Attempted Abduction

by Sommer Smith

  “Shut up, Arnie. We have more important things to do than argue right now.” Savannah glanced at Lauren and then looked down at the expensive watch on her wrist.

  “Time’s almost up.”

  “He’ll be here.” Savannah motioned toward Lauren as if that was somehow significant. Was she hinting that Lauren had something to do with Grayson’s arrival with Lily?

  Lauren had no idea what that was about. She was still worried about Lily, though. “So you plan to hire a nanny and take Lily with you out of the country?”

  “Why? You wanna apply for the position?” Romine snickered.

  Savannah ignored his comment. “Only if my father won’t. He has more experience dealing with nannies than I do.” Savannah’s tone indicated this was a sore subject.

  “Were you raised by a nanny, Savannah?” Lauren couldn’t imagine what Savannah’s life must have been like as a child. It would have been far different from her own.

  “More like nannies. I had a new one every year or two.”

  “I take it that wasn’t a pleasant existence?” Lauren didn’t have to fake the empathy in her tone.

  “Most of them were just my father’s girlfriends that he wanted to keep close. It was convenient.” Her expression indicated the convenience wasn’t for her.

  “And where was your mother?” Lauren asked the question gently, fearing the answer.

  Savannah shot her an angry look. “Traveling. Right up until she left. Now, do you need to know any more dirt from my past? Look it up on the internet.”

  Romine laughed. “Oh, they don’t leave out the good stuff, either.”

  “Enough.” Savannah snapped at Romine and he sobered.

  “I’m sorry, Savannah. That must have been a tough childhood.” Lauren meant the words, but the woman stiffened.

  “I don’t need your sympathy. I have everything I need.”

  “Except the baby,” Romine chimed in before she could silence him with another look.

  “That’s about to be remedied. I think I hear them pulling up now.” Savannah took a Tiffany-blue Glock from her waistband and moved to point it at Lauren. She gestured for Romine to go to the door.

  “Don’t screw this up.”

  * * *

  Grayson pulled up to the barn, a McLaren GT and an Audi R8 sports car looking sorely out of place in the run-down surroundings. Where exactly did these two goons intend to put a car seat? And what was their plan? He had spent the last ten minutes trying to figure it out so he would be better prepared.

  He got out of the SUV and moved to start getting Lily out when he heard the voice of his nemesis behind him. “Just put your hands up. I’ll get the kid.”

  When Grayson did as he commanded, he turned to see Romine holding a gun pointed right at him. He gripped it with one hand and quickly searched Grayson for a weapon. Grayson held his breath. He had been wise enough to discard his weapon, but he had stashed a small knife in his boot. It was uncomfortable but might come in handy for a lot of things.

  He just hoped Shayla could stay hidden in the rear cargo compartment until they could gain the upper hand.

  Romine decided against the wisdom of turning his back to Grayson to pull the car seat from the SUV and gestured for Grayson to retrieve it. Though he was a good-sized guy, Romine was softer than he was strong. He was a bit round in some places, and he didn’t have the build of someone who spent a great deal of time on his physical fitness.

  Lily set up a howl about the same time Grayson reached in for her, and Romine winced. “Do you not know how to shut up the kid?”

  Grayson almost found it comical. “She’s your kid.”

  “Aren’t you a comedian.” He jabbed his Ruger toward Grayson as if in warning. “Shut her up. I can’t deal with a screaming kid.”

  “She probably needs a diaper change.”

  “Great. Well, hurry up, Mr. Mom. Just make her stop that screaming.”

  Grayson had to say changing a diaper with a gun to his head was a new experience. He did it quickly and picked up Lily to cuddle her to his chest. He prayed silently as he did that God would intervene for the sake of this tiny girl. He did his best to comfort her with his gentle touch, and she calmed in his embrace.

  “Aw. Ain’t that sweet. Head to the barn.” The sarcasm in Romine’s voice grated on Grayson’s nerves.

  “So what’s the plan?” Grayson moved cautiously so Romine wouldn’t do anything stupid.

  “We’re going into the barn. I’ll take the kid, and we’ll tie you up with your girlfriend in there.” Romine’s voice had a nasty edge to it.

  Grayson was relieved to see Lauren unharmed when he walked into the barn. They were at the mercy of these two criminals. His only consolation was that Shayla would get suspicious if he didn’t return in a reasonable amount of time.

  For a moment, panic washed over him. If anything went wrong and Lauren or Lily was hurt, he didn’t know what he would do. He was human. Things could go wrong. He knew only God could guarantee their safety.

  He uttered a quick, silent prayer for guidance and protection for them all.

  All of the thoughts rushing to mind at the sight of Lauren had him questioning his resolve to remain alone for the rest of his life. His heart did something funny in his chest, and in his mind, he knew it was too late to temper his feelings. He was in love with her. The only question was what he was going to do about it.

  Lauren looked worried yet relieved at the sight of him. But he wasn’t sure what other emotion lay behind her eyes. Was she just attached to him because of his protection, or was there something more? Did she share his feelings, or was he just hopeful that she did?

  One thing was sure—he had to get them out of this mess before any of it could even matter.

  If he had ever wondered if Savannah was really so coldhearted, she proved it as she barely spared her baby a glance when Grayson brought her in. “Good. Now we can get the plan moving.”

  “Already on it.” Romine took Lily from Grayson and set the baby, carrier and all, on the dirt floor of the barn, then secured Grayson to a post where a stall had once stood.

  Grayson looked at Lauren, trying to silently communicate with her. They had to remain calm and wait for the right time, but they would make a move as soon as Lily was safe. And, unless he underestimated her, Shayla was already strategizing their rescue. She’d been hidden when he had left her, but she had a good plan in place, he was sure. But he couldn’t let Romine suspect anything.

  The phone call Romine placed wasn’t what Grayson had expected. Romine spoke to someone named Jonas and told him to bring the senator.

  “Why are you bringing my father here? He isn’t supposed to know I’m a part of this!”

  “You don’t think he knows by now? Besides, I’ve come up with a new plan. While he’s getting my name cleared, he’s gonna loan us his private jet so we can get out of here right away, just the way you wanted, baby.”

  “He isn’t going to do that.” Savannah glared at him. “That Cessna is his baby.”

  “Sure he is. I can be persuasive. Besides, he can come along. He won’t want to miss our island wedding. Surprise.” Romine looked inordinately pleased with himself.

  “And what makes you think I want to get married like this?” Savannah’s face reddened with fury. “I want a huge wedding with all the society people there.”

  “Like I said, I can be persuasive.” Romine’s tone had lost all joviality now. “Besides, how do you think that’s going to happen when I’m a wanted criminal? And you probably will be, too, soon.”

  Lauren looked at Grayson, eyes wide. He knew exactly what she was thinking. These two were out of their minds.

  While the couple argued, Lauren motioned with her eyes and wiggled her feet and legs. Her ankles were practically free. How had he not noticed? And how had Romine and Savannah not notice
d? He gave her a tiny grin before the two looked back in their direction.

  Lily began to cough, sending Lauren into high alert. “Her breathing treatment... Savannah, you’ve got to give it to her. She has RSV. If she has a relapse, she could die.”

  Savannah looked irritated and only mildly concerned. “I don’t know anything about all that.” She waved around a freshly manicured hand, nails so long it brought Cruella De Vil to Grayson’s mind.

  “She has a serious respiratory virus. Her diaper bag has the equipment and medicine she needs inside. Please. I wrote down the instructions and put them in the bag, as well.” Lauren was all but crying as she pleaded with Savannah.

  “Is this some sort of ploy to get us to untie you so you can escape?” Savannah narrowed her bright blue eyes at her.

  “No, I promise. If you look in her bag, you will find the prescription labels on the medicine. You can call the hospital and verify her diagnosis and the necessary treatment.”

  Savannah frowned. “Why would I want to go to all that trouble?”

  “Because a baby’s life is at stake here. Don’t you care at all for the life of your child?” Lauren’s face revealed her disbelief. It was as if a fragile bubble of hope had shattered around her.

  “Of course. I went to a lot of trouble to have this kid. She does me no good if she’s dead. My father wants her alive. It’s like he thinks it’s his second chance because he did such a poor job of raising me. He told me so when he found out I was pregnant.” Savannah said the cold words so flippantly that Grayson winced. Even Romine looked a little shocked.

  “If you don’t want to untie me, I can talk you through it. Just please make sure Lily gets her treatment.” Desperation edged Lauren’s voice.

  Savannah sighed. “I have a better idea. Why don’t you just take care of the baby and I’ll hold my gun on you just to make sure you don’t do anything stupid. And in the meantime, Arnie can hurry up and get my father here with our money so we can go.”

  Her voice rose on the last statement, but Romine just raised an eyebrow at her. “You think I’m not ready to get out of here?”

  Grayson took in the tension between the two. Their arguing could be a distraction he could use to his advantage. Neither would be at the top of their game with all the fussing between them. And if they got frustrated, one of two things would happen. Either they would be careless and make it easy for him and Lauren to take the baby and escape, or they would do something stupid and ruin their own plans. He planned to be prepared for either scenario.

  The problem was that trying to retrieve the baby and rescue Lauren at the same time would be a bit tricky. Lauren had proved to be strong and resourceful, but this would be a new test for her. And it was a matter of life and death this time. He had faith she could do it, but it scared him to take the risk. So many things could go wrong. And he still wasn’t sure why Savannah and Romine were keeping him and Lauren alive. He knew it would just be a matter of time before they killed them if they didn’t get away. These two wouldn’t want any witnesses to their crimes, especially not a US marshal. He prayed silently for an opportunity, as well as wisdom and protection for them both.

  Romine was on the phone again, telling Jonas to hurry up. When he disconnected, he shot Savannah a disgruntled look. “Fifteen minutes.”

  Her response was a displeased groan. She finished untying Lauren’s hands and kept her Glock trained on her while Lauren gave Lily her breathing treatment.

  Lauren was doing her best to ignore the gun’s threatening presence, but Grayson could see she was rattled. With good reason, too, since the volatile situation between Savannah and Romine made it even more likely Savannah would freak out and pull the trigger. Lauren’s hands were steady, though, and her spine stiff and straight, sending a clear message that she would not be easily intimidated. She would not back down where Lily was concerned.

  Grayson wanted nothing more in that moment than to take that burden from her slender shoulders. Time seemed to stop entirely even though he scrambled to come up with a plan.

  A noise outside let them know as soon as Romine’s men arrived with Senator Reid.

  Romine went to the door, then thought better of it, looking suspiciously back at Grayson. He stood there in limbo for a moment, but one of his men came bursting through the door. Two more followed, carrying the trussed-up senator, whom they had rendered unconscious.

  Behind them, in walked none other than US marshal Peter Finney.

  Grayson growled when he smirked at him. “Filthy traitor.”

  His words were low, but Finney had no trouble hearing him. “This side pays better.”

  Grayson ignored him and his ridiculous wink. He was too busy taking in the rest of the scene. He didn’t expect to have any trouble when it came to overtaking Finney, considering what he already knew about the man’s mental and physical capabilities.

  Grayson wasn’t thrilled to see the numbers increase. The presence of all of Romine’s men would make it more difficult for them to escape. He began recalculating his plans.

  “Daddy! Oh!” Savannah ran to her father, forgetting the Glock in her hand as she let it dangle in her grasp. “Arnie, how could you?”

  “What? This wasn’t planned. I mean...”

  “Ugh! You are ridiculous!” Savannah knelt beside her father’s limp form where the men had deposited him in the dirt.

  “It was... I mean, I didn’t... Savannah, I—” Romine looked thunderstruck.

  “Just leave me alone.”

  Savannah turned into a different person in the face of her unconscious father. Grayson didn’t know what to make of it. This went against every opinion he had formed about the woman so far. Was it sincere, or was she just a fantastic actress?

  Romine ordered the men to keep a gun on Lauren and one on Grayson, but he was distracted himself, trying to pacify Savannah. He came down on one knee beside her, speaking in her ear so softly that Grayson couldn’t make out his words.

  Savannah pushed him away. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. He wasn’t supposed to get hurt. You said he wouldn’t. Why did you do this?” Savannah’s voice was almost a shriek.

  “He’s going to be fine, Vannah. I promise. Please calm down.” Romine didn’t seem to know what to do with her in this state.

  Grayson spared a look in Lauren’s direction. Her face showed sympathy and confusion. He felt the same way. What was going on with Savannah Reid? And, more important, could they use it to their benefit somehow? Get the baby out of this dangerous situation? Lily was being unusually quiet.

  Savannah had cradled her father’s head in her lap, and he let out an occasional mumble. “Daddy! Daddy, can you hear me? It’s me, Savannah.”

  She sounded like a little girl again and Grayson imagined she was feeling like she had wandered back into the past. What had happened between father and daughter? Was there more to this than Grayson knew about? Or was it just a game?

  “I’m sorry, Daddy. I didn’t mean for you to be hurt.” She said the words in a way that made Grayson wonder if she was referring to today or sometime in the past.

  “Savannah?” Her father’s eyes opened. “What? Why are you here? I thought you’d been kidnapped. They abducted you, too?”

  He was groggy, but his tone was indignant. “They won’t get away with this.”

  Romine shot Savannah a look, one brow elevated, but she ignored him.

  Grayson still wasn’t sure if Savannah was sincere or just putting on a show. Was she trying to convince her father this wasn’t her plan, or was she having a change of heart? What was she trying to accomplish? Her behavior didn’t line up with her actions of a few minutes prior at all. The situation was becoming that much more dangerous.

  * * *

  Lauren watched Savannah carefully, suspicion that the woman was insincere filling her. Where had this sudden devoted love for her f
ather come from when she couldn’t lift a finger to help her own sick child? Savannah was up to something. Lauren held Lily closely.

  Senator Reid, beginning to come around, looked at Savannah in confusion. “What’s going on?”

  “Arnie Romine has my baby. He’s trying to get ransom money from you to get out of the country before he gets arrested. Daddy, what are we going to do?” Savannah turned on the tears.

  If the senator noticed Savannah was free of any bindings and held a gun in her hand, he didn’t seem to think it odd. He murmured words of consolation to her. “The baby... Savannah, where—?”

  Lauren was anxious for an opportunity to get Lily to safety. Would this be a good time to get her out of here?

  She glanced at Grayson, but he gave a tiny, almost imperceptible shake of his head. Had he read her thoughts?

  In any case, it was a bad idea. Even if she could safely get Lily out of the barn, there would be other problems. First, how was she supposed to drive and hold Lily safely with no car seat if the SUV couldn’t be used to get away, and how could she get out of the barn with the carrier and the baby before someone could stop her? Also, what if they killed Grayson in retaliation as soon as they found her gone? She wouldn’t leave without him.

  There was also the issue that she could be accused of kidnapping Lily, even though she was just trying to get her to safety.

  So what should she do? Did he have a plan? It seemed like everyone’s plans had been upended.

  Lauren continued to pray and to wait. The drama between the Reids and Romine played out in front of her. Had Savannah been planning this all along? Were the rest of them playing into her hands? Lauren had a number of suspicions where Savannah Reid was concerned. Thanks to her instincts, none of them was good.

  Her attention was drawn back to the scene at hand, though, when Senator Reid began to protest. “No, Savannah. I won’t leave without you and the baby.”

  She grasped his hand. “It’s okay, Daddy. I have it all figured out.” She winked at him, and then, before the senator knew what was happening, one of the men jabbed a needle into his arm, rendering him unconscious once again.