“Who?” Brady asked again as the phone clicked and Dane heard a quick intake of breath.
His biological father was smart and quick-thinking enough to get Emily to safety. “My father.” He cleared his throat and said in the speaker, “Michael—it’s Dane.”
His biological father’s voice was deep and hard to figure out, especially over the phone as he said, “Dane. It’s good to hear from you.”
The best thing to do was spit this out. Dane watched Ted’s boat get farther out of sight. Henry finished clearing the lifeboat with the officers and returned to work on the ropes as Dane said, “Emily’s been kidnapped. It’s my fault.”
“By who?” his father asked.
To sum up his life and the last few days in as few words as possible made his muscles tighten. He helped with the rope on the pulley. “Ted Vet San. He’s on a small boat heading back to Paris with her right now. I don’t know who’s paying him to steal jewelry Edmond left me in a security box, but they want the stolen British jewels my parents had in the bank. We intended to return the jewels to the British authorities and Emily wanted to come. But now Ted has those and Emily.”
Without bombarding him with more questions, Michael said, “We’ll meet you in France. I’ll figure out who the enemy is and how we can get Emily.”
Dane waved goodbye to Brady and headed into the orange life boat with Henry as he said, “Find my friend Professor Brady Booker a computer, and with his phone, he can help me stay in touch—I’d appreciate it.”
“Got it.” Michael hung up like he’d received an order and was ready to go.
He’d done the right thing. His biological father had the resources and talent to formulate a rescue. In this first contact, neither of them had become sentimental and they’d stayed focused. Dane shoved the phone in his back pocket and Henry worked the motor.
As the small craft separated from the main ferry, Henry directed them after Ted’s boat and said, “So that’s your plan? You called your father?”
“Yeah.” Henry had no idea how Michael and Jack worked as a team, and Dane didn’t want to relive his youth with an explanation. His father knew how to protect himself and his family, and Emily was more his family anyhow. “We will we go after Emily and save her—but afterward, I needed someone to take her home and out of danger.”
Henry stared at him like he’d just spoken gibberish. “Won’t she want to come with you? You seemed taken with each other.”
Taken was a good word for how he felt near Emily. No other woman would ever match her, but she deserved more. She deserved to be happy without danger hounding her heels. “I’m better off alone. Emily deserves better than me.”
Henry found a way to increase their speed with the small engine they had and asked, “Doesn’t the lady get to decide that for herself?”
If Emily wanted to stay with him he’d welcome her but he seriously doubted that would be her choice. He’d left her alone and defenseless. This was his mistake and she’d hate him. She had always been a small part of why he wanted to help the world, and he couldn’t sit still while she was ripped from it. Emily needed to be safe and go home in one piece.
Water from the channel splashed against his face—they traveled toward the beaches of Normandy again as he said, “One day Henry, you’ll understand.”
At least they hadn’t gone very far and the small lifeboat zipped across the surface. Henry said fast, “The boat is in port, broadside. If we hurry, figure out their direction, then we’re only ten minutes behind them.”
“Let’s go,” Dane answered.
Somehow he’d get Emily back-- he couldn’t fail again.
Chapter Fourteen
This is how I die, Emily panicked. With a black bag over her head so she couldn’t see. They’d brought her below deck, and tied her arms and legs to a metal table that swayed with the moving of the ocean. Salt itched at her throat while water and darkness surrounded her head.
The water stopped forcing itself into her lungs.
Then she could breathe.
Ice ran through Emily’s body—and at last the bucket stopped pouring water into her mouth.
She coughed and spit out salty water, shivering, gasping—and then another bucket rained over her lips, forcing water into her and stopping her breaths. Michael hadn’t trained her for this. Her vision swam.
She must have lost consciousness, so she had no idea how much time had passed. Emily rolled over to cough out more water. She wasn’t dead, not yet.
This time she could turn to her side, and clutched her stomach even with her hands in cold metal cuffs, unable to fight. Things couldn’t get worse. Then, from the other side of the metal table, she heard a masculine voice say, “Hello, Emily.” There was no mistaking the French accent.
She spluttered and coughed. It was like she was on the train again—kidnapped and held against her will. The sway of the ocean under her body, rather than train tracks. She was on a ship still, and the black bag was pulled from her face.
Her eyes stung, but she sat up as hands roughly pushed her to a sitting position and brought her from the table to a hard-backed chair. Ankles tied, wrists tied. Her vision began to return and she saw she was on the deck of a ship while she swiped off the male hand from her side and met the furious brown eyes of Alexandre, Ted’s henchman. Her lip quivered. “Back off.”
He squatted in front of her and his stare alone made her tremble as he said, “Your boyfriend couldn’t save you.”
Hopefully her cold shivering had disguised that tremble that she slipped out of the ropes that were meant to bind her. She didn’t reveal that, but it was time to be brave. She coughed again but lifted her chin. “He didn’t save me the last time either if you remember.”
Alexandre traced her cheek and chin and sneered at her. “You drugged me.”
“I was trying to escape.” She pushed his hand off her face and shook her head. “Henry gave the authorities your names and crimes—you can’t go home without being arrested.”
“You freed yourself I see. I must not have been rough enough for you.” Alexandre caressed her elbow. “I thought we were getting along.”
Enough. She needed to get off this boat and escape. She had to keep calm and be ready to run. She cupped her hands into fists and wished she’d freed her ankles as easily. “If you had a chance to escape certain death, wouldn’t you take it?”
Alexandre brushed against her arm but then stood up as he said, “C'est suffisant. Here comes the boss.”
She swallowed—Ted had no problem shooting people. What did he want with her? The ship docked.
If they were on land, she’d have more opportunity to run. She stilled as Ted came in and leaned against the small bar in the room as he showed her the ceremonial star and badge he’d taken from Dane.
Dane never should have locked her in—he’d made her a sitting duck for Ted’s henchmen. She’d find her freedom and they could discuss it later.
Her mind instantly whipped to Ted as he tapped the bar and said, “Miss Mira. I’ll need the necklace you possess. This time the real one and not the fake you that you pawned off in the crypt.”
“Boss, the French authorities have our identities, and photographs,” Alexandre said.
Hopefully she’d planted seeds of doubt in Alexandre. Michael always said confusion was a weapon to wield against an enemy. Adrenaline made her hyperaware of her jewelry hidden in her bra pocket. “My necklace? That’s on the ship, with D…Uriel.”
His gaze narrowed, and he walked toward her with his hand out. “You’re lying.”
Her face heated. Darn. Evasion was easier. Her words came fast as she shook her head. “I’m not good at lying. You kidnapped me when I was taking a nap.”
Ted snapped his fingers and she winced, remembering when he’d shot her friends. “My men searched the room, and it wasn’t there, which means you have it somewhere. Alexandre will find the real necklace on you.”
Alexandre ran his hand down her sides, includ
ing her breasts, as she struggled. “Let me go.”
Ted laughed at her but didn’t stop Alexandre. “Let me be clear; Alexandre is upset that you drugged him and wants to rape you as punishment.”
Her heart froze. No, no, no. She needed to escape. They were docked. She needed to distract and dash, as Michael would have instructed. Her brother-in-law always said that the mind was the best weapon. She made eye contact with Alexandre. “I thought you loved your wife and wanted to go home and have breakfast with her.”
Hopefully she’d painted the right mental picture because Alexandre paused and dropped his hand from her hip.
“The only way this doesn’t happen is if you hand over the necklace and earrings,” Ted said.
The jewelry was all she’d ever have of Dane in the end. He wouldn’t stay. He hadn’t stayed before and wouldn’t now. She shook her head and said, “I don’t-”
“Alexandre.” Ted snapped and Alexandre ripped at her shirt.
She pressed her elbows to his hands to knock him off her as she leaned back in the chair. It moved an inch on the wooden planks. She eyed the door behind both men. Could she make it past them, with a distraction?
“Wait. Okay. You can have your necklace.” She reached into her bra and removed the jewelry, flashing it in front of her. “Now you can let me out of here and no one gets hurt. It’s not me, Alexandre, keeping you from your wife.”
Emily slowly scooted her chair closer to the exit. Ted asked, “What do you mean?”
She held the necklace next to her still, thinking of her sister, and Michael. Surely Dane would have called him, right? Okay, the two men hadn’t talked in ten years, but they’d both want to rescue her. Adrenaline raced through her as she said, “My family will do whatever it takes to get me back.”
Ted reached for the necklace. “Is that supposed to mean anything?”
No. She glanced at Alexandre, a Frenchman with a hook for a nose, whose face grew darker as he listened to something on his radio. Hopefully she’d caused friction—Ted walked around her and the hair on her body stood on its ends. She clutched her necklace as she said, “You had to trick Uriel to get to him, but he and his friends are smarter than you give them credit for. He’ll find me.”
Ted pried the necklace from her fingers and she had to let go, or risk breaking it. He pocketed her jewelry. “But will your hero be in time to save you? That’s the question you can’t answer.”
The dock was only ten feet away. If she was free of restraints, she imagined how she’d run to her freedom and get help. Alexandre had returned to monitoring what was probably the police lines, but she scooted her chair backward another inch and said, “If I’m harmed, he will murder you both in your sleep. Revenge is a family trait and you don’t want to be on the end of that cat and mouse game that runs in Uriel’s veins.”
“I sleep with a gun,” Alexandre said with a growl—from nowhere, he tightened his hold against my shoulders, sending pain shooting through her.
Using her body weight, she bounced in her chair, and the chair leg landed on his toe. He let her go. She said, “That will make it easier for him then—he won’t have to bring his own.”
Ted grinned at Alexandre. “At least she’s good for a laugh.”
Something rocked the boat. Alexandre pressed his lips together as he listened to whatever the police broadcasted into his ears.
Ted knelt in front of her as he asked, “What’s going on?”
She scooted toward the gangway like she might escape, but Ted knocked her chair backward and by extension her too until he reached down and held her neck, tight. She struggled and wished her she’d been cut free, but then she heard Dane’s voice as footsteps echoed on the deck. “Give up, Ted. Let Emily walk away from this.”
Ted pulled her close and pressed a cold cylinder toward her neck—a gun. Sweat grew on her back as Ted said, “You’re both so naive. That isn’t how this works.”
Alexandre stood beside her, so she was flanked on either side by the enemy. Henry waited next to Dane with his gun drawn and pointed at Ted while Dane said, “Ted, don’t be foolish.”
Ted backed toward the gangway with her. “Listen Dane Pearce, I know your father killed your mother in front of you, no wonder you’re all screwed up—which makes you easy to outmaneuver. I’ll make this simple. If you don’t have your man put down his weapon, Emily dies.”
“Let her go.” Dane waved for Henry to lower his gun.
Ted pressed the gun into her skin as he said, “I’d rather watch her bleed.”
Dane stepped toward them, hand outstretched. “Wait. Don’t shoot Emily.”
At least he cared. If she died right now, at least she knew he cared. Her heart thumped as Ted said, “You don’t have anything I want to trade.”
Dane took another step closer and was now less than a foot from her as he said, “You’re right. I don’t. But I’m sure I’ll locate something else you want in the near future. You’ve now stolen from me three times.”
Her gaze met his and every cell in her body craved to be in Dane’s arms again—which meant, create a distraction. She toppled her chair to the right just as a bullet rang in the air. Everyone froze in that second and she braced herself for pain. However she felt fine.
Ted gripped his stomach as he said, “I-”
Then Ted went face-down into the floorboards.
Emily wiggled and Dane raced to untie her as she was sideways on the ground. The moment he freed her, she flung her arms around him. He asked, “What happened? Are you okay?”
Alexandre scooped up her jewels and jumped off the ship into the water and a waiting Jet Ski.
She screamed out, “Alexandre.”
The thug waved goodbye. “Now I have the jewels, the contract, and I get to do what I want.”
No! Dane would leave her and that necklace was all she’d have. She chased Alexandre the length of the boat like she might jump on the back, but he sped away into the misty English Chanel. Dane was right behind her and hugged her to stop her as he said, “Emily!”
Perhaps chasing the man who’d been told to kill her wasn’t the smartest thing she’d ever done. Emily turned toward Dane and swayed a little. “I’m okay. No, that’s a lie.” He held her closer. “I feel like I just got kicked in the stomach.”
“Let’s get you to a hospital,” Dane said.
Why? She wasn’t hurt. She needed her necklace back. When Dane left, she’d want the reminder again. She left his arms and shook her head. “No. I’m sad about my necklace, Dane. But I’m glad you’re here.”
He looked at her with concern. “Your necklace?”
“Yes.”
“You were almost killed.” Dane didn’t move a muscle.
Maybe he didn’t understand. Men leave. He’d leave. Even if he cared right now, nothing lasted. She hugged her waist and pointed to Henry, who was talking into his phone, planning their next step. “Ted was, instead of me. Alexandre intends to sell the jewels, rather than Ted, to fulfill the contract. I’m good enough to go, but we’ll need a weapon to counter his gun.”
Dane pointed to his bandaged arm and nodded which made her look at her own as he said, “You’re bleeding.”
Huh? She was. She must have scraped against something and she’d have a bruise. She shrugged as she didn’t feel anything. “I’ll heal.”
“Are…” Dane shook his head without asking his question. Instead he said, “We can forget about the jewels and just go home.”
Absolutely not. Her necklace was too precious. Her heart thundered now as she shifted and licked her lips. “Dane, what’s gotten into you? I want my necklace back.”
“Why?” He held out his hands.
She took them and brought them to her heart. Why didn’t he understand her? She held his warm hands and she relaxed a fraction—if they lasted forever, then maybe she didn’t need his gift—but that wasn’t possible. Telling him she didn’t believe he’d stay wasn’t good either. Emily sighed. “Because it’s pretty, and all
I will have in the future to remember this adventure.”
“Emily?” He hugged her.
His muscles were like a wall of protection. She let him go and said, “Dane, have Henry stay and deal with the police. You and I need to go after Alexandre.”
They both looked to the upper deck. Dane asked, “Henry?”
Henry waved them off like he’d overheard everything they’d said. “I’ll catch up with you once this is all over.” He pointed toward Ted on the deck. “I have to stay.”
Dane squeezed her hand. “I’m all yours, Emily.”
“Good.” She pulled him to follow her. They needed to get her necklace. She needed to remember him forever.
He ran next to her on the edge of Ted’s boat as she stared out into the channel. He said, “You’re my prize. It’s not the crown jewels that are important.”
Had he just said that? She leapt off the boat to the ramp leading to the parking lot. No Ted. Just dust of a car speeding west. She pulled Dane close. “I don’t need the necklace. I was being emotional. Forget it. Just kiss me.”
“Done.” He claimed her lips in a blazing kiss.
She wished she believed in happily-ever-afters, but happy-for-now was all she’d get. She knew better than to expect anything else.
Chapter Fifteen
Dane’s shoulders began to slump as he drove the rental car down the country road, searching for Alexandre. There was no sign of any car anywhere and it was getting dark.
Emily curled her legs under her seat beside him with a yawn, but then turned the music up high as if fighting weariness herself.
“Em…”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
She lowered the music in defeat. “We should probably rely on the officers to catch Alexandre and get the jewelry back, is that what you were going to say?”
For the past hour, he’d driven in circles at her directive—but her yawn was contagious. If they waited, his father might have a better tracking system. It was important to reserve their energy. He clutched the steering wheel. “If he doesn’t, I’ll buy you a new necklace.”
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