HeatedMatch

by Lynne Silver

  “Glad to hear you’re up and about again. Welcome to the UK,” the border guard said as he stamped the passports and waved them through.

  “Thank you,” Rowan said, releasing her hand to scoop up the processed passports. As soon as they entered the crowd of people shuffling toward baggage claim, Loren released her first full breath since the plane touched down. They’d made it past the first hurdle. Now all they had to do was rendezvous with Xander, find Adam, possibly fight their way free and escape back to the US. Easy peasy, no problem.

  “Want to share the joke?” Rowan asked. “I could use a laugh.”

  She shook her head. “Just borderline hysterics.”

  “I hear you. I nearly bolted when that guard started questioning my arm.”

  “Really?” she asked. “You played it cool. I had no idea you were nervous.”

  “Didn’t you feel my hand? Coulda mopped a floor with it, I was sweating bullets.”

  “Well it didn’t show.” She stopped to scan the overhead directional signs. “Come on. Taxi line’s this way.”

  “Xander is meeting us?”

  “Yes.” She glanced at her watch. “I’ll text him now.” She pulled out the international cell phone Chase had loaned her and sent Xander the message that they had landed and would meet him in roughly an hour at the hotel. She planned on trying to sleep, though the likelihood was slim. Tomorrow they had their appointment at the fertility clinic where she hoped they’d find Adam. How they’d do it, she wasn’t sure. It wasn’t as if they could ask if the clinic had kidnapped any six-foot soldiers recently. She hoped Xander had a plan.

  *

  “Paulson?” Keel whispered into the phone, despite being alone in his house.

  “Yes, Keel.” The doctor sounded bored.

  “You have Adam?”

  “Of course, but I’m disappointed in you.”

  “What? Why?”

  “You neglected to mention that Mr. Blacker is matched.”

  “I didn’t know it mattered.”

  “It does. We need his match,” Paulson snapped. “We managed to get a sample anyway, but it’s better if we have the egg of his match.”

  Keel winced and tried not to imagine how they’d managed to get a sperm sample from an unwilling Adam. He thought quickly. Loren seemed to trust him. It shouldn’t be too much of a problem to get her on a plane to London. “How much?”

  “One hundred thousand.”

  He tsked. “Adam was worth a million. Surely you can find a little extra for his match.”

  “Don’t get greedy, Keel. We don’t absolutely need her. We have other methods at our disposal, but the final product will be better if it’s from a perfectly matched couple. I can go as high as two fifty.”

  “Done.” He smiled, already feeling the island sun beating down on his skin.

  “We have access to a private jet. It will be waiting at Dulles. Get Blacker’s woman there, and you’ll get your money.”

  *

  Xander did have a plan. Loren tried not to yawn as he laid it out for her and Rowan in the hotel room. To maintain appearances as a wealthy couple, they’d booked a suite at The Savoy. Rowan had promised her the bed. She eyed it greedily, trying for Adam’s sake to concentrate on Xander’s plan, but jet lag was hitting hard. To stay focused she got up to stroll the room, pausing at the little marble side table holding a crystal vase of yellow tulips. Her first time at a truly ritzy hotel and she couldn’t even enjoy it. She promised herself she and Adam would come here one day. But first they had to rescue him.

  “Loren, go to sleep,” Xander said.

  She blinked. “I’m fine. I couldn’t possibly sleep.”

  Rowan laughed. “Oh yeah? Then what did Xander say? You’re dead on your feet, hon. You’ll be no use tomorrow if you don’t get some winks.”

  “Maybe you’re right. I’ll at least try to sleep.” She went to her suitcase to dig through for her toothbrush. She didn’t dare sit down on the bed, because once the siren of the sheets called, she wasn’t getting free for at least eight hours. When she emerged from the bathroom in her PJs and with clean teeth, Xander was gone. She snuggled under the soft sheets with the highest thread count she’d ever felt.

  “Ready for tomorrow?” Rowan asked.

  She yawned and said with her eyes closed, “We’re not leaving the clinic without Adam.”

  “What if he’s not there?” Rowan gave voice to the fear she’d suppressed deep inside.

  “Don’t even say it. He’s there, he’s alive and we’re getting him out tomorrow.” Tomorrow took forever to arrive, and after hours of tossing and turning, she finally zoned out enough to call it sleep. But it was nowhere near the eight hours she needed.

  *

  “She’s gone.”

  “Repeat that please, Keel,” Paulson said.

  It was the middle of the night on America’s east coast and he’d spent the entire day looking for Loren and devising ways to get her to Dulles airport and to Paulson’s clinic. But he’d had no luck. It was as if she’d vanished. Shep hadn’t seemed too worried, and strangely, neither had William Blacker. One would think he’d show more concern over his potential daughter-in-law. But no, no one had seen Loren.

  He’d even gone to see Chase, hoping Loren’s brother might know something despite being bedridden. And, bingo, his effort had paid off.

  “I said, she’s gone, but you’ll never guess where.” He whispered even though everyone on campus had been sleeping for at least an hour.

  “I don’t like games, Keel. No match. No money,” Paulson said.

  “She’s heading your way, but not on your plane.”

  There was a moment of silence on the other end. “Explain.”

  “It seems Blacker and his match are highly attuned to each other. She knew he was in danger, and boarded a flight to London to find him.” He could almost see Paulson’s wrinkled smile.

  “That’s excellent news. When can I expect her?”

  He squeezed the handset tighter. “Well, as to that, I don’t know. My source was not very forthcoming.” Iron lipped, more like. Chase had admitted Loren wasn’t waiting around for Shep to find Adam, but hadn’t revealed anything more. “But she’s the one who discovered the link between your clinic and Christenson’s missing child. I’m sure she’ll be checking out your facility first thing.”

  “We’ll be waiting for her. Well done, Mr. Keel.”

  He hung up with a smile on his face. It was done. The money was his and ensured the retirement he deserved. He took a step toward his hall closet where he kept his suitcases, but then turned to the bedroom. He had three more weeks until he officially retired and qualified for his pension. So far, people suspected an insider had sold Chase and now Adam out, but nothing had pointed his way yet. If he left in the cover of night, suspicion would follow. His deceptions had to remain hidden for twenty-one more days and then he would leave with honor and no suspicions to mar his record.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Mr. and Mrs. White here for a ten a.m. appointment.” Xander, in the role of bodyguard, spoke to the smiling receptionist, while Loren and Rowan strolled around the lobby reception area, pretending to read the framed articles on the walls. In reality, she was tapping into all her senses, trying to pick up if Adam were here in First Choice Fertility. She was getting nothing. So much for hunches and matched couples finding each other at Disney. She felt as if she was on the spinning tea cups at Disney, given the way her stomach lurched.

  She prayed Xander’s plan worked and could get them in deep to the lab. Adam had to be here, because she had nothing else to go on.

  “The doctors will be another minute,” the receptionist said and turned to Loren. “Can I offer you a beverage?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing, thank you.”

  “There is a packet of paperwork for you and your husband to complete, but the doctor usually likes to meet with the prospective parents before requiring you to fill out a lot of paperwork.” She smiled
and seemed to expect a response. Loren smiled back. Her lips were stiff and dry.

  “Relax,” Rowan said as he patted her forearm. “This place is the best. You’ll find the baby you’re looking for.”

  She took a breath at his comfort and his reminder that she was not alone. Adam had other friends and loved ones ready to go to bat for him. They’d find him.

  “They’re ready for you,” the receptionist said. “Your, um, bodyguard…will have to wait here,” she continued, clearly unsure what to call Xander.

  “Of course,” Loren said. They’d expected that and planned around it. They didn’t want to take an innocent receptionist out, but they’d do what was necessary. Rowan followed on her heels as they passed through a doorway framed in dark wood. A medical professional in a lab coat waited for them on the other side.

  “Mr. and Mrs. White,” she said. “If you’ll follow me.” They walked down a long hall reminiscent of a high-end hotel, not a medical building.

  “Anything?” Rowan asked in a near-silent voice.

  She shook her head.

  The doctor turned to face them. “Before we talk, I’m going to ask Mrs. White to step into the bathroom and leave a urine specimen and then meet me in my office, just there. She pointed to a room across the hall. Mr. White, if you’ll go in that room, you’ll find a receptacle for a semen sample.”

  Rowan’s hand squeezed her arm and red stained his cheeks. This was an unexpected blip in their plan.

  “So soon?” She tried to keep the quaver out of her voice and sound like the polished society woman she was supposed to be. “We thought we’d start with a chat about how your process works.”

  “We’ll get to that,” the doctor said, “but first I have to know what I’m dealing with. Does the problem with conception lie with you or your husband? Normally I’d have had time to go through your medical histories, but your appointment came on the calendar so suddenly, I have no background.”

  “Of course. We understand.” This time she squeezed Rowan’s arm, letting him know she’d be okay. It was Adam’s safety on the line. She could handle peeing in a cup. She could tell he didn’t like separating from her, but she nodded and turned into the bathroom. She knew Rowan would head back to open the door to reception to let Xander in and the two of them would go on a hunt. It would be up to her to keep the doctors distracted from Rowan’s disappearance. Not exactly the original plan, but close enough.

  “I’ll wait for you in my office. Come in once you’ve filled the urine cup,” the doctor said.

  It was easy enough to fill a sample cup. She was so nervous, her bladder cooperated. Once she was finished, she crossed the hall to the office.

  “I’ll try to make this painless, but if you’re here, you’ve already been through a barrage of testing, right?” The doctor greeted her with a sympathetic smile.

  Loren didn’t answer since she was straining to hear Xander or Rowan moving down the hall. Instead she made her way to the sofa.

  “We’ll have some answers to your lab work soon. Why don’t we chat and wait for your husband?”

  “He may be a while,” she blurted, feeling heat enter her cheeks. “He takes a while to…you know.”

  “Of course,” the doctor said.

  Feeling like an idiot, Loren glanced around the room, this one with an Oriental rug and a plush sofa. She made her way to it and sat down.

  “How long have you been trying to get pregnant?”

  “Oh. Um, six months?” she answered, hazarding a guess at how long it took.

  The doctor pursed her lips. “Hmm, and you’re already seeking fertility treatments?”

  “I meant six months of fertility treatments at other clinics. We’ve been trying to get pregnant for the year before that.”

  The doctor looked more comfortable with her amended answer. Loren was about to ask for a glass of water, anything to give Rowan and Xander more time, when the door to the office opened. She jumped up, assuming it was Rowan, but to her surprise, an older man entered, with two large younger men behind him.

  “Doctor Paulson, this is a surprise,” the doctor said. “I didn’t expect you.” She turned to Loren. “Mrs. White, this is Doctor Paulson, founder of this clinic and the genius behind our success in treating infertility.”

  Loren held out a hand, trying to recall why the Paulson name sounded familiar. And then she remembered. But it was too late.

  The older man grasped hold of her hand and smiled. “Hello, Ms. Stanton. We’ve been expecting you.”

  Icy panic crashed into her. Though there was some satisfaction she’d been correct about the clinic’s nefarious operations. They were behind the kidnappings and responsible for Adam’s disappearance. “Doctor Paulson,” she said, forcing her voice to remain steady. “I’d say it’s a pleasure to meet you, but we both know that would be a lie.”

  The other doctor gasped. “I…what is going on?”

  “Doctor Baresh, you are not needed at this appointment anymore. I’m afraid you’ve been duped. This woman is not infertile. Quite the opposite.” Paulson’s laugh sent shivers down Loren’s spine.

  “Take me to Adam right now,” she demanded. “And I’m warning you, the whole team knows I’m here. If you do anything to me, you’ll have an army at your door.”

  Paulson laughed again. “Now you are lying, you darling girl. You’re here with two men, one of whom is handicapped in any fight.”

  “Don’t you dare hurt them.” Fear was a tangible rock in her stomach. If Rowan and Xander were killed because of her crazy plan to storm the fertility clinic with almost no planning or surveillance, she’d be devastated. Doctor Baresh had left the room as soon as Paulson dismissed her, but the door was still open a crack. She took one subtle step toward it then in a rush flung the door open and practically dove into the corridor.

  “Rowan,” she screamed. “Xander!”

  But neither man answered. Caught or hiding, she didn’t know and didn’t have time to guess. She bolted for the reception area, waiting to be tackled any moment by one of Paulson’s obvious bodyguards, but she made it to the door free and clear.

  She wrenched the handle and it turned, but the door remained shut. Now the grab she’d been expecting arrived in the form of a large forearm wrapping around her upper arms in a vise grip. She kicked out with her legs at Paulson’s guard who held her tightly, but he simply lifted her off the ground and hefted her over his shoulder as if she weighed no more than a light backpack.

  “Let go of me,” she screamed and pounded at his back. Her hair lost its fight with the neat ponytail and hung in waves around her upside-down face. The other bodyguard grabbed one of her wildly flailing arms and held it steady. Paulson stepped closer and injected something into her upper arm. After a few minutes the room started spinning around her and she fought to stay awake. But her body felt as if she were swimming through molasses and weighed a bazillion pounds. She tried to shout but her tongue was frozen.

  Dimly she knew her body bounced against the guard’s shoulder as they walked her to another section of the building, but she couldn’t feel a single thing. Time lost meaning and seemed to slow to a crawl then sped up. They passed through steel doors at the end of a hallway then entered an elevator. She had no sense of the elevator’s movements, whether up or down, but they seemed to be in the tiny enclosure for a long time.

  She tried to keep her eyes open as she was carried upside down, but couldn’t even manage that tiny trick. Finally they arrived in another section of the clinic. It was much more bare bones. As she fought the sedative-induced sleep, she heard Paulson’s voice.

  “Go get the other specimen,” Paulson ordered.

  The door opened and the two bodyguards walked in half dragging a large man between them. She tried to turn her head to see if it was Adam, but she was damn near comatose. She didn’t hear any sounds of fighting, which she knew she would if Adam was in any shape to go to battle. The man was either not Adam, or it was Adam, but he was in similar con
dition as her. Oh God. And then her world turned black.

  A trapped scream formed deep inside Adam as he was dragged into the exam room and saw Loren motionless on the gurney.

  No. Why the fuck was she here?

  Rage flowed through him revitalizing his beaten body, but he was still not strong enough to shake off the strong arms holding him down. He was about to struggle for real when the door to the room crashed open and sound exploded all around. Xander burst in with Rowan on his heels. Thank you, Shep, the troops have arrived. The guard holding him upright dropped him to go deal with the threat Rowan and Xander brought in the room. He crawled his way up to the bed where Loren lay, still as death.

  Her chest was warm as he pressed his head to it to determine if she was still breathing. Something wet dripped onto her blouse. He swiped at it, realizing the tear came from his eyes. Whether from panic at seeing her in Paulson’s clutches or from fear at thinking she was dead, he didn’t know. But she was alive, and he was going to fight to get her safely out of here.

  He stumbled over to where Xander was locked in combat with one of Paulson’s guards and got in a kidney punch. The pain in his ribs at the movement probably caused more damage to himself than his enemy. He stumbled back to Loren’s side to work on getting her up and moving.

  He narrowly avoided Rowan who was trying to get a shot off at Paulson’s other goon. Rowan held his own, dodging and sidestepping blows and managing to land some of his own. Finally with a burst of sound that had Adam’s ears buzzing, Rowan got a clear shot and took down his combatant. The minute the bodyguard crumpled in a heap on the floor, the one fighting Xander turned and ran to grab Paulson, who was huddled in the corner behind a chair. They were going to get away. If only he could make his body move as fast as he needed, but at that moment, Loren’s eyes cracked open.

  Where was she? Something as loud as a car slamming into another car had jolted her awake, but she couldn’t seem to focus her eyes. She thought Adam stood over her and she tried to smile that they’d managed to find him, but she couldn’t manage to move her mouth. What had happened? She remembered walking into the fertility clinic but everything after that was a mystery.