“I did. I told you to stay away from Atlanta.”
“But you didn’t tell me why. You let me think all this time that Liam’s attempted kidnapping had to do with one of my defendants.”
“You were supposed to stay—”
“Don’t try to place any of the blame for this on me.” His angry outburst shut his brother up instantly. “If anything happens to Liam, I’ll—”
He’d what? There was nothing he could do. Even if he never spoke to his brother again, it wouldn’t bring his son back.
Rustling came through the phone. “I’m packing up now. I’ll be at your place before morning.”
“Where are you?”
“Grand Cayman. I’m catching the first flight out. I’ll charter one if I have to.”
“There’s nothing you can do.”
“There is. Marino tried to call me a half hour ago. I’m waiting to hear back from one other dealer. I wanted to have that answer before I took Marino’s call.”
Cade’s cell phone. That was the number the kidnapper had. The phone where he’d text instructions tomorrow morning.
But he’d called Colton’s landline. “How did he get the number to my house phone?”
“I made a few calls from it when my cell battery was low.”
Colton closed his eyes again. His home and his phone. Cade hadn’t used Colton’s name, but with their identical looks, he’d inadvertently impersonated him.
“I’ll make this right.” The urgency in Cade’s voice pulled Colton’s thoughts back to the conversation. “If I have to trade my own life for Liam’s, I’ll do it. If I’d had the piece, I’d have given it back immediately. I should have hidden it better.”
No, he shouldn’t have ripped anyone off to begin with. And he certainly shouldn’t have involved his family.
“A jewelry box is the first place a thief looks for valuables.”
Cade’s words seemed to be an afterthought. But they slammed into Colton with the force of a freight train.
“Jewelry box?”
“Your closet door was open partway. When I was looking for a safe place to temporarily stash the piece, I saw Mandy’s jewelry box on your shelf and dropped it into there.”
Colton’s heart beat so hard his chest felt ready to explode. “The intruders didn’t empty the jewelry box. I did.”
“What?” The single word held shock infused with hope.
“Remember the boxes I loaded into the back of the SUV before heading to the bank?”
“Mandy’s clothes and things you were donating.”
“I’d also transferred her jewelry to a zippered plastic bag and taken it with me, planning to put it in my safety deposit box while we were out. I ran out of time but stopped by both the ministry and the bank on my way to Burch Security the next day.”
“The piece is in your safety deposit box?” Amazement filled his tone. A door slammed in the background. “I’m going to find a flight out of here. As soon as I land, I’ll call you. Then I’ll take a cab straight to your place.”
Colton ended the call, ready to fill Jasmine in on everything he’d learned. He was still almost frantic. But now a wide river of hope flowed through the worry that had almost debilitated him.
Cade’s motto had always been “Nothing’s going to happen.” It was how he lived his life. Now Liam was taking the brunt of those bad decisions. But come tomorrow, Colton would be at the bank the moment the doors opened and he’d retrieve what Cade had stolen. Then he’d meet Liam’s kidnappers. He’d give them the piece and they’d return Liam to him.
Unless something spooked them.
Or they decided to take revenge on Cade for what he’d done.
God, please make everything go as planned.
And protect Liam until he’s back safe in my care.
* * *
Jasmine sat in the front passenger seat of Gunn’s Range Rover. Black with tinted windows, it looked like something that might be used for surveillance. Currently, they were waiting in the shade of an oak at the far end of the bank parking lot, Gunn behind the wheel, Dom in the back. Her Suburban was parked two spaces away.
Convincing Colton to let the two men come had taken some effort. What part he’d allow them to play still remained to be seen.
Colton was inside the bank. So was Cade. Cade had driven his Corvette, while Colton had taken his own vehicle. Jasmine had followed at a distance to make sure they didn’t pick up a tail. When they arrived, Dom and Gunn were already there.
Although they’d tossed around ideas and run through scenarios, no one knew for sure what any of them would be doing. They couldn’t formulate a plan until they heard from the kidnappers.
Gunn had pulled in some support, unbeknownst to Colton. He’d never have approved it. But they’d made other preparations, measures that Colton did approve. Cade’s phone now had a tracker. Dom had installed the app. They’d also hidden a small tracking device inside the Corvette’s dashboard.
From the moment the car left the bank parking lot, Dom would be viewing both the phone’s and the car’s movements on the laptop in the seat next to him. But the argument over who would meet the kidnappers was unresolved.
She’d rather it be her, or even Gunn or Dom. Any one of them would have a chance of finagling their way out of the situation. But Cade was too impulsive, and Colton, though good with persuasive words, had too much at stake to think clearly. Neither of them would know what to do if things went seriously south.
The bank’s glass doors swung open, and Jasmine straightened. “Here they come.”
At that distance, she couldn’t tell them apart. Actually, she couldn’t up close, either. They’d both dressed in blue jeans and black button-up shirts, if for nothing more than to create a moment of confusion should the opportunity present itself.
As the two men approached the passenger side of the Range Rover, Gunn turned the key and lowered the window. Jasmine studied them. The one on the right was Colton.
Maybe. The depth and seriousness she usually saw in Colton was present in both of them. The situation weighed on Cade enough that the carefree air he always projected was gone.
They moved between her and Gunn’s vehicles, and one of them nodded at her. “We got it. Now we wait for the text.”
Definitely Colton. She’d been right. His voice had a slightly different timbre from Cade’s.
Cade frowned. “You need to give me the ring.”
“No, you give me the phone.”
“We talked about this at the house. I have to do this. It’s bad enough I got you guys into this. If something happened to you, I’d never forgive myself.”
“He’s my son, so I’m going. If anything bad happens, you’ll have to live with it.” Colton’s voice held a hardness she’d never heard before. This was likely to put a long-lasting wedge in his and Cade’s relationship. If Colton lost Liam, that wedge would become a chasm, forever uncrossable.
“He’s your son, but he’s my nephew. And I’m the sole reason his life’s in danger right now.” Cade flung his arms wide, his whole body radiating his worry and frustration. “You go in and you could get yourself killed. You’re not law enforcement. You don’t know self-defense. The only fighting you’ve done is in the courtroom.”
“And the only fighting you’ve done is on a mat in high school wrestling. You aren’t any more qualified for this than I am.”
Gunn let out a sharp whistle, making a T with his hands. “Time-out.”
Everyone’s attention went to him, and he continued.
“I don’t like the idea of either of you doing this, but we don’t have a choice. Colton is the boy’s father, so it’s his decision.”
Cade looked ready to argue, but a text notification silenced him. His eyebrows shot up and he reached into his pocket. When he pulled out his phone, the screen was lit wi
th recent activity.
Colton stepped closer, and his jaw tightened as he read. When he looked up, a vein throbbed in his temple.
“I’m to meet them at 148 Auburn Avenue with the ring. They reiterated that I’m to come alone. If they even think I’ve involved anyone else, Liam’s dead.” A steely hardness entered his eyes and he held out a hand, palm up. “Keys.”
Cade pulled them from his pocket and turned them over. But he clearly wasn’t happy. When Colton handed over his own keys, Cade took them with a frown.
“Don’t try to follow me.” Colton’s tone was stern, discouraging any argument. “You can meet me back at the house later.”
Jasmine’s chest tightened. It was time. She stepped from the Range Rover with a lump in her throat and a sudden urge to wrap him in a tight hug.
She restrained the urge and simply took his hands in hers. “Be careful. Just focus on getting your son back. No heroics. Leave taking out the bad guys to the professionals.”
He gave a sharp nod. He didn’t seem the type to do anything stupid. He was levelheaded to the extreme.
But people sometimes lost capacity for rational thought when their loved ones were threatened. Restraining that need for vengeance wasn’t easy. Colton especially would want the kidnappers to pay for their crimes. If he didn’t have a strong sense of justice, he’d have chosen a different career.
Colton pulled his hands free of hers and pressed the fob. A corresponding beep sounded several spaces away, and the Vette’s lights flashed. After sliding Cade’s phone into his pocket, his gaze locked with hers.
“I’ll call you when Liam and I are safe. Until then, I don’t want you within a mile of the place. At this point, I don’t even care if these guys are caught. I know I won’t feel that way when it’s over, but right now, I just want my son back.”
“You should be wearing a wire, or at least a tracker.”
“No.” They’d discussed it last night, and he was as adamant now as he’d been then.
She touched her earpiece. No matter what happened, she’d have radio contact with Gunn and Dom. “We could conceal it.”
“Unless it was something I could swallow, I’m not willing to take a chance.”
Arguing with him was pointless, but she had to give it one last shot. “If they make you get in their vehicle and ditch your phone, we’ve lost you.”
“Come on, Jasmine.” The tension in his tone said he didn’t like it any more than she did. “You heard the text. These guys don’t play around. If they even think I’m pulling something, they’re going to kill Liam. What do you think they’d do if they found a wire or tracking device on me?”
As he walked toward his brother’s Corvette, a vise clamped down on her chest. But Colton wasn’t alone in this, whether he wanted to be or not.
As soon as he’d relayed the location given in the text, she’d heard the click of the computer keys from the back seat. Even now, Dom was probably staring at a satellite image of the area, searching for a way to approach unseen.
But even with backup, there were a hundred things that could go wrong, snafus that could get Liam or his father killed.
She drew in a stabilizing breath. She’d do anything to protect her clients. But Colton had become more than that. He’d even become more than a friend. She watched him back from the space, feeling as if someone was ripping her heart from her chest.
She reined in her thoughts. She had a job to do and was already at an extreme disadvantage. She needed to keep a clear head and be in top form, which meant operating like a machine—no emotion.
As Colton drove from the lot, she leaned down to look through the passenger window at Gunn. He already had the address programmed into the vehicle’s GPS. She tilted her head. “What’s the plan?”
He had to have one. He always did. So did Dom. She’d worked enough jobs with both of them to know.
“We follow. Stay out of sight. Assess when we arrive. See how close we can get without jeopardizing the safety of Colton or his son.”
Beyond her boss, Cade had almost reached the Highlander three spaces away.
She straightened. “Hey.” Her voice stopped Cade in his tracks. After waiting for him to turn, she continued. “You’re with me.”
Cade unleashed would be more of a liability than they could afford. As determined as he’d been to play the hero, she wouldn’t put it past him to do something reckless.
Gunn cranked the engine. As she walked toward her own vehicle, she tilted her head toward Cade. “In the back.”
“Why?”
“If you have to hit the floorboard, you can. Hiding is easier than in the front.”
The explanation seemed to satisfy him. Which was good. Considering he was the sole reason they were there, if he decided to be argumentative, she might brain him.
She programmed the address into her own GPS and backed from the space. By the time she pulled into traffic, Gunn was several vehicles ahead of her. Colton would be too far away for even Gunn to see.
She slipped between two cars in the center lane, hoping to close the distance. “So where are we going?”
When Cade started to answer, she motioned toward her earpiece, and he fell silent. Dom’s voice flowed through the wire, sounding as if he was much closer than several vehicles away. “148 Auburn Avenue is the old office of the Atlanta Life Insurance Company. The building’s been vacant for decades.”
“Is there a back way in?”
“I don’t know. John Calhoun Park is right across Piedmont, which runs along the side of the building. Might be able to see something from there. Can’t park there, though.”
Jasmine changed lanes again. Now there were only two vehicles between them.
“I’ll have a better chance of slipping in undetected than either of you.” Besides, Colton was her client.
A few minutes later, she followed Gunn and another vehicle up the ramp onto I-85 South. The Corvette was still out of sight. If everything went smoothly, either she or Gunn would pass by the abandoned building early enough to see Colton exit the vehicle but late enough to avoid arousing suspicion. Everything else they were going to have to play by ear.
Not the way she preferred to operate.
After taking the John Wesley Dobbs exit, one more turn put them on Auburn, a single vehicle between them. According to the GPS, they were less than a quarter mile from their destination.
The radio came to life again. “That’s it, up ahead on the right.”
Cade’s Corvette was parked in the lot next to the building. Three stories, with neoclassical architecture, it had probably been pretty impressive in its day. But time had taken a toll. The brick was dingy; plywood covered the arched window openings and chunks of plaster were missing on some of the pillars.
“They’re up ahead.” It was Gunn who spotted them.
She saw them almost immediately also—two men moving down the sidewalk away from her, Colton on the right. The man next to him looked to be the same height but probably outweighed him by seventy-five pounds. They’d almost reached the next crossroad.
She chewed her lower lip. “Where is he taking Colton?”
Gunn didn’t answer. She didn’t expect him to. And Cade was being exceptionally quiet. The man walking with Colton swiveled his head slowly, glancing over his shoulder. His gaze seemed to lock on the Range Rover, but she couldn’t see his eyes. He wore a cap pulled low, casting his face in shadow. If he was armed, his weapon was likely hidden under his lightweight jacket.
He wouldn’t need it. Colton was no threat. As long as they held his son, he’d do exactly as instructed.
“Go around the block,” she said. “I’m pulling over.” Eight or ten parallel parking spaces bordered the edge of Auburn, starting just ahead of her and stretching almost to where Courtland crossed. “I’m following on foot.”
“Don’t
let them see you.” Gunn’s tone held a note of warning.
She didn’t need it. Having Colton spot her would be just as dangerous as the kidnapper discovering her. He’d never be able to hide his reaction.
She cast a glance in the rearview mirror, peering at Cade through her sunglasses. “Get down.”
Cade complied immediately. She slowed to a crawl and maneuvered into an empty space as Colton and his escort crossed the side street. Instead of continuing on Auburn, they turned right.
“They’re headed north on Courtland now.”
Jasmine looked around her. A modern building sat to her right—Georgia State University, Centennial Hall. Though she was five or six years past college age, she could probably blend in. Except the day after Christmas, the area was deserted.
She waited until Colton and the other man had disappeared around the side of the building, then opened her driver door. “I’ve got quarters in the console. Give it a minute, and if the coast is clear, feed the meter. Then get back in the vehicle.”
Instead of staying on the sidewalk, she climbed the handful of stairs leading to Centennial Hall, then followed the perimeter of the building. Colton walked thirty or forty feet ahead of her on the opposite side of the street. The man with him regularly peered over his shoulder, scanning his surroundings.
For a short distance, she was able to keep to the school grounds until a fenced parking area stretched in front of her, giving her no choice but to follow the sidewalk. Trees lined her side of the road, but they weren’t large enough to hide behind. And the five lanes of traffic moving toward her down the one-way street was sparse.
She slowed, letting the distance between her and the men lengthen, and pulled out her phone. With her head down, she slid her thumbs over the screen. If the man noticed her, he’d assume she was a student who didn’t go home for the holidays. Colton hadn’t turned around since she first saw him on Auburn. They’d almost reached the next crossroad when they changed direction.
“There’s a parking lot on the west side of Courtland. They just walked into there.” She stopped to lean against a tree. Her face was still tilted downward, but behind the sunglasses, her eyes shifted between her phone and where the men had gone.
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