Turn the Tide

  Patty nodded. “He knows I’ll go looking for him there. It’s me he wants.”

  When she kissed Mama’s cheek and turned to go, Mama grabbed her arm in a surprisingly strong grip. “Don’t be too quick to make that trade, sugar. Donny isn’t the only one who matters to me. You’re my baby, and I need you. Give Sanchez time to help you.”

  “This is my mess, my problem.”

  Mama cupped Patty’s cheeks in her work-worn hands. “Don’t let your pride cost you what matters most. Take what help you can get. I need you both.”

  “I have to go.”

  “Please, Patty.”

  Patty swallowed hard to ignore the pleading tone as she walked toward the door. She had her hand on the knob when Mama said, “Wait. Here, take this.”

  She turned, and Mama handed her the shotgun. Then she reached into the drawer on a nearby end table, took out a box of shells, and handed it to her.

  “Be smart, baby girl. And bring him home. I love you.”

  “I love you too, Mama.” Patty gave her a quick hug, hung on for one second more, and then raced back out into the storm.

  “Hang on, Donny. Mama’s coming.”

  Chapter 11

  Marco fired up the ATV and raced back toward the cabin. He had a bad feeling about leaving Sarah alone for too long.

  He scanned the Forest as he dodged trees and fallen tree trunks, thankful that the rain had finally stopped.

  Just in case Freddie had doubled back, Marco stashed the ATV out of sight of the cabin. Then he made his way to the front door, his weapon drawn and a careful eye on the surroundings. But there was no sign that anything had changed since he’d left.

  He eased up onto the porch, then slowly opened the door in case Sarah was sleeping.

  Before he stepped into the room, her soft voice said, “Stop. Bobcat.”

  He froze, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dim interior. And then he saw it. An obviously lactating mama bobcat, sitting not three feet from Sarah, eyes flicking back and forth between him and Sarah. Or, more accurately, the beef jerky he’d left for her.

  She’d obviously opened the bag, and the smell must have attracted the cat. He looked across the room at the missing pane of glass in the grimy window.

  “You okay?” he asked calmly.

  “Yep,” she answered. Though there was a definite quaver in her voice.

  “How long has she been here?”

  “Since not long after you left, I think. Do I give her the jerky?”

  “I’ll do it.” He eased farther into the room, kept his gun trained on the animal. Then he slowly sank down on his haunches by the jerky.

  The cat let out a warning growl.

  “It’s okay, mama. I don’t want your food,” he said soothingly. He picked up a piece of jerky and tossed it toward the cat. It hissed and jerked back out of reach. Marco threw another piece. And another.

  Then they waited. Sure enough, she inched closer, sniffed, and grabbed the first piece, watching them while she chewed. Then she took the second, and the third, watching them without blinking.

  Finally, she gave them one last haughty stare and disappeared back through the cracked windowpane.

  The moment she disappeared, Sarah let out a shaky breath. “Wow. That was terrifying.”

  Marco was beside her in an instant. “You don’t like cats?” he teased. He sat down beside her and pulled her close. When she snuggled into his chest as if she belonged there, he kissed her fiercely, worry and relief all tangled together.

  She reached up around his neck and pulled him closer, her fingers gripping his hair. Past and present collided as the sure knowledge that he still loved her, had never stopped loving her, shot through him, shocking him to his core. This was what was missing with every other woman he’d ever met, that indefinable something that was uniquely Sarah. Her voice, her taste, her heart. Compared to her, no other woman had ever come close. Was it possible he might get another chance with her? Then reality slapped him, hard, and he slowly pulled back and stood.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that, or touched you earlier—” he began.

  “Why shouldn’t you have done that?” she asked, head cocked to one side.

  He stopped, unsure what to say. “We’re in the middle of a stressful situation, and I don’t want you to think I was taking advantage.”

  She paused. “So when we get out of here, will you take advantage then?”

  He studied her for a moment, not sure he’d heard right, but then he saw the smile spread over her face and felt his own lips curl in response. “Only if you ask nicely.”

  She threw her head back and laughed, and he felt it all the way to his toes. This sassy, snarky Sarah was the girl he remembered, the one he’d fallen headlong for.

  “We’ll have to table this discussion for now, okay? But trust me, we’ll get back to it. In the meantime”—he hitched a thumb outside—“I found the ATV. We should be able to get you out of here if we go slow.”

  She waved that away. “I’ll be fine. You have to find Donny.”

  “We will.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe you stared down a bobcat, Princess. I’m taking you with me. I might need you.” He shot her a quick grin before he pulled out his cell phone. Still no service. He cursed and shoved it back in his holster. “I’m hoping by the time we get there, Josh will already have Freddie in custody, but we can’t be sure.” He eyed her carefully. “Rattling around on this ATV is not going to be fun.” He paused. “I can still leave you here.”

  “And wait for Mama Bobcat to come back? I don’t think so.” She got to her feet and hobbled to the door.

  He’d never admired her more.

  ***

  Donny ran through the woods, his heart pounding, trying to remember all the things Mama T had taught him when he was little. He focused on keeping his breathing quiet and made sure he didn’t run through tall grasses that would leave a trail. He searched for grassy, mossy, or rocky areas and hopped from one to the next so he wouldn’t leave footprints.

  But somehow, Freddie was still behind him. He didn’t think of him as his father, not anymore.

  “Stop running, Donny. You can’t get away, you know.”

  Donny glanced over his shoulder and tried not to cry. He couldn’t see him yet, but Freddie’s voice was getting closer. He picked up the pace, memories of what Freddie had done to Mama flashing behind his eyes. He couldn’t get caught, not before he warned Mama that Freddie was coming for her. Donny knew exactly where he was, knew the woods in this part of the Forest inside out. So he also knew he wasn’t close enough to the rusted old trailer they’d called home to send Mama a text. Not yet. The trailer was on the border of a cell signal. If he could get close enough, he could warn her to stay away.

  “Dammit, boy! You’re ticking me off. Quit running. I just want to talk.”

  Yeah, right. Donny knew Freddie would beat him when he caught him, but he was tough. He could take it. He had to protect Mama. She wasn’t as big as Donny, and she couldn’t handle another beating, not when Freddie was as furious as he was now.

  “Heading home? Fine. We can talk there.”

  Donny looked back, caught a glimpse of Freddie jogging toward the house, knife in his hand. Donny ignored the way his heart pounded and his side cramped. He dodged around a tree and took off in a flat-out run. Never mind footprints.

  He raced through the trees, looking for a diversion, something. He ran around the backside of the trailer, leaped up the two steps and opened the door, then slammed it shut and leaped back down the steps. He ducked behind the woodpile and pulled out his phone, stabbed the screen while it woke up. Come on, come on.

  His thumbs flew as he wrote the text: Freddie at trailer. Stay away.

  He hit Send and looked up a split second too late. Freddie yanked him up by the arm and swun
g him around.

  Pain gripped his arm, but Donny had gotten word to Mama. That’s all that mattered.

  Chapter 12

  Marco studied the ATV, tried to figure out how to transport Sarah on it without jostling her knee.

  Sarah braced herself against the ATV and prepared to climb on. “Stop stalling, Sanchez. We’re wasting time.” She swallowed hard. “There’s no telling what Marshall may do to Donny.”

  Marco nodded. She was right. He put his hands on her waist and helped her aboard, wincing right along with her when she put pressure on that knee.

  He met her eyes. “I’ll try to go easy, but it’s not going to be fun. Do you need more ibuprofen?”

  “I’ll be fine. Let’s do this.” She fastened the straps on her helmet.

  He cupped her cheeks and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. “In case I haven’t mentioned it, you’re amazing. You’ve handled this whole situation like a champ, and I’m incredibly impressed.”

  Sarah’s eyes filled with tears, surprising him. Thrown by the show of emotion, he switched gears, his voice hard. “I need your word that you’ll do what I say when we get there. I can’t do my job if I’m worried about you, too.” When she looked like she was about to argue, he added, “Donny’s life may depend on it.”

  “I am not stupid. I won’t put you or anyone else in danger.” She fixed a determined expression on her face and waited.

  Marco sent her one last glance before he swung his leg over the ATV. Part of him wished it hadn’t stopped raining, as the sound would muffle their approach.

  He fired up the ATV and slowly headed toward Marshall’s trailer, determined to find a pace that wouldn’t make Sarah scream, but that would get them there quickly.

  ***

  Sarah gripped Marco around the waist and prayed she could hold on until they got there. Her knee throbbed like a steel drum, but she refused to let Marco know. She wouldn’t slow them down any more than she already had. If something happened to Donny because of her…she wasn’t sure she’d be able to forgive herself.

  The trailer Marco had mentioned was nowhere in sight when he suddenly pulled to a stop behind a thick stand of trees. Sarah let out a sigh of relief that they’d finally stopped moving.

  He slid off the ATV, pulled off the orange poncho, and slipped a FWC ball cap on his head. His FWC T-shirt molded to his chest and reminded Sarah how good he had felt under her palms. Focus, she chided herself.

  “Stay here until I come back for you.”

  Sarah opened her mouth to argue and then closed it again. She absolutely hated feeling helpless and, worse, useless, but right now, honesty made her admit she was both. She would not let her own feelings of inadequacy keep Marco from doing what he needed to do. She nodded. “Be careful.”

  He leaned over and cupped her cheek, pressed a kiss to her forehead “I will. You owe me a dance, remember?”

  She folded her arms, a half smile twisting her lips as her heart soared. “I believe you have that backward, Sanchez. You owe me a dance.”

  He grinned. “I plan to collect, Princess. Make no mistake.”

  Somehow, Princess no longer sounded like the insult it had been in the past. He checked his weapon, nodded to her. “You still have the knife?”

  She pulled it out of the sheath and held it up.

  “Holler if you need me,” he said, then disappeared into the trees.

  Sarah tried to get comfortable on the ATV. She said a prayer for Marco and Donny’s safety and then settled in to wait. And worry.

  ***

  Marco circled around the trees, following the path Freddie and Donny had made toward the dingy, white 1970s-era single-wide mobile home. He eased around and approached from the back, noticed the woodpile had been overturned. Since no vegetation grew around it, he guessed that had happened recently. He stepped closer, bent down, and his heart clenched when he spotted traces of blood.

  Gun at his side, he slowly went up the back steps and eased the door open, leading with his gun.

  “Figured you’d show up sooner or later, copper,” Freddie snarled.

  Marco stepped into the small living room, gun in front of him, squinting into the gloom. The gold drapes were closed, but there was still enough light to see that Freddie held Donny in front of him, his arm wrapped around the boy’s neck, gun to his temple, same as before.

  Donny’s eyes were filled with both terror and fury. Marco forced down his own reaction. He had to stay calm, for everyone’s sake. But the lowlife would pay for that.

  “Put the gun down, Freddie. It’s over.”

  “Oh, hell no. This is not over, not by a long shot. My boy is coming with me.”

  They heard the sound of a shotgun being pumped, and then Patty’s voice growled, “Over my dead body.”

  Chapter 13

  Marco didn’t look in Patty’s direction, but kept his eyes on Freddie. “Looks like you have a problem, Freddie. Two guns to your one. Put it down, and you’ll make things easier on yourself.”

  Patty stepped up beside Marco, shotgun aimed at Marshall. “Let him go, Freddie. It’s me you want.”

  Freddie laughed, an evil sound. “I’ve never wanted you, except as a good lay. I want my boy.”

  “This is no way to get him,” Marco said, his tone conversational. “Look at him. He doesn’t want to go with you. He’s terrified. And why wouldn’t he be, with you holding a gun on him.”

  Freddie shrugged. “He’ll get over it. A boy needs his father.”

  “This isn’t the way to go about it. Put the gun down, Freddie.”

  “You don’t tell me what to do. We are doing this my way.”

  Freddie’s eyes bounced from one to the other, and Marco felt his adrenaline kick up another notch. Freddie was getting more and more unstable. They had to talk him down. Fast. “Think about your boy, Freddie. You don’t really want to hurt him.”

  “Shows what you know, copper. I’ll kill him before either of you get off a shot.”

  Marco shrugged as though it didn’t matter. “Your choice, but if you do, you’ll be dead before he hits the ground. You’ll never get Donny that way.”

  Freddie looked from one to the other, his confusion growing. “Stop talking. We do this my way. We’re leaving. Don’t try to stop us.”

  Patty stiffened, jaw tensed. “No.”

  Marco stepped closer and put a hand on her arm. “Let them go. For now,” he said quietly.

  Patty’s jaw worked as she studied her ex, and then finally, she nodded, but she didn’t lower the gun.

  Marco met Freddie’s eyes. “Go ahead. We won’t stop you.” He hoped Josh had made it here and would be able to intercept them outside. But if he didn’t, Marco would find another way to stop them. No way would Freddie take the boy far.

  He met Donny’s terrified gaze and sent him a reassuring smile and a quick wink when Freddie’s eyes darted to Patty.

  ***

  Sarah shifted her weight on the back of the ATV, trying to figure out what was going on. So far, she’d heard nothing, and that worried her.

  “Keep moving, kid. Stop dragging your feet.”

  She froze. Freddie. And it sounded like he still had Donny. Where was Marco? Had Freddie hurt him somehow? Were they coming this way?

  She had to hide, but where? It wasn’t like she could run very far right now.

  She grabbed Marco’s poncho and, along with her own, tried to make herself look like a pile of discarded rain gear. She hunched down under the layers, knife in hand, and waited.

  They got closer and closer, and Sarah’s grip on the knife got sweaty with fear. She couldn’t see anything. But she could listen.

  “Well, lookee here. Copper left us his wheels again. Get on,” he demanded. “You’re driving. I’ll get rid of the rest of this crap.”

  Sarah held her breath. Please G
od, let me get the right person.

  When Freddie whipped the poncho aside, she lunged up with the knife and drove it hard into his arm. “Run, Donny!” she shouted as Freddie screamed in pain and grabbed for her.

  Sarah leaned back to escape his reach and almost fell off the back of the ATV. She scrambled backward, desperate for a handhold.

  She tried to duck as Freddie lunged for her, braced for pain, but he never made contact. She heard a shot ring out, and then a surprised look passed over his face as blood started pouring out of a hole in his chest. He fell away from the ATV as Marco shouted, “Sarah!”

  He was beside her in seconds, hands running over her, checking for injuries. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes. Get Donny,” she demanded.

  “Already done, Princess. Patty’s here. She’s got hold of her boy.”

  “You’re sure?” Sarah asked, meeting his gaze as her teeth started chattering.

  “I’m sure,” he said, brushing the hair out of her face.

  She looked past him. “I need to help Freddie.”

  Josh stepped up beside them and checked Freddie’s pulse. He shook his head, and she swallowed hard.

  Marco moved in front of her so he blocked her view of Freddie’s body. “Let’s get you inside while we wait for EMS to get here.”

  He reached under her arms and slowly pulled her off the ATV and onto her feet. “Hold tight, Princess. I’ve got you.” He carefully scooped her into his arms.

  Josh held the trailer door open as Marco carried her inside and set her on the sagging sofa. He propped her leg up and then squatted down in front of her. She didn’t realize she was crying until Marco brushed the tears away with his thumbs. Adrenaline overload. “It’s okay. It’s over now. And you were amazing. Again.”

  More tears spilled over her cheeks, and she felt him slide onto the sofa beside her. He wrapped her in the gentlest of hugs, tucked her head under his chin, and ran his hand lightly over her back as she cried. Somehow, the tears wouldn’t stop and soaked his already soggy shirt, but he didn’t seem to mind. He’d never know how much those few words meant to her. No one had ever called her amazing, or treated her as anything more than adequate. Even her parents had never lavished praise, so hearing the words from this tough warrior broke through barriers she hadn’t realized she had.