by Lara Lacombe
She held her breath as she picked up the baby, hoping her daughter wouldn’t wake up and start crying. Fortunately, Christina snuggled quietly against Emma’s chest as Emma put her in the baby wrap. Please stay asleep, she pleaded silently.
They were inside the apartment now, whoever they were. She heard the sound of footsteps as they headed down the hall toward the nursery. Horror filled her as Emma realized they weren’t after her—they were here for her baby.
Not again, she thought grimly. She didn’t know what Joseph had gotten into this time, but she wasn’t going to let him use her daughter as a pawn in his game.
She opened the sliding glass door and stepped onto the balcony. Her apartment was on the second floor—too high to jump safely. But there was a wide ledge that ran around the building. If she could make it over the railing, she could use the ledge to shimmy over to her neighbor’s balcony.
The plan sounded great in her mind, but when Emma looked over the railing, the ground looked so very far away, and the ledge seemed impossibly small. Maybe she’d be better off barricading her bedroom door and waiting for the police...
She pulled out her phone and dialed.
“Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?”
“Some men have broken into my apartment,” Emma whispered, hoping they couldn’t hear her. “I think they’re trying to kidnap my daughter.” She gave the operator her address. “Please hurry.”
“Help is on the way, ma’am. Please stay on the line with me.”
A crash sounded from inside the apartment. Whoever was here was no longer worried about keeping quiet. She had to leave—she had no other choice.
“I can’t—I have to hang up now.”
“Ma’am—”
Emma ended the call, cutting off the operator mid-protest. She stuck the phone back in her pocket, praying the police were close by.
Emma gripped the railing tightly, took a deep breath and swung a leg over. Her foot landed on the ledge. She brought her other leg over, letting out a sigh of relief when both feet were on the ledge.
But now came the tricky part. With Christina strapped to her chest, Emma wouldn’t be able to hug the side of the building as she inched along. She was going to have to put her back to the building, which meant she’d have to turn around now.
Her heart pounded hard as she prepared to flip herself around. Don’t look down, don’t look down, she coached herself. If she caught a glimpse of the ground she wouldn’t be able to move, and she couldn’t stay here. She was a sitting duck right now.
“It’s too late to turn back,” she muttered. Gathering her courage, she took one hand off the railing and pivoted on one foot until her back was to the building. Gripping the railing blindly with both hands, she began to shuffle along the ledge until she came to the spot where the balcony met the edge of the building. Her stomach cramped, but she couldn’t stop now.
Leaving the relative safety of the balcony, she slid along until her back was against the brick of the building. After a few steps, she was at the corner.
It was dark here, the shadows thick. She was tempted to stay here and wait for help, but she heard a crash and figured her bedroom door had just been kicked in. Sure enough, a few seconds later she heard angry voices, the sound growing louder as two men stepped onto her balcony.
“She can’t have gone far,” said one.
“But how did she even know to leave in the first place?” asked another.
“My guess?” said the first voice. “Her brother.”
“You think he warned her?”
Emma held her breath, a million thoughts running through her mind. Was Joseph the source of the mystery text? Had he really tried to protect her from these thugs? And who were they?
Before she could process that possibility, Christina stirred and let out a faint cry.
The two men stopped talking. “Did you hear that?”
Emma placed one hand on the infant’s back, patting frantically. No, not now. Not now, baby girl...
Christina snuffled and began to wiggle in earnest. Emma recognized her behavior and knew her daughter was on the verge of waking up. And if history was any indication, she wasn’t going to be quiet about it.
The men remained silent as Emma inched farther away from her place. She stepped softly but tried to move quickly, headed for her neighbor’s balcony. The building was arranged in a staggered fashion, with each unit’s balcony set back from the one next to it to afford some measure of privacy to the occupants. If she could make it to Josie’s, she could hide there until the men left.
If she could make it that far...
“We can’t stay here all night,” said one of the men.
“I’m not telling the boss,” said the other.
They continued to grumble as their voices faded. Emma began to relax—maybe they would leave and she could return to her apartment and call the police.
Christina apparently had other ideas. Her baby chose that moment to open her mouth and release an ear-splitting wail, her cry echoing in the otherwise still night.
Emma cursed softly. There was no way the two men had missed that sound.
“She’s still close,” one of them said.
Thinking quickly, Emma tried to bluff. “Why so unhappy, little one?” She spoke softly, so that they might think she was in another unit. “Do you want to go inside and see Daddy?” She shoved her knuckle in Christina’s mouth to head off any further cries. The baby let out a small squawk, but soon set to work gumming Emma’s finger.
“That’s just the neighbors,” said the second man. Emma nearly sobbed with relief—her ploy had worked!
“I’m not so sure,” said the other one. He sounded doubtful, and Emma realized this was a pivotal moment; if Christina remained quiet, he might be persuaded to go. But if the baby made another sound, he was going to stick around and search until he found them.
Please, baby. Christina was starting to grow impatient with her position. She began to huff and grunt, gearing up for another loud cry.
Panic filled Emma as she realized she couldn’t keep her finger in her daughter’s mouth and continue inching along toward Josie’s balcony—she needed both hands on the wall to maintain her balance on the ledge. She was going to have to make a choice; stay on the ledge and keep Christina relatively quiet, or let her yell and head toward the safety of her neighbor’s place.
In the end, Christina made the choice for her. The baby let out another cry, this one louder than the first.
“That’s not the neighbors,” said the skeptical one. “She’s out here, and she’s close.” He stepped to the edge of the railing, leaning over to look down. Emma inched farther away, her eyes locked on his form as he walked to the left side of her balcony and looked around. Apparently not seeing anything, he made his way to the right side, which was the path she’d used for her escape.
She froze, hardly daring to move as he bent over and checked the ground. Then he lifted his head and began to scan the side of the building, leaning out so he could see the neighboring balconies.
“All the lights are off next door,” he reported. “There’s no one awake to make that noise.”
“Then where is it coming from?” asked his partner.
The man continued to peer into the darkness. The light from her bedroom illuminated his face, revealing a wicked scar along the curve of his jaw as his dark eyes moved from one spot to the next. Then he stopped, his mouth curving in an evil smile.
“Right there,” he said, satisfaction filling his voice. “It’s coming from right there.”
Emma’s heart stopped as she realized he’d seen her. He threw one leg over the balcony railing, clearly intent on following her. But before he could throw the other leg over, a car with flashing lights turned into the parking lot.
“Cops,” said his partner. “We need to leave.
”
“No,” said the determined one. “Not without her.” He made to climb over, but the first man put a hand on his shoulder.
“We’ll get her later,” he said. “You know what will happen if we get picked up.”
The man hesitated, clearly torn. Then he swung his leg over the railing to stand on the balcony once more.
“You got lucky this time,” he called out. “It won’t happen again.” Then he turned and both men disappeared into her apartment.
Emma leaned against the building, the chill from the brick seeping through the thin fabric of her T-shirt. A shudder ran through her body, making her limbs tremble.
Dozens of questions jockeyed for position in her mind, each more disturbing than the one before. Who were those men? Why had they targeted her? They clearly wanted Christina, but why? Who was behind this...this...the word “attack” sprang to mind, but they hadn’t come here to beat her or rob her. Would they have taken her with them, or did they only want her baby?
One thing was certain—the man was right. She had gotten lucky tonight. Thanks to the mysterious text, she’d been given a few seconds’ warning. They weren’t giving up, though; he’d all but promised they’d be back. But she wasn’t going to sit around and wait for their return. Now that she knew they were coming for her, she wouldn’t be caught unawares again.
A swell of determination washed over her, stiffening her spine and giving her flagging courage a boost. She had more questions than answers at this point, but it didn’t matter. The danger was clear, and so were her next steps.
She was going to protect her baby girl and keep her safe.
Or die trying.
* * *
Matt jerked awake, his hand reaching for the army-issued rifle he no longer kept by his side. Incoming! The buzzing sound persisted, and he was half out of bed before his sleep-addled brain suddenly remembered he wasn’t a soldier anymore, but a park ranger.
Rattlesnake, was his next thought. Just the word was enough to send a burst of adrenaline through his system. He froze, heart pounding, knowing that any movement would antagonize the snake. Rattlers weren’t known for their patience, and he didn’t want to get bitten.
He opened his eyes, saw the ceiling fan hanging over him and frowned. He was in his bed, his apartment. How had a snake—
The last of the sleep fog cleared his mind and he realized the buzzing wasn’t an incoming round or a rattlesnake. It was his phone, vibrating against the wood of his bedside table.
Feeling foolish, he reached for the phone without bothering to glance at the display before answering.
“Matt?” It was a woman calling, her voice distraught.
“Emma?” he said hesitantly. He shook his head, rubbing his free hand down his face. It couldn’t be her—he just had her on the brain after her parting kiss.
It had been the nicest surprise, the sudden and unexpected feel of her lips on his. If he hadn’t been so overcome with shock, he’d have taken her in his arms and kissed her properly. But the moment had flown by, and before he could get his arms to respond to his brain’s commands, she’d slipped into the car and driven out of his life.
He’d kicked himself repeatedly over the missed opportunity, but hadn’t thought he was so far gone as to hallucinate the sound of Emma’s voice. Clearly, she’d affected him more than he knew...
“Wait, who is this?” he asked. Not many people had his number, and this definitely wasn’t his mother on the other end of the line.
“It’s Emma,” she said. She continued before he had a chance to respond. “I need your help.”
Matt bolted out of bed, his eyes scanning the floor for his pants. “What can I do?”
“There’s a truck stop just past the junction of I-10 and Highway 90. Can you meet me there?”
Matt paused in the act of stepping into his pants. “Uh, sure. It’ll take me a while to get there, though. That’s a couple hours away, at least.”
“I know.” She sounded tense, and he imagined her biting her bottom lip. “I’ll wait.”
“Is everything okay?” It was a stupid question—of course something was wrong. She wouldn’t be calling otherwise.
“No,” she said. “But it will be.”
He heard the thread of determination in her voice and had to smile. Emma had a spine of steel. She was capable of taking on the world, and it was both humbling and flattering to know that such a confident woman was asking him for help.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” he promised. “Stay safe, and call me if anything changes.”
“I will.”
Matt hung up and hurried to dress, a sense of urgency nipping at his heels. “I’m on my way,” he muttered as he climbed behind the wheel of his truck.
But would he get there in time?
* * *
The cops stayed in Emma’s apartment for what seemed like forever. Joseph thought his bladder might burst, but he didn’t dare leave his car. He was parked in the shadows of the lot, and he’d watched as the traffickers had first broken into Emma’s place and then emerged several minutes later, empty-handed and cursing.
She hadn’t left after his text, but apparently it had been warning enough to keep her safe. The fact that Christina was still with her mother made him feel marginally better, though he knew it would be a long time before he could look at himself in the mirror again. His deal with the devil plagued him—there had to be a way to make things right.
The door to the apartment building opened, spilling out four uniformed cops. They headed for their cruisers, the streetlights winking off their badges as they walked.
Joseph felt his eyebrows rise. That’s it? They were leaving, just like that? Emma’s apartment had just been invaded by human traffickers seeking to kidnap her baby, and the cops were going to leave the two of them alone?
Indignation filled his chest, making him sweat. Didn’t they realize the men were going to come back? Guys like that didn’t just give up and walk away. How could the police leave a woman and her baby alone and unprotected, knowing they were targets?
He was halfway out of his seat before he remembered Emma would be more likely to shoot him than accept his help. And really, if he was a smart man, he’d be getting out of town while he still could. At this point, he still had one day before Karnov’s men would start looking for him, and the traffickers didn’t know he’d double-crossed them. Yet. This was the time to make his escape; he could be long gone before anyone even knew to check.
But his sister’s safety weighed on him. It was his fault she was in danger. If he hadn’t tried to punish Emma for denying him money and then putting out those missing person posters, none of this would have happened.
“Actually,” he muttered, “it’s because of that damn horse.” He’d put it all on Lucky Penny, only to have the horse come up lame on the final turn. If the jockey had done his job, the horse would have won as projected. Joseph was supposed to be swimming in money right now, but thanks to a cruel twist of fate he was sitting in his car in the dark, trying to remember if there was an empty water bottle in the back seat.
The building door opened again, and this time a woman walked out. All thoughts of his bladder fled as Joseph realized it was Emma, toting Christina in her car seat. She made a beeline for her vehicle, her head swiveling from side to side as she scanned the parking lot. Joseph sat up straight, holding his breath as he watched her move.
She didn’t waste any time. In a matter of seconds, Emma had put Christina in the back seat and climbed behind the wheel of her car. She pulled out of the parking spot with barely a backward glance.
Joseph watched her drive away, feeling torn. Should he follow to make sure she got to her destination safely? Or should he run? He might not get another chance to escape the powerful men waiting in the wings for their pound of flesh. But could he really leave Emma and Christina al
one, knowing the danger they were in?
No, he decided. At least not yet. He grabbed the empty bottle from the back seat, cranked the ignition and stepped on the gas, following his sister into the night.
Chapter 7
Matt yanked open the door to the truck stop diner, ignoring the squeal of protest from the hinges as he walked inside. He scanned the tables anxiously, the twangy music filling his ears grating on his nerves as he walked among the tables.
Movement caught his eye, and he turned to see Emma, waving at him from a booth in the back. The tension drained from his body as he approached the table; she was safe.
Without thinking, he walked over to the booth and leaned down, planting a kiss on her mouth. He cupped her face with his hands as he savored the feel of her soft, warm lips against his. This wasn’t the brief kiss she’d given him before leaving; he took his time, sinking into the moment and letting her feel all his worry for her and his relief at seeing her again.
Emma reached for him, her hands fisting in his shirt as if to anchor him in place. Little did she know, he had no intention of going anywhere.
After a few seconds, Matt reluctantly came up for air. The sight of Emma’s face hit him in the gut. She was so damn beautiful, even under the harsh lights of the truck stop diner. Her pale skin was flushed, her lips parted slightly and a little swollen. But it was the look in her eyes that really did him in—sleepy-soft with a hint of surprise.
Matt cleared his throat, feeling a small degree of shock over his actions. He hadn’t planned on kissing her. But when he’d walked in and seen her safe, he’d been so overcome with the need to touch her he hadn’t questioned it. And now he was going to have to spend the next few hours trying to forget the feeling of her lips against his.
He slid onto the bench across from her, craning his neck to see into the car seat sitting next to her. “Is the baby okay?”
Emma shook her head as if to cast off a fog, then gave him a look of such warmth that his stomach did a little flip-flop. “She’s fine,” she replied. “Still sleeping.”