by Lenora Worth
She looked familiar. Had he met her? He didn’t think so. His memory was sharp. No way he’d forget that face.
A second later, it clicked. Phillip had mentioned that his niece was coming over later. Aiden checked the time on his phone. She was early. Really early. He bit off the frustrated exclamation that rose to his lips as she turned off the engine. Aiden didn’t know that much about Phillip’s family, but he did know that his boss wouldn’t let any affection he may have had for them ruin a business deal. And listening to him talk about his family, Aiden knew Phillip did not harbor much feeling other than disgust for most of his family.
This had all the warning signs of an impending disaster.
If Phillip wasn’t ready for her, she was as good as dead. And so was her passenger.
Aiden couldn’t let that happen. The only thing standing between the beautiful young woman who’d had the misfortune of coming at the wrong time and murder was him. To save her meant he’d have to think fast. It might even mean that his cover, and all the months of intense observation, evidence collection and brutal police work would be destroyed in one instant.
There was no decision.
Aiden could not stand by and let an innocent person die. With a quick prayer for all their safety, he waited. If he could get them out without blowing his cover, he would. If this situation blew up, though, he’d be ready to step in.
No matter the cost.
* * *
“I’ll just be a minute,” Sophie Larson signed to her sister, Celine. “Are you okay staying in the car?”
The sassy twelve-year-old rolled her eyes before turning her attention back to her phone, her mouth turned down in a sullen frown. Sophie noticed that the preteen had removed her cochlear implant processors from both sides of her head. They were no doubt shoved into the backpack on the seat beside her. Without them, her sister wouldn’t hear anything, including speech. Most likely a deliberate choice. Celine was mad that Sophie was selling their parents’ house and taking her to live with Sophie in Chicago. She had refused to even sit in the front seat next to her older sister. Sophie shrugged, determined not to take it personally. That was a battle she’d let go until later, when she had more time and wasn’t feeling so overwhelmed.
Sophie bit back a sigh. Her sister was grieving the loss of their parents and seventeen-year-old brother, Brian. They both were. The shock of losing them in a random break-in hadn’t yet settled in, even though they’d been gone for almost a month. If Celine had been home, she probably would have died, too. Fortunately, she was away at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf at the time of the break-in.
Guilt tunneled through Sophie. She was thirteen years older than Celine. By the time the younger girl was eight, Sophie had already moved out and was living three states away in Chicago. She’d been busy building her career with a rapidly growing marketing company. They might have been sisters, but she felt she barely knew the younger girl. For the past four years, they’d only seen each other when she came back to Pennsylvania for the holidays.
The sooner she handled the mess with her uncle Phillip and got back on the road toward their parents’ home, the better. Sophie had toyed with the idea of putting the house on the market, but for the sake of her sister, she’d decided to hold on to it. It was paid off and left to her in her parents’ will. Celine wasn’t happy about moving to Chicago, but Sophie felt it was the best thing to do.
She gathered a thick stack of envelopes, glad Celine had no interest in accompanying her.
Uncle Phillip might have been their dad’s brother, but he made Sophie nervous for reasons she couldn’t explain. His wide smile and hearty greetings always felt a tad overdone. And the brown eyes that had been so warm and loving in the face of her father were shifty on her uncle. Her father and Uncle Phillip had not gotten along, so she had only ever seen the man a few times a year growing up.
He was still family, she reminded herself. At least she didn’t have to contest him for guardianship of Celine. And she would have. If anyone was going to raise her sister, it would be her.
But first she had some papers to drop off. Her father had left the house and property to Sophie and her siblings, but he had a few investments he was leaving his brother. She had some statements and files that should be handed over. The lawyer had mentioned that Talon Hill, Ohio, wasn’t that far out of her way. Really, only a little jaunt over the Pennsylvania-Ohio border. All she wanted to do was return home. She knew, however, that she would probably never see her uncle again. Out of respect for her father, she’d agreed. She glanced at her watch. She was thirty minutes early. Her uncle, she knew, was a stickler for punctuality. He wouldn’t appreciate her being late—or early. It would interfere with his schedule. She bit her lip, gnawing on it while she considered her options. She could sit in the car and wait. But her sister was bound to become difficult. Sophie was doing her best to help Celine cope with the changes in her life. A quick glance in the mirror showed her sister was still engrossed in her device. Who knew how long it would be until she needed Sophie’s attention again?
Abruptly Sophie grabbed the envelopes and opened the car door. Her uncle would have to deal with the inconvenience. Celine was her priority. Swiftly, before she could change her mind, she strode up the drive and let herself into the indoor porch. It was neat as a pin, almost uncomfortably tidy.
She snorted. Just because her own apartment was cluttered, it didn’t mean there was anything inherently wrong with not having knickknacks and books taking up every empty space.
She rang the bell and heard the chimes echoing inside the house. Nothing happened. Annoyed, she shoved her sunglasses up on top of her head. He knew she was on the way. Was he deliberately letting her wait to punish her for showing up early? Surely not.
Turning her body so she could see the car, she shifted the papers to the other hand, preparing to ring the bell again. She stopped.
Leaning closer to the door, she listened. Someone inside the house was shouting.
The urge to leave the papers on the porch and run swept over her.
But she had promised the lawyer she’d hand these directly to Uncle Phillip.
Her uncle’s voice yelled out again.
Was he calling for her to enter? What if he needed her? Images of her relative possibly suffering from a heart attack or maybe injured stalled the impulse to leave. Her parents had not raised her to ignore those in need. Pressing her lips together, she shoved the door open and stepped into the house.
Her eyes blinked in the dimmer light of the hall. She had forgotten how dark this old house was.
Sophie had opened her mouth to call out, when a different voice yelled.
She knew that voice. Cash Wellman, a young man who worked with Uncle Phillip. She’d talked with him a time or two in the past. He had asked her out, and she had politely declined. He seemed like a nice enough man, but Sophie had long ago decided that she would not date a man who didn’t share her faith.
“You’ve disappointed me, Cash.”
Her uncle’s voice again. Now she could tell he wasn’t injured. His voice was harsh. Angry.
“I’ll make it up to you, sir. You’ll see.” Cash’s voice sounded weird. Like he was terrified. Why would he fear her uncle?
“You’d better.”
She shivered. Phillip’s voice became smooth with a menacing edge. “I have quite a large sum of money riding on this deal. If these weapons don’t reach the correct hands by Saturday, my client will go seek out another supplier. I can’t let that happen.”
Sophie shoved a fist into her mouth to hold in the horrified cry that bubbled in her throat. Were they actually talking about selling weapons? Her uncle sold insurance. Or at least that’s what she had always been led to believe.
Suddenly her innocent errand reeked of danger.
She needed to leave. Now.
Spinning, she s
lammed into someone. Hard, muscular arms grabbed on to her. To steady her or to imprison her?
“Sophie.”
She trembled from head to feet at the sound of her uncle behind her. The man holding her stepped back.
“Ah, Adam. You’re early, as well.”
The dark-haired man she had slammed into gave a sharp nod, his cold eyes zeroing in on Phillip’s face. She couldn’t breathe. Spots danced in front of her eyes. She’d never been so terrified. Celine! Her sister was so close, alone and vulnerable. What would happen if she decided to come and find Sophie?
“Is there a problem, Mr. Larson?” Adam rumbled, his voice soft and deep. There was no emotion in his voice. He could have walked in on a picnic.
Sophie found her voice. “Uncle Phillip, I just came by to give you these papers. So, if you’ll excuse me—”
Phillip chuckled. It was a humorless sound. “Just like that? Ah, Sophie. You know that I can’t have that. You have walked into a mess. I can’t have you telling tales. Adam,” he said, his cold eyes assessing the man, “you’ve been valuable. I can’t seem to trust my associate Cash here to deal with the delicate details.”
The man called Adam stepped over to her and grabbed her by the elbow. The barrel of a gun poked into her ribs. “I’ll take care of it for you, sir. For a fee, of course.”
Her uncle nodded. “Of course. Of course. Not here, obviously. I have too much at stake to allow anything to happen on these premises.”
“You can leave it to me. No one will ever find the body.”
Before she could blink, Sophie was being dragged outside. The nudge of the gun in her side helped keep her under control. She knew that she needed to stay focused so she could rescue Celine.
“Walk so the neighbors won’t get suspicious,” her captor growled in her ear.
Her car was still running. She could see her sister, still sitting in the back seat. Celine looked up, and her eyes flared wide with alarm. Adam opened the passenger-side door and pushed her toward it.
“Get into the driver’s seat, and don’t try anything funny.”
How could she get out of this without Celine being hurt? Her whole body shook as she obeyed. She slid across the seat and climbed over the console, aware of the man folding himself into the passenger seat. For a brief moment, Sophie contemplated scooting out the driver’s-side door, but then what? She couldn’t run down the driveway to the street and leave the man in the car with her sister. No, she’d have to wait and pray for an opportunity. Her kidnapper slammed his door closed and ordered her to drive. She shifted into Drive and continued along the U-shaped driveway until she was back on the main road. No one was around. The small hope that she’d see someone outside who might be able to help them faded. A trickle of sweat rolled down the back of her neck. Her eyes met the terrified hazel gaze of her sister in the rearview mirror. All the color had fled Celine’s young face.
Keep still, she mouthed, praying Celine would read her lips. To her credit, the twelve-year-old kept her cool. She nodded, her mouth trembling, then sank down against the back seat.
Sophie swallowed hard, her blood pumping in her ears. She ordered herself to stay calm.
“Turn left.”
She followed the man’s directions, all the while desperately searching and praying for an escape. Movement in the back seat caught her attention. Her eyes met Celine’s in the mirror again. Her sister had put her processors back on. Fiercely, Sophie clamped down on the hysteria rising up inside her. She couldn’t afford to panic. Not if they were going to get out of this alive.
Adam what’s-his-name reached into his pocket and removed a cell phone. As he moved, his leather jacket shifted, giving her a clear view of the gun strapped to his side.
She shuddered at their precarious position. No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t see a way out of this mess. This man, Adam, was leading them to their deaths. At her uncle’s orders. All of her goals in life shrank to one single prayer.
Please Lord. Protect my sister.
Copyright © 2020 by Dana Roae
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ISBN: 9781488061158
Deadly Connection
Copyright © 2020 by Harlequin Books S.A.
Special thanks and acknowledgment are given to Lenora Worth for her contribution to the True Blue K-9 Unit: Brooklyn miniseries.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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