“You practically told me you don’t trust them anymore.” She marched to the window, stood to the side like she’d seen him do, and peered out. “We’ve been here for several hours and no one but your friend Ron seems to know where we are. We haven’t been attacked or shot at or—” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Worry for Marlee ate at her. “I want her here where we can keep her safe.” She softened her tone and her stance. “Don’t you understand, David? I’ve been keeping her safe for twenty years. I can’t just abandon her now.”
“You’re not abandoning her, but—” he held up a hand to forestall more arguments—“but I get what you’re saying.” He sighed. “All right.” He got up and paced from one end of the suite to the other. “We’ll have to trust them.”
“I know. But we don’t have a choice. Not if we want to get Marlee. If they’re watching her.” She rolled her eyes. “Although, if they’re doing as good a job at the hospital as they did her house, we could just walk in and walk out without them knowing we were ever there.” Sarcasm dripped.
“It wasn’t Chase, Adam, or Mike on your sister’s house,” he reminded her.
“I know. But they were trained by the same people.” She scowled.
“So you want to trust them or not?”
“What if trusting them means getting killed?”
“I could ask for different marshals.”
She tilted her head and squinted at him. “Would they do that?”
“I don’t know.”
Summer rubbed a hand over her lips. “No.” Her gaze flicked to the weapons. “No, let them bring Marlee here. If we’re attacked again, we’ll know.”
“No. No way, Summer. That’s putting you in danger as well as Marlee.”
She frowned. “I’m already in danger. Marlee’s already in danger, David. If we don’t do what Hayes says, he’s going to kill Marlee anyway. You and I both know it.” She planted her hands on her hips. “We have to know who we can trust and we have to know fast. The only way to do that is to set a trap and see what we catch.”
David kept his gaze on her. She watched his eyes change. Respect and admiration glinted there. “You’re an amazing woman, you know that?”
Silence fell between them. Her mouth worked, but nothing came out. She swallowed hard and tried to grab on to her initial anger she’d felt when she first learned of her husband’s deception. She finally said, “Just call Mike.”
Summer relaxed a fraction as David dialed the number.
Within seconds, Mike was on the phone. David said, “Bring Summer’s sister here.” Summer could hear the expletive from across the room. David winced. “I’ll tell you where we are when I get your word that you’ll bring Marlee into the protection program. We want her safe. Obviously having your guys just watching her house occasionally isn’t working out too well for Marlee.” David listened a few more seconds, then hung up. “Mike’s working on it.”
“Is she well enough to travel?”
“She’s got a black eye, a broken arm from a previous attack, and an assortment of other cuts and bruises, but she’s going to be all right.”
Summer pressed her fingers to her eyes. “I can’t believe this. So where was this previous attack?”
“Apparently, someone caught her coming out of the grocery store last night and worked her over in the parking lot. She was just released from the hospital this morning. A friend took her home. And now this.”
Summer felt sick. Her stomach rumbled and she took a deep breath to stem the rising bile. She dropped her fingers from her eyes. “Can he trace that phone you’re using?”
David shook his head. “He can probably get a pretty good idea of the location if he checks the towers it’s pinging off of, but he can’t trace it straight to us.”
His phone rang and he put it on speaker. “That was fast.”
Mike grunted. “She freaked about the idea of leaving with the marshals. She said she doesn’t trust anyone but her sister and you.”
Summer sighed, then hardened her resolve. “Fine,” she said. “We’ll come get her.”
“No way,” Mike protested. “Absolutely not.”
“We’re on the way,” David said.
“She had a pretty hard knock on the head so she’s not being released from the hospital until in the morning. They want to keep her overnight for observation.”
“Then we’ll see you in the morning.”
Mike growled and threw his phone against the wall. Again.
Chase lifted a brow. “You keep that up, you’ll need another phone case. Again.”
“How many of those indestructible cases have you destroyed since becoming David’s handler?” Adam asked.
“Six,” Mike snapped.
“Huh,” Chase grunted. “I would have thought it would have been more than that.”
Mike glared. “Marlee doesn’t trust us and won’t leave the hospital with anyone but Summer and David. So, he and Summer are going to the hospital to get her sister. And David won’t tell me where they are.”
“Then we meet them at the hospital.”
Adam stood. “We don’t have any clue where they are or even if they’re still in the vicinity. Why don’t we go back to Charleston and get a hotel near the hospital? That way we can be there to intercept them.”
“And once they’re back in our hands, we’re not letting them go.”
Chase barked a laugh. “If David wants to go, you won’t have any choice but to let him.”
23
“I need to make another call with your handy little untraceable phone,” Summer said and held out a hand.
“To who?”
“My client, Olivia Todd. We’re supposed to be in court on Tuesday and she and I have things we need to discuss.”
He hesitated. “That’s fine, but first things first.”
“What?” She dropped her arm to her side and curled her fingers into a fist. She really needed to talk to Olivia.
“We need a car if we’re going to the hospital to pick up your sister.”
“Okay. So what are we going to do?”
He thought for a moment. “Didn’t you say your friend who owns the store lives above it?”
“Yes. Her name’s Casey.”
“Okay then. You’re going to walk across the street and ask Casey if we can use her car.”
Summer ran a hand down her cheek, then pinched the bridge of her nose. “What if they’re still out there?”
“I don’t think they are. We’ve shaken them for the moment, but I’ll be right behind you and watching.” He reached out to cup her chin. “I won’t let anything happen to you, Summer.”
She jerked away from his touch. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” His sigh reached her. Guilt swamped her. She lifted her chin. No, she wouldn’t feel guilty. He’d done this. “So, after we get the car, we come back here?”
“No. We hit the road. Once we’re seen leaving here, I don’t want to come back.”
She stared at him. Then gave a slow nod. “All right.”
“You ready?”
“Sure.” She glanced around. “Are we taking everything Ron brought?”
“It’s just a couple of backpacks. We can manage that.”
Summer packed hers and stuffed the Smith & Wesson Centennial 642 Airweight into the shoulder holster Ron had brought. She liked the weapon. It was light and easy to carry. She had shot one before on the numerous occasions David had insisted she go with him to the shooting range. She’d always enjoyed their outings and had never suspected he had an ulterior motive for taking her. He was military. He liked guns. She liked what he liked.
Now she knew better.
Her stomach turned as betrayal washed over her once again. Instead of saying anything, she pulled on the heavy sweater to conceal the weapon. She picked up the backpack she hadn’t had a chance to unpack and slung it over her shoulder. “What’s on that laptop, David? Specifically?”
“Just all kinds of names and
dates.” He paused. “And there’s one file labeled ‘blackmail.’”
She swallowed hard. “Who was Sam blackmailing?”
“I don’t think he was. I think he just had evidence that he could use as blackmail.”
“Who was the evidence against?”
“I don’t know.”
“I don’t understand then.”
“Sam had pictures on the laptop of a tall man meeting with Raimondi, shaking hands and looking all friendly like. His face had been blurred out, but he had a shock of white hair up here.” He pointed at the hairline of his forehead. “If I had a name to go with the pictures, he might be recognizable. The other distinguishing mark is a tattoo on his left bicep. It’s not visible in all of the pictures, of course. In fact, in almost all of the pictures he has long sleeves on. But in one, he was leaning over reaching for a drink on the table. He had short sleeves on and I got a good look at it.” He tapped his chin. “Someone went to a lot of trouble to get that picture with the tattoo.”
“What does it look like?”
“The head of a snake.”
“Ew.” She wrinkled her nose.
He gave a gentle smile. “I know how fond you are of snakes.”
She shuddered. “Not.”
“You okay with the plan then?”
“I’m good with it.”
“You’re sure?”
She snorted. “No, but I don’t guess we have any better options. We need a car.” She drew in a deep breath. “So, I’m going to get us a car.”
David watched Summer walk across the street and knock on the door of the store. With each step, his heart beat with love for her. And a desire to keep her safe. She knocked again and David scanned the street, keeping Summer in his peripheral vision. Now six o’clock in the evening, the sun had disappeared. The cold air surrounded him, made him long for a fireplace, a cup of coffee, and Summer’s sweet kisses.
Summer pressed the buzzer and rapped her knuckles on the glass this time.
He waited. Watching. Two men started toward her.
David straightened, unlatched the strap across his weapon and moved to intercept them. Just as he was going to call out to Summer, they passed her without a glance. He let out a slow breath and took his hand from his gun.
Another sweep of the street didn’t raise any flags. He crossed the street to where Summer still stood and placed his back against the wall.
She glanced at him, her leg jiggling nervously, her fingers twisting together. She waited.
Finally, the door cracked and she leaned in. “Hi, Casey. Do you remember me?”
“Of course. Come in.”
Summer stepped inside and David followed. Casey gasped as he shut the door behind him. Fear lit her dark eyes. “What do you want?”
“Don’t worry, we’re not here to hurt you.” Summer took her new friend’s hand. “We need another favor.”
“Is your husband still after you?”
Summer winced. “It wasn’t my husband after me.” She nodded to David. “He’s my husband. But the men after me want to see us dead.”
“Why?” Casey’s round eyes grew wider.
“Because we have something they want.”
“Okay.” Casey held up her well-manicured hand. “I don’t need to know anything else. I’ve had enough trouble today.” She swept her hand out and for the first time David noticed the chaos surrounding them.
“What happened?” he asked.
“I left to get a bite to eat. When I came back, this is what I found.” Fear stood out on her features. “Along with this.”
David took the note she held out to him. “Talk to the cops and we’ll come back.”
“You need to call the cops.”
Casey’s jaw hardened. “I’ve lived through worse.” She shook her head. “They were looking for something.”
“Did they find it?”
“I have no idea. I don’t know what they were looking for.” She rubbed her eyes. “What do you need from me?”
“I’m so sorry this happened,” Summer said. “I’m sorry we’ve involved you in this.”
“Like I said, I’ve been involved in worse. Now, what do you need?”
“Your car.”
She gaped. “My car?” Her lips pursed. “Okay, wasn’t expecting that one. You really need my car?”
Summer nodded. “We need to get going. I know it’s crazy to have a complete stranger ask you this, but will you let us use your car?”
“But, what am I supposed to do for transportation?”
David spoke up. “We just need it overnight. I’ll have someone drive it back to you tomorrow.” He slid to the window and looked out. Still clear.
Casey looked from him to Summer. “I don’t want to know what this is all about, do I?”
“Probably not,” Summer said.
Casey hesitated only a few more seconds, then walked to the counter and pulled a set of keys from a drawer. She removed one from the ring. “I’ll call my sister or mother to come pick me up if I need to go anywhere. This is the spare.” She handed it to Summer.
David pulled a stack of bills from his wallet and handed them to her. “For your trouble.”
Casey took them, mouth still open. “I feel like I’m in a Lifetime movie or something.”
“Tell me about it,” David muttered. He took Summer’s arm. “Let’s get out of here.”
Summer pulled away from him and hugged Casey. “Thank you.”
“I guess when I told the Lord to put people who needed help in my path, he was listening. The least I can do is the same.” She gave them a slight smile. “Just stay safe.”
They headed for the door. “Oh, wait,” Casey called.
David turned.
Casey opened another drawer and pulled out a necklace. “You dropped this when you were running yesterday. I kept it in case I saw you again.”
Summer stared at the piece of jewelry, then looked at David and back to the cross. Her jaw hardened. “That’s all right. I don’t need it.” She turned and headed for the door while David’s heart hit rock bottom.
Casey lifted a brow and looked at David. He held out his hand and she dropped the necklace into it. Shoving it in his pocket, David followed Casey and Summer out the back of the store. Casey’s dark blue Ford Explorer sat just outside the door.
Summer climbed in the passenger side while David adjusted the driver’s seat. Summer said to Casey, “Thank you again.”
Casey waved them on their way.
Summer turned to David. “I really need to call Olivia. Could I please have your phone?”
He glanced behind him as he backed up. “I’ll stop at a gas station. I don’t want to use this phone any more than necessary.”
Summer sighed and leaned her head back against the headrest.
“I had to do what I did, Summer. All of it. Including deceiving you.”
“No, you didn’t.”
He clamped his lips shut as he wove through town, his eyes swiveling between the rearview mirror and the road. She didn’t understand.
And he was afraid she never would.
Summer woke with a jerk. She hadn’t meant to go to sleep, but had conked out soon after clipping her seat belt around her. Darkness covered them, broken only by the headlights of the passing cars. “Where are we?”
“About an hour away.”
“Want me to drive?”
“No. I’m good.”
“Want to talk about what you’re thinking about?”
“Not right now.”
The stilted conversation grated across her nerves, so she shut her mouth and stared out the window into the darkness. When David got his mind wrapped around something, it didn’t do any good to push him. He’d either talk or he wouldn’t. The zing of hurt surprised her. She’d consistently pushed him away for the last two days, and now that he wasn’t pushing back—it hurt. Her emotions made no sense. Frustration filled her. She wanted to punish David for his deception and lies. And sh
e wanted to hug him and pretend none of it ever happened.
Tears made her blink. “Could you stop at that pay phone so I can make that call? Once Marlee’s with us and we’re back with the marshals, who knows when I’ll have a chance.”
“Yeah. I’ll stop right before we get to the hospital.”
“Thanks.”
They rode in silence the rest of the way. Summer straightened when he pulled into a gas station. He drove straight up to the pay phone and Summer rolled down her window. She dropped the coins in and dialed Olivia’s number, praying the woman would pick up when she saw an unfamiliar number on her screen.
The phone rang. And rang. And finally went to voice mail. “Olivia, this is Summer. I’m sorry I’ve been out of touch. I need you to call me at—” She looked at David and he shook his head. “Well, actually, you can’t call me.” An idea hit her. “If you need me, keep leaving messages on my voice mail. I’ll do my best to call when I can. But I will be there Tuesday on time, I promise.” Unless I’m dead. But she kept that thought to herself. “Just keep everything status quo until Tuesday. Hang in there, my friend. Stay strong and keep praying.”
She hung up and closed her eyes. All of this had to happen now during this case. If she wasn’t absolutely sure Raimondi was the one after them, she’d swear Olivia’s abusive husband had something to do with all the terror raining down on them.
But she knew the men after them didn’t have anything to do with Silas Todd. No, her husband could take all the blame for that one. She shoved her earbuds into her ears, leaned back, and did her best to tune out the world and focus on the words of the song. She needed some hope right now.
24
At the buffet, Olivia helped Sandy spoon macaroni and cheese onto her plate, then a chicken leg and some green beans. It was Sandy’s birthday and she wanted to eat out. That was all. She didn’t want a video game or new clothes or whatever it was kids were into these days. When asked, “What do you want for your birthday?” she’d answered, “I want to go to the Veggie Bar restaurant with you and Laura.”
“But what about a gift?”
Sandy smiled. “That would be my gift and I’d get to share it with you and Laura.”
Olivia noticed the child said nothing about wanting her father there. Noticed, but wasn’t surprised.
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