Once more, she nodded, but it concerned him she didn’t even put voice to an “Okay” or a “Yes.” Hurrying around to the opposite side, he slid into the rear passenger seat then reached across the space for her shoulders. The small figure huddled beneath that wash of silver material tugged at his heart, but he willed it aside.
His only goal was to keep her warm until the ambulance arrived to take over.
Tripp gently pulled her onto the backseat so that she settled on his lap. His shirt and coat were still wet from where he’d held her, but the solar blanket ensured she wasn’t touched by any of it. He gently tugged her long hair out from where it lay against her neck, determined to remove any bit of wet or cold from her skin.
Just like when he’d carried her, she settled against his chest. Heat blew heavy out of the SUV’s front console and he positioned her so that she was in the direct line of the vent. He then settled his chin on the top of her head and rubbed his hands over her shoulders and down her arms, willing circulation and much needed heat to return to her body.
Then it was time to wait.
And hope like hell he’d acted fast enough.
* * *
The uncontrollable chattering that had gripped her since emerging from the lake finally subsided. She still felt bone-deep cold, but that sense of her body turning on her, taking on a mind of its own, finally faded.
With each stroke of Tripp’s firm, flat palm against her body, Sadie felt a bit of herself return.
And with it, the dawning sense that she was basically naked in Tripp McKellar’s lap. A fact that was mostly immaterial to her situation—he was the consummate professional—but was still one that had burrowed deep and decided to unfurl with heat.
And need.
It was amazing, really, how she could even think of that in this moment, yet if she were honest with herself, it was there.
Her attraction to Tripp had always been there. Yes, it had been muted and, basically, ignored when she’d become engaged to Tate, but it had never really died. Now that she’d distanced herself from Tate’s influence, she’d had plenty of time to acknowledge that the allure of the GRPD lieutenant had never really gone away.
And what was to be done about that?
The large male body that fitted around hers was the epitome of safety and protection. Even more, there was a gentle, caring quality to his ministrations that pulled at her. Tripp McKellar was a good man. She’d always known that, but to actually be on the receiving end of that tender gentleness was impossibly wonderful.
Even as it felt impossibly right.
“I’m getting you wet.” Sadie was surprised by how small and croaky her voice sounded.
Tripp shifted, his arms tightening around her. “I’m fine. Are you starting to feel warmer?”
“A little bit.” Although she was still chilled to the bone, sensation was coming back into her limbs.
“The ambulance should be here soon. We’ll get you fixed up and make sure that dip in the lake didn’t do any damage. Iglesias is with me and by now he’ll have called your family, too.”
“I wasn’t in there that long.”
“It’s December. Any amount of time is too long.”
He was right, of course, but she still wouldn’t have changed the decision. The chance to break away from Tate had been too good to pass up and she’d taken her shot when she’d had it. She was just thankful that Tripp and his backup had been waiting for her.
“How did you know where to find me?”
“I think a better question is why did it take me so long.”
Sadie didn’t miss his use of the word me, despite the fact that he had an entire department working behind him.
“No, I think my question is the right one. How did you figure out it was Sand Springs Lake?”
“I triangulated all of the offenses that we could identify as Capital X over the past several years. I’ve done some more work and I have realized that the crimes seem to fit into three distinct clusters in the county.”
“And this was the most isolated of the three?” Sadie asked.
“Exactly.”
Sadie considered it, struck anew when Tripp mentioned Capital X’s crimes—as in plural—that her ex was behind it all. Would she ever get over this feeling of how badly she’d been played?
Stupid much, Sadie?
Yes, she’d had a month to think about it, to digest it, and try to come to some bit of reason for it all. But it remained nearly impossible to hear anything over the constant pounding of self-blame she couldn’t seem to shake off.
Or drown out.
Or ignore.
Her entire family had been leery of Tate from the start, her twin sister, Victoria, most of all. Vikki had been kind about it at first, pressing Sadie often to know how the relationship was coming along and if it made her happy.
Since she and her sister had always known what the other was feeling, the continued questioning had finally taken its toll. No matter how large a smile Vikki had pasted on or how innocent her tone, Sadie had known the truth. It had all been an act. All designed to try to figure out what Sadie had seen in Tate.
And she was happy. Or had been.
For a few precious months, at the start of the relationship, she’d been practically giddy. Falling in love with a man she’d never expected to meet. Tate had the sexy, bad-boy look she’d always found appealing in movies yet had never imagined for herself. And as she’d gotten to know him, she’d seen that the sexy façade was only the beginning. They’d talked of so many things and, after every conversation, she’d been certain there was so much more to him than what was visible on the surface.
And she’d equated each of those conversations to herself and the woman no one seemed to see beneath her surface.
Yes, she was good, sweet, hardworking Sadie Colton. She was the baby of the family, her birth minutes after Vikki’s ensuring she was the youngest Colton. Whether it was her status as youngest or her eagerness at work or her relatively upbeat personality, everyone saw her as the sweet, cheerful, girl next door. But no one seemed to see her as a woman. One with needs and desires and ambitions of her own.
But Tate had.
Only instead of falling in love with those qualities, he’d twisted them and used them to his own ends.
“Hey there. You okay?” Tripp’s voice whispered over her ear, the light tickle sensation enough to pull her from the dour direction of her thoughts.
“Yeah.”
He shifted until he could tilt his head just so to look directly at her. And in his vivid blue gaze Sadie saw a flash of redemption from the ugly direction of her thoughts. It was quick and fleeting, but it was there all the same.
Maybe—maybe?—this man saw her as a woman, too.
The flash was gone in less than a heartbeat, but that lingering idea took root somewhere deep, helping to warm her from the inside out.
“You sure about that?”
“I am. I’m starting to warm up. The heat helps.” She swallowed hard, once again aware of the fact that nothing but a thin layer of blanket separated her naked butt from his lap. And with it, the heat that had slowly worked its way back into her body crept up her neck. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
The edges of those compelling eyes crinkled with his gentle smile. “All in a day’s work.”
In that moment, Sadie realized she could stay there forever. Right there, wrapped in his arms, warm and secure. Whatever emotional damage Tate had done, it would never be enough for her to believe that Tripp McKellar was anything but a good and decent man. There was no pretense here, no false front.
Only goodness and truth.
Sure, he had a past. She knew about the woman he’d been engaged to shortly before Sadie had started on the force. Knew the sadder end that had seen her gunned down by a criminal let out of the prison
system too early.
She’d watched from a distance as Tripp had dealt with it all. The pain that came from survival and the will a person needed to move on, day by day.
But he’d done it. He’d moved on, focused on his work, the city of Grand Rapids and ensuring his team had all it needed to do the job.
It was how he’d known how to find her.
Suddenly tired, Sadie laid her head back against his shoulder and closed her eyes. She could never be with this man romantically, but she could admire who and what he was. And she could quietly, without anyone knowing, use him as her own personal lodestone, showing her the way to true north. There were good men in the world. Good, decent men who didn’t use others or betray them.
If that was all Tripp McKellar could be to her, then she’d take it. Because it was a hell of a lot more than she’d ever had before.
* * *
Tripp held tight to Sadie and wondered over the mix of emotions he’d seen in her eyes. Despite the jump in the lake and the harrowing ordeal of the past few days, there was something so resilient about her. Something so warm and open.
Even as he clearly saw the pain she lived with.
Was it due to the stark truth that her former fiancé was a scumbag?
Tripp suspected that was part of it, yet not all. He’d watched her for a long time, quietly observing her at work or out in the field, and there was something else buried deep below that compelling green gaze. It was like a river of solitude flowing beneath the woman who always seemed to be in the thick of things. She was the first to arrange an impromptu, interdepartment pickup game of soccer in the park or an after-work round of drinks.
Yet through it all, he’d always sensed there was something she held back. Some inner longing that no one except him seemed to see.
Not like he could talk to anyone about it. Even if he wasn’t so maniacal about privacy, determined to give others theirs even as he fiercely guarded his own, it wasn’t exactly coffee conversation with his coworkers.
Did you notice that Sadie Colton looked sad today after the soccer game?
Did you see Sadie Colton, head bowed down over her lab desk, earlier this afternoon?
Sadie Colton’s big smile never quite seems to reach her eyes, does it?
So instead he’d filed all those questions away, keeping them to himself almost like a warning. He had no right to dig into her business and even less to pry into her personal life. That meant his questions went unanswered and his observations were nothing more than a curious pastime.
Lost in thought, it was a surprise when Sadie suddenly struggled in his arms, shifting hard against his lap. He ignored the sudden jolt of discomfort as her body came into intimate contact with his and instead fought to steady her. “What’s wrong?”
“Tate. He’s gone.”
He briefly considered downplaying it, waiting until he had a full report—and full confirmation—from his team that Greer had gotten away. But he couldn’t do it. Regardless of his need to protect her, she was a cop and she deserved the truth.
“I think he is.”
Sadie’s focus remained on the activities taking place beyond the SUV’s window. “I can see some of what’s going on over there and it struck me that I can’t see Snake.” Tripp nearly asked who or what Snake was before she added, “The dog.”
“Greer has a dog?”
“‘Pet monster’ is a more apt term. He’s huge, ruthlessly trained and clearly lethal.”
It was new information on Greer that was helpful, but it also made what Sadie had endured that much worse. He’d envisioned Greer’s tactics would be harsh and unyielding once he took anyone prisoner. Adding the power of a trained animal into the mix only further supported that assessment.
“Did he turn the animal on you?” Tripp asked. He hadn’t seen any evidence of abuse when he’d removed her clothes, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t been intimidated or taunted. A fact that had his vision hazing as the image formed in his mind’s eye.
“Tate’s been gone since the night they kidnapped me. I’ve only seen his goons at mealtime since they stuffed me in that cabin.”
The anger faded slightly at the news she’d been largely ignored since her capture. “And he came back today?”
“Tonight. That was the first time I’d seen him since he arrived at the safe house. The first time I’d seen the dog, too.” She shook her head, a small, rueful laugh filling the space between them. “I had no idea he even liked animals.”
From her description of Snake, Tripp wasn’t sure he’d lay “animal lover” at Greer’s feet, but he kept the observation to himself. They had to focus on what they knew and that empty sense of remorse in her tone wouldn’t benefit from him piling on more questions she obviously didn’t have answers to.
Nor would this overwhelming sense of anger he couldn’t quite rein in. There would be time for it all later. Right now, he had to concentrate on getting Sadie safely to the hospital and on the road to recovery. As if to punctuate that thought, the lights of the ambulance suddenly filled the night, flashing red and blue as the vehicle pulled up into the clearing beyond the house.
In those flashing lights, Tripp knew something else with terrifying clarity.
Every minute they didn’t have Tate Greer in custody was another moment Sadie was in danger. Because after tonight, there was no way Greer would be willing to let her live—and no way that Tripp would let him get to her.
CHAPTER 4
Sadie kept her gaze on the cabin in the distance as the medics prepared to strap her onto the gurney. She knew Gus and Gage, the two medics who treated her now, and appreciated their attention to her modesty as they covered her with more blankets before helping her onto the flat bed.
There were things to say to Tripp, starting with a thank-you for saving her life, but they’d have to wait. For now, she had to think.
Where had Tate gone?
If he’d gotten away so quickly, there had to have been another hidey-hole nearby. That meant once again they’d underestimated just how well set up he was and the depths of his network.
He obviously ran a successful business. It might be a criminal enterprise, but she’d do well to start thinking of it through a new lens: as a business enterprise.
And corporations, she knew. After watching her brother build an incredibly successful business, she had firsthand knowledge and a strong sense for how a solid enterprise ran.
Well funded. Check.
Well resourced, with provisions for any number of scenarios. Check.
Well led. Check.
While she hated to think of Tate as a leader in the traditional sense, she needed to view him that way. It was yet another facet of his talents and personal charisma, and it was something she was uniquely qualified to assess.
“You doing okay, Sadie?” Gus’s smile was gentle as he settled her into place. He had a blood pressure cuff in hand and was already gently shifting the thick blankets to get to her arm.
“Getting there.”
“You’re lucky Lieutenant McKellar was there. He did everything right, getting you out of those wet clothes and into the warmth of the SUV.”
“He did.” It was a memory that would live with her forever, the tender way he’d cared for her, with no thought to his own comfort. One she’d take out at quiet moments and remember with fondness.
It was only as Gus went to work in tandem with Gage, checking all her vitals and directing her to follow the movements of his finger or to stick out her tongue, that Sadie forced herself back to the problem at hand.
She had no doubt Tate’s henchmen would remain silent and uncooperative with the GRPD. If Tate didn’t already have them quaking in fear, Fred’s death would provide added incentive. The PD needed to shift gears and approach the problem from a new angle.
The bright lights of the ambulance as well as
Gage and Gus’s conversation faded into the background as Sadie let the idea of Tate-as-leader into the forefront of her thoughts. It was a talent she’d had since she was a small child—the ability to shut out the world as she worked through a problem—and she took full advantage of it now.
Her body still ached, a fact that was increasingly clear as her circulation and warmth returned, so she’d let her mind go somewhere else. Somewhere useful. A place she hadn’t been in far too long.
With that driving sense of purpose filling her thoughts, Sadie barely felt the shift as the ambulance began to move, headed for the hospital.
* * *
Tate watched the flashing ambulance lights fade away into the darkness and considered his next move. The one that would take his meddlesome, irritating ex-fiancée down a few more pegs.
He’d initially thought to just kill her, removing her as nothing more than an irritating nuisance. Quick. Effective. Easy.
But that was too good for her now.
For all she’d just pulled and the trouble she’d caused him, she deserved a lot worse. And he was hell-bent to be the man to give it to her.
Sadie had been the perfect mark, he thought as he ordered Snake into the large kennel he kept at his personal safe house. Sweet and innocent, those big cow eyes lighting up with interest and affection and—just as he’d planned—love in short order. It was just too bad she was such a damn goody-goody, his expected access to both the GRPD databases as well as Colton Investigations severely limited by her by-the-book personality.
She kept her work files on serious lockdown—an IT director’s dream employee. She changed her password regularly and she made the damn thing impossible to figure out. No “Tate1234” for her. No way. She hadn’t even used his name once in her password updates.
Nor had she given many details about her family. Oh, he’d heard the sob story about how her brother Riley, in lockstep with his siblings, had started Colton Investigations after the tragic deaths of their parents. How they’d banded together to help Brody Higgins, an innocent foster kid her late father had taken a special interest in.
Harlequin Romantic Suspense December 2020 Box Set Page 5
