A beat passed. “I can get them to leave.”
Hope spread through him. “How?”
“Leave that to me. Just make sure he doesn’t escape once they’re gone.”
“Will do.” He disconnected, dropped the phone in his pocket, and moved the blinds at the front window.
Nate paced back down the hall, his phone hung limp in his hand and his eyes sharp. “Ethan, there’s banging coming from one of the bedrooms!” He jerked his head toward the end of the hall.
Ethan’s heart rate shot up and his stomach twisted. “Stay at the window and tell me when the cops leave.” He sprinted down the hall and entered Riley’s bedroom. Silence greeted him. He balled his hands into fists and he moved soundlessly across the floor. Michael’s apartment was much smaller than Riley’s. He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. It didn’t add up. His brows pinched. From the outside, both units appeared to be of equal size. How was it possible that Michael’s was so much smaller?
He grabbed the chair from the wall and placed it under the attic access. He thumped the bottom of his fist against the solid wooden door. It didn’t budge. He rested his hand on it, and pressed his ear as close as he could. It had probably been covered with new flooring and—
Thump, thump, thump. The wood shook against his hand. His heart leapt into his throat, his breath stalled. It was her.
“Ethan!” A muffled scream sounded.
He banged his fist against the wood in response. “I’m coming, Riley!” he bellowed. He leapt to the ground, the chair toppled to the floor. He tore down the hallway, his heart pounded in his chest.
She was alive.
Nate turned from the window as he ran down the hall. “The cops just left with their sirens going.”
“It’s her, man. She’s up there.”
“Sonofabitch.” Nate opened the door and Ethan bolted through it without slowing. He jumped down the steps and landed on his feet on the grass. Nate charged behind him. He pulled his Glock from his pants and raced up the stairs. The wooden steps shook beneath his feet. Ethan burst through the door.
“Riley!” he screamed as he stepped through the kitchen. Nothing. Where the hell was she? He paused, and mapped out Riley’s unit below in his mind. Her room should be right next to Michael’s, but—
Michael rounded the corner, a shotgun held firmly in front of him. His finger moved on the trigger and Ethan dove.
Bam.
A shot rang out. His shoulder careened back and pain exploded through his back and chest. His body slammed into Michael and they went down. He tore the shotgun from Michael’s hands and sent it sliding across the floor. He positioned the Glock to Michael’s temple, his free hand closed over his throat. Ethan bared all his weight on his hand. Michael’s legs kicked beneath him and his hands gripped Ethan’s wrist.
“Where is she?”
Nate came up and moved Ethan aside. “You go find her. I’ll take care of this.” Ethan released his hold and Michael sucked in one breath before Nate’s foot slammed down on his windpipe.
“Oh we’re going to have fun.” Nate laughed. Ethan raced for the bedroom. The dog greeted him with a soft whine when he opened the door.
“Where is she, boy?”
The dog went to the closet and spun in a circle. What the hell? He’d already checked there. He opened the door and the dog went in and scratched the back wall, then whined again. Ethan shoved the shirts aside. In the center of the wall was a handle. His heart lurched.
She was in there.
Chapter 26
Riley pounded her palms against the cushion on the door. “We’re in here!” Her voice strained as she screamed. Oh god, please let him hear me.
Bang!
The hinges on the door vibrated. She backed up, her feet unsteady on the soft terrain. Her hands clasped in front of her face. He’d found her.
Bang!
The floor beneath her shook with the force of the next blow. He must not have the key if he was breaking the door down. Fear rippled through her sending a shockwave over her body. Where was Michael?
Crash!
Ethan stumbled into the room as the door bounced open. A cry sounded in her throat. He straightened and his shoulders made the large room shrink. The top of his head skimmed the top of the doorway and his hands curled into tight, angry fists.
Her muscles went lax. She hurled herself into his arms and buried her face against his neck. His arms closed around her, lifting her off her feet. His hands roamed all over her.
“Baby, are you okay?” His voice was rough against her ear. She nodded, tears leaked out of her eyes and dampened his shirt. He pushed her out of his embrace and his hands gripped her shoulders.
“Are you hurt?”
She shook her head. “I’m fine, honest.” A dark shadow crossed his face. His normally soft and playful blue eyes were sharp and honed. His hands moved over her cheeks, and he turned her head to the side.
“You’re bleeding,” he ground out.
Her eyes landed on his shoulder and her mouth fell open. “Ethan, you’re shot,” she cried.
His gaze fell to the wound and he shook his head. “It’s fine. What happened to your head?”
She swallowed and brought her fingers to the tender spot. It hadn’t hurt much before, but now that Ethan was here and safety had settled in around her, it pounded. “He hit me with a baseball bat. I—”
“Christ,” he breathed. His jaw worked and his thumb moved over the throbbing spot. “I’m going to kill that psycho if Nate hasn’t already.”
Riley pulled his hand from her head and pressed her palm into his. “Ethan, this is Hanna.” She pulled him toward the corner of the room. His sharp intake of breath made her wince. His hand fell away from hers and he moved past her and dropped down beside Hanna. He didn’t touch her, but lines of concern etched his face.
“Are you hurt?” He spoke carefully, pain heavy in his voice. Her heart swelled. He didn’t know Hanna, yet that didn’t matter. What made Ethan the strong, capable man that he was, was the size of his heart. And he was hers.
A smile moved over Hanna’s face. “No, but I’d appreciate it if you’d get me out of these chains.” She lifted her wrist.
Ethan grinned and grabbed the chain in his fist. “Shouldn’t be a problem.” He pulled his gun out and lowered it to the joint in the cuff at her wrist.
Riley’s eyes widened. “Ah… Ethan, maybe we should just—”
He chuckled. “Have a little faith. Hanna, turn away and cover your face in case any small pieces come loose.” Hanna turned as far a she could, her arm stretched behind her in Ethan’s hold. “Back up, babe.” He directed to her.
Riley cringed, and covered her face with her hands. “I can’t watch this.” She turned her back to them, her shoulders hunched.
A gunshot split the air. Metal exploded, cracking her eardrums. She ducked and squeezed her eyes shut.
“All done,” Ethan called to her.
Riley turned around as Ethan tossed the chains into the corner and helped Hanna to her feet. The dark shadows that had hidden in the edges of Hanna’s eyes were gone. She smiled, and a bit of color returned to her face. Riley closed her arms around Hanna. Tears rolled over her cheeks and landed on her hair.
She was alive.
Hanna straightened away and rested her hands on Riley’s shoulders. “Thank you for not giving up on me, Rye. If it weren’t for you—”
“Don’t even think like that. The important thing is that you’re okay. Now let’s get out of here.” Riley blinked the tears away, but it was useless. They coursed down her cheeks in rivers. She wrapped her arm around Hanna’s shoulders. Ethan moved close to her side, but didn’t interfere. When they got to the door, he held out his hand, stopping them from proceeding.
“Wait. Let me have a look first.” He disappeared out of
the room.
Murphy came around the corner of the closet and went straight for Hanna. She choked out a laugh and knelt down. His big paws slapped against her chest and his tongue came out to lick her face. Riley’s heart warmed.
Ethan entered the doorway and his lips quirked up in a smile. The dark shadow that had shrouded his eyes had lifted, though his shoulders remained wide and tense—guarded.
“You have this guy to thank by the way. He kept scratching and whining at the back of the closet until I found the door. He’s a hero.” Ethan leaned forward to pat Murphy’s side. “All clear. Nate called Joe and they’ve just put Michael in the back of the cruiser.”
Hanna’s brow creased. “What about Murphy? We can’t just leave him here by himself.”
Ethan grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck. Riley’s stomach churned. She would take Murphy, there was no question about that—but what would happen between her and Ethan? Now that they had found Hanna, would he go back to Seattle? She had nothing left for her in Boston. She’d been replaced at the gallery, but all of her belongings sat at her apartment. Uncertainty coiled inside her. They hadn’t made any definite plans.
Ethan met her gaze. His eyes blazed with heat and his hand reached for hers.
Riley moved against him and smiled at Hanna. “Don’t worry about Murphy, okay? I’ll make sure he’s safe and goes to a good home.”
Hanna gave her a weak smile. As much as Hanna had bonded with Murphy, she had a long road to recovery, and there was no telling how long that would take. Ethan pressed a kiss into Riley’s hair, and the three of them left the dingy, soundless room and stepped out into the sunshine.
Hanna stopped Riley as the paramedics rushed toward them. “Can I use your phone? I’d really like to call my mom.”
Ethan pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it to her. The paramedics wrapped a heavy blanket over her shoulders as she pressed the phone to her ear and let them lead her to the ambulance. Riley’s stomach clenched. An attendant insisted on checking over her head, and Ethan let a paramedic clean his bullet wound, but he insisted he’d get the bullet out later.
An hour later, they’d given their statements and the police and emergency vehicles pulled away. Nate had already gone to the police station to interrogate Michael.
The late afternoon sun sat low in the sky. Ethan’s hand rested on her back and he led her to the porch steps. She sat down heavily and threaded her hand through her hair. God, she needed a shower. Ethan sat next to her, and the wooden step shifted beneath his weight. His thigh pressed against hers and his hand curled around her hip.
“We can swing by the hospital and see how Hanna is doing if you want.” Ethan leaned forward and the sun caught the cool blue hues in his eyes. Murphy lay next to her, his head in her lap.
“No, I want to give her space with her family. I’ll go see her later. But I want you to get your shoulder looked at as soon as possible.”
His bottom lip moved and he smiled. “Yes, ma’am.” His fingers left the bare skin on her upper thigh, and he scratched Murphy’s ears. The dog whined softly and a laugh caught in Riley’s throat. It was over. The nightmare that had started more than a month ago had lifted. As painful and terrifying as Hanna’s disappearance had been, it had given her purpose. Never in her life had she been so driven by passion and determination.
Except now. She watched Ethan’s face. They’d become so close in such a short time, but he owed her nothing. His mouth lifted into an even bigger smile.
“What are you thinking?” His hand left Murphy and came to brush her hair behind her ear. Her cheeks warmed. She had to get it over with.
“It’s a little overwhelming that all of this is over with, and I’m trying to see what the next step is…or where it is for that matter.”
He nodded and his hand drifted down her arm, then back up again. “Sounds like a lot of tough decisions.”
She swallowed. Her mouth opened and she snapped it shut. Tears tingled the backs of her eyes. She didn’t care where she lived. Didn’t care what she did. None of it mattered unless she was with Ethan.
Ethan’s eyes shifted to Murphy, and then back up to hers. The tanned skin at his eyes crinkled playfully and her stomach flipped over. “I’ve wanted a dog for a long time, what do you think Rye? Want to keep him?”
Her heart thudded in her chest and her throat tightened. The corners of her mouth lifted and a laugh tickled her throat. She threw her arms around his neck and he crushed her to his chest and buried his face in the crook of her neck.
“I was so damn scared of losing you,” he said softly against her ear. Tears wet her eyelashes and a weight eased off of her chest. She gripped his shirt in her hands and breathed in his scent. She’d never let him go. “I love you so damn much.” His voice cracked in her ear.
Moisture poured over her lids and trickled down her cheeks. She swallowed and inhaled the woodsy scent of his cologne. Relief spread through her. “I love you too, Ethan. And I knew you’d find me.” Had she not met Ethan, had he not been on this journey with her, Michael would have—
She squeezed her eyes tight and pushed the thought from her mind. He had found them, and that was all that mattered. Murphy let out a small, disgruntled bark. He stood up and wiggled his way between them. A smile warmed Riley’s heart. They were all going home.
* * * *
“Oh. My. God,” Bailey hissed. Riley swatted her arm and shushed her. Bailey’s wide blue eyes didn’t change. “He looks like a Greek god. Seriously, how did you meet this guy? Does he have any brothers?”
Riley glanced over her shoulder as Cruz tossed Ethan his baseball and Ethan pretended to stumble back with the force of it. She dragged her gaze back to Bailey.
“No brothers, sorry.”
Bailey sighed. “I’m going to be a single mom forever while you get to have dirty sex with that.”
Riley laughed. She rested her hip against the back of Ethan’s truck, which put Ethan and Cruz in her direct line of vison. Since Michael had been arrested, the police had uncovered the silver Dodge truck in a storage unit in Michael’s name. He’d used stolen plates and reserved the vehicle only for his hunts. They’d done a thorough sweep of the car and found DNA for four other missing women. He would be locked up in prison for a very long time. The evening breeze picked up and Riley shivered, folding her arms over her chest. Had she not found Hanna when she had, she would have ended up dead like the others.
But Hanna was on the road to recovery. The trauma she’d suffered made Riley’s heart ache, but Hanna was in good spirits now that she was home with her family and would be starting therapy in a few days.
Bailey settled beside Riley and folded her arms over her chest. Dusk crept over the sky and tomorrow they would start their journey on the road. Before they left town in the morning they would have breakfast at the diner. She owed a big thank you to Jenny. Had she not called the police to report a robbery, Ethan wouldn’t have gotten the chance to get to her when he had. Their first stop would be in Boston to arrange for all of her things to be delivered to Ethan’s house in Seattle. She had no ties to Boston other than her previous job, and she’d always liked the west coast.
“I’m really glad you saw Mom and Dad. Mom was so happy.” Bailey’s voice grew soft and the weight of guilt that had settled over Riley dissipated. Her mom had made the choices she had, not because she’d wanted to divide their family, but because she’d needed to do what was best for her. Riley had done the same thing when she’d put them off to look for Hanna, so in a way, she understood.
“Me too. We’ll come back down at Christmas and stay a few weeks.” By that time, she’d be dying to see Hanna again. And hopefully come the holidays she’d be in an even better place after receiving the help she needed. Riley giggled as Ethan let out a hoot of laughter as he ran backward while Cruz chased him. “Maybe you guys should take a trip to Seattle. These tw
o have really hit it off.”
“They sure have.”
Riley pushed away from the bumper. “We’d better get going. We want to get an early start tomorrow.”
Bailey nodded and wrapped her arms around her. “I probably shouldn’t say this, but while you were playing with Cruz, I heard Ethan ask Dad about marrying you.”
Riley’s heart slammed against her chest. She pulled out of her sister’s arms and a ripple of excitement quaked inside her. “What? Are you sure?”
She lifted a shoulder. “Maybe, maybe not.” Bailey winked and a sneaky grin crept over her face. “Let’s chat soon. And maybe once Ethan opens his private investigating service, he can find me a man.”
Riley closed her eyes and snorted. “You need to get out more.” She moved her sister’s hair over her shoulder. “How about this, you find the guy and Ethan will make sure he’s not a creep?”
The corner of Bailey’s mouth tucked in. “Like I said, I’ll be single forever.” She shrugged and moved out of Riley’s embrace. “Drive safe and text me when you get to Boston.”
Riley scooped Cruz into her arms and gave him a big hug. He gave Ethan a high-five and Bailey and Cruz got into their car. They’d already said good-bye to her mom, with the promise of calling her on the road. Ethan whistled and Murphy bounded to them and hopped in the cab of the truck as if he’d done it a million times in the last two days.
She climbed into the front seat and rested her head back. Exhaustion seeped over her and she closed her eyes. Ethan’s knuckles brushed over her cheek.
“I love you, Rye.”
She opened her eyes and turned to face him. She tilted her head to rest her cheek into his palm. Her heart beat a steady, soft rhythm. In nearly losing her best friend, she’d found the love of her life.
“I love you too.”
Ethan’s hand closed over her fingers, he brought her knuckles to his mouth, and brushed his lips over them.
“Rest your eyes, babe. We’ll be home in a bit.”
Bait Page 25
