Covert Christmas

by Marilyn Pappao

  It looked as if Josh had just been given one more option: very likely die in the next few minutes.

  As the men scanned the room, he eased closer to Natalia, momentarily blocked from their view by the massive column. “Take this, would you?” Reaching into his left pocket, he pulled out the wad of cash and surreptitiously pressed it into her palm, then did the same with the second wad.

  She stared at it. “You’re giving it back?”

  He grinned. “It’s your money. Besides, what’re you going to do now that you’ve got it? Run out on me?”

  Her green gaze was solemn, intent. “You know I wouldn’t.”

  “I know.” He swallowed hard and hoped she would forgive him for running out on her. Tugging the hood up to cover her hair, he forced another grin. “Go to the john. Fix it so you don’t have lumps in your pockets. You don’t want to tempt anyone in here to find out what they are.”

  She hesitated a moment, and he wondered where Leeves and Frank were in the large room and how long it would take one of them to spot him. Then, with a shrug, she pushed away from the column and headed to the hallway under the Restrooms sign.

  Barely breathing, Josh watched until she was out of sight, then looked around. Leeves was at one end, checking out everyone gathered around the food, and Frank was at the other, slowly circling every sitting area and clump of people. Hands shoved in his pockets, shoulders hunched and head down, Josh started toward the door on the north side. His heart was thudding, his palms beginning to sweat. He deliberately wove around people where Leeves would have a clear view of him if he only looked up.

  After a moment, Leeves did just that and slowly smiled. He shifted his overcoat enough that Josh could see the weapon underneath. As if Josh would be stupid enough to think him unarmed. The bastard always carried at least two guns, and so did skinny Frank—guns that could do a tremendous amount of damage in the crowded shelter.

  Josh acknowledged Leeves with a slight nod, taking his hands from his pockets, holding them out loosely at his sides in a sign of surrender.

  Leeves spoke into his cell phone as he made his way to Josh’s side. “Smart choice, Saldana. It would have ruined a lot of people’s holiday if you’d tried to run.”

  “I’m tired of running.”

  “Where’s Natalia?”

  Good. They hadn’t seen her. “We parted ways. Funny thing—she didn’t like getting shot at because of me.”

  “She’s good at saving her own skin, isn’t she?” Leeves gestured as Frank joined them, and together they hustled Josh out the north door, where the van waited. They shoved Josh into the back, doors slammed, and before Josh had recovered from hitting the hard metal floor, they were moving.

  He sat up, rubbing a sore spot on his shoulder. “How’d you find me?”

  “We’ve got people spread all over this city.”

  Josh grinned. “You got lucky, huh?” And here he was always known as the lucky one. Well, luck had to run out sometime, didn’t it? “Are we going back to Chicago? Because if we are, I need some warmer clothes. Even though it’s Christmas Eve, I imagine we can find a store that’s open where I can get a coat and gloves.”

  Frank spoke for the first time. “You don’t need them where you’re going.” To the driver, he said, “This is good. Let us out here.”

  Josh looked around, but there were no windows in the rear of the van and one of Leeves’s thugs blocked the view out the windshield. They’d driven only a few minutes, so they must still be in downtown Augusta. Then the back door swung open, and he smelled damp and saw the breach in the levee.

  Riverwalk. He was going to die on Christmas Eve at Natalia’s favorite place in Augusta, and if his body didn’t get tangled in branches along the way, it would float right on down to Savannah, past his parents’ new hometown.

  Jeez, what was worse than crappiest?

  His soon-to-be-ended life.

  But at least Natalia had a chance to get away. And she knew he’d loved her. And though she’d never said the words, he knew she loved him, too.

  It wasn’t much, but it had to be enough.

  Chapter 6

  Oh, God.

  Natalia stood rooted in place, staring across the room to the north side where the van had driven away moments earlier. Leeves had found them, and damn it, Josh had known. That was why he’d given her the money, why he’d sent her to the bathroom, so he could convince Leeves that she wasn’t with him.

  So he could save her life.

  Now she had to find a way to save his.

  Her gaze darted around the room. Liz had directed her to find shelter, had told her that someone—local police or federal—would meet them there to take them into protective custody. Where the hell was a cop when you needed one?

  “Natalia Parker?”

  Eyes wide with shock, she spun around and found herself facing three somber men. Though they were dressed casually in khakis and jeans, she would have made them for Feds—pissed-off Feds, for having their Christmas Eve interrupted. “They’ve taken Josh!” she blurted out, pointing out the window where she’d seen the van pull away. Without waiting for their response, she raced toward the door.

  She hardly noticed the chill or the duffel bumping against her as she ran. The van had made a left turn on the next street, disappearing from sight. As she continued her desperate search, voices came from behind her, muffled by other running feet, and a moment later an SUV passed. “Natalia. Natalia.” The man who’d spoken to her in the shelter grabbed her arm, yanking her to a stop. “They’ll keep them in sight.”

  She twisted to free herself, but his grip didn’t lessen. “Let me go. I’ve got to—got to—”

  “Got to what?”

  Save Josh. She stared after the two vehicles, giving up her struggle as cold seeped way down inside her. Or die trying.

  “We’ve got guys on them,” the man said. “The brothers, too.”

  Her head whipped around. “The Mulroneys are here?”

  “Flew in this afternoon. Apparently, they want to make sure the job gets done this time.” Realizing that “the job” meant killing the man she loved, he grimaced. “By the way, I’m Deputy Marshal Kramer.”

  She turned back to stare down the street. All she could make out was two sets of brake lights, one some distance behind the other. Anxiously she tried to determine distances in the dark. And realized the van was stopped in the vicinity of Riverwalk. Quiet, deserted at this time of night, with the Savannah River to wash away all evidence of a murder.

  Yanking free of Kramer, she began running again, darting into shadows where she could. She passed the SUV, now empty, and approached the van, also empty. Parked a short distance away was a black limo, its engine running, the driver gesturing while talking on a cell phone.

  Natalia ducked into the shadows, scaled a low fence, then climbed to the top of the levee. The sight below was close to her worst nightmare: Josh, only a few feet from the river, hands raised; Leeves and Frank facing him, both pointing weapons; Patrick and Sean Mulroney standing safely behind their thugs and three more men, strangers, guarding the entrance.

  “You’re just delaying the inevitable, Saldana,” Patrick said, his voice carrying on the cold night air. “You’re going to die here and now. It’s up to you whether it’s easy or hard. Where is Natalia?”

  “I told your boys, I don’t know. We split up after the incident at the mall.” Josh sounded strong, his usual careless self, but she caught the hint of panic hidden in his expression. He expected to die, and he intended to do so protecting her.

  “You spent all this time looking for her, and you let her walk away after less than twenty-four hours?”

  Josh shrugged. “All I wanted from her was some answers. I got them.”

  “All you wanted was to spend the rest of your miserable life with her.” Sean looked like his brother but sounded much harder. Crueler. Was much crueler. “Everyone knew you were—what’d you call it? Stupid in love with her. You tell us where she is
, and Clive will kill you easy. You make us find her, you’ll both suffer.”

  Natalia drew her pistol from her pocket. It was a nine millimeter, a good fit for her hand, with fourteen shots in the magazine and one more in the chamber. She was an excellent shot, but was that enough to save Josh’s life? Josh had no cover but the frigid water. By the time she’d dropped the first two, one of the others would take aim on him.

  “Parker!” The whisper came from behind her an instant before Deputy Marshal Kramer dropped to the ground beside her. Grasping her gun hand, he bent so his mouth was next to her ear. “We’ve got people in place. Just give us a distraction.” As quickly as he’d appeared, he melted back into the shadows.

  Natalia swallowed hard, returned the gun to her coat pocket, then crawled halfway down the hill. Standing, she drew a breath and said, “I don’t know, Mr. Mulroney. I think other people have suffered enough for you. It’s time to do your own suffering.”

  Seven heads swiveled in her direction. Josh took advantage of the moment to make a run for it, dashing across the pavement, crashing off into the trees. At the same time, Natalia dove, landing hard a dozen feet away, wriggling deeper into the darkness.

  “Get them both!” Sean roared, and a burst of gunshots strafed the hillside.

  Then bright lights hit the men. “Federal agents! Drop your weapons!” Scuffling sounds followed—guns hitting concrete, voices snapping orders, bodies shoved to the ground, handcuffs clicking.

  “Saldana, Parker, come on out,” Kramer called.

  Natalia lifted her head, then eased to her feet. She slipped and slid the rest of the way down the levee, reaching the walkway at the same time Josh emerged from the trees. She took a few halting steps toward him before breaking into a run. He met her halfway, wrapping his arms around her, holding her as tightly as she clung to him.

  “You’re all right,” she whispered, pressing her face against his neck.

  “You scared ten years off my freaking life! Why did you follow us? They would have killed you!”

  “From where I stood, it looked like they were about to kill you.” She drew back, then touched his face. “I couldn’t let that happen. I—I—” Tears welled and a knot formed in her throat. She hadn’t said the words since she was eight years old, and they were tough. God, much tougher than she’d expected.

  Josh’s features softened, and he brushed her hair back before placing a kiss on her forehead. “I love you, Natalia. I always have. And you don’t have to say it back, because I know. I’ve always known.”

  She gazed at him a moment, overawed by the simple trust and faith in his words. “I love you, Josh.” She whispered it, then said it again louder. Surer. “I love you.”

  He lifted her off her feet, swung her around in a circle, then kissed her, hungry, greedy, stealing the few bits of words that escaped her lips. Love…love…I love…

  Heat spread through her, sweet, chasing away chills that had hidden inside her forever. She felt freer, younger, lighter—the way she imagined a normal woman must feel. And hopeful. Oh, so hopeful. It was Christmas Eve. She loved Josh and he loved her back. Anything was possible.

  Kramer cleared his throat. “Come on, guys, we’ve got work to do here.”

  Reluctantly they broke off the kiss, but Josh didn’t let her go. He wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close to his side, and she held on to him, too.

  “You might want to get hold of Thomas Smith,” Josh said. “He’s with the U.S. Attorney’s office in Chicago. Tell him Merry Christmas. I’m going to testify.”

  Natalia looked sharply at him. She had a pretty good idea when and why he’d come to that decision, but her decision trumped his. “Don’t bother. I’ve already offered the U.S. Attorney a deal that I’ll testify against the Mulroneys if they leave you alone.”

  He looked stunned. “You can’t do that.”

  “I can.”

  “You don’t know the stuff I know.”

  “I know an awful lot that you don’t know.” She smiled hesitantly. “You were only one of the semi-bad guys, remember? I was one of the bad guys.”

  Kramer rubbed his temple as if his head hurt. “Look, I’d like to get home at least long enough to deliver my kids’ Santa gifts before they wake up tomorrow. Besides, it may be a moot point. These guys tried to murder both of you in front of a dozen federal and local authorities. They’re probably not going back to Chicago until they’ve been tried for tonight and for those attempted murders back in the summer. Depending on the sentences they get here, they may never get back to Chicago.”

  His implication took a moment to sink in. Natalia looked from him to the other men busy around them. “You mean you’re not taking us into custody? We’re free to go?”

  “Yes and no. We’re not taking you, but I’ve got orders to turn you over to someone else. How much freedom you have with her is anyone’s guess.” He gestured toward the park entrance, where officers let two people pass.

  Pregnant or not, Liz Saldana still moved with an inherent grace and sexiness that made Natalia feel like a newborn colt. She dropped her husband’s hand and reached them with arms open wide, gathering them both into a sweetly coffee-scented embrace. An instant later, Joe joined the group hug. “You’re safe,” he said, his voice husky.

  Safe. So that’s what this sensation is. She’d spent so much of her life hiding and running. Now she didn’t have to do that anymore. She had Josh, his family, normalcy and hope.

  “…got a suite at a hotel not far,” Liz was saying. “We’ll spend the night there, and tomorrow morning we’ll get an early start for Savannah. Your parents are going to be so thrilled…”

  Natalia let the words flow on as she gazed skyward. The snow the forecasters had been predicting was coming down, big, fat flakes that drifted lazily, catching in their hair, on their clothes, their smiles. From somewhere came church bells, accompanied by the sound of carolers. O holy night…

  She smiled at Josh, and he sweetly, intimately smiled back. He knew what she was feeling, what she was thinking, and she loved him even more for it.

  They had their very own Christmas miracle.

  SECOND-CHANCE SHERIFF

  Linda Conrad

  To Christmas lovers everywhere. And especially to Keyren Gerlach, Marilyn Pappano and Loreth Anne White!

  Have a safe, loving and joyous holiday season!

  Chapter 1

  Oh, dear God, not now.

  Cameron Farrell’s knuckles whitened on the steering wheel as his rear tires spun uselessly, slipping and sliding on hidden patches of ice. He hadn’t thought it necessary to engage the four-wheel drive when they’d set out from his place on the mountaintop only a few minutes ago. The long driveway could be treacherous this time of year, but it was as familiar to him as the sky over his childhood home.

  Still, typical of December weather on the western slope of the Colorado Rockies, the snowstorm they’d been expecting for tomorrow was heading in early. Things had gone from bad to worse in an instant.

  Navigating the narrowest spot, with steep cliffs on both sides, Cam was afraid to take his hands off the wheel. Better wait for the public road and a more wide-open spot to reach down and flip the four-wheel drive switch.

  “Daddy! Are those snowflakes?”

  Cam flicked a glance in the rearview mirror and saw his nearly four-year-old daughter buckled securely in her child safety seat. She was pointing out the window. Her blue eyes were wide and full of joy, and her straw-colored hair was tucked up tightly under her fake bunny-fur cap.

  Just gazing at her beautiful face brought a familiar ache to his chest. Every day she grew more and more to look like her mother, the woman who’d died giving birth to her.

  He loved his only daughter and would protect her with his life. And guilt was responsible for his pain—not the girl. But knowing that didn’t seem to make a difference. It was like being caught up in a tornado of emotion he could do nothing to stop. Cam knew their time was running short. If he
didn’t take a break from his own child soon, their relationship might be ruined forever.

  “Yes, Chloe, those are snowflakes,” he said, trying his best to temper the tone of his voice as he hit the public road and flipped the four-wheel switch. “Don’t you remember snow from last year?”

  “No, Daddy. Will it be a white Christmas like in Nana’s pretty song, do you think?”

  Damned Patricia Connolly’s meddling, anyway. As much as he appreciated her help and concern, his mother-in-law and her sentimentality drove him nuts. He would be perfectly happy forgetting about the holiday all together. He had no pleasant memories of Christmas and would be just fine doing without the songs and the lights, the music and the mush.

  “The weather reports say we’re in for a good snow. I imagine it will stick around the whole week ’til Christmas day.”

  “Yippee! Can we build a snowman? Will I be home?”

  “We’ve already talked about this, Chloe Amanda. Your grandmother wants you to spend your birthday and the holiday at her house. She wants to throw a birthday party for you. All your friends from playschool will be there. That’s why we packed your overnight bag and brought your doll along. You like it at Nana’s. And you love your grandparents. I know you do.”

  “Yes, Daddy. I like it there. But I want to be home with you. Who’s going to spend Christmas with you if I’m with Nana and Grandpa? Will you come for my birthday party?”

  “No, I have to stay at home to take care of the animals.” That was as good an excuse to be alone as any. “You remember that Maxine and Jim have the week off. You waved goodbye. Who would take care of the lambs and chickens if I left?”

  Cam had taken pains to arrange for his housekeeper and farmhand to take off so he didn’t have to face anyone on Christmas Eve. He would much prefer to spend the time by himself, toasting the good woman he’d lost four years ago that night.