Under Duress

by Meghan Carver

  “Sure.” It might actually be safer if they stayed together. At least, Reid would feel better if the would-be kidnappers’ targets were within his line of sight. He grabbed the door and held it open for Samantha. How natural would it feel to hold her hand in his, like Lily had done with him? Would it seem as though they were a regular family? But that wasn’t a thought he should entertain.

  A dull ached settled into his heart. All he had wanted was to be believed and trusted in the community of Heartwood Hill. But now, would that ever be possible? Perhaps he should give up the dream and leave town as soon as Samantha and Lily were safe.

  He led her to the refrigerated section and gestured toward the wide selection of pops and teas. “What’s your poison?”

  She pursed her lips at him, trying to adopt a pouty look, but she couldn’t seem to keep it from morphing into a grin. “Is that really the most tactful way to ask, considering the fact that we’re running for our lives?”

  So far, the thugs hadn’t tried to kill them, but that was a fine point Reid didn’t want to bring up. If she was going to smile at him, he would stay quiet and appreciate her beauty, even as it radiated around her red-rimmed eyes. “Sorry.” He affected a mock bow and returned her grin. “I apologize again.”

  She swept past him and selected a raspberry tea. “Is this to go with my candy bar?”

  “Definitely.”

  Lily pulled a can out of the refrigerator. “Unless you want to put it on your puffy eyes. Amanda, my friend at school, said her mother puts cucumbers on her eyes.”

  “What?” She took off for a revolving display of reading glasses and peered in the tiny mirror at the top. “Are my eyes swollen? From the crying?”

  “Not really. But you know Colton from church? He told me his cousin who lives in Ohio got picked on by a bully at school and he came home with a black eye, so his parents went in to talk to the teacher and the other kid’s parents, but that only made the other kid more mad at Colton, so he gave him another black eye, and eventually that kid got suspended from school.”

  “Everyone has a story.” She gently touched the pad of her middle finger to the skin around her eye. “Lovely. Maybe I need to pick up some more foundation next time I’m at the drugstore.”

  “No. You’re beautiful just the way God made you.” He reached up and twisted a strand of ginger hair around his finger, treasuring the softness and the oddly intimate moment in the middle of the convenience store.

  Intimate? What was he thinking? He jerked his gaze up to hers. She watched his gesture, but he couldn’t read any expression or thought or emotion on her face. He pulled his hand away and stuffed his fist down in his pocket, turning to select his own can from the refrigerated case.

  They chose their candy bars, solid chocolate for Samantha and chocolate with Rice Krispies for Lily. Reid selected a burner phone and a card with minutes and approached the cashier.

  The middle-aged woman rang up their purchases but seemed to keep one eye on Samantha. A dozen lapel pins were scattered across her employee vest, her attempt, he supposed, to help spread awareness of breast cancer and literacy programs and domestic violence. Reid pulled out his wallet and selected his last couple of twenties to pay the bill. When she handed Reid his change, he stuffed it in his pocket and turned Samantha and Lily toward the door. In the Jeep, he turned the key in the ignition to get the air-conditioning on but left it in Park. He drummed his fingers on the wheel, uncertain of where to go and what to do next. He didn’t have anywhere to take them, and unless they got arrested for something, they couldn’t just hang out at the police station. They could try another hotel, but he wasn’t eager for another narrow escape, especially with no guarantee of a getaway next time. He glanced out his peripheral vision. Samantha had the visor down and was examining her eyes in the mirror. Did he have to ask her outright if they could call her father?

  “Where now, Mr. Palmer?” The sound of tearing paper issued from the backseat, and soon the sound of munching filled the vehicle.

  “Well, these guys are good, whoever they are, so there’s not much for the police to go on. My friend, Derek, the one you met at your house, is doing all he can. But for right now, we just need to stay low and try to figure out what’s going on.”

  Samantha shifted uncomfortably in her seat and puffed out a quiet exhalation that ruffled her hair. “Let’s call my dad.”

  Finally. Did he dare to utter the words, to give her a possible out? “Are you sure?”

  She heaved a sigh across the Jeep. “Yes. He could help, if he’s willing. He owns three vehicles, so he ought to be able to spare one. I’m fairly sure he keeps plenty of cash on hand, always ready to impress his latest girlfriend. And he has a computer that, hopefully, he’ll let us use to see what’s on that flash drive.”

  Reid hated to push her into a difficult situation with a difficult relationship, but he couldn’t see any other way. If the guy had the least bit of feeling for his daughter, he ought to be willing to provide what she needed, for the sake of her protection and his soon-to-be granddaughter’s. “Should you call him to tell him we’re coming? I can load the minutes on the phone.”

  “He’s never met Lily. And of course, he’s never even heard of you.” She hesitated, pinching her lips. “No. No phone call. He lives in a fancy gated community on the north side of Indianapolis, so the guard on duty will call him and he’ll have to approve us. It’ll be a lot harder for him to turn us away if we’re there already and there’s a gossipy guard watching his every move. I don’t like to push him like that, but I don’t think we have any other choice.”

  Reid scrubbed his hand over his chin stubble. There might be one other place they could seek help, but it was quite a ways outside Indy, and it wasn’t a relationship he wanted to have to depend on again. The last time he had seen the man he called Bump, Reid had promised him that life would be different. Better. “So which way?”

  “Head to I-465, and take it around to the Keystone exit.”

  Reid pushed on his sunglasses as he turned the vehicle into the late-afternoon sun. Thomas Callahan was the most sought-after divorce attorney in the greater Indianapolis area. Reid had no intention of ever becoming a divorce lawyer, but being in the man’s good books could go a long way toward a successful practice. He must have connections all over central Indiana. Reid’s heartbeat picked up a notch at the thought of Mr. Callahan’s reaction to his daughter’s current circumstances. What would the man think when he found out about the attempted kidnapping of his daughter and her ward?

  ELEVEN

  Samantha’s weekend plans had been completely demolished. She could accept that.

  But as she lowered the visor against the setting summer sun, it seemed that her very life was speeding by like the businesses and homes at each exit of the interstate that looped around Indianapolis. She would never take Lily for granted again. She would do everything in her power to make a wonderful life for the girl. Family dinners. Vacations. Heart-to-heart girl talks. She would savor every normal moment that came her way.

  She snuck a glance at Reid, stoic and absorbed in his own thoughts as he steered his Jeep toward a door Samantha hadn’t thought she’d darken for a while longer. What would normal moments be like with Reid? What if he was a part of making that wonderful life?

  She choked on the thought, sputtering and reaching for her raspberry tea.

  “You okay?” Reid’s baritone snagged at her. Did he really care? Did this man who had gotten himself kicked out of law school really care about anyone besides himself?

  She sipped, letting the cool liquid soothe her ragged throat. “Fine.”

  Of course he could. He had protected them so far. She couldn’t deny that. But what about once the bad guys were caught? She would go back to work. Lily would start school soon. And Reid? He would go forward with his plans, whatever they were. And
whatever they were, they didn’t include her.

  They better not include her. There was no way God would send her another bad boy. No way. If she needed anyone at all, and so far she hadn’t, she wanted it to be a good, safe, reliable man. One who was steady and secure. As far as she could tell, there wasn’t one within a hundred-mile radius.

  Reid didn’t have any of those qualities.

  Or did he? So far, Reid hadn’t exhibited any similarities to the man he used to be.

  “Do I call him Grandpa?”

  Lily’s timid question startled Samantha out of her thoughts. She focused on the supercenter as they whizzed past another interstate exit, trying to regain her bearings. Based on the street name at the exit, she figured they had another twenty minutes or so. Plenty of time to worry about showing up on her father’s doorstep with two strangers in tow.

  Samantha held her open chocolate bar up to her nose and inhaled deeply of the bitter sweetness. Perhaps just the aroma would get those endorphins flowing and the sensation of relaxation started.

  “I guess he’s not legally my grandpa yet, is he? Do I call him Mr. Callahan?”

  The girl had a valid question. One that Samantha hadn’t yet considered. “Well, eventually you’ll call him Grandpa. But for right now, why don’t we leave it up to him? Sound okay?”

  “Yeah. Is he nice? Will he like me?”

  Without taking his eyes off the highway, Reid turned his head slightly toward Samantha. He raised his eyebrows as if he wanted to ask if her father would like him. Anxiety with the weight of an anvil pressed on Samantha’s shoulders, and she slumped in her seat. She had no idea what her father would think of either Lily or Reid. She only knew that a few years ago, he hadn’t had any interest in family life. She had no reason to think that had changed.

  “Right or left up here?”

  She’d been navel-gazing again. Samantha forced her eyes to focus on the name of the street ahead as she gave Reid the rest of the directions. Soon they pulled up to a matched set of stone lions that guarded the stately entrance to the gated community. A rock formation with a melodious waterfall was flanked by a profusion of multicolored flowers, and a manicured golf course beckoned to the west.

  Reid pulled up to the guardhouse and lowered his window. “Samantha Callahan is here for Thomas Callahan.” Samantha leaned toward Reid’s window and waved at the guard.

  “Yes, sir. Ma’am.” The guard flipped through a book then picked up a landline phone.

  As the guard talked to her father, Samantha leaned on the middle console to see into the hut. The clean scent of Reid’s shirt filled her senses, the stubble of his strong chin standing out in relief against the evening sun. Where would she be right now without Reid’s protection? Where would Lily be? She shuddered to think of it.

  A moment later, the guard hung up. He pushed a button inside the guardhouse and the gate began to swing open. “Mr. Callahan is expecting you.”

  “Thank you.” Samantha settled back in her seat as Reid pulled through the gate. Soon, it would clang shut behind them. But would it be to enclose them in safety or to entrap them with no way out?

  As they pulled into her father’s driveway, the front door opened and her father stepped out. Dapper in khaki trousers and a dark green golf shirt, he raised a hand in greeting as if posing for an advertisement to welcome guests to the neighborhood. Samantha narrowed her eyes at him, but his smile looked genuine.

  “Samantha, I’m glad you’re here.” Her father’s voice boomed across the yard.

  The hair on her arms prickled. Did he have a woman friend there he was trying to impress? She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a greeting like that from the man she called Dad.

  Reid looked at her, seemingly waiting for her to make the first move, then his eyes darted around the property. “Everything look all right to you?”

  She couldn’t fault him for being on constant surveillance. In fact, she appreciated his protectiveness. She glanced around the front of the house and the lawn. “Looks the same as last time.”

  She squeaked the car door open and heard Lily’s door open behind her. A small hand wormed its way into hers, and she grasped it, seeking to comfort the girl as much as she sought comfort for herself. As she rounded the front of the Jeep, Reid emerged from the driver’s seat and accompanied her up the walk.

  “Hi, Dad.” Samantha cleared her throat. “Thanks for letting us stop by.” She stood still, waiting for that awkward moment of realization that her father wasn’t going to hug her, even though that was what most dads would do.

  Reid stepped forward, hand outstretched. Samantha took a tiny step back. God bless that man for rescuing her...again. “Good evening, sir. I’m Reid Palmer. Your daughter and I were classmates in law school, and we sort of ran into each other the other day, so I gave her a ride here.”

  Well, he certainly had left a lot out. A lot that she would have to explain in the very near future.

  Her father was at least cordial enough to shake Reid’s hand, but the congeniality quickly slid from his countenance as he studied Samantha. A frown crept into its place. Samantha watched his attention dart between them until he settled on her. She looked down at her front, smoothing out the rumples on her shirt, and then running a hand over her hair. She must look rather disheveled. “Is this your boyfriend? I can’t say I’m impressed with how you’re keeping yourself. Perhaps he’s not the right one for you.”

  Suddenly he was concerned with her well-being? Whatever conversation needed to take place, it shouldn’t happen in the front yard, not with a couple of guys after them with the uncanny ability to track them no matter where they went. Samantha held up a hand. “Dad, he’s not my boyfriend. Like Reid said, we only ran into each other yesterday. Actually, I ran into him, but that comes earlier in the story.” She surveyed the street and pulled Lily a little closer. “Can we come in, and I’ll tell you the whole thing?”

  “As long as you’re here...” He backed up slowly, then turned and led them into the house.

  As the door closed behind them, Reid turned for one last look out front. Then he nodded to Samantha, indicating that all seemed well.

  For now.

  Her dad showed them to the well-appointed living room decorated in shades of dark blue and brown. A baseball game played on the television, and he hit the mute button on the remote. Samantha moved to sit, and Lily popped out from her hiding place behind Samantha.

  Apparently, the surprises weren’t over for Thomas Callahan. “Who’s this?” He raised his eyebrows at Samantha. “I know it’s been a while since I’ve seen you, and I’m sorry about that. But it hasn’t been long enough for you to have a baby who’s grown up.”

  “Dad, this is Lily. Her parents have both passed on, and her father appointed me as guardian.”

  “Well, this pretty thing is practically a young lady.” He smiled at Lily and held out his hand. Lily stepped toward him and gently placed her hand in his. A smile erupted on Lily’s face, and she sidled up next to Samantha’s dad. “How old are you, pumpkin?”

  Samantha jerked back, wrinkling her nose. Pumpkin? Never in her entire life had she heard her father use a term of affection. What was going on?

  Lily’s smile threatened to tear her face in half. “I’m ten, sir.”

  “Sir? We can’t have that.” Her dad stroked his chin as if deep in thought. “Let’s see. What shall you call me? What about Granddad? Grandpa? Gramps? You choose.”

  “I like Grandpa.”

  “Then, Grandpa it is.” He gestured toward the kitchen. “Why don’t you run in there and get yourself a can of pop?” He turned to Samantha. “If you say it’s okay.”

  Samantha fought hard not to grimace. Who was this man, and what had he done with her father? It was like one of those bad movies where everyone switches bodies. She forced herself t
o take a breath. “Sure. Fine.”

  As her father watched Lily go into the kitchen, Samantha turned to Reid and shrugged her shoulders. She had no idea why her father was so different.

  With Lily safely stowed away, her dad turned a serious look to her. “So what’s going on?”

  * * *

  Reid tamped down the desire to sit next to Samantha and take her hand. Something to provide support and encouragement. She had the nervous look of someone on the witness stand. But if he consoled her like he wanted to, her father would feel certain that they were romantically involved, and Reid definitely didn’t want to add that complication to Samantha’s already difficult relationship with her father.

  What he really wanted was to figure out who was behind this chase. The police were doing what they could, but that was actually quite limited. These thugs were good and didn’t leave evidence behind. Apparently, if they didn’t want to be found, they wouldn’t be. Maybe, with the use of Mr. Callahan’s computer, they could at least learn about the company Lily’s father had worked for and figure out what was on that flash drive that Lily’s father had given to his daughter in his final days. Instead, he and Samantha were stuck explaining themselves to their only hope for a new vehicle and some cash.

  As Samantha stammered through her explanation of their current circumstances, Reid paced at the end of the sofa. He tried to adopt what he hoped was a kind and caring expression every time Thomas Callahan shot a look of suspicion his way. He needed to do something to convince her father, and Samantha herself, that his intentions were honorable. And if that something removed him from their presence, then all the better.

  Water. That was it. She needed ice water. “Mr. Callahan, may I get a glass of ice water for Samantha? I’m sure she could use some cool refreshment.”

  Her father plastered on a smile that Reid was sure had convinced many divorcees of his sincerity. But Thomas’s eyes glinted with cold calculation. “Of course. And call me Thomas. There’s no need for formality.” He gestured toward the kitchen, his gold pinkie ring shimmering in the recessed lights. “Glasses are in the cabinet next to the refrigerator.”