Guarded by the Soldier (Justice Seekers Book 2)

by Laura Scott

  “Wednesday at one is fine.” At least, she hoped this nightmare would be over by then. She took the proffered paperwork with a smile. “And I know I’m to call if the contractions start up again.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Thanks again.” Liv meant it. She was grateful for the labor-and-delivery team’s expertise and knew she wanted to return to this hospital when it was time to have her baby.

  “You’re welcome.” The nurse hurried out of the room, obviously in a rush to check on her other patients. Olivia didn’t blame her.

  She glanced at Ryker. “Is Agent Seavers going with us?”

  “I think so. If not, he’ll hand us over to Agent Barnes. He’s the one who arranged the hotel.”

  She smiled. “I’m glad Blake-Moore has no idea I’m here.”

  A frown creased his brow. “I hope not, but we’re taking added precautions just in case.”

  The minutes dragged by slowly as they waited for Duncan’s call. When it finally came, the shrill ringtone startled her.

  She took a deep breath, reminding herself to stay calm. No Stress was her new mantra.

  “Got it. See you soon.” Ryker put his phone away and came to stand behind her wheelchair. “Ready?”

  “Yes.” Ignoring the pang she felt in leaving the safety of the hospital room, Liv kept her gaze focused straight ahead. As they passed Tony in the hall, he nodded and fell in step behind them.

  Ryker pushed her into the elevator, hitting the button labeled Lobby.

  “I thought we were avoiding the lobby?”

  “Originally, but there’s a connection from the lobby level to the parking garage. That’s where Duncan is meeting us.”

  Her entry into the hospital through the emergency department was nothing but a blur so she didn’t question his knowledge.

  They made it through the lobby and into the parking garage within the promised five minutes. When Agent Seavers’s phone rang, he looked at his screen and grimaced. “My boss, likely mad at the way I let Seth get to Olivia. Give me a minute, okay?” Seavers brought the phone to his ear, turning away to speak in private.

  “I think I see Duncan.” She gestured to the black SUV. “Stop, Ryker. I’ll walk from here.”

  Ryker set the brakes on the wheelchair, putting his hand beneath her elbow to help her to her feet.

  She’d only made it a few steps when a blur of movement caught the corner of her eye. She turned her gaze in time to see a man she recognized as one of the bosses Tim had introduced her to at the Fourth of July party. He stepped out from behind a concrete pillar, holding a gun trained on them.

  “Don’t move.” His tone was terse.

  She froze, her hands splayed protectively over her belly.

  “What do you want, Moore? Or is it Blake?” Ryker’s question was mild, as if he wasn’t the least bit worried about the armed man standing there.

  “Moore. And you know what I want.” He waved the gun. “Give me the account numbers now!”

  “B-but, I don’t have them.” Olivia couldn’t seem to drag her gaze from the muzzle of his gun. If he pulled the trigger, she and her baby would die. Thankfully, Aaron was safe, but she didn’t want her son to become an orphan.

  “I have them,” Ryker said. “But I want Olivia safe first.”

  “No deal.” Moore lifted the gun a bit higher.

  Ryker began to recite the numbers by memory, then stopped abruptly, narrowing his gaze on Harper Moore. “If you want the entire account number, you’ll let me send Olivia off with my friend. You don’t need her when you have me.”

  “No!” She didn’t want to leave Ryker behind. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing him.

  She loved him. More than she thought possible.

  And she knew, deep in her bones, that once Harper Moore had what he wanted, he’d kill Ryker.

  SEVENTEEN

  More than anything, Ryker wanted to protect Olivia. To keep her safe from harm. Yet here they were, being held at gunpoint by a cold-blooded killer. Ryker swallowed a lump of guilt, knowing he should have anticipated Blake-Moore would find them at the hospital.

  So much for Seth Willis’s claim of not being involved with the mercenary group. Obviously, Willis must have been acting on orders from Harper Moore himself. Did that mean Kevin Blake knew about the money, too? Or had the partner of the firm been left in the dark? There was no way to know for certain.

  “You can’t possibly remember all the bank-account numbers,” Moore said with a sneer. “You’re rattling off garbage. Send Olivia to me, and I’ll let you and your friend live.”

  No way was he doing that. Moore would kill her and the baby without a second thought. He actually did know all the numbers. He’d memorized them just in case, but wasn’t sure how to convince Moore. He decided to try a different path. If he stalled long enough, maybe Duncan could get a shot at him. At the moment, he and Olivia were in Duncan’s way, and Ryker knew Duncan wouldn’t risk hitting Olivia. Or maybe Tony Seavers from the FBI would arrive to help. That phone call from his boss was rotten timing.

  At this point, he’d welcome anyone, even someone from the hospital security team.

  “Tell me, Harper, when did you learn Tim and Colin were skimming money from you and Kevin? I’m sure that made you furious.”

  The question caught Moore off guard, but he didn’t hesitate to answer. “Seth told me what he knew. I offered to give him a finder’s fee if he brought me the bank-account information, but he got himself arrested instead.” The barrel of Moore’s gun never wavered. “Enough talking. We need to move. I want Olivia with me now!”

  Ryker met Olivia’s frightened gaze and knew he needed to do something to get her out of this mess. He swept his gaze over the area in an attempt to formulate a plan. The gun he normally kept on him at all times was in the glove box, because the hospital had a no weapon rule. There had to be something he could do.

  But there was absolutely nothing to use as a weapon. The wheelchair and garbage can were both too far away to be of any use.

  He prayed for strength and wisdom, hoping God had a plan for them.

  “Oh!” Olivia let out a loud groan, doubling over in pain. “Help me! The labor pains are back.”

  What? Now? Ryker felt the blood draining from his face. Her labor must have restarted because of the stress.

  “Hurry!” Moore’s tone was sharp. “I want the information before she drops that kid.”

  “Don’t be stupid.” Ryker lifted his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “You don’t need her when you can have me.”

  Olivia slowly blinked her eyes at him, and it took only a second for him to realize she was pretending. He decided to play along. “Olivia? How bad are they?”

  “Bad.” Her voice was low and guttural. “If I don’t get inside, I’ll have this baby right here in the parking garage!”

  “Take me.” Ryker drilled Harper Moore with his gaze. “She’ll be useless to you while she’s in labor. And I promise I have the bank-account numbers memorized. Don’t you see? She’s a liability to you. She needs a doctor!”

  “Fine. I’ll take you. Stuff her into the SUV.” Moore gestured with the gun. “One false move and I’ll shoot.”

  Ryker doubted the guy would shoot in a public place, even if they were in a rather isolated corner of the parking garage. But Ryker was more than willing to comply with his demand. Olivia was still bent over, pretending to be in pain, so he moved close. “Lean on me. I’ll get you into the SUV, okay? Duncan will get you out of here.”

  “But what about the doctor?” Olivia sounded fearful and he hoped he hadn’t misunderstood her exaggerated blink. That she really wasn’t in labor.

  “You’ll be fine.” He knew that his gun was in the glove box of the SUV. All he needed was the opportunity to grab it.

  As it turned out, Duncan already had the gl
ove box open. As if reading his mind, Olivia lurched forward toward the passenger seat, staying low to give Ryker access to the gun.

  Ryker knew Duncan was armed, but seated as he was behind the wheel, his buddy couldn’t shoot without possibly hitting him or Olivia, considering Harper Moore was located behind them. Ryker knew he’d have to be the one to take the shot.

  He pushed Olivia down toward the floor and reached for the weapon.

  Several things happened at once. A loud, authoritative voice shouted, “Hey, what’s going on?” At the same time, Ryker spun around to shoot at Moore. Moore must have been momentarily distracted by the man approaching the scene, because he didn’t even get a shot off.

  Blood spurted from Moore’s chest. He sagged against the concrete pillar, then slowly slid to the ground, a look of stunned surprise on his features.

  Duncan hit the horn, the blare echoing loudly off the concrete surrounding them. The approaching security guard and other people arrived on the scene from various directions, including Tony Seavers from the FBI, looking guilty for not staying with them.

  Ryker rushed over to check on Harper Moore, who was pale and bleeding, but still alive. “Where is Kevin Blake?”

  Moore struggled to speak. “Dea...”

  Dead? “Come on, tell me where Kevin Blake is.” Ryker pressed his hand against the wound, hoping to stem the bleeding. “We need an ambulance now!”

  “I’ll call,” the security guard offered.

  “You’re not going to die, Harper, but you will spend the rest of your life in jail.” Ryker leaned his weight on the wound, peering down into Harper’s eyes, willing the guy to respond. “Do you really want Kevin Blake to get away with all the cash?”

  “He’s dead...” Harper Moore’s eyes drifted closed and his jaw went slack.

  No! Feeling frantic, Ryker continued holding pressure on the gunshot wound. “Harper! Wake up!” He raised his head, looking at the various bystanders who were blatantly gawking. “I need a doctor here now! Hurry!”

  “They’re on the way.” The security guard came over to kneel beside him. “What can I do?”

  Ryker shook his head. “I don’t want him to die. The FBI has been searching for this guy and his partner. He can’t die!”

  “Okay, I get it.” The security guard rested a hand on Ryker’s shoulder. “Are you a cop?”

  “Not exactly.” Ryker wondered if he’d be arrested for shooting the guy, despite the fact that he’d only done it to save Olivia’s life. “I need you to secure the video for this parking garage. The Feds will want to review it.”

  The security guard’s eyes widened as he nodded. “I can do that.”

  “Good.” Where in the world was that medical team?

  “Speaking of which, Marc Callahan is on his way.” Tony Seavers gestured at the area around the SUV. “He’ll work with the locals to clear the scene.”

  “Olivia?” Ryker craned his neck in an attempt to make eye contact with her. “Are you all right? You’re not really in labor, are you?”

  “I’m fine.” She stood leaning against the SUV, with Duncan beside her. “Don’t worry about me.”

  He nodded, but couldn’t relax. Hearing the pounding of footsteps on the ground, he was grateful to see several men and women wearing scrubs rushing toward him. He didn’t move, not until the medical team was close enough to take over.

  “Gunshot wound to the chest.” He moved out of the way. The team surrounded Harper Moore, the tall redheaded female obviously in charge.

  “Get his chest wound packed with dressings. Get his vitals.”

  Ryker stared at his blood-stained hands with a sense of dismay. He didn’t regret doing what was necessary to save Olivia’s life, but wished he hadn’t hit Moore in the chest. If the guy didn’t make it, they’d be no closer to finding Kevin Blake.

  “So much blood,” Olivia whispered.

  He grimaced, knowing she was right.

  “Why don’t you wash up?” She gently tugged on his elbow. “You’re covered in blood and the restrooms aren’t far.”

  He didn’t want to leave her alone, but he didn’t want to get her covered in blood, either. He followed her back inside the hospital to the restrooms just off the main lobby. After scrubbing the blood from his hands, he returned to find her waiting for him. Ryker longed to pull her into his arms, but noticed Marc Callahan striding toward them.

  “You okay?” Marc’s keen gaze raked over him. “No injuries?”

  “I’m fine. Olivia’s the one who needs to see a doctor.”

  “No, I’m okay.” Olivia turned toward Marc. “Moore wanted the bank-account information.”

  “He claims Seth Willis told him about the embezzlement scheme,” Ryker added. “He didn’t say one way or the other if Kevin Blake was involved. When I asked where Kevin was, he said dead.”

  “I’ll need to corroborate his claim that Blake is dead, although it doesn’t make sense Moore would lie about that. Why would he want Blake to get all the cash?” Marc blew out a heavy sigh. “We’re going to need your statement and Olivia’s before you can leave.”

  “Duncan’s, too.” Ryker knew the drill. “I asked the security guard to secure the video. Figured you and the local authorities will want to review it.”

  “We will.” Marc held out his hand. Ryker solemnly shook it. “Nice work. Glad you were able to stop him.”

  “Thanks.” Ryker noticed the medical team was bringing Harper Moore’s gurney inside, in a flurry of activity. The beeping heart monitor was somewhat reassuring, but the grim expressions on the faces of the team members told him that Moore was only hanging on by a thread. He couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away as they wheeled past him.

  “It’s not your fault.” Olivia’s soft voice drew him from his dark thoughts. “He made the decision to come after me with a gun in an effort to get his hands on the money.”

  “I know.” He pulled her close and buried his face against her silky hair. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

  “We both are.” The baby kicked, making him smile. “Actually, all three of us are. You saved us again, Ryker. I’m sorry you’ve had to face so much violence to do it.” Her body shuddered as if the memory was horrifying to her.

  And he couldn’t blame her.

  Emotion clogged his throat, and for a moment he couldn’t speak. Violence. She’d witnessed him doing violent acts from the moment they’d met. All along he knew that once Olivia returned to her normal everyday life, there would be no place for him.

  Now he realized that the opposite would be just as bad. Having him around would only make her remember the horrible things she’d witnessed. All the blood she’d seen spilled.

  Now that Harper Moore was out of the picture, and Kevin Blake was likely dead, there was nothing more for him to do.

  It was time to let Olivia and Aaron go. To give them the normal life they deserved.

  * * *

  She relished being held in Ryker’s warm embrace, but it was over all too soon. He eased away, looking at Marc. “Let’s get these statements out of the way as soon as possible. Olivia wants to see Aaron and deserves to get some rest.”

  “Olivia can speak for herself, thanks.” She wasn’t sure why Ryker’s tone irked her. It seemed as if he was pulling away from her. “I’m fine.”

  Marc’s lips twitched. “Okay, I’ll talk to Olivia over here. Tony Seavers will take your statement.”

  Ryker gave a curt nod and moved away, without giving her a second glance. She frowned, wondering what was going on with him. She knew Ryker was likely feeling a bit of guilt over his role in taking down Harper Moore, but it wasn’t as if there had been an alternative.

  Marc Callahan led her to a seat in the corner of the lobby cordoned off from the rest of the public. Plenty of gawkers still hung around, but the hospital security guards were doing their best to
send them on their way.

  “Start at the beginning,” Marc suggested.

  As she told the story, Marc interrupted her several times, asking additional questions. The process took far longer than she would have expected, but finally he nodded, his expression full of satisfaction.

  “Okay, thanks, Olivia. Would you like me to contact Mike so you can talk to Aaron?”

  “Yes, please.” When he handed her his phone, she lifted it to her ear. “Aaron? Is that you, sweetheart?”

  “Mommy! When are you coming to get me?”

  “Soon, baby. Very soon. Are you being a good boy for Mr. and Mrs. Callahan?”

  “Yes. Mommy, Brodie’s daddy wants to talk to you.”

  “Okay, but just know I’ll see you soon, Aaron.” There was a brief silence before she heard Mike’s voice. “Hey, heard Ryker got Harper Moore.”

  “Yes. But there’s still Kevin Blake.”

  “I heard Blake is probably dead,” Mike said reassuringly. “If he and Moore both knew about the money, they’d have worked together to get to you.”

  “Gee, thanks. That’s so not reassuring.”

  “Sorry, but it’s the truth. Do you want me to bring Aaron to you? Just tell me when and where.”

  “Anxious to get rid of him, huh?” Her wry smile faded. “Actually, I’m not sure where I’m supposed to go. There was a hotel room, but I’m not sure if that’s still on. Let me find Ryker and we’ll call you back, okay?”

  “Sure, no problem. And really, there’s no rush. Aaron and Brodie are playing together just fine.”

  “Thanks, Mike. You and Shayla are lifesavers.” She handed the phone back to Marc. “Your family has been wonderful to us.”

  Marc waved off her gratitude. “We owe Ryker and Duncan for the way they helped us in the past. No need to worry about it. Would you like to return home?”