by Rachel Dylan
“Enough talk,” Igor snapped. “Sit down in that chair.”
Kip walked slowly over to the chair and sat down.
“Now. Handcuff yourself behind your back.” Igor threw him a pair of cuffs. Igor was being smart not to get too close to Kip. He probably worried that Kip could take him down. And he was right. Kip took the cuffs and reluctantly cuffed himself. Although it would take a lot more than a pair of cuffs to stop him.
“So, sis. How you feeling now?” Igor asked as he walked closer to Sadie. Kip was careful not to show any emotion.
Then Kip heard something. Very faint. There was a noise though. He prayed that he wasn’t hearing things. He needed to keep Igor talking.
Sadie looked up at Igor. “I don’t have anything to say to you. And you’re not my brother.”
Igor raised an eyebrow. “You can’t run from your destiny, Sadie. Deep down, you’re just like me. You’re a Vladimir. You’re not one of the good guys. It’s not in your blood.”
Kip heard another creaking noise. Or at least he thought he did. “What are you two talking about?” Kip asked, playing dumb.
“Ah, you don’t know the truth. I forget these things. Sadie here is my sister. Her mother was an undercover FBI agent. Much like yourself. Things didn’t end too well for her. And they’re not going to end well for you. I think I’ve had a change of heart. Sadie, you’re going to be the one to kill Kip. Not me.”
Her eyes widened. This was not good.
Then the back door flew open. Shots rang out in rapid succession. Kip pushed himself up from his chair and jumped onto Sadie trying to guard her body with his own. Her chair fell backward taking him and his chair with them. More shots. He felt something burning in his shoulder. Then there was nothing.
TWELVE
Blood poured on top of Sadie. But she didn’t think it was her own. She didn’t feel like she’d been shot. Kip! His body and his half-broken chair were on top of her. Zoe stood nudging her face. She had no idea what was going on. The gunfire had been deafening. She’d counted at least five shots. Who else had been hit?
Then a muscular man came over to her and knelt down on the floor. “Sadie?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said weakly.
“I’m Brad Sullivan. Have you been shot?” he asked calmly.
“No. The blood is Kip’s. Please help him.”
Brad lifted Kip’s body off of hers as if it didn’t weigh anything. “We need a medic now. I’ll try to stop the bleeding.”
“Brad?” she asked softly.
“Yes.”
“You’re the Brad?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m guessing you haven’t heard many very nice things about me. And I’m sad to say everything Kip told you was true.”
She watched as Brad tore off part of Kip’s shirt and applied pressure to Kip’s shoulder.
Zoe nudged her cold nose against her face.
“What happened to Igor?”
“I shot him. He didn’t make it.”
She let out a sigh of relief as the tears flowed freely. And then she prayed that Kip would pull through this. Now was no time to focus on revenge. Igor was dead. It was over. Finally.
Another man squatted down beside her. Then she opened her good eye wider. She recognized him. “Artur?” she asked.
“Hello, sister. I am so sorry.” He gently touched her cheek. “Hey, guys, let’s get her out of this chair.”
A couple of other men she didn’t recognize worked on her. First removing the handcuffs and then lifting her out of the chair carefully.
“What hurts?” one of them asked.
“Everything.” She paused. “I think I have a slight concussion. I’ve been fading in and out.”
Artur shook his head. “I am so sorry I didn’t stop him sooner. So, so sorry.” She saw the tears well up in Artur’s dark eyes. Eyes that she now saw matched her own. She was overcome with emotion as so many feelings gripped her heart.
“Kip,” she said. Kip had to make to it.
“The medics are here. They’re transporting him to the hospital. You will be next,” Artur said.
She closed her eyes.
* * *
Kip woke up feeling like he’d been shot. Wait, he had been shot. His eyes popped open, and he instantly knew he was in a hospital. The buzzing of the equipment, the lighting and the smell told him so.
Sadie! Where was she? Was she alive?
“You’re awake,” a tender voice said.
He looked over and there she was. Was he dreaming? “Sadie?” he asked.
“Yes, it’s me.” She grabbed his hand.
“You’re okay?” He eyed the bandage across her eyebrow.
“Yes. I’m fine. Thanks to you. And you’ll be good as new soon, too. Thanks to Brad.”
“Brad? What happened?”
“Brad shot Igor. And you threw yourself on top of me blocking Igor’s shot. I’m so sorry I got you into all this. It’s my fault that you got shot. But it could’ve been so much worse. Thank God Brad was able to get there in time. And thank God for Zoe. That dog is truly a blessing.”
“Is Brad okay? What about Jay and Zoe?”
“Yes. Brad is perfectly fine. And Zoe is too.” She paused and a single tear rolled down her cheek. “They found Jay. Igor shot him. They rushed him to the hospital. It’s touch and go.”
“And Igor?”
“Igor didn’t make it. He died from Brad’s first shot. He said he couldn’t take the risk in going for a disabling shot. He made the right call.”
“Sadie, all that stuff I said. I promise, I didn’t mean any of it. I was just trying to stall and throw Igor off.”
“I realized that. At first I was shocked, and then there was something about the way you said it and looked at me. I got the message.”
“I’m so glad.”
“Of course, I have a lot of explaining to do. But not right now. You’re under strict orders to rest. In addition to the gunshot wound, you’ve got cracked ribs. I’m not supposed to keep you up but for a few minutes at a time.”
He closed his eyes. “I’m fine. I really am. Keep talking.” And he drifted away.
* * *
Sadie stayed by Kip’s bedside around the clock. After everything that had happened, she refused to leave him. She’d even brought Sammie and Leo over to his house, and they were getting along better with Colby than she could have ever imagined. Colby let the cats believe they were in charge. And he loved having extra friends around.
It had been a week and she was exhausted but so thankful that Kip was going to make a full recovery. Even though Jay had lost a ton of blood from the gunshot wound, he was going to make it. Jay would be away from work for a while, doing some serious rehab on his shoulder. It was truly a blessing that he survived. In the end, technology had been their undoing, since Igor had been able to break through the encrypted technology of Jay’s phone and get her exact location. Sadie thanked God every day that no one else had been killed.
Val was a trooper, and she was going to recover from her injuries. Sadie hoped to see Val soon. They’d spoken a few times. Val felt that she had failed both her brother and Sadie. Sadie tried to convince her that nothing could be further from the truth, but she knew that Val just needed time to come to terms with all that had happened.
By the time she and Kip got back to El Paso, they were both ready to be done with hospitals. He’d been referred to a doctor there for his follow-ups. And she was looking for some quality time to talk to him about everything.
She was in love with him. There was no doubt in her mind. But she wasn’t sure if Kip would be able to move forward with her given all that had happened. He seemed receptive, but she knew better than anyone that feelings were hard to control.
She�
�d prayed a lot about Igor and her family—both the family she thought was her biological family, and then the Vladimir family. And of course her adoptive parents who she still relied upon and would always hold such a special place in her heart.
Artur had stayed in touch. She didn’t know how to have a relationship with him, but he said he wanted to try. Wanted to start fresh. He was fully cooperating with the DEA and working to put a complete stop to all of Igor’s businesses. She had been surprised to find out that Artur had actually put a stop to any of his own illegal businesses the previous year. He’d had to keep up appearances to ensure that Igor wasn’t on to him.
Sadie and Kip sat in his living room. Colby hadn’t left Kip’s side since Kip had returned. Sadie had only gone home to sleep. She wanted to be there to take care of him. He was probably getting tired of her fussing over him, but she couldn’t help it.
It was finally time to have the talk. He was well enough, and she’d had enough time to put all of her thoughts together after the roller coaster of emotions.
Sitting next to him on the sofa, she grabbed his hand. “Let’s talk.”
“I’m all ears.”
“First, I’m sorry for not telling you who I really was. I can say I was doing it to stick with the Witness Protection protocol, but that wouldn’t be true, considering that I clearly broke the protocol when I decided to go after Igor. I also could say that I wasn’t using you. But in the beginning, I was.”
“Sadie,” he started.
“No. Please let me finish.”
He nodded and squeezed her hand.
“Somewhere along the way, though. I got to know the real you. And believe it or not, you got to know the real me. And,” she paused and took a deep breath. “I fell in love with you. Completely and totally. I know there are a million reasons why we could never work...”
“Shh.” He put his fingertips up to her lips. “Sadie, I’ve got something to say, too. When I first found out about your past that you had kept from me, I was angry—very angry. I tried to lump you in with the others who had hurt and betrayed me before. But once I got past that selfish reaction, I realized how strong of a relationship we had built over such a short time. You led me back to the most important thing in my life—my faith. You were and are a true partner in every sense of the word. Sadie, I love you.”
She couldn’t believe it. He loved her! After knowing everything, her entire complicated and sordid past, he still loved her.
She threw her arms around him without thinking, and he grunted.
“Sorry, I forgot about your injury.”
“I’m okay.” He smiled and ran his hand through her hair.
Colby barked his approval.
“Sadie, you know I told you I love you. And I mean it. With all my heart and all my soul. You drive me to be a better man, and a better servant to the Lord.”
She grinned, and her heart bloomed full of love.
Kip knelt down on one knee. “Sadie, will you make me the happiest man alive? Will you marry me?”
She took in a breath. She couldn’t believe this was happening. Looking down into his blue eyes, she could feel his love for her. Their relationship had grown from partnership to friendship to something so much more.
“Kip, yes. I’ll marry you. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.” Kip stood and pulled her up from her chair. Then he leaned down and kissed her softly.
The kiss ended, and she looked into the eyes of the man she loved. Knowing that he was her true partner, now and always.
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from NO SAFE HAVEN by Virginia Vaughan.
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for reading my first book for Love Inspired Suspense. I really do believe that I was inspired to write this story. It may be difficult to imagine finding inspiration through grief, but that’s exactly what happened to me. I wrote the majority of this book in the dark days right after my father’s passing. In the midst of my grief, I found a certain measure of peace. By writing this story, I found comfort and a reminder of those things my father held dear: faith, love and family. With faith being at the top of the list.
So this book was more than just a story for me. It was a journey to healing, and one I’m profoundly glad that you are now taking with me. While the struggles that Sadie and Kip faced were quite different than what I was going through, writing their story gave me strength and an outlet to work through my pain. Day by day—word by word—prayer by prayer.
Again, thank you for reading Out of Hiding. I would love to hear from you! You can visit my website at www.racheldylan.com, or email me at
[email protected].
Rachel Dylan
Questions for Discussion
Sadie found faith through the upbringing and teaching of her adoptive parents after her biological parents were murdered. What role did your parents play in your faith journey?
Sadie recognized that she was walking a fine line in her feelings of revenge toward Igor. Have you ever wanted to seek revenge on someone, and how did you cope with those feelings?
Kip had a hard time dealing with the betrayal of his best friend, Brad. Why do you think he was ultimately able to forgive him? Has there been a time when you thought you would never be able to forgive but then you did?
Sadie never pushed her faith on Kip, but led by example. How important is it to lead by example in your everyday life?
Artur’s story is one of redemption. What does redemption mean to you?
Even though Igor and Artur were brothers, they made very different choices in their lives. What do you think of Artur’s decision to work with the DEA and take personal responsibility for his actions?
Sadly, human trafficking is a very real problem both in the U.S. and abroad. There was no way that Sadie and Kip were going to leave the other girls behind in Mexico. What can we, as individuals, do about problems like this that impact people on a global scale?
Sadie and Kip are both animal lovers. Zoe played a huge role in locating Sadie. While our own animals may not be trained K-9 dogs like Zoe, what are your pets’ special attributes?
When Kip found out about Sadie’s true identity, he felt an enormous amount of betrayal. How have you been able to cope with betrayal in your life? What role did your faith play?
Do you think it was right for Sadie to keep her true identity hidden from Kip?
Even given what happened between them, when Kip called Brad to help in the search for Sadie, Brad didn’t hesitate. He owned up to his mistakes and was there for his friend. What do you think makes a true friend?
One of the ways Kip found his way back to the Lord was through his grief and struggles over what he witnessed in Iraq. While our struggles may not be on the battlefield, what trials have you had in your life that have brought you closer to God?
Mrs. Newton judged Ms. Milton for working so much and the decisions she made in how to raise her daughter. Sadie was very uncomfortable with those judgments, especially since Ms. Milton was doing the best she could for her family. When was the last time you wrongfully judged someone? When was the last time that you were wrongfully judged?
What role did faith play in Sadie and Kip falling in love?
Do you think Sadie will ever be able to forgive Igor for what he did? Sadie always assumed that her father Mr. Mars was the one who had a connection to Igor, but it was her mother. What do you think Sadie feels toward her mother and father?
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense story.
You enjoy a dash of danger. Love Inspired Suspense stories feature strong heroes and heroines whose faith is central in solving mysteries and saving lives.
Enjoy four new stories from Love Inspired Suspense every month!
Harlequin.com/newsletters
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
HarlequinBlog.com
ONE
The slam of a car door grabbed Jessica Taylor’s attention.
She dropped the clothes in her hand and rushed to the window to scan the front of the house. An unfamiliar silver sedan was parked at the curb. That hadn’t been there when Jessica arrived to help Sarah Young escape her abusive husband.
Sarah’s face was pale against the blue bruises that shadowed her eye and cheeks and the red swollen lip. But it was the fear in her wide, green eyes that spoke volumes. “It’s Robert. He’s home,” she said, her voice a choked, fearful whisper.
The thought of a confrontation with this man—or any man who believed he had the right to beat his wife—swept a wave of bitterly familiar emotions through Jessica. Fear, desperation, hopelessness. For a moment, she was swept back into the past to another confrontation.
The pounding on the door...the despair...the chilling voice on the other side of the door.
You’re mine, Jess.
No matter how many times she’d confronted such evil, she’d never grown accustomed to it.
But she’d also learned to push through her fears until the singe of righteous anger strengthened her and she would never bow to them. She ignored the shakiness in her knees as she pulled her long blond hair into a ponytail. She only wished she were more dressed down. High-heeled shoes were not the ideal for running if she needed to, but she’d come straight from court and she liked the added height they gave her five-foot-six frame.
She draped on an air of calmness as she turned to Sarah. “Grab your suitcase. We need to go now. He won’t find you. You’ll be safe, I promise.”
