by Lara Lacombe
“That sounds nice.” She walked over to the second bed to check on Christina. Her daughter had rolled onto her stomach, her arms and legs tucked underneath her and her little bum slightly raised. It was her favorite sleeping position, and Emma was glad to see her baby was resting so comfortably.
She sat on the edge of the bed, trying to process this new information about Matt. She knew she had no right to be upset with him, and yet her mother’s heart was bothered by the fact that he had walked away from Fisher. No, the boy hadn’t been his. But Matt had lived with him for several months. Why couldn’t he have gotten over his reservations about the child’s paternity and let his love for the baby take over? Couldn’t he have found a way to forgive Jennifer, if only for Fisher’s sake? Did Matt really think that a genetic connection was what made a family?
He walked over and passed her a sandwich on a paper plate. “Thanks,” she said reflexively.
The mattress dipped as he sat next to her. “Sure thing.” They ate in silence for a moment, Emma’s mind cycling through dozens of questions she wanted to ask. But she didn’t know where to start, or even how to phrase most of them. Should she even bother to try to understand why Matt had made the choices he had, or was it better to just let her feelings die on the vine?
She felt Matt’s eyes on her and turned to meet his gaze. “I’m not sure of what I did,” he said softly. “But I want to make it right.”
Tears sprang to her eyes, and she blinked hard to dispel them. He was a good man. Even though she didn’t understand some of his choices, she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. She just needed to recalibrate her dreams to reflect reality. And really, it was better to face the music now rather than later, after her feelings for him had been given a chance to grow.
“You didn’t do anything,” she said. But before she could say more, her phone buzzed on the nightstand.
Emma lunged for it, one eye on her sleeping baby. Christina sighed but didn’t otherwise stir. Moving quickly, Emma took the phone into the bathroom and partially closed the door.
She glanced at the display but didn’t recognize the number. “Hello?” Hopefully it was Detective Randall, calling with an update...
“Emma, don’t hang up.”
Joseph’s voice made her tense. Her grip on the phone tightened to the point of pain. “What do you want?” Part of her was relieved to hear his voice—he was still alive! But her anger and frustration quickly took over.
“I need your help.”
She snorted. “You need my help? Oh, that’s rich.”
“It’s not for me.” He spoke quickly, almost pleading. “It’s for Mom.”
Emma paused, silently debating. Was he telling the truth? Or was he simply trying to manipulate her by invoking their mother?
It took a split second for her to decide. Joseph may well be lying to her again, but she wasn’t willing to risk the possibility her mom really needed her. She’d hear him out, and if his story didn’t add up, she’d cut him off without a second thought.
“What’s going on?” She didn’t bother to hide her skepticism. He needed to know he was skating on thin ice.
“It’s the traffickers. They’ve got her.”
Emma’s heart dropped to her toes. “What?” Numbness stole over her body as Joseph’s words sank in. The thought of those men anywhere near their mother made her blood run cold. She’d seen the ruthlessness in their eyes, their total lack of compassion. Their mom was a gentle, kind woman who deserved no part of that.
“They have her,” Joseph repeated. He sounded a little impatient, which sparked Emma’s temper.
“And where are you?” she snapped. “Off spying from a safe distance? Did you do anything to stop them from taking Mom, or were you too busy trying to save your own ass?”
Matt poked his head into the room, and she realized her voice had carried. She waved him inside and put the call on speakerphone. Might as well let him listen, so she wouldn’t have to repeat everything later.
Laughter drifted over the line. She heard a muffled voice speak, and it sounded like he said, “She is feisty.” Emma frowned. It sounded like her brother wasn’t alone.
“I’m here with her,” Joseph said. “I can’t believe you think I’d just watch them take Mom.” He sounded hurt, but Emma didn’t care.
“Don’t let them hurt her,” she warned.
“I’m doing my best,” he said. “But I can’t stop them. I’m outnumbered.”
“I don’t care,” she said ruthlessly. “If they touch one hair on her head, it’s on you.”
“Emma—”
“Shut up. Just tell me what they want.” She wasn’t stupid. Joseph wouldn’t be calling if the traffickers didn’t want something. And it didn’t take a genius to figure out what.
Another voice came on the line, calm and composed. “You’re a smart woman, Emma. You know what we’re after.”
They still wanted Christina. It stood to reason they’d taken her mother to use as a bargaining chip, probably because they’d correctly assumed she wouldn’t lift a finger to save her brother after what he’d done.
“You think I’ll give you my daughter in exchange for my mother?” It broke her heart to ask the question, especially because she already knew the answer. She loved her mother and would do almost anything to help her. But Christina was her heart and soul. Emma would give her life to keep her baby safe. There was no way she could willingly put her daughter into harm’s way, even if that meant throwing her own mother to the wolves.
“I think you should consider it,” the man said. “Because if you don’t cooperate, we’re going to kill her by inches. Maria will feel pain like you’ve never imagined. And we will make it last.”
“Why are you doing this? Why can’t you just leave my family alone?”
The man chuckled. “Your brother insulted the boss. Can’t have that. Now it’s personal.”
She heard a meaty thud followed by a feminine cry. Joseph’s voice rang out in protest, but he was met by laughter.
Emma’s stomach turned at the sounds. “Stop it!” she cried.
The laughter stopped, but the painful gasps continued. “Let me talk to her,” she insisted. She didn’t want anyone to suffer abuse, but she wasn’t ready to believe they had her mother just yet. Joseph was a consummate liar, and she doubted the men he was with were honest.
There were fumbling sounds as the phone was passed around, then a thin, pained voice came on the line. “Emma?”
Emma’s legs gave out at the sound of her mother’s voice. Matt caught her before she hit the floor, pulling her against his broad chest as he took on her weight. He guided her over to the bathtub, gently lowered her to sit on the edge.
“Mom?” Her voice cracked on the word, and her chest tightened to the point she couldn’t breathe. “Are you there?”
“I’m here. But don’t listen to them, baby. You forget about me—keep Christina safe.” Her mom let out a yell which was quickly stifled by the sound of another blow. Emma’s shoulders shook as she sobbed silently, her face pressed into the hollow of Matt’s shoulder.
“I’ll find you, Mom,” she said loudly. She wasn’t sure if her mother could hear her, but she wanted her to know she wasn’t giving up. “I won’t let them hurt you.”
Another pained gasp, this time accompanied by a yelp from Joseph. Apparently the men were starting in on her brother, too.
“Better hurry,” taunted the man who’d spoken to her earlier. “Your mother seems healthy for her age, but she won’t last forever.”
“Where are you?”
“All in good time,” he said. “I’m not going to tell you yet. I’ll call you in twenty-four hours, with a location and a time. Stay by your phone.”
Emma drew in a shuddering breath, knowing she couldn’t argue. “Please don’t hurt her,” she whispered.
/> “We’ll see,” said the faceless tormentor. “And Emma, one more thing.”
“What?”
“No police. If you even think about contacting the authorities, the next time we speak you’ll be listening to the sound of your mother’s execution. Is that clear?”
“Yes.” She nodded though he couldn’t see her. The harsh buzz of the dial tone echoed off the tile, making her jump. She hung up and buried her head in her hands, the phone dropping with a clatter against the floor.
I can’t do this. The thought circled around her brain on infinite loop as images assaulted her from all sides. Her mom, kissing her goodbye as she headed off to the bus. Her smile of pride the day Emma graduated from nursing school. Her tears at Chris’s funeral. The look of total joy in her eyes as she held Christina for the first time.
Most of Emma’s important memories involved her mother. She’d been there for all of life’s major ups and downs, and Emma couldn’t imagine moving forward without her.
But every cell in her body rejected even the idea of putting Christina in danger. She simply couldn’t do it, no matter what the stakes.
Still, as Emma stared at the bathroom tiles, tears blurring her vision, she knew she couldn’t sit back and let those men torture her mother. She wasn’t willing to sacrifice her daughter, but she wouldn’t write off her mother, either.
Gradually, she became aware of Matt’s hand stroking down her spine. He held her against his chest, his voice low in her ear as he murmured something over and over again.
Emma focused on his voice, tuning in to what he was saying.
“It’s going to be okay.”
His words hit her like a jolt, a powerful reminder that she wasn’t alone. His support was nice, but she wasn’t sure she shared his confidence. “What am I going to do?” she whispered.
“We,” he corrected immediately. “And I don’t know. But we will figure it out together.”
Chapter 11
She looked haunted—that was the only way to describe it.
Matt watched Emma as she pasted on a smile while she played with her daughter, but he saw the blankness in her eyes and knew she wasn’t really there. Her thoughts were with her mother, her imagination likely running wild at the thought of what the traffickers were doing to the poor woman.
He wanted to comfort her, but nothing he could do or say would help. Truth be told, he was still processing the news, as well. They hadn’t had much time to talk after the call from the traffickers. Emma’s voice had woken Christina, and she’d left the bathroom to tend to her daughter.
They sat playing on the bed now, Christina cooing happily while her mother pretended to be okay. Once again, Matt marveled at Emma’s strength and composure in the face of such terrible circumstances. It was clear she was used to doing everything on her own, but Matt wasn’t about to let her handle this alone.
He wasn’t sure when it had happened, but somewhere along the way, Emma had begun to matter to him on a personal level. His feelings for her went beyond admiration and respect, and his attraction wasn’t merely for her body. He wanted to truly be a part of her life, to take care of her the way only a lover could. And as for Christina? The baby already had him wrapped around one of her fat little fingers. If he let his mind wander, he could easily picture helping her learn to walk, teaching her to drive in an empty parking lot and walking her down the aisle at her wedding.
But would Emma want the same? Perhaps she didn’t want to find a father for Christina. Maybe she was worried another man would try to erase Chris from their lives. Matt could tell her he wasn’t interested in replacing Chris, but would she believe him?
And really, did it even matter now? His feelings were all stirred up after making love to Emma, but the timing couldn’t possibly be worse. Besides, his thoughts weren’t important at the moment—all that mattered was finding a way to save Emma’s mom while keeping her and Christina safe. He couldn’t come up with a plan while distracted by his own worries, so it was time to clear his head and push his issues to the side.
“What do you want to do?” Maybe she was already working on a plan—he didn’t want to assume anything.
Her eyes flickered to his before returning to Christina. The look of defeat on her face hit him like a punch to the gut. It wasn’t like her to lose hope. “What can I do?” She shook her head. “I won’t give them my baby. I’ve basically signed my mother’s death warrant.”
“No, you haven’t.” He hated her feelings of guilt, the fact that she thought she was somehow responsible for the actions of those men. He felt a renewed surge of anger toward her brother. Once again, Emma was paying the price for Joseph’s carelessness.
She looked at him, her eyes full of desolation. “Do you think they’d really know if I called Detective Randall? I want to tell him, but what if they have cops on their payroll? I don’t want them punishing my mother because I disobeyed them.”
“I’m not sure,” Matt admitted. “I think we can assume they probably do have police connections, but it’s impossible to know how far they extend. Randall seems like one of the good guys, but I’ve been wrong before.”
“I don’t know if I can risk it,” she said.
“We might have to,” he replied. “I have the beginnings of a plan, but it’s going to take a few more people to pull it off.”
“What are you thinking?” There was a note of interest in her voice, which he took as a good sign. He needed to get her thinking about offense, not defense. The only way they could regain control of the situation was if they started calling the shots again. It was tricky, but he had some ideas of how to make that happen.
“I’ve got some buddies from the army I can call. I think they’ll help us take these guys down.”
“How?” she asked. “Even if they do agree to help us, we don’t know where the traffickers want to meet, or when. I doubt they’re going to give us enough warning to get any kind of backup in place.”
“That’s true,” Matt said. “Which is why we’re not going to let them tell us where to go. We’re going to dictate to them, not the other way around.”
She stared at him in disbelief for a moment, then huffed out a laugh. “I admire your confidence, but I don’t see how that will work. They have all the leverage. Why would they possibly agree to cooperate with our demands?”
“Because you’re the one with the power.” At her blank look, he reached over and picked up Christina, tucking her against his chest. “They want your baby. That’s what this whole thing is about. They’re not willing to give up on stealing Christina because of some stupid slight that damaged the boss’s ego. You’re the one who holds all the cards, and they’re trying to distract you from realizing it by threatening your mother.”
Awareness began to dawn on her face, and with it came a glimmer of hope. “Oh,” she said, sounding a little surprised. “I hadn’t thought of it like that.”
Matt stuck his finger against Christina’s palm. She reflexively grabbed it, and he waved it a bit, making her smile. “They’re hoping you won’t. They called you to shock you, put you on the defensive. They want you reacting, not planning. And they know threatening your mother will play on your emotions, keep you from thinking rationally.”
“It worked,” she muttered.
He nodded. “Of course it did. Most people would be horrified to learn their mom is in danger. They’d do anything to save her.”
Emma climbed off the bed and moved to stand in front of him. Christina smiled at her mother, but was happy to remain in Matt’s arms. She laid her small head against his chest, and his stomach did a strange flip. This baby had been through so much in the past few days, and yet she seemed to trust him, even though he was a relative stranger. He was happy to know she wasn’t afraid of him. In fact, she seemed to like him. Maybe even love him, if babies that young could feel love for someone. He’d certainly fal
len head over heels for her, and as she snuggled against him, he silently promised to keep her safe.
“I’m not so sure they’ll react well to us flipping the script on them,” Emma said. She stroked Christina’s hair, but didn’t try to take her from him. Matt began to sway gently, and Emma matched his movements. They stood there together, rocking in the age-old dance of parents, the baby cradled between them. Christina’s thumb found her mouth; soon her breathing settled into the deep, regular rhythm of sleep.
Moving carefully, Matt laid her on the bed. She stirred, but didn’t wake. He watched her for a second, his arms feeling oddly empty. Then he turned to find Emma staring at him, tears in her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” He moved to hold her, but she stepped back, shaking her head with a slight smile.
“It’s nothing. I’m fine.” She waved off his concern and swiped at her eyes. “Just worried about Mom.”
“Of course,” he replied. “And to answer your earlier question, I don’t think they’ll be pleased when you take control. But they don’t really have a choice. If they’re going to be driven by the boss’s ego, they can’t go against him. They’re going to have to cooperate if they want to have any chance of making this guy happy.”
“But what if they hurt Mom to get back at me? I don’t know if I can have that on my conscience.” Emma bit her lip, her worry plain.
Matt drew in a breath. This is where things got complicated. She was going to have to make a decision, but first he wanted her to be aware of all the possible outcomes.
“They might.” No, be honest, he told himself. “Scratch that—they probably will hurt her.” He took her hand and drew her down to sit next to him on the other bed. “Here’s the deal, Emma. They are going to kill your mom if they don’t get their hands on Christina. In fact, they’ll kill her even if they do get your daughter. There is no scenario that ends with them letting her go. Not after what she’s seen and heard. If we do nothing—if we simply run and try to disappear—they will murder your mother. We can try to save her, but I can’t guarantee we’ll be successful.”