by Jen Talty
“If you want to go back, we can,” Ryan suggested. “I know it’s a little chilly, and I’m sure Jared’s long gone by now.”
“Nah, I’m fine.” Penny wrapped a blanket around her body, then settled back in her chair. “So, what are you not telling me?”
“What are you talking about?” Lying to Jared was one thing. But lying to Penny would be damn near impossible.
“I’ve sat with you for hours while you cried your eyes out over that man. But I know you, and there is more to this story. So spill it.”
“I might be pregnant,” Ryan said, a little shocked she didn’t even try to lie.
Penny fell off her folding chair.
“Crap. Penny! Are you okay?” Ryan leaped over to help her up.
“Not okay. In shock. Did you say pregnant? As in having a baby? Jared’s baby?” She held onto Ryan’s shoulders.
Ryan nodded.
“Holy shit, Ryan. Are you sure?”
“No, I’m not sure, but I’m about a week late.”
Penny settled herself back in the chair. “You have to tell Jared. He has the right to know.”
“After I find out for sure. I figured on telling him after he’d gotten settled in Rochester.”
“That’s so not fair.” Penny glared at her. “How can you do that to him?”
“I don’t want him staying here again because of me.” Ryan shoved a stick in the fire, sending the flames high in the air. The smoke almost choked her.
“That’s his baby. He has the right to make that decision.”
Ryan turned. “I don’t know if there is a baby yet. I’ve been late before. Besides, if there is a baby, I will tell him.”
“If you don’t, I will.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Don’t tempt me, Ryan. You’re playing with fire.” Penny stood, then moved toward the tent. “I love you with all my heart, but think about what you’re doing. Not only are you playing with Jared’s emotions, but your child’s. That’s just not fair. And I can say that from experience. Imagine where I’d be if I hadn’t told Chuck.”
“That’s different. Chuck loves you, and he asked you to marry him before he knew.”
“You don’t know how Jared feels, because you never gave him the chance to tell you. Nope, you hid from him instead. Telling him he didn’t mean enough to you to see him off.” Penny shook her head, then slipped into the tent.
“He had ample time to tell me how he felt,” Ryan muttered, but knew that wasn’t the case. How had her life gotten so screwed up? She rubbed her temples. “Does Chuck have Tylenol on his boat?”
“There’s some in the cuddy in the first aid kit,” Penny yelled. “Hey, Ryan.”
“Yeah?”
“You know how much I care about you, right?”
“I know, Penny.” She sighed and headed for the boat. Her head pounded.
A twig snapped behind her. “Penny?” She spun around, but no one was there. “Damn nerves.” She continued toward the boat, but couldn’t shake the feeling someone was watching her.
Jared screeched to a halt in his driveway next to Frank’s patrol car. “What did you find out?”
“They’re on Turtle Island, site five.” Frank took off his hat and rubbed his head. “Randy did some more digging around regarding Tom.”
“What are you talking about?”
“He mentioned the other day that Tom fit the profile of another case he’d been working on.”
“What the hell are you babbling about?” This was the last thing Jared wanted on his mind. Hell, he didn’t want anything taking up space in his brain, just Ryan in his bed. Then it hit him. “Wait a minute. Tom is involved in something the FBI is looking into? And you’re just telling me this now?”
“Really, they’re different cases, but when Randy faxed me this—” Frank held out a piece of paper. “I thought you might want to know, but you called me, barked out an order, I followed it figuring I’d see you when you got here.”
Confused, Jared took the sheet of paper, glancing at the picture. “Who is this?” He scanned the sheet for a name. “William Crommly? This guy looks like Tom.”
“We think it is Tom. I mean, he stole Tom’s identity.”
“Then he didn’t get arrested for flashing?” Jared glanced over the sheet again, staring at the words rape and murder. “Wait. These two are one and the same?”
“Not sure yet. But this guy is wanted in two states in connection with at least two rapes and one murder. All obsession-stalker cases. Nick already has all the details. I made sure of it.”
“Where’s Nick?” Jared blinked, crumpling the paper in his fist.
“Getting a search warrant.”
“Screw the damned search warrant—find the bastard. I’m going to get Ryan.”
“I’ll go with you,” Frank said as a car rounded the corner.
“No, you’ll work with Nick and catch the asshole.” Jared waved to Chuck as he parked his car. “Let’s get a move on.”
“No way, Jared,” Chuck said. The last thing I need is another lecture from my fiancée on the importance of girls’ night and such.”
“I screwed up—”
“Not my problem.”
“Not with that, but this.” He shoved the paper in Chuck’s hand. “Ryan’s still in danger, and I need Frank here to find Tom and nail his ass. You and I are going to get the girls.”
Chuck glanced at the paper, then back at Jared. “Okay,” he said. “Turtle Island. But I don’t know the site.”
“Five,” Jared said, jogging toward the docks. “Stay in touch, Frank.” He waved, but didn’t look back. Frank knew what to do. Now to get Ryan and find a safe place for her to hide out until he got the situation under control.
It took Jared all of five minutes to start his boat and head out into the deadly calm lake.
“Do you really think they’re in danger?” Chuck asked.
“Honestly, I don’t have all the facts.” Jared glanced around the open waters. “When I called you, I planned to talk to Ryan about…things. I didn’t want to have two boats to deal with and well…”
“You’re rambling,” Chuck said, annoyance in his voice.
“Frank was supposed to call me with the site information. Instead, he showed up at the house with that piece of paper. That’s all I know.”
“Surprised you’re not out there in the hunt.” Chuck didn’t try to hide a small smile. “Isn’t that what you live for?”
“My job is to protect and serve. Right now I’m doing the protecting aspect.” He turned his head, lifting a brow. “Let’s not forget your fiancée is with Ryan.”
“I haven’t forgotten, but that’s not the point.”
“That’s exactly the point.” Jared pulled the throttle back a tad as he entered the narrows and looked around for anything out of the ordinary. Jared rested his hand on the butt of his weapon.
“Guns make me nervous,” Chuck said.
“Yeah, well, when it’s not my gun, they make me nervous too.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better. All those cop buddies of yours know where we are, right?”
Jared slowed the boat to a crawl as he navigated his way through the islands. “I won’t let anything happen to them.” Jared scanned the area as he approached Turtle Island. “I’m kind of in love with her, ya know.”
“Really, you don’t say.” Chuck laughed, shaking his head. “Glad to see you finally figured it out.”
“Let’s hope I’m not too late.” Jared pointed. “That your boat?”
“Yep. I don’t see the girls.”
Jared glanced at his watch. “It’s early for them to be asleep, but they could be inside the tent.”
“Penny loves to sit outside on a chilly night.” Chuck squinted, peering over the bow of the boat.
“What would Penny do with the keys to your boat?”
“Knowing her, she’d leave them in the boat.” Chuck glanced over to Jared. “This doesn’t seem right, d
oes it?”
Jared ignored the panic setting in, using every trick in the book to clear his mind and think only about his job. “Once the boat is docked, give me a minute to check things out. I’ll wave you up when I know it’s safe.”
Chuck jumped out on the dock, securing the boat, all the while looking up at the site.
Jared held his finger to his lips, then pulled his weapon out. He set his feet on solid ground.
He scanned the site. The fire in the pit had reduced to hot coals. Voices echoed from other sites. “Ryan? Penny?” he whispered. If they were sleeping, he didn’t really want to scare the crap out of them. He paused about ten paces from the tent. The hair on the back of his neck prickled. “Ryan,” he said a little louder.
Something stirred inside the tent. “Ryan, it’s Jared, is everything okay—” A twig snapped behind him. He glanced over his shoulder. Chuck stood on the dock, then took a sudden step. Jared held up his hand, hoping Chuck understood he needed him to stay… “Shit.”
“Drop it, asshole.” Tom pushed something cold against Jared’s temple. Jared tossed his weapon to the ground. “You don’t want to do this, Tom. Or is it William?”
“Actually, if you must know, the name’s Fred, but I’ve had so many, I’ve lost track.” He pressed the barrel of the gun harder. “Ryan, get your ass out here. I want you to watch this. And you down at the dock--get up here, unless you want me to kill your girl, too. And toss the keys in the lake.”
Jared nodded to Chuck. “Do what he says.”
Chuck reached into the boat, dangled something, then tossed it to the lake with a splash.
“Move it, asshole. You don’t want a bullet hole in your head, do you?”
Chuck practically ran up the path. “Where are they?” he questioned, his lips set in a determined line.
Jared had to give the guy kudos for being so ballsy.
“Come on, girls. Out you go.”
Two shaky shadows moved behind the thin layer of nylon before the zipper echoed across the night. A few seconds later, Ryan stepped from the tent, her face bruised.
Jared swallowed his breath.
“Ahh, there you are. Come over here.” Tom’s voice echoed insanity.
“Stay where you are,” Jared said, surveying the situation. Those bruises hadn’t just appeared on her face without help, and Jared planned on making sure Tom paid for them. Big time.
“He’ll kill you, Jared.” Her voice trembled.
“I might not. Not if you cooperate.”
Jared watched Ryan take a tentative step from the platform. Her body visibly shook with fear. He figured he had about three seconds before losing any chance of taking control of the situation.
“You fucked with the wrong man,” Jared whispered, then sent his elbow crashing into Tom’s gut.
Something hard and cold smacked Jared in the back of the neck at the same time a loud pop rang out. Jared hit the ground. Closing his eyes, he focused on the sounds around him, a scream from Ryan and loud gasp from Penny, along with a few unflattering curses by Chuck echoed in his ears. None of which helped the pounding pain in his head. Thank God the bullet missed.
“Stupid man,” Tom spat.
“You killed him?” Ryan whispered.
Feeling footsteps approach him, Jared held his breath and kept very still. A bullet in the back wasn’t part of the plan.
“You belong to me, remember that,” Tom said.
The footsteps moved away. Slowly, Jared let out his breath until he could no longer feel the earth shake.
Tom’s voice echoed, but Jared couldn’t hear the words as the engine to the boat sputtered to life. Then two gunshots rang out. Jumping to his feet, he ignored the blinding pain in his head and wiped the dirt from his face.
“Jared?” Penny squealed. “You’re okay?”
“He shot the engine out,” Chuck said, pulling Penny into his arms. “What are you going to do?”
“Steal a boat.” Jared picked up his weapon, then headed toward the next campsite, focusing on the sound of his boat. “Call 911 and tell them what’s going on,” he yelled over his shoulder, then whipped out his badge. “Sorry, folks, police business. I need to borrow your boat.” He jumped in, ignoring the stunned faces; grateful the keys were in the small cruiser, and headed out onto the dark lake. The bastard wouldn’t get away with it. He’d make sure of it.
18
Unable to take a deep breath, Ryan could feel the panic set in. She blinked, trying to get her bearings. They were headed north, toward a group of islands called the Mother Bunch. Easy to dodge behind and around, but once past the islands, it was open water.
Swallowing, she prayed Jared wasn’t dead. Seeing him lying on the ground, his body not moving, she felt like her whole world had crashed around her.
It took every ounce of courage she had to keep herself from passing out. She glanced around the boat. There had to be a way out of this mess. She couldn’t die without finding out why Jared had come back. Not without telling him how she felt.
The fire extinguisher rattled next to her leg. She wondered if it was loose. She looked up at Tom who seemed to be lost in driving. He kept glancing over his shoulder and all around. Another boat hummed in the distance.
If Jared had been shot, he was going to need her. Here goes nothing. She grabbed the fire extinguisher and yanked. Thank God it broke free. She swung the metal canister up at Tom as hard as she could.
Smack!
His head jerked to the side and his eyes went wide. He stumbled, but caught the steering wheel. “You bitch.” He held his head with his free hand as he tried to pull himself up, but stumbled to the floor.
She wasn’t going to let him get the upper hand. “You messed with the wrong woman.” She rose, lifting the extinguisher high over her head, then slammed it into Tom’s head.
This time his body sprawled out on the bottom of the boat. His head rolled to the side, and his eyes fluttered closed. Her hands trembled. She dropped the canister to the side. Then, without thought, Ryan grabbed the wheel and turned the boat around. She headed straight for the oncoming boat. If Tom wasn’t dead, he wouldn’t stay unconscious forever. She had to get back to Jared.
She slowed the boat down, waving both hands over her head. Hopefully, whoever it was had a working cell phone and could call for help.
The boats collided with a bounce. She blinked and focused on the driver. “Oh, my God! Jared!”
“Ryan,” he said calmly. “Grab the wheel and maneuver the boat again.”
“You’re not hurt?” Frantically, she turned the boat to the left, then back to the right, trying desperately to get to Jared. “He didn’t shoot you?”
“Missed, but I got a nasty bump.” He held the boats together with one hand, reaching for her with the other. “Come here, please.”
“I was so scared,” she whispered leaping into his arms. “When he showed up…I couldn’t believe it. At first I thought, the nerve of the guy, I mean I told him to buzz off earlier.”
Jared cupped her face. “Are you okay?” His finger traced a path over her swollen cheek. “He hit you.” Jared’s eyes narrowed, then he peered over her shoulder. “Bastard,” he muttered. “Wait right here.” He vaulted from one boat to the other.
A loud moan echoed in the still of the dark night.
“Oh, shut up,” Jared said. “One of your rights. Along with the right to an attorney, but you already understand those rights, don’t you.” Jared pulled Tom to the driver’s seat, yanking his hands behind his back and tying them with the stern line.
“I’ll get you for this,” Tom sneered.
“Not where you’re going.”
Sirens rang out in the distance.
“Here comes the cavalry.” Jared looked over his shoulder and pointed, then looked to Ryan and frowned. “Let’s get you to the hospital.”
“I’m fine, really.” She rubbed her tender cheek. “He only hit me once, and I’m more worried about that lump on the back of your neck.
It’s huge.”
“It’s nothing, but we’ll go together, okay?” He heaved her to his chest and held her tight, but said nothing.
She clutched at him like he was the air she needed to live, but before she could muster up the courage to tell him how she felt, cops surrounded them.
A few hours later, she found herself in the back of Frank’s personal car, getting a ride home. Jared sat next to her, holding her hand, but staring out into the dark night. He seemed distant and unreachable.
Why would she think he’d be anything else?
He’d only come back because he’d found out about Tom.
“Thanks, Frank,” Jared said.
Ryan blinked, then realized they’d pulled into Jared’s driveway. He held his hand out to her. She glanced at her watch; it was well past two in the morning. “Pat’s probably worried sick. We should just go there.”
“I spoke to him before we left the hospital.
He’ll be here in the morning. Besides, we need to talk.” He tugged at her hand.
Swallowing, she glanced at Frank. “Thanks,” she mumbled, feeling the exhaustion hit her bones as she scooted from the car.
“See ya around.” Frank waved, then backed out, his taillights disappearing down the road.
“Finally,” Jared muttered. He yanked her to his body, pressing her against the cold metal of his pickup.
She opened her mouth, but couldn’t say anything because his tongue dove in. Grabbing his shoulders, she intended to shove him away, but just rested her hands there instead, lost in the moment. But the better the kiss got, the more she knew it had to stop. She gave him a good shove.
“What?” He scowled. “I’ve been waiting hours to do that.”
“Thought you said we need to talk.”
“Oh, that.” He took a step back. “I suppose we need to do that, too.”
“I appreciate you coming back here to help when you heard about—”
He chuckled, pressing his fingers against her lips. “I turned around long before I knew what was going on with Tom.”
