Not yours anymore Mr ASHFORD

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• Not yours anymore Mr ASHFORD    CHAPTER 17

  Chapter 17Mia sat in her car outside the busy coffee shop, her hands shaking as she gripped the steering wheel. Marcus had chosen a public place for their meeting - smart of him. Too many witnesses for anything dangerous to happen.She looked at the bag on the passenger seat. 250 thousand dollars in cash. It had taken her three hours to get the money from different banks, making sure no single transaction would raise flags.Her phone buzzed. A text from Marcus: "Table in the back corner. Come alone."Mia took a deep breath and got out of her car. She couldn't show fear. Men like Marcus could smell weakness, and weakness made them dangerous.The coffee shop was crowded with the afternoon rush. Business people, students, tourists - all going about their normal lives while hers was falling apart. She spotted Marcus immediately. He was sitting at a small table in the back, wearing a baseball cap pulled low over his face.She walked over and sat down across from him. "You have five minute

• Not yours anymore Mr ASHFORD    NOT YOURS ANYMORE MR ASHFORD

  Chapter 16Marcus sat in his motel room, watching Sarah sleep on the bed across from him. She was still out from the drugs, but she would wake up soon. His phone rang, interrupting the quiet."Marcus?" The voice was shaky, scared."Mom? What's wrong?""I'm at the hospital, son. Something's wrong with my heart. The doctors say I need surgery right away."Marcus felt his stomach drop. His mother was the only family he had left, the only person who mattered to him."What kind of surgery?""They're calling it emergency bypass surgery. But Marcus, the insurance won't cover all of it. They want 500 thousand dollars upfront before they'll do the operation.""Five hundred thousand?""I don't have that kind of money. I don't know what to do."Marcus closed his eyes. His mother had raised him alone, worked three jobs to keep them fed. She had never asked him for anything, even when she found out what he did for a living."Mom, don't worry. I'll get the money.""How? That's so much—""I'll handl

• Not yours anymore Mr ASHFORD    NOT YOURS ANYMORE MR ASHFORD

  CHAPTER FIFTEENMarcus spent three more days watching Sarah and the children, learning their routines. Sarah visited them every Tuesday and Friday after work, taking the same train, using the same taxi company. The children lived with an older woman named Mrs. Peterson, who had been taking care of them for years.The house was in a quiet neighborhood where people minded their own business. Perfect for what Marcus needed to do.He decided to take Sarah first. She would be easier to grab, and once he had her, he could make her tell him exactly how to get the children without any problems.On Friday evening, Marcus waited in the parking garage under Sarah's office building. He knew she would work late - she always did on Fridays, finishing reports before the weekend.At nine-thirty, the elevator doors opened and Sarah walked out, talking on her phone. She looked tired, carrying a heavy bag and walking slowly toward her car."Yes, I'll see them tomorrow," she was saying. "Tell them I love

• Not yours anymore Mr ASHFORD    NOT YOURS ANYMORE MR ASHFORD

  CHAPTER FOURTEENTwo hours later, Cassandra sat in a dark corner booth at a restaurant across town. The place was old and quiet, the kind where people went when they didn't want to be seen. She had chosen it carefully.She checked her watch. Marcus was late, but that was normal for him. He liked to make people wait, liked to show that he was in control.Finally, she saw him walk through the door. Agent Marcus looked the same as always - tall, thin, with cold gray eyes and a face that showed nothing. He wore a simple black suit that probably cost more than most people made in a month.He slid into the booth across from her without saying hello."Cassandra." His voice was flat, empty of emotion. "It's been a while.""Two years," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. Marcus always made her nervous, even though she was paying him."I heard you got married. Rich husband, nice life. What could you possibly need me for?"Cassandra looked around to make sure no one was listening. "I have

• Not yours anymore Mr ASHFORD    NOT YOURS ANYMORE MR ASHFORD

  CHAPTER THIRTEENCassandra sat in her car across the street from the coffee shop, watching through dark sunglasses. She had been following Mia Thompson for three days now, learning her schedule, her habits, her life.Every morning at seven-thirty, Mia stopped at the gym. Every afternoon at one, she had lunch with Sarah Collins. Every evening at six, she went home to her quiet house. It was a simple, organized life. Too organized for someone who was supposed to be running from the past.She watched as Sarah Collins walked into the coffee shop, same as always. The woman was pretty in a plain way, with brown hair and simple clothes. Nothing special about her, except for one thing - the way she looked around carefully before going anywhere, like she was always watching for danger.Cassandra had seen that look before. It was the look o someone hiding something big.Through the coffee shop window, she could see Sarah ordering her usual drink. Then Sarah sat at a table in the corner, the sam

• Not yours anymore Mr ASHFORD    NOT YOURS ANYMORE MR ASHFORD

  CHAPTER Twelve Nikolai sat in his car outside Mia's house for twenty minutes after she kicked him out. His hands shook as he held the steering wheel. She was Elena. He knew it in his bones. Every look, every word, even the way she stood - it was all her, just different. But she was lying. Acting like she didn't know him at all. "Damn it!" He hit the wheel hard. The sound echoed in the quiet street. She had changed so much. The scared woman who used to jump when he raised his voice was gone. This new version of her looked him in the eye and told him to get out. She even threatened him with the police and newspapers. He started the car and drove home, his mind racing. Elena was alive. She had been living as Mia Thompson for five years. But why? And where was their child? The questions burned in his head. He needed answers, and he would get them. When he got home, the house was dark except for one light in the living room. Cassandra was waiting for him on the couch, wearing