by Dana R. Lynn
But this time, he wasn’t going to walk away.
“I can see you are put into separate placements,” Karl began slowly.
Uh-uh. No way.
“Could we have a moment, please?” Tyler shoved his hands deep into his pockets. He needed to convince Annabelle of his sincerity.
A slight smile touched the marshal’s mouth. “Of course. There’s a small dinette off the kitchen. Why don’t you go in there? I’ll make sure you aren’t disturbed.”
Tyler motioned for Annabelle to precede him. She crossed her arms in front of herself and glared. “Please?”
Huffing, she tossed her brown hair over her shoulder and marched in the direction the marshal had indicated. When they arrived in the room, she didn’t sit, but faced him. Her chin raised a notch, as if she was daring him to speak. If the situation hadn’t been so serious, he might have been tempted to smile. She was as adorable as he’d remembered. As it was, there was little cause for humor. Their very lives were being ripped apart.
“Annie—” he began.
“Annabelle,” she interrupted. “No one calls me Annie. Not anymore.”
“Fine, Annabelle. Look, I know I screwed up. I put my work ahead of you and Bethany. I left you alone when I should have been with you. I made it impossible for you to stay. I get that. And I know I don’t deserve a second chance.”
“You’re right.” Her nostrils flared. “Do you know how many times she’s asked for you these past two years? Of course you don’t! Because you weren’t there. But I’m used to that. Even when we were together, you were never there. And now you show up again, but only because you’ve dragged yourself, and us, into danger. It infuriates me knowing that it took someone gunning for you to bring you into your daughter’s life. And what happens when this is over? You disappear again?”
Annabelle stepped closer to him. He could almost feel the energy of her anger crackling off her skin. Her rich brown eyes shimmered with her rage. “She was too young to remember being abandoned before. If you distanced yourself again, it would wound her deeply. I have to protect her from that.”
Would it wound Annabelle, too? He knocked that thought out of his head. He had no right to expect to be welcomed back into Annabelle’s life. They were strangers now. But his daughter... He couldn’t bear the idea that she would grow up and not know him.
“I wouldn’t abandon her.”
Annabelle snorted, cutting her eyes at him. Her scorn made him wince.
“I’m serious. Annie...Annabelle.” Tyler ran his hands through his hair and breathed in deeply. He needed to think. To make her see reason. “There’s no way to tell how long this case could drag out. It could be months. It could be years. None of us would be safe until it’s over. If we go into separate placements, I would never see my daughter again. Please, Annabelle. This is my last chance to be a father to her. I don’t want to disappear on her again.”
He could see her jaw tensing. She didn’t immediately say no. A bubble of hope swelled in his heart. For the second time in less than a week, he turned to God and pleaded for help and guidance.
“I need to think.” Annabelle walked out of the room, without giving him another glance. His heart sank.
A minute later, Karl appeared in the doorway. “Well?”
Tyler sighed. “She needs to think. I can’t blame her.”
“We can’t let her think too long. I’m sorry, Tyler, but time is something we just don’t have.”
Right. Tyler hadn’t felt this helpless in a long time.
“Karl!” Rick, another marshal, rushed into the room. “You need to see this.”
“Coming now, Rick.” Karl nodded once at Tyler, then left the room.
Once again, Tyler was alone with his thoughts. He was tempted to go after Annabelle again and try to reason with her, but really, what was the point? She’d obviously made up her mind. And he couldn’t say he blamed her.
If only she knew about the reason he’d pushed her away. How it had been for her safety. Somehow, knowing that she was in danger even though he’d kept away from her made his reasoning back then seem ridiculous.
A sudden flurry of action caught his attention. Karl marched out to the garage, his phone to his ear as he barked out questions. His intense expression didn’t bode well for the current situation.
Karl called a meeting with Tyler and Annabelle. A couple of other marshals were in the room. He could hear Bethany squeal with laughter in the other room, where she was playing. A smile spread across his face at the sound. When he considered that he might never hear that joyful sound again, his chest grew tight. Rubbing his chest, he turned his head to find his wife staring at him, frowning slightly, her head tilted like she was trying to solve a puzzle.
A throat cleared. Tyler reluctantly removed his gaze from Annabelle and turned it on Karl. He didn’t like the look in the marshal’s eyes. Karl was worried about something, and the way the man continued to watch him told Tyler he strongly figured in whatever was on Karl’s mind.
“Tyler, there’s been a complication,” Karl said finally, confirming his fears. “Jonathan had planned to place you in Colorado. He had a job lined up for you and your new identity was in the works, but we have to change our plans. It seems that Wilson Barco has doubled the bounty on your head. There have already been reports of men resembling you being attacked in ten states, including Colorado.”
Annabelle gasped, her eyes showing her shock. “So what does that mean? What happens now?” Annabelle’s voice was quiet. He knew that voice well. It sounded calm, but it really signaled that her emotions were spiraling very close to the surface.
Karl turned to her, his expression smooth.
“It’s not unexpected,” Karl told the group. “We have been monitoring the airways and computers for anything. An undercover contact has informed us that the bounty has stirred up interest in several states. Plus, Barco has apparently called in favors from all over the country. There’s no way for us to know all the people who are out to get to you. We’re working on a different placement right now. One that will take you farther off the grid and out of Barco’s reach.”
Tyler felt as though he was sinking in quicksand. He had heard much about Wilson Barco during his time as a prosecuting attorney. The amount of power the man wielded was terrifying.
Was there any place they could go that he wouldn’t find them?
FOUR
Off the grid?
Annabelle stared at the marshal, appalled. What exactly did Karl have in mind when he said “off the grid”? Mentally, she envisioned them living in a rustic shack in the middle of the woods. Little House on the Prairie–style. She quelled a shiver of distaste. She was not a woman who enjoyed camping. Too many creepy crawly things. If it wasn’t for the danger to her daughter, she’d back out now. However, since her daughter’s life was at stake, she held her silence. There was nothing she would not endure to protect Bethany.
She regretted thinking that she would be able to protect her little girl without the protection of the marshals.
“Annabelle?”
She turned her head and met Tyler’s eyes. The concern in them was clear. “I just want to go back to a normal life and forget that all this happened, Tyler. I want to wake up in the morning and know that Bethany is safe. Instead, I know that from this point on, I am going to be constantly looking over my shoulder. I hate that.”
“Annie—” Tyler began. He broke off when Stacy entered the room. Without Bethany.
“Where’s my daughter?” Annabelle winced at the harsh note in her voice. She’d always thought of herself as someone who could keep calm in an emergency. This whole experience was testing that theory.
Stacy, fortunately, seemed to understand. She flashed a sympathetic smile at the nervous parents. “She’s fine. Really. She fell asleep while I was reading to her. I’m guessing she was pretty w
orn out from the past couple of days.”
Annabelle felt a small niggle of guilt. Her baby girl was suffering because of her stubbornness. If she had just given in gracefully when the situation had first come up...
No! That was not productive. She had been doing her best to protect her child. That was never the wrong thing to do. Now she was starting to second-guess her choices, and she wasn’t going to go down that road. She had second-guessed herself for months after she left Tyler, but when he never made any effort to get her back, she realized that she had been right.
She’d also realized that she hadn’t wanted to be right. Not that time.
The conversation drifted into more logistics. She doubted that she’d be able to add anything. Solitude. That’s what she needed. Just a few minutes to herself, so she could think.
Pushing her seat back, she stood. Immediately, all conversation stopped and the marshals and Tyler all focused on her.
“Is it all right if I excuse myself for a bit?” She wasn’t really asking but thought she should be polite. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the small grin that crossed Tyler’s face. Ah, apparently, he was on to her.
“Of course!” Karl stood, deep furrows digging into his forehead. “Are you all right? Anything we can do for you?”
She felt ridiculous.
“Relax, guys. She just needs some time to herself to process. She’ll be fine.”
Annabelle felt her jaw drop as she turned to look at Tyler. She was amazed that he had realized that about her. Granted, they had been married. But it had seemed back then that his attention was always on other things. She’d often wondered if he was truly listening to what she had been saying.
He had just proven that he had been. She wasn’t sure what to think about that. And that scared her. Because she needed to keep up her guard around him. She had given him her heart once, and he hadn’t appreciated it, choosing his job over her and their daughter. She couldn’t allow herself to make that mistake again.
It was getting hard to breathe in the room, being so close to him.
She walked into the living room area to check on Bethany. The blanket from the couch was on the floor. Bethany, however, was not on the couch. Annabelle frowned. She had thought that Stacy had left her in the living room, but maybe she had put her in one of the bedrooms.
Stomach flipping like she had swallowed a couple of frogs, Annabelle ran to the first bedroom and opened the door. Her heart raced as her fear spiked. She had to swallow past the scream that had lodged in her throat. Spinning around, she checked each bedroom. They were all empty. Where was her baby?
She wasn’t going to stand here, though. She had a house full of US marshals to help her.
And Tyler.
Running back through the house, she burst into the room. “Bethany’s gone!”
Tyler jumped to his feet so fast that his chair tipped over. No one even glanced at it.
“I’ll check the rest of the house!” Stacy charged off. Annabelle could hear her feet pounding down the hallway.
“The rest of you, check the perimeter. Rick, check the garage. If she’s not there, join us outside.”
Without another word, the search began. Annabelle ran outside after Karl. When he turned to her, she shook her head. “Don’t you dare tell me it’s safer inside. No one is going to keep me from searching for my daughter.”
Wisely, the lawman let the subject drop.
The group spread out. Within a few minutes, Stacy and Rick had rejoined them and were helping to comb the yard for Bethany. Annabelle had barely held back a sob when she had told them. She had been holding on to the hope that Bethany was playing in the house and she just hadn’t seen her. Now that hope was gone.
The air was suddenly split by a child’s shout.
“No! I want my mommy!”
Bethany.
“Quiet, kid.” The cold voice sent ice through her veins.
“No! Let me go! Let me—”
Annabelle’s knees turned to water as her daughter’s shout was suddenly cut off. She couldn’t allow herself to falter, though. Her baby needed her. Karl waved his gun in the air, indicating that they should follow him. He pointed at Rick and signaled something. Without breaking stride, Rick turned the corner and disappeared on the other side of the house.
She understood. They were going to try and box in the villain who was taking her daughter. What if they were too late? “Hurry,” she whispered.
A hand touched her back. She didn’t scream. She knew that touch. Tyler was right behind her. For some odd reason, his familiar touch was comforting. She drew in a deep breath as they continued to follow Karl around the side of the house. He was moving so slowly. Even though she knew in her heart they had to move with care, she found herself practically stepping on the heels of the marshal’s black shoes.
As they turned the corner, her horrified eyes met with a sight that would haunt her for the rest of her life. A young man in his twenties was dragging her struggling five-year-old daughter across the lawn. Bethany was small, but she was also wiggly. And she was putting all that wiggle to good use now. The man was having trouble keeping hold of him.
“Halt!” Karl bellowed, snapping his gun up.
Annabelle clutched the man at her side. Dimly she was aware it was Tyler, but she couldn’t help herself. What if he shot and hit Bethany? It took all her will not to say something. She had to trust that he knew what he was doing. It was the hardest thing she had ever had to do. So hard, she tasted blood from biting her lip in her agony. Needing to be strong, she released Tyler. She swayed briefly, but his hand touched her on her back and steadied her.
The young man did halt. He swiveled, putting himself behind Bethany. He strapped the young girl against him with a muscular arm and yanked a knife out of his pocket. Instead of showing fear, a sneer slipped onto his face.
“You ain’t gonna shoot me. ’Cause if you do, you might hit the kid. She’s my insurance. There’s a lot of money riding on me bringing her daddy in. And unless you let us go, and he comes with me, then she might get hurt. It’s that simple.”
“Please.” Was that strangled voice hers? Annabelle swallowed the fear that clogged her throat. “Please. She’s just a little girl.”
He laughed. She shuddered at the sound. Stacy placed a hand on her shoulder. She had been so wrapped up in the scene playing out before her that she hadn’t realized the marshal was beside her.
“Now, bring her daddy out to me.”
Wait. What? She glanced over her shoulder, where her estranged husband had been standing mere seconds ago. There was no one there now. Her heart chilled in her chest. Had he abandoned them, right when they needed him?
No, she couldn’t believe that. Yes, he had chosen work and his life over them before. But she had seen the caring in his eyes when he interacted with his daughter.
But she couldn’t deny what her eyes were telling her.
Tyler was gone.
* * *
There was no way he was going to let that man hurt his daughter.
Tyler crept back into the shadows and stole up behind the man holding the knife. He saw a thick branch, about a foot long, and grabbed it. Stepping carefully, he concentrated on making a minimum amount of noise as his feet inched closer to his goal. It was a good thing it was summer. The lush green grass cushioned his steps and softened any noises. He could clearly make out the man’s voice through the shrubbery. And he could hear the pleading voice of his wife.
He winced, remembering the man who’d promised to hurt his family years ago. He had hoped that when he had disappeared from their lives, they would be safe. And yet, they were once again at the mercy of a madman. But this time, he refused to sit back and let the criminals chase him away while those he loved were hurt. He would gladly sacrifice himself if it meant that Bethany and Annabelle would be well and pr
otected.
But the world didn’t work that way. Danger was everywhere.
He could see the man’s head now. The man still held the knife. It wasn’t touching Bethany. In fact, the knife was being held almost six inches away from her. Finally, something was going his way.
Glancing over, he knew the moment that Annabelle became aware of his presence. Her eyes widened slightly. Quickly, she jerked away her gaze. She again began to plead with the man. Good girl. Tyler knew that she was distracting the punk so he could act.
Karl was glaring. It was hard to tell if his hard stare was aimed at Tyler or at the criminal, but he would guess that the glare was pointed to him. He didn’t have time to care. Not when his daughter was in trouble.
The young man was growing angry. “Stop your crying, lady! I want you to go get this kid’s dad or there’s going to be trouble.”
Tyler took the final two steps forward. “I’m right here.”
The villain jerked around in shock. Bethany wiggled from his loosened grasp and ran to her mother’s arms. Annabelle took her daughter in her arms. Immediately, Stacy stepped in front of mother and child, shielding them from harm. Tyler saw Karl glance their way. His gaze locked on Stacy for a moment. It might have been his imagination, but Tyler was certain that fear lurked in Karl’s eyes at the sight of the female marshal in the line of danger.
The man with the knife glared in Annabelle’s direction. There was nothing he could do. Bethany was firmly out of his range. Fury crossed the man’s face. Raising his knife, he charged at Tyler.
A shot cracked out. Howling, the man dropped his knife from his bleeding hand. He didn’t pause long. Tyler was ready for him. The moment he started forward again, Tyler swung his branch like a club. The man went down, stunned.
Within seconds, the marshals swarmed over him and had him restrained. Karl pulled the phone out of his pocket and demanded extra marshals at the house. Tyler heard him say something about the safe house being compromised. Duh.