If You Only Knew

by Dixie Lee Brown

  “I’m not waiting until they get to Portland. I’m getting her out of there as soon as possible. Might need you to pick her up sooner rather than later.” Ty scanned the roadway ahead of them.

  “Whatever you need. Just let me know.”

  “I’ll be in touch.” Ty disconnected the call. He should have guessed Joe would drop everything to join the fray. Charlie had been his best friend, which made Rayna about as close to family as he had, except for his wife, Cara. It was easier to accept Joe’s reasoning for calling in Nate to help when Ty thought about what Rayna meant to him. Despite that, the fault was Ty’s, as was the responsibility to fix everything.

  I’ll get Rayna back . . . I have to get her back.

  He’d messed up big-time. No one knew that better than him. He shouldn’t have left her alone. Expecting her to stay put—pure foolishness. If she’d seen Nate in trouble, there’d have been no way to keep her from trying to help. That was who she was.

  Nate’s phone rang, and he grabbed the map while he listened to someone on the other end. “Where? Okay, they’re heading straight for Interstate 5 . . . No, don’t crowd them. They’ve got a hostage, and they might panic if you pull them over. I know these guys, and I’d like a chance to defuse the situation without a gun battle . . . I’ll let you know when I get closer . . . Thanks, Sheriff Barnett.” Nate ended the call and repositioned his baseball cap lower over his eyes.

  “How far ahead?” Ty glanced sideways at him.

  “Less than twenty miles. They’re haulin’ ass, though.”

  Ty continued to study his friend. Here was where it got sticky. He couldn’t ask Nate to withhold information from the sheriff and other law enforcement officers, but going through proper channels would take too long to be of any help to Rayna. He was getting Rayna away from those creeps—today—and he had to do what he could to protect Nate.

  “Look, I know this isn’t fair to you. You’re putting everything on the line to help me. Maybe it’s better if I do this by myself. You should get as far away from me as you can.” Ty’s anger at Joe for calling Nate reared up again. Ty was no longer bound by an oath, and his actions could easily compromise Nate’s principles and destroy his future. The best thing for both of them would be to sever all ties, at least until Andre was no longer a threat.

  “That’s probably true, but you know what you can do with that. Right?” Nate flashed a grim smile.

  Ty expected as much from his partner, and he’d learned from experience it would do no good to argue. Nate was as stubborn as he was loyal. Ty would just have to figure a way to keep him out of the worst of it.

  “You better step on it if you plan to catch these guys. Or do you want me to drive?” The familiar challenge lingered in Nate’s eyes for a moment.

  Ty jammed his foot on the gas. The car lurched forward and continued to increase in speed until the needle hovered around a hundred and ten. He smirked when Nate buckled his seat belt.

  “Do you have a plan for stopping them once we catch up?” Nate refolded the map and shoved it in the glove box.

  “We need to get close enough to take control of the situation before they realize what’s happening. I’m leaning toward a rolling roadblock. Think your sheriff would give us a hand with that?” With communication and coordinated efforts, they could, hypothetically, bring the suspect vehicle to a standstill and take Boris and Mikhail into custody without firing a shot. It would be safer for Rayna than a high speed chase, which usually ended either with a spike strip across the road or a police car forcing the suspect vehicle into a spin, resulting in loss of control.

  There were no good options, but with a rolling roadblock, traffic would slow gradually. If there was a collision, damage would be minimal. His biggest worry was Mikhail and Boris getting suspicious about the traffic stop and harming Rayna before he could get to her. Everything depended on the Bobbsey Twins not getting wise to their plan.

  Nate’s worried expression clearly meant he was thinking something similar, but he retrieved his cell phone, called the sheriff, and made his request. As the SUV came into view ahead of them, Nate arranged for a rolling block of civilian vehicles to simulate a traffic accident twenty miles ahead on the interstate where it passed through the city of Roseburg. He nodded confirmation to Ty as he ended the call.

  Fifteen minutes later, they entered the ramp and merged onto I-5. Ty slowed, staying two or three cars behind. Hanging back and doing nothing jacked his frustration level into overdrive. Gone was the calm and cool warrior he’d trained thousands of hours to become. Nate was right—it had become personal the moment Andre Komarov threatened Rayna. Somehow, Ty had to compartmentalize those feelings and concentrate on the job at hand. He took a deep breath and consciously relaxed his white-knuckled hands on the steering wheel.

  The traffic began to bottleneck, and the brake lights of the black SUV flashed a few times and then stayed on. Ty gradually drew closer, careful to leave a buffer of vehicles between them and the target.

  “This is it, man.” Nate dropped his phone in his pocket after speaking again with the sheriff. “They’ve staged an accident ahead, complete with police cars and paramedics, so the traffic will stop any minute. We’re lead on apprehending the scumbags and the sheriff’s men will back us up if necessary.”

  “I don’t have to tell you we need to move fast, right?” Ty stepped on the brake, pulled over, and shifted into PARK.

  Nate already had his door open. “Better let me take the lead on this.” He ducked out the door without waiting for Ty’s response. Together, they sprinted up the line of slowly creeping cars. So far everything looked good. The target vehicle stayed in the line of traffic and slowed with everyone else. Ty and Nate crouched low, hoping to avoid being seen if Boris or Mikhail looked in their rearview mirror. They reached the black SUV as the traffic came to a standstill.

  On the passenger side of the car, Ty took up a position slightly behind the rear door, gun trained on the front seat. The front windows were both open, but the glass in back was tinted and he couldn’t see through it to locate Rayna.

  “Out of the car. Keep your hands where I can see them.” Nate stood beside the rear of the car on the driver’s side and covered the occupant of the front seat.

  At first, Mikhail and Boris made no sound. Five seconds later, all hell broke loose. “Kill the bitch,” someone yelled and the front seat erupted in movement.

  Ty heard Nate’s weapon fire and saw Boris slump against the steering wheel. He stepped toward the open passenger window as Mikhail swung around and aimed his gun over the backseat. Unwilling to take a chance of hitting Rayna with a stray bullet, Ty reached through the open window and hauled Mikhail out, ripping the gun from his grasp. Nate appeared and cuffed him lying facedown on the roadway.

  Barely able to breathe, Ty flung open the back door. Rayna, her face bloody from a cut on her cheekbone and one eye swollen and turning black, lay on the seat. With trembling fingers, he searched for a pulse. Relief surged through him when he found its steady beat. He slid into the car and pulled her limp form onto his lap.

  Nate opened the other door and peered in. “She okay?”

  “She’s alive. See if you can get those paramedics down here, would you, Nate? They worked her over pretty good.”

  In less than a minute, the traffic began to clear out, and Ty heard the sirens headed their way. Rayna woke with a start and a left-cross to his chin before he corralled her hand and held her firmly.

  “It’s me, Rayna. You’re okay. Paramedics are on their way to check you out.”

  Her gaze met his, then she groaned, pulled her hand free, and laid it over her face. “Great. Do I look as bad as I feel?”

  He took her hand in his and smiled tenderly into her pain-filled eyes. “You look damn good to me, sweetheart.”

  A smile barely nudged her lips before it disappeared. “I told you not to call me that.”

  “Yes, you did, and I’d do anything for you—anything but that.”


  The ambulance and two police cruisers came to a stop in front of the black SUV and cut their sirens. Nate flagged them to the open door and soon Rayna was strapped to a gurney with an IV and oxygen. Despite her insistence that she was fine, the paramedics were determined to haul her to the hospital. Ty held her hand through the entire ordeal, and when she finally looked to him for help, he shrugged and climbed in the ambulance with her.

  “It won’t hurt to have a doctor’s opinion. Stop being so hard on these guys. They’re just doing their jobs.”

  Rayna groaned and closed her eyes, and the single tear that slid from under her lashes and rolled down her battered cheek made him feel like a traitor. She was tough for sure, but she had to be reaching the end of her endurance. A night in the hospital wouldn’t hurt her, and it would be a hell of a lot easier than four hundred miles in the backseat of a car. She’d fight him if he tried to get her to stay, though. Maybe there was another alternative.

  The ambulance pulled into the emergency entrance. Nate parked on the street and followed them into the hospital. He squeezed Rayna’s shoulder as they wheeled her by. “Hey, beautiful.”

  She gave him a half smile, but her eyes came back to Ty’s, and she tightened her grip on his hand. “Don’t leave me here.”

  “I won’t. I need to talk to the sheriff for a minute, but I’ll be right in as soon as I’m done.” He kissed her hand, pried her fingers loose, and watched them wheel her into the emergency room.

  He walked over to Nate, already heavy into conversation with Sheriff Barnett. “Thanks for your help on this.” He reached to shake hands with the sheriff.

  The sheriff clasped his hand and pumped vigorously. “Glad to be of assistance. From what Detective Sanders here tells me, those two were bad news. We’ll hold on to Mikhail for the FBI. They apparently have a few more things to charge him with than just kidnapping and attempted murder. I don’t think Ms. Dugan will have to worry about him again.”

  “That’s good news. Did Detective Sanders answer all your questions? I’d like to get her out of here and someplace where she can get some rest if you don’t need anything from us.”

  “Well, I would like to ask you and Ms. Dugan a few questions, just so I can file my reports, but I think it can wait a day or so. Detective Sanders gave me all I need for now, and I’ve got his number. I’ll be in touch.” Barnett shook his hand again, slapped Nate’s shoulder, and walked away.

  Nate’s speculative gaze swept over Ty. “What’s on your mind, buddy?”

  “I want Rayna off the road. Too many of Andre’s men know exactly where to look for her. It would be smarter to keep her right here until Joe can pick us up in the chopper.” Ty turned at a loud tirade from behind the doors where Rayna had disappeared.

  Nate laughed. “Just a couple of things wrong with that plan. I pity the guy who tells her she has to stay overnight here.”

  “Way ahead of you. I was thinking of a nice, quiet motel.”

  “That might work, but it brings me to another point. If the bad guys don’t see us leaving or spot us on the road, they’ll know we didn’t leave Roseburg. It won’t take long to find us after that.” They both looked toward the doors again as inside, something metallic crashed to the floor.

  “Damn. I better get in there.” Ty started toward the closed doors.

  Nate caught his arm. “What if I took the car and drove on to Portland? I’ll get a couple of officers to ride with me to the edge of town in case anyone is watching. After I’m gone, you can get a ride wherever you’re going. Call Joe and tell him where to pick you up.”

  “I don’t like that idea. You’d be out there alone. If they try to stop you . . .”

  “They’ll play hell. Listen, Ty. I’m not new to this game. I can take care of myself, but right now that young lady in there needs you. Unless you want to take the car, and I can stay with her in a motel . . .”

  Ty shot him a warning glance and chuckled at his partner’s unrepentant grin. “Get out of here and don’t take any chances. Throw some of your law enforcement weight around and get some more people out there on the road. I’ll see you at Uncle Leo’s tomorrow.”

  The two men shook hands before Nate walked away, and Ty turned back to the emergency room door. He’d almost rather face Andre’s army than Rayna’s ire when she got damn good and mad. He took a deep breath and pushed through the door just as Rayna yanked the IV from her wrist.

  “I’m not staying! You can take your sedative and . . .” Rayna whirled around at his entrance. “Ty, please . . . can we go now?”

  The desperation in her voice set his nerves on edge. He turned his attention to the doctor and nurse. “Is there anything wrong with her I should know about before we go?”

  The doctor exchanged a glance with the nurse. “She’s dehydrated, her heart rate is elevated, and she’s on the verge of shock. In my opinion, it would be a mistake to remove her from this hospital.”

  “Are you sure?” Ty slipped his arm around Rayna and studied her eyes. The misery in their depths told him clearly she’d been transported back in time to another hospital and a thirteen-year-old girl.

  “God, yes.”

  “Doctor, what if I told you I’ll find a calm, quiet spot where she can relax without a sedative? I’ll push fluids, keep her warm, and, if necessary, I’ll elevate her feet. Honestly, I think staying here is a stressor she doesn’t need right now. Don’t you agree?”

  Rayna’s short curls bobbed as she nodded.

  The doctor wasn’t as agreeable. He merely shrugged. “Nurse Jenkins, I’m sure we have some patients who want our help somewhere.” They hustled out the door.

  Rayna threw her arms around Ty’s neck. “Thank you, thank you! Can we get out of here now? Where’s Nate?”

  “Let’s go, before they change their minds.” Ty took a step back, caught her arm, and guided her out the door. He spotted a cab outside the emergency entrance and headed toward it, drawing her along with him.

  Rayna scanned the parking lot as they exited the building. “Where’s Nate?”

  Ty leaned close. “Nate went on ahead.”

  He asked the driver to take them to a nice motel, and the man dropped them at a Holiday Inn that seemed clean, modern, and, most importantly, in a decent neighborhood. Rayna hung out in front of the brochures in the lobby while Ty checked them in. He suspected she kept her back turned because she didn’t want the hotel staff to see her bruised and swollen face. The clerk was already suspicious that they arrived by cab and had no luggage, but Ty smiled and chatted her up. Before long, she was laughing and offering suggestions for places to eat.

  He accepted the key cards for their room, caught Rayna around the waist, and propelled her toward the elevator. Worry tightened his gut as she leaned heavier against him. Was he wrong to ignore the doctor’s advice?

  The elevator ground its way to the third floor, and the doors swished open. Their room was halfway down the hallway on the left, according to the girl in the lobby. Rayna leaned her head against him as they walked.

  He worked the lock with his left hand, swung the door open, and ushered her through. No sooner were they inside than she pulled away from him and crawled up the length of the bed until she could lay her head on one of the pillows.

  “Rayna, sweetheart, look at me.” He knelt over her and peered into her eyes. Her face had evidently taken the worst of it. One cheek was cut, the edges of the wound held together with three butterfly bandages, and her eye was swollen and puffy. She’d have a shiner by the looks of things. No broken bones, but it was going to hurt to smile for a few days.

  Her face was flushed, and he laid the back of his hand against her forehead to check for a fever. She seemed a little warmer than normal, but she actually looked pretty good, considering.

  She smiled crookedly. “Did I pass inspection, doc?”

  He heaved a sigh. At least she still had her sense of humor. “Not really. You look like hell.”

  She laughed. “Your bedside manner nee
ds a little work.”

  Ty’s anger flared again at the idea of someone hurting her. That she’d been targeted because of him was almost unbearable. Her pretty eyes were circled with black, and her usual sparkle dulled by pain. She needed rest and, by God, she’d get it. Gently, he traced a finger down her injured cheek and along her strong jaw.

  “Time for you to get some sleep. Do you want to slip out of those clothes or are you okay the way you are?”

  Rayna shook her head and her soft lips formed a pout. “Too tired to get undressed.”

  Ty hid a smile at her childlike response. He sat at the foot of the bed and removed her shoes. Then he folded the comforter back and waited as she slipped underneath.

  When he brought the cover over her, she caught his arm. “Don’t leave me, Ty.”

  “Not for a second.” He brushed a wayward curl out of her face. His heart nearly burst with his need to protect her. She’d hate it if she knew what he was thinking. She wanted to take care of herself. What she didn’t fully realize was that it had evolved into a two-person job.

  He smiled into blue eyes that blinked slowly and took longer to open each time. It wouldn’t be long before she drifted off. Sitting carefully beside her, he was pleased when she slid her hand over his arm.

  “Aren’t you going to sleep?” She laced her fingers through his.

  “Not yet. After you go to sleep, I’ll check in with Nate and Joe. Then I plan to just watch you rest.” He forced a grin in the hopes she wouldn’t see the regret that ate at him for the trouble he’d brought her.

  She laughed lightly. “Knock yourself out, Whitlock.”

  Her eyes closed and she was quiet for so long he was sure she’d fallen asleep. When he tried to move her arm under the covers, she jumped and groaned.

  “Where are you going? You said you’d stay.” She pulled his arm tight to her chest.