by Laura Scott
“Because I haven’t gotten this far without being meticulous about loose ends,” Caruso replied tersely. He tightened his grip around her neck, making Mallory’s face grow red as she struggled to breathe. “I’m not letting you go, Mallory, so save yourself some pain and tell me where the bracelet is.”
Jonah desperately wanted to rush over and yank Mallory out of harm’s way. But he could only watch helplessly as Caruso used Mallory as a pawn in his deadly game.
“The bracelet…” Mallory’s voice came out as little more than a croaked sound since he was holding pressure against her windpipe. Caruso obliged by loosening his arm around her throat. Mallory gulped in several breaths of fresh air. “I have it in a safe place back in our hotel room,” she finally admitted. “I’ll take you there.”
Jonah wanted to yell out in protest. No way did he want Mallory going anywhere alone with Caruso. “I’ll take you,” he interjected. “I know right where she put it.”
“No, you don’t,” Mallory argued, shooting him a glare that silently implored him to shut up and trust her. “I hid it after you left.”
Jonah knew she wasn’t being entirely truthful. He was equally torn between stalling for time and getting them all out of the rigged warehouse. The more Ramsey and Caruso talked, the more he was starting to believe that neither man knew the warehouse was a bomb waiting to blow.
“Forget about the bracelet,” Chief Ramsey said in a curt tone. “I’ll make sure my officers find it and I’ll get it to you.”
Caruso hesitated, as if considering the possibility. Jonah could tell Caruso didn’t like letting Ramsey call the shots, especially since the bracelet was evidence that could be used against him. “I want the bracelet,” he said. “And I don’t believe she left it in some hotel room. Give me a couple minutes to search their vehicle, okay?”
Ramsey scowled. “Make it quick.”
Jonah glanced at Logan, knowing that they were going to have to make a move, and soon. Their only hope was to distract Ramsey and Caruso enough for them to rush them head-on. A risky plan at best, with the dynamite surrounding them.
Yet it was one step above getting shot point-blank.
“You’re right,” Mallory suddenly said. “I do have the bracelet with me.” Her gaze was locked on his and Jonah was trying to understand what she was silently trying to tell him. Her hand was tucked inside her sweatshirt pocket—was it possible she’d managed to make a call before she was grabbed by Caruso?
He was almost afraid to hope. He tried to figure out how long they’d been standing there. It seemed like forever, but he knew it couldn’t have been more than five to ten minutes.
At that moment, a tower of crates came crashing to the floor. The sound made everyone jump in surprise, including him. But when Logan headed straight for Ramsey, he realized that Kate had provided the distraction they needed.
He ran toward Caruso at the exact moment Mallory used the element of surprise to leverage Caruso’s arm up just enough to duck underneath. He rammed his head into Caruso’s torso, causing them both to crash to the ground. He heard Mallory cry out in pain.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jonah could see that Logan and Ramsey were wrestling for the gun. He paid dearly for allowing that brief look. Caruso hit him square in the face. He jerked backward, his head bursting with pain. For a moment darkness threatened, but he fought back against Caruso, exchanging blows, doing his best to ignore whatever was going on around him.
He hoped Mallory and Kate would run for help, but of course they didn’t. He had the slim advantage of being on top, pinning Caruso to the concrete floor. But Caruso wasn’t going down easily. He stretched his arm out wide, and Jonah realized the senator was reaching for the knife he must have dropped.
Jonah leaned forward, putting more pressure against the man’s throat. Mallory’s foot swept the knife well out of reach, sending it skittering across the room. He wanted to shout at her to get into the SUV, but he was distracted by blood.
Bright red blood.
Dripping onto the concrete floor right where Mallory was standing.
Caruso had stabbed her.
* * *
Mallory could barely tear her gaze from where Jonah and Caruso struggled on the floor. She was feeling more light-headed by the second and knew she was losing too much blood.
Please, Lord, grant Jonah the strength to get away from Caruso!
“Mallory!” Kate called from the other side of the room. Her arms and legs didn’t want to work very well, as she turned toward the other woman. “Grab a piece of crate!”
In the distance Mallory could hear the wail of sirens and she hoped and prayed that help was on the way, since she’d texted Gage asking for help and giving their location. She took a piece of crate that Kate thrust in her hands, but found that she lacked the physical strength to lift the board high enough to hit Caruso.
But she noticed Kate didn’t have the same problem, as she hit Chief Ramsey on the back of his head. Logan grunted as the chief collapsed and he managed to wrestle the gun away without the weapon going off.
Logan tossed the gun outside, far out of anyone’s reach, before he went over to help Jonah. Mallory blinked when Kate came up beside her.
“What’s wrong?” Kate asked.
She held her hand against her side. “I have to sit down,” she murmured.
“You’re bleeding!” Kate exclaimed. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”
She shook her head, finding it difficult to concentrate. She didn’t even notice that Jonah and Logan had managed to knock out Caruso.
“Come on, we need to leave here,” Jonah said, putting his arm around her for support. She clung to him, hating the fact that she didn’t have an ounce of strength.
Jonah must have realized how bad off she was because suddenly he swung her into his arms. “Let’s go!”
“The car is this way,” Logan said, hanging back.
“The car won’t help if the building blows,” Jonah said, breathing heavily. “Come on!” he insisted. She felt him crane his neck back to look behind them. “Caruso’s trying to get up!”
She tucked her head in the hollow of his shoulder, trying to ease the bouncing as he ran. When Logan and Kate came up beside them, she tried to get their attention. “He has cracked ribs.”
“Give her to me,” Logan said, understanding her concern.
Before Jonah could reply, an earsplitting boom filled the night, shaking the earth and sending all four of them airborne.
SIXTEEN
Jonah couldn’t breathe—he felt as if he had a knife stabbing his heart. But he still crawled frantically on his stomach toward Mallory.
Please, Lord, keep her safe. Let her live—please.
He finally reached her, several feet from where he’d landed. She was unconscious, but he wouldn’t allow himself to believe the worst. He caught her wrist, closed his eyes and concentrated on feeling for a pulse.
Finding the faint beat almost made him weep with relief. The sirens were louder now, and he had to believe they were coming for them.
“Jonah?”
Hearing Logan’s voice made him raise his head and glance around. “Over here!”
Miraculously, both Logan and Kate didn’t appear to be badly injured, judging by the way they rushed over to Mallory’s side. “Is she okay?” Kate asked anxiously.
“She has a pulse,” Jonah said, ignoring the deep stab of pain that accompanied every word. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought maybe he’d broken his rib to the point that the bone was poking into his lung. “But it’s fast and faint. She’s lost too much blood.”
“She’ll be fine. Medical help is on the way,” Logan assured him.
“Don’t give up, Mallory,” he murmured, reaching over to brush her hair off her cheek. He couldn’t bear to think about losing her. “Don’t give up on me—on us. Do you understand?”
Mallory stirred, and his heart raced with hope, but she didn’t open her eyes. He wished the ambula
nce would get here faster.
“Press this against the wound in her side,” Kate said, stripping off her hoodie and handing it to Jonah.
He took the fabric. “Logan, help me. I don’t have the strength to hold pressure.”
Logan stepped up and used his weight to press against Mallory’s side. Jonah couldn’t allow himself to think Mallory might not make it. He had faith in God and in Mallory’s own will to live.
The paramedics arrived and shoved him aside in order to assess Mallory.
“He’s injured, too,” Kate said, pointing at Jonah.
“I’m fine. Take care of Mallory first,” he insisted.
The paramedic brushed away his concern. “We have two teams here and more on the way so stop playing hero. You’re girlfriend is being well cared for. What happened?”
He craned his neck, trying to see what was going on with Mallory. “She’s been stabbed,” he called out. “There’s a knife wound in her right side.”
“Buddy, I’m trying to help you here,” the paramedic said, clearly exasperated. “I need to know what happened to you.”
“Cracked ribs, maybe broken now,” he reluctantly admitted. “And a surgical incision that may have opened up again.”
“Where does it hurt? Here?” The paramedic pressed against his lower left side.
Excruciating pain shot through his chest. Despite his best efforts to battle the pain, Jonah passed out cold.
* * *
When Jonah awoke, he was already in the hospital. He didn’t remember anything about the ambulance ride, which made him wonder if the guy had given him something to knock him out.
He turned his head on the gurney but didn’t see Mallory. “Where’s Mallory?” he asked the nurse.
She turned toward him. “Hello, my name is Susan. How are you feeling?”
“Fine. Where’s Mallory? Mallory Roth?”
“Calm down,” she urged, putting a hand on his arm. “I don’t know who Mallory Roth is, but I’ll try to find out, okay?”
“Logan!” he bellowed, annoyed with the nurse who was trying to placate him.
“Excuse me, ma’am,” Logan said, appearing in the doorway to his room. He flashed his badge for the nurse. “I’m with the FBI and I need to talk to this witness.”
“Fine. But you need to keep him calm. We just reinflated his lung and repaired the surgical incision he did his best to ruin.”
“I promise I’ll keep him calm,” Logan drawled, flashing his most charming grin.
“Where’s Mallory?” he asked, unable to concentrate on anything else until he knew she was okay. “Have you seen her?”
“Mallory is fine. She has a minor concussion and they’ve already stitched up the wound in her side. They’re giving her a couple units of blood to replace what she lost.”
“She went to surgery?” He was appalled to know that she’d undergone surgery while he was unconscious.
“No, they took care of everything right in the trauma room,” Logan assured him. “I swear to you, she’s fine. Resting for now and waiting for a hospital bed. They want to watch her overnight to make sure her head injury doesn’t get worse.”
He saw the truth in Logan’s eyes and allowed himself to relax. Mallory was alive. She was going to be okay.
Thank You, Lord.
“I want to see her,” Jonah said. He put a hand to his chest, feeling the bulky dressing along his left side. “Help me up.”
“No way, not until the doctor gives the okay.”
“I’m fine,” he insisted. The pain was bad, but he didn’t care. He wanted to see Mallory.
“Knock it off, Jonah,” Logan said in an exasperated tone. “One of your broken ribs punctured a lung, and so help me, if you don’t stay put, I will help hold you down while that nurse gives you a sedative.”
Jonah glared at Logan, but his colleague didn’t back down. He ground his teeth in frustration. “Then get the doctor in here to clear me. I doubt I’ll need a hospital bed.”
“Don’t count on that,” Logan muttered drily. “Listen, it’s time for me to report all this, so humor me for a minute, okay? As soon as you’ve answered my questions, I’ll get the doctor in here.”
He narrowed his gaze but he nodded. “Fine. Ask your questions.”
“How did you know the warehouse was going to blow up?” Logan asked. “I wanted to get the car, but you made us run in the opposite direction. If we’d have gone to the car, we’d all be dead.”
Despite the pain, he flashed a crooked grin. “Chief Ramsey didn’t seem to know the place was wired with dynamite, since he showed up with a gun. But Caruso had a knife. I suspected there was a possibility he might be planning to double-cross the chief by blowing all of us up with the warehouse once he had the bracelet. When he was trying to get up but collapsed onto his stomach, he reached for his pocket and I was afraid that he might trigger the explosion by accident, so I wanted to put as much time and distance between us and the warehouse as possible.” Thankfully, God had guided him in the right direction.
“But how did you know Caruso was the one who’d wired the warehouse in the first place?” Logan persisted.
Now Jonah understood what was bothering Logan. Logan was the one who’d suggested the warehouse as a meeting place and he couldn’t understand how it had been used against them. “You’ll have to help me answer that one, Logan. You mentioned you had a contact who told you about the warehouse. Is it possible your contact planned on double-crossing you, too?”
“Bruce Dunlop,” Logan said with disgust. “We sent him to work undercover in Salvatore’s business. He’s the one who gave me the idea of using that particular warehouse and he’s the one who was supposed to be helping us from the inside.”
Jonah shook his head. “Plenty of guilt to go around, Logan. I’m the one who left the message with Finley telling him we wanted to meet him at the warehouse in the first place.”
“No matter when you told Finley the meeting spot, he would have told the chief anyway, to keep him in the loop.”
Maybe, but by then they wouldn’t have been trapped inside with the chief holding a gun on them. Jonah hated the way he’d made so many mistakes. “You were right, Logan. I should’ve considered the possibility that the corruption went higher than Finley.”
“It’s all over now, Jonah. We made it out alive. Unfortunately, both the chief and Caruso died in the explosion.”
Jonah nodded. “Yeah, and I still don’t know for sure if Finley is dirty, too. I’d like to think not, since the chief showed up without him, but let your boss know so that there can be a full investigation.”
“You got it,” Logan agreed. He held out his hand and Jonah solemnly clasped it. “Thanks, Jonah. I’ll be in touch. And I’ll get the doctor to come in and talk to you now.”
“Thanks.”
The doctor insisted on admitting him to a hospital bed, and he agreed only if he could be on the same floor as Mallory.
It was several hours later before he was settled in his room on the third-floor surgical unit. Getting out of bed with the IV pump and all his tubing wasn’t easy. But he insisted on walking in the hall, so the nurse and the aide reluctantly helped to disconnect him.
“You can’t stay off the suction too long,” the nurse warned him. “We need to make sure your lung doesn’t collapse again, okay?”
Since he didn’t particularly want that, either, he nodded. “Just a few minutes. I promise.”
With the IV pole in tow, he made his way out to the main nursing station. He found Mallory’s room number, inwardly groaning as he realized she was on the opposite side of the floor.
Walking wasn’t bad as long as he didn’t breathe too much. When he reached Mallory’s room the door was closed. He lightly tapped.
“Come in.”
He pushed open the door. She was lying in bed, looking pretty good except for the blood dripping through her IV and the dark bruises shadowing her eyes. He crossed the room toward her.
“Jo
nah!” She looked happy to see him. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just need to make sure my lung stays good, and if it does, they’ll take this chest tube out tomorrow morning and let me go home.” They’d mentioned the possibility of needing more IV antibiotics but he was sure he could convince them to give him pills instead.
She reached out her hand toward him and he gingerly sat in the chair next to her bed so he could grasp it without too much pain. “Jonah, I’m glad you’re here. God has answered my prayers. I was so worried about you.”
“I was praying for your safety, too. But I wasn’t the one who had surgery in the trauma bay,” he pointed out.
“Not true. Logan told me that you had minor surgery but that you were insisting on going home.”
“The doctor wouldn’t let me. They agreed to put me on the same floor as you so I decided not to argue.” Her hand felt so dainty in his, but he knew Mallory was so much stronger than she looked. The blood transfusions had brought color back to her cheeks, and aside from the bruising, she looked great. He silently thanked the Lord again for keeping her safe. “How’s your head?”
“Hurts,” she admitted. “I feel sick to my stomach, too, but that could be just from seeing the blood.” She kept her gaze on his face, and he realized she didn’t like watching the blood transfusion drip into her arm. “Can’t wait till this one is finished.”
He grinned and gently squeezed her hand in reassurance. “It’s all over, Mallory. Caruso can’t hurt you anymore. I’m sure we’ll get a search warrant to go through his house and garage. We’ll find out what happened to Claire Richmond. You’re free to go home once you’re released from the hospital.”
“And what about you, Jonah?” she asked, her gaze serious. “Will I ever see you again?”
He stared into her blue eyes and knew the best thing for her would be for him to walk away. Cops weren’t a good bet in relationships. His own fiancée had walked away—what if Mallory eventually did the same thing?
She deserved better than a wounded warrior.
“I’m sure we’ll see each other again,” he said slowly, sidestepping the real meaning of her question. “But for right now, I think you should call your sister. I know Alyssa will want to be here for you.”
