Targeted

by Katie Reus

  He cleared his throat. “The casserole is delicious.”

  “It was Holly’s favorite,” Margaret snapped before taking a healthy gulp of her martini.

  His fork fell onto the plate with a clatter. “Damn it, Margaret, we can’t keep living like this.”

  It was as if he’d flipped a switch. She threw her fork down onto the table. “You never should have let her go!”

  “How many times are we going to have this same argument?” Pushing away from the table, he stood. He was unwilling to fight back this time. It wouldn’t matter what he said. He couldn’t win. Hell, there was no winner. He just wanted his daughter back.

  He took his plate with him into the kitchen and dumped the majority of his food in the trash. As he contemplated whether he’d be making it a scotch or vodka night, the designated cell phone Vargas had instructed him to always have on him buzzed in his pocket.

  What little food he had in his stomach roiled. “Hello, Miguel.”

  “Where are you?”

  He wasn’t sure why the man asked, when Ronald had no doubt he knew. He was sure someone was watching the house. “I’m at home.” He leaned against the kitchen counter and bit back a sigh. They’d been virtual prisoners the past few months, too afraid to go anywhere for fear Miguel would think they were talking to the police or involving outsiders. After receiving that bloody ear in the mail, he was too terrified to even think about it.

  “Have you heard from your friend tonight?”

  This was going to be tricky, but he’d rehearsed what he’d say. “She called and wanted to set up a meeting, but she never showed.”

  “And you haven’t heard from her since?”

  “No.”

  “What about her assistant? Is she asking questions?”

  Ronald silently prayed he could get through this and be convincing. “No, she thinks Sophie is out sick. Just like everyone else in the office.”

  “So she hasn’t come to see you about anything lately?”

  “What are you talking about? Why do you want to know about everyone in my office all of a sudden?”

  Instead of answering, Miguel veered in another direction. “The meeting has been moved to Thursday.”

  “I thought you said this weekend.”

  Miguel ignored him. “You will be at the hangar at exactly noon—”

  “I’m not doing anything else until I speak to my daughter.” Ronald fisted the phone tightly against his ear, trying to calm his shaking hand.

  Again, Miguel continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “After you sign the necessary documents—”

  Months of repressed anger and worry trumped the rising bile in his throat. “Either I speak to my daughter now or this ends right here. In fact, she better be with you on Thursday or I’m not only not giving you what you want, but I’m calling the cops. I’ll turn myself in, Miguel.” He meant it too. He’d rather go to jail than continue living in constant terror with a wife who couldn’t even look at him.

  “You might want to think before you speak any further, Mr. Weller. I hold your daughter’s life in my hands.”

  “And I have something you want. I have nothing left to lose.” After having a gun shoved in his face and nearly losing someone he cared about, he’d hit his breaking point today. His marriage was all but over if he didn’t get his daughter back. It was sad that it took a stranger to convince him of what he needed to do. He needed to start pushing back.

  “Stay close to your phone,” Miguel said, before disconnecting.

  “Margaret, get in here,” he called out.

  His wife appeared in the entrance but didn’t make any further movements toward him. “What do you want?”

  “Hold on.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the door frame, her face a mask of fury.

  When the phone buzzed in his hand, he prayed he was doing the right thing. He answered and immediately put it on speaker.

  “Hello?”

  “You have thirty seconds,” Miguel said.

  “Daddy?” Holly’s voice came over the line, and sharp tears stung his eyes.

  He grasped the phone in his hand as if it were a lifeline. “I’m here, baby. This is almost over, I promise. You’re going to be home soon.”

  His wife flew across the room to stand next to him. “Holly? Sweetie, are you all right?”

  “I’m fine, Mom. It sucks here, but they haven’t hurt me.”

  “We’ll be seeing you soon, I promise. One more day and we’ll be together again.”

  “I love you guys—”

  Holly was cut off by Miguel. “That’s enough. We will see you on Thursday at noon. You know where the hangar is. Don’t be late.”

  The line went dead, but he stared at the phone. After months of living in fear, he would finally be reunited with his daughter. Maybe this nightmare would finally be over.

  In a surprising move, his wife stumbled toward him and wrapped her arms around his waist while she bawled against his chest. He held her tightly, comforting her the only way he knew how. He knew the next thing out of his mouth could be cause for another argument, but for now he was going to take what he could get.

  • • •

  Sophie opened her eyes to find Jack sitting on the floor with his computer in his lap, frowning at the screen. He sat against the wall near the open bathroom door, using the other room as his source of light. Did the man ever rest? The fact that he’d let her sleep instead of turning on the overhead light touched her. It was a small thing, but it was still thoughtful. In fact, everything he’d done since they met had been pretty thoughtful. He was sometimes brusque and blunt, but they were in life-and-death situations and he’d always taken care of her. No matter what. She wasn’t an afterthought to him, but someone who mattered. Maybe the way he was treating her was part of his job, but she didn’t think so. Not after last night.

  When she shifted, the mattress creaked, drawing his attention to her.

  “Morning.” Last night was still vivid in her mind and she was pretty sure she wouldn’t be forgetting it any time soon. If ever. After their first frantic coupling, they’d made love again not long after. He’d touched and kissed practically every inch of her body with a sensual intensity, so she couldn’t understand why this inexplicable wave of shyness rolled over her.

  His unreadable expression didn’t help either. “Morning. You want me to grab some coffee?”

  “You don’t mind?” She tugged the sheet a little higher against her chest. Not that it mattered. The sexy man had seen all of her in great detail.

  He shook his head. “We’ve got a long day ahead of us, so I’ll grab a couple breakfast bars too. Unless you want to eat breakfast here?”

  “Whatever you get is fine. Just make sure you get coffee.”

  He grinned and slid the computer off his lap and onto the floor. “I’ll get anything you want.”

  Still holding the sheet around her, she twisted so that she was sitting halfway off the bed, her feet touching the carpet. “Have you checked your voice mail this morning?”

  “Yeah.” By his muted tone, she already knew the answer to the next question.

  “Hannah still hasn’t called?”

  “No, but it could mean nothing. I haven’t heard any chatter that Vargas has a new bargaining chip.”

  “Chatter?” What did that mean?

  “Since I’m trying to avoid phones, I’ve been communicating with my boss through . . . We’ve been staying in touch through a secure method online and he hasn’t heard anything about your friend.”

  She wondered what he’d been about to say, but brushed it off. Chances were, she wouldn’t understand his spy lingo anyway. “That doesn’t mean anything, though.”

  “If they had her, chances are we’d know about it.”

  It was impossible
to tell if he was saying this for her benefit or if he meant it, and that drove her just a little bit crazy. “You didn’t know they had Ronald’s daughter and you didn’t know Mandy worked for Vargas.”

  His eyebrows lifted, but he didn’t disagree. “We’re doing everything we can to find your friend. If Vargas did take Hannah, she won’t be harmed. They’ll need her alive.”

  The small thought gave her a little hope, but the fact that a drug lord might have kidnapped her best friend erased most of her optimism. “Okay.”

  Before she could blink, he’d crossed the small room until he was kneeling in front of her. He crouched down so they were at eye level. “I promise I’ll find your friend.”

  She nodded, but when he started to rise, she grabbed his hand. “Jack?”

  This time he sat on the bed next to her and he didn’t let go of her hand, which gave her some comfort. “Yeah?”

  “Are things going to change with us now that it’s morning?” She hated the almost desperate note she heard in her voice, but couldn’t stop herself. Over the years she’d learned to compartmentalize her life. It was the only way she knew how to survive. For once she didn’t want to separate things. When all this was over—if she survived—she was making some serious changes, but she couldn’t bear it if what they’d shared last night was a one-time thing. While there was no way she’d take it back, she wanted more from this man. Admitting it to herself scared her, but she was ready to put her feelings out there.

  He gave a slight nod. “Last night changed everything.”

  “What does that mean?”

  He shook his head and for the first time since she’d met him, he looked lost. “I have no idea.”

  Okay. Not making her feel any better.

  “I do know that I want more than last night. I want to spend more time with you.” He sounded almost hesitant, as if he was unsure of her response.

  Relief punched through her, warming her insides. “Me too.”

  They stared at each other for a moment until he leaned over and kissed her forehead. The chaste act shouldn’t do anything, but her entire body tingled and ached for more at the brief contact. Yep, she was so a goner.

  “I already showered, so if you want to shower while I grab coffee, we’re probably going to be leaving soon.”

  Her stomach flipped. “We are?”

  “Yes, you’ll get to meet my boss soon.”

  “Why?”

  “It looks like Weller was telling the truth. Vargas is definitely planning a trip to the States. If we can get your boss to help, we’re going to bring Vargas down for good.”

  “Okay.” She was sure there were a million other details he was leaving out, but for now it didn’t matter. If they could bring down that monster and get Ronald’s daughter back, maybe she could get her life back.

  “I have more to tell you, but we’ll talk on the way there.”

  Where was there?

  He pushed up from the bed and grabbed a Polo T-shirt from his bag. Before he slipped it over his head, she saw something that made her freeze. He had a small birthmark on his left shoulder in the shape of a heart. It was unique and she’d only seen it once before.

  Just like Sam.

  She fought to draw in a breath. The mark was unmistakable. She used to tease Sam about his all the time. She’d been so focused on Jack’s tattoos—and the rest of his body—earlier that she hadn’t seen it.

  He started to turn back toward her, so she wrapped the sheet around herself and bent down to grab the shorts she’d discarded the night before. She managed to avoid looking at him as she busied herself gathering her clothes.

  When she heard the door click shut, she dropped the sheet and tossed it back onto the bed. With shaking hands, she dug into Jack’s bag and pulled out a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved pink T-shirt. The air-conditioning wasn’t running, but there was a chill in the room. Florida weather was erratic during the winter months, but she guessed today she’d need an extra layer of clothing. After grabbing what little toiletries she had, she locked herself in the bathroom and flipped the shower on.

  Jack had the same eyes and same birthmark as Sam. Logically, it was impossible. There was no way Jack and Sam could be the same person. Could they? God, could she really be seeing what she wanted? She rubbed a hand over her face, questioning her sanity. The past few days had been highly stressful, but there was no way she was making these things up about Jack. When the room filled with steam, she drew the curtain back and stepped inside. The cascading jets beat against her shoulders in a steady stream. What the hell was going on? She had to be imagining a connection that wasn’t there, unless . . . Unless what? Sam was really alive. No way he would hide that from her. Not the boy she’d been in love with.

  No fucking way. He couldn’t be that cruel.

  Sam had died. Died. She knew that. So why had she felt this unexplainable sense of familiarity from the moment she’d met Jack? A strange numbness started at her toes and worked its way up to her fingers. Her fingers were so jittery it took a few tries before she could pop open the shampoo bottle.

  Jack worked for the government. She supposed they could have changed his face. She shook her head and increased the water pressure, letting the jets massage away her soreness. This was insane. Maybe she was seeing things because she still had unresolved issues over Sam’s death. Maybe . . .

  “Sophie? I’m back.” Jack’s deep voice from outside made her jump.

  “I’ll be out in a sec,” she called, thankful her voice didn’t shake.

  Instead of focusing on her crazy Is Jack really Sam? thoughts, she hurriedly got ready. She didn’t have time for any of those thoughts anyway because there was no way in hell it was possible. After washing her hair, shaving, and drying off, she towel-dried her thick hair as best she could. She hadn’t seen a hair dryer anywhere and didn’t feel like hunting one down. She smoothed on lotion she’d found at Mandy’s place before tugging on her clothes. Perhaps she should feel guilty at using the woman’s stuff, but Mandy had tried to kill her. She was way past guilt.

  She glanced at her reflection in the mirror and cringed. She still didn’t have a bra or panties. The long-sleeved shirt she wore was snug enough to support her, and even though it was warm in the bathroom, she could see the faint outline of her nipples.

  Sophie tugged at the shirt one more time before gathering up the toiletries against her chest and exiting the safety of the bathroom.

  When she walked out she found Jack sitting on the bed, staring at that damn computer screen again.

  “Any news?”

  He blindly glanced at her before returning to the screen. “Yeah. We’re meeting my boss soon.”

  She folded up her worn clothes and tucked them back into his bag. “Is one of those mine?” Sophie gestured to the two foam cups on the nightstand.

  “Yeah, sorry.” He handed her one of the cups. As he did, he raked an appreciative glance over her, letting his heated gaze linger on her chest. A small, knowing smile played at his mouth before his eyes met hers.

  “Okay, we need to make a stop before meeting your boss,” she said as she took the extended drink.

  Picking up his cup, he frowned at her. “Why?”

  “I don’t feel like going commando anymore and I really don’t want to meet your boss with my nipples showing.”

  He choked on his coffee before setting the cup down. “Good point,” he rasped out.

  She watched in amazement as a shade of red crept up his neck. She hadn’t thought it was possible to make him uncomfortable. Biting back a grin, she took another sip of her coffee, which was surprisingly good.

  Once they’d packed up what little they had, they were in the stolen SUV cruising down the road. Oranges and yellows streaked the sky so that even the clouds draping across the city had a bright and cheerful tint. It seemed almost wrong with everyth
ing going on in her life.

  She took a sip of her warm coffee, letting the heat flow through her. “Where are we headed?”

  “A warehouse . . . Can you text your boss while I drive?”

  “Uh . . . yeah.”

  “Instruct him to walk outside his home and call this number.” He handed her one of the throwaways and repeated the number as she punched in the digits.

  When the phone buzzed in her hand, Sophie hit the green SPEAKER button.

  “Who is this?” the familiar voice of her boss asked.

  Jack took over the conversation. “It’s me. Are you still at home?”

  “Yes, I’m in the backyard,” Ronald said.

  Jack continued. “Did you talk to Vargas?”

  There was a moment of silence before Ronald answered, “Yeah . . . I did what you said. He let me talk to my daughter.”

  Sophie listened to the conversation, wishing she could feel something other than hurt. The man had been willing to sacrifice her without even attempting to contact the police or another government agency. Expendable. That’s all she was. She’d considered Ronald family, but he considered her . . . nothing.

  Jack glanced at her as Ronald continued, and gave her a reassuring smile. Jack’s smiles were so rare that he gave her a boost of confidence. She wasn’t nothing to Jack. Unless sleeping with her was part of his job. Even thinking that made the coffee in her stomach roil.

  “What else did he say?” Jack asked as he turned back to the road.

  “How do I know you’ll be able to protect my family?”

  “No matter what happens, you have a better chance with my team as backup than if you meet with him alone.”

  There was a long beat of silence. “He wants to meet in hangar eight at the Opa-Lopka Airport tomorrow.”

  “What time?” Jack glanced over his shoulder and switched lanes.

  “At noon. He says . . . He says he’s bringing my daughter with him.”