by Sydney Logan
“I love you, too.”
I slowly climb out of Ethan’s lap and make my way over to Gabe. He smiles at me, and I wrap my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.
“Be careful.”
“You, too, Jenna. Behave yourself and do what Sebastian says.”
“You’ll take care of him, won’t you? You’ll make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid, right? You’ll bring him home to me?”
“I’ll take care of him, but I don’t think you need to worry. You’ve given him more than enough reason to come back to you.”
Gabe and I share a smile before he leads the security team out to the vehicle. Jason and Cara follow them to the car while Ethan stays behind with me on the porch. His hand grips mine tightly.
“I love you, Jenna. I’ll be back before you even have time to miss me.”
“I somehow doubt that. I miss you already.”
His eyes are filled with tears, too. It nearly breaks my heart. But I have to stay strong. At least until he’s on the road.
Ethan kisses me one last time, and I watch through blurry eyes as he walks away from me and climbs into the SUV. The glass is too dark for me to see him, but I know he can see me, so I smile bravely, and I keep smiling until all I can see are taillights.
Suddenly, my dad is right by my side, pulling me by the hand and back into the house. I make it all the way to the living room before the tears come. Uncontrollable, exhausting tears that leave me limp and numb and heartbroken.
“How are you, Jenna?”
“Are you hungry, Jenna?”
“Do you need more crackers, Jenna?”
“He’ll be home before you know it, kid.”
It’s only been two days, but being in a house full of overprotective men is really beginning to suffocate me. And, if I didn’t know any better, I’d swear Dad knows I’m carrying his grandchild. Probably because I can’t seem to keep my hands off my stomach. It’s become a nervous habit over the past few days and makes me feel closer to Ethan, but I’m pretty sure my eagle-eyed father has figured it out.
I’ve never really missed anyone this much. I miss my mom and Abby every single day, but this is different. It’s as if I can’t take a deep breath. It’s a powerful ache of longing and fear, and I’m not really sure how to function around all these people. All I want to do is crawl into bed and hide beneath the blankets until Ethan comes home.
We stay in contact as much as we can. At one point, he lost satellite signal over the ocean and I’d nearly hyperventilated. My tears really freaked out my father. He’s not used to seeing me so emotional, but Sebastian constantly promises him that this has become my new normal and it always passes. And it does pass, but only when I hear the Skype ping, letting me know that Ethan’s online, and that he’s safe and sound.
At night, when the house is quiet and dark, is when I worry the most. Sebastian and my father are never far away, and there’s a wall of security surrounding me and the house at all times, so it’s not like I’m scared for me. But I am terrified for Ethan. Stavros can’t be trusted, and if cornered, Ethan may choose to join his organization in order to protect me. I know it’s a possibility, because I’d do the same thing if I knew it would keep Ethan safe.
We are each other’s strength and weakness . . . and Stavros knows it.
But how can we be strong if we’re divided?
I go through my moments of doubt, wondering if maybe I should have gone to Greece, but deep down, I know I made the right decision. I just can’t help but wonder what happens after all this is over. Sure, we’ll be free of Stavros, but plenty of people—including the FBI—want to see us behind bars for the many crimes we’ve committed. Do we have any chance at a normal life?
One morning, after another sleepless night, I’m making breakfast for the crew when a glimmer of hope is offered from the most unlikely of sources.
“Smells good in here,” Shane says. He grins and helps himself to a plate before sitting down at the table with my dad and Sebastian.
I smirk and pour him a glass of juice. It doesn’t feel odd, being all domestic with my ex-boyfriend, but it does remind me that this could have been my life with Shane Barnes. Safe. Easy. Predictable.
I’m so glad he cheated on me.
“Make yourself at home there, Shane,” Dad says.
“Don’t mind if I do,” he says in between bites. He then smiles up at me. “I just got an interesting phone call. After I eat this delicious meal, you and I need to have a conversation.”
Dad and Sebastian’s forks stop mid-air.
“About?” I ask hesitantly.
Shane finishes chewing before answering.
“About how I’m going to help keep you and Ethan Summers out of prison.”
After breakfast, the four of us head to the living room. Sebastian flips through channels on the TV while the rest of us find places to sit.
“I don’t understand. What does the FBI want with Stavros?” I ask.
“Apparently, your Greek friend has been causing quite a bit of chaos on the East Coast. Your aunt’s gallery was robbed last week. One of her assistants was killed.”
My stomach lurches. Aunt Clarissa is my mom’s sister and the owner of the gallery in Manhattan that Ethan had tried to rob a few months back.
“Was Clarissa there?”
“No, she was out of town.”
I sigh with relief.
“That was probably another attempt by Stavros to lure us out of hiding. Didn’t work, though. I guess he didn’t realize just how little contact I actually have with her.”
“Which is why Stavros shifted gears and went after Ethan’s parents instead,” Dad says.
Shane nods. “That’s what the FBI thinks, too. Crimes are crimes, and you and Summers have committed your fair share of them, but the FBI is much more interested in catching three murderers than arresting two thieves.
“Three murderers?” Dad asks.
“A pair of twins,” Shane says. “Some brother and sister from Italy.”
Maria and Marcello.
“They think the brother was the one who shot Clarissa’s assistant. The FBI doesn’t have enough evidence to prosecute them for the death of your friends, but they’re working on that, too.”
“So what does all this have to do with keeping us out of jail?”
“I might have mentioned that the two of you are eager to get out of the business, and you’d be willing to help them prosecute the twins and Stavros Peri if you were granted immunity.” Shane arches an eyebrow. “I didn’t lie, did I?”
His eyes drift down to my hand caressing my belly. We exchange a look, and I know he knows.
Might as well get this out of the way.
“No, you didn’t lie.” I then turn to my father. “I’m pregnant, by the way.”
Dad laughs. “No kidding.”
“You know?”
“We all know,” Shane says with a grin.
“It’s hard to ignore when your normally stoic daughter cries, pukes, and rubs her stomach all the time. We might be men, but we’re lawmen. We’re observant like that.” Dad grins, but then his expression turns somber. “Will you accept the FBI’s offer, Jenna? Will you help them catch Stavros so that you, Ethan, and my grandchild can live in peace?”
Is he kidding?
“Of course! What do I need to do?”
“Well, I probably need to tell you that they’re only interested in Stavros if he’s alive. Now, I haven’t asked why Ethan went to Greece, but I have a pretty good idea . . .”
“And the FBI probably won’t be as accommodating if Ethan adds murderer to his list of crimes,” Dad says quietly.
Shane nods. “We need to stop Ethan.”
“Before it’s too late,” I whisper.
“Stop moping.”
I shoot a glare at Jason and continue testing my headset. I’m not moping. I just wish I was anywhere but here.
That’s not true. I wish I was with her.
I want to
take her back to Tennessee and hide in the mountains until she goes into labor. But no. I’m here. Trying to track down a lunatic in hopes that, once we find him and kill him, I can live a normal life with the woman I love.
Plus, I’m getting restless. It’s been three days since we arrived in Greece, and so far there hasn’t been one sign of Stavros. The man has neither entered nor exited his estate. We don’t even know if he’s in the house. Or in the country. It’s as if the man has disappeared into thin air, and not knowing his whereabouts is slowly driving me insane.
I’m gonna destroy the bastard when I find him. Not only did he kill my best friends, but now he’s screwing with my life in ways I never could have imagined.
He’s keeping me from my girl. And our baby.
It only makes me more determined to end his miserable, pathetic life.
Gabe stops the vehicle a half-mile short of Stavros Peri’s estate.
This is it.
“Ethan, are you sure you want to go through with this?”
The question comes from Gabe. I’m not surprised. I know he’s anxious. Even more so now that he knows Jenna’s pregnant. Plus, our internet signal has been spotty at best. It’s making us all more than a little nervous. When you plan to storm a house, it’s best if your communication devices are all in working order. Throughout the morning, Cara insisted we double-check our headsets, just to make sure everything was functioning properly.
“You know there’s no other way. I have to protect my family.”
“I know, but maybe I should be the one to do this.”
“No, Gabe. I’m doing this.”
With a heavy sigh, my trusty pilot nods.
Jason looks out the window. “I understand. I wish I could have protected my sister.”
“And my brother,” Cara adds.
“This won’t bring them back.”
I know they realize this, but it’s important they understand that they’re both walking into a situation where we could all get killed. But if we’re successful, Jason and Cara will have to live with the fact they helped kill a man. I’m willing to carry that weight, but are they?
“We want justice,” Cara says. “We know the risks. Let’s just do this so we can get the hell out of this country.”
I nod toward the screens. “How’s it looking?”
Cara shakes her head. “Not good. Our signal sucks anyway, but I’m still having trouble getting around his security system. Keeps booting me out and it’s pissing me off. I’ve never found a system I can’t beat.”
“What does that mean?” Gabe asks.
“It means you can’t be monitored once you’re inside. Even the radios are useless.”
We’d been afraid the security system would be impenetrable. Without communications, we’ll have no connection to the outside world. Or to each other.
I’ve already lost two friends. I can’t lose any more.
“I’m going alone,” I tell them.
Gabe snorts. “Like hell you are.
“Yeah, that’s not happening,” Jason says.
“I can’t ask you guys to—”
“You didn’t ask.”
“We either all go or we all stay in the vehicle,” Gabe replies firmly.
“Fine, but Cara stays.”
She rolls her eyes but doesn’t argue. We do a last-minute check of our weapons, and then I announce it’s time to go.
“Wait!” Cara yells. “There’s something on the radar. Finally. Is that . . .”
All of us look at the screen.
“There you are, you miserable bastard,” she whispers.
We breathe a sigh of relief. It’s the first sign of him in days.
“Fantastic. Which part of the house—”
But Cara’s shaking her head. “He’s . . . not in the house.”
“Then where the hell is he?”
Cara types the coordinates into her laptop. Within seconds, her face goes ashen.
No. No. No.
“He’s in the Unites States,” I murmur.
“Worse,” she says, and my blood runs cold. “He’s in Kentucky.”
I’m trying to nap in my bedroom when I feel the vibration of my cell. Pulling it out of my pocket, I sigh with relief when I see Ethan’s name on the screen.
“Ethan, I’m so glad you called! Why haven’t you been answering your—”
“Sweet Jenna,” a voice murmurs.
The wrong voice.
Stavros.
“I’ve missed talking to you, Jenna. And you sound so happy. Impending motherhood must agree with you.”
How does he know about the baby?
“Why are you calling me from Ethan’s phone?”
“I’m calling from Ethan’s phone because he’s here with me. He just told me the happy news. Tell me, Jenna, are you hoping for a boy or a girl? Or are you hoping for the clichéd healthy baby? That’s what most parents say, but I never believe them. Deep in their hearts, they surely have a preference, don’t you think?”
“Let me talk to Ethan.”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible.”
I hear a muffled scream in the background, and piercing fear grips my heart.
“I swear to God if you hurt—”
“You need to remain calm, Jenna. For both Ethan and the baby. Now, I know you’re heavily guarded, so here is what you’re going to do. Are you listening?”
I glance at the door. Is Sebastian just outside? Or my dad? Where’s my dad?
“I’m listening.”
“Good girl. All I want is the chance to talk to you . . . face-to-face. But Ethan continues to refuse me this one simple request.”
My entire body trembles. “Please don’t hurt him, Stavros. I’ll do anything.”
“I was hoping you’d say that. Now, I need you to listen carefully. I’m at an old abandoned church out near Armory Park. Do you know the way?”
Armory Park? Stavros is here?
“St. Margaret’s? Yes, I know the way.”
“Very good. Do you think you can find a way to leave your guards behind?”
I glance at the door again. “I don’t know . . .”
“Come now, you’re a world famous con artist who’s managed to dodge the police for years. Surely a few bodyguards isn’t out of your realm of expertise, especially when Ethan’s life is at stake.”
A horrible wave of nausea sweeps over me.
“I’ll find a way.”
“I thought you might. If I suspect you’ve brought reinforcements, I will be very unhappy, and I will not hesitate to kill him. Do you understand?”
I close my eyes.
“I understand.”
“You have one hour.”
The line goes dead.
Sneaking out of my father’s house isn’t nearly as easy as it used to be, but I somehow manage to do it. Taking one of the guards’ vehicles or Dad’s truck isn’t an option, so I sneak around the side of the house, grateful for the camouflage provided by the darkening sky. As I round the corner, I stop abruptly when I spot the police cruiser, but behind the wheel is a deputy with his hat covering his face, obviously sound asleep.
Dad’s tax dollars at work.
Grateful that at least one man is sleeping on the job, I make my way over to the neighbor’s house. Lenny Shepherd has lived next to us since I was a little girl. He’s in his eighties now, and I pray he’s sleeping peacefully as I climb into the cab of his old Ford pickup. I sigh with relief when I see the keys in the ignition. It starts right up.
As I drive, I glance down at the truck’s clock. It’d taken nearly half an hour to convince my shadows I was actually going to bed for the night. The drive to Armory Park takes at least fifteen minutes. Thankfully, the roads are deserted. For a split second, I consider the possibility that this is a stupid decision. I don’t have a gun. No means of protection at all. Am I naïve to think Stavros won’t hurt Ethan? Does he really just want to talk?
Probably not. But he has Ethan at the c
hurch.
I drive faster.
Where’s Jason? Cara? Gabriel?
With one hand firmly on the steering wheel, I use the other to caress my stomach.
“Everything’s going to be okay, baby. I’m going to save your daddy, and I’m going to save us.”
I have to believe it. The alternative is unthinkable.
Our family had never been particularly religious, but Mom had been raised Catholic, so holidays were spent attending Mass in the sanctuary at St. Margaret’s. Once beautiful, the church is now dilapidated and decayed, but the stained glass window remains the focal point. As a young girl, I’d gaze at the Virgin Mary in the glass, with her shimmering colors reflecting in the sun, and I’d think about her goodness and light. I also thought about her absolute love for her child—a child she hadn’t expected, but loved nonetheless.
I never dreamed I’d be able to relate to that.
“Jenna.”
I turn away from the altar to find Stavros perched high above me, looking down from the balcony.
“Where is he?”
A side door suddenly opens, and Maria and Marcello walk into the sanctuary with a couple of armed guards. But no Ethan.
Where’s Ethan?
Maria takes my arm and leads me back toward the altar, where her brother waits with a chair he’s placed in front of the stained glass window.
Stavros walks down the stairs and strolls up the aisle toward me. “Oh, I imagine Ethan and his entourage are on his plane and on their way back to Kentucky.”
Marcello shoves me into the chair. His sister begins to tie my hands behind my back.
I’m limp. Numb. Stupid.
“He’s not here,” I whisper breathlessly. “Ethan’s not here.”
“No, but I’m sure he will be, very, very soon.”
I’m bait. My baby and I are bait.
“Ethan will kill you!” I struggle against the rope. Maria and Marcello each put a hand on my shoulder.
Stavros smiles. “I knew you’d come. It’s too easy to manipulate a cell phone to display . . . any name you like. I’m not very tech savvy, but Maria is quite the computer genius. Her skills have proven rather useful over the past few days. She’s made it very easy for us to avoid your boyfriend and keep us out of sight.
