Stolen Secrets

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Stolen Secrets Page 18

by Sherri Shackelford


  Desperate men were dangerous.

  Jordan texted Westover and requested backup from the local law enforcement. The jungle had two levels and an exit on each. He texted Westover again and instructed him to watch the doors on the lower floor while he made his way to the upper level.

  This guy was bold. He wasn’t going to sneak out like a whipped dog. He’d likely walked in through the front right under the nose of security. He’d probably walk out the same way.

  It was a gamble, but Jordan exited the floor of the jungle and crept up the stairs to the second level.

  He needed the element of surprise.

  Once on the second level, he reached for his phone and dialed Lucy’s number.

  Sure enough, the faint strains of a ringtone echoed from just to his left.

  “It’s over,” Jordan hollered. “The police are on their way.”

  “I’ve got a gun on her.”

  Jordan’s pulse stalled before he got ahold of himself. Focus on the mission. That was the most important goal.

  “You’re not going to get out of here,” he called. A faint ambient light illuminated dark shapes. “Let’s talk this out before somebody gets hurt.”

  “Not gonna happen. I’ve got the girl. If you want her to live, you’re going to find a way to make sure I walk out that door without anything happening to me.”

  “I don’t know how I’m going to do that.”

  “You’ll think of something.”

  Jordan cocked his head and reached for his gun. “Do you hear that? It’s sirens. This place is going to be swarmed in about two minutes. If you want to come out of this alive, you’ll have to make a deal with me.”

  “You’re not listening. I got duped. Twice. I’m not getting duped again.”

  “Then why are you here?”

  Jordan used the echoes from the man’s voice to track his position. Keeping low, he crept forward.

  “Imagine my surprise when, just as I was about to sell the code to the highest bidder, I received a rather curious text. Ms. Sutton was contacting me to let me know she was ready to provide the information I’d requested. You can imagine my confusion. Out of curiosity, I went along with her. It didn’t take long to realize there were two Lucys, and they were both playing me for a fool. I asked for a meeting, and she walked right into a trap. Lucky me, I got two for the price of one.”

  It was odd, both of them calling to each other in the darkness, each competing with the animal calls and the sound of running water. Judging by the changes in his speech volume, Vance was on the move. He wasn’t navigating toward the exit. Instead, he was moving farther along the path.

  Though Jordan had the man holding Lucy trapped, he wouldn’t relax. There was always a chance the guy knew of an alternate exit. He was a local, after all. He’d known about the back exit in the park. It didn’t take a big leap of faith to infer he might know an alternate exit from this building.

  “Jordan,” Lucy called.

  His heart lodged in his throat.

  She yelped and went silent.

  Jordan’s blood boiled. “What did you do?”

  “I’ve encouraged her to be silent.”

  Jordan glanced at the clock on his phone. At least four minutes had passed. Backup should be here by now.

  Then again, the guy holding Lucy should know that, as well. Had Jordan been stalling the buyer, or had the buyer been stalling him? He didn’t trust this guy.

  “Come now,” the man called. “You haven’t told me how you’re going to get us out of the situation. You’re a smart guy.”

  A flashing red light caught Jordan’s attention. The guy had obviously cut the power to the main building and also the backup generators, but the fire alarm was wired separately.

  Aiming his gun above their estimated location, Jordan yanked on the fire alarm. His action triggered the alarm and emergency floodlights marking all the exits.

  Lucy and the man were barely fifteen feet ahead of him.

  The man yanked Lucy backward and she stumbled.

  A dark form swooped from the ceiling and flew in front of the pair.

  The man flailed his arms. He was having difficulty holding on to Lucy and the gun while keeping his attention trained on Jordan.

  His heart racing, Jordan calculated his shot.

  He told himself not to look at Lucy, but at the last instant, he couldn’t help himself. He met her steady gaze. She didn’t appear frightened—only resigned.

  She glanced down and he followed her gaze.

  She lifted her booted foot a fraction.

  They didn’t need words. He knew exactly what she was about to do.

  The moment she stomped, the buyer howled in pain. Lucy jerked away and Jordan fired.

  The man collapsed, one arm reaching for Lucy, but she’d already danced away, out of his reach.

  Westover appeared a second later, and the next instant, the entire building was swarmed with police officers.

  Jordan scooped Lucy into his arms and held her like he’d never let go.

  She burrowed against his chest. “Please, please, please tell me this is the last time we will be surrounded by police officers like this.”

  “I promise.”

  He rocked her and held her close. Though he wanted to shout his love from the rooftops, this was not the time or place.

  “I want to go home.”

  Jordan held her close. “Then that’s where I’ll take you.”

  He’d been afraid all this time. He’d been afraid to trust his feelings. Afraid he was a poor substitute for the man she’d lost. He’d been afraid to let go of the guilt. He was no longer going to let the fear and misplaced shame keep him from God. He sure wasn’t going to let those emotions keep him from loving Lucy.

  Even if she no longer wanted him, at least he’d know he’d given her his heart.

  * * *

  Lucy woke on her couch to find Jordan asleep on the chair across from her. She sat up and brushed the mass of hair from her forehead.

  The movement woke him, and he blinked sleepily.

  “You’re here,” she exclaimed in wonder.

  He flushed and rubbed at the stubble on his chin. “I didn’t want to leave you alone. Oh, and I fed your guinea pig. Don’t let him tell you otherwise. He was gunning for a second carrot from me.”

  Her eyes burned. If she hadn’t been certain before, his action had cemented her feelings.

  There was absolutely no doubt in her mind that she loved this man. “Thank you. For everything.”

  “I wouldn’t be any place other than where you needed me.”

  He’d swept her away from the lights and the sirens last evening, and he’d driven her home, where she’d cried herself to sleep in his arms.

  For the rest of her life, she never wanted to be a part of another crime scene. “Who was he, anyway? The buyer?”

  “His name is actually John Dobbs. Such an ordinary name. Kind of a letdown considering the guy caused us so many problems.”

  “Is he dead?”

  She’d heard the gunshot and she’d seen the blood. The rest was a blur.

  “He’s alive. He’ll survive. He’s already talking, too. For all his cloak-and-dagger nonsense, he’s a coward at heart. While I don’t condone Vance or Connie’s actions, they turned out to be John’s undoing. He’d run the scam twice before with perfect results. He had what he thought was a reliable system. He’d make a deal for the information and offer a generous down payment. Then he’d pay for the information in diamonds. Once he got what he wanted, he’d hack his mark’s bank account and steal whatever money they’d gotten from the diamonds.”

  “That’s diabolical.”

  “Yep. Because who’s going to turn themselves in? What were they going to say once the authorities started looking into their accounts?
They couldn’t risk having anyone ask questions. So they stayed quiet.”

  “What about the cemetery? He killed someone.”

  “Doesn’t look like he did. Near as we can tell, they all knew each other as kids. They were called Triple J because all their names began with the same letter. John hired Jigsaw and Jimmy to put pressure on you, but they went off script. When things got violent, John refused to pay. That’s when Jigsaw and Jimmy got into a fight. Jimmy got off the first shot, but he missed. Jigsaw didn’t.”

  “Then Jigsaw lied to us. He said someone had put a price on his head.”

  “All of that was a fabrication. He knew he was going down for something, and he figured the kidnapping charges were better than murder.”

  Dazed, Lucy sat back on the couch. “I thought he was going to be a supervillain or something. But he was just an average joe. A greedy average joe who wasn’t opposed to blackmail.”

  “And in way over his head. Probably good that we got to him first. He was dealing with some dangerous people.”

  “Thank you. For saving me.”

  “I would have gotten there sooner, but I didn’t see your text right away. Sue had me cornered. She was singing your praises and wondering why I hadn’t asked you out on a date. I think maybe she’d gotten an extra drink ticket from someone, because she was very forceful.”

  “I’m sorry. She’s been saying the same things to me for weeks.”

  Jordan sucked in a breath. “Lucy, I—”

  She held up her hand. “I know, you want to be friends.”

  “No. I don’t think we can ever be friends.”

  Lucy glanced up sharply. “Oh?”

  “I’m in love with you.”

  “Oh, Jordan.”

  “I don’t know if you can ever love me. I’ll understand if you can’t. I’m nothing like Brandt. I don’t have his personality. I’m never going to be like him.”

  “I don’t want you to be like him.” Lucy slipped off the couch and knelt before him, taking his hands in her own. “I loved Brandt. I’ll always love Brandt. But I need you. I ache for you.”

  “What are you saying?” he asked, his voice choked with emotion.

  “I love you,” Lucy said, staring into his eyes. “I think I loved you from the moment you gave Mr. Nibbles a handful of carrots even after he bit you.”

  “It wasn’t a very hard bite.”

  “Yes, but I knew then what kind of man you are.”

  “I feel so guilty. He should be here. I didn’t want to feel like I was living another man’s life.”

  “How do you think I felt? I found a once-in-a-lifetime love...twice.” She rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She must look awful, but she didn’t care. “Brandt would want us to be happy. I like to think there was a part of his spirit that brought us together. I’ve been lost until I found you. Every moment of life is precious. We’re alive and every second is a gift.”

  “You have to know what you’re getting into. I want a house together. The kids. Everything. I want love. Real love. The terrifying kind of love where you feel like you’re falling and you’ll never hit the bottom. I’m not perfect—”

  “Stop.” She pressed two fingers against his lips. “None of that talk. I want you. Just the way you are.” She wrapped her arms around him and held him close. “All I want is you. We’re perfect together.”

  His lips found hers. It was a kiss of discovery and a kiss of freedom. They’d freed each other from the past. Her soul thrilled at his caress, and as he slid his fingers into her hair, she pressed closer.

  Pulling away, he studied her. “I love those blue highlights. I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  EPILOGUE

  Six months later

  Lucy was putting the finishing touches on the buffet for her combination engagement and going-away party when her mom arrived.

  Vicky Sutton breezed into the kitchen and took in the chaos. Her expression fell, and her precisely styled hair seemed to droop.

  “Really, Lucy.” Her mom touched her shoulder. “You have got to do something about this.”

  Because today was special, Lucy had worn an ivory A-line dress with lace-up boots. She’d added a few more blue highlights, as well, since Jordan seemed to like them.

  “No, Mom. I don’t,” she said, stepping away.

  “Oh, well, if you don’t want to be taken seriously, that’s no skin off my nose.”

  Lucy steeled her nerves. “Mom, you’ve got to stop.”

  “Stop what?”

  “Stop trying to make me something different. I’m not going to change. This is the way I am, and I wish you’d accept that.”

  Her mom huffed. “I’m only trying to help. You might have a little gratitude.”

  “You might be trying to help, but you’re not. You want everything to be neat and tidy and ordered, and I’m never going to be those things. I’m messy. I make mistakes. You need everything neat and I’m not neat.”

  “Are you saying that’s my fault? I raised you alone, and I did the best I could.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Lucy said, recognizing the guilt her mom felt. “You did a great job raising me. Now it’s time to stop. This is who I am.”

  “It’s hard to stop. Someday, when you’re a mother, you’ll understand.”

  “And when that happens, I’ll have you to guide me.”

  “I’m going to miss you.” Her mom’s eyes filled with tears. “Do you have to move all the way to Maryland?”

  “It’s a wonderful opportunity. I thought you wanted me to move out of the neighborhood and get a better job?”

  “Yes, but not for a man. What if you follow him out there and he dumps you?”

  Lucy suppressed a smile. “That’s not going to happen.”

  “I guess this is how it feels, isn’t it?”

  “How what feels?”

  “When someone makes a decision and doesn’t include you.”

  “Yes, Mom, that’s how it feels. It’s not a bad thing, you know. You gave me independence.”

  Jordan lumbered into the kitchen carrying two enormous bags of ice. “Good to see you, Mrs. Sutton. I was hoping to speak to you privately.”

  Her mom’s eyebrows shot up her forehead. “All right.”

  Lucy smiled. She never doubted that Jordan had courage, because facing her mom was going to require all of his fortitude.

  Soon the house and the yard were overflowing with people. There was laughter and food, and though Lucy felt a tug of sadness that she was leaving this behind, she was excited for the future.

  At precisely four o’clock, Jordan found her and hugged her around the waist.

  She tipped back her head and kissed him. “How did my mom take it?”

  “Like a champ.”

  “Speech, speech,” someone shouted.

  Jordan took her hand. They stood together on the low stone wall that surrounded her garden.

  He cleared his throat. “I’d like to thank you all for coming. As you all know, this is a combination party. Lucy and I have gotten engaged, and she’s taken a job in Washington. Since you all know Lucy, you know that she has her own unique way of doing things. That’s why tonight we’re not only celebrating our engagement—we’re getting married.”

  A shocked gasp erupted from the crowd, followed by a raucous cheer.

  “If everyone will meet us in the backyard in ten minutes, we’re going to hold the ceremony there.”

  Excited chatter flowed through their guests. Lucy’s mom took charge of the crowd, guiding everyone through to where the ceremony was about to take place. Pressure built behind Lucy’s eyes. Jordan was right—her mom had taken the surprise like a champ.

  Twenty minutes later, she and Jordan stood before their friends and family and exchanged the vows they’d written the
mselves.

  “Lucy Sutton, I promise to always bring Mr. Nibbles carrots even if he bites me,” Jordan declared.

  Lucy teared up. “You said his name in front of people.”

  “Yes.” He smiled. They were both focused on each other and oblivious to the crowd behind them. “But can we name your next pet something different? Like Spike or Fido?”

  “Of course.”

  The minister heaved a long-suffering sigh. “Shall we continue the ceremony?”

  “Yes.” Lucy held her bouquet of daisies in front of her smile. “We can continue. Jordan Harris, I promise to always be the Rogue to your Gambit.”

  Tears welled in his eyes. “You know my favorite superheroes.”

  She wasn’t only gaining a husband; she was gaining an entire comic book collection. “Of course I know your favorite superheroes.”

  When the minister pronounced them husband and wife, their friends and family cheered. Her heart brimming with love, she threaded her fingers through his, and they turned and faced their future. Together.

  * * *

  If you liked this story from Sherri Shackelford, check out her previous Love Inspired Suspense books:

  No Safe Place

  Killer Amnesia

  Available now from Love Inspired Suspense!

  Find more great reads at www.LoveInspired.com.

  Keep reading for an excerpt from Killer Harvest by Tanya Stowe.

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for reading Stolen Secrets! For this story, I wanted to explore both the grieving process and how life changes after the death of a loved one. While most of us are familiar with the five stages of grief, we often don’t think about what follows the acceptance phase. Lucy and Jordan were both hesitant to move on with their lives. Because of that uncertainty, they were both stuck.

  Together they learned that moving on doesn’t mean forgetting or even letting go of the grief entirely. Instead, they each made the decision to invest their love and emotion in healthy, life-affirming relationships.

  I love connecting with readers and would love to hear your thoughts on this story! If you’re interested in learning more about this book—or other books and series I have written—I have more information on my website: sherrishackelford.com. I can also be reached by email at [email protected], and snail mail, PO Box 116, Elkhorn, NE, 68022.

 

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