him into this made sense. Why settle for an amateur when you had an expert?”

“What are you talking about?” She pushed and shifted, trying to break his hold.

“Get a bag or not, it’s your choice. Either way, we’re leaving.”

“But you just said—”

“No questions.” He yanked on her arm, dragging her even closer. “Don’t make me tell you again.”

But she had a million of them. “What changed?”

“My strategy. I tried to be reasonable and your boyfriend fucked that up. So now you come with me. We get off this floating piece of crap, or Connor is the next one I kill.”

On the way out of the clinic, Connor nearly broke into a run. Ben stopped him. “One second.”

“What are you doing?” Connor yelled the question.

“Making a few more calls.” Ben nodded toward the cell in Connor’s hand. “Try her again while I check on one thing and get some reinforcements.”

Screw that. He wanted to get to Maddie. “She’s with him.”

“He doesn’t know Paul is awake. We have the advantage here.”

That news was the only thing that kept Connor together. He’d never wanted to beat on another person like he did on Evan. He’d terrorized her. And why?

Paul being awake started some sort of timer. If he thought the older man saw him and might wake up and talk, he’d need to make a move. Whatever move he came there to make.

Connor hit her contact and listened for her voice. Again, the call went to voice mail. So did the next one. That made four unanswered calls. She’d never not picked up before.

He debated trying another text, but if Evan was there and saw the screen . . . no. He needed to see her or hear her voice. Now.