by Regan Black
He felt as if his legs might not hold him. Laura was in trouble because this woman’s children were angry that she liked him better than them. It was ludicrous.
But he’d known from the beginning that they weren’t quite right. Now he had to stop them before they did something terrible.
“Your children are in Nashville, Tennessee.”
“I know that,” she said.
“How do you know that? Have you been in contact with them?”
“No. My name is still on their credit card accounts. It’s only fitting since I pay the bill. I saw the transaction come through for a hotel in Nashville.”
He felt the first glimmer of hope.
“Where, Mora? Where?”
CHAPTER 22
It felt as if she was on a carnival ride. And that she was about to throw up.
She couldn’t see anything, and for one second thought her head injury had caused her to be blind. But then realized that there was something over her eyes, some kind of material. It felt like silk and she thought it likely was the scarf that Tributary had been wearing around her neck. They’d put the tape back over her mouth. Her hands were still tied in front of her and her ankles were tied together.
If she threw up, she’d likely choke to death on her own vomit.
Then, suddenly, she realized it wasn’t a ride. No, she was being carried. Somebody had her feet and somebody else had their hands under her armpits. She was swaying, her middle sagging down.
And with a jerk, it stopped and…oh, damn, that hurt. They’d tossed her to the ground. She could smell dirt and could feel sharp gravel pressing into her back.
“Shoot her.”
That was Tributary.
“No. You shoot her.” A male voice. Had to be either Gilly or Duggar.
They went back and forth for a minute. And then a new voice. “Just give me the gun. I’ll do it.”
* * *
As they sped toward the motel, Detective Phillips fed the description of the car the Rambeilla offspring were driving to a police dispatcher. Rico listened but he mostly prayed. Please let her be okay. Please let me be in time.
Then the detective called ahead to the hotel, got connected to the manager. After explaining the situation, the manager provided the room numbers for the two rooms that the credit card had paid for. Detective Phillips relayed that information to his dispatcher and requested backup.
When they pulled into the lot, Rico scanned the vehicles there. His stomach dropped. There was no two-year-old Volvo in the lot. He had his hand on the door handle as the car rolled to a stop.
“Don’t get ahead of me,” Detective Phillips warned.
“Then go fast,” Rico said.
To the detective’s credit, he didn’t mess around and within a minute, he led a team of four up the stairs to the second floor. Rico stayed behind them but not by much.
They knocked on the first door and announced their presence. No answer. Same with the door next to it. Detective Phillips took the key the manager had provided and opened both doors.
Both rooms were empty. No sign of Laura.
Except…there was discarded rope lying next to a desk chair. Rope that could have been used to tie somebody up.
He knew it would ultimately be photographed and collected for the possibility of DNA evidence. But none of that did him any good.
Laura had been here. Then taken.
Be smart and fight hard. His dad’s parting words.
He called Mora. “They’re not at the hotel,” he said. “Where else in Nashville would they go?”
“I don’t know, Rico. I would tell you if I did. I don’t want them to hurt that poor woman.”
“They’re driving Gilly’s car,” he said.
“Yes. I told you that. The Volvo.”
“You also told me once that Gilly didn’t ever let anybody else drive his car.”
“That’s right. Gilly likes to do two things—drive his car and hunt for mushrooms.”
Hunt for mushrooms. That was right. Gilly who rarely said anything had once talked for several minutes about foraging for mushrooms in the woods. Said that was his favorite place, where he always felt calm. He waved his arm and got Detective Phillips’s attention. “Closest woods or forest?” he asked.
The detective conferred quickly with the others. “Bancroft Timbers. It’s maybe three miles that way.”
“Let’s go,” he said. “Thank you, Mora,” he said and hung up.
“You and I’ll go,” Detective Phillips said. “The others will stay here and canvas the other travelers. Maybe they saw something.”
He nodded. Canvassing took time and he didn’t think they had much of that.
* * *
Laura would have begged if she could have. Begged for herself, for Hannah, for Rico. For the life that they might have had, the joy that might have been theirs.
Rico would protect Hannah. She knew he would. And she had to be content with that. Content to leave them behind.
She heard rustling and assumed they were passing the gun.
Waited for the shot.
* * *
“Put your gun down,” Detective Phillips bellowed.
And for a minute, Rico didn’t think Gilly Rambeilla was going to do it. And he steadied his own gun on the man.
He could see Laura on the ground. Tied up but alive. She was going to stay that way.
“Everybody stand still,” Detective Phillips said, as he edged closer. “Nobody needs to get hurt.”
And the three Rambeilla children did what they were told. The minute Gilly’s gun was on the ground, Rico was past him.
“Laura. Sweetheart. We’ve got you.” Unsure of her injuries, he undid the scarf around her eyes. Pulled the tape off her mouth. “Are you hurt?”
“Just a little bump on my head,” she said. She smiled at him.
He felt the back of her head and got scared all over again. She had a knot. “We need an ambulance,” he yelled.
“I’m fine,” she said. “I only see one of you. And where are your crutches?”
He pulled the pocketknife that he always carried out of his jeans and quickly cut the ropes around her wrists and ankles. Then put an arm behind her and helped her sit up. “I thought I’d lost you,” he said. “And I just couldn’t imagine going on without you.”
“Never,” she said.
“Marry me, Laura. Be my wife. Be my love. I want you and Hannah to be my family.”
“Where would we live?”
“Wherever you want. Somewhere you can be a physical therapist again. Indiana. Tennessee. Nevada. Colorado. On the damn moon. I don’t care. As long as you and Hannah are there.”
“Rankin?”
“Long story and I’ll tell you every detail once we get your head checked. But let’s just say that you’re never going to have to worry about him again.”
He could hear the sound of an approaching siren.
“Gilly, Duggar and Tributary. Who would have thought?” she said.
“They wanted to hurt me. All because they were mad after Mora compared them to me.”
“She liked you best.” She reached up and touched his face. “Of course she did. Rico, only a fool would feel differently.”
“I love you. I haven’t said it before because I didn’t want to pressure you. But I know we can make this work. I know I can be a good husband, a good father.”
“Who would doubt that?” she asked. “I love you, too,” she said. “This isn’t a hard decision, Rico. It’s—” she smiled at him “—easy-peasy.”
* * * * *
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ISBN-13: 9781488093036
Snowbound Security
Copyright © 2018 by Beverly R. Long
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ISBN-13: 9781488097980
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Colton P.I. Protector
Copyright © 2018 by Harlequin Books S.A.
The Texas Soldier’s Son
Copyright © 2018 by Karen Whiddon
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Copyright © 2018 by Geri Krotow
Snowbound Security
Copyright © 2018 by Beverly R. Long
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