"And I think he's good for you," Megan continued. "He makes you relax. You smile when he's around. You even laugh. For a long time I thought you'd forgotten how to do that."
"Not a lot to laugh about the past few years."
"I know. And when you first took me off the island, I was really depressed and scared at first, because I didn't know what was going to happen to us. But you were so confident that we were going to be okay that I started to believe you. And you know what, Ria? We are okay."
She didn't want to take away Megan's sense of security, so she just nodded. "Yeah, we're doing good."
"But I'm not stupid, and I know that my uncle could still come after us. I just don't want to think about him every single day. I don't want to feel trapped in his prison when we're so far away from him. And I don't want you to feel that way, either."
"Thanks, Megan," she said with a soft smile. "I'll try not to be such a downer."
"Well, you're never a downer when Drew is around."
"Let it go," she said with exasperation.
Megan smiled. "I'm just looking out for you."
"Eat your dinner," she said firmly.
Thankfully, Megan picked up her sandwich and began to eat. Their conversation turned to easier topics, including which bachelor Megan thought was going to win the bachelorette's heart on her favorite television show.
Ria could barely stand to watch the show, but Megan and her friends were addicted. There was something about all those handsome men after one woman's heart that really appealed to them. She couldn't imagine trying to find love on a television show. Then again, finding love was the least of her worries right now.
When they finished eating, Megan said, "Before we go, I was wondering if you could show me Drew's boat."
Ria nodded. "I guess I could do that. It's not far." She paid the check and they headed out of the yacht club. It was past six now, and the sun was going down in the west, casting an orange pink glow over the horizon. The marina was quiet; most of the boats were packed up for the night. Mondays were usually slow days at the club.
She took Megan out to see Drew's boat, which was in a slip at the far end of the harbor.
"Who's Eleanor?" Megan asked as she looked at the sailboat.
"Drew's grandmother. It's his grandfather's boat."
"It's big," Megan said.
"Yes, it is."
As Ria looked at the deck of the boat, she couldn't help remembering the night she and Drew had made love under the stars. Drew had planned the perfect evening for her, giving her everything she loved. He knew her pretty well, which was both wonderful and terrifying.
"Are you okay?" Megan asked, giving her a thoughtful look.
"We should get home," she said briskly.
"You're thinking about Drew."
"No, I'm thinking that you're driving me crazy."
"That's because I speak the truth. But we can go home. I have homework to do."
As Megan started walking down the dock, Ria's phone rang. She paused, wondering if it was Drew, but it her mother's number. "Mom?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"
"I wonder if we'll ever be able to have a conversation without starting with that question," her mother said with a sigh.
"Then I'm guessing nothing is wrong."
"No. I just wanted to let you know that the car I saw in the neighborhood belonged to a realtor. There was nothing going on, no one was spying on us."
"I'm extremely relieved."
"How was Megan's prom?"
"It was good."
"That's all?"
"I can't talk right now."
"I wish we could have a real conversation," her mother complained.
"We will—someday. But I do have to go."
"Take care of yourself then and Megan, too. I love you," her mother said.
It was the first time in a very long time that her mother had ever said the words, and Ria was a bit taken aback. Before she could reply, the dial tone sounded in her ear. It was just as well. She'd forgiven her mother for a lot, but telling her she loved her wasn't going to come that easily.
As she closed her phone, she heard a scream. Her head jerked up.
Shocked, she looked down the dock and saw a man forcing Megan into a speedboat. She broke into a run as the boat started to back out of the slip.
"No," she screamed. She glanced around, but they were completely alone in the marina. There was no one to call for help. And in a few minutes, Megan would be out to sea.
She did the only thing she could think of. She took a running leap and jumped into the boat.
She landed on her knees. As she raised her head, she saw a gun pointed at her face, and Megan's terrified expression.
She tried to scramble to her feet, but something hard hit the back of her head, and everything went black.
* * *
Drew couldn't believe his eyes. He'd just gotten out of his car when he heard a scream. He'd run to the dock just in time to see Ria jump into the back of the boat. Megan was in the grip of a large man. Another man hit Ria over the back of the head, and she crumpled to the ground. Then the man gunned the motor and headed for open water.
His heart pounded with fear. He needed to go after them. He could take out his boat, but it was not going to be a match for a speedboat. He needed help.
Pulling out his phone, he called his friends at the Coast Guard Station on Yerba Buena Island. His friend, Cameron Holt, was working dispatch. He told him that he'd just witnessed a kidnapping at the San Francisco Marina. He gave dispatch what little details he had. They told him they'd send the nearest boat out to look for them.
His next call was to Tim, who had come on duty just as he'd gone off for the day. Tim was up in the air now, and Drew needed to be up there, too. He could cover more ground in the helo. He called the commander and explained the situation as quickly as he could. The commander agreed to send Tim and the helo to Crissy Field, where he could make an emergency boarding.
With the helo on the way, he drove to the nearby wide-open space just below the Golden Gate Bridge known as Crissy Field. While he was waiting, he called Max.
"Valdez's men have Ria and Megan," he said shortly, his jaw so tight it was difficult to get the words out. "They're in a speedboat. I've called the Coast Guard. But I need you to alert every law enforcement agency looking for Valdez. This is their chance to catch him. I'm going to get up in a helo in a few minutes."
"I'll make some calls," Max said. "Where do you think he's headed?"
"I have no idea." But even as he said the words, an old memory flashed through his mind, the huge luxurious yacht that he'd seen on the island. "They might be headed to a bigger boat," he said. "You mentioned Valdez has luxury yachts at his disposal. See if you can find out where those boats are."
The helo whipped his hair as it began to descend.
"I'm going out now to look for her. I have to find her Max," he said, hearing the desperation in his own voice. "Valdez is going to kill them if I don't."
"I'll get everyone on it," Max said. "With Valdez as the prize, there should be a lot of interest in helping you track him down."
"Thanks." Drew jogged across the field and got into the helo. Along with Tim was another pilot, Erica Brent, and a flight mechanic, AJ Martin.
"What's going on?" Tim asked.
"We're looking for a speed boat." He swallowed hard. "And maybe a yacht. It's the woman from the island, Tim. It's Ria. She's alive, and she's been kidnapped by Enrique Valdez, along with her sixteen-year-old niece."
Tim stared at him in disbelief. "We're going after Valdez?"
"Yes. Let's get in the air, because if we don't find her fast…" He couldn't bring himself to finish the statement. He was not going to let Ria die. He was going to be there in time to save her. There was no other option.
Chapter Twenty
Ria woke up with a raging pain in her head just as the speedboat pulled up alongside a sixty-foot yacht. She'd seen the yacht before—in the ha
rbor at the island.
Megan stared at her with fear in her eyes, but at least she didn't seem to be hurt.
As they anchored the boat to the yacht, the older man grabbed Megan by the arm and yanked her to her feet. In his other hand, he held a gun. He forced Megan up the stairs, and then the second man moved behind Ria.
She got to her feet, feeling dizzy and sick from the blow to her head, but there was no way she wasn't getting on the boat. As long as she stayed with Megan, she had a fighting chance of saving her.
They were led past two other men with guns, and her hope of fighting her way out of the situation dimmed, but she wasn't giving up yet. Was Valdez on board? Or had he just sent his men to get Megan back? She had a feeling she was about to find out.
They were ushered into a luxurious salon. One of the men left while the other stood guard at the door.
Ria put her arm around Megan as they sat down on the couch together. "It's going to be okay." She could feel Megan trembling, so she squeezed her tight.
"Is my uncle here?" Megan whispered.
"I don't know. He might be." She'd never met Valdez and had only seen him once on the island and that had been from a distance. But she had a feeling she was about to come face-to-face with her brother-in-law. It was strange to think of him like that.
"How did they find us?" Megan asked.
She had no idea. Had Drew's questions triggered something, or was it the inquiries of his friend, who had spoken to someone on the island about her? Maybe the homicide cop had talked to someone in law enforcement who was linked to Valdez. Or maybe Valdez had just finally tracked them down.
What had brought them to this moment didn't matter anymore. She had to be thinking ahead, figuring a way off the boat. They were somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. She had no idea how long she'd been unconscious, or in which direction they'd gone after leaving the bay.
She looked around the room for anything that might be a possible weapon. She might be able to take out the guard, but what about all the other men on the ship? A boat this big had to be staffed by at least a half dozen people, if not more.
"How long did it take to get here?" she whispered to Megan.
"I don't know," Megan said.
"Think."
"Half an hour maybe."
"Did you see anyone following us?"
"I couldn't see anything. He made me lie face-down on the deck." Her mouth trembled. "Are they going to kill us?"
"No," she said firmly.
Megan gave her a doubtful look. "How can you be sure?"
"He didn't kill you before," she said pragmatically. "You're his family. You're blood."
"But he hates when people betray the family. That's why he killed my parents. He said they were disloyal."
Ria didn't know how to respond to that. Megan was too smart to be reassured by false promises.
A moment later, the door opened and a short, middle-aged Hispanic male strode through the door. He had black hair, bushy eyebrows and what could only be described as evil eyes. His smile was just as slimy.
Megan snuggled in closer to Ria as he sat down in the chair across from them.
"My little one," he said to Megan. "I've missed you."
Megan didn't say a word in return.
Valdez's gaze moved to Ria, and his gaze grew speculative. "Victoria. We finally meet."
She was shocked that he knew her name.
"I must admit I am rarely surprised, but you were quite clever. I had no idea Katherine had a sister. You never came to visit. And she never went to see you. You were not at her funeral. Yet, you felt compelled to go to the island and kidnap my niece."
"My niece, too," she said. "And she came willingly. I did not kidnap her."
"That's because you lied to her about me."
"I didn't have to lie," she countered. "I only had to tell her what her mother told me."
"And what was that?"
"That you were evil, that she feared for her life, and for the life of her husband and child," she said, refusing to let this man intimidate her. If she was going down, she was going down swinging.
Anger tightened his lips. "Katherine was never in danger."
"Really, not even when you killed her?"
He stared back at her. "Katherine was not supposed to be in the car that day."
Ria was shocked by his words. "So you admit you sabotaged the car?"
His gaze moved from Ria to Megan. "You should not have run away from me, little one."
"I want to live with Ria. She's my aunt, and I want to stay with her."
"You cannot. You belong to me."
"You can have my money," Megan said. "I don't care about any of it. Just let us go."
"Your money," he said with a sneer. "Do you think I need your money? I have plenty of my own."
"Then why did you take me to the island and make me a prisoner?"
Now that Megan had found her voice, she couldn’t seem to stop using it. Ria was afraid Megan would say too much. Then again, their backs were against the wall. At this point, Megan had every right to say whatever she wanted.
"I set you up in a beautiful home," Enrique said, anger in his voice. "You had everything you needed. And you were safe there, protected from my enemies. I did that for your mother."
"Don't talk about her," Megan said with fury in her eyes. "You killed her."
"I told you that was an accident. Katherine wouldn't listen. She was so stubborn and headstrong. She thought Reynoldo was the answer to her prayers, but he was nothing but a coward."
"My father was wonderful," Megan said defensively.
"I was supposed to be your father. Katherine was mine," he said forcefully. "I met her first. She came to the house at my request. Reynoldo stole her from me."
Ria was shocked at his words. Kate had never mentioned having a relationship with Enrique. Was he delusional? Or had her sister left out part of the story?
"You're lying," Megan said.
Apparently, Megan hadn't heard that part of the story, either.
Enrique laughed. "Such spirit you have—so like your mother."
"I want to go home," Megan said.
"And you will—with me." His gaze turned to Ria. "We just have to get rid of one small complication first."
Her heart skipped a beat. He was going to kill her. She knew that as certainly as she knew anything.
"The explosion was a brilliant plan," he said. "I almost believed that my niece had died in a tragic accident. But you left a clue behind—her bodyguard. When I saw him, I knew it was a setup. You should have been less squeamish and killed him. You might have gotten away with it. Or not." He smiled. "Imagine my joy when a friend told me that you had been spotted in San Francisco."
Her heart sank. Drew's friend, Tim. She'd been right to worry about the connection. But being right now didn't do any good. She should have followed her first instinct and left the city.
"How did you find me?" she asked, stalling for time. She needed to figure a way out of this impossible situation before Enrique killed her.
"It wasn't difficult. I simply tracked down your friend and then followed him."
Drew would hate that he'd been the one to bring them down. If she didn't make it off this boat alive, she hoped he would never find out what inadvertent part he had played in her death. It would destroy him.
"Please let us go," Megan said. She grabbed Ria's hand. "I love her. If you care about me at all, let us go home. We won't tell anyone about you. We'll never talk about you again."
"That is not what I want," he said. "You are a Valdez. You belong with the family."
"I hate you."
"You will learn to love me, little one. Everyone does." He got to his feet. "You will come with me now."
"No," Megan said, desperation in her voice. Her hand tightened around Ria's.
"Don't touch her," Ria said, feeling completely helpless but refusing to give up yet.
"I give the orders on this boat."
&nb
sp; He'd barely finished speaking when several blasts filled the air.
Gunshots!
Enrique turned toward the man at the door. As the guard left the salon, Ria grabbed the lamp off the side table and brought it crashing down on the back of Enrique's head.
He staggered, clutching his head. She hit him again for good measure, and he fell to the ground. She grabbed Megan's hand and ran for the door.
When they reached the deck, Ria was shocked to see gunfire being exchanged between three men on the deck and a Coast Guard helicopter. Drew?
One of the men on deck clutched his chest and fell to the ground.
More gunfire.
"Stay here," Ria said, pushing Megan into the shadows. She needed to get the gun lying on the ground by the man who'd been shot.
As she moved towards him, she saw a man coming down from the helicopter on a rope. What the hell was Drew doing?
One of the guards lifted his gun and took aim.
She rushed towards him, tackling him from the back, hurtling her body on top of his. His gun skidded across the deck.
She ran for it, but he was after her, shoving her hard against the rail. She lost her breath for a moment. And then Megan jumped on his back, and the two struggled.
Ria wanted to help. She just needed to breathe, to move. As she staggered to her feet, Drew landed on the deck of the boat.
He took out the other guard with a shot through the chest.
Two more men came around the corner.
Drew shot twice more, each bullet finding its target.
Ria tried to pull Megan away from her attacker, but the man kicked her in the stomach, and she fell to her knees again.
Then Drew jumped into the fray, pulling the man off Megan, and then smashing his fist into the guard's face.
Megan stumbled backwards on the deck.
The two men fought for their lives.
Ria searched for the gun, something she could use to help Drew. She finally found it against the rail. As she reached for it, she heard Megan scream.
Whirling around, she saw that Enrique had come back to life. He had his arm around Megan's neck and his gun pointed at her head.
She raised the gun in her hand and aimed it at him. "Let her go."
Falling For A Stranger Page 21
