Lifeline

by Christy Barritt

He reached the end of the road and pulled into a public parking area to turn around. That’s when he saw the van. He braked. No one loitered around it. Were they inside?

  There was only one way to find out. He pulled to a stop beside the vehicle. Drawing his gun, he exited his car and slowly, carefully approached. There were no signs of movement, indicating that either no one was here or that they didn’t want him to think they were.

  He peered inside. Empty. Where had they gone?

  He stepped back and gathered in his surroundings. The beach. The snack shack. Public restrooms. A tall stretch of condos. Across the street, away from the beach, was an empty field of dune grass, surrounded by a small ocean tributary. Far beyond that was an RV park.

  And at the end of the road was...Back Bay. The perfect secluded spot, especially in the winter when it was barely patrolled by rangers even. He knew where he had to look.

  Headlights coming down the road grabbed his attention. A golf cart. He jogged toward the driver, waving him down.

  “I’ll trade you my Mercedes for the golf cart.”

  The older man raised his eyebrows. “You think I’m a fool?”

  “It’s a life or death emergency. Please.” He dangled his keys in front of him.

  “Hope you don’t regret it.”

  “Oh, I won’t.” He handed the man his keys and jumped in the golf cart. The vehicle was quiet enough that he could approach without anyone hearing him. He cut the headlights and headed toward Back Bay, calling the detective on the way. He’d need back-up. Lots of back-up.

  The cart bumped down a dirt path filled with tree roots and divots of sand. He paused and listened. Nothing. Not yet. But they had to have come this way.

  He continued down the path, darkness surrounding him. Farther up the trail, he paused. Voices. He definitely heard voices. He left the golf cart and started down the path by foot.

  “Come out, come out wherever you are,” someone with a distinct Mexican accent called.

  Bradley crouched behind a tree. In the distance, the moonlight illuminated a clearing in the trees. He spotted Julianne. Alexandro had a knife to her throat.

  Then he saw the blood already running down her jaw.

  Time was running out, and he needed a plan.

  * * *

  The cut across Julianne’s face ached. But that pain was subdued by the threat of more pain. The blade of the knife sliced the outer layer of her skin, just enough for her to feel the prick.

  “Nine,” Alexandro called. Despite the cold, Julianne was suddenly sweating. Did she take matters into her own hands and try to elbow Alexandro? Or did she let events play out as they would and pray for the best?

  “Eight. Are you listening? It would be a shame to mess up her pretty face. Like you messed up her shoulder.”

  Her scar tightened, and a subtle throb began there. Darrell? Were they really talking about Darrell?

  She had to get out of here, to get through this. There was so much she wanted to do. Mostly, she wanted to take life by the horns and stop living in fear. The first step of that would be to tell Bradley exactly how she felt about him. Even though Darrell wasn’t in her life anymore, he’d still maintained a certain control over her. No more.

  “Seven.”

  Her eyes scanned the woods, though she could see very little. Was Darrell out there? What would he do?

  “Six.”

  Tension mounted in her shoulders. There was no way she could fight off this many men. One man, and maybe she might have a chance. A slim chance, but still. But four men? She just didn’t see how it was possible, especially when at least one of them—probably more—had either knives or guns.

  “Five.” The knife cut deeper, hot pain searing into her. Tears popped to her eyes.

  “I thought you cared about her, man. I thought you were watching out for her, Darrell. I guess not. You’re going to let her die for you.” Alexandro paused. “Four.”

  Julianne listened for a movement, for a sign that something might change. Nothing.

  And then something scattered and tumbled in the woods. A rock maybe? Definitely movement.

  Alexandro relaxed his grip on her for a moment.

  Suddenly someone stepped from the bushes, his hands raised in the air. Julianne blinked at the sight, wondering if the situation had just gotten better or worse.

  Based on the terror that clutched her heart, this nightmare had just turned into something far worse than she could have ever imagined.

  * * *

  Bradley watched from behind the trees as Darrell stepped into the circle of men. There he was. Alive and untouched. He really had been behind all of this. But Bradley didn’t have time to ponder that at this moment. Right now, he had to save Julianne.

  Maybe Darrell would be just the distraction that Bradley needed to save Julianne.

  He stayed put, trying to plan his next move carefully. There were a lot of men, and just one of him. If he took one shot at Alexandro, one of the other men could easily take a shot at Julianne.

  “Don’t kill her. I’m the one you want.”

  Julianne gasped, her eyes wide as her fiancé came into view.

  He looked at her. “Hey there, sweetheart. Long time no see.”

  Alexandro stepped back from Julianne and sneered. “I knew this sénorita would be just the bait we needed. You owe us money. A lot of money. No one ever gets one over on the Amigos.”

  Darrell held his hands in the air. “You’re right. I’m tired of running. But I don’t have the money I owe you. I’ve been trying to get my hands on it for a long time now, but I haven’t had any luck.”

  “Then I guess we’ll just have to take your life instead.”

  Just as Alexandro raised his gun to Darrell’s temple, Bradley took his first shot. The bullet hit Alexandro’s hand, and he let out a curse. The other members of the Amigos turned, looking for the shooter. One by one, Bradley aimed and fired, hitting their shoulders—targeting places to injure them without death.

  No, the authorities would want to talk to these men. Bradley wanted to talk to these men.

  Darrell raised his hands as Bradley stepped from the trees. He kicked the guns away from each fallen Amigo’s hand as he stepped into the circle, his weapon still hot in his hands. The police should be here any minute.

  Though he wanted to reach for Julianne and make sure she was okay, now was not the time. Right now, he had to focus on keeping her alive and safe. He motioned for her to stand beside him.

  “Bradley Stone saves the day. Again.” Darrell smirked. “You’re good at doing that. You must really love Julianne to go through all of this trouble for her.”

  “I saw you die that day in training. How’d you fake your own death, Darrell? That’s what I don’t understand.”

  He shrugged, a new roughness about him. “I just found a homeless man who fit my description. I hid him out of sight the night before and put a uniform on him. I knew no one would suspect that it wasn’t me. After the explosion, I hid in one of the buildings and waited until everyone cleared out. It was the longest twenty-one hours of my life. But finally I was able to sneak away and begin my new life.” His gaze fell on Julianne. “But all I ever really wanted was to be with you.”

  Julianne shook her head. “And you didn’t want anyone else to be with me, did you? That’s why you kept killing any males who got close to me.”

  “I was trying to pave a way for us to be together again.”

  “We would have never been together again. Never.”

  “You were a fighter but I was determined to break you. You always fought back, though. I hated that I had to die before I finished the task.” He curled his lips into a cocky smile. “The acid burn didn’t seem to affect you as much as I’d hoped, so I figured I’d ruin your reputation, as well.” />
  Bradley jerked his arm, pulling Darrell back from Julianne. “Why’d you kill Vanessa?”

  The gleam left his eyes, replaced by that soulless expression again. “I broke into your home. I was going to steal some of those plans that I’d heard you talking about, the ones that your uncle had developed. I knew they’d be worth millions on the black market. I also knew that I could use that money to pay off some of my debt and to start a new life.”

  “But you didn’t find the plans?”

  “No, instead I found Vanessa. She recognized me. I didn’t have any choice. It was a shame really. I always respected you, Commander.”

  “So you faked your own death to get the cartel off your trail. You owed them big money. Donald’s life insurance policy hadn’t been enough. Then you cashed out your own policy so you could live on your own. Meanwhile, you somehow managed to put Donald’s body in your grave, knowing that the DNA match would be close.”

  He looked oddly impressed. “You guys caught up on all that rather quickly. The money from the life insurance policy ran out after a year.”

  “Then you killed your parents?” Julianne shook her head, disgust evident in her gaze. “That’s despicable, Darrell.”

  He shrugged. “A guy’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do. They never liked me, anyway. Donald was the perfect son. They couldn’t wait to get rid of me.”

  “Then you pulled Tommy Sanders into it? You knew about his indiscretions and blackmailed him to do the dirty work you couldn’t do yourself.” As Bradley said the words, the police surrounded them.

  Darrell shrugged again, as if the situation didn’t fluster him in the least. “Tommy did some drugs with me back when we were SEALs. He was involved with the cartel without even knowing it. I knew he’d be the perfect scapegoat. I wanted to make sure everything pointed to Tommy and not me.”

  Julianne shook her head again. “What would you do if you got Bradley’s plans, Darrell?”

  “Then I’d sell them to a terrorist organization—I still had plenty of contacts from when I was stationed over in the Middle East. I’d make big money from the deal. I’d be set for life—and beyond.”

  “And then what?” she asked.

  “I’d pay off the Amigos, and then I’d be rich enough to buy an island and live out the rest of my life there. With you, preferably. If you weren’t in jail by that time.”

  Bradley flexed his muscles as anger surged through him. How could one man be so evil? He’d never understand some people and the things they’d do for money. “You’re one twisted man, Darrell.”

  Detective Spencer handcuffed him and led him away.

  Bradley turned to Julianne. Her eyes were like saucers. She stepped closer, her hand going to his chest. “How’d you survive? The bullet...?”

  He pulled his shirt back some. “Another new product we’re developing—that bullet-proof vest I told you about earlier.”

  A sob caught in her throat, and she threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his chest. “I’m so glad. I was so worried. I thought you were dead.”

  “I’m not. I’m sorry I accused you of those things. The nature of my job makes me perpetually suspicious. I should have trusted you more, but my emotions clouded my logic.” He held her closer, deep sorrow making his heart heavy.

  She stepped back and ran her fingers down the edge of his face. “I forgive you. I haven’t exactly been one-hundred percent trusting of you, either. But I want to move past that. I want to move past all of this.”

  Bradley grinned. “Me, too.”

  “I was wondering if there might be a job opening at Eyes? I’m thinking about relocating.”

  “I think I know of an opening, but I’ve heard the boss can be a real bear sometimes.”

  She smiled up at him. “I think I’m up for the task.”

  He stroked her cheek, her hair, before finally his lips came down over hers. Peace and contentment spread through her, and, for the first time in years, excitement fluttered in her gut at the prospect of the future...of a future together with Bradley.

  EPILOGUE

  Julianne stood as the “Wedding March” began to play. She turned her attention to the door at the back of the church. A smile lit her face when she saw Elle begin down the aisle, looking gorgeous in a simple white wedding dress.

  Bradley’s hand went to her waist, and she smiled. She loved how he always made her feel as if she was treasured. The warmth of his hand crept through the material of her dress, making her glow from within.

  As Elle reached the front of the church, Denton appeared on the stage, a huge grin across his face. That’s what Julianne wanted. Someone whose eyes lit up when they saw her, who looked as if they’d won a million bucks whenever they were together.

  Did she have that with Bradley? She thought so.

  As they sat back down, Bradley’s fingers intertwined with hers. She glanced up at him and smiled. It was hard to believe that only a few weeks ago they’d practically been strangers. Now it felt as if they’d known each other forever.

  The ceremony was beautiful and touching, even if Julianne was having trouble paying attention.

  It had been so long since she thought she had a shot at happiness. She didn’t believe it could happen for her. But now, it seemed as if it could.

  The rest of the wedding was splendid, and something about the ceremony caused a longing to stir in Julianne’s heart. She wanted this one day.

  She wanted this with Bradley.

  The reception took place at a hotel on the beach. They stared out the floor-length windows that overlooked the Atlantic. Bradley wrapped his arms around Julianne as they waited for the new bride and groom to arrive.

  “Julianne?” Bradley whispered in her ear.

  “Yes?” Just the sound of his voice made her heart feel warm and full. She knew she’d found someone she could trust in Bradley. He allowed her to be herself, he never tried to control her, and always made her feel safe.

  “Can I tell you something crazy?”

  “Considering that I told you a crazy story a few weeks ago, and it ended up changing our lives, then sure. It’s your turn now.”

  “I’m hoping this crazy thing I have to tell you might end up changing our lives also.”

  She turned around until she was facing him, and wrapped her arms around his neck. “What is it?”

  “I love you, Julianne Grace. I know it’s fast and that we haven’t known each other that long. But I love you.”

  A smile stretched across her face. “You know what, Bradley Stone? I love you, too.”

  “I hope we can spend the rest of our lives trying to prove that to each other.” He looked so sincere and honest and trustworthy. She wanted to look into those eyes for the rest of her life.

  “I think I can make that happen.”

  He grinned and pulled her closer. His lips met hers, and happiness exploded inside Julianne. They’d weathered the storm together and grown stronger through the struggle.

  Julianne knew she’d found a man who’d be her rock from now until eternity.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Lone Star Protector by Lenora Worth.

  Dear Reader,

  Like Julianne, there are times in life when everything seems to fall apart.

  Friends may turn against you. Lies may be told about you. Those you trust may betray you.

  Isn’t it good to know that God is on our side? We can have confidence that God loves us. We can rest assured that God knows our heart—the good and the bad things—and accepts us, anyway.

  Sometimes, in the midst of hardship, it’s difficult to see that brighter days are ahead. Like Julianne, we must cling to the promises of God and trust that God truly is our stronghold foreve
r.

  Blessings,

  Christy Barritt

  Questions for Discussion

  Julianne takes a chance at the beginning of the book and puts her life on the line in order to find answers. What kinds of things are you willing to take risks for?

  Bradley is reminded that God calls us to care for the “least of these.” What are some simple ways we can do this?

  Julianne clings to Psalm 9:9, which says, “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” What does this verse mean to you?

  Julianne is holding on to past hurts. Is there anything from the past that you’re holding on to?

  Bradley has buried himself in his work since his fiancée died. Are there ways that you pour yourself into certain activities in order to avoid reality or to avoid the hurts in your life? Is this healthy? What are some better ways to handle your pain?

  Sometimes Julianne doubts herself. Do you ever doubt yourself? Why? How do you overcome those doubts?

  In the midst of the storm, Julianne finds hope in God. What kind of storm are you in the middle of? How can you keep your gaze focused on Jesus?

  Julianne found herself withdrawing as the result of a bad relationship. How do react when hard times hit? Do you withdraw or reach out?

  Have you ever been blamed or accused of something you were innocent of? How did that feel? How did you handle it? What advice would you give someone else in those circumstances?

  Have you ever felt like everyone’s turned against you? Have you ever felt betrayed? Jesus felt the ultimate betrayal on the cross. How does this fact comfort you? How does the fact that Jesus died on the cross change your life?

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense story.

  You enjoy a dash of danger. Love Inspired Suspense stories feature strong heroes and heroines whose faith is central in solving mysteries and saving lives.

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