by Leslie North
The nights had been the best part of the past five days. Nights they spent in his bed. They’d gotten in the habit of turning in early to make love and talk until falling asleep. He had no complaints about any of that. But this waiting around for the other shoe to drop needed to end. He was feeling cooped up, and he thought the girls were, too. He’d allowed them into the backyard, but not beyond, fearing that something might happen to them.
“I’m home,” Mia called from the front door.
Thank god was Kenton’s immediate reaction as the girls rushed to greet their aunt. She swung each of them up and kissed their cheeks. He’d like to kiss her, but they were still being careful to keep their displays of affection to a minimum in front of the kids.
“How’s the day been?” she asked him with a smile.
“Nothing to complain about,” he responded, but her eyes were on him. She wasn’t quite sold. “I need to work in my office for a bit. Can you…”
“Sure. Come on, girls. I want to tell you about the most beautiful dog I saw today.” She took them into the living room, leaving him standing by the front door, dissatisfied.
He shook it off and headed for his office. His CO had promised an update, even though it was Saturday. Kenton had just enough time to connect to the video chat before it started. Giving Patrick and Anderson a quick nod, he turned his attention to Colonel Schaffer, who got down to business immediately.
“We’ve confirmed the attack on you was posted on a kind of mercenary job board. Unfortunately, we haven’t yet pinpointed who placed it. Either way, the job, if you will, is listed again, so we’re assuming the original group failed and it’s open to other mercenary groups. Whoever is after you has increased the price they’re willing to pay and the seriousness of the job. It’s being listed as an actual contract now.”
Kenton sucked in a breath and tried not to look rattled. Putting a contract on someone usually meant these groups were looking to kill or capture. Did they want just him? Or were Mia and the girls equally at risk?
“Do you have any details, colonel?” he recovered enough to ask.
“No, captain, and I know what you’re thinking. It’s still safest to keep the woman and kids with you for the moment. The good news is that the latest intelligence says the contract is untaken. You’ve got some breathing space, but don’t let your guard down.” The colonel turned his attention to Anderson and Patrick. “Gentleman, I’ll need you to begin pulling guard duty as well. You can hold off until we have confirmation that someone has taken the contract. It probably won’t be long. You doing all right, Fitzpatrick?”
“Yes, sir.” Kenton kept his composure. “I appreciate the information.”
“Keep in touch,” the colonel said, ending the call for everyone.
“Shit,” Kenton muttered. “Shit, shit, shit.” That was about the worst news he could have gotten. The only glimmer of positivity was that no one was trying to get to them that day… probably. It was small consolation. Should he tell Mia how serious their situation was? He’d likely have to, because some things were going to need to change.
The shriek of little girls sounded from outside his office. Even the heavy oak door couldn’t keep it out entirely. The doorknob turned, and he heard Mia’s voice.
“No, Emma, don’t bother him.”
“I want Kenton.” Despite his ill humor, he almost smiled. Emma could be counted on to be persistent. He had to admit to a fondness for her attitude, and Ava was warm and loving. Both the girls were appealing in their individual ways. And their aunt held all sorts of appeal.
“It’s okay. You can come in,” he called through the door.
“Sorry,” Mia said, coming in with both girls. “They’re restless today.”
“Been that way since they got up,” he said.
“Maybe a walk to the park,” Mia suggested. “It’s beautiful outside, and they’ve hardly…” She trailed off, watching him closely. Emma held her arms up to him. He lifted her onto his knee while he stroked Ava’s hair, but Mia must have seen something in his expression. “What’s the matter, Kenton?”
“Nothing new,” he said. He’d known in his gut that someone was out to harm them since the initial attack, and whoever it was wouldn’t be satisfied with a scare or threat.
“Okay, but you look—”
“Outside,” Emma yanked on his arm. “We want outside.” Ava took hold of his other hand and tugged.
Kenton should say no, but he got where they were coming from. He was tired of being cooped up as well. And, he reasoned, an attack wasn’t imminent. After today he wouldn’t be sure of that, and he’d have to keep them on lockdown.
“How about a drive?” he suggested. They could stay in his truck, which gave him the capacity to get away quickly if he needed to elude an attacker.
More little-girl shrieks sounded while Emma and Ava danced around him in their excitement.
“I’ll pack a bag,” Mia said, looking pleased.
“We won’t be gone long,” he warned. An hour tops. He would pick a country road, maybe see some fall colors, and be home in no time.
“It’s good to be prepared.” She flashed him a grin, probably enjoying tossing his number one personality trait back at him.
“Meet at the door in twenty minutes,” he said, standing up and putting Emma on her feet. The girls dashed off, chattering with each other.
“Thanks.” Mia lingered. “Are you sure nothing’s wrong?”
He shook his head but couldn’t resist opening his arms to her. She came to him, putting her arms around his waist and resting her head against him. He didn’t know if she was seeking comfort or giving it. Either way, he was glad to hold her. After a minute, he dropped a kiss on her hair and pulled back.
“We better find them,” he quipped, “or they’ll be out the door without us.”
Twenty minutes later they were in his truck making their way out of town. He’d picked a route that would take them through scenic, hilly country and a couple of quaint small towns. In his head, he mapped out a circuit that would take about an hour. When they returned, he’d call Patrick and Anderson and plan a schedule of protection for his household. He hated doing that to his buddies when they wanted to spend time with their families, but he knew they’d do anything to help him keep Mia and the girls safe.
“Look, girls, cows.” Mia pointed out the window at a field. “What do cows say?”
“Moo,” Ava answered, making the sound stretch out.
“That’s right. Oh, and there are horses. See how pretty they are when they run.”
They were passing a fenced area where a half dozen horses raced across a pasture. Kenton slowed the truck so the girls could get a better view.
“Horsey,” the girls cried in unison, excited about seeing the animals.
Mia’s hand crept across the seat to touch his leg. He reached down to clasp her fingers between his. This short drive was making the girls so happy, and he felt almost comfortable. He’d kept his eyes on the rearview mirror. No vehicles appeared to be following them.
“What’s this?” Mia exclaimed as they crested a rise and entered the outskirts of a small town. People were parked along the streets, and families headed in the direction of a park. A banner stretched across the road announced, The Country Pumpkin Patch. “It’s a festival. Can we stop? Just for a few minutes. It would be so much fun for the girls.”
He hesitated, not wanting to disappoint her or the twins but reluctant to put them at risk.
“Stop, stop,” the twins chanted from the back seat.
When a car pulled out of a space just ahead, he took it as a sign from the universe and parked his truck, deciding that they could take the afternoon to enjoy themselves. He helped Mia get the girls out of their car seats, and they joined hands to cross the street. As they headed into the festival grounds, they blended in with other families, not that it took Kenton’s mind off his need to protect them.
“Pumpkin painting over there,” Mia said, scann
ing the area, “and games, food, crafts. There’s something for everyone. Where should we start?”
Emma and Ava were wide eyed, taking it all in and ready to run in every direction. Kenton tightened his grip on Emma’s hand when she started to pull away.
“One thing at a time, kiddo,” he said to her.
Mia chose the games area first, where the girls tried to toss a ring around the stem of a pumpkin, used a net to fish for apples in a big tub, and ran through a maze made from hay bales stacked two high. It was easy for Kenton to keep track of their movements from the outside, but they couldn’t see over the bales, making the maze fun for them. When their cheeks were pink with exertion, Mia suggested food and drinks. They purchased delicious apple fritters and washed them down with cold cider.
The only potential danger Kenton could see came from the honeybees that were also drawn to the sweets. He kept his eye on the crowd, but no one stood out. Everyone looked like what they were: parents and grandparents with glee-filled little kids.
Mia popped the last of her fritter in her mouth and bent to wipe sugar from the girls’ hands, giving Kenton a view he appreciated down her blouse. Her body was curvy and beautiful, and she neither flaunted it nor tried to hide it, which he liked.
“Hey,” she said, taking a swipe at him with the napkin when she realized where his gaze had gone. “This is a PG event.”
“Sorry, but I can’t resist beauty like that.” He kept his voice low enough not to be heard by the exuberant crowd around them.
“Later, you won’t have to,” she said with a flirtatious smile.
It struck him how easy it was to imagine that this was all real, that they were a family like the ones around them. The way they had come together didn’t fit in with his plan for himself, but he was starting to wonder how much his plan mattered.
“Pretty.” Ava pointed to floral wreaths for sale in a nearby booth.
“Those are very pretty,” Mia agreed. “We should look at the crafts. Okay with you?” Mia’s question pulled his thoughts back to the moment.
“We can stay a little longer.” He realized in that moment it would be tough to deny them anything.
A half hour later, that theory was tested when Mia wanted to stay to watch a folk music group perform. He’d noticed that the festival grounds had gotten more crowded, with everyone making their way toward a stage at one end. The singing group must have been popular, judging by the number of people.
Mia lightly touched his arm and leaned closer into him. The girls were at their feet, tucked between them.
“I know you didn’t want to stay this long, but can we listen to part of the concert?” she asked. “Please. It’s been such a good day. I don’t want to go home yet.”
He hesitated. They’d already spent almost two hours there, but then he looked down at Emma’s and Ava’s sweet faces, and couldn’t say no. “We’ll stay a little longer.”
They moved closer to the stage area and found a spot on the grass to sit. During the first two songs, the girls danced and twirled around them, clearly enjoying the music.
“Okay, all you kiddies out there,” the lead singer called as the next song started, “the band needs some help with this one. Who wants to come up and play an instrument with us?” Stage assistants brought out baskets filled with little drums, triangles, and maracas. Perfect for small hands.
“Can we?” Emma spoke first.
“I don’t see why not,” Mia answered before Kenton could, but she glanced at him. He gave her a nod of confirmation, since the girls wouldn’t be out of their sight.
The girls held hands and went up the steps to the stage. Emma boldly headed to the center and grabbed instruments for each of them, then took a spot near Ava at the stage’s edge.
“Oh, they’re so cute,” Mia exclaimed, digging through her shoulder bag. “Where’s my phone? I want a picture. Would you check in the diaper bag for it?”
The diaper bag was a backpack that Kenton had carried. He opened the largest compartment and peered inside, moving items around to see under them.
“Here it is,” she said excitedly. “I must have missed it.”
Kenton saw Mia’s profile when she focused back in on the stage. Her jaw dropped, and she leaped to her feet a second later. He turned his attention to where the twins should be, and a sick feeling hit his stomach. Ava wasn’t there.
“Ava’s gone!” Mia leaped to her feet and ran for the stage, but he stayed where he was, studying the crowd. If someone had snatched the girl, they couldn’t have gone far. His eyes narrowed, looking for Ava’s blonde curls and pink jacket. He caught a glimpse of Mia reaching a now-crying Emma and scooping her up.
One twin safe. He started moving toward the only entrance to the stage area. The sides were fenced off with hay bales. An adult could easily go over them, but that might attract attention. Kenton’s money was on someone trying to look like a parent working his way toward the exit. That’s how he’d play it if he were trying to kidnap a child at a festival.
Kenton moved out onto the festival grounds, his head snapping from side to side as he continued to search. The thought that Ocampa must be behind this hovered at the fringes of his thoughts, raising his pulse rate. Kidnapping a child was right up his alley. Kenton couldn’t think about that yet. He had a mission to perform.
“Too damn many kids,” he muttered but kept his focus sharp. His concentration paid off when he caught a flash of pink twenty yards ahead. A man, dressed to blend in in jeans and a hoodie, was carrying a crying child toward the parking lot. “Shit, no.” If they reached a vehicle, Kenton would have a hell of a time catching them.
Kenton charged ahead, vaguely aware of people scattering in front of him until he was only a few yards from the man.
“Stop! Put her down!” Kenton yelled in a booming voice. The crowd around him paused as he knew they would, the volume of voices dropping. “Kidnapper!”
The man turned his attention on Kenton, who was barreling closer. Kenton saw the man evaluate his choices. He could drop the kid and possibly get away or stay and end up fighting Kenton. The man opened his arms and let Ava slump to the ground before running toward a white van.
Kenton wanted in the worst way to chase the guy down and pound him into the ground, but Ava was sobbing where she’d fallen. Was she hurt? Only scared? Kenton picked her up and held her close to him, rubbing her back and murmuring soothing words. He looked up in time to get the van’s license plate before it pulled out onto the road and was gone.
“It’s okay, little one,” he said. “I’ve got you.” Ava’s short arms went around his neck as she sobbed into his shoulder.
A hand touched his arm. “Everything okay, mister? Was that guy trying to take your kid?”
“Yeah, we’re all right now. Thanks,” Kenton said to the man who had approached him.
“I wouldn’t have expected that kind of thing to happen here.” The guy seemed stunned.
“Custody issue,” Kenton said to defuse the situation. Such battles could get ugly and lead to kidnappings by one or the other parent. He didn’t want the festival to erupt in panic due to what appeared to be a random kidnapping attempt. Nothing about it had been random, and the other festivalgoers had nothing to fear.
“Do you have her?” Mia rushed up, carrying Emma. “Oh, thank god. Is she all right?”
“Just scared, I think,” Kenton said, trading twins with Mia. Emma was crying, too, but Ava needed the reassurances that only her aunt could give her. “We need to get out of here.”
“Yes, right away,” Mia agreed.
They made their way to his truck. Once he got them in and situated, he took a minute to check the most likely places on the undercarriage for a tracking device. No one had followed them, of that he was sure, but someone knew where they were. It didn’t take him long to find the small tracker on the inside of a fender well.
“Son of a bitch.” Kenton could have kicked himself. The device hadn’t even been well hidden, but he had
n’t thought to check for it. He ripped it off and popped out the tiny battery that powered it. Everything in him wanted to crush the device to smithereens beneath his heel, but he didn’t. Identifying the manufacturer might help point them to who placed it, so he shoved it in his pocket.
When he got in the truck, Mia was sitting in the back seat between the girls. No one was crying anymore, but the atmosphere was heavy with fear.
“I’m sorry, Mia,” he said, starting the vehicle.
“It’s not your fault.” Her fingers touched his shoulder, but he shrugged her off.
“Like hell it isn’t,” he muttered in a low voice as he pulled out on the road and headed for home.
13
When they reached home, Kenton was torn between hustling Mia and the girls into the house and taking the time to make sure it was safe. Recognizing that he couldn’t leave them sitting ducks in the driveway, he took them up to the master bedroom and told them to stay put.
A search of the house and a check of the security system revealed nothing, so he returned to the bedroom. Mia put her finger over her lips when he opened the door. Both girls were asleep on the bed, curled into each other. They looked sweet and fragile, reminding him again of the weight of his responsibilities.
“I need to check in with my team,” Kenton said in a low voice when Mia rested her head against his chest. He held her for a minute before breaking away. Before leaving the room, he opened his top dresser drawer and pulled out a whistle. “If you need me, blow this.”
“I’m sure that’s not necessary,” she said, lifting her face to his and letting him see how troubled her eyes were. Later, he’d comfort her the best he could, but he had duties first.
“Just keep it with you.” He pushed it into her hand and made his way to his office to boot up his computer. His plan was to contact his CO first, but an email from an unknown sender caught his eye. The subject line read Next Time. With a sinking feeling, he opened the email. It contained one sentence.
