by Robin Perini
Blake slapped his hat against his thigh. “Our prisoner abducted a child in front of witnesses in broad daylight. He won’t be leaving my jail anytime soon.” The sheriff paused before meeting Stefan’s gaze. “You’ve got two days. After that, I won’t be able to stop the legal wheels.”
Stefan glanced over his shoulder at Faith’s skittish expression. “I hope it’s enough.”
* * *
MIDMORNING LIGHT BOUNCED off Burke’s immaculately polished mahogany desk. His feet sank into the thick carpet. He’d been here all night, waiting for word. He hadn’t stopped pacing. Any minute now he should get the phone call that his daughter would be coming home.
Once he got hold of her, he could control her.
Of course, Faith would never see Zoe again. Burke would make certain of it.
His cell phone rang.
“Thomas.”
“Jerry got caught. He’s in jail in Carder, Texas, on kidnapping charges.”
Burke let out a stream of curses. “How could you let this happen?”
“Don’t blame me. You’re the one who recommended the guy. You said I could trust him. Well, he’s not as advertised. The idiot ransacked her house. To intimidate her, he told me. Instead, she ran. Made things twice as difficult to grab your daughter.”
“Where’s Zoe? Did you get her?”
“Jerry had her for all of fifteen minutes before the local sheriff returned her to her mother. We’re on the sheriff’s radar, and I haven’t identified any Thomas, Inc. strings you can pull.”
“What’s this Podunk sheriff’s name?” Burke picked up a letter opener and slid the edge across his palm. In his mind, he imagined blood oozing from the wound. The image transformed into his ex-wife’s throat, exsanguinating her until her lifeless body fell to the floor. “My father doesn’t need to know about this. You understand?”
“Double my fee, you’ll buy my silence, and I’ll take care of Sheriff Redmond. And my loyalty.”
Burke’s neck muscles bunched in protest, but for now he needed Orren’s expertise.
“Have you located Faith and Zoe?”
“They left the scene with some cowboy playing hero. No intel on him. He’s a wild card.”
Burke fell into his leather chair and drummed his fingers across his desk. The guy was a loose end he couldn’t afford. In fact, there were too many loose ends all the way around. They’d all have to be taken care of eventually. “Clean up this mess. Jerry knows me.”
“You pay me to make problems disappear. But from now on, I do the hiring. I do the terminating.”
Burke spun in his chair and peered across the Dallas downtown skyline. “Fine.”
“I’ll take care of Jerry and bring your daughter to you.” Orren paused. “If your ex gets in the way?”
“I want my wife gone. Disappeared. With no trace.”
“You certain about that? Your father—”
“Faith is my business. Not his,” Burke said, his shoulders tight with anger. He pitched back two fingers of whiskey. “Just make certain I’m not implicated.”
“Triple my fee and I’ll take care of her myself. Within twenty-four hours your daughter will be with you and your ex-wife will be dead.”
* * *
THE WEST TEXAS landscape surrounding Stefan’s vehicle stretched out for an eternity. The midday sun beat down on them. When he’d first arrived in West Texas, he hadn’t realized the horizon rested sixty and in some places even one hundred miles away. Most didn’t.
Stefan glanced in the rearview mirror. Faith held Zoe snuggled in her arms. The little girl had fallen asleep clutching her mother. Faith stroked her daughter’s hair, tension lining her mouth. He didn’t blame her for being scared. He might not be a father, but he couldn’t imagine anything worse than having a child taken from you, even if it had only been for a half hour.
Zoe stretched and blinked open her eyes. “Where are we going?”
“Camping,” Stefan responded, meeting Faith’s gaze in the mirror. “Do you like camping?”
“Will we sleep in your truck?” Zoe asked. “Mom and I went camping in the car after we left home.”
Faith winced at her daughter’s words.
“We’ll stay in a tent.”
“Cool. I spent the night in a tent in my best friend Danny’s backyard.” She yawned again.
“Try to sleep, Zoe. We didn’t get much rest last night,” Faith whispered.
The little girl sagged against her mother and soon her breathing evened out. Faith, on the other hand, fought back a yawn and kept her gaze focused out the back window.
Stefan turned onto another dirt road, searching the landscape for any signs of dust that wasn’t caused by his SUV.
“So far so good,” he said in a low voice so as not to wake Zoe. “We’re not being followed.”
He’d taken all the precautions he could. He’d stowed everything they owned in the back of his truck only after he’d swept the items for tracking devices. Since her ex possessed enough resources to hire a man to locate them in Carder and to kidnap Zoe, he could only think of two places where they would be safe. His camp or the CTC compound. The moment he’d mentioned CTC and the ex-military covert operatives who frequented the place, Faith had shut down, so he’d piled them into his SUV.
She met Stefan’s gaze in the mirror, apprehensive at best. “Does the sheriff know where we’ll be?”
Her concern for law enforcement hadn’t been lost on Stefan. He needed to understand why. They’d be having a long conversation soon. “No one knows. I like my privacy.”
“Good.” Finally, Faith relaxed against the seat. Within minutes, her eyes had closed, her lashes fanning the shadows beneath her eyes. For the first time since Stefan had met her, the tightness around her mouth eased a bit, and her face took on a softness he found far too appealing.
Stefan drove for another half hour and took several more intentional wrong turns before doubling back. If anyone had wanted to track him, they wouldn’t be able to.
Just after noon he felt comfortable enough to exit a dirt road. He headed toward the small rock outcropping that protected his campsite from the weather. A small stream trickled through a creek bed to the north. It hadn’t been easy to find a water source out here, but Stefan had managed.
He pulled up near the midsized tent and opened the door. A blast of hot air hit him full throttle. “We’re here,” he said, exiting the SUV.
Faith yawned and helped Zoe out of the truck.
The little girl’s eyes widened in surprise and she spun around. A huge grin split her face. “This is awesome. Can we fish?”
“The creek’s not deep enough,” Stefan said.
Her smile fell.
“We might find some frogs,” he offered. “And I’ve seen a horned toad or two wandering around.”
“Neat.”
The midday Texas sun burned bright in the sky, beating down. His campfire lay dormant, his cooler in the tent to keep it from being pelted by the summer day. Stefan pulled out a couple of camp chairs from the back of his SUV and placed them in a small shaded area. He retrieved cold water from the cooler and handed one each to Faith and Zoe.
After sitting down, Faith took a swig. “How did you ever find this place?”
“I spent a lot of hours searching the backcountry. One night after a long day’s ride, an afternoon storm blew in. The sun was setting and I headed toward these rocks. I stay here when I come to town.”
“You don’t have a house?” Zoe bent down and picked up a piece of quartz and shoved it into her pocket.
He doubted she’d consider the palace where he grew up quite the same thing. He sat across from them. “I travel a lot for my job. It’s easier to camp out than worry about keeping up a place. Besides, there’s never a no vacancy sign out here.”
The corners of Faith’
s lips lifted, and her eyes crinkled. She lit up when she smiled. He shouldn’t notice, but he couldn’t help himself. Something about her...
“I like it here. Maybe we should camp out, too, Mom.” Zoe sipped her water and handed the bottle to her mother. “Can I explore?”
“Make sure you can always see the tent.” Faith took the beverage and set it on the ground.
Zoe huffed an exasperated sigh. “I’m not a baby.” She raced around the camp, bending to pick some flowers, then checking out a cactus.
“She doesn’t stop, does she?” Stefan said, watching the little girl dart when anything new caught her attention. “How do you keep up?”
“I don’t.”
He glanced over at Zoe practicing opening and closing the tent’s zipper. At least she played far enough away for him to ask a few questions.
If only he could find the right words not to send an extremely skittish Faith back behind that protective wall she’d erected so carefully.
“I temporarily delayed the sheriff questioning you, but I can’t protect you from his questions forever. Not unless I understand what’s going on.” Stefan leaned forward in his chair. “Give me the unvarnished truth, Faith. Did you take Zoe without her father’s permission? Is that why you need to avoid the sheriff?”
Faith’s head snapped to check on Zoe, obviously confirming that her daughter couldn’t eavesdrop on their conversation. She crossed her arms in defiance. “Look, I’ll never be able to thank you enough for saving Zoe, but I can’t allow her anywhere near law enforcement. If that’s not possible, take me to my car right now. We’ll disappear and you can forget we ever met.”
Her tone didn’t leave room for negotiation and neither did the stubborn expression on her face.
“Forgetting about you isn’t an option.” He didn’t want to ask his next question, but he had to know. “Did your ex-husband hurt you? Did he hurt Zoe? Is that why you ran?”
“It’s complicated.” Faith twisted her fingers in her hands and touched the ring finger of her left hand. “He didn’t hit me. Or Zoe. But he is dangerous.”
Stefan studied her every microexpression, attempting to piece together her secret. He couldn’t read her. What wasn’t she telling him? “How dangerous? Would he kill Jerry or you?”
She didn’t speak for a moment. “If I tell you, will you promise not to take us to the sheriff’s office?”
Every instinct within Stefan urged him to agree. He hadn’t survived the last decade without trusting his gut. “Agreed.”
Her gaze bored into his, as if trying to gauge his honesty. He could tell her not to bother—he excelled at lying, yet another reason he was still alive. She didn’t move for several moments. He dug into his pocket for the keys to his SUV and waited for the request to take them to the library to retrieve her car.
“I don’t know how Burke found us,” she said, chewing on her lip.
Her eyes darted back and forth. Stefan could almost see her mind playing out worst-case scenarios.
“We’re in trouble,” she finally admitted. Her leg bounced with nerves. “You saved Zoe’s life, and I’m out of ideas.”
“You can trust me.”
“I hope so,” she said with a long sigh. She sucked in a deep breath. “Zoe’s name is flagged in the system. The sheriff would have to send her to her father, and I can’t allow that to happen.”
At her admission, a silent curse slammed through Stefan’s mind. “So this is about custody?”
“Not exactly.” Faith rubbed her face. “I should start with Burke.”
Finally. The moment she removed her hands from her eyes, Stefan nearly gasped aloud. He didn’t think he’d ever forget her haunted expression so he simply waited, still and silent.
“I was so stupid to marry him,” she bit out. “I wasn’t good enough for him. Not thin enough, not blonde enough...just not enough. He divorced me and used Zoe to keep his parents happy. They want to make her into a little debutante. They can’t see her for what she is.”
He hadn’t liked this guy from the moment he’d seen the fear on Faith’s face, but her tone of defeat urged him to fold her into his arms and simply hold her. How could anyone believe Faith wasn’t enough, that Zoe shouldn’t be treasured?
“The last few months, Burke started laying groundwork to get full custody.” Faith looked up at him with despair in her eyes. “I’m pretty sure someone called in false reports to Child Protective Services. They were at my door asking if I’d paid my bills for the month. When I reported Burke late on his child support they mumbled a few words, but nothing ever happened. Burke and his family have the money and the power. They want full custody. Someone like me can’t fight them and win. I knew I could lose her. I was terrified.”
“So you ran.”
“I hadn’t planned to.” Faith rose and stared off into the desert. “I never wanted this.”
“CTC has a lot of connections in the state and across the country. My team could help you fight your ex-husband’s family. The right way.”
She shook her head. “It’s too late for that. A few months ago I would have jumped at the offer, but now—”
He joined her at the edge of camp. Gently, he turned her toward him. The fear in her eyes wasn’t an act. Her ex-husband terrified her. Stefan placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed lightly.
“What aren’t you telling me, Faith?”
She averted her gaze from his.
“I’ll wait for an answer as long as I have to.” Stefan tilted her chin up with his finger. “I can help. If you’ll just trust me.”
She took a shuttering breath. “I haven’t ever said it out loud. I still can’t believe it.”
“Tell me.”
Conflict whirled behind her eyes. Finally, she swallowed.
Stefan didn’t know what else he could do. What terrified her so much? Why couldn’t he convince her to tell him?
Faith stared at him, still obviously struggling. She glanced at the tent and her brow furrowed. “Where’s Zoe?” Frantically, she scanned the camp.
He followed her line of sight. “She can’t have gone far.”
“Zoe!” Faith called.
Stefan ducked his head into the tent. Not there. He perused the landscape, but the little girl had wandered out of sight. She couldn’t have gone far. It had only been a few minutes.
His mind flashed to a horrifying possibility. “The creek,” he shouted, racing toward the water.
“Is it deep?” Faith chased after him.
Before he could answer a horrified scream sounded through the desert air.
“Oww! Mommy! Mommy! Help me!”
They headed toward her voice and slid down the embankment. Zoe danced around, slapping her legs.
“What’s wrong?” Faith shouted.
Stefan looked down. A swarm of red ants surrounded Zoe’s feet.
“Fire ants.” He grabbed Zoe and set her away from the nest she’d stumbled onto. Quickly, he flicked away the ones still crawling on her.
She cried out. “They hurt.”
“I know,” he said, scooping the lightweight into his arms. “I’ve got something that will help.”
The little girl clung to his neck. Hard. For a tiny thing, she certainly had a grip.
“It hurts, Mommy. Hot prickly burns.”
“I know, Slugger.”
Stefan tightened his arms around her and ran back to the camp, Faith at his heels.
He passed a sobbing Zoe to her mother and knelt down in front of his cooler. Every cry twisted his heart a bit. “Where did they sting you?”
“My l-legs,” she sobbed.
“Get her pants off,” he ordered and dug into the chest for some ice.
Faith removed Zoe’s pants, shoes and socks. Stefan crouched beside her and cleaned her legs with cool water and a bit o
f soap.
The moment the liquid touched Zoe, she sighed. “That feels better. I like the cool.”
Red welts erupted on her legs. They had to hurt like hell. “They’re fire ants. You can tell because they’re reddish brown. They don’t have an opening on the top of their nest so they fooled you. That’s why you stepped on it.”
Big tears slid down Zoe’s cheeks. “I didn’t mean to step on their house.”
Stefan dug into his tent for a T-shirt and wrapped an ice-filled baggie inside. “Hold this on the welts. It should help. I’ll get some cortisone cream.”
Faith pressed the cold pack against Zoe’s leg. She sucked in several shuddering breaths and leaned against her mother. Stefan returned with a small tube.
“Do you have the kitchen sink in that tent?” she asked.
“Necessities when you’re living outside.” He spread the cream on Zoe’s feet, ankles and calves. “Did they get anywhere else?”
Her daughter wiped her eyes and shook her head.
“Okay, then. How about you go into my tent and we’ll elevate your feet. Do you think you can do that?”
“What’s elevate?”
“It means we’ll put a pillow under them so they’re above your heart. It’ll help the swelling go down.”
“The ants won’t come inside the tent, will they?” Zoe asked, frowning at the ground in suspicion.
“We’ll close the screen. You’ll be safe.”
Faith carried her daughter into the tent and settled her. She lay next to Zoe. The sound of Faith humming to her daughter filtered through the camp.
Fifteen minutes later, she sneaked out.
Crossing the camp, she grabbed her water bottle and plopped down across from him. “She’s out, poor thing. Neither one of us slept well last night. Not after the house was ransacked.”
She lifted her gaze to his, her eyes red and tired, her expression defeated. Stefan fought his instincts to push her. Sometimes stillness could extract the truth far more effectively than the most compelling persuasion. He longed to ask why, if her ex had the political upper hand, had Jerry torn through their things. Why had he tried to kidnap Zoe? It didn’t make sense.