Brave Love

by Allyson Simonian

  He inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of earth and dampness, the odors taking him back to the first time he’d created a playroom for himself. Once again, it took months of work, but everything was finally ready. His mouth curled up in a smile. It was time to get Paige and bring her here so they could finish what he’d started two years ago.

  And he couldn’t wait.

  Chapter 66

  Paige stood in the break room at work a few days later, sipping a glass of water and chatting with Anne.

  “I can’t believe my car’s in the shop again,” Anne said as she added creamer to a fresh cup of coffee. “That stupid check-engine light keeps coming on, and they swore they fixed it, but it came back on again yesterday.”

  “Do you need a ride home?”

  Anne shook her head. “Thank you, but it’s okay. Tom is going to pick me up.”

  Tom the bartender? Paige set down her glass. “Do you mean Tom Bradshaw?”

  “Yes.”

  Paige frowned. “You’re friends?”

  Anne nodded. “I was at the bar a couple of weeks ago, and we started talking.” Her face lit up as she added, “He’d asked me out then, but had a trip planned to visit his dad in New York. He just got back, so he’s taking me out to dinner tonight. Wonder where we’ll go?”

  A chill slid up Paige’s spine. “I didn’t realize his father lived on the East Coast.” He’d hadn’t mentioned that fact, even though she could clearly remember telling him she was from back east.

  They left the break room soon after, and Paige returned to David’s office. Sam glanced up from the magazine he was reading when she stepped inside the room. Poor guy must be bored to tears, she thought for the hundredth time. Keeping an eye on her wasn’t exactly the most exciting job in the world.

  She sat down at her desk, wondering again why Tom hadn’t mentioned his father. But maybe he simply hadn’t had the chance. She could remember a server interrupting them when they’d been speaking about their families.

  She picked up the phone, thinking it was something she should tell Ethan. But a glance at the clock had her setting the phone back down. It was after six—even later than she’d thought. She and Sam could leave now and tell Ethan once they were home. She sent a quick text to Ethan, letting him know she and Sam were leaving.

  After she had gathered up her things, she and Sam stepped out of the office and headed down to the parking garage. A few minutes later, they were driving down Cedar Street. Bright blue lights flashed in the side mirror, and Paige glanced over her shoulder.

  “Looks like he wants me to pull over,” Sam said as he glanced in the rearview mirror.

  Paige peered out the back windshield, but couldn’t make out who was in the patrol car behind them.

  This late on a Friday, there were only a couple of cars in the commercial parking lot Sam pulled into. The patrol car’s door opened after Sam parked, and Mark got out.

  “That’s Ethan’s partner,” she told Sam.

  “Hi, Mark,” she said when he approached Sam’s open window.

  He gave Paige a curt nod and then asked Sam to step out.

  Suddenly uneasy, Paige pulled out her phone. As her finger hovered over Ethan’s number, she looked out the window and froze. Sam had just jerked and then fallen onto the pavement.

  She’d barely gasped in a breath when Mark appeared in the open driver’s door, an evil grin spread across his face. Paige turned quickly and scrambled for the handle on her door.

  Paige struggled wildly and screamed as Mark reached across the driver’s seat and grabbed her around her waist. She’d just managed to get her door open when he tugged her back by her hair, nearly ripping it from her head. As she struggled with him, slapping at him and screaming as loudly as she could, he grabbed her wrists, pulling them behind her back and restraining them with handcuffs.

  Her screams were muffled as he clamped a hand over her face.

  “Reunited,” he whispered into her ear, “at last.”

  No!

  A thick strip of cloth came into her line of vision and was threaded into her mouth. She continued to struggle as he pulled her out of the car. Her gaze frantically raked the parking lot, searching for help, but it was deserted. A quick scan of their surroundings revealed no cars on the street either.

  Mark’s arms were wrapped like a vice around her torso. Paige cried out and fought even harder as he dragged her past Sam’s lifeless body crumpled on the pavement.

  Soon Mark had her loaded her into his backseat, dumped unceremoniously onto her stomach. The door slammed shut and the car started up. Paige fought the cuffs holding her hands behind her back, trying to compress her fingers together so she could slide them off, but the cuffs were too tight. Her heart raced—impossibly fast—and she willed herself not to panic. She’d never be able to escape if she did.

  By the time she’d thought to sit up and watch where they were going, the car stopped. Where had Mark taken her? To his house? She twisted to look out the patrol car’s window, but couldn’t see a thing.

  The car door opened. As Mark reached for her, Paige kicked backward, making contact with his leg.

  Mark hissed as he yanked her out of the car. “Quit it!”

  Paige could make out his house as he propelled her forward in the darkness. She screamed, but her cries were muffled through the gag. The next house was over a hundred feet away; no one would be able to hear.

  Paige thrashed, trying even harder to break free. She had to do something now, before he got her inside. But Mark’s fingers just dug tighter into her arm.

  Ice-cold fear chilled her veins, threatening to paralyze her. In only another few steps, he’d have her inside. He continued dragging her forward.

  Tugging at the handcuffs, Paige felt something against her wrist besides the ties. Her bracelet! She twisted on the bracelet Ethan had bought her back in Pennsylvania, trying hard to get hold. Her hand slipped twice before she finally got a grasp on the chain. She pulled hard and yanked it off, dropping it to the ground as Mark pulled her toward the house.

  Mark was fiddling with his keys and didn’t notice. Seconds later, he opened the back door and pulled her through.

  He let go once they were inside. “You’ve got more fight in you now. I like that.”

  His laughter sent shudders through her. God, he was disgusting. Sick.

  He took hold of her again and moved her toward the basement door. She fought against him, but within a few seconds, he had her downstairs. He uncuffed her wrists, then bound them with rope to a support pole in the middle of the concrete floor. It was all Paige could do to keep breathing.

  “I’m going to get my truck, then we can leave. You’ll want to see the new bunker.”

  Mark went back up the stairs. The door shut, leaving Paige in total darkness. Breathing hard, she tugged at the ropes until her wrists rubbed raw.

  He was going to do it this time. Mark was going to kill her.

  Chapter 67

  On his way home, Ethan was passing through a residential neighborhood when he noticed a minivan with its lights on. He pulled in front of the house, walked up the brick pathway, and rang the bell. Kids were screaming inside. When the bell went unanswered, he rang it again.

  Several seconds later, an out-of-breath woman wearing sweats and a ponytail answered the door. A toddler ran up from behind and pointed a chubby finger at Ethan. “’Leese man.”

  The woman laid a hand over the boy’s head. “Yes, Officer?”

  Ethan gestured to the driveway. “Your lights are on.”

  She darted a glance toward her van. “Oh boy.” She grinned. “I almost didn’t open the door, then I saw your uniform. Thank you.”

  He nodded at her. “You have a good night,” he said, then turned to walk back to the driveway.

  It hit Ethan as he was driving away from the house. An officer. If Paige’s roommate had opened the door for anyone, it would have been for a police officer.

  Quickly, he pulled to the curb and d
ialed Eric. Ethan filled him in on his theory, and asked Eric to run a report on Falls College’s past police staff.

  After Ethan hung up with Eric, he glanced at the plastic case on the seat beside him. He still needed to return Mark’s compressor. He texted Paige to let her know he’d be home within the hour, and then pulled away from the curb.

  When he arrived at Mark’s house, he grabbed the case and walked up the driveway. He was about to climb the steps to the front porch when something caught his eye. Kneeling down in the porch’s dim light, he picked up a silver bracelet. It was Paige’s; she must have lost it when they’d come by the other day. Strange that she wouldn’t have mentioned it, though; she wore that bracelet every day.

  Tucking it into his pocket, he climbed the stairs. Mark’s truck wasn’t in the driveway, so he left the compressor on the porch. Once he was back inside his truck, he pulled out his phone. Paige hadn’t responded, so he texted her again.

  Ethan: Should I pick up dinner?

  He started his engine and drove a block before his e-mail dinged. Pulling to the curb, he saw that the message wasn’t from Paige; it was from Eric. The campus police had responded quickly to Eric’s request, and Eric had forwarded a list of Falls College’s police staff from two years before.

  Ethan opened the attachment and waited as it loaded. A small photo of each officer was visible as he scrolled down. He frowned as something registered. Quickly scrolling back up the list, he sucked in a breath.

  Christ. He sat in disbelief, staring at the picture in front of him. It was Mark.

  Ethan looked up as cold fingers of fear gripped his insides. The bracelet on the steps! Did Mark have Paige now?

  Scrambling to shut off his truck, he called the station and quickly identified himself as the dispatcher came on. “It’s an emergency and I need to talk to the captain.”

  “He’s out for the weekend, Ethan.”

  Ethan swore loudly as he remembered the captain’s vacation plans. He asked for his lieutenant a moment later.

  “He just left too.” There was a pause before the dispatcher asked, “Who else can I get for you?”

  Frustrated, Ethan tugged the back of his hair. “It’s okay, Carole. I’ll take care of it myself.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “I’m sure.” He ended the call and nearly fumbled the phone. When he righted it, he scrolled to Captain Robinson’s name. Squeezing the phone, he hit the Call button. When the captain answered, Ethan explained everything in a rush of words.

  “Jesus,” the captain muttered. “I’ll have help to you within five minutes.”

  Ethan hung up, not bothering to tell the captain he wasn’t going to wait. He jumped out of his truck, yanked his gun from his holster, and ran back to Mark’s house.

  There was still no sign of Mark’s truck. Moving around the back of the house, Ethan found the trap door for the basement. He used the handle of his gun to hammer at the lock. Several times he smashed it until it finally gave way, then he tugged open the door. He slowly descended the creaking stairs, cursing himself for not grabbing the Maglite he kept in his glove compartment. He was nearing the staircase to the first floor when a muffled cry rang out in the darkness.

  Ethan spun around. From the lights on in the house, he’d assumed Paige was being held upstairs. Searching through the dark basement, he located a squirming form. Panic stabbed him as he ran toward Paige. His gut twisting, he grabbed hold of the gag in her mouth and tugged it out.

  “Ethan!” She gasped for breath.

  The fact that she was lucid brought Ethan’s racing heart rate down a notch. “I’m going to get you out of here. Just breathe, all right?”

  He whipped out his pocket knife and began sawing through the ties on her right wrist. As he cut the last strand of the rope, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. It was foolish to have his back to the room. Incredibly foolish.

  “Ethan!” Paige screamed.

  He’d just pressed the knife into Paige’s hand when something struck him on the back of the head. He went down, lights flashing inside his eyes as he clutched his head and prayed Paige had gotten a grip on the knife. Ethan could make out Mark and the gun in his hands as he scrambled back to his feet.

  “Down on your knees!”

  Slowly Ethan complied, and then shot a glance toward Paige. Whatever happened here, she was getting out unharmed.

  Her hand was moving. Thank God! She still had the knife. Now he just needed to buy some time.

  He turned back to Mark. “Why?”

  Mark laughed. “You want to interrogate me, Officer Cole? All right, why not. Fire away.”

  Ethan swallowed his disgust. “Was this all a game to you?”

  “More like a challenge. A challenge you made more interesting, I’ll give you that.”

  “Why Paige?”

  His partner shrugged. “Because she caught my eye.”

  “And you followed her out here to Oregon?”

  Ethan could hear Paige’s rapid breathing behind him. She still needed more time. Since Mark didn’t answer right away, Ethan desperately spat out another question. “What about Donald Naughton? Was he innocent?”

  “It was his property I chose, but he proved useful too.” Mark then stepped forward, saying, “I’m sorry, Ethan, but I’m going to have to kill you now.”

  Ethan lunged.

  Chapter 68

  Paige gripped the knife so tightly her knuckles turned white. She’d been sawing at the rope for what felt like an eternity. When Mark said he was going to kill Ethan, she nearly dropped the knife in shock. There was sudden movement as Ethan launched himself at Mark.

  Paige continued slashing at the ropes, feverishly trying to free her other hand as the two men grappled with each other. Mark had the advantage of thirty pounds on Ethan, and Ethan was hurt on top of that. He’d been hit on the head, and it had only been a month since he’d been shot.

  Grunts sounded from the men as the final threads of the ropes binding Paige gave way. Twisting her wrists, she felt blood slick around them, but her hands were finally free. A rush of rage and adrenaline fueled her as she scrambled off the dank concrete floor.

  Ethan took a punch to the face and fell back, tripping over some bags of fertilizer and falling to the floor. Mark stepped forward and kicked him hard in the ribs, and Ethan curled up to protect his abdomen from another attack.

  Monster!

  Paige ran and launched herself onto Mark’s back. She pulled back her hand still holding the knife, intending to plunge it into his neck, but he spun and sent her flying. Even as she crashed into the wall, she didn’t feel any pain. Adrenaline continued to surge through her, flooding her system. It propelled her back up.

  Ethan stumbled onto his feet. “Get out of here, Paige!”

  She could hear a mix of rage and anguish in his words. But there was no way was she leaving him. Panic tightened her throat when Mark lifted his gun.

  Gripping the knife she was still holding, she ran toward Mark again and brought her arm down as hard as she could. When she backed away, the knife she’d been holding was sticking out of his back.

  Mark staggered for a few feet before falling forward onto Ethan. Paige blinked hard as she stood panting. Was it Mark that was moving? No! It was Ethan moving out from under his lifeless form.

  Rising to his feet, Ethan hunched forward, holding one arm protectively around his waist. The faint wail of a siren pierced the air as he reached Paige and grabbed hold of her with his other hand.

  “You’re hurt!” Paige’s teeth chattered as she whispered the words. Her knees felt like they were about to give way. They probably would have, had Ethan not been holding on to her.

  “I’m all right,” he gasped out. “We’re both all right.”

  The words reassured her, brought her strength. Paige drew in a deep breath as she gazed up at him, relieved beyond words that he hadn’t been seriously hurt.

  Epilogue

  Two weeks later

&n
bsp; Paige straightened out her desk at work, picking up the pair of airline tickets her assistant had left in her in-box, then transferring them to her purse. She and Ethan were scheduled on an afternoon flight to Miami for a much-needed vacation, and she checked her watch, realizing it was time to head out.

  “Paige.”

  She looked up to see Tom Bradshaw coming toward her. Cautiously, she rose to her feet.

  As Tom stepped in front of her desk, he looked away for a moment, then met her eyes. “I’m here to take Anne to lunch.”

  Paige glanced at Anne, who was speaking on the phone. When she saw Tom, Anne lifted a hand and waved, then returned to her conversation.

  Tom cleared his throat. “Listen, Anne told me all about what happened. And I’ve been following the news too. I’m really glad everything’s okay.”

  Paige fidgeted nervously with the bangles on her bracelet, feeling more than awkward as she mumbled, “Thanks, that’s nice of you to say.”

  “About the last time I saw you,” he added, then gave her a half smile. “I was really rude. I want you to know how sorry I am.”

  “Let’s forget it.” Feeling the tension dissipate, Paige smiled at him. “So you’re officially dating Anne now?”

  Tom’s face broke into a grin as he looked back at Anne. “Yeah. She’s great.”

  Paige smile broadened. He was absolutely right; Anne was great.

  After Tom left her desk, she grabbed her purse. David was back at work, but had already left the office. He’d suggested she do the same, and for once, she was happy to oblige. She was more than ready for uninterrupted, stress-free time with Ethan. He loved her—truly loved her—despite all her faults.

  • • •

  Ethan’s hands fisted at his sides as he stared at the bed that stood in the middle of the underground bunker. Chains were attached to the posts. Last night, they’d been able to locate this property from papers found in Mark’s house, and now that the FBI techs had been through, he’d been allowed to take a look.