Love Inspired Suspense September 2015 #1

by Margaret Daley

  People walked up and spoke to him, uniformed cops and stern-faced men—and one woman—with silver star-shaped badges on their hips.

  Jonah nodded to them. “Yes. Get on that.”

  The badge people all strode off.

  From the look of things, Jonah was someone important. His blond hair was still military short, highlighting his high-set cheekbones and steel-gray eyes. That much remained of the guy she’d known, his features so much like his brother’s. The same features bequeathed to her son, so that she’d had to see them every single day of Nathan’s life, forced to remember everything she’d lost.

  Jonah’s T-shirt was overlaid with a black bulletproof vest. The gun on his hip and the badge on his belt only solidified the air of authority he’d always carried. Even in high school, years before he joined the marines, he’d been that way.

  She lifted her eyes to his face, to where the man who had once been her best friend, her husband’s brother, now stared angrily down at her.

  Nathan’s uncle.

  Why had she thought she could escape the reckoning that was only inevitable when Jonah found out he had a nephew? Maybe it was the real reason she was here—more than just Nathan’s college tuition. Her son did need to know his relatives.

  Or Jonah, at least. His mom—Nathan’s grandma—was a different story. As was Elise’s mom, and her brother.

  Jonah shook his head. “What on earth is going on, Elise? I was chasing Fix—”

  “My brother?”

  Jonah sighed. “He ran into the zoo and disappeared, and then I found you on the floor.” He swiped his hands down his face.

  Fix had always been wild. Quick to break any rule imposed upon him. But he’d still been her brother, and being estranged from both him and her mother all these years didn’t stop Elise from feeling the pang of grief knowing he was a criminal.

  Fix had to be in big trouble if cops were after him.

  If it wasn’t for the influence of the Rivers brothers—Jonah and his brother, her husband, Martin—Elise might very well have ended up walking the same path as Fix.

  But for the grace of God.

  Every single part of her past had intruded today. She half expected Jonah’s mother to walk in the zoo any moment now, just so she could look disapprovingly at Elise one more time.

  Elise shook off the bizarre thought and said, “There was a man in the office, but it wasn’t Fix. He stole my keys and some files.” It made no sense. “The gate doesn’t even lock, and he took my keys.”

  Jonah crouched beside her. “Did the man you saw plant this bomb?”

  The EMT jerked, as though hearing the word spoken aloud was entirely different from witnessing an explosion.

  “If he did, it was before he searched the place.” She waited a moment for her brain to catch up. “I’m surprised there was even anything in the office to find, given how much of a mess this place is in. Nathan went…” The breath left her lungs in a rush.

  Jonah frowned. He looked like he was waiting for her to finish.

  Elise looked around. Where was Nathan? He must have seen the explosion. And there were cops everywhere.

  A man called out, “Hey, Jonah. I think your radio is busted. We found this kid hanging around.”

  Elise craned her neck to look while Jonah strode toward two marshals walking Nathan between them. Her son’s hands were pulled behind his back.

  She grabbed the EMT’s arm. “Help me up.” He looked at her like she was crazy, but Elise ignored it as she pulled on his shoulder. He raised her to her feet. Trying not to breathe so much that it hurt, she strode over to the marshals holding her son. “Let him go.”

  “Elise—” Jonah held out a hand, halting her when she would have gone to Nathan. “Stay out of this. Unless you’re going to tell me it has something to do with your brother.”

  Eyes on Jonah, Elise pointed a finger at her son, showing Jonah the stern mom face that made Nathan listen even when he didn’t want to clean his room. “You let him go.”

  Jonah said, “Elise—”

  “Mom, they think I planted a bomb.” Her son’s voice wavered.

  Jonah’s eyes flashed wide. “Mom?”

  Who else did Jonah think the kid belonged to? It shouldn’t have been that much of a stretch. They both had the same build, the same steel-gray eyes.

  “Nathan and I don’t have anything to do with your search for my brother.” There was no way she would let this new cop version of Jonah tie them up in his business. “We arrived in town this morning. The fact we’re here tonight is only a coincidence. We have nothing to do with my brother, or what happened here. Let. Him. Go.”

  *

  Jonah looked from Elise, to the teen and back. Steeling himself for the answer, he said, “Is this your son?”

  She nodded.

  “Is he my nephew?”

  The team as a whole shifted in reaction to his question, though Jonah didn’t think anyone but someone who worked with them day in and day out would have noticed their reaction.

  No one moved. Surrounded by his coworkers, cops and emergency services personnel he knew and who knew him, Jonah waited for Elise to finally tell him the whole truth.

  It seemed like an eternity of agony before Elise said, “Yes.”

  Tears filled her eyes. Jonah couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He had a nephew he hadn’t even known about? First, Elise had walked out days after Martin’s funeral—before Jonah had even managed to get home. Now he was finding out she’d been pregnant?

  Why hadn’t she ever bothered to tell him she’d had Martin’s baby? Never told his mom she was a grandma?

  Fury burned inside him. She must have seen it, because she winced.

  “Elise—”

  “No! Don’t you dare blame this on me, Jonah.” She looked at him as though he was little more than a stranger. Evidently whatever familiarity they’d had years ago was gone now.

  The dark green button-down shirt had a wild-animal sanctuary logo on it and matched her green pants, held up by a corduroy belt with empty holders and a broken key chain. She certainly wasn’t a kid anymore. But just like back then, his heart caught at the sight of her.

  Why did he suddenly want to sit her down and ask her how she’d been?

  To cover the slip, he turned to Hanning and Shelder. Eric looked like a male model, while Hailey had wild red hair and was a cute tomboy. The lovebirds made an interesting pair. They were also very good at what they did.

  “Let the kid go.”

  The young man passed Jonah, looking up at him with his brother Martin’s silver eyes. Elise had always called them steel gray, but Martin’s had possessed a light that Jonah had never seen anywhere else. Until this kid—almost a man, really.

  He had Jonah’s lanky body—except that it was actually Martin’s, not his. He shouldn’t forget that. Still, the long arms and legs were familiar enough that he knew Nathan had trouble finding clothes that fit his limbs. Length might’ve helped on a basketball court, but Jonah had found it also meant he had trouble with coordination the rest of the time.

  Nathan’s hair was styled to sweep across his forehead and fall over his eyes. Jonah was just old enough to find the fact that his nephew probably used styling product in his hair mildly hilarious.

  The kid shot him a slightly curious, dirty look, and walked to his mom.

  Jonah focused on his team. “Get Parker and Ames. I want the whole zoo searched. We need to find Fix, but keep an eye out for the man who attacked Elise. I’ll get you a description.”

  His female teammate smirked, tipping her head to one side. “Elise?”

  Jonah sighed. “Elise Tanner, this is Deputy Marshal Hailey Shelder, who was just leaving, and her fiancé, Deputy Marshal Eric Hanning, who is going with her.”

  Hailey rushed past him. Jonah turned just in time to see her shake hands with Elise. Hailey practically bounced up and down on her boots. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

  Jonah rolled his eyes, his gaze land
ing on Eric. He shrugged as if asking, What are you going to do?

  Jonah knew exactly what. “Shelder. Don’t you have a search to do?”

  Hailey snapped her boots together and saluted. “Yes, boss.” Eric laughed and the two of them strode away to do something other than nose into Jonah’s personal life.

  His gaze strayed to Elise. “You’ll need to give a statement. Whatever you can tell the police about the man who attacked you is going to help us.”

  He believed her when she’d said she didn’t know the man who attacked her, but her brother could just as easily have been the one who planted the bomb—a pretty good distraction for the marshals chasing him, if he’d had the time to plan it out. Elise could be just another statistic of the victims hurt by Fix Tanner’s actions.

  Too bad it had to be her.

  Why had she come back? The thought that she could be in on Fix’s scheme entered his mind, but Jonah dismissed it almost immediately. He was paid to consider all the variables, but he knew Elise wouldn’t lie to him. There was just no way.

  Except he didn’t really know her anymore, did he? Even if they’d been friends for years before he’d come home to his brother’s grave and Elise gone. The teenage kid in front of him proved how long it had been. Could he trust her now?

  “You said you’re here looking for Fix?”

  Jonah shifted and showed her where it said US MARSHALS on the back of his vest. “You’re in the middle of a manhunt, Lise.” She stiffened, but she needed to know the truth of who Fix Tanner was now. “Do you know where your brother is?”

  “I haven’t seen my brother in…” She faltered. “As long as it’s been since I’ve seen you. I’m telling the truth. We only arrived in town today.”

  The kid glanced between them. “Mom?”

  Elise sighed. “Fix Tanner is my brother. Your uncle.”

  “And this guy?” The kid motioned to Jonah.

  He folded his arms across his chest. “I’m the one who’s going to bring Fix Tanner in for his scheduled court appearance.”

  It was Elise’s turn to sigh. “Nathan, this is your other uncle. Your father’s brother, Jonah.”

  Jonah blinked. “His name is Nathan?”

  Elise glanced at him like he was an irritant. “You know I loved your father, too. There wasn’t much else I could give him, so I named his grandson after him.”

  He couldn’t breathe. He only blinked, trying to comprehend her naming her son after his paternal grandfather. His dad had adored little Elise, and she’d felt the same way. There’d never been a steady father figure in her life. And now there wasn’t one in Nathan’s—unless Jonah could change that.

  The teenager shook his head. “I don’t…I don’t even know what I’m supposed to say.”

  “You don’t have to say anything, honey.”

  Jonah nodded, thinking the same thing. “It’s not a big deal, kid.” There was time enough for them to process this and everything else that had happened tonight.

  Elise spun to him, a look of horror on her face.

  Jonah shrugged, but that only made it worse. He and Nathan could talk later. Now was not the time, when the police were waiting to take Elise and Nathan’s statements about the intruder and the bomb, and Jonah had to get back to the hunt for Fix. What did she think he’d meant?

  Elise shifted. She groaned as if she was in pain. Nathan caught her, which made her cry out louder. He looked at Jonah, fear on his face. Jonah was already there, supporting Elise as they lowered her to the cracked concrete.

  “I’m okay. I just couldn’t catch my breath.”

  “You need to get checked out at the hospital.” The EMT’s face was somber. “I think you might have done serious damage to your back.” The guy already had her arm in a tight pressure cuff, not wasting any time. She pulled at the tab to detach its hold on her bicep.

  Jonah crouched and stilled her fingers, refusing to register how cold she was. Probably shock. Did he have a blanket in his truck? The EMT produced one before he could even think it through.

  “Go with them. We need to know what happened if we’re going to find your brother. I’ll let my team know what’s going on and meet you there.”

  Elise tried to sit up. “What?”

  Jonah stood. “I’m coming to the hospital. Until I figure out what just happened, you don’t go anywhere without a police escort.”

  THREE

  “There’s no sign of Fix Tanner. We searched the grounds and the outlying streets. He’s gone.”

  Jonah nodded at Hailey Shelder. “If the cops don’t need help with the bomb investigation, then head home. We can meet first thing tomorrow and regroup, find out if all of this is related, or just coincidental timing.”

  The others walked up. Jonah stood in a circle with his teammates: Hailey’s fiancé, Eric, the SEAL, Parker, and the former cop, Ames. “I’ll see you all back at the office. Seven a.m.”

  Hopefully he would be able to find an off-duty cop to help keep an eye on Elise. He didn’t think she was being targeted per se, but she’d been attacked and a bomb had gone off. Whether the things were related or not, they still had one common denominator—the zoo she was now in charge of. Jonah wasn’t willing to risk losing her all over again.

  Shelder’s lips twitched. “And Elise?”

  Ames shot her a look. “You’re such a girl.”

  She folded her arms. “So what if I am?”

  Jonah sighed. “One of these days I’m going to fire both of you. I’m the boss now. I can do that.”

  If he didn’t get it over with now, they were going to keep hounding him for details.

  “Elise married my brother, Martin. He passed away eighteen years ago, when he was in the army and I was with the marines. I wasn’t there with him, I was on a different mission when I found out he’d been killed. By the time I got home, Elise was gone. My mother told me she banked the death benefits and took off.”

  Parker clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Women.”

  Shelder gasped. “She was grieving.”

  “Doesn’t matter,” Parker said. His eyes were hard, filled with the shadows of the past. “She still lied by not saying anything about having a baby. That boy is Jonah’s nephew and he didn’t even know the kid existed.”

  “But—”

  “Enough.” Jonah shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll sort things out with Elise, but it’s not going to be resolved tonight. You guys just worry about Fix Tanner.”

  “Is he really Elise’s brother?” Eric asked.

  Jonah nodded.

  “She’s involved, then,” Parker said.

  “Unlikely, but I’m not going to rule it out.”

  Parker nodded. “That’s good. Stick close to her, and eventually you’ll discover what she’s lying about.”

  Jonah frowned.

  Shelder shook her head at Parker. “When did you get to be so cynical?”

  Jonah wasn’t going to hang around for them to argue some more. “I’ll see you all in the morning.”

  He drove his truck to the hospital where they’d taken Elise. It was hard to decide if he was more interested in seeing her or in getting to know his nephew better.

  Nathan.

  The boy’s name brought forth the memory of his own father’s warm smile. But then, he supposed that was the point of Elise naming her son after his father. Nathan Rivers, Jonah’s dad, had always had a soft spot for the girl from the trailer park across town.

  The first day they’d met Elise, she had been a spindly twelve-year-old on the lakeshore. Her older brother, Fix, was supposed to have been watching her. She’d wandered a mile around the lake’s beach, looking for turtles, before she met up with Jonah, Martin and their father, who had been fishing.

  The minute he saw that gap-toothed smile on the girl with the stringy blond hair and she started talking about the symptoms of shell disease in western pond turtles, Jonah had been thoroughly charmed. His dad, too. The old man had suffered a soft spot for li
ttle Elise Tanner that was a mile wide and twice as high. But Martin was the one who’d married her.

  Now Elise was a stranger, Jonah had a nephew he’d never met and her brother was number one on his list of fugitives to hunt down and drag back in to custody. Never mind figuring out who had hurt her, lifted her keys and stolen files from the zoo office.

  Nathan was in the hall. “Hey.”

  “How’s your mom?”

  “They’re taking X-rays.”

  Jonah nodded, unsure what else to do—or say. They weren’t at the point he could squeeze the kid’s shoulder. Nathan was a stranger, despite the resemblance.

  Nathan bit his lip. “Were you in Operation Desert Strike just like my dad?” He must have seen the surprise on Jonah’s face, because he said, “I looked it up online. I know all about Iraq back then.”

  Jonah said, “I wasn’t in the same part of the country as Martin.” He pushed out a breath, unwilling to think about the gravestone and the empty pool house. Both of them, gone. “I thought your mom left because she didn’t want to know me anymore, or be reminded of your dad.”

  After Elise had gone, there hadn’t been much else that made sense. What faith he’d had in a God of love and goodness had died with Martin’s death and Elise’s leaving.

  Why hadn’t he tried harder to find her? Maybe he shouldn’t have given her up so easily. Their lives hadn’t been perfect, but maybe their friendship had been worth fighting for. The fact that he’d loved her was irrelevant now—she’d made her choice.

  Now she was back, and his father would’ve said God brought them here for a reason, which only made him ache for his dad all over again. Jonah didn’t want to know about a God who orchestrated life like that. He was the one in charge of his own path.

  The old man had passed away before Jonah joined the marines. He’d never gotten to see Jonah become a marshal. Never had to live through Martin’s death. Never met his grandson.

  Despite everything Jonah could wish to have been different, they were both there now.

  He pushed aside the awkwardness and set a hand on his nephew’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here now.”

  For whatever reason, Jonah would accept the gift he’d been given for exactly that—a gift. It was what his dad would’ve wanted.