by Dale Cadeau
Gabe chuckled. “First babies can come in a few minutes or take days. My sister took three days. She went to the hospital at first sign of any contractions, and after a while the contractions stopped. But they wouldn’t take the chance and send her home, as she was so near her due date. So we all just had to suck it up and wait.”
“Well that just doesn’t seem right. There should be some kind of a timetable for this,” Clay added with disgust.
“I think all men think the same, but babies come when they want. Brighten up. Maybe when it’s your and Laura’s time, they will have something in place.” Gabe grinned back at him.
Clay got up and went to the coffee maker and poured out the now-cold coffee and filled the pot to make new. “God, I hope so. I don’t think I could put up with seeing Laura in pain for days. Maybe I’ll tell her we really don’t need kids, with James and Angel having them.”
“Do you think that will work? You telling Laura that she can’t have kids because you can’t handle it?” Chase added.
“No, I’m just blowing hot air. Laura wants kids and I will admit that I would also like a little rug rat running around, if she looked like Laura.”
“Okay, guys, can we talk about your mating instincts later. I think I see a van that has been on all the highways that lead out of the city in the most direct routes. I can’t be sure until Gabe can come up with something to distinguish the van, but we might have something.” Tony looked over the top of the computer screen at them.
Clay and Chase both moved behind Tony and watched a white van speed down a highway out of town.
Chapter Twelve
“You bastard!” Grant sprung from his chair to go to Charlie, but was stopped with the gun butt slammed into his gut. Grant went down hard back into the chair with a grunt. Charlie screamed again, but didn’t move as the second guy had the gun pointed in her face. The tears came to her eyes as she watch Grant double over in pain. Both men stepped back from them and disappeared out through the door. As soon as Charlie heard the lock click into place, she raced over to Grant and slid to her knees.
Bending down so she could see his face, she reached out and put a hand on his cheek.
“Are you okay, Grant?”
Grant looked up with pain-filled eyes. Trying to reassure Charlie, he pushed the pain to the back of his mind and straightened up in the chair. His head felt like someone was still pounding on it, as it throbbed and almost made him sick.
Taking Charlie’s hand, he pulled her up with him as he stood. Putting an arm around her, Grant slowly walked to the bed. Charlie tried to stem her tears as she watched Grant’s face trying to mask the pain as they moved to the bed. Once there, Charlie made Grant sit down and she swiftly left him and hurried to the bathroom for a cold, wet face cloth. Coming back, she fell to her knees in front of Grant and took the cloth and wiped his face.
Grant felt the cool cloth running over his face and heard a deep, retched sob escape from Charlie. Trying for a smile that turned out more lopsided than he wanted as he grimaced in pain, he reached out his hand. He took Charlie’s hand and stopped her wiping his face as she sobbed. Leaning forward, Grant kissed her nose.
“Maybe when we get out of here you should think of taking a nursing course. You’re a natural at it,” Grant told her as he moved back and grinned.
Charlie tried to grin back at his funny sense of humor. “Well if I stick with you, it might come in handy.”
Charlie took the face cloth and wiped the tears from her face. As she lowered the cloth to her lap, Grant took it in one of his hands and brought it back up, wiping more tears that she couldn’t seem to stem.
“Hey, don’t cry, I’m fine. If you keep it up, you’re going to make me cry, too.”
Charlie looked up into the serious brown eyes staring down at her. “Sure, you’d cry. I know when someone is trying to tell me to suck it up,” Charlie said, getting off her knees and sitting beside Grant on the bed.
“I would never do that,” Grant told her with a twinkle in his eyes as he took one of her hands and brought it to his lips and kissed the back of it.
“I’ve never seen a braver girl.”
“I don’t know how you can try to reassure me, when your head and stomach must be hurting you.” Taking her hand from his, Charlie reached out and wiped the stray hair off his brow. “But I have to tell you, if you’re going to be my patient, I will look into the course when we escape from here.”
Getting to her feet, Charlie put a hand on Grant’s shoulder. “Lie back and take it easy.”
Grant didn’t want to give in to the pain, but looking up at Charlie, he knew that she would feel better if he lay back. Swinging his legs up on the bed, he laid his head back on the pillow. A groan escaped him as his head hit the pillow. The gun had really done a number on his head.
“Oh, shit, I forgot about your head. Move it sideways on the pillow and I’ll cool this cloth some more.” Charlie went to the small washroom and let the cold water run, then wet the cloth and moved back to sit beside Grant, putting the cloth on the back of his head.
Charlie was glad when Grant finally closed his eyes and seemed to relax into the bed.
Looking down at his face, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to go on without him. And she couldn’t lie to herself anymore. Even if they got out of here, she didn’t think she could bear to just let him go and return to their normal working friendship.
The one thing Charlie learned by this kidnapping is that she had to get her priorities in order and her first priority was holding on to Grant.
She knew that she had come to respect Grant over the months that they had worked together, even lusted after him. Now she knew she had been kidding herself. Her feeling went a lot deeper. She loved him. She couldn’t stand to see him down and out like this and it was all because of her holding him back. He was the kind of man that would suffer in silence to keep her safe.
She didn’t doubt for a minute that if she wasn’t with him, he would have found a way out of here by now. Charlie moved gingerly up on the bed beside Grant when she saw that he had fallen asleep and curled her body close to his, just staring at his face, watching him breathe. She was scared to take her eyes off him for a minute.
After watching for an hour, she felt herself starting to nod off, so she took one of his hands in hers. She needed the connection and closed her eyes, squirming closer to him, trying not to jar his side and wake him up. She hoped the sleep would help him heal.
Grant awoke to the feel of Charlie’s small hand in his and her body wrapped tightly around him. Gingerly moving his head, he turned to look at her sleeping beside him. At least his head felt better and he didn’t feel like he was going to heave his guts any minute.
Making sure that Charlie was sound asleep, he slowly moved off of the bed, grabbing the blankets, and covered her up to her shoulders. Charlie stirred a bit but didn’t wake up, so Grant made his way into the bathroom and turned on the shower. He didn’t want to leave her alone for a minute, especially not knowing if their captors would come in, but he knew he had to get himself as much back into shape as he could, and a shower, while it wouldn’t cure him, would sure make his head and body feel better.
Throwing his clothes on top of the shut lid of the toilet, he stepped into the tempered water. He hated knowing that when he got out he would have to put on the same clothes that he had worn now for days. Well, he couldn’t complain to his captors, at least they kept them fed, which he knew could change at any moment.
Charlie had felt Grant leave the bed. She stayed quiet and kept her eyes shut. As soon as she heard the bathroom door close and the shower turn on, she buried her head in her pillow and sobbed.
Chapter Thirteen
“Got it!” Gabe yelled at them.
Clay, Chase, and Tony turned his way. “I know it’s not much, but when you bring the image up closer there is red paint on the back left bumper. Like it scraped something.” Gabe sat back and turned the computer so everyone could s
ee.
“It’s not much, like you said, but maybe it will help us pick the van out on one of the highways, especially the ones leading out to the country. Grant did say the cabin was rustic and had lots of trees.” Grant added.
“Okay, I’ll start looking at all highways leading out to the country and try to spot it. It will take a while. That’s not something that is going to stick out when looking. I’ll have to focus in on every white van and hope the camera has the right angle to see the bumper.” Tony went back to scrutinizing the highway cameras.
“Well hopefully nothing happened when we heard that shot, and this will give us the break we need. I’m going to be optimistic and think that way.” Clay got up, moved to the fridge, and opened it.
“Let find something to eat, I’m starved.”
Looking at the contents of the fridge, Clay pulled his head back and wrinkled his nose at the guys watching him.
“I know James went off the deep end making sure Avery ate well. But this is ridiculous. Lots of vegetables, yogurt, and something green in a jar.” Closing the fridge, Clay pulled his cell out.
“How’s pizza?”
As Clay talked on the phone, ordering the pizza, the landline rang. Chase got up and answered it.
“Braden here,” Chase said into the phone. The landline didn’t have call display and he wanted to play it safe in case it was the kidnappers calling back.
“Braden here, too. Make that Daddy Braden and now you’re an uncle.” James laughed over the phone. Chase had to grin. He could tell that James was over-the-moon happy.
“Congratulations, Daddy. I’m glad you made it through.”
“Well it was touch-and-go for a moment there. Avery turned out to be the real trooper of the family.”
“Don’t leave me in suspense. What will you be bring home? Girl or boy?”
“Chase, you wouldn’t believe the beautiful little girl that I have. She has blond tufts of hair and the biggest blue eyes like her mom. She’s a heartbreaker for sure.”
Clay grabbed the phone from Chase. “Daddy Braden, I never thought I’d see the day. Another member for our unit.”
“Don’t be too hasty there, Clay. My girl’s not joining the unit until she’s at least thirty or more. And I expect by then she will probably be running the place.” James couldn’t keep the glee out of his voice.
“Isn’t that expecting a lot from a little girl that just made her appearance?”
“She’s a Braden, Clay. What do you expect?”
“Sorry, I forgot.” Clay laughed back at James.
“Just a minute, Gabe and Tony want to congratulate you.”
Clay handed over the phone to Gabe and slapped Chase on the back.
“Well you know now that you’re an uncle. You’ll have to stop your hound dog ways. She will look up to you for advice.”
“Sure, Clay,” Chase said, wincing at Clay’s slap. “I think I have a few years before that will happen.”
“Not the way James talks about her. She’s a Braden, you know,” Clay said, grinning.
“Yeah, we’re a special breed. Thanks, Clay.”
“Oh, shut up.” Clay grabbed Chase and gave him a bear hug. “You Bradens are very lucky.”
“Clay, I hope you don’t hug Laura like that. Use a little restraint, man,” Chase said pulling away.
“Shit, Chase, I’m just so happy for James. We have been through so much together that the baby seems like it should be part mine.”
“Well don’t let James hear you say that,” Chase told him.
Tony held out the phone to Clay. “Here, James wants to speak to you again.”
Clay grabbed the phone back, still stifling a happy laugh. “Clay here. I’m so happy for you, James.”
“Thanks, Clay. Laura is sitting with Cyn now. Angel is still pacing the floor and I feel sorry for him. You don’t know the amount of stress that a guy goes through until it’s over. It’s worse than the adrenaline rush we get after a tricky job. Clay, I know I’ve been out of the loop for a while, and I know that Chase is okay, but tell me what’s going on.” James voice turned serious.
“James, you have enough to worry about Avery and your new baby. We have this covered. Don’t worry.”
“I know you and the guys can handle everything and trust all of you to do it. But I need to know. Is Chase in danger? What did the men say when they called back?”
“Are you sure you want to go into this now?” Clay asked.
“No, I don’t, but it will bug me until I know what’s going on.”
“Okay, short version—Chase is fine. The men called back and told me they have Chase and Charlie. They want money and Carlos out of prison.”
“But I just spoke to Chase—how can they think they have him?” James asked, puzzled.
“They think they have Chase, but they kidnapped Grant and Charlie. I guess Grant is going along with their assumption.”
“Anyway, Tony and Gabe found the camera feed from the restaurant and we have finally a few clues to go on.”
“Shit, I hate that Angel and I can’t help right now. I’ll sit back and let you and the guys handle it, but if it gets critical, call me. Grant is like our brother. We have to get him and Charlie out of there. Has Brad come back yet from the clinic that he and Raven went to?”
“No, I filled him in. He was in the dark about this as much as we were. I told him the same thing I’m telling you. We can handle it.”
“Okay, keep me informed. Got to go.” Clay could hear in the background a baby crying.
“My other lady wants attention.” James ended the call.
“That’s one happy man,” Clay said as he put the phone down and returned to the kitchen table.
“Find anything?” Clay turned to Tony, the grin on his face wiped off with the warrior face ready for action taking over.
Chapter Fourteen
Charlie was sobbing into the pillow when she heard the door unlock. Sitting up, she brushed the tears from her face. The first guy poked his head in the door.
“Here,” he said as he tossed an aspirin bottle on the bed beside her. “He might need this.”
Before Charlie could say thanks, the door was shut and relocked.
Charlie picked up the bottle. It was unopened and still sealed.
Who the hell were these guys, anyway? Charlie got up off the bed and walked to the bathroom. Opening the door, she could see Grant though the thin shower curtain. Noticing his clothes on the closed toilet seat, Charlie looked down at her own clothes and thought about how they had worn them for days.
Picking up his shirt and the rest of his clothes, she ran warm water in the washbasin and started to wash them with the bar of soap. It would probably ruin his clothes, but at least they would be clean. She was so involved in washing the clothes that she jumped when Grant put a hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she took in his muscular physique that was only hidden by a towel wrapped around his waist.
“What are you doing?”
“Just trying to get your clothes clean.” Charlie kept her eyes on her hands, not looking too closely at Grant. One look was enough. She wanted to turn and jump into his arms. This time it wasn’t because she was scared, she just couldn’t face him and not show the hunger that was growing in her.
“The first guy—tray man brought you some aspirin. It’s there on the bed. I think you should take one and lie back down. I’m going to wring your clothes out so they will dry a bit faster.”
“Thanks, but what about you? You must be feeling grubby, too. Why don’t you take a shower and I’ll wash your clothes,” Grant offered. He could think of all kind of possibilities if they were both without their clothes.
“Please, Grant, just take the pills and leave me to this,” Charlie said, not even looking at him.
Grant knew when he wasn’t wanted and made his escape before his towel tented enough to poke her on her back. As he had come out of the shower and found her standing at the sink, he wanted to grab her and to
ss her into the shower with him. Run his hands all over her body and sink deep into her.
He had to think of all the ugly missions that he had gone on to keep his cock down while he was in the shower. He knew he couldn’t take himself in hand, because he had left the door open a bit in case Charlie yelled and needed him. He also didn’t want her to find out how much of a hound dog, Clay’s favorite term, he was becoming the more he was around her.
The close quarters were getting to him. He couldn’t get out of the range of her sweet smell. And while the sleeping arrangements were great with her being in his arms every night, he had to put up with blue balls and a cock that didn’t want to stay down. The want was starting to eat him up.
Walking to the bed, he picked up the aspirin and looked at the bottle, not tampered with. His head was again making itself known with the pounding starting again. At the small table, he poured himself some water and opened the bottle and popped a couple.
Going back to the bed, he took the towel from around his waist, dropped it on the floor, and lay down, and pulled the blankets over himself. Closing his eyes, he could still hear Charlie in the bathroom moving around. She seemed to be taking an awful long time. He hated the way she had ignored him. This was the first time since they had gotten here that she had done that. He hoped that she wasn’t starting to blame him for their predicament.
Grant must have nodded off, as the next thing he knew, Charlie was laying his clothes out on the chair to dry and the door was opening. Like before, first guy laid a tray on the table with the other watching them holding a gun. Before the first guy went back out through the door, Charlie thanked him for the aspirin.
The guy just nodded his head her way and followed the other guy out.
Charlie looked at Grant laying on the bed and the towel on the floor. Picking it up, she added it to the clothes drying.
