Amelia stood up again, unable to sit still. The uncertainty was enough to make her want to scream, and it was strange not having Nick and Noah at the house. Usually they’d be getting ready to have supper. Now, it was her and her father, alone, in a quiet house where the second hand on the clock seemed to tick louder than she could ever remember.
“I hope my boys get home safe. Please, let Noah and Nick make it back to us.” Her voice quivered, and the tears flowed, the moisture warm as it trickled to her lips.
Chapter Fourteen
Nick was starting to wonder if John was on to him. It had been over ten minutes and he hadn’t come out of his house yet. Looking at his watch again, he debated on moving his truck in fear of being spotted. Just as he went for his keys, John came out of his house, taking his porch steps two at a time. His heart skipped a beat and he allowed a bit of distance between John’s car and his own as he merged out onto the road.
Traffic was light, so staying back was proving to be a bit of a challenge. Hopefully John would be just as careless with watching his back as he was with his conversation on the phone. Maybe he did know Nick was following him, but his driving behavior didn’t show that. Before he knew it, they were on the other side of town, headed out into the country. The road began to wind and the trees grew thicker, playing in Nick’s favor. He didn’t want to be too fast, but if he slowed any more, there was a chance John would turn off on a side road and he’d miss him.
Past finding out where they were going, Nick didn’t have much of a plan. What was he going to do when they got there? Hopefully it would all play out smoothly, but his gut was telling him differently.
He allowed John to get farther up the road, and noticed he finally turned off onto a dirt road. Taking his time, Nick followed, keeping a comfortable distance. The vehicles were kicking up dusts and he hoped that would skew John’s rear view. Pulling to the side, Nick saw a house farther up on a hill. John continued, parking under a carport next to another car. Was that the Mercedes that Chris had driven out to Annie’s ranch? How many of those types of cars were in this area?
He stayed parked a few more minutes, giving them some time to settle in so he could catch them off guard. The handgun was still in his waistband and he grabbed the shotgun from under the seat, leaving the truck on the side of the road. They’d hear the engine if he pulled up any closer, so he jogged the rest of the way up, his adrenaline providing enough energy to make it.
Nick stopped behind a pile of wood. Taking a deep breath, he tried not to think about the situation. He doubted himself again, wondering if they even had Noah inside, but what else could this be? Crouching, he started across the yard when a gunshot rang out, echoing against the nearby hills. Another crack rang his ears, and a sharp pain hit him in the leg, right in the thigh. Falling, his head hit the ground and his vision grew black for a few seconds.
No, this couldn’t happen like this. Gritting his teeth, Nick fought through the pain and didn’t look down at his injury. If he saw how bad it was, his mind would play tricks on him. Crawling, he was able to get behind a tree and get his first look at who was shooting him.
Both Chris and John were on the porch, guns pointed right at Nick. Reaching in his pocket, he grabbed his phone and sent Amelia a text. He wasn’t able to type fast enough as more shots hit the tree, splintering pieces of the trunk around him. All he was able to send was, “Call police. At a house on rural road twenty on the west side of town.” Pocketing his phone, he tried to think of a way to get out of this. He finally looked at his leg. Blood soaked through his jeans and he winced at the sight. It wasn’t as bad as he thought, but he also hadn’t taken his clothes off to see the bullet hole.
“You follow me here, you son of a bitch?” John yelled out. “You think I didn’t know?”
“Let Noah go!”
“Or what? From the looks of your blood trail, we hit you. What are you gonna do now, soldier?”
He hoped Amelia got his text. His phone buzzed, but he wasn’t able to check it. He heard footsteps, and when he looked up again, John was approaching. Pointing the shotgun, he aimed at him, but didn’t shoot. Chris was nowhere to be found, and he had to make sure they didn’t take him somewhere else.
John smiled. “Well, looks like you came prepared, didn’t you?”
“Let him go,” Nick said, his throat dry as he stared up at Amelia’s ex. “Let Noah go.”
“You’re gonna shoot me? Then what?”
How long would the police take? Nick wasn’t sure how long he could hold them off. They had no restraint in shooting – his leg was proof of that. What would stop them from taking him out into the woods and finishing him off? He kept the gun trained on John, still unwilling to lower it.
“It’ll be one step closer to getting Noah back.”
John shook his head and looked back at the house. “No, you won’t shoot me. If you did, Noah would be next.”
“You’d do that to your own kid?” Nick couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Chris would.”
Just as if they had planned it, Chris stepped out on the porch with Noah in front of him. The child looked terrified, and Nick tried to stand up to get to him. Just as he did, his leg gave out, and he crashed back to the ground, but was still able to hold the shotgun up.
“Lower the gun!” Chris yelled, and kept Noah in front of him. “Lower the gun or you’re both dead. How’d Amelia handle it then? I’m serious when I say I want my money! Get me my money!”
Nick looked right at Noah. If he put the gun down, he was dead anyway, but maybe they’d at least spare the kid’s life. How would he know that for certain? He couldn’t allow for anything to happen to him, and though it was against everything he wanted to do, the shotgun fell to the dirt beneath him. He still had the handgun, but what good would that do?
John kneeled beside him and put pressure on his wound. Pain seared through Nick, and his head fell back as the other man kept his hand pressed hard against it. Letting out a groan, he opened his eyes, staring him down. Sweat dripped down and his body shook from the sudden shock.
“You’re a piece of shit, John. You do this to your own kid for money.” It came out in pants, but John understood him completely.
“No, you got that all wrong, soldier. I’m doing this for custody. Chris is doing it or money. When I found out he was after her for payment, it was the perfect plan. Use Noah for leverage and I get custody. She’ll do anything for that damn ranch. I’ve got her right where I want her.”
Nick tried to keep him talking. Maybe if he sent him off on a tangent, the police would get here. Would Sheriff Grady take this seriously? Amelia would make sure help would come.
“No, you got that all wrong, John. Amelia wouldn’t sacrifice her son for such petty bullshit. He means more to her than property and you just view him as property. I don’t even know you and I hate you for it.”
John’s eyes widened at Nick’s comeback and his fists balled. Rearing back, he punched Nick in the face, sending his body hard against the tree he was just using for cover. He tasted the blood flow in the back of his throat, but if he had it to do over again, he’d say it again. John was scum. If it meant keeping attention off of Noah, he’d do it all in a heartbeat.
“You wanna be Noah’s daddy, don’t you?”
“I’d be a hell of a lot better one than you.”
Standing up, John motioned toward Chris. “Let’s take this piece of shit out in the woods and dig him a shallow grave. We’re done with him. And after that, let’s get Noah out of here. I bet he’s already notified Barney Fife in town. It’ll take them awhile, but they’ll get here eventually.”
“Go on with it. I’ll stay here with the boy.”
John stood over Nick, his nine-millimeter pointed right at the top of Nick’s head. Glaring, a small smirk formed, and the corners turned up on his mouth. He was pure evil, standing right over him. “Why waste my time? I think I’ll blow his brains out right here. You want Noah to see it?
You want him to see his daddy take out an impostor? He’s better off with me. What good is his mother if she can’t even pay her bills?”
Nick didn’t say anything. He looked up at John, right in his eyes. He wanted to fight back. He couldn’t let this happen to Amelia and Noah. He tried to lift his leg to kick John away, but there was no brain-body connection allowing for it to happen. If this man was going to shoot him, he was going to make sure he had to look him in the eye as he pulled the trigger.
“Say goodbye, soldier.”
Nick braced himself. Here it came. If only he could say one last thing to Amelia before it happened. If only he could kiss her one more time, make love to her, and spend one more night together.
“Drop the gun! You’re surrounded!”
John’s attention was diverted, and Nick saw several cop cars with officers guns pointed right at them. At first, John didn’t respond to their commands. The cold barrel was pressed right against Nick.
“Drop it or we’ll shoot!”
John looked back to Nick, the same arrogant smirk on his face. “I guess we’ll both get taken out. I’m still gonna shoot you.”
A gunshot rang out, rustling up a flock of birds overhead. John’s body fell right beside Nick, and it was heavy as it toppled on him. Several cops surrounded the house and Sheriff Grady approached Nick, his head downcast.
“Are you okay?”
Nick pushed John off, exposing his leg. “Get Noah. Worry about Noah.”
“Oh hell, son. We need to get you to a hospital.”
Nick was tired of waiting. His body screamed out for him to not move, but he fought through the pain, finally able to get to a standing position. Ignoring the Sheriff, he saw the cops bring out Chris in handcuffs and Noah wasn’t far behind, wrapped in a blanket. The boy fought to get out of the cop’s arms and ran to Nick, hugging his good leg so tight that Nick almost fell over again.
“Thank you for coming to get me!”
Pulling him up, Nick carried him away from the house. “They didn’t hurt you, did they?”
“I’m okay. I was so scared. My daddy is mean. I just wanted Mommy and Grandpa. And you.”
Nick had mixed emotions. They had found Noah in one piece. He watched as several officers hovered over John’s motionless body, and he walked in the opposite direction to keep Noah from seeing it. Even if the man had kidnapped him, he wasn’t ready to see something like that, or completely understand what had happened.
“Let’s get you boys to the hospital,” Sheriff Grady said, motioning them toward the hospital. “We’ll notify Amelia about everything. Y’all don’t worry about that.”
Nick put Noah in the back of the ambulance and took another glance toward the crime scene. Chris was in the backseat of a cruiser and they were bagging John up. Even if he was capable of such evil, the loss of life was always hard to take, but at least the right people had come out on top. Even with his time in the military and the killings he had seen, it was still a hard pill to swallow. How would Amelia take it all? John was a man she once loved and the father of her child. At least her son was okay. Nick had to push the death aside and remember that fact.
Resting on the gurney, he let out a deep sigh, feeling better once his weight was off of the wound. The paramedic cut at his jeans and he leaned his head back and smiled at Noah. He was traumatized, but seemed to be in better shape than Nick.
Closing his eyes, he tried hard to get John’s glare from his memory. He’d be at the hospital in no time and Amelia would be there. Again, the thought of her made his anxiety calm down and his body relax.
Chapter Fifteen
Nick sat on the porch of the bunkhouse and watched as Noah played in the yard with the dogs. It was good to be back on the ranch after his hospital stay, and though his leg wasn’t one hundred percent, he was able to do small chores around the place. With John’s death, he worried for both Noah and Amelia and how they were taking the death of someone who had a major part in both of their lives. Noah hadn’t said much and Amelia had reassured him she was fine, but he knew it had to bug her some.
His heart skipped a beat when he saw her walking his way with two beer bottles in her hands. Reaching out, he gladly took one from her and unscrewed the lid, savoring the cold beverage. Sitting beside him on the swing, Amelia leaned in and pecked him on the lips.
“I just got off the phone with one of the detectives on the case,” she replied as she took a pull off of her beer.
“Yeah?”
“They’ve been working the case since you went into the hospital. Chris is getting locked up on several charges. Apparently there were several warrants for him and he somehow kept evading them all.”
Nick nodded and finished the beer, tossing the bottle into a nearby barrel. “And the debt?”
“It’s all gone. Clean slate. In the bank’s eyes, it’s all been taken care of. With Chris being brought up on charges, anything he had dealings with are gone. My dad should’ve never been involved with him, but he didn’t know any better.” Amelia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and bit her lip as she watched Noah. “It all sounds too good to be true and a part of me doesn’t want to relax too much. It seems too perfect.”
Nick caressed her hand and kissed the back of it. “Believe it, Amelia. It’s over. Noah is home safe and we can focus on other things now.”
“I can’t thank you enough for what you did for us. If we’d have waited, there’s no telling where they would’ve taken him.”
“I did what I thought was right. No need to thank me.” He kissed her hand again and leaned in, allowing her head to relax on his shoulder. The cool breeze was relaxing and with her nearby, it was perfect. Noah’s laughter in the distance was like music, and though the boy wasn’t his by blood, he felt a strong connection to him.
“I can’t believe Noah’s father is dead, but I also can’t believe he was capable of kidnapping his own kid for money. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but it had to be done. The cops told me he was seconds away from shooting you.”
Nick felt her shiver against him. “It all turned out okay, Amelia.”
She looked up at him, a smile parting her lips. “It did.”
“You two lovebirds have any plans for today?” Mr. Tucker picked Noah up and walked across the road, more hop in his step than Nick ever remembered him having before. “I thought I’d take Noah into town for some ice cream. Pump him full of sugar!”
Amelia sat up, her smile a full grin now. “Sounds good, Daddy, but don’t be too long. Noah’s gotta be up early for school tomorrow morning. I think Nick and I will stay back. He needs to rest.” She turned and winked at Nick, and he got her message loud and clear. It felt like it had been an eternity since they had been alone.
“We’ll bring y’all back something!” Noah yelled as they hurried for Mr. Tucker’s truck and sped off.
Nick pulled her in, her body fitting against his perfectly. Kissing her on the top of the head, he took in her scent. Her hair was soft and his fingers ran through the long strands on her shoulders.
“It’s getting a tad bit chilly out here. What do you say we take this inside?”
Standing, Nick had to remind himself to be easy on his injured leg. Guiding Amelia through the front door, he locked it behind him as she led him toward the bedroom, the sway in her hips noticeable as she peered over her shoulder at him. She was so seductive, so sexy, and he couldn’t keep his eyes off of her.
He placed his hand on the curve of her back and with his other, he cupped her ass as he gently pushed her against the wall. Still gazing at him over her shoulder, Nick pulled her hair to one side, giving him more access to her soft neck where he kissed and licked up to her ear. Again, she shivered, and a subtle moan vibrated in her throat.
Pushing back against him, she hinted toward the bed, where he moved backward, falling slowly against the mattress, making sure he pulled her down with him. Laughing, she rolled on her side and traced her fingers over his lips and down his jaw line, as
if she were studying him.
Her smile faded and her brow creased as she looked into his eyes.
“What’s the matter, Amelia?”
“I never thought it was possible to love someone as much as I love you.”
“Well I love you just as much,” Nick replied as his hand ran down the side of her face.
“I know you do. No one else would’ve ever done what you have for this family. You saved Noah. You saved me. You saved this ranch. My dad hasn’t been near as happy as he’s been lately, all because of what you did.”
Nick felt his face heat up and he looked away. “I can’t take all the credit.”
“You should…” Before she could finish her sentence, Nick kissed her hard, but was caught off guard when she pushed him on his back and straddled him. Looking down at him, she slipped her hands under his shirt, touching him in all the right places.
“Remind me to be easy with your leg,” she whispered as she dipped her head, her breath tickling his ear.
“My leg is the last thing on my mind, Amelia.” He ground his hips into hers, enjoying the friction.
Reaching up, he tried to touch her breasts but she grabbed his hands and shook her head. “No sir. You just lay back and relax. This is all about your pleasure. This is part of your reward for being so good to us.”
Lifting his shirt up, she kissed his stomach and stopped at the top of his jeans. Nick felt his breath catch in his throat as she unbuckled his belt and unclasped his pants. The air was cool and her hand traced over his hips through the thin fabric of his boxers. Closing his eyes, he moaned when he felt his boxers slide down, revealing himself to her. Everything he was feeling was incredible and he still couldn’t believe that Amelia was his. How could a woman of such beauty and charm even consider being with a man like him? What they had between them wasn’t just sex. The emotional bond was something he couldn’t put into words. There was no way to explain it.
Her Lifeline: (A Romantic Suspense) Page 13