Dangerous Abduction (O'Connor Brothers Book 2)

by Rhonda Brewer

  “Mommy, Mommy help me,” Danny screamed, but for a moment Marina was dazed. Danny’s pleas brought her out of her stupor and she shook her head to clear her thoughts. Her car was on its side, and she turned to see her son still strapped into his seat. Her head throbbed, and something warm was running down the side of her face. She unbuckled her seatbelt and tried to open her door but it wouldn’t open. The glass from her window was shattered but still there. The only thing she could think of was to use her elbow to knock the busted window out completely. She cleared most of the glass away while she explained to Danny what she was doing and tried to make sure her voice was soft and calm so he wouldn’t know just how terrified she was. She leaned back and unbuckled Danny from his seat and he jumped into her arms making the car shake. Danny screamed again, and she pulled him tightly against her.

  “Shhhh, we’re okay. Now, Danny, I’m going to put you out through the window and I want you to stay right where I put you.” Marina cupped his face so he was looking right into her eyes. “We need to be brave and get out of the car so we can get home.”

  “Okay, Mommy.” Danny sobbed, and her heart broke as a tear ran down his cheek. Marina wiped it away and kissed his forehead.

  “You’re such a brave boy.” Marina had to keep her tears back because the last thing Danny needed to see was her crying.

  Marina eased him out through the car window and gave him a little push to sit on the embankment. The car shook again and Marina froze. She moved slowly to reach for her purse but it had fallen completely to the other side of the car. She didn’t know how deep the ditch was and she wasn’t taking any chances. She slowly eased herself through the window and kept her eyes locked on Danny as he watched her.

  With both of them safely out of the car, she studied their situation. The ditch was deep and she knew she could climb up herself, she just wasn’t sure Danny could. She peered into the car for her cell phone but she couldn’t see it. It probably went flying across the car with her purse. She was about to climb back in to find it when she heard a voice above her.

  “Are ya all right, my love?” A man’s voice drifted down to her and when she glanced up, she could see an older man. His headlights were shining on back of him and all she could think was this man looked like an angel.

  “Yes, I’m fine, I think. Someone ran me off the road. Can you help pull us up?” she called out.

  “Send up the kid first.” A younger man’s voice sounded from behind the older man. Marina dug her feet into the side of the embankment and lifted Danny up until she felt someone pull him from her grasp. With a sigh of relief, she began her climb up and just as she was almost to the top, a hand reached down and grabbed hers. She glanced up into the face of the older man as he pulled her up the rest of the way. At the top she turned to see if Danny was okay, but she couldn’t see him.

  “Where’s my son?” She scanned the road frantically.

  “He’s across the road with the young man over...” He pointed to an empty part of the road. “He was just there. He said he’d take him to the car out of the cold.” Marina started to tremble and everything started to spin. Her legs buckled, but before she hit the ground the man caught her.

  “Please, tell me you have a cell phone,” she begged as he helped her to his car and seated her in the driver’s seat. He nodded and reached into his coat pocket. He put the phone in her quivering hand and she frantically tapped in the number. It seemed to take forever for him to answer, but as soon as she heard James’ voice she started to scream into the phone.

  “Marina... calm down. What are you talking about?” Marina tried to explain, but she was sobbing so hard James couldn’t understand her. The man took the phone and spoke to James as she sobbed.

  “My name is Tom Roberts.” The man wrapped his coat around her shoulders and rubbed her arms.

  “Marina... Kelly.” She had to clear her head because at the moment everything was spinning and her head was throbbing. The car that drove her off the road had a man in the front but she knew it wasn’t Marc but deep down she knew her ex-husband was behind it.

  “I wish we could have met under better circumstances, but your husband said he’ll be here soon.” She didn’t even have the energy to correct him. She just needed James to get there fast.

  “Marina, your head is bleeding. I’ve got a first-aid kit in my trunk. Let me clean that for you.” The man reminded her of someone, but she couldn’t quiet put her finger on it. He returned a few seconds later with a red bag in his hand and he crouched to clean up her wound.

  “I need to find my son.” Marina tried to stand up, but she fell back and Tom caught and eased her back into the seat.

  “My dear, you just stay seated until the ambulance gets here.” Tom held her hand.

  The sound of sirens had her head popping up. Tom helped her stand and walk around the front of his car. The ambulance pulled in to the side of the road and two police cars stopped on the other side. Marina heard his voice before she saw him. James ran from behind Tom’s car. She hadn’t noticed his truck pull up behind but as soon as she saw him all she could do was cry. James enveloped her in his arms.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize da young man would take da lad.” She heard Tom say to James.

  “It’s not your fault, Mr. Roberts, but thank you for stopping to help,” James said.

  “If there’s anything, and I mean anything, I can do ta help, don’t hesitate ta ask.” Tom touched Marina’s arm.

  “Well maybe you can give the officer getting out of that cruiser all the information you have.”

  Tom nodded and walked away from them. Marina never realized it was Aaron until James called out to him.

  “Let’s get you to the hospital.” James guided her to the ambulance.

  “No, I need to find Danny.” She started to walk towards James’ truck but everything started to spin.

  “Sweetheart, you need to get checked. You aren’t going to do anyone any good if you pass out.” James held her shoulders and forced her to look at him.

  “I’m fine,” but as soon as the words were out of her mouth she knew it was a lie. She was seeing double and her head was pounding.

  “No you’re not.” James wrapped his arm around her shoulders and turned her towards the ambulance. “Please, go to the hospital and get checked. I’ll be there right behind you.”

  “Find him.” Marina said as the paramedic helped her lay down on the stretcher.

  Marina didn’t want to go to the hospital. She wanted to find Danny, but James was right, she was dizzy and her head hurt. The last thing she saw before the doors closed was Tom talking to Aaron and the flashing lights of the police cruisers.

  Chapter 18

  James surveyed Marina’s car and the first thing he saw was the smashed side. His whole body was convulsing with anger but he slowly lowered himself down into the ditch and examined inside. Marina’s purse lay on the floor of the car in the front and Danny’s backpack was on the floor in the back. Luckily the car was wedged securely against the bottom so he didn’t have to be concerned with the car falling any further when he reached in to grab their things.

  “James, be careful.” He glanced up as he pulled his body out of the window. Greg Harris stood at the top of the embankment with a flashlight pointing at the car.

  “I had to get their things.” James threw Marina’s purse and Danny’s backpack around his neck as he climbed back up. When he was at the top, Greg grabbed his hand and to help him over.

  “The tow truck is on the way. I would have gotten it,” Greg said.

  James didn’t really want to talk at the moment—he just wanted to get to the hospital. He nodded at Greg as he stomped back to his truck and tossed the things to the passenger side. He sat in the truck for a moment and scanned the road. Aaron was talking with Tom as Greg and a couple of other of his coworkers were searching the side of the road. He didn’t need them to find any evidence to know that Marc was responsible for all this.

 
“Fucking, fucking cock sucking bastard,” James growled through his teeth as he punched the steering wheel. He had never wanted to kill someone in his life but the way he was feeling at the moment he could probably kill Marc with his bare hands. “Fuck.” One more punch at the wheel and he pulled onto the road. Before speeding off he stopped next to Greg and asked him to call as soon as he knew something.

  The whole drive to town he cursed the day Marc O’Reilly was born. He didn’t need an investigation to know who drove Marina off the road and took Danny. His stomach threatened to revolt as he thought about the bastard having Marina’s little boy. They didn’t know if Danny was hurt from the accident and he was pretty sure Marc wouldn’t care anyway.

  At the hospital James checked his phone and noticed a text from Aaron telling him he’d called the family. John and Stephanie were on the way to tell her parents since Doug and Janet had gotten home from their vacation that morning. James breathed a sigh of relief because the last thing he wanted to do was tell Marina’s mother and father their grandson was missing. Again. The text also said his brothers had jumped into action and were already searching for Danny.

  He walked down the hall to the small examination room where Marina was being checked. The nurse leaving the room said she’d been given a sedative because she kept trying to get out of bed and leave. Otherwise, she was fine. James thanked her but knew Marina wasn’t going to be completely fine until Danny was home.

  A cold chill ran down his spine as he remembered the last time he’d been at the hospital. It was just after Sarah died, and they’d brought John into the emergency after he’d hit a moose on the highway. It was the same day he’d buried Sarah. He’d hated hospitals ever since.

  Losing Sarah was incredibly painful and almost losing his twin brother had just about killed him. He walked into the exam room and the sight of Marina lying in the bed with her eyes closed and a white bandage on her head, hit him like a punch in the gut. His eyes filled with tears and he swallowed hard as he pulled a chair next to the bed. When he touched her hand, she didn’t move and as hard as it was to see her so motionless, he knew she needed to rest. She was going to need her strength to get through this.

  Stephanie and her parents arrived at the hospital and from the look on Doug Kelly’s face he was ready to put a world of hurt on someone. James was sure if Janet wasn’t linked into the man he would be punching someone.

  “Now, Doug, hold your temper. I don’t want you upsetting Marina,” Janet whispered but James had no trouble hearing it.

  “I just want to know what the hell happened.” Doug’s voice was not nearly as quiet as Janet’s. James was glad Marina was still out.

  “Doug, we’re on it,” John said from behind them.

  “Then where the hell is my grandson?” Doug snapped at John.

  “We’ll find him, but you need to keep yourself calm for your daughter’s sake.” John whispered.

  “Don’t tell me what’s good for my daughter. You may be married to one of them but they are my little girls and I know what’s best for them.” Doug turned to James and his face was inches away. “You promised to keep them safe.”

  “Doug that’s enough.” Janet pulled on Doug’s arm and low and behold the man seemed to calm instantly but the truth was the man wasn’t wrong. James did promise and it was killing him that he broke that promise.

  He sat quietly holding Marina’s hand while Stephanie and her parents talked in the corner of the room. John left to help search for Danny and made it clear James was to stay with Marina. Although her father didn’t seem to agree from the constant daggers he was sending at James with his eyes.

  Marina’s eyes fluttered open and darted around the room. She locked eyes with James and he tried to make sure she stayed calm. That went out the window when Janet and Stephanie moved to the other side of the bed and Marina’s tears started to fall.

  “How do you feel, pumpkin?’ Doug was surprisingly calm but the tears in the man’s eyes as he gazed at his daughter almost made James lose it himself.

  “I’m fine, but I’d feel much better if you said you have Danny.” Her quiet sobs were breaking his heart and from the look on Stephanie and her mother’s faces, he wasn’t the only one.

  “Rina, they’ll find him.” Stephanie sat on the bed and James prayed she was right, because he really didn’t have a clue where Danny was and what Marc was going to do. Although, it hadn’t been proven that Danny was with Marc, but he was sure Danny was with the asshole.

  “I’ve got to get out of here.” Marina threw the blankets back and tried to stand.

  “Whoa, there.” James caught her as she began to sway.

  “I need to find Danny.” She tried to push him away but with the sedative and the bump on the head she wasn’t exactly steady on her feet.

  “Marina, get back in the bed.” Doug’s voice was deep and had that fatherly tone that said don’t disobey. “You’re in no shape to go searching for anyone. The police and the O’Connors are out searching.”

  At first he didn’t think Marina was going to pay any attention to her father’s orders, but she sat back on the bed and sighed. James helped her settle in and covered her again but by the look on her face she was so pissed she could chew nails.

  James backed away from the bed to give Marina’s family more room. He glanced at Doug and his eyes almost begged James to do something. A soft knock on the door had everyone turning. James opened the door, and Tom Roberts walked in holding a large vase of flowers.

  “I’m sorry to intrude, but I had to come check on the young lady.”

  “Come in, Mr. Roberts.” James reached out to shake the man’s hand, but when Marina saw him she held out her arms. Tom sat next to her on the bed and she wrapped her arms around him. Doug, Janet and Stephanie were staring, obviously completely confused as to why Marina was hugging a total stranger.

  “Thanks for coming, Mr. Roberts.” Marina released him from her embrace.

  “Please call me Tom.” He kissed Marina’s cheek.

  “Tom, these are Marina’s parents Doug and Janet Kelly, and this is her sister, Stephanie O’Connor.”

  “I wish we were meeting under better circumstances.” Tom shook Doug’s hand and nodded to Stephanie and Janet. “I had to see if there was any news and remind you if you need anything, let me know.” He pulled out a card from his pocket and handed it to James. “That is my personal phone number. Don’t hesitate to use it.” He squeezed Marina’s hand and after a few goodbyes, he started to walk out of the room but motioned to James to follow him.

  “I’ll be right back,” James told Marina and followed Tom out of the room.

  “James, I have a lot of resources at my disposal, so please if you need anything call me.” James couldn’t understand why Tom seemed so set on helping, but he appreciated the man offering. He watched Tom as he disappeared into the elevator. The man was kind to help, but what could a gentleman of his age possibly do? What could anyone do? A nurse walked up next to James with wide eyes.

  “Wow, you know Thomas Roberts.” She seemed excited.

  “We don’t know him, really. He helped my girlfriend,” James said.

  “You have no idea who he is, do you?” She chuckled and James shook his head. He assumed Tom was just a kind man who wanted to help someone in trouble. “Thomas Roberts is one of the richest men in the country. He owns companies all over Canada and specializes in computer software for security companies and military.” James couldn’t help it but he laughed. There was no way she was talking about the man that just left Marina’s room.

  “You must be mistaken.” James chuckled. The nurse shook her head and held up her finger. She hurried behind the nurse’s station and returned with a magazine that she handed to James. On the front cover smiling back at him was Tom Roberts.

  “If you read the article inside, it says that the man spent his whole life building up his companies. He jokes about being married to his company. He has no family but he says his employees ar
e his family. He’s one of the biggest contributors to the children’s hospital and is one of the biggest philanthropists in the province.”

  James stared at the nurse. “How do you know all this?” James shook his head.

  “My boyfriend works for TAR technologies. It’s one of Mr. Roberts’ companies.” James knew of the company because he’d heard Keith mention it was the company that set up his computer systems. James thanked her and hurried back into Marina’s room.

  “Do you know who Tom is?” James held up the magazine.

  “I thought he seemed familiar.” Doug glanced at the cover.

  “He’s a very kind man to stop and help Marina.” Janet squeezed Marina’s hand.

  “It’s too bad he couldn’t be useful in finding Danny.” Stephanie sighed and tears started to run down Marina’s cheek. What was he going to do? He should have put his foot down and made Danny go home when he picked up Mason, but he didn’t want to upset him. Plus, Keith’s guy was watching the daycare. Nobody suspected Marc was crazy enough to run them off the road. Then again they should have thought of every scenario. Now Marina’s son was missing because they’d underestimated Marc. How stupid was that?

  The doctors were keeping Marina overnight for observation even though she’d argued and told the doctor he was being an ass. Her father finally convinced her she had to stay because she wasn’t going to be any help if she wasn’t healthy.

  She’d received four stiches in the small cut on her forehead and she had a couple of other bumps and bruises, but otherwise she was okay. James was concerned about how hurt Danny was in the accident. Marina said she hadn’t seen any cuts on him, but it was dark and she had been so concerned with getting them out of the ditch.