Presumed Dead (Love Inspired Suspense)

by Angela Ruth Strong

  “—the mechanic Commander Long hired,” Preston finished for her. “I can’t believe I never suspected as much.”

  She clasped his hand to remind them they were stronger as a team. “You didn’t know Long was involved.”

  Preston’s gaze roamed the planks above them. He shook his head. “Unfortunately, Long can’t be questioned. And I’m sure Caleb will find a way to pin the sergeant’s death on me, as well.”

  “But it wasn’t you.” Now that they knew the truth and she had found the article, they were one step closer to proving Preston innocent. He couldn’t give up now.

  * * *

  Would one article in the newspaper be enough to give a jury reasonable doubt and keep them from convicting him? Not likely.

  He drew Holly to his side. She’d tried, but there were no more options for evidence. Long and Lee were both dead. Hank was shot. And Denise was apparently on the run.

  Holly was going to have her work cut out for her in defending him. But he’d rather go to prison than let the list of deaths and injuries grow any longer.

  Preston’s chest constricted around his heart as if trying to protect it from the ache of loneliness he’d only recently allowed himself to feel. He buried his face in Holly’s hair. The smoky smell reminded him of what she’d barely survived. “We have to turn ourselves in.”

  She bit her lip. “You think the police believe Caleb’s lies?”

  Preston shrugged in defeat. “They said they’d investigate, but for now, he’s still on the loose. Which means you’d be safest in a jail cell.”

  “He confessed to me on the boat. I wish I’d had my phone so that I could have recorded him.” Her head snapped back up. “Hey, what if we let him think he’d caught us?”

  Preston tilted his head to get out any remaining water from his ear because he couldn’t have heard her right. “You didn’t just say you wanted to let Caleb think he caught us again, did you?”

  “Yes, I did. Only, this time, we can record him when he confesses everything.”

  “No way.” Preston’s heart lurched at the thought. He’d go to jail for life before he put her in jeopardy again. “Caleb used you as bait to get to me because he didn’t care what happened to you. That’s not something I would ever do.”

  “Preston,” she whispered, leaning close and looking up into his eyes in a way that made him want to rush into a burning building for her all over again. “I tried living without you once, and I don’t want to do it again.”

  “But at least you’ll live.” Was it too late to run away together and make fake identities for themselves? If only he’d admitted his feelings for her the day before. He couldn’t do it now. Not when the best thing for her would be to move on without him.

  She pulled away and wiped at tears. “Stop it. Stop saying goodbye.”

  He could go after her. He could kiss her until her anger subsided. But what good would that do? He’d do what had to be done. What he’d always done. Lock up his emotions because she’d be better off without him. “I want the best for you, Holly. I’m not going to let you get hurt.”

  Holly bit her lip. “You don’t have to do this alone, Preston. We can work together. We can overcome this together.” Her voice cracked. “Haven’t we made a pretty good team so far?”

  She’d been the best teammate ever. She’d even been willing to jump off a cliff with a bullet wound when he’d told her to. And then she’d ended up in the middle of a cabin in flames. “Yes. But nothing we’ve tried has worked. You’ve been shot.” He motioned in the direction they’d come from. “Hank’s been shot.” He crossed his arms to keep from wrapping them around her again. “You almost got burned alive just now.”

  She floated back his way. “You saved me. You’re my hero.”

  He was no hero. But that wasn’t the point. “Holly, if I’d turned myself in at the police station like I’d planned to, this never would have happened. I can’t take the risk of anything else happening to you.”

  She stopped moving toward him. Though the distance between them was more than just physical.

  “Are you giving up on God again?” she asked.

  “No. He’s given up on me.” Preston had prayed, and it hadn’t been enough. Yes, her find in the newspaper was huge, but it didn’t stop bullets. It didn’t put out flames.

  “I believe God is always here for us,” she whispered.

  He pressed his lips together. Faith was his weakness. But she had weaknesses, too. “Well, then, Holly. God’s going to have to be enough for you.”

  “What…” Her eyes stilled in fear. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean you’re more likely to be set free by a jury than I am. And then either God can be enough for you or you can find yourself another man to marry.”

  She sucked in her breath, and he almost wished he could take back his words. Almost. Except for the fact that her anger would keep her away from him, and he wouldn’t be as tempted to hold her again or succumb to her dangerous plans for finding evidence against Caleb.

  She lifted her chin to disguise its trembling. “I can’t believe you said that.”

  That familiar prick of guilt threatened to make him apologize. Maybe he really was the bad guy she’d accused him of acting like before. But he had to be if he was going to keep her safe from the danger that followed him. “Time will tell if I’m right or not. Now let’s go see if the owners of this house will let us call Officer Shaw from their phone.”

  He deserved to be locked up for the way he’d just treated an innocent woman. He submerged himself underwater to lead her out into the open. Plus, if he was underwater, he wouldn’t have to see the hurt in her expression. Too bad he had to face her when he came back up. Or he could focus on other things.

  Smoke filled the air around the dock, and boaters gawked at the sight of emergency workers surrounding the smoldering home behind them. Preston wiped his face and double-checked for a sign of Caleb. He’d been worried the gunman would suspect their escape route and make his way from dock to dock until he located them. But perhaps the man had searched the docks in the opposite direction. At least Caleb didn’t have his car or boat to chase them this time. And Shaw had also said the police would be keeping an eye on him.

  Preston let Holly trail behind as he trudged up onto the shore into someone’s backyard and wrung out his shirt. An older woman stood on the deck, staring down at him as he emerged from the water. Probably not a sight she saw every day.

  “Excuse me,” he started.

  The woman’s eyes focused on the handcuffs hanging from his wrist. She backed up.

  Holly stepped in front of him, taking the lead. She was really going to rescue him after the way he’d just treated her? “Ma’am, as you can see, this man escaped from police custody recently. I need to use your phone to call the authorities and turn him in.”

  Some rescue. But she spoke the truth.

  The woman already had a phone in her hand. She looked back past her house toward the street. “I…I called security when I heard your voices under the dock. They’re on their way.”

  Private security for the property owners association? Also known as rent-a-cops? Preston would take what he could get.

  But he couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of his voice. “Nice, Holly.”

  She squinted in his direction. “You’re the one so intent on going to prison.” At least she wasn’t fighting him anymore. She addressed the woman on the deck. “Thank you, ma’am.”

  Preston crossed his arms as they rounded the house and stood on the sidewalk, awaiting the white SUV with green lettering rolling down the street. Should he keep up his nonchalance, or should he let his walls crumble?

  “Hey,” he said. Where the opening would lead, he didn’t know.

  She peeked up.

  His heart pulled against the restraints he’d used to hold it back.

  She was alive. And she was by his side. That was pretty amazing after what they’d been through. He couldn’t end it like t
his.

  The security vehicle braked in front of them.

  Preston took a deep breath and reached for her hand. He knew how much she hated being by herself. He couldn’t let her feel alone while he was right there next to her.

  But the warmth of her touch traveled to his core. He hadn’t steeled his feelings well enough.

  She bit her lip. She blinked a couple times before looking up. And he knew in that moment that he loved her. Loved everything about her. Loved her passion. Loved her tenacity. Loved her faith.

  No matter what their future brought, he was going to fight for her. And he was going to win. He hated being the bad guy. Especially to the one person who believed him innocent.

  Two doors clicked open. Two security guards? Preston looked up to explain his situation to the men on duty. He had to make sure they took it easy on Holly.

  Caleb climbed out of the passenger seat. “That’s her. That’s my fiancée. Let her go, Preston.”

  Preston jolted. How was this possible? Caleb had turned more good guys against him. They’d have to run again.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Holly’s body froze. She hadn’t wanted Preston to turn himself in to the police, but she didn’t want to have to keep running, either. She’d just wanted to get one step ahead of the creep who’d tried to kill her, though Caleb must have somehow managed to convince the local security guard to help him find her, claiming they were still engaged. The man in uniform would be on her side once he heard the whole story, but she couldn’t stick around to explain it all knowing her former fiancé had a gun.

  Caleb lunged.

  Preston tugged her out of reach, setting her body in motion. He might not be part of her future, but he was going to make sure she survived the present.

  She turned and sprinted. Her surroundings blurred together. Her thoughts tried to do the same.

  Would Caleb fire his gun? Would he take the patrol car and chase them down? There was only one road out of there.

  “Stop,” the security guard shouted.

  If only they could.

  Preston’s arms and legs pumped along beside her. Where were they going? What were they doing?

  An engine revved behind them.

  Her breath spasmed. Her heart pounded. To get to police, they’d have to make it to the end of the road, turn left and backtrack down White Sands Drive. There were no shortcuts…unless they swam across the canal again.

  The engine revved louder until it drowned out her own pulse and buzzed through her body. If they didn’t get off the road, they would be caught.

  She chanced a glance over her shoulder. Her stomach flipped at the sight of Caleb behind the wheel.

  The car was close enough that its heat warmed her calves. Preston’s body careened into hers, knocking her into the grass. The vehicle charged by. They rolled together, the pain of impact barely registering through the realization they’d almost been run over.

  There was no stopping Caleb. Preston had been right about going to police. They needed to get back to the water and swim for it. “To the water?”

  “Yeah.”

  She pushed to a squat and took off between two houses like a sprinter at the sound of a starter pistol. Her feet pounded grass. She ducked under a tree. Grazed past a bush. Tires screeched as Caleb turned his stolen vehicle around, but he couldn’t follow her into the water with a car. “We can make it.”

  No response.

  “Preston?” She craned her neck around without slowing down.

  Her heart thudded to a stop. Her feet skidded through the grass into the dirt to slow her momentum. She was alone.

  “Preston?” she yelled this time.

  Had he been hurt? Caught? She doubled back.

  There he was. Running down the street in the direction they’d come from as fast as she’d run between the houses. He must be heading toward the dock they’d hid under. It would be a shorter swim to the house on White Sands that way, but it would take longer to get to the water and away from Caleb.

  Preston’s head swiveled. He caught sight of her and tripped over his own feet coming to a halt. He hadn’t realized she’d run a different direction, either. His brows rose in surprise. Then his gaze bounced behind her and his eyes grew wider.

  A car engine revved. Did she keep going between houses to get away, leaving Preston to continue on his path? Or would they try to reunite before Caleb reached them?

  Two are better than one. She would believe that even when he didn’t. She would have been hit earlier if he hadn’t pushed her out of the way. She might not survive without him now. She charged forward. Through people’s lawns this time so Caleb wouldn’t be able to run her down.

  Preston ran, as well. Toward her and ultimately toward Caleb. Behind Preston, a stunned security guard grappled with a walkie-talkie. A lot of help he was.

  In the distance, a police boat chugged through the water toward their side of the canal. Maybe the woman who’d called security had also called the police. Or maybe the car chase was making such a commotion that Shaw had noticed from the other side of the channel. They’d be saved.

  Preston couldn’t see what she saw. He didn’t know police were on the way. He still raced toward her, intensity flashing in his eyes as if he had to rescue her.

  She hadn’t reached him yet, but when she did, he’d need to turn around so they could get help. Then they’d be able to breathe easy again while the lawmen did the chasing.

  Preston pointed. Yelled her name.

  The white SUV shot beside her. Her reflexes pushed her feet to race faster. Blood roared in her ears. Was she still going to get run over?

  The vehicle swerved into the grass in front of her.

  Her hands flew up to protect her body. She flexed her thighs and pressed her heels into the ground to slow her speed, but she couldn’t stop. The car didn’t hit her. She hit it. Bounced off. Caught herself before tumbling to the ground, but it took a moment to right her senses. To focus clearly on her surroundings. To let the world stop spinning.

  The passenger-side door clicked open. She braced to scramble back.

  An arm shot through the opening. A hand grabbed her wrist and yanked.

  She tumbled forward onto the passenger’s seat. Screamed. Pushed to her knees. Clawed at the man who held her.

  “Holly!” Preston yelled again. But he was too far away.

  She had to fight Caleb off herself. Before it was too late.

  But the car was already moving. Crashing through a bush to face the other direction. The outlet. Away from the police boat. Away from the security guard. Away from Preston.

  Holly yanked and twisted to throw herself out of the moving vehicle. Caleb’s grip slipped from her skin. She could do this.

  The car swerved. The door slammed in her face.

  The barrel of a gun poked into her back. Her breath caught.

  “If you grab the handle, I will shoot you right now.”

  Could she move fast enough to get away? She hadn’t been fast enough to avoid the bullet that had hit her arm. The abrasion throbbed, reminding her how fragile life was.

  But if she obeyed Caleb, would he really let her live? He’d killed the two people who were working with him, so what chance did she have?

  The man slapped the wheel with one hand to turn the corner. Preston’s running form disappeared behind vacation homes. At least he was alive. At least Caleb hadn’t gotten him. And now he could go to the police. Caleb would be stopped whether he killed her or not.

  Her toes curled at the very real possibility he’d shoot her first. Her best chance for survival could be to play along.

  “Pick up the radio.”

  Caleb wanted to listen to music? That was better than talking to him. She eased away from the gun digging into her spine so she could face forward. But she refused to look at him as she reached a trembling hand toward the dial.

  He knocked the gun against her knuckles.

  She pulled her hand back and massaged the sting.
What was that for?

  “No, the two-way radio.”

  Her heart shimmied. He was going to let her talk to someone? She hesitantly wrapped her fingers around the transmitter, lest he pistol whip her again.

  “The security guard’s name is Brett. Call Brett.”

  She eyed Caleb. Was he losing it? Why did the bad guy want her to call security?

  “Do it.”

  She lifted the receiver to her mouth and pressed the button. “Brett?” Her voice wavered. Should she scream for help? Let whoever was listening know that rather than turning right to exit the Keys, Caleb was turning left into the heart of the resort?

  Caleb motioned with the gun for her to speak further.

  “Is Brett there?”

  Static crackled. “This is Brett Reynolds. Who am I speaking with?”

  Holly squeezed the transmitter like a lifeline. Words leaped out of her mouth. “This is Holly Fontaine, and I’m—”

  The gun smacked the side of her face.

  Her head bounced into the back of the seat. She flinched in case there was another blow coming. When Caleb didn’t strike a second time, she pressed a cool palm to her burning cheek.

  “Have him call my cell. Give him the number.”

  Holly blinked away tears. She lowered her head to make sure Caleb didn’t see her cry. She hated the fact she knew Caleb’s number by heart because she used to call him all the time. He’d always been a good listener. Now she knew why. She gave Brett the phone number.

  The cellular device on the center console vibrated.

  Holly jumped. Now what?

  Caleb nodded toward her. “Answer it and put it on speaker.”

  Police could trace the call, right? And there was probably even a GPS tracker in the vehicle. She was going to be rescued. She just had to keep Caleb pacified.

  She lifted the phone and pressed the appropriate buttons on the screen.

  Caleb pulled through rows of condos into the actual resort parking lot. He hadn’t gone very far. Why were they stopping?

  “Brett.” Caleb took over. “This is what’s going to happen.”

  Holly eyed the man. How could he be acting like he had everything under control when he should have been waving the white flag? He was crazy. Should she try to get away while he was distracted with the conversation? She shifted her gaze to the windshield.