by Lara Lacombe
Joseph glanced over his shoulder. “Please,” he said urgently. “They’re here now—their semitruck just pulled into the lot. This is where the boss meets people.”
“You mean, where he met you?” Matt cut in. His voice was lethally quiet, tripping a primal fear response in Emma that made her shiver.
“Yes.” Joseph didn’t bother to mince words. “Emma, you have to take Christina and get out of here before they see you.”
He sounded like he was telling the truth, but Emma no longer trusted her brother. Was he lying to manipulate her into doing something that would put her in even more danger? Or was he truly trying to help?
She looked up at Matt, trying to read his expression. He was staring at Joseph with open suspicion, his jaw clenched tightly and a deep furrow between his eyebrows.
Joseph glanced over his shoulder again. When he turned back, his face was pale and Emma noticed a line of perspiration on his forehead. “Emma, it has to be now. They’re coming inside.” She heard the note of panic in his voice, saw his feet start to shuffle toward the exit. She still couldn’t tell if he was lying to her, but one thing she did know for certain—her brother was frightened.
“Emma.” Matt’s voice was steady, his hand warm on her arm. “Let’s go.”
She glanced up to see his eyes fixed on the door to the diner. She followed his gaze and noticed three men climbing out of the cab of a truck. Moving in unison, they began walking across the parking lot toward the entrance. They didn’t look familiar, but something about the way they moved triggered a rash of goose bumps on her arms.
“Okay,” she agreed. She turned to grab Christina’s car seat and saw Joseph dart into the men’s bathroom. Trying to save his own hide, she thought bitterly.
Matt reached past her, taking the bulky carrier from her grasp. “Out the side,” he said quietly.
Emma wasn’t quite sure where the exit was located, but Matt gently pushed her along until she saw the door in front of her. Clutching Christina against her chest, she pushed on the horizontal bar, glancing back at the diner entrance to see where the men were now.
It was a mistake. The trio had made it inside. One of the men met her eyes, recognition dawning on his face as he focused on her. It was the one from the balcony, his scar even more obvious in the fluorescent lights of the diner. He let out a yelp and grabbed his buddy’s arm.
Matt cursed behind her, propelling her through the doorway and into the chilly air. “They’ve seen us.”
“It’s my fault,” she babbled as he steered her toward his truck. “I looked back.”
Matt didn’t reply. He unlocked the truck and tossed in the carrier, then boosted Emma into the passenger seat. Just before he closed the door, she spotted her brother running across the parking lot.
“Joseph!” she yelled out. He flinched but didn’t respond. “Why did you do this to me?”
The door to the diner burst open, spilling out the three men. They zeroed in on her and began to run for the truck. Emma slammed her door just as Matt jumped behind the wheel. He cranked the engine as she fumbled to put Christina into the car seat.
Matt stomped on the gas and the truck shot forward. As Matt headed for the exit, Emma caught sight of Joseph. He was running toward the men, waving his arms with his mouth open wide.
“Oh my God,” she said, staring in disbelief as her brother turned and started to run again. “He’s trying to distract them.”
“About time he did something to help you,” Matt said sourly, not bothering to turn his head. He tore out of the parking lot onto the access road of the freeway, the engine roaring as he dodged cars.
Emma turned around in the seat, trying to keep Joseph in her sight. Despite her anger and disappointment, he was still her brother and she didn’t want him dead. But the other vehicles at the truck stop obscured her view, and as Matt sped onto the freeway, the parking lot soon shrank in the distance.
“Is she okay?”
Emma turned around, realizing for the first time that Christina was crying. In all the excitement, she hadn’t registered the sound over the pounding of blood in her ears.
“Yes,” she said, feeling guilty at having ignored her daughter. She bent over the car seat, shushing her and stroking her forehead until her baby fell asleep once more.
Matt gripped the steering wheel tightly, his eyes darting from the road to the rearview mirror. Emma buckled herself in, craning her neck to see behind them. “Do you think they’re following us?” Her heart pounded at the thought; they were miles from any major town, with long stretches of lonely road ahead. What would they do if those men caught up to them?
“I’m not sure,” Matt said. “But they know what my truck looks like now.”
Emma didn’t respond. What could she say? It wasn’t clear if the men only had the semitruck, or if they had other vehicles parked at the truck stop they could use to give chase.
“Should I call the police?”
Matt considered the question, then nodded. “Can’t hurt. But I’m not stopping, and I don’t know how helpful they’ll be. We don’t have any proof of wrongdoing—just three guys who chased us out of the diner.”
“Still, maybe they can stop the truck or detain the men for questioning. Give us a bit more time to get away.”
“Go ahead.” Emma made the call, explaining the situation to a skeptical-sounding 911 operator.
“I got a partial plate,” Matt said. He rattled off the digits, which Emma repeated into the phone.
“I’ll dispatch some units, but it might take a while for them to arrive,” the officer on the other end said.
Emma thanked him and hung up, feeling like her call had been futile.
“Should have told him there was a fight going on,” Matt said. “That would have lit a fire under them.”
“You’re probably right,” she said. Matt began to slow down, steering for the next exit. “What’s going on?”
He took the off-ramp, gliding to a stop at the light on the corner. “I’m going to double back.”
Emma’s anxiety spiked, sending her heart into her throat. “You’re what?” she squeaked.
Christina whimpered in her sleep. Emma stroked her baby’s cheek, lowering her voice. “Why are you turning around?”
“Because,” Matt answered calmly, “they saw us hop on the freeway going in this direction. If they’re following us, they expect us to be headed east. By doubling back, we can lose them without them ever knowing it.”
“Oh.” She had to admit, it was the smart thing to do. But the knots in her stomach grew tighter as they drew nearer to the truck stop.
They drove by it without incident. The parking lot was clear, with no sign of Joseph or the three men.
“Their semitruck is gone,” Matt commented, keeping his voice low.
Emma curled her fingers into the fabric of her shirt and focused on taking deep breaths. “Did we pass them after turning around?”
“I’m not sure,” Matt said. “I saw a few trucks that resembled theirs, but I wasn’t able to get a good enough look to know for certain.”
“I guess we just have to keep our fingers crossed then,” she said. Hopefully the traffickers were driving east, away from them.
And her brother? Emma wasn’t sure what to hope for where Joseph was concerned. She didn’t want him dead, but she also never wanted to see him again. It was strange, feeling so detached from her brother. They’d been close growing up, but now that seemed like a lifetime ago. Joseph’s actions felt like a double betrayal, his roles as brother and uncle damaged beyond repair. She didn’t know where he was now, but a small part of her worried.
She sensed Matt gradually relax as the miles stacked up. He still checked the rearview mirror, but his knuckles were no longer white as he held the wheel. “What do we do now?” Emma asked quietly. The sun was rising behind them,
causing the truck to cast a long shadow on the road ahead.
“We find a place to rest,” Matt said. He glanced over, offering her a small smile. “I don’t know about you, but all that excitement has me tired.”
Emma chuckled softly. “Tired is a bit of an understatement.” She was exhausted. The night had lasted a lifetime, and it still didn’t feel like it was over. She needed to sleep, to let her brain and body rest so she could process everything that had happened.
Matt took one hand off the wheel, stretching his arm across Christina’s car seat with his palm up. Emma slid her hand into his, drawing strength from his touch. She wasn’t alone, at least not right now. As she stared at their clasped hands hovering over her sleeping daughter, a sense of peace bubbled up inside her chest, crowding out the sour residue of panic.
She didn’t know what was going to happen. But they would face the danger together.
Chapter 8
“You tried to double-cross me.”
Joseph swallowed hard, the metallic tang of blood thick on his tongue. “No, no, I—”
His words were cut off by another slap, causing his head to snap back and tears to fill his eyes. He blinked to clear them, trying to focus on the man in front of him.
The boss sat in a large chair in the trailer of the semitruck, swaying slightly as the vehicle moved. Joseph was on his knees, hands bound behind his back. His body vibrated with the rumble of the engine and the small bumps in the road. He wasn’t sure where they were going, but he knew they were on a freeway.
Emma’s face flashed through his mind. Had she gotten away? He thought so—he’d seen the truck peel out of the parking lot, headed for the freeway. But after the three men had caught him, he’d overheard the boss making some calls, instructing his men to give chase. If Emma was looking for the semi, she might miss the men who were actually trying to follow them.
“Do you know what I do to people who betray me?”
The boss’s words brought Joseph’s attention back around to his current situation. Things were not looking good; he was flanked by the two large bodyguards, and based on the state of the floor, this trailer was no stranger to bloodshed. He was in a rolling torture chamber, and it was only a matter of time until the boss started working on him.
He bit his lip, deciding silence was the wisest course of action. Apparently, he was wrong.
Another slap. “Answer me.”
Joseph looked into the man’s dead eyes, ignoring the cold sensation creeping up his spine. “I didn’t lie to you,” he said. “It’s not my fault your men were unsuccessful.”
“Is that right?” The boss gestured to one of the men. The goon searched Joseph’s pockets, digging out his burner cell phone.
The boss held up the phone. “You’re telling me if I look at your messages, I won’t find a warning to your sister?”
Joseph didn’t flinch. “No.”
It was the truth; he’d already tossed that burner phone and moved on to the next, anticipating this very possibility. The phone he’d used to text Emma was now in pieces, scattered along the side of the road.
If the boss was surprised, he didn’t show it. “We’ll see.” He stared at the screen, thumb scrolling as his free hand stroked the small dog in his lap.
The animal looked even more nervous than Joseph remembered. His small body trembled as a pink tongue darted out, swiping across his shiny black nose.
The boss tossed the phone to the ground. “You’re smarter than I thought,” he said. “But I know you tried to double-cross me. That little stunt back at the truck stop proves it.”
Joseph looked away, not bothering to deny it. “You haven’t paid me,” he pointed out. “You’re not short any money. We can both walk away and pretend this never happened.”
The man laughed, his ponderous belly undulating. “That’s not how this works. I might have been willing to do that, had you not undermined my men. But now this is personal.”
“It doesn’t have to be,” Joseph tried. “I didn’t mean to offend you—”
“Oh, yes, you did.” The man leaned forward as much as his girth would allow. “And I can’t have word getting out that you disrespected me and were allowed to go unpunished.”
Joseph latched on to the final word. “Unpunished” made it sound like the man wasn’t planning on killing him. Torture, yes. But Joseph could withstand pain.
“What are you going to do to me?” It was a loaded question, one he probably shouldn’t have asked. But better to know his future than to be left wondering.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” the boss said with a smirk. “But in the meantime, we’re going to find your sister. You still owe me a baby.”
“Emma’s gone. I don’t know where she went.”
“That’s fine. You’re still going to help me get her back.”
“I don’t see how.” The boss sounded very certain, but Joseph didn’t find his confidence reassuring.
“I’m going to use you as bait.”
The idea of it made Joseph laugh. “I hate to disappoint you, but Emma is not going to care if you threaten me. She hates me after what I did to her.”
“You’re probably right,” the man agreed. “Which is why I’m not going to threaten you to draw her out.”
Joseph’s stomach dropped as his imagination kicked into overdrive. “You’re not?”
The boss shook his head. “No. What would be the point? The bond between siblings is nothing compared to the love between a mother and daughter.”
It took a second for his words to sink in. Joseph’s body went numb as he realized what the man was saying.
“No,” he whispered. “Please, leave her out of this.” His mother was a good woman; she deserved better than to be used as a pawn in this monster’s game.
The man laughed again. “I wanted to. But you leave me no choice.” He shrugged. “I gather from your reaction you haven’t told your mother about me?” He didn’t wait for Joseph’s response. “No matter.” He stroked the dog in his lap, his lips twisted in a cruel smile. “You’ll be introducing us soon enough.”
* * *
It wasn’t a bad hotel, for a small town.
Matt eyed the building as he parked the truck. The stucco finish looked fairly new, with no major cracks or stains of disrepair. There were a few flowers planted here and there, adding spots of color to the parking lot. He glanced around, taking note of the other cars; lots of slightly older midrange models that looked like solid family vehicles. Nothing too flashy or unusual. His truck looked right at home here.
“This looks like a nice place,” Emma said, echoing his thoughts.
He nodded. “It’ll do. Stay in the truck with Christina. I’m going to go get us a room.”
“We can’t go with you?”
Matt shook his head. “I don’t want them to see you. Traffickers often use hotels as stops along their route. It’s possible they have connections to people working here, and I don’t want the staff to know you’re with me. If the traffickers come sniffing around, the front desk won’t be able to tell them you and Christina are here.”
Emma’s eyes widened. “Good point. I hadn’t thought about that.”
Matt smiled wryly. “You shouldn’t have to worry about it. No one should.” He hopped out of the truck and strode into the lobby.
“Good morning, sir.” A young man stood behind the front desk, his black hair shiny under the lights. “How may I help you?”
“I’d like a room for the night.” They’d start with one night. Hopefully Detective Randall would call Emma soon. The sooner she and Christina were placed into protective custody, the better. Matt would do all he could to keep them safe, but he was only one man against a group of ruthless traffickers. It was only a matter of time before the criminals found Emma and the baby again.
“Very good. Would you li
ke a king-size bed or two queens?”
Matt hesitated, wondering how to reply. Since he was ostensibly a single man traveling alone, the king-size bed was the logical choice. But he didn’t want Emma to think he had made any assumptions about sleeping arrangements, or to feel like he was trying to pressure her into something she wasn’t ready for.
“Two queens,” he said. “I can spread my stuff out on the extra bed.”
The man smiled. “Most of our guests do that,” he said, typing on a keyboard as he spoke.
“Glad I’m not the only one,” Matt replied, trying to sound casual. He handed over his credit card and driver’s license to complete the process.
After a moment, the man handed him a card in a small envelope. “All right, I’ve got you in room 536. The elevators are down the hall behind me, and we have a complimentary continental breakfast every morning. Please let us know if you need anything during your stay.”
“Great, thanks,” Matt said. “I need to move my truck around back. Can I get in the building from that direction?” He didn’t want to parade Emma and the baby through the lobby—hopefully there was a way to sneak them in the back door.
“Yes, sir. There is a door leading to the parking lot on the other side of the building. You’ll just need to use your key card to unlock it.”
“Wonderful.” The knot of tension in Matt’s belly eased a bit. He’d get Emma and Christina up to the room, then head out to grab some food and supplies. He’d feel a lot better knowing they were safe behind a locked door, and he wouldn’t draw too much attention if he was out and about on his own.
He walked to his truck, offering Emma what he hoped was a reassuring smile as he opened the door. “We’re all set,” he said. “We can go in through the back door, so they won’t see you.”
She climbed down, and he reached over to grab the car seat. Christina blinked up at him, her blue eyes bright. She gave him a big grin, two pearly teeth peeking out behind her lower lip. Matt’s heart seemed to swell as it soaked up the sweet sight of this little one. It tickled him to know that she was happy to see him, and he was struck by a pang of longing for a family of his own. He smiled back at the baby, which made her kick her legs and coo up at him.
