Mountain Hideaway

by Christy Barritt

  Bernard smiled at her again. He was missing teeth and the few he had were brown or yellowed. Her arm ached after the first cut. She knew there was more to come.

  Against her will, tears rushed to her eyes.

  She fought against the restraints, trying to get away. She knew her effort was futile, but she didn’t stop trying.

  “Struggling will only make this more painful,” Bernard said, displaying a crooked smile.

  “It’s too bad Leo isn’t enough of a man to do this himself. He has to get you to do his dirty work.”

  Bernard chuckled. “I’ll pass on the message. But until then, we have other business to attend to.” He stepped closer.

  A groan escaped her lips, belying her defiant tone.

  Just as he lowered his knife toward the skin on her other arm, the door burst open.

  In a flurry of events, she spotted Trent. His gun was raised. Quickly, he pulled the trigger, first hitting Bernard and then the other two men in the room. Each of them moaned with pain, clutching their shoulders or knees. Not lethal shots, but shots meant to hinder, to slow down their efforts. She could respect that.

  A tear of joy cascaded down her cheek. Trent was here. Maybe she did have a reason to hope she might survive.

  Moving quickly, he grabbed Bernard’s knife and cut the ties around her arms. “Are you okay?” he asked, tenderness softening his voice.

  She nodded. “Better now that you’re here.”

  He glanced down at her arm and blanched.

  As Bernard started to sit up, Trent slammed his fist against the man’s head and he slumped back to the ground. “We’ve got to get out of here. Now.”

  She nodded, knowing better than to argue.

  Trent pulled her out of the chair, glanced around and then walked toward the door. He scanned the hallway before leading her out. “You know another way to leave this place?”

  “I was blindfolded. No idea.”

  He led her down the hallway. Footsteps and shouts sounded in the distance.

  Tessa knew that with the gunfire, Leo would quickly discover what had happened. They didn’t have much time.

  They reached the end of the hallway. It was a dead end.

  This wasn’t good.

  She looked up at Trent and saw the contemplation on his face. Finally, he pulled her into a room off the hallway and put a finger over his lips to signal silence. She froze, hardly able to breathe as she listened to the footsteps coming closer.

  How many men had she seen? There were at least three or four more. Could Trent handle them on his own?

  Now that they were on to the fact that Trent was here, it seemed unlikely. They were too outnumbered.

  But she wouldn’t give in to despair. There was no time for that.

  “Where could they have gone?” a voice that clearly belonged to Leo exploded. “Find them. Now. Kill them when you do. I don’t have time for any more of these games.”

  Trent’s grip on her biceps tightened and he shoved her farther behind him. He had his gun in his hands.

  “Check the rooms!”

  Tessa’s heart rate quickened.

  Slowly, Trent leaned down and grabbed a metal doorstop from the floor. With measured movements, he tossed it down the hallway. The men turned toward the sound. When they did, Trent stepped out and fired.

  Tessa gasped at the sound. Her ears would be ringing for days. If she lived that long.

  He emerged into the hallway and kicked the men’s guns out of the way. Tessa grabbed one and raised it.

  They took a step down the hallway. Just then, a man stepped out behind Tessa. His arm went around her neck and, with one squeeze, her gun clattered to the floor.

  * * *

  Trent turned and spotted the beefy man who’d grabbed Tessa. He raised his gun.

  “Let her go,” he ordered.

  “Put the gun down or I’ll kill her,” the man said.

  “I’d do what he says,” someone with a smooth voice said behind Trent.

  Trent didn’t have to look over his shoulder to know it was Leo speaking. His gut told him that the man had a gun pointed at him.

  He took one last glance at Tessa, hoping she could read the apology in his eyes. Terror stained her gaze, clutching his heart with grief at the sight.

  “Put the gun down,” the man behind him said again.

  “Don’t do it, Trent,” Tessa said, her voice raspy and strained.

  “I don’t have a choice.”

  “They’ll...kill...you,” she whispered.

  “If I don’t put this down, they’ll kill you,” he said. “I’m sorry I let you down.”

  Slowly, he raised his free hand and lowered the gun to the floor. He couldn’t take the chance. But he didn’t know how he was going to get out of this.

  Leo strode closer. “Well, wasn’t that a beautiful display of young love. You both just made my job easier. I thought I was going to have to track you down, too, but you showed up here. Now I don’t have to. I like it when things are easy.”

  “You’re not going to get away with this,” Trent assured him.

  Leo shrugged. “Sure I will. I always do. With money, you can get away with a lot of things. Everything is going to look like Tessa is behind it. I’ll testify that I caught her using my business to do arms deals. I’ve even had some photos altered to show her meeting in the park with a member of a terrorist group. I always say, leave no stone unturned. It’s why I’m so good at what I do. It’s all in the details.”

  The man’s cockiness set his nerves on edge.

  Tessa gasped for air in the other man’s grip. Blood from her wound dripped on the floor, and her face took on a pale hue.

  “Let her go!” Trent said, desperate to reach her, to protect her.

  Leo chuckled beside him. “I need to make her pay for what she did to me. Don’t you understand that? Haven’t your investigative skills come in handy at all?” He paced around him. “You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”

  “I’m smart enough to know that love means not hurting or using or mistreating the object of your affection.”

  “Life is too short not to use people to your advantage.” Leo’s smile disappeared as he nodded toward the man holding Tessa. “Now finish the job.”

  Just as Leo said the words, he raised his gun at Trent.

  As instinct kicked in, Trent swung his foot and knocked the gun from Leo’s hands. Wasting no time, Trent grabbed the weapon and aimed it at Tessa’s attacker. The bullet hit him in the throat. The shot was enough to loosen the man’s hold on Tessa. She crumpled to the ground, crawling away from the man.

  Just as the man reached for her, Trent took another shot, hitting his shoulder. The thug howled with pain.

  When Trent turned back around, he saw that Leo had grabbed his gun again and was pointing it right at him.

  He dived out of the way, knowing he probably wouldn’t make it in time.

  Tessa let out a cry and lunged toward Leo. She hit his knees just as he fired. The bullet veered past Trent, skimming the sleeve of his jacket.

  “Freeze. FBI!” Four men appeared down the hallway.

  Help was here. Help was finally here.

  * * *

  As soon as Leo and his men had been cleared from the building and taken into police custody, Tessa turned to Trent. She had so much she needed to say, but words didn’t seem adequate at the moment. He’d saved her life, given her hope for the future and restored her faith in people. How could she show her gratitude for all of that?

  She settled for “Thank you.”

  His hand covered her neck and jaw as he looked tenderly into her eyes. His look showed warmth and love and a depth of emotion that couldn’t be faked. “You gave me a good scare.”

  “I know, but—”

  Before she could finish her sentence, his lips covered hers. Time seemed to stand still around them. Everyone else disappeared. Memories of the atrocity that had occurred vanished. At the moment, it was just Trent and Tes
sa.

  “I’d do anything for the woman I love,” Trent whispered when they pulled away. “Anything. I hope you’ve realized that over the past several days.”

  Her heart raced at his proclamation. She wrapped her arms around his waist. “I love you, Trent. I never thought I would be able to say that. But, against all the odds, here I am. I’ve never meant the words more.”

  “You two ready to give a statement?” the agent in charge asked behind them.

  Trent kept his arm around Tessa as they turned toward the man.

  “I’m ready to share everything I know,” Tessa said. “Especially now that Leo is behind bars.”

  “We’ve had surveillance on Leo and his men for quite some time. I’m hoping that we have the evidence now to put him away for good.”

  “After we get done here, what do you say we go see your family?” Trent asked.

  Warmth spread from her heart to the rest of her body. “I think that would be the most wonderful thing ever...especially with you by my side.”

  He smiled before kissing her forehead. “Then, let’s get this over with.”

  EPILOGUE

  Six months later

  Tessa flipped off the TV after watching the evening news, and a satisfied smile washed across her face. She looked up at Trent, who sat beside her on the couch, and saw that he shared the same expression.

  With a new sense of relief filling her, she threw her arms around him. “I can’t believe it,” she whispered. “This really is over.”

  His arms circled her waist. She still marveled at his strength—both physically and emotionally. He’d been her rock from the day they’d met, and she thanked God every day that their paths had crossed.

  The news anchor had just announced what Tessa and Trent had already suspected would happen—Leo McAllister had accepted a plea deal. He’d be going away for a long time, as would the family’s contact with the defense contractor. Not only that, but several weapon blueprints had been intercepted before they’d gotten into the wrong hands.

  “You can finally get on with your life,” Trent said, pulling back and looking her in the eye. There was an undeniable gleam of affection there. “We can finally get on with our lives.”

  Tessa smiled. She liked the sound of that. Ever since Leo had been arrested, Trent had been at her side. He’d seen to it that he was her personal bodyguard until he was absolutely sure Leo was no longer a threat. And Tessa hadn’t minded it one bit. She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Trent would do whatever he needed to in order to keep her safe. He’d proved that.

  She’d never felt so loved or valued by a man before. Nor had she ever felt such an easy trust.

  Not only that, but her mom and brother and sister and nieces and nephews were all back in her life. She’d been so happy to see them and catch up and hug them again.

  She’d called Salem, also. He was just fine. Tessa had worried about him, worried that Leo might have tracked him down. Thankfully, that hadn’t happened.

  Life was falling into place again.

  She leaned back into the couch. They were at Trent’s house right now. Tessa was living with her mom until she started her new job. She was pleased that she’d soon be working for Trent. She’d be helping him with any cyber issues that popped up in the course of his PI work, as well as with coordinating some of his jobs. It wasn’t necessarily something she’d seen herself doing, but she enjoyed organizing and coordinating. Even more, she loved working with Trent.

  “Tessa?” Trent asked, his voice husky and serious.

  She’d told him that she preferred to go by Tessa now. Theresa seemed too much like the person she used to be.

  She glanced up at him, noting that there was a new expression in his eyes. She couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Excitement? Nervousness? Mischief? “Yes?”

  He rubbed his lips together before speaking. “I know the past six months have been a whirlwind. Totally unexpected and surprising and dangerous at times. But I need to ask you something.”

  She gripped his arms, hoping she never had to be without his embrace. She felt as though she could move mountains with him by her side. She sucked in a breath as she anticipated what he had to say. “Anything.”

  In one fluid movement, he was down on one knee. “Will you marry me?”

  Her eyes widened with delight and surprise. That was when the ring in his hands came into focus. “Really?” She couldn’t believe it—she hadn’t been hearing things.

  His eyes danced. “Really. You’ve turned my life upside down, Tessa. You made me realize I can love again, that there’s life beyond tragedy. I know the circumstances that pulled us together were unconventional, but I’m so glad they led us to where we are today. I want to start a life with you.”

  “Me, too.”

  He smiled. “So what do you think? Will you do me the honor of becoming Mrs. Trent McCabe?”

  She grinned so widely that it hurt. “Yes! I would be thrilled. Elated.”

  He laughed as he stood up, slid the ring on her finger and pulled her into a long hug. He twirled her around before putting her back firmly on her feet. Their gazes met, their faces only inches from each other. “I love you, Tessa Davidson.”

  “I love you, Trent McCabe.”

  And Tessa knew without a doubt that life had somehow worked out to bring her right to this very minute.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from SMALL TOWN JUSTICE by Valerie Hansen.

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you so much for joining me on Tessa and Trent’s adventure. I hope you enjoyed getting to know these characters and the beautiful West Virginia mountain setting. I loved Tessa’s and Trent’s determination to overcome their trials, even when things seemed hopeless.

  Isn’t it great to think about the idea that God pursues us with the same tenacity as Tessa and Trent were pursued in this book? Thank goodness it’s not with deadly intentions, but because God never gives up on us. His love surpasses all that we can imagine, and He even went as far as to die for us to show us His endless love.

  I hope you’ll enjoy the next book in this series, which will feature Trent’s friend Zach Davis. Zach also had appearances in Desperate Measures and Hidden Agenda, and, boy, is he in for an adventure as he takes a new job as sheriff in the town of Waterman’s Reach.

  Many blessings to you!

  We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense story.

  You enjoy a dash of danger. Love Inspired Suspense stories feature strong heroes and heroines whose faith is central in solving mysteries and saving lives.

  Enjoy six new stories from Love Inspired Suspense every month!

  Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!

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  Small Town Justice

  by Valerie Hansen

  ONE

  The narrow dirt track leading to the deserted farm was so overgrown, so cloaked in shadows, Jamie Lynn almost missed her turn. Seeing the decrepit condition of the well-loved house broke her heart.

  Parking her mini pickup, she shivered and stared. Well, what had she expected? Nobody had lived there for almost fifteen years. Not since her family had been split apart by lies and she’d been sent to live with an elderly aunt.

  The little white dog beside her whimpered.

  Jamie Lynn instinctively stroked his head. “Yes, this is it, Ulysses.”

  He began to pant and wiggle all over. “Okay, you can come with me while I have a look around,” she told him, slipping her cell phone into her jeans pocket. “Hold still so I can get your harness unclipped.”

  He continued to strain and squirm. “I’m about to give up and leave you,” she warned. “Sit. Stay.”

  He sat. He did not stay long. The moment she shifted her attention to the leash lyi
ng on the floor of the pickup’s cab, he leaped over her, using her back as a springboard, and landed on the hard-packed ground like a gymnast making a competition dismount.

  “Ulysses! No!”

  Jamie Lynn chased him through the tall grass and weeds, ruing the fact that her clothing was summer-light shorts, a T-top and sandals.

  “Ulysses,” she wheedled, trying to sound unperturbed. “Come on, baby. I’m not mad. I just don’t want to lose you.”

  Ahead, she heard him yip. “Please, please don’t catch anything bigger than you are.”

  She rounded the house. The roof over the back porch had partially collapsed but she spotted a flash of white fur as her dog ducked through the half-open door.

  Normally, Jamie wouldn’t have considered entering someone else’s house without an invitation. However, since her research had shown that this place had long ago been seized for unpaid taxes and didn’t belong to any individual, she figured it would be okay to venture inside long enough to catch her naughty dog.

  The staccato cadence of his nails led her to the stairway, where his paws had left impressions in the dust. Jamie followed. Pausing at the top of the stairs, she was overcome with nostalgia for her childhood home.

  “Marf!”

  Ulysses’s sharp, single bark snapped her back to the present and drew her to her former bedroom. He was circling excitedly in front of one of the tall, narrow windows as if insisting she must look.

  Below, parking behind her pickup, was a larger truck with a camouflage paint job. Two men climbed out.

  They were both carrying rifles. Uh-oh.

  Jamie’s heart began to pound. She tried to lift the warped wooden sash and was barely able to move it.

  Before she had a chance to shout hello through the narrow opening, let alone begin an apology, she overheard one of the men speaking. His gruff words made the hair on the nape of her neck prickle.

  “That’s her license number. We know she got here.”

  “Yeah? So where’d she disappear to?”