Ransom

by Terri Reed

  “You’ll be dead before you can pull the trigger,” Blake said, his voice strangely calm yet menacing.

  Ken ducked even more behind Liz. “I don’t believe you’ll risk her life.”

  Liz kept her gaze on Blake. He would get her out of this just as he had the other times her life was in danger. She trusted him implicitly.

  Blake lowered the barrel of his gun and backed up. “Step out of the elevator.”

  Peeking over her shoulder, Ken said, “You toss me the necklace first.”

  Reaching into his pocket, Blake brought out the string of uncut diamonds. “I’ll give them to you once you let her go.”

  Ken swore and tightened his hold on Liz, his fingers bruising her flesh. “That’s not how this works.” He kept her in front of him as he pushed her out of the elevator while continuing to use her as a shield. “Everyone stay back,” Ken shouted.

  He pressed the business end of his pistol to her head just below the bandage covering the wound she’d suffered earlier when she’d smacked her head against the window.

  Liz’s breath turned erratic. She tried to think of how she could help Blake get her out of this situation, but her mind refused to work. Dots danced at the edges of her mind. She fought to focus, refusing to give in to the terror wanting to take hold of her.

  “Yeah, stay back,” Ken’s cohort echoed as he followed behind Ken.

  Ken swiveled so that he dragged her backward away from Blake. People scurried out of their way.

  Blake moved with them. The determination in his dark eyes was unmistakable. Liz kept her attention on him, rather than on the man holding a gun to her head.

  “Don’t come any closer or she’s dead!” Ken yelled and pressed the gun harder into her temple. She winced. They were at the hospital exit.

  Ken’s crony pushed open the door. “Forget the necklace. Let’s go while we can.”

  “She’s coming with us,” Ken said and tugged her toward the open door.

  Panic seized her. There was no way she was going with Ken. Whether he killed her here on the spot or at some other location, he would kill her. She knew that in the depths of her soul. She’d die alone only to have her body discovered when the weather thawed the frozen ground.

  And she would never get to tell Blake she loved him. Her heart clenched. No. No. No.

  She said a prayer and then set her jaw with resolve.

  She’d escaped from Ken before, she’d do it again. Not allowing the fear shredding through her to take hold, she rammed her elbow into his gut and at the same time she reared her head back to ram her skull into his nose. She heard the crunch of bone breaking. The hand holding the gun swung away from her.

  “Down!”

  She heard Blake’s cry. It took only a second for her to process his meaning. She went limp. Ken couldn’t hold her weight while trying to stop the blood squirting from his nose. She dropped to the ground in a heap. The loud retort of a gun reverberated through her head. Her ears throbbed and the world became muted. But she felt no pain. Ken fell next to her with a dull thud. A crimson stain spread across his shoulder. He’d been shot.

  Drew sprinted out the door after the other man who’d cursed, then raced away, leaving his friend behind to face his fate. Sami kicked Ken’s gun out of his reach and then hovered over him, her pistol aimed at his forehead.

  Strong arms gathered Liz close. She blinked as Blake’s face came into focus. She clutched his broad shoulders.

  It was over.

  She saw Blake’s lips move but his voice didn’t penetrate the ringing in her head. He lifted her into his arms and carried her back to her sister’s room.

  * * *

  Blake watched the two sisters reunite. Jillian had awoken and now clung to Liz.

  His heart swelled with gratitude to God above for allowing this happy reunion. It could have just as easily gone so bad. Ken could’ve made good on his threat to kill Liz. Santini could’ve killed both women along the way.

  An insidious feeling of helplessness lingered, making Blake aware of how close he’d come to losing the only woman he’d ever truly loved. A fate he had no idea how to deal with. He could face down criminals with guns and explosives, but admitting to his feelings, telling Liz how he felt, had him in a cold sweat.

  “Hey.” Nathanial clapped him on the back. “Drew and Sami are sticking close to Ken. The bullet was a through and through. Nice shooting, by the way.”

  “Thanks,” Blake murmured, drawing Nathanial out of the room and into the hallway where they wouldn’t disturb the Cantrell sisters.

  He’d had no time to think, let alone plan a clean shot that would render Ken powerless but wouldn’t kill him. Blake had reacted in the split second it had taken his mind to process the horror of seeing the barrel of the gun pressed to Liz’s head. His insides had quaked, and his heart had pounded with fear, which still pulsed through his veins.

  That she’d responded swiftly to his shouted demand, recognizing what he was asking of her, made his heart expand with pride and love. When it counted the most, she’d trusted him without question.

  “Why don’t you stay here with Liz and Jillian? Liz will need to give a statement and I’m sure she would appreciate a friendly face,” Nathanial said with a knowing look that punched Blake in the solar plexus.

  Did Nathanial know Blake had fallen in love with Liz? Were Blake’s feelings so transparent? How had Blake let himself fall for her in the first place?

  As much as Blake would like to stick close to Liz, he knew he shouldn’t. Couldn’t. Though this situation had ended in the best possible way, the torment he’d experienced in those horrifying moments when he’d had no control over the situation had left an indelible impression. Even now he worried about Liz. Would she make it home safely? Would she have nightmares after this ordeal?

  Who would be there to comfort her?

  A desperate feeling clutched at him because he knew it wouldn’t be him. He didn’t like the feeling of desperation one bit. It left him too vulnerable, too much at the mercy of someone else, despite the love that had taken root deep in his heart for Liz.

  He had to do the only thing he could to protect himself. Let her go. “No. I’m needed at the station to process Santini. This started and ends with him.”

  The look Nathanial gave him spoke volumes. The Canada Border Services officer thought he was nuts.

  Maybe Blake was crazy. But he’d rather not feel than ever go through the torture again of feeling so weak.

  “You’ll get the sisters safely back to the States?” Blake asked, needing to make sure that someone Liz knew and trusted would take care of her.

  “Of course, but I think you should do it,” Nathanial said. “Liz will want you to.”

  “I can’t,” Blake replied.

  Nathanial shook his head. “What is it with you? Are you afraid you’ll actually feel something?”

  Anger reared up as a defense against Nathanial’s well-placed dart to his heart. He did feel, and that was the problem.

  His father had lamented often enough that emotions made men weak. He’d learned the truth of his father’s belief the hard way. With Sarah. Her lies had cut him to the quick and slashed deep into his heart.

  And despite what he’d learned from Liz about unconditional love, regarding the difference between being in a relationship and being relational, he couldn’t change now. He didn’t know how. All he knew how to be was relational. That he was failing her in a different way dug deep but it was a wound he’d have to live with.

  Better that than hurting her later on.

  In order to maintain the friendship and the working camaraderie he had with the Canadian, Blake chose to ignore Nathanial’s questions. “I’ll see you later. I’m sure Deputy Director Moore will want a briefing as soon as Santini is processed and on his
way to the US.”

  The disappointment in Nathanial’s eyes as he turned away hounded Blake all the way to the Niagara Regional Police station. At the station he made sure Santini was securely locked up in a cell.

  Because Santini, Travis and Ken were citizens of the United States, each man would be tried in a US Federal Court. The extradition treaty between the two countries would be honored by the Canadian government. Blake figured the Canadians didn’t want the headache of trying the international criminals.

  Blake was shown to a conference room where he started the ball rolling toward extradition by filing the appropriate affidavit, which stated the facts of the case and listed the charges piled sky-high against Santini and the others from smuggling, theft and kidnapping to the premeditated murder of an ICE agent.

  Blake wasn’t surprised when Drew and Sami appeared in the conference room doorway the following day. As the assistant to the legal attaché for the United States in Canada, Sami would have a hand in the extradition process for the three men.

  “Good work yesterday,” Drew said. “You brought down Santini just as you’d planned from the beginning. I know you’ve been after him for a while.”

  “I have,” Blake said. “But until he’s secured in a federal penitentiary serving a life sentence, I won’t relax.”

  “Thought you’d want to know,” Drew said. “Ken’s buddy Daniel Shepherd is from Niagara and will be facing charges here. He has a cousin on the police force, which is how he and Ken were able to evade capture as well as keep tabs on the necklace. Needless to say the officer in question will be facing charges.”

  “That’s good to know,” Blake said.

  “Jillian was released from the hospital last night,” Sami interjected. “She and Liz are at the airport. Their flight leaves in a few hours.”

  A knot formed in Blake’s gut. His lungs grew tight. She was returning home. He knew she would. He wanted her to, but the reality of Liz leaving still affected him in ways he’d rather not feel.

  “Liz asked about you. She was wondering if she’d be able to talk to you before they left.” Sami narrowed her blue eyes. “You are going to see them off, right?”

  Uncomfortable beneath her intense stare, he tugged at the collar of his shirt. “No. I need to stay here. As soon as the extradition is approved, I want to move Santini.”

  Drew arched an eyebrow. “That’s not your jurisdiction. We’ll wait here for the US Marshals Service to arrive and escort Santini and the others back to the US.”

  “I know the protocol. But I don’t trust Santini not to have something up his sleeve. He’s too cunning, too well versed in law enforcement procedures not to have an escape plan,” Blake informed them. “I need to be there to avert any attempt at getting away from the marshals.”

  Sami put a hand on his arm. “Trust me, I understand. You’ve been chasing him so long it’s become personal.”

  “It wasn’t the chase that made it personal, it was Liam’s death,” he corrected her.

  “Yes. I get it. For me it was my best friend’s death that made catching Birdman personal.” There was no mistaking the empathy in her eyes. “I wouldn’t give up, and I was determined to bring him down on my own.” She cast a loving glance to Drew. “But sometimes you need to step back and allow others to take the lead.”

  Though Blake understood and would even agree under different circumstances, he couldn’t back off now. He had to see this through.

  “Look, Blake,” Sami said, her voice hard-edged. “If you don’t say goodbye to Liz, you’ll never have closure.”

  “Who says I need closure?”

  Sami glared at him. “You can’t kid a kidder. You’ve got it bad for Liz. And she for you. If you don’t want to pursue it, then don’t, but at least give her closure if you don’t want it for yourself. You owe her that.”

  “I don’t owe anyone anything.” He couldn’t stop the defensive tone. “I kept my promises to Liz. Santini is in jail. Her sister has been freed, and they are both safe. There’s nothing more for me to do.”

  With great effort, Sami visibly reined in her temper. “I misspoke. The fair thing would be for you to say goodbye.”

  Blake looked to Drew for help. The big Canadian spread his hands wide. “I have to agree with my wife, and not just because she’s my wife.”

  Running a nervous hand through his hair, Blake contemplated what saying goodbye to Liz would be like. Uncomfortable. Hard. Emotional. His gut clenched, and acid burned his throat. An image of her pretty blue-green eyes and her lush mouth flittered across his mind.

  Maybe the only way, the sane way, to get her out of his head and keep her out was to do as Sami suggested and go to the airport to say goodbye.

  “You’ll stay here?” he asked the couple.

  “Yes,” Drew answered. “If anything noteworthy happens we’ll contact you.”

  Sami’s smile smacked of triumph and sadness. “You’ll be glad in the long run that you stepped up and said farewell, Blake.” She leaned against her husband. “It’s the only way either one of you will be able to move forward.”

  Move forward. He used to know what that looked like. But now... He could only hope Sami was right.

  And that he wasn’t making a big mistake.

  * * *

  Liz sat on the uncomfortable plastic chair in the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. She should be relieved that the horrible nightmare she and her sister had found themselves in was over. Her sister was safe. Her kidnapper was behind bars. Even the man who’d threatened to kill Liz was in police custody. As was Travis, the man who’d started it all with his thievery.

  Yesterday, after Nathanial had taken Liz and Jillian back to the hotel where Jillian’s belongings were, Liz had hoped Blake would show up. He hadn’t. She’d thought maybe he’d be the one to bring her clothes and suitcase from the condo, but it had been the Kellys instead.

  Though she was glad to see Drew and Sami and to thank them for all they had done, Liz had been crushed that Blake hadn’t come to see her. She held out hope he’d be the one to take them to the airport the next morning, but it had been the Kellys again.

  When Liz had asked about Blake, Sami had seemed surprised Blake hadn’t already been to the hotel. Sami had tried to assure her Blake was busy processing Santini and the others. It seemed plausible. Probable. But it still hurt that Blake had stayed away.

  The Kellys had made sure Liz and Jillian had a police escort across the border to the airport. And now here she sat, waiting to go home. Yet Liz wasn’t happy. Not even close.

  Sure, she and her sister were now free to return home. Granted, Jillian was returning brokenhearted. She’d been on her honeymoon, but her new husband was now sitting in jail. Jillian faced the decision whether to remain married to him or not. They’d been raised to believe marriage was forever.

  How did Jillian stay true to her beliefs when the person she’d promised herself to turned out not to be the person she’d thought she’d married? Whatever her decision, Liz would support her sister. They’d been through too much together for her not to stand by her.

  They’d left Canada behind and with it the memories of the past week.

  Only the thought of not seeing Blake again ate away at Liz. She kept telling herself it was for the best. She told herself she’d get over him. But the truth was she loved Blake. She just didn’t know what to do about it.

  Beside her Jillian napped, leaning forward with her arms crossed over her luggage and her tearstained cheek resting on her forearms. She looked so young and vulnerable. Protectiveness rose in Liz as it always did when it came to her little sister. Though three years separated them, at times it felt more like twenty.

  Who watches out for you and your needs?

  Blake’s words spoken on the first night echoed through her head, stirring up confusing
thoughts and emotions.

  She told herself she didn’t need anyone taking care of her. She was doing just fine on her own. And once she returned home, life would go back to normal. She wanted normal. Quiet. Uneventful.

  But the thudding in her heart claimed she was fooling herself. She loved Blake. But surely time and distance would diminish the pain of not having that love returned?

  “Liz.”

  As if her thoughts had conjured him up, she jerked her attention to the man towering over her. Blake. Her heart stalled, then thumped an erratic beat within her chest, and her insides went gooey. She was in trouble. So much trouble.

  And she had no idea what to do about it.

  TWELVE

  Blake had come to the airport to tell Liz goodbye. Sami had said it was the fair thing to do. For some reason that had sounded like a good idea then, but now the words were lodged in his chest, held captive by his heart. Her sister rested beside her, but his focus was solely on Liz. He stood there mute, drinking her in as if he was in the desert and she was the only source of sustenance he needed or craved.

  She looked so weary yet so heartbreakingly pretty. Her honey-blond hair was pulled to one side, spilling over her shoulder in a low ponytail. The emerald-colored sweater and black jeans accentuated her curves. She had no makeup on. She didn’t need any. She had a natural beauty that didn’t require any enhancing.

  Her sea-colored eyes were wide and held a mix of surprise, wariness and yearning, which stirred answering emotions within him. He took in a stuttering breath and tried to find his voice.

  She rose and spoke before he could utter a word. “I didn’t think you’d come.”

  The softly spoken statement held no accusation or blame, just a wistfulness that pierced him, reminding him of the reasons he was there. To bring closure to their...the word relationship rang through his head.

  He forced the words out before he lost his nerve and gave in to the thrumming attraction and affection—love—expanding within his heart. “I came to say goodbye.”