Betrayals of the Heart

by Melissa Ohnoutka

  “Oh, God, no.” Ryan’s chest ached beneath the pressure. “Nicholas.”

  Chapter Seven

  “What the hell do you mean he’s gone?” Steven’s fury crackled the air, his words choking out from deep in this throat.

  The girl he’d found at the local mall looked like a good choice at first. She was young, pretty and dressed up like one of Santa’s elves. What better way to lure a child away from their home. But the minute she’d opened her mouth, warning signs flashed in Steven’s brain. Her high pitched squeak grated on his nerves like a screeching siren.

  The minor detail was too important to overlook. He’d wanted someone reliable, with lots of energy. But the luxury of a comprehensive background check like he would have preferred wasn’t possible. He needed a warm body right then and there, and she’d been all too eager to oblige.

  Besides, all the twit had to do was bring a five-year-old boy to him. Shoot, he’d even supplied a damn limo for transportation. That meant she had an extra pair of hands if something went south.

  “Son-of-a-bitch.” Steven shoved her in front of the muscled goon who’d driven the limo. Her lip was bleeding where he’d hit her, but she had no idea what she was about to endure for her little blunder.

  “I’m so sorry. Really, Mr. Prichard. The little stinker said he had to go to the potty. Was holding himself and everything. We only stopped at McDuff’s for five minutes. I checked in on him, honest I did.” She was close to tears, wringing her hands in front of her as she rambled on.

  Disgust rolled in Steven’s gut. “Look, bitch. I don’t give a rat’s ass about excuses. You’re going to show me exactly where you lost him. And if we don’t find him…” He paused in mid-sentence, took one step closer, grabbed her by the throat and squeezed. Just before her breathing became nonexistent, he relaxed his grip and said, “No one will find y-o-u.” The letters rolled from his tongue in a slow fierce growl.

  He released her slowly, and she fell to the ground in a heap at his feet, gasping for air. Glaring down at her, he contemplated his disposal methods. The minute she’d agreed to help him, she’d sealed her fate. This little slipup only bought her a few more precious minutes of life.

  Steven put his hands on his hips and watched her sob. “Do you understand?”

  The girl, short on money as well as common sense, nodded and tried to stand. But he kicked her back down.

  “Apparently not.” He watched her cough and gag, taking great pleasure in her pain and the fact he caused it. After several minutes, the gratification waned.

  “Now you may get up.” Steven held a nine millimeter Berretta directly to her skull. It was his way of emphasizing he meant business as well as guaranteeing full cooperation.

  Chapter Eight

  Makayla shivered. Crazy Florida weather. It was at least eighty degrees outside in the middle of December, but she was chilled to the bone.

  The warm gold hues of the master bedroom did little to comfort or lift her spirits as the sun’s morning rays filtered through the windows, bathing them in its glow. Sleep snuck up on her sometime late into the night after she’d stormed out of the kitchen with Eric McCoy hot on her tail. But it was anything but restful. Her on-again-off-again dreams tortured her with every tiny detail of the past twelve hours. What was perfectly clear now was the fact the phone call had been a distraction. There was no doubt. And she’d fallen for it. Hook, line and blasted sinker.

  One question still burned in her gut. How on earth had Steven managed to get into the house? The doors were always locked. It was a rule she never allowed to be broken.

  As she pictured the front door, something snapped. The buzzer. She distinctly remembered hearing the sound while she was on the phone, but until now the sound never registered. Could it have been the doorbell? They’d been having trouble with it ever sense Nicholas whacked the button with the baseball bat.

  “Oh, no. He knew better.” But he might have opened the front door expecting to find Michael or one of his playmates from down the street. She cringed inside at what her young son might have discovered instead. Oh, dear God. He was only a child.

  The tears threatened to return and it took all she had to keep them back. No, not, now. No time for regret or panic to take over. Steven had to be stopped before it was too late. She needed to tell Ryan what she remembered. The surveillance cameras from the security system he’d insisted they put in could have caught something that would give them clues to locate Nicholas.

  She tossed the leopard comforter to the floor, planted her feet firmly on the ground and headed for the door, swinging it open with one swift motion. Eric startled at her abruptness. He’d been sitting patiently in a chair, directly across from the door. If she didn’t know any better, she’d swear he was actually reading one of the inspirational books she’d long forgotten and used more for decoration than help.

  He cleared his throat and politely stood, slipping the book behind him as he let her pass without a word.

  She thought about being civil, offering a glowing recommendation on the book, but he’d see right through her and she didn’t need to waste her energy.

  The long hallway echoed with each step as she padded barefoot down the tile toward the kitchen and braced herself for Ryan’s reaction. Would he think she’d hid the information from him on purpose? Surely he knew she had nothing to do with Nicholas’ disappearance.

  When she first saw her husband, her confidence wavered. The sight took her breath away. He stood like a drill sergeant, his broad shoulders stiff, his fists clenched at his side as he stared down at maps and other documents spread out randomly on top of the kitchen table. His unrecognizable expression gripped and tore at her heart.

  “Ry-Ryan, I remembered something.” Her voice sounded small, almost childlike and she wanted to start over. She wanted to be anything but that scared little girl who had been tortured all those years ago by a man who’d said he loved her. But the scars dug deep inside her soul, and she knew she’d never be able to outrun the horrifying memories. She’d learned to live with them, actually used her experiences to help others who’d been through similar situations at the women’s shelter. But now, they were trying to take her down one tiny piece at a time.

  Ryan looked up the minute she spoke. “I’m listening.” Short and to the point, he didn’t waste one second on words. His eyes drilled through her, but it was clear he was exhausted. He must have stayed up all night going over every possibility.

  “I heard the doorbell.” She watched his expression ease into one of skepticism and she hurried to make her point. “When Steven called, I went to the bathroom for privacy. I’m pretty sure I heard the doorbell.” The statement sounded so unnecessary, so much like babble that she felt certain he’d dismiss it and her as well.

  But he didn’t.

  Seconds of indecision passed between them. Talking was the one thing they’d always been good at. They didn’t fight. They discussed. Now she was terrified of the conversation looming in their future.

  “The security tapes are almost ready to view. Makayla, come. Tell me what you heard.” He extended a hand to her and she took it, reveling in the warmth and strength his gentle squeeze offered. His voice was low, soothing. His entire reaction nothing like she expected. He had every right to blow up at her, to condemn her for not revealing this information earlier. Every precious second counted. But instead, he wrapped his strong arms around her in an embrace so emotional she couldn’t help but melt against his chest. He was hurting too, the pain evident on every tense muscle of his body.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t remember earlier.” She swallowed back the sob climbing up her throat wanting to start from the beginning.

  “Shh…don’t cry. Tell me what you remember now.” Gosh, she loved this man. Calm and in control even with their son’s life in danger and her being the reason.

  “The phone rang and Nicholas answered it. Then he wanted something else to eat, but I told him to wait till I was finished with the call. Th
at’s why he answered the door without my approval. He was angry with me.” She wanted to tell him she was sorry. That she loved him, but the words just got all tangled up with the sob at the back of her throat.

  “Try not to blame yourself.” He stroked her hair and she squeezed tighter against his chest, never wanting to let go. He was tough, yet compassionate, authoritative, yet loving. He was everything she needed, and everything Steven had never been.

  She felt him wave the men in the dark suits who’d been in the kitchen with him toward his office.

  “Makayla, when this is over we have a lot to discuss.” Pulling her back, he looked deep into her eyes. “There is so much you don’t know, so much I should have told you over the years. But I always feared the worse. Feared you wouldn’t understand. I couldn’t risk you running from me and putting Michael and yourself in danger.”

  She buried her head in his shoulder, not wanting to think about all the lies. A part of her feared he didn’t know her deepest darkest secrets and she didn’t want him to. Ever. All she wanted, needed, right then was his strong arms around her. Nicholas home safely and Steven behind bars where he belonged were the only two things that mattered.

  Outside the office door, Makayla sat on an antique chair that resembled the one her grandmother had owned with her hands in her lap. She’d picked the piece over the multitude of others in the department store, because it reminded her of all the special times they’d shared after school together when she was a little girl.

  Losing her father at such an early age had been difficult for Makayla. Sadly, she really didn’t remember him, except for the few memories pictures brought back and stories her mother had told her. He was a good man. That she did know. No matter what the kids at school said. nine-year-olds could be so cruel with their teasing and name calling. But Nana always knew the perfect things to say to make the hurt go away. She smiled, remembering how Nana placed her rocker in a tiny nook beside the fireplace and called it their private reading and sharing chair. So many tears, and yet the laughter always seemed to surpass the sadness. Makayla tried to replicate those special memories with her boys in this new rocker, but it was never quite right. A crucial piece was missing—Nana.

  She’d tried to get Michael to come out of his room earlier. Talk through what he must be feeling right now. But he’d wanted to be alone. The last thing she wanted was for him to think Nicholas’ kidnapping was his fault.

  Sitting there in the rocker now with the gloom and doom hovering all around her, she closed her eyes, thought about only precious memories, her Nana’s strength and she could almost feel her grandmother’s presence. I miss you, Nana.

  The male voices in the office rose and fell in an uneven rhythm as a strategy was made for their next plan of action. Ryan asked her to wait outside and it was killing her. Policemen and FBI agents now swarmed every inch of their property. Makayla wanted to stay by his side, to offer her support, but thought it better to do as he asked. At least this time.

  Her gut along with the perplexed tones floating in the air on the other side of the door, told her something was off. Something important had gone wrong. She let her lids close and a prayer surfaced. Again, she instinctively knew what she needed to save her son. This time Steven would not win. This time she’d have to trust someone she couldn’t see. Someone he knew absolutely nothing about.

  Father, your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Take care of Nicholas, comfort him, protect him with your mighty embrace. He is only a child, and your word says you take care of the little ones. Amen

  There was a new sense of calm that swept over her. The danger was still very real, but she knew in her heart that Nicholas would be safe. That he would be taken care, delivered peacefully from his captor. She swallowed hard. No matter what the end result, she believed that God’s hands now guided her son’s fate.

  The door opened with a jerk and she jumped from the rocker, holding her chest.

  “Sorry about that, hun. I need you to see this,” Ryan said.

  She followed him into the room where the computer screen now showed pictures of their home. The backyard, the garage, the side with the small koi pond and rose garden and then the front entrance.

  There on the screen, dressed in a green and red elf suit, stood a young woman. The girl paced back and forth on the front porch talking to herself for several seconds. Then, with a shaky hand she reached out and rang the doorbell.

  Makayla watched spellbound. She’d never seen this girl before, but she’d been in the exact predicament the young girl faced too many times to count. The memories flashed so quickly they stole her next breath. Not too long ago, she had been a young girl doing Steven’s dirty work. She recognized the fear, the hesitation in the girl’s actions. The fact that what she was about to do was wrong couldn’t be driven away or buried within. But the fact of what awaited her if she didn’t do exactly as Steven said was so much more—terrifyingly powerful.

  “Makayla, are you all right? You’re as white as a sheet.” Ryan stepped forward to help her stand, but she held him off with both hands in the air.

  “No. I must see this. I must follow this through.”

  ***

  Ryan didn’t like what he was seeing. Not at all. Makayla’s face flashed with pain. Her skin turned an eerie white and her eyes looked so dreadfully empty. It was as if the life drained right from her body.

  “It’s not her fault, Ryan. Don’t you see? This young girl didn’t have a choice. I didn’t have a choice.” The tears were so close. Makayla clung to the hem of her shirt for comfort.

  “You didn’t what? Honey, you’re not making any sense. I know you weren’t involved in any of this.”

  “It was me. I destroyed all those innocent children’s lives. I delivered those packages for Steven. I knew, and I didn’t do anything to stop him.” She was sobbing uncontrollably, her words barely audible.

  “What children? What packages?” Ryan already knew the horrible details of what Steven’s operation was capable of. But he never in a million years believed she knew the truth, knew what the packages contained. He still couldn’t. His heart wouldn’t let him believe she would hurt someone else’s child.

  “S-steven. He made me deliver these pretty, deadly packages to people who had betrayed him and went against his wishes. He made me trick those young children into coming with me.”

  “And you knew why?” This time the older man in the room who had been hovering silently in the shadows stepped forward. “Makayla, did you know what Steven was doing?”

  She swallowed and he heard it catch at the base of her throat. “Yes. I-I...”

  “Stop!” Ryan moved between her and the man like an angry lion. “Don’t say another word, Makayla. You’re not yourself, you don’t know what you’re saying.”

  “Ryan, please. I have held onto this for so long. I need to tell someone. I need to tell the truth.”

  “No, you don’t. Not now.” Ryan’s heart raced in his chest. His former FBI superior stared him down, mentally scolding him for getting in the way.

  “Yes. Now.” She tried to push past him, but he held her back with firm hands resting on her trembling shoulders.

  “Let her speak, Ryan. She’s already incriminated herself.” The big man eased himself back a few steps. “She needs to tell us all she knows. Then we can protect her.”

  Ryan started to protest further, but the man waved two more agents into the room. “You can stay and listen, or you can leave with these men.” No other option was given. Ryan’s gut rolled. He could do nothing to protect her now. His silent fears were coming full circle.

  “Makayla?” He turned to look down at the saddest expression he’d ever seen etched deep within the lines of her beautiful tortured face. Covering her small hand with his, he prepared his heart for the worst.

  “The first time, I delivered the packages to the warehouse thinking they were presents for all the homeless children. The gifts were beautiful, neatly wrapped with colorful p
aper, bows and ribbons. Only after hearing the report of a terrible explosion on the news did I realize I had actually been the one to end those innocent lives.” A single tear trailed down the length of her face and then dropped to the floor. “Steven had needed to get rid of them. Fast. The FBI was too close. That’s what he told me as I stood in our bedroom, six months pregnant with Michael.”

  “This man doesn’t deserve to breathe.” Ryan glanced over at the agent who spoke, surprised by his comment.

  “Makayla, let’s call a lawyer. Then you can go on.” Ryan’s entire body ached. She was digging herself in deep.

  “Ryan, what she tells us now could be the one thing that saves your son. You know very well we don’t have much time. She’s already guilty.”

  “I’m guilty of one thing, sir. Loving my son. Steven held him prisoner each and every time he sent me out to do his dirty work. I had to do what he said or never see Michael again. You have to believe me when I tell you, I had no choice.” She was all out crying now.

  Ryan squeezed her hand in his. His eyes were closed tight, hot tears searing his eyelids. Thoughts scattered in a million different directions. The first time, she’d been unaware of Steven’s plans. But what about the other times, what about the other lives she may have been able to save?

  All those children. She could have called the police. She could have talked to someone.

  Yeah, at the cost of what? Michael’s life? Even though never proven, Steven had killed his own father and then his mother years later in cold blood. Ryan had no doubt about that from the moment he’d learned of the horrific details. But would he have hurt his only son? He shivered at the sickening thought. Makayla believed he would and that was all that mattered.

  A battle was raging inside him. She’d carried out Steven’s orders to save her son’s life. What mother alive wouldn’t have done the same thing?

  “I need some air.” Without a word, without even looking at her, he dropped her hand and moved to the doorway. He just needed time to regroup.