Secret Dad

by Victoria Pinder

  Luke nodded though he seemed full of questions. "If you think this is best, but..."

  No, not her older brother's lecture right now. Then without a word to anyone else, she bolted down the lawn. She ran as fast as she could away from the party and took the Intracoastal path to her home next door.

  Rafe's footsteps pounded behind her. "Wait."

  He'd catch her. She spun on her heels as they passed Peter's yacht and shouted at him, "No Rafe. I don't want to wait and I don't want to talk."

  She swallowed her tears.

  "Please stop." Rafe's voice quieted.

  He didn't get to be the good, nice guy with her. She knew the truth. "No. You stop. You clearly want Jennifer."

  "Absolutely not."

  "I don't believe you. I saw you." She averted her gaze and stared out into the blue waters of the Intracoastal.

  He inched closer. "Liz."

  "Leave me alone." She waved him to stop as tears poured down her face. This was her own fault entirely for letting her heart get involved. He broke no promises and that fact made her insides twist. She lifted her chin. "Go back to the party and bring home Brandon. I need to be alone right now."

  He reached for her and placed his hand gently on her forearm. "I don't want you to believe..."

  She tugged free of his embrace. She needed to be alone. She put her palm in the space between them. "Later. We'll talk tonight."

  "I didn't kiss her."

  "I said, later."

  "Okay. Fair enough." He rocked on his feet, like he gave in to something he didn’t want. Then he looked toward the house. "Where is Brandon?"

  Brandon. He was her heart and why she'd be fine. For Brandon, she could talk to Rafe—eventually. "With our mothers. I trust you will bring him home safe?"

  "Liz..."

  "Go." She turned away and walked briskly to her home.

  Rafe called behind her. "I'll see you in an hour to talk."

  There was no way she'd be ready in an hour. She never turned around. She kept walking. Goosebumps grew on her arms as she unlocked her front door, but she pushed through. She wiped her face and went inside, determined to cry a while and then be strong.

  The picture that covered the safe was open.

  Her lips parted to scream for Rafe, but then she heard a deep laugh. She stepped back to run as Jose Perez came toward her, a gun pointed at her. "Move and I'll shoot you in your heart."

  Cold sweat trickled down her spine. "Please. Take what you want in the house."

  He came closer to her and his slimy hand traced her arm. "It's my lucky day."

  He smelled like onions and garlic. She winced. "Aren't you Rafe's friend?"

  Without a word he dragged her toward her garage. He opened the connecting interior door and then waved the gun toward Rafe's Escalade parked next in her driveway. "We've been introduced, Ms. Morgan. Now get in the car."

  No. Going with the crooked officer was a death sentence. Inside the garage, she broke free from his grip and tried to back toward the opening bay door. "This is Rafe's."

  "I have the keys and his phone." He patted the items in his shirt pocket, his gun aimed at her forehead. "Stop. Do what I say and you get to live."

  Names raced through her mind. She had to humanize herself. Every self-defense class she’d taken said to try and talk her way out of a scene. She’d clearly lost her opportunity to knee him and run, but she had to find a way. "Why are you doing this, Jose?"

  "Glad you remembered my name."

  He came closer. Her heart raced. There was no way she'd get in the car. Icy cold fear raced through her. "Why?"

  He grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the Escalade. "Rafe's just hours away from figuring out I kidnapped your son."

  "Wait. What?" Her mind raced. This wasn't a robbery gone bad. Jose had kidnapped her son? Heat coursed through her and she stood straighter. She had to get away from Jose. Now.

  "Get in the car or he comes home to you in a pool of your own blood." He trained the gun on her face and opened the door. In her heels, she wasn’t prepared to sprint. She didn't move so he picked her up and practically threw her in the front seat of the SUV. She jerked to jump out but he held the gun to her forehead. "Now stay, or I will have no reason to keep you alive, and if she wants to see Brandon again, you’ll be a good girl."

  No. She shouldn't but she saw no way to escape and get to Rafe. Then her phone vibrated in her bra. She should have remembered it was there. She tried to cover the noise as she said, "Okay."

  "Hand over your phone." He winked at her and backed the Escalade out of the garage. When she didn't move, he grabbed the phone out of her strapless bra as he reached inside her ice blue dress. He threw her phone out the window and whipped the car onto the street.

  Within moments they were headed for the bridge off the island.

  Sweat dripped off her forehead. Her fingers latched onto the door and she prayed she could jump out and run, but he pressed the semiautomatic in her arm while he held the steering wheel with his other hand. “I know where your arteries are and can have you bleed out, right here.”

  Her body stiffened and wouldn't move. Her mind raced. She had to do something. "Why me? Why did you do this?"

  "It was mostly for the money."

  No. She wasn't stupid. She'd get out of this. They made it to the bridge, the blue ocean all around them. Keep him talking. She curled into the corner as she asked, "Mostly?"

  His white teeth shone in his grin. "Part of me will be happy if I have to kill you."

  Part of her would be happy if he paid for what he’d already done. She kept her thoughts to herself. "Why?"

  "Your brother stole Caro from me. Revenge."

  Brandon was kidnapped before Caro and Luke dated. And college was long before that. Arguing wouldn't help her get out of this mess. He headed off the highway, the engine revving. "Where are we going?"

  "To the Morgan United bank, where you are going to transfer ten million dollars to my account."

  How did he know her bank? Then again her last name probably gave it away. She shivered and rubbed the goosebumps. "That's it? You just want money?"

  He parked near the entrance, showing her his badge as he tucked his gun beneath his jacket. "Hope you're a good actress. Your life and your son's life depend on it."

  "You don't have my son." The words flew out of her mouth before she could stop herself. She pressed her lips together fast. She should not even mention Brandon.

  Jose gritted his teeth. "I'm smarter than your protector. How you turned him into your boy-toy so fast is a testament to you, Elizabeth. I thought Rafe would hate all Morgans for all our lives."

  Rafe wasn't just her protector. He was her son's father and he'd never let anything happen to Brandon. She lifted her chin. "He'll find me. He'll figure this out."

  "You're scared. It's in your eyes. And so what? Even if he does, I'll be long gone with ten million dollars to keep me living comfortably."

  Money sounded too easy. "You won't get away with this."

  "The plan is simple. You transfer money to my account and I get on a plane. No one gets hurt. You go home to your boy and we all move on with our lives. If that doesn't work, plan B is that I kill you, just like I did the idiot kidnappers that tried to cut me out of the deal, and get on a plane without the money. We'll both be happier with plan A, but I'll have to live with myself if we go with B."

  She tried to open the car door herself. If she made it to freedom, she'd run to security and wait out the storm. "I can talk to the teller alone."

  He pressed his hand on the automatic lock and then on her arm. "Nice try princess. If you run, I'll have to kill you, the teller and everyone else who tries to get in my way."

  "You're being rough." His calloused fingers were like a vine on her wrist that sent shockwaves of alarm through her, urging her to escape.

  "Not nearly enough. Ready? Follow my direction, on my count of three." He opened his car door at the same time she did.

  T
he bank was crowded. She'd find a way to get to safety.

  Chapter 22

  The bank smelled like her sweat, but that might just be her nose, as Jose held Elizabeth’s elbow and she brushed against the gun under his jacket. It was probably obvious just to her, but if someone noticed, she might be saved. Elizabeth glanced toward the security guard near the door as Jose held her arm firm. The guard wasn't paying her any attention and when she stared at him, he glanced at his cell phone. Jose directed her to the offices in the bank in a bruising grip.

  Customers milled around, but the bank staff all looked down as she passed.

  If she screamed for help, he’d promised to shoot her. How to get home to Brandon, while staying alive? And not putting other people at risk? Banks had a million ways to call the police if something happened.

  Her gaze roamed around the rooms. Somehow, someway there had to be a trigger she could find.

  He knew she banked here, so he must know her family owned the bank. Her father had been who she thought of as her banker while he was alive. “We’re going right toward a friend. Don’t look up at anyone.”

  Right, as if she didn’t already stick out in her ice blue dress and heels. For now she did as she was told, even if someone here might be willing to assist her. Perhaps if she figured out the layout, she could get inside a vault and lock herself in until help arrived.

  They made their way toward offices on the opposite side of the tellers.

  Jose spoke to a female employee with the name badge, Lily. Lily avoided her gaze as Jose said, "Ms. Morgan would like to transfer some money."

  Again, Lily glanced away from Liz to nod at Jose. "Yes, of course. This will go just as we discussed."

  Collusion. Liz's spine tingled as she focused on somehow making it to the money safe.

  "Absolutely."

  Jose tried to drag her further into the private office with a door. He closed the door. At least there were windows inside, but trapped wasn’t good. "Can I use the rest room?"

  "No."

  He continued to drag her and as they were in the back, no one paid them attention.

  If she went in, she'd lose her chance. She crouched low like she was in need of the ladies room. Customers stared at her as she said, "Please, Jose."

  "Pee on yourself for all I care."

  A customer in the waiting area to speak with a banker about a loan stood up. "Don't treat women so harshly."

  Jose squeezed her arm so hard she knew it would be black and blue. "You're making a scene. Go into the office and let's get this over with."

  The attention meant she had a chance. Jose snarled at the man, but then pulled out his badge from his back pocket and showed the stranger. She bit her lip and then tugged her arm away, not that it worked. "Please, Jose. The bathroom is right there."

  The customer's face turned red as he stared at her and then Jose's badge. He put his hands in his pockets. "Is she under arrest, officer?"

  "No, I am not." She held the partition wall so hard it shook.

  Jose stepped forward, his badge out for all to see. "She's under police protection."

  Now or never. Her heart pounded in her chest and she yanked free. "I'll take my chances in the bathroom."

  The man staring at Jose turned red, but he stayed where he was. Jose gritted his teeth. "You have sixty seconds or I'm coming in to get you."

  "Fair enough." She bolted toward the bathroom that was right next to the safe. She'd have two seconds to get in the safe that was ajar and lock the door.

  The clip of her strappy heels sounded against the linoleum floor. As she neared the bathroom, she dove into the safe instead. She grabbed the door and slammed it shut as two people behind her shouted. "You can't be in here!"

  The two tellers were both at the window with customers in their cars. This wasn’t the vault, even though the door looked like it and locked like one. One woman named Naomi according to her name tag, crossed her arms and stood in the small office with the window to the car customers. "You locked us in."

  Instead of explaining, she held out her hand and asked, "Naomi, do one of you have your phone? There is a man with a gun inside the bank. If you get me out of this, I promise the CEO will give you a bonus."

  Liz read the woman's name tag and memorized her name, Naomi, as she stared at her more closely, including her brown eyes. "Miss Morgan?"

  "Yes." She came closer to Naomi, and refused to even blink while she stared at her. "Please, we're running out of time. There is a rogue cop who wants to steal my money outside."

  "What the..." Naomi stopped speaking halfway through and handed Liz her phone. Liz stared at the monitor where Jose was now center screen. She paused before dialing. Jose had Rafe's phone, but Rafe wasn't the only man she could rely on in the world.

  A second later, she waited for someone to answer. Her heart beat faster—Jose pointed his gun at the teller. She practically screamed when her brother answered his phone. "Luke! Are you with Rafe?"

  "Not exactly. He's looking for you. Where are you?"

  On the monitors above the door, people inside the bank looked frightened as Jose told the teller something. Liz’s breaths turned into quick, painful pants for air. "Tell him to get to our family bank in Miami Springs. His friend Jose kidnapped me, stole his phone and is now robbing the bank."

  "What? Rafe's already en route."

  Liz jerked the phone from her ear. That was fast. "How?"

  "His car has a tracker and when it wasn't in your garage he activated the device."

  Thank goodness. A different teller screamed as Jose held a gun to her head. If Liz had given him his money, would this be over? She hugged her waist. "I should go, Luke, and call the police now."

  "Police were called, ma'am," Naomi interrupted. "I hit the silent alarm."

  At least someone did something right.

  Luke said, "Rafe says don't do anything stupid and he'll be there soon."

  If Rafe was coming for her, what if Jose kept his word when he left here and he killed her? Her pulse raced. "Where is Brandon?"

  "With us. Right now, I need to know you’re safe. I can't live if..."

  "I'm okay." Her older brother. She trusted Luke implicitly; just as Rafe had stepped in for Caro, Luke had been a makeshift dad for her and Matthew. "I locked myself and a few employees in the drive up window. Tell Peter that Michael and Naomi, the employees I'm with right now in the Miami Springs branch deserve a bonus for keeping me safe."

  She regretted putting them in danger.

  "If he doesn't, I will."

  Once again, Luke watched out for her. He'd watch out for Brandon if anything happened to her. "Luke, I love you."

  "I love you too, sis."

  From the monitor she saw Jose bang the locked vault-style door. Inside it hardly rattled. Then he took out his gun and pointed it at the lock. She swallowed and hung up on her brother as the bullet ricocheted out of the barrel. She held still. The bullet rattled the metal door, but nothing pierced through.

  On the monitor, Jose was red-faced and cursed with narrowed eyes as he yelled, “Get down.”

  Everyone else at the bank hid on the floor. Then with bulging muscles, Jose banged the door. "Elizabeth, come out or I will hunt down your boy."

  She handed the phone to Naomi and took a step toward the locked door. She couldn’t let random people get hurt because of her. Naomi pulled her back. "Miss, the lock is bullet proof. Don't open the door."

  Naomi was right. Liz rolled her shoulders and thought about Brandon He deserved two parents growing up, like she’d never had. "Okay."

  Michael spoke from his chair as police sirens echoed in the distance. "The police are almost here, Miss Morgan."

  Jose cursed and kicked the door. She stared at the monitor as Jose held his gun pointed at the crowd of people who covered their heads on the ground.

  Without warning he shot out a light and showered the people on the ground with glass. They screamed, and Jose yelled, “Come out now or I start shooti
ng one-by-one every hostage in your family’s bank. I hope you can live with their blood on your hands.”

  "I still can't let innocent people suffer because of me."

  Naomi stayed beside her. "You will do no good if you go out there."

  Elizabeth paced back and forth. If anyone was hurt, the blood was on her hands. She went to the window and saw more blue and red flashing lights in the distance. The police cars surrounded the bank coordinated as they set up a perimeter.

  Michael stood and pointed at the monitor. "Ms. Morgan, look!"

  Elizabeth's fingers covered her lips. Jose grabbed a young woman who held a baby and forced her to stand. Her entire body froze as he faced the terrified woman toward the security camera. "Oh God."

  Jose smacked the screen. Elizabeth took a shaky breath. "This is Jessica. She's a mother, like you. Come out or I will shoot her."

  Liz couldn’t look away as Jessica quickly tossed her baby to a surprised bank employee. The baby cried in shock.

  “No?” A loud bang rang out in the air and a splotch of red blossomed over Jessica’s shoulder.

  Liz screamed at the same time the woman did. “He shot her!”

  Jose pounded the camera with the gun. "The next shot will be in her heart. You have sixty seconds to get out of there."

  Liz reached for the door.

  "Don't go, Miss,” Naomi put some pressure on her shoulder to keep her. “He'll kill you."

  Her stomach churned. She couldn’t move. She stared at the screen as Jessica bled and her child cried uncontrollably. Jose had said he wanted ten million dollars. Money meant nothing, not that she had trusted him.

  She felt adrenaline rush in her veins. Then she straightened her spine, walked out of Naomi’s grip, and went to the door. This was probably the stupidest idea she had, but she held up her chin. Jose would kill the woman. "I can't let Jessica die."

  Naomi followed her to the door. The second Liz turned the lever, more alarms went off. As she walked through and met Jose's cold, furious stare, a stillness enveloped her. Then the safe door slammed at her back and Jose charged.