Ransom

by Terri Reed

  Under normal circumstances, if a man had acted so domineering she’d be out the door and on her way without a backward glance.

  But these weren’t normal circumstances.

  And Agent Blake Fallon wasn’t just any man. He was the man who held the power to free her sister.

  Did he know about the other man who had threatened to kill Liz if she didn’t hand over the necklace?

  Jillian’s new, no-good, rotten husband had put Jillian and Liz in danger, not to mention himself. Poor Jillian. Liz prayed she wasn’t too heartbroken to learn Travis wasn’t the man she’d thought him to be. Unfortunately, he was the kind of man Liz feared he’d be. Calculated, conniving, a thief.

  She blew out an angry breath and forced back the fear that lurked at the edges of her mind. She had to be sensible and think this all through.

  One mistake could cost Jillian her life. That wasn’t a risk Liz was willing to take. She grew hot beneath her jacket. She unzipped it and let the sides flop open to allow for the mild air of the interrogation room to swirl over her, cooling her thoughts as well as her overheated body.

  “You didn’t answer me,” she intoned with a good measure of annoyance she couldn’t hold back. “What do you want me to do?”

  He arched one dark eyebrow.

  She grimaced. “Besides trust you, that is.”

  For a second amusement danced in his eyes, and she thought he might smile. But no. Just as quickly his stoic expression slid back into place, making the angles and planes of his face hard and unyielding. It must have been her wishful thinking that the man had some other mode besides stony.

  “We both want the same thing,” he said in a slow measured tone. “Santini.”

  She sat up straighter. “I want my sister back. Unharmed.”

  Those were two different agendas.

  He inclined his head, acknowledging her words. “That’s a given and obviously my priority. But until we bring down Santini, there’s no guarantee you’ll get your sister back. Unharmed.”

  His response made her stomach clench with apprehension. She wanted to deny the truth in his words. But judging by where she was sitting and who was glaring at her across a cold, hard table, she figured he probably knew more about Santini and situations like this than she did. But that didn’t mean she had to like it. Or him.

  “He told me no police or he’d kill her,” she pointed out.

  “Let me worry about that.”

  Right. Like that was going to happen. “You still haven’t told me what I need to do.”

  “You’ll make the drop like Santini demanded. Only we’ll have people everywhere. When Santini shows up to pick up the necklace, we’ll nab him.”

  “That’s your plan?” she asked. The man appeared intelligent, but maybe he had rocks for brains. Great. Not inspiring a lot of trust right now. “I don’t think this Santini guy is going to be dumb enough to walk into a trap. At the very least he’ll send someone to make the pickup.”

  “You’re right, he’s not dumb.” Blake’s fingers stretched against the scarred metal table. His jaw hardened. “He’s a smart, crafty criminal. But he’s also greedy. Do you have any idea how much that necklace is worth?”

  “No.”

  Again he raised an eyebrow. “Let’s just say your travel insurance wouldn’t have covered it if your luggage had been lost.”

  She swallowed. “How much money?”

  “To give you an idea of their potential worth, recently a vivid blue diamond sold for twenty-four million.”

  The staggering amount left her breathless. “That necklace has two...”

  “Exactly. Santini won’t risk letting another minion snatch it out from under him again. He has a buyer standing by. There’s a lot of money at stake. I know Santini. He’s greedy and arrogant. He’ll come for it himself.” He held her gaze, his dark eyes compelling and unfathomable. She grew uncomfortable beneath that stare, yet she couldn’t look away. “And he doesn’t know we have you. Nor will he know you’re working with us.”

  Blake sounded so confident. But she wasn’t convinced. She needed him to assure her because he was asking her to place her life and her sister’s life in his care. He said Jillian’s release was his priority. Was that true or just lip service to get her to acquiesce to his plans? “How can you be sure Santini doesn’t have spies in your department? On your team? Men following me? You say you’ve been after him but unable to catch him. Have you ever considered the reason might be someone in your organization is working with Santini?”

  Blake’s eyes narrowed. “Believe me I’ve thought of every possibility. I’ve had everyone involved in Santini’s case carefully vetted. This IBETs operation is small for a reason. I’ve handpicked each member. There is no way any one of them would betray the team.”

  She wanted to believe him. There was something in his tone that spoke of his determination and frustration. Despite his best effort to control the circumstances, he couldn’t. Santini somehow managed to evade capture time and again. And for a man like ICE agent Blake Fallon that had to be driving him mad. “Do you know who the man was that broke into my apartment last night?”

  “No. Unfortunately, he wasn’t on our radar until after we found out about him attacking you.” He didn’t sound pleased. “Now that we know he’s involved and on the trail of the necklace, we’ll be on the lookout for him. Did you get a good look at him?

  “No. He wore a mask and it was dark. Don’t you know what he looks like? How is he connected to Travis? To Jillian?” She shuddered, remembering the vile man’s voice and the way he’d grabbed her. She thought for certain he would hurt her. “He threatened to kill me, thinking I was Jillian.”

  “The best we can surmise is this man wants to usurp Santini’s throne. My informant gave me a name, Ken Odin, but we can’t find him in any databases.”

  The thought that there were two men out there that wanted to do her and Jillian harm had her pulse picking up speed. She clasped her hands together to keep them from shaking. “He claimed Travis bragged about stealing the necklace from Santini.”

  “I doubt Travis understood the magnitude of what he’d taken from his boss. If he’d had any idea the value of the necklace or the trouble that would come down on his head, I doubt he’d have stolen it. Unless he really is that reckless.” Blake steepled his hands. “But because he did steal it we have an opportunity to use the situation to our advantage.”

  Which brought them back to the plan where Blake hoped to lure Santini out into the open and capture him. “So I go to Fort George with the necklace to wait for Santini.”

  Blake gave a short nod. “Yes.”

  She’d never done anything dangerous before. She’d lived her life following the rules, making sure everyone had what they needed and picking up the slack where she could. Putting herself deliberately in harm’s way went against her own sense of self-preservation. But for Jillian she had to. And she had to rely on this man to protect her. “And you’ll be close by watching, right?”

  His expression softened slightly. “Yes.”

  The small glimpse of consideration, of compassion, didn’t assure her, instead it made her heart beat too fast and her mouth turn to cotton. It was clear he knew what he was asking of her was dangerous and yet, he still asked. And she had no choice but to confront her fears and do what needed to be done. For her sister’s sake. And for her own. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she hadn’t done all she could to rescue her sister. She swallowed, trying to find her voice again. “If I don’t cooperate with you, I’ll be arrested.” The thought of jail terrified her. She didn’t want to go to prison. If she were incarcerated, who would save her sister? “Is that, right?”

  “Yes.” His frown wasn’t a scowl but more troubled, which made her wonder if he wasn’t as happy at the prospect as she’d have thought.r />
  Maybe he wasn’t as cold as he’d like her to believe. But then again, he was asking her to risk her life by following his plan. Was she crazy to trust him? Did she trust him? She smoothed her hand over her denim-clad thighs. “What happens if he doesn’t bring my sister to the fort?”

  He didn’t flinch. His expression hardened. She hadn’t thought it possible. His jaw must ache with tension. “When we have him in custody, we’ll get her whereabouts from him.”

  A sour taste settled on her tongue. That wasn’t very reassuring. “What if Santini doesn’t show up?”

  “Then we’ll follow whoever does take the necklace.” His words held a thread of impatience that hadn’t been there before. Was he not used to anyone questioning him? “They will lead us to Santini.”

  “And to my sister,” she reminded him with a good dose of her own hardness infusing her voice.

  He nodded and visibly seemed to check himself. The impatience dissipated to be replaced with a placating look that grated on her nerves. “We have every intention of recovering your sister.”

  His words should have assured her even if his expression infuriated her, but the way he said recover made her think the worst. A chill scraped across her flesh. The cold, harsh room seemed to close in on her, stirring up old fears to mingle with new ones. How had her life come to this? What should she do? How did she save her sister?

  Please, Lord, don’t let anything bad happen to Jillian. Give me wisdom. And the courage to act. “What will happen to her husband, Travis?”

  “He’ll be arrested along with Santini’s other men.”

  Jillian would be devastated. Liz would help her through her disappointment, and they would go home together to resume their lives, hopefully putting this whole ordeal behind them.

  “What if Santini figures out you’re there?” A shudder rippled through her as possible scenarios played through her mind. She’d be an easy target if Santini decided to eliminate her. And her sister. “Can you guarantee my safety? My sister’s safety?”

  “I will do everything in my power to keep you safe and get your sister back safely,” Blake answered, his voice low, resolute.

  His determination rang through. He believed what he said, but could she? Could she put her life in his hands? Did she have faith enough to rely on someone else? Her natural inclination to keep people at arm’s length fought her need to depend on him. Depending on anyone was such a foreign concept. Did she have it in her to do so? What choice did she have?

  It was either go along with his plan or go to jail, which would be a death knell for her sister. It looked as if she had only one option. A hard option for her. It would require her to dig deep to find the necessary will to trust, to count on this man.

  “Fine.” She clenched her jaw, mirroring the way he’d gritted his teeth earlier. The accompanying ache had her pressing her lips together to relieve the pressure before saying, “I’ll do it your way.”

  A flash of relief crossed his handsome face. Had he really thought she wouldn’t cooperate, given he’d threatened to arrest her?

  “Good.” His tone wasn’t nearly as sharp as it had been before. “You’ll have to follow my instructions to the letter if we are to succeed.”

  Of course he’d say that. His words confirmed her assessment that he was a man who liked to be in control, to call the shots. Well, she had a dose of that, as well. She arched an eyebrow. “I’ll do whatever I have to in order to protect my sister.”

  “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

  His voice vibrated with respect. The odd turnaround had her mind spinning. He approved of her standing up to him? For some reason that pleased her and irritated her at the same time. Had he been baiting her to see if she’d fold under the pressure?

  She hadn’t. At least, not yet. She was too worried for her sister’s well-being. When this was over and they were both safe, then she’d collapse. But not in front of Blake Fallon. That would be not only humiliating and degrading, it would let him know that her bravado was just that—bravado, manufactured and fragile. But she would be brave. She had to prove to Blake, to herself, that she had the mettle to see this ordeal through. Only with God’s help could she do it.

  A wave of fatigue crashed through her. Her shoulders drooped. She glanced at her watch. They’d been here for a long time. She hadn’t eaten since the midmorning snack on the plane. She needed to find a hotel, but mostly she wanted to get away from this confusing man. “Can I go now?”

  Blake rose and picked up the box, tucking the necklace back inside. “I’ll escort you to a safe house.”

  Oh, goodie. Not. She would rather go alone. Then she wouldn’t have these confusing and conflicting thoughts about the agent. “I’ll find a hotel, thank you.”

  “Not happening.” His tone was adamant. “I want you where we can protect you.”

  Despite how irritating she found him, she couldn’t deny that having some protection eased some of her anxiety. She’d be stupid not to accept. She’d already agreed to his plan, she now had to find it within herself to allow him to protect her in every way. That included her accommodations.

  “Fine. You can be in charge of where I stay.” She rose and held out her hand. “My box, please.”

  She wasn’t going to let the box or the necklace out of her sight. The necklace was her only bargaining chip and the box’s sentimental value was worth more to Liz than the price of the uncut diamonds.

  He hesitated for a moment, clearly uncomfortable letting her take ownership of the priceless bauble, before placing her mother’s jewelry box on her palm. Her fingers closed around the wood, feeling the carvings dig into her flesh. Liz traced a finger over the roses carved into the side. A wave of sadness washed through her as she held the box in her shaking hands. She missed her mother so much. Liz had been only ten when she’d passed, but her memories of her mother were still very vivid and bolstered her courage.

  Liz was going to need every ounce of strength she possessed to make it through this nightmare. She sent up another silent prayer for help and safety for Jillian, for herself, as she followed Blake out of the interrogation room.

  The CBS officer waited for them in the hallway with her suitcase. “Exit through that door.” He pointed to the opposite end of the hallway from where they’d entered.

  “It needs to appear that you’re going about the plan as normal, so go straight to the rental car pickup,” Blake told her. “There’s a phone in the glove box of your rental. When it rings put it on speaker so I can give you directions. I’ll be right behind you.”

  Apparently they had anticipated her cooperation. She should be angry, but she was too freaked out and tired to stir the embers of anger. Though she nearly let loose a hysterical chuckle, no doubt born of fatigue and panic. Blake was certainly sure of himself. That could be a good thing. At least she hoped so. She grabbed the handle of her luggage and rushed out the exit, which led her back to the terminal.

  She hurried through the security exit and out of the airport. Stars twinkled in the dark sky. She took a moment to breathe in the cold air to clear her head. The freezing temperature was painful to her lungs. Within seconds her face felt as if icicles were forming on her skin.

  She crossed the street, heading to the car rental desk and stepped into line. A large body bumped into her, knocking her off balance. “Hey!”

  A hard object pressed into her side. “Don’t scream or I’ll put a bullet in you.”

  Terrified, Liz stiffened. She recognized the voice whispering in her ear. It was the intruder from her apartment. Santini’s rival for the diamond necklace. She turned her head, wanting to see his face.

  But he shifted out of her peripheral view and pressed the barrel of the gun harder into her ribs and growled, “Don’t look at me. Just walk.”

  Frantically, she searched for Blake as she steppe
d out of line with the man and moved toward a waiting car. She couldn’t make out the driver’s face. His dark gray hoodie covered his head and hung over his face.

  The blare of a horn caught her assailant’s attention.

  Liz’s gaze whipped to the left in time to see Blake jump out of a nondescript sedan and run full speed toward her. From the corner of her eye she saw the Canadian customs officer racing to intercept her attacker.

  The man with the gun cursed, then pushed her away, sending her stumbling toward Blake. Her would-be captor jumped into the waiting vehicle before the customs officer could reach him, and the little blue coupe took off like a rocket, weaving through traffic. The customs officer was on his phone in seconds, presumably calling other law enforcement to pursue the two men.

  Blake grabbed her by the biceps. “Are you okay, miss?”

  Taking his cue to act as if they didn’t know each other, she nodded, “I’m fine, thank you.”

  She shrugged out of his hold, unsettled by the way his hands burned through the material of her coat to her skin.

  He nodded and returned to his sedan. His tall, lean frame folded into the driver’s seat. She watched him drive away with anxiety twisting her up in knots. Feeling exposed, she hurried to the car rental counter. After signing for the rental car, the man handed her a set of keys to a silver sedan.

  Once inside the vehicle, she locked the doors and then opened the glove box to find the phone Blake had said would be there. She had to admit she was grateful to have him on her side. She was nuts to think she could have pulled off rescuing her sister alone. Within seconds the small cell phone rang. She pressed answer and then the speaker button as she’d been instructed. “Hello.”

  “All right, Liz,” came Blake’s voice. Some of her tension eased, knowing she had a link to him through the phone. “The address where you’re going has already been programmed into the car’s onboard GPS. Start the car and hit the route button. I’ll fall in behind you. Nathanial will also be following. If we think you’re being followed, we’ll give you further instructions.”