by Laura Scott
“Let me know when you’re close,” Duncan said. “I’ll give you the details when we know them.”
“All set?” Ryker asked when Duncan disconnected from the call.
“Yep. Brodie must have had a twenty-four-hour bug, because he’s fine now.” Duncan flashed a grin at Aaron. “He’s looking forward to meeting you.”
Olivia began to relax. Trust Ryker, Duncan and the Callahans to come to the rescue.
She breathed through another contraction, just as they arrived in the ER. Ryker helped her out of the back seat, and it was difficult to leave Aaron behind with Marc and Duncan, even though she knew the two men would keep him safe.
“You’re in labor?” The triage nurse wasted no time. “Let’s get you back to a room right away.”
Ryker came with her, and the nurse assumed he was the father of the baby. “Dad, have a seat here, while the doctor examines your wife.”
Olivia opened her mouth to correct them, but Ryker quickly shook his head. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’ll be right next to you the entire time.”
“Okay.” She understood he wanted her to play along, and why not? Honestly, she needed Ryker’s support now more than ever.
The doctor asked a series of questions then performed a quick exam. “No sign of the baby’s head yet, so that’s good. We have an OB on her way down. She’ll be here in a minute. We’re also getting you a bed up in Labor and Delivery.”
“So, she’s really going to have the baby today?” Ryker’s tone rose in surprise.
“It’s possible, but Dr. Regner will know more. Oh, there she is now.”
Dr. Regner flashed a reassuring smile as she entered the room, then proceeded to ask her the same questions she’d just answered for the ER doctor. The only difference was that Dr. Regner’s exam was more thorough. “Okay, you’re about three centimeters dilated. Once we get you settled in Labor and Delivery, we’ll put a monitor on the baby so we can see how he or she is doing.”
“But aren’t you going to do something to stop the contractions?” Olivia had assumed they’d want her bun to stay in the oven a little longer.
“You’re early but I’d estimate the baby is roughly five pounds. We’ll do an ultrasound to be sure.”
The next hour passed in a flurry of activity. When she arrived in the labor and delivery room, the nurse started an IV to provide fluids. Once that happened, her contractions slowed way down.
“I might not be in labor after all.” She glanced at Ryker who’d remained at her side through the IV and the ultrasound. “The contractions seem to have stopped.”
“That happens sometimes once you’re rehydrated,” the nurse said. “But if it’s true labor, they’ll return.”
Olivia secretly hoped they wouldn’t return, at least not for another couple of weeks.
When the nurse finally left them alone, Ryker leaned over and took her hand. “I want you to know Marc has an FBI agent by the name of Tony Seavers from the Madison office stationed outside your door for protection.”
“Really? I’m sure that’s not necessary.”
“Yes, it is. And I’ve heard from Mike that Brodie and Aaron are getting along great. Since you were admitted, Mike and Shayla took Aaron home with them.”
“That’s good to know.” She could rest easier, knowing her son was in good hands. “Although all of this fuss may be for nothing, since the contractions seem to have stopped.”
“Wait and see what Dr. Regner says, okay?” Ryker bowed his head for a moment, before meeting her gaze. “I’m just glad we made it here safely. I was worried you might deliver this baby in the car.”
“Nah, she’s too stubborn for that.” Olivia tried to make light of the situation, but truthfully, she’d had the same fear. “Thanks for staying with me.”
“Of course.” His gaze turned serious. “I’d never let you go through this all alone, Olivia.”
Tears pricked her eyes again. Hormones. And maybe something more. She cared about Ryker, way too much. Her head knew he was just being nice, her knight in shining armor, rescuing her from certain danger, but her heart yearned for something more.
His love.
A contraction tightened her belly, making her suck in a harsh breath. “I guess I was wrong.”
“About?”
“They’re back. The contractions, I mean.” She concentrated on breathing.
“Easy now,” Ryker crooned. “Do you want me to get the nurse?”
“In a minute.” She rode the crest of the contraction, then relaxed as the pain eased.
Ryker’s phone rang. He gave her hand a quick pat, then stood. “I’ll answer this and get the nurse, okay?”
“Okay.” She wasn’t going to argue. If the baby insisted on coming early, then she needed to be prepared.
Ryker left the room. She imagined him chatting briefly with the FBI agent outside her door before moving on.
When her door opened, she turned her head to greet the nurse. Only it wasn’t the nurse standing there. It was Tim’s cousin Seth Willis.
Her blood ran cold for a moment, as she registered the fact that Seth was wearing a uniform and a name tag identifying him as a hospital security guard. “What do you want?”
Seth didn’t answer, but the flatness in his eyes reminded her of Tim. She reached for her call button a second too late. Seth slammed one hand over her mouth, the other pinning her wrists together in a painful grip.
Kicking the side rail with her foot, she tried to make as much noise as possible. But to no avail.
With Seth’s hand over her mouth, it was impossible to breathe. The room spun. No! This couldn’t be happening. Where was the FBI? Ryker? The nurse?
Please, Lord, help me! Save me and my baby!
FIFTEEN
Ryker paced the hallway as Marc updated him on the SUV that had tried to run them off the interstate. “We found it abandoned at the side of the road, wiped clean. Not a single fingerprint or piece of trace evidence.”
“Figures.” They really needed a break, some way to get directly to Kevin Blake and Harper Moore. They were the ones behind these attempts against Olivia and he wanted them held responsible. “Anything else?”
“We’re working with local law enforcement to find Blake and Moore but so far we don’t have any idea where they are. The good news is that the banking information is legit. Our team was able to track down the embezzled funds with an electronic trail back to the Blake-Moore Group. Once we get our hands on Blake and Moore, we should have what we need to arrest them.”
“Good.” Ryker heard a muffled thump and turned toward the door of Olivia’s room. Tony Seavers, the FBI agent posted there on guard duty, abruptly turned and pushed open her door and let out a shout.
“Hey! Get away from her!”
Shoving the phone in his pocket without disconnecting from the call, Ryker ran into Olivia’s room hot on Tony’s heels. When he realized Tony was pulling a man off Olivia, he ran toward them. His blood ran hot when he saw it was Seth Willis.
He grabbed on to Seth, helping to pull him away. Between them, he and Tony wrestled Willis to the floor and cuffed him.
“What are you doing, Seth? I thought you wanted to turn your life around.” Ryker didn’t hide the anger in his tone. “What did you hope to accomplish by hurting Olivia?”
“I didn’t want to hurt her. I just wanted the bank-account information.” Seth glared at him. “If she had handed it over, I would have left her alone.”
Ryker couldn’t believe he’d bought into the guy’s story about going straight. That he’d actually given Willis the phone information for Dennis Ludwig, their FBI contact.
“Ryker!” Hearing his name from his pocket, he realized Marc Callahan was still on the phone.
“Seth Willis tried to attack Olivia,” he said into the phone. “I’ll call you back.” Withou
t waiting for a response, he ended the call and rushed over to Olivia, raking his gaze over her. Her cheeks were pink, her hair disheveled and her breathing seemed labored. “Are you hurt?”
“I’m not sure. Please get the nurse.” Both of her hands were splayed over her belly. “I’m not having any contractions and I’m worried something is wrong.”
No way was he leaving. He reached over and pushed the call button. “The nurse is on her way. Please, Olivia, I need to know if he hurt you.”
She shook her head. “Scared me more than anything, because I couldn’t breathe. I kept kicking the side rails, hoping to make enough noise to attract attention. I knocked him off-balance, which helped.”
His jaw tightened when he saw her bare feet, imagining the bruises that would likely mar her beautiful skin within the next day or so.
“I heard you.” Tony Seavers finished zip-tying Seth’s ankles then came over to stand beside Ryker. “I’m so sorry. When he claimed to be Olivia’s husband’s cousin, I didn’t think to question him. Especially since he works here in security. Why wouldn’t he be legit?”
Ryker wanted to snap at the Fed, but reined in his temper. This was his fault for not checking to see if this was the hospital where Seth worked. Not to mention believing the guy’s innocence in the first place. “It’s okay.” He shot a glare at Seth who was propped in the corner of the room. “But I want him booked for assault and battery.”
“Agreed. I’ll call in the local law enforcement now. They can take him into custody.” Tony’s gaze lingered on Olivia for a moment, obviously still feeling guilty for his role in her attack, before stepping away to use his phone.
Olivia’s smile was wan. “Don’t blame Tony. Seth didn’t lie. He is my dead husband’s cousin.”
“I know.” Ryker lowered his chin to his chest, trying to get a grip. Normally he abhorred violence, but at this moment he wanted to punch Seth in the jaw for daring to place his hands on Olivia. For putting both an innocent woman and her unborn child in danger. He lifted his head. “I don’t blame Tony. This is my fault, Olivia. I hope you can forgive me.”
“Your fault? Funny, it seems to me Seth was the one who attacked me.”
It was nice of her to try letting him off the hook, but he knew the truth. He turned toward Seth. “The Feds have the banking information, so hurting Olivia wasn’t necessary.”
Seth looked away, unable to hold his gaze.
There was a slight knock at the door, before it opened revealing a woman in scrubs. “I’m your nurse, Olivia. What can I do for you?”
Ryker reluctantly moved away from Olivia’s bedside to make room for the nurse. He crossed over to Willis. “Tell me the truth. Are you still working for Blake-Moore?”
Seth hunched his shoulders. “No. I told you, I didn’t want to put my life on the line for them. You were right that they treat us as disposable assets, easily replaced.”
“You came here to assault an innocent woman, all on your own? Blake-Moore didn’t put you up to this?” He was hoping Willis might be able to contact one of the owners to set up a sting, but it didn’t seem likely.
“Yeah, I came on my own. Five million is a lot of cash.” Willis thrust out his jaw toward Olivia. “Why should she get it all?”
“I told you the Feds have the banking information.” He repeated the words slowly, hoping they would sink into Seth’s tiny brain. “The money is evidence of a crime, not to mention motive for hurting Olivia. No one is going to be spending that money, do you understand?”
Seth’s expression turned uncertain. “So this was all for nothing?”
“Exactly. Your greed will land you in jail, you moron.” Ryker turned his back on the guy, unable to stand looking at him. Instead, he listened to what the nurse was saying.
“—doctor. She’ll decide the next steps.”
He edged closer. “What’s going on?”
“Looks like you’ll have to wait awhile to become a daddy,” the nurse told him. “She doesn’t seem to be having any more contractions.”
“But the baby is okay?”
“So far, so good. I’ll talk to the doctor. She may want to keep your wife here longer or send her home. We’ll see what Dr. Regner thinks.”
The nurse left as the local police arrived to take Seth into custody. They wanted a statement from Olivia, who provided her story.
“Listen, I’ll fill you in on the rest,” Ryker said, when they pressed her for more information on the bank accounts. “She doesn’t need additional stress right now. All you need to know right now is that Seth Willis attacked her.”
“We need to understand the motive behind this,” the officer argued.
“Here, call Marc Callahan. He’s with the FBI. He can provide more details.”
The officer reluctantly took Marc’s cell number, then cut the zip ties around Seth’s ankles and hauled him to his feet.
When Ryker was alone with Olivia, he bent down and kissed her forehead.
“I’m sorry,” he repeated. “I hope the stress of all of this isn’t going to hurt you or the baby.”
“I was having contractions before Seth came in here.” She grimaced and put a hand on her belly. “I can’t deny feeling worried about how the baby is doing. Hopefully the added stress doesn’t cause any harm.”
Her words hit hard. She was right; the stress she’d suffered not just today but throughout the past few days hadn’t helped one bit.
Ryker almost sank to his knees in despair. If her baby suffered any untoward complications from being born too early, he’d never forgive himself.
* * *
The contractions had completely disappeared, and for some reason, that bothered her more than the idea of having the baby arrive early. Olivia was doing her best not to show her panic and fear, but it wasn’t easy.
None of this was Ryker’s fault, but he looked so upset and miserable, she knew he was still blaming himself.
“Will you stay with me?” She reached for his hand. “Whatever the doctor decides to do, I can’t bear the thought of delivering this baby alone.”
“Yes.” His simple statement warmed her heart. “I won’t leave you.”
“Thanks.” Over his shoulder, she was relieved to see Dr. Regner enter the room.
“I hear your contractions have stopped.” Dr. Regner’s voice was cheerful. “I’ve been watching your baby’s heartbeat on the monitor, and everything is looking great. I’d like to continue observing you for a bit longer, just to be sure you don’t unexpectedly go back into labor.”
“I don’t feel great.” Olivia tried not to show her fear. “Are you sure the baby will be okay?”
“Your ultrasound confirms the baby’s at five pounds. That’s plenty far enough along to avoid serious complications. Besides, babies under stress often develop their lungs faster.” Dr. Regner patted her arm. “If the baby decides to come early, you’ll both be just fine. I’d like to do a quick exam, okay?”
“Sure.”
Ryker stepped back to provide her some privacy, and she reluctantly let go of his hand. The exam was over in moments.
“You’re still dilated at three centimeters.” Dr. Regner pursed her lips thoughtfully. “No progress there, so it seems like your baby has decided to stay put for a little while longer.”
“Really?” Ryker’s expression brightened with hope. “So no premature baby?”
“Not yet.” Dr. Regner’s tone held a note of caution. “But I’d like to keep Olivia here, maybe until dinnertime. If the contractions don’t start up by then, we’ll consider discharging her.”
Olivia should have been relieved at the news, but she had to swallow a protest. Of course she didn’t want her baby to be born prematurely, but on the other hand, she was hesitant to be back outside the walls of the hospital where Blake-Moore would have yet another chance to come after her.
“What’s wrong?” Ryker’s voice was soft. “You look upset.”
“I’m not. It’s just... I feel safer here at the hospital with you and the FBI agent standing outside my door. I’m not sure I want to leave.”
His brow furrowed. “I’m surprised to hear you say that, especially after the way Seth managed to get in here.”
“But he was a hospital employee and I think Tony will be hypervigilant from this point forward.” The poor guy was beating himself up as much as Ryker was, both of them shouldering the guilt over Seth’s attack.
Seth was the bad guy here. A man callous enough to roughly hold down a pregnant woman.
Ryker stared at her for a long moment. “Do you want me to ask the doctor to keep you here overnight?”
“No, she won’t do that, not if it’s not medically necessary to keep me. Besides, I can’t take up a bed some other woman in labor might need.” Olivia forced a smile. “I’m being overly emotional about this. I’ll be fine.”
“You’re being honest,” Ryker countered. “And I can’t blame you for feeling safer here than in a motel with me. I’ve done a poor job of protecting you.”
“No! That’s not what I meant at all.” She tugged on his hand. “Stop putting words in my mouth. Aaron and I are alive right now because you put your life on the line for us, more than once.” Her eyes misted. “I owe you a deep debt of gratitude.”
“Don’t.” His voice was low and gravelly. He reached up to wipe away a stray tear with his thumb. “I can’t stand seeing you cry.”
That made her chuckle. “Guess you haven’t spent much time around pregnant women, huh?”
“No, I haven’t.” There was a brief pause before he added, “I dated a single mom, but she and her young daughter were killed while I was in Afghanistan.”
She sucked in a harsh breath. “Killed? How? Why?”
“Carjacking gone bad.” His tone held a note of bitterness. “We had only been seeing each other a few months, but her death hit me hard, haunting me for a long time. Mostly because if I had been here with her, she and her daughter would be alive today.”