She grabbed the branch in one hand for leverage and tugged on the sodden pajamas with the other. There was an awful moment went it didn’t seem like he was going to move, but then he broke free and sent Tracy backward onto her ass, water spraying everywhere. She blinked and scrambled up, hurrying to turn him over, and cringing at the pale face and blue lips. There was no time to waste.
She leaned over that too-white face, tipped his head back, pinched his nose, and breathed into his mouth. It took a couple of tries before the kid coughed, choked, and spit up half the stream. Tracy had never been so relieved in her entire life. Guess those First Aid courses had finally paid off.
“Take it easy. I’ve got you,” she stuttered. “You’re going to be okay.” Or he would be as soon as they got out of this water and into dry clothes. “Hang on to me, I’ll get us out of here.”
Easier said than done. The embankment was muddy and the water kept trying to knock her off her feet. The kid had a chokehold on her neck, which was good, but it made movement that much harder. Tracy was starting to worry that she wouldn’t be able to get them out.
Finally, the creek widened and grew shallower, allowing her to gain a footing and climb up the bank with the help of some branches. She fell to her knees and hugged the child tight, sobbing into his shoulder now that they were safe.
“That was close,” she said.
“I knew we’d make it.” He leaned back and met her teary-eyed gaze. “My daddy told me so.”
Looking into those innocent green eyes, the weirdest feeling came over her as light broke through the canopy of trees and bathed them in an ethereal glow. Where seconds earlier she’d been shivering and frightened, now there was only peace, and a warmth that went to the bone.
“Who’s your daddy?” she whispered, though she had a feeling she already knew the answer.
“He’s an angel,” the boy replied.
Chapter 27
Lucas hovered near the edge of the woods and cursed his forgetfulness. The kid in the water, the one who had almost died moments ago, was the child he’d chased just after getting his wings. He was sure of it. He glanced at the grimly silent angel by his side—Mike’s son.
Thank God they had arrived in time. His conscience couldn’t handle more death.
“You going to talk to him? He knows you’re here.” The glitter from the other man’s wings had lit up the entire meadow. Pretty really. Lucas tried to ignore the shadows lunging from the area he occupied.
“No. I shouldn’t have said anything to him before. We’re only allowed to direct their dreams, not their reality.” Mike’s focus remained on his oldest child. “Thanks for helping the woman to save him. I owe you.” When he glanced at Lucas, his eyes were black with repressed emotion.
If only he knew.
Lucas gazed down on the little tableau and debated the wisdom of sharing his mistake with the angel. After all, it had ended well. The kid was going to be fine. No harm, no foul.
A sharp jab to the ribs, right over his heart, made him think otherwise. Apparently, he was expected to come clean. What good would it do? His and Mike’s relationship was strained enough without this latest mess.
“That’s not the point.” The voice came from nowhere and everywhere.
Lucas shot a glance at Mike, but the angel didn’t react. So—obviously aimed at him then. Okay, he could do this.
“Hey, bro,” What are you, in third grade? “Remember when you went to see your wife a few nights back?”
Mike turned that enigmatic gaze of his on Lucas. “What about it?”
Oh yeah, this is going to be fun.
“Confession is good for the soul.” That voice again.
Says who?
“Quit procrastinating.”
Lucas sighed. “You’re going to be pissed.” He flapped his massive wings and noticed the storm clouds gathering on the horizon. “While you were inside I saw your kid jump from a window.”
Mike stiffened. “And you didn’t think to stop him?” His fists clenched and his body levitated a few feet into the air.
Lucas lifted his chin and glared at the other man. “Of course I did. What do you take me for?”
“Well then? You want to explain how my son came to be lying upside down in a muddy creek then?” Mike’s voice shook the ground, there was so much rage and frustration harnessed within the chords.
Lucas checked to make sure the woman and child were okay. They were huddled under a tree and she had the boy wrapped tight in her arms.
He turned back to Mike just in time to dodge a blow to the face.
What the…?
Not taking time to ask questions, Lucas ducked and plowed into the other man’s gut, driving him backward about ten feet. Mike grunted and spat phlegm to the side. He wiped his mouth with a shaking hand.
“Quit doing that,” he growled. “Look, Mike, let me…”
Mike swore. “Don’t you think you’ve done enough?” Tears shone on his cheeks and he brushed them away impatiently. “Thanks to you I’ve lost my family and today my son almost died. I’m tired of forgiving you, man. I wish I’d never laid eyes on you.”
He gazed at his boy for a long heartbreaking minute, then he turned and took flight. The light that had bathed the meadow went with him, leaving the sky bleak and gray.
A golf ball had lodged in Lucas’ throat. How was he supposed to right a wrong of this magnitude?
Rain began to fall and he looked at the two shivering on the ground. They needed shelter. Maybe there wasn’t anything physical he could do to help them, but psychologically…
He fed thoughts of a warm fire and hot chocolate, love and laughter into their minds and watched as their bodies relaxed and they went off to sleep.
Now to get them some help.
* * *
Scott was worried. It was getting late and he still hadn’t picked up Tracy’s trail. Soon it would be too dark to properly see. He was afraid of missing a sign that would lead him in the right direction and hated to think how scared they must be, so he concentrated on searching for anything that was out of place. Broken branches, a scrap of cloth, scuffed earth. Something, there had to be a sign, he had faith.
Rain had started to fall in a steady drizzle. He prayed they had found some kind of shelter to protect themselves until he could find them, if he could figure out where the hell he was. He’d left the trail a while ago and now was hopelessly lost.
The sound of gushing water led him to a brook, half hidden by low hanging branches and willows crowding the banks. It was too wide to jump so he followed it downstream, his feet squelching through the sodden grass. A couple of times he narrowly saved himself from tripping and landing hard on his bad arm. This was a nightmare. He should never have walked away. If he didn’t find them soon…
A light up ahead caught his attention. Maybe the storm was finally going to cut him a break. He hurried forward on the slippery grass, his heart unaccountably beating faster. Even when the light disappeared, leaving a dreary mist in its wake, Scott couldn’t contain the burst of hope.
And then he saw them.
They were huddled together at the foot of a towering pine tree. He stopped and tipped his head to the sky. He’d never been a religious man, but this sure felt like a ‘come to Jesus moment.’
They had fallen into an exhausted slumber, and he decided to leave them rest. Scott draped his coat over their bodies and settled down to watch over them. His cell told him what he expected; no coverage. So they were on their own for getting out of here. That’s okay, now that he’d found them, he wasn’t going to take his eyes off them again.
Chapter 28
Tracy awoke to childish laughter. She stretched, relishing in the warmth of the leather jacket covering her from shoulder to thigh. Scott. The expensive scent of his cologne on the collar teased her senses; sweet and spicy, cardamom, patchouli, and a hint of cocoa. Mmm.
Full consciousness returned and she sat up in a rush, the coat pooling in her lap. Scott looked up, a smile cr
eating a sexy dimple in his cheek.
“Hi,” he murmured, his eyes warm on her face.
Embarrassed, she lowered her gaze to Dustin—he’d confessed his name after the near drowning. “How you doing, buddy?” Thankfully, he seemed fully recovered. His cheeks were pink and eyes sparkling as he squirmed under Scott’s tickling fingers.
“Scott said you were Sleeping Beauty and he might need to kiss you to wake you up,” he giggled.
She raised her eyebrow. “Maybe this princess only accepts kisses from cute little boys. What do you say to that?”
Dustin made a face. “I don’t kiss girls,” he muttered.
Scott ruffled his hair. “That’s okay, sport. I got you covered.” The grin he shot her way was pure devil.
Saved by the bell, Tracy’s tummy grumbled. She remembered she hadn’t had anything to eat since the morning’s aborted breakfast with Scott. She looked at Dustin.
“You ready to go home, Dustin? Your mom and dad must be worried sick.”
He tucked his chin into his chest and fiddled with Scott’s casted arm wrapped around his waist. “I told you—my daddy is an angel and my mom is so sad, she won’t even know I’m gone.”
Oh, honey.
Her heart wept for the child who had been through so much at such a tender age. Sometimes life just wasn’t fair. She looked to Scott for help, but he shook his head, either unwilling or unable to come up with the right words.
“It’s okay to be sad.” She cleared her throat and reached over to squeeze Dustin’s knee. “I bet you’re sad too, right?” She waited for his slight nod. “I think your mom would feel pretty bad if she thought you felt lonely. Maybe you just need to talk to her. What do you think?”
He rubbed his eyes and swiped his nose before meeting her gaze. “Will you come with me?”
She latched onto his hand and choked back tears of her own. “You bet. I’d love to meet your mom and tell her about the brave little man she’s raised.”
They sat like that for a few moments until a random shiver worked its way up Tracy’s spine and she realized how chilly Dustin’s fingers were. “We better get going before we’re all laid up drinking chicken noodle soup for the next couple of weeks.”
She hid her smile at the identical looks of dismay on their faces. Men, they were all the same. Tough as nails until they thought they were sick, then look out, they became the biggest babies on the planet.
Twilight was right around the corner and what had appeared an inviting, friendly forest now seemed dark and forbidding. She was afraid it wouldn’t be easy to find their way out.
“Do you have your phone?” she asked Scott. Maybe they could use his GPS. She’d looked for hers earlier, but must have lost her cell somewhere during her mad flight.
He tugged it out of his pocket and thumbed it on, but then shook his head and pointed it her way so she could get a look. “No bars. We’re on our own.”
Great. A city full of cell towers and they were in the only quadrant without coverage. Figures. Well, best to put a brave face on and move to plan B then.
“How about a light?”
Scott looked at her askance for a moment, then he grinned. “Gotta love modern technology,” he said, and moved through the phone’s apps until he found the flashlight. Immediately their little grove was lit with high beams, shoving the shadows back to the fringe of the forest. Tracy sighed her relief and pushed to her feet.
“Okay, gang, what do you say we get out of here?”
“Yay,” Dustin cried. “I’m hungry.”
Tracy gave him a quick hug. “Me too. The sooner we start walking, the sooner I can buy you the best pizza you ever tasted.”
Scott waved his light around the clearing. “The path can’t be too far off. Let’s go this way.” He started toward a break in the trees. “So, what kind of pizza do you like, Dustin? My favorite is pepperoni.”
Tracy appreciated his effort to keep the little guy’s mind on something other than their current situation. Where the heck had all those wandering couples disappeared to now that they could use the help?
“Cheese, lots of cheese,” Dustin answered, and Tracy’s mouth watered.
“Me too. I’m going to buy us the biggest cheese pizza I can find when we get out of here. And a pepperoni for Scott, I guess.”
Dustin giggled.
She loved the versatility of a child. One minute half-drowned, the next making jokes with virtual strangers. She was almost a basket case and it hadn’t even happened to her. She didn’t know what to make of his determination his father was an angel. If his dad had died… well, that was too sad to think about. Whatever the case, someone had surely been watching over him today. If she’d been even a couple of minutes later…
“Aha,” Scott shouted triumphantly. The phone’s little light cast a glow on the well-trodden path they’d been searching for. “Now, which way should we go?”
“This way, silly,” Dustin said with absolute certainty, pointing to the right.
Tracy looked at Scott and shrugged. One way was as good as another. Eventually it had to lead them out.
Scott put the light under his chin so that he looked like a ghoulish monster. “Whatever my master decrees,” he moaned, his voice dark and wobbly. Then he grinned and dropped the beam to the ground. “Sorry, couldn’t resist. Okay, we’ll try your way, partner. You stick in the middle, we don’t want you getting lost again. Ready?”
Dustin nodded and they were off.
Tracy twisted her foot a couple of painful times on the rutted trail, and muffled her groans. Her heels were definitely not meant for search and rescue. Scott was singing campfire songs up ahead, keeping Dustin occupied so he wouldn’t get scared. She’d seen a different side to him today, one that she liked—a lot. He continually surprised her. His kindness and generosity had been the first thing to draw her to him, but his humor and sensitivity were the threads that wrapped around her heart. She loved this man. More than she’d thought possible. She just hoped she hadn’t come to the realization too late to make it work between them. She owed him a big apology for her misconceptions. Somehow she would make it up to him.
Her foot twisted again, and she grunted. The painful wrench made it hard to walk. She stopped for a moment to rub her swollen ankle and wished for a tensor bandage to give it some support. When she looked up Scott and Dustin were rounding a corner in the trail, the light disappearing with their bodies. Shoot, now she had to play catch-up in the dark.
She felt around the edge of the path until her fingers came across a sturdy stick to enable her to move more easily.
Angry voices up ahead sent her hurrying forward. As she rounded the bend, Tracy stumbled to a halt. Scott stood with his feet planted in the middle of the path, Dustin cowering at his back. She couldn’t see the other person, but instinctively knew he was trouble. It was obvious from the tension radiating in the air.
Now what?
Chapter 29
Scott rounded a bend in the trail and saw Ray striding toward them down the path. He sighed, relieved. That is until he got a look at the gun in the other man’s hand. A gun pointed straight at his heart.
“Ray, it’s me, buddy. I can’t believe you found us.” He lifted his hands in a show of peace. “Put that thing down before you hurt someone.”
Ray’s laugh was humorless. “Do what I say and maybe you won’t find out if I know how to shoot. Now keep them hands up there where I can see them. You and I have some business to attend to, and I’m tired of waiting while you chase after some skank who knows more than what’s good for her.”
Scott tensed.
What did Tracy have to do with this? The animosity in the agent’s voice sent a shiver of apprehension up his spine.
“Look, I don’t know what it is you need, but we can work this out. Just drop the weapon first.” He widened his stance in the faint hope Ray hadn’t noticed anyone was with him. And how the hell had he found him, anyway?
“I’m glad you happened
along,” Scott said. “I didn’t know if I was ever going to get out of here.”
Ray chuckled and held up his cell phone in his free hand. “I tracked you. It was hard for awhile when you dropped off the grid, but as soon as you came back on line, I had ya.”
This was surreal. And more to the point, how was he going to get them out of this without anyone getting hurt? The thought of Tracy at the hands of this madman made his blood run cold.
“How long have you been following me, Ray?”
The gun wavered for a fraction of a second. “A couple of years now.” Ray tilted his chin defiantly. “I had to keep an eye on my assets, didn’t I?”
Scott shook his head. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Investments, Ray? That’s all Lucas and I were to you? Freaking investments?”
“Don’t you get all holier than thou with me, boy.” Ray stomped closer. “I gave everything to your careers, and what did I receive in return? ‘Ray, get me drink. Ray, get me a car. Ray, wipe my ass.’ I’m sick and fucking tired of being your lackey. I told Lucas I wanted more money and you know what he did? He laughed. He fucking laughed.” A malicious light entered his eyes. “He ain’t laughing no more though, is he?”
Was Ray saying he murdered Lucas and Natalya?
“It was an accident…” His throat was so clogged with emotion he had a hard time pushing the words out. His knees threatened to buckle. He couldn’t grasp what was happening, it seemed like a nightmare. A jumbled kaleidoscope rolled through his head. Ray taking them in, making them stars, giving them more than they’d ever had in their sorry-assed lives. The cars, the houses, the women, all thanks to this man. Except he hadn’t done it for them at all, he’d done it to feed his gigantic gambling addiction. Oh, he thought they didn’t know he was skimming the royalties from their movies, but they’d known. And they’d let it go because he was Ray, the man who had cared enough to see something in a couple of kids from nowhere.
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