Bodyguard for Christmas

by Carol J. Post

  “Mr. Gale here had his instructions.” His speech was as lazy as his mannerisms. “If he chose to ignore those instructions, the kid will pay.”

  Colton gasped. “I didn’t call anyone.” As hard as he tried, he couldn’t keep the quiver out of his voice. Or the desperation. “Those sirens have nothing to do with me.”

  Acres of overgrowth and abandoned steel-and-brick buildings gave the impression of complete solitude. But it was an illusion. The bustle of the city was only a few blocks away.

  “This is Atlanta. You hear sirens twenty-four hours a day.”

  As emergency vehicles moved even closer, the lankier man placed Liam on the floor but kept a tight grip on his hand. He, too, drew his weapon.

  The squeals reached their loudest, then started a slow fade. Judging from the direction and closeness of the sirens, they had likely passed by on Dekalb.

  Colton drew in a shaky breath, every nerve frayed. “Come on, I’ve held up my end. I brought you what you wanted and I didn’t involve anyone else. Let me have my son.”

  Marino stared at him, and a shiver skittered down Colton’s spine. There was something about the set of the other man’s jaw, the hardness that had entered his features. His eyes held coldness, even cruelty.

  “Move to the other end of the building.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me.”

  Colton hesitated, not wanting to put even more distance between him and his son. But he had no choice. Marino had all the power. He had none.

  He walked, casting repeated glances backward. The building was long, probably close to three hundred feet from end to end.

  “You made a promise.” He flung the words over his left shoulder. “You said if your terms were met, you’d return my son unharmed.”

  When he reached the far end, he turned. Bay doors occupied the entire wall to his right. The three men were spread out in front of two of the doors near the opposite end.

  His gaze shifted to the windows several hundred feet in front of him. Had he just seen movement? A brief silhouette of someone moving against the woods?

  No, that was wishful thinking. No one was coming to rescue him.

  He prayed he wouldn’t need it. Maybe Marino had an innocent reason for sending him so far from his son. Maybe their plan was to release Liam to go to him while they ran from the building to whatever means of escape they had waiting.

  It wouldn’t be the Miata. He was sure of that. Otherwise Boulder wouldn’t have been so careful about not leaving behind prints.

  Marino gave a slight nod. “Let him go.”

  The man dropped Liam’s hand. For several moments, Liam stood unmoving, eyes wide, thumb in his mouth.

  “Come on, buddy.” Colton held out both arms, relief and joy colliding inside him. It was almost over. Within a minute or two, he and Liam would walk from the building.

  He had no phone, no way to get in touch with Jasmine and the others. But he’d find a way. He could walk to a nearby business. Or flag down a motorist.

  Liam pulled his thumb from his mouth and began moving toward him, picking up speed as he went. Colton struggled to remain where he was. Marino had made him walk to the far end of the building and probably expected him to stay there.

  But everything inside him demanded that he run to his son, scoop him up and disappear out the nearest door. Instead, he dropped to one knee and spread his arms wider.

  Moments later, Liam tripped and crashed to the floor. He remained on his hands and knees as renewed sobs shook his little shoulders.

  That protective instinct took over, and Colton shot to his feet. He’d covered about half the distance when Marino spoke, voice devoid of emotion. “Shoot the kid.”

  Colton’s heart stuttered as he skidded to a stop. “What?”

  Several seconds passed before he realized he’d heard his question in chorus. He wasn’t the only one who’d voiced an objection. Boulder still held his weapon poised but was shaking his head.

  “I said shoot the kid. Mr. Gale needs to learn there are consequences for trying to rip people off. Especially people like me.”

  Colton shifted his gaze to the windows, then immediately snapped it back again. Someone was out there.

  Was it kids doing unauthorized exploration? Or trained people who were qualified to lend a hand? If the latter, was there any chance they’d get there in time?

  The larger man lowered his weapon. “No way. I don’t kill kids.”

  A figure bolted past the first opening. The bay door was raised only a couple of feet, but he recognized those boots.

  Jasmine!

  How had she found him? If she was there, that probably meant Gunn and Dom were there, too.

  “You’ll do as I say.”

  Colton’s mind spun. He needed to give them time to get into position to stop the men before anyone opened fire.

  “You’ve got what you want.” He spoke with more boldness than he felt. “You need to leave while you can.”

  He hesitated, thoughts still swirling. “That helicopter we saw, they weren’t just looking for news. They were tracking me.”

  Okay, that was pretty far-fetched. But it was the best he could come up with on the spur of the moment.

  “I’m sure the authorities have already located the car and are moving in as we speak. If anyone fires a weapon, guys with guns are going to be all over this place.”

  Marino gave a derisive laugh. “You’re full of it. Just like you were when you tried to pass off a fake Roman signet ring for a real one.”

  Marino’s words were convincing, but a seed of doubt had crept in, tainting that air of confidence. If there was anything Colton had learned as a prosecutor over the years, it was how to read people.

  “You don’t know that for sure. Do you really want to stake your freedom on it? What if you’re wrong?”

  Two more figures slipped past the opening, likely Gunn and Dom.

  Marino shifted his attention back to Boulder. “Now do what I said.”

  Colton held up a hand. “Wait.” The three bodyguards were just outside, making their way closer along the side of the building. The next two doors were closed, the fourth being the first open enough to walk under without ducking. They needed a few more seconds to reach it.

  Suddenly, another set of legs appeared in front of the first door. The next second, Cade dropped to the ground and rolled beneath it. A moment later, he was on his feet, creeping silently toward the three men.

  What was he doing? He’d probably been instructed to stay in the vehicle. Instead, he was going to try to play the hero. It was a good way to get them all killed.

  “No more stalling.” Ice tinged Marino’s tone. “Do it.”

  “I told you, I don’t kill kids. I won’t live with that on my conscience.”

  “No, I guess you won’t.” Marino reached beneath his jacket. In one smooth motion, he withdrew his weapon, aimed it and fired.

  Boulder twisted and lunged, but not quickly enough to avoid the bullet. He clutched his side and dropped to his knees.

  Cade charged Marino the same time Colton ran full bore toward his son. Liam had sat back on his heels and was screaming, eyes squeezed shut and hands pressed to his ears.

  Marino brought the weapon around and pointed it at Liam.

  The next several seconds played out in slow motion. Colton shot forward in a final burst of speed. Jasmine, Dom and Gunn ran through the open door, and Cade slammed into Marino.

  Gunfire exploded a second time. Colton’s leg buckled, and he crashed to the concrete. Pain ricocheted through his body, the keenest agony centered in his right thigh.

  He covered the final few feet at a sloppy crawl while chaos erupted a few yards away. Another shot rang out. A quick glance that direction confirmed that neither Cade nor any of the Burch Security people had been h
it.

  He sat and scooped Liam into his lap. His pants leg was soaked. He was losing blood fast. While he put pressure on the wound with one hand, he held Liam to his chest with the other, rocking him back and forth and whispering soothing words into his ear.

  Sirens sounded in the distance, filling him with relief instead of fear. This time, they were probably for him.

  He looked up to see both Marino and the thinner man lying on the floor facedown, their hands behind their heads. Gunn’s and Dom’s weapons were trained on them. Boulder was lying nearby with Cade kneeling over him trying to staunch the flow of blood. The man was still conscious, but just barely. He’d refused to kill Liam. Colton hoped he made it.

  Jasmine had just risen and was walking toward him and Liam. Sunlight washed over her as she passed under one of the skylights.

  Never had he seen anything so beautiful.

  If not for her and the other Burch Security people, Liam would be dead. Colton likely would be, too. He owed her everything.

  When she dropped to her knees in front of him, he wrapped his arms around her, Liam pressed between them. The next moment, his lips were on hers and he was pouring everything he felt into the kiss—respect, admiration, appreciation.

  And love.

  Love?

  He stiffened. Mandy had been gone for just seven months. How could he even think about letting go of what he’d had with her and giving it to someone else?

  He pulled away, letting his arms fall from around her. “I’m sorry. I was with my wife for seven years. I haven’t even dated anyone since she died.”

  Jasmine brought a hand to her mouth. Her fingers quivered, and her eyes held confusion. “It’s okay. I’m not any more ready for this than you are.” She looked down at his leg. “Are you all right?”

  His leg. Yes. No. “I got shot.”

  She’d been quick to dismiss what had just happened between them. Good. It was for the best.

  “I know how bad it hurts. I’ve been there.” She gave him a weak smile. “Help is almost here.”

  The sirens were louder now, almost ear-piercing. They’d likely turned off Dekalb and were now on Rogers. Someone needed to tell them where they were.

  Colton searched for Cade, but he was gone. Maybe he’d gone out to meet law enforcement and emergency medical personnel. Today he’d taken a small step toward atoning for his wrongs. But he still had a long way to go.

  “Are you staying with me?” Jasmine’s hands pushed his aside to press down on his leg, and he grimaced.

  “Yeah.” At least he was trying. His stomach threatened to hurl its contents and shadows danced on the edges of his vision.

  He wasn’t going to pass out. Not with Jasmine watching. If their roles were reversed and she was the one lying there with a bullet in her leg, she’d stoically bear both the pain and the blood loss. She was one tough lady. She’d served on the front lines in one of the scariest places on earth. And she’d been shot, probably more than once.

  The shadows darkened. No, he was not going to pass out.

  Keeping pressure on his leg with one hand, Jasmine reached for Liam with the other. “You’d better lie down. You’re looking really pale.”

  “I’m all right.” Beyond her, four police officers and two paramedics entered the building. He seemed to be watching them through a tube that was growing smaller by the second.

  “You’re not all right.” She wrapped an arm around Liam and dragged him onto her lap.

  Colton allowed her to gently push him backward. From this perspective, everything looked different, the ceiling a maze of metal trusses and beams, maybe even a couple of catwalks.

  “Is anyone else hurt?” The male voice likely belonged to one of the paramedics. He couldn’t look to see. The clouds had moved across his entire field of vision.

  “Over here. Gunshot wound to the thigh.” Jasmine sounded far away. But she was there. He could still feel the pressure of her hand on his leg.

  He wasn’t going to pass out, but someone would have to watch Liam during the ambulance ride and his time at the hospital.

  Cade would gladly do it, but as far as Colton was concerned, he’d lost that privilege.

  He reached for Jasmine. “Please take care of Liam.”

  She squeezed his hand. “Of course I will.”

  A sense of peace settled over him. His son was finally safe. It really was over.

  Thank You, Lord.

  He released a long sigh and gave in to the oblivion overtaking him.

  TWELVE

  Colton shifted his position and wasn’t quite able to stifle a grimace.

  Jasmine gave him a sympathetic smile. “Does it hurt bad?”

  “Not as badly as I’d expect it to.”

  He probably had some heavy-duty pain meds to thank for that. He’d woken up in Recovery an hour ago and eventually been moved to a semiprivate room.

  The other bed was empty, which was a good thing. It hadn’t taken long for the room to fill with visitors. Jasmine, Gunn and Dom had come into the room within minutes of the nurses getting him settled in the bed.

  His Murphy friends were lending their support, too. Jasmine had texted Paige, who’d relayed what had happened to Tanner, who’d passed the information on to Andi and Bryce. Tanner and Paige had walked in a few minutes ago. Andi and Bryce hadn’t arrived yet but were on their way.

  Jasmine had even been allowed to bring Liam into the room. He’d immediately wanted to climb up into the bed, and Colton had let him. For the past several minutes, Liam had lain with his head on Colton’s shoulder, his arm stretched across his chest.

  When the nurses eventually ran out all the visitors, Liam wasn’t going to be happy. Colton wasn’t, either. Liam would be in good hands with Jasmine, but after coming so close to losing him, Colton wanted to hold on to him forever.

  He looked at Dom and Gunn, then let his gaze settle on Jasmine. “I need to tell you guys thanks for not listening to me. I don’t even want to think about what would have happened if you hadn’t gotten involved.”

  Jasmine shrugged. “That’s what we do. What kind of bodyguard would I be if I let you meet kidnappers alone? I’m just glad it worked out.”

  His eyes shifted to the corner. His brother stood several feet away, back against the wall. He’d ridden there with Jasmine and Liam. But when the others had gathered around the hospital bed, Cade had hung back, face lined with fatigue and eyes projecting sadness.

  Yeah, he blew it. And he knew it.

  Colton winced as compassion tugged at him. He tamped it down. Cade had acted heroically in the end, but he didn’t deserve to be welcomed back into their lives as if the events of the past twenty-four hours hadn’t happened.

  He pulled his attention back to Jasmine. He had a whole slew of unanswered questions. In the few minutes they’d been there, the conversation hadn’t progressed beyond them asking how he felt and his checking on his son.

  “How did you find us?”

  “I guess you could say we know people in high places.” She smiled. “None of us were comfortable with not being able to track you except through your phone and car. We knew we needed a plan B. So Gunn got ahold of a friend who covers traffic for one of the local news stations. He told her the situation, that we might need some help.”

  “The helicopter.” Colton released a laugh. “When the men were going to shoot Liam, I said the helicopter had been tracking me. I was making something up, trying to convince them to take the ring and disappear.”

  “That was a pretty good guess. When I realized they’d ditched your phone, Gunn placed a call to someone at the station. His friend kept an eye on you until she knew where you were going.”

  He nodded. “Liam and I both owe our lives to you three.”

  Jasmine shrugged. “Everyone played a part.”

  Colton frowned.
“I didn’t do much.”

  “You did. It was your trying to persuade the guy to not shoot that bought us the time we needed.”

  Yeah, persuasive argument. That was his specialty. He wasn’t good with a firearm, and he probably wouldn’t fare well in hand-to-hand combat. But thinking on his feet? That was something he could do.

  “Cade was supposed to wait in the car.” She cast a quick glance over her shoulder. “But it’s a good thing he didn’t. He’d slipped up behind us, so we didn’t even realize what he’d done until we rushed into the building.”

  She was right. Cade’s actions had been reckless. But they’d saved Liam’s life.

  “Who fired the last shot?”

  “The thinner guy. It was intended for Cade, but Dom tackled him first. Dressing alike had been a good idea.”

  Gunn nodded. “When the guy saw Cade, his mouth dropped open. He looked at you, then back at Cade. By the time he recovered enough to fire, Dom was taking him down. So the shot went wide.”

  God had allowed all the pieces to fall perfectly into place. The extra set of eyes in the sky, the Burch Security people arriving when they did, Cade’s reckless but heroic actions, even the man refusing to shoot Liam.

  “What about the bigger guy who got shot? How is he?”

  Jasmine shrugged. “He was still alive at the time they took him away from the scene, but that’s all I know.”

  “I hope he makes it.”

  She shook her head. “You and Liam almost died today. But you’re concerned about the condition of one of the bad guys. Somehow that doesn’t surprise me.”

  There was no criticism in her tone. Instead, her eyes held respect and admiration. She’d hinted at it before—she’d been observing him, watching how he lived out his faith, searching for the same peace he’d found.

  But having a soft spot in his heart for the man who’d chosen to let his son live was easy. Letting go of the anger with his brother wasn’t. He’d put Liam in grave danger, for nothing except greed.