by Rebecca Deel
The band began another number at Nelda’s signal and couples once more swept around the hardwood floor. Micah escorted Sophie and Nelda off the platform where they were greeted by a handful of guests expressing their condolences.
He had to hand it to Sophie. She acknowledged each person with a kind word, despite the pain she must feel. The condolences, though heartfelt, resurrected the pain of his loss as well. David would have enjoyed the appreciation of Sierra’s talent. Her skill drew his brother’s attention as much as her beauty. Yeah, David would have loved this.
He shoved the sentiments aside. He’d deal with the hurt later, maybe drink a cup of David’s favorite coffee and indulge the memories crowding his thoughts. After he secured Sophie’s safety. He’d buy her a cup of decaf and share some of the funnier scrapes he and his brother got into growing up.
“Micah.” Lily’s murmur brought him out of the spiral he’d fallen into, jerked him to attention. “Ten o’clock, headed this way. Move.”
Micah bent close to whisper in Nelda’s ear. “Sophie needs a break from all this. Is there a quiet place she can sit down for a few minutes?”
“Of course, dear. Take her to the library on the third floor. Use the back stairs.”
Lily shifted position to cut off Abbott’s approach if he couldn’t extricate Sophie from the small crowd surrounding her. Not going to happen. He didn’t want his wife stressed any more than she already was tonight, especially with Sophie having those contractions, practice ones or not. The detective could wait a few more hours to have his questions answered.
The last of the crowd drifted away and Micah placed a soft kiss on Sophie’s lips. “Need to go, baby. Library, third floor. I’ll lead Abbott in a different direction. Stay with Lily, no matter what.”
“Be careful.”
“Always.”
Lily and Sophie edged toward the door. Within a minute, the crowd of dancers masked their progress. Micah swung around to face the fast approaching Detective Abbott. The detective’s stormy expression almost made Micah laugh. Thwarted from acquiring his primary target, the cop shifted to the quarry headed his direction. Not a good atmosphere for an interview. No matter. His sole purpose was to delay the detective until Sophie was out of the immediate area. Perhaps he should have asked Lily to take Sophie to the car even though he didn’t want her that far from his reach.
“Detective Abbott. Moonlighting again?”
A red flush swept over the cop’s face. “I’m working yet another case involving you and your girlfriend, Winter. Of course, you already know that since I’ve left messages all over town for you to get in touch with me. Messages you’ve ignored. I ought to arrest you and that Valero broad for obstructing justice.”
His hands, deep in his pockets, fisted. He longed to release his frustration by plowing a fist into the detective’s face for calling his wife a “broad.” Patience, he reminded himself. Stall. “By the time I received your messages, it was too late to contact with you. Tomorrow soon enough for you?”
“How about right now?”
“Not going to happen, Abbott. Sophie’s too tired.”
“You know I have the right to question her.”
“Not at the expense of her health.” Or their son’s safety. If it meant calling in markers, he’d go all the way up the chain to the Commander in Chief to protect Sophie and Nathan. “She’s not a witness, Abbot, just a jewel expert who happened to discover a jewel theft in full view of the security chief. We were never alone with the jewelry.”
“You know I need to talk to her myself.”
Micah inclined his head. Yeah, he did know the procedure. Didn’t mean he had to let the detective make her miserable. “We’ll come to your office at ten o’clock tomorrow morning.”
“Eight.”
“Ten, Detective Abbott. Take it or leave it.”
Without another word, the cop stalked across the crowded ballroom toward the doors, the crowd shifting away from him and closing the gap in his wake. Micah’s phone vibrated. Brent’s text message lead him to the nearest exit himself.
Micah nodded to the caterer garbed in black and white, and hugged the wall, avoiding bustling wait staff as he walked to the back of Nelda’s home. Brent met him at the back door.
“What’s up?”
“One of the tech geeks hit pay dirt.”
“Must be good.”
He grinned, breath a mist in the cold air. “Guess whose name pops up in all the major jewel theft investigations in the city for the last 18 months? And get this. The geeks checked deeper into his financials, discovered a connection to Weston Company.”
Micah frowned. “Should I know that name?”
“Doubt it. Weston is a charter company in the Caymans. It has two stockholders. Care to guess who they are?”
“One’s got to be Abbott. No clue about the other.”
“Kate Bradshaw, a police dispatcher having an affair with Abbott.”
“Huh. How did you find out about the dispatcher?”
“Facebook, where else? Sophie okay?”
“I’m taking her home soon. She’s been on the go since early this morning and Abbott’s pushing for an early interview tomorrow.” Everything else was secondary to Sophie’s health.
“Let us know when you’re ready. I’ll cover your six.” A nod, and he was gone.
Micah drew a deep breath. Now, to find his wife and take her home. A smile crept to his mouth. That sounded so good, almost as good as holding her in his arms felt. He closed the kitchen door and headed for the stairs.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Sophie exited the bathroom and stopped, puzzled. Where was Lily? She hadn’t been in the bathroom that long. Uneasiness rolled over her. The female bodyguard hadn’t been more than a few inches from her since she arrived at Nelda’s party. Maybe Lily waited in the library for her. Another contraction stopped her thoughts. Sophie breathed through the pain, rubbed her stomach. “Come on, Nathan. I told your daddy these were practice. Don’t make me a liar.”
The pain passed and she straightened, panting. Another one like that, especially in front of Micah, would land her in the nearest hospital. From her previous times in the Graham cabin, the darkened hallway to her left led to a back staircase and the second and third floors of the 10,000 square foot home. She doubted anyone but residential staff used that staircase tonight. She would be safe enough since the library was down the hall. The Graham safe was in the library as well.
How long before Micah came to check on her? He would be furious if he caught her without Lily. What could go wrong in just a few feet? The bodyguard should hear her coming. She tended to lumber along like an elephant.
Sophie loved books and it was a great excuse for resting in a room with floor-to-ceiling bookcases filled with novels from every conceivable genre. Who would have guessed the richest of the rich loved Nora Roberts and Louis L’Amour as well as Charles Dickens and Jane Austen?
She turned to the left, took a step. A whisper of sound from the darkness behind her caused Sophie to pause. She glanced over her shoulder. Nothing but shadows. “Lily?” No answer. No repeat of the sound either.
Although not one to fear darkness, this time the gloom unnerved her. Too dark to find a light switch, Sophie moved toward the soft light spilling from the library.
She walked past a darkened room. A sense of movement behind Sophie was her only warning.
#
A hand clamped over her mouth, yanked her back against a hard male chest. Something pressed against the side of her stomach. No words, but a definite threat.
She froze, terrified for her son. What was it? Gun, knife? Not a syringe or it would have already penetrated her stomach.
“Library. Now,” a male voice growled in her ear. He shoved her, shifting the weapon to prod her back.
“What do you want?” The voice was familiar, but she couldn’t come up with a name. Lousy time for fear to almost shut down her brain. She had more than her own skin to worry about
. Nathan’s life depended on her next moves.
“You’re going to open the safe. Pray nobody interferes. If they do, you’ll take the rap for theft. Your prints will be all over the crime scene and that will earn you a fast pass to prison.”
And then she knew. Abbott. Her hands trembled. Where were Micah and Lily? She had to stall for time. Her husband would find her unless he was dead. Sophie swallowed the bile surging into her throat. Please, God, not that on her conscience. She couldn’t handle a trained cop on her own. She needed Micah. Nathan needed his father.
With a last glance down the hall toward the lights, glamour and safety to her right, Sophie turned toward the library. She had minutes before Micah checked on her. If Lily was already in the library, she could help. The female bodyguard would know what to do. She walked further down the hallway, putting a little distance between herself and Abbott, projecting an air of absolute confidence.
Another Valero motto throbbed in her veins with every step. Show no fear. Sophie learned early confidence helped you sail through the danger unscathed. Most of the time, anyway, until the time it didn’t. Nervousness or fear exposed you every time. No matter how much she distanced herself from the Valero family business, they always managed to drag her back into the muck. Maybe she was no better than Sierra and the rest of her family.
She stepped into the soft light from the library. A light shove from Abbott had her stumbling further into the book-lined room. Sophie caught the back of an armchair and regained her balance. A sharp pain across her abdomen made her gasp. That didn’t feel like the Braxton Hicks contractions she’d been having throughout the day. Not now, she mentally admonished her son. Wait a little longer.
She breathed deeply until the pain passed. She straightened and, in turning to face Abbott, noticed the dark lump crumpled against the far left wall. “Lily!” She headed for the downed woman only to find herself restrained, arms yanked behind her back. Her gaze strained to see her bodyguard in the dim lighting. Was Lily breathing?
“No you don’t.” Abbott’s hold on her arms tightened, the pain excruciating. “Open the safe.”
“You’ll let me and Lily go unharmed?”
“You’ll do it if you want that brat you’re carrying to live. No promises about your friend.” He shifted his grip to grasp her upper arm and dragged her to the large oil painting covering Nelda’s safe. “I want every piece of jewelry in that safe and you’re going to get it for me or so help me I’ll kill you and that fed if it’s the last thing I do.”
Her worst nightmare come to life. Another streak of pain shot across her abdomen. Sophie cradled her belly, frozen in place.
“Quit stalling.” Abbott shoved her into the wall and pressed her against its unyielding surface with his body.
The unbearable pressure against her stomach scared her more than the black gun the detective waved near her face. “Stop, you’ll hurt the baby.”
He twisted Sophie to face him, slapped her, and said, “Last warning, Valero. Next time I shoot the brat. With the loud music, no one will hear. You’ll bleed out before anyone finds you.”
“All right. You win.” Sophie shoved her hair from her tear-streaked face. She scowled at the glaring, red-faced detective. “I’ll open it. Take the jewels and run. If you hurt me or the baby, Micah will never stop hunting you.”
The detective’s mouth curled. He raised the gun and aimed at her stomach.
Heart in her throat, Sophie turned and moved the painting aside uncovering the gray wall safe. A whispered prayer the remembered combination was still accurate, a few turns of the dial, and the safe opened.
“Cash and jewelry. Leave the papers.”
Hands shaking, she reached inside and grabbed the jewelry boxes with both hands.
Abbott thrust a velvet bag at her. “Put the jewelry in there. Cash too. No boxes. Hurry up. I have a plane to catch.”
Sophie dropped the velvet boxes on a nearby table and opened one after the other, depositing Nelda’s jewels in the bag. She hoped her friend forgave her if Abbott made off with all the gems. Some of the pendants, necklaces and bracelets were family heirlooms. If the dirty cop got away, Nelda might never see her heritage again. Something else to feel guilty about late at night.
When all the boxes were empty, she returned to the safe for the rest and repeated the procedure. And made another trip for the twin piles of bundled cash.
She cinched the bag’s mouth and handed it to him. “Here. Run before Micah finds you.”
“You’re coming with me, Valero. Sort of an insurance policy.” His heated gaze skated over her body. “Maybe I’ll let you live. If you beg.” Abbott licked his lips. “Oh, yeah. That’s an even better plan than killing you. Wouldn’t that frost Agent Winter? A lowly cop getting the better of him, taking off with his woman and his kid? We’ll get rid of the brat, maybe leave him on a doorstep somewhere or, better yet, sell him on the black market. Why not make something off the trouble he’s causing me. Can’t wait to get word to the fed that his kid won’t ever know his daddy and he’s lost in some foreign cesspool orphanage. Torture Winter for the rest of his life. Oh, yeah, much better plan.” He laughed.
Her heart clinched and another, stronger wave of pain hit. She moaned. “Not a good idea to take me with you.” She clutched her belly. “I think I’m in labor.”
Abbott sneered. “Nice try. I’m not buying it.” He grabbed her arm. “Let’s go. Act as though you want my company or I kill whoever crosses our path. Then you’ll pay, a lesson you won’t forget.”
A shudder wracked Sophie’s body. Abbott was insane if he thought she’d go with him to a life of imprisonment, abuse and separation from her son and her husband.
“Take your hands off my wife.”
At the cold words, Abbott aimed his gun at a new target.
#
Micah stepped into the room, remaining in the shadows. Low lighting made deep pools of dark along the edges of the room. No place to dive behind for cover, but he’d take what he could get.
Abbott yanked Sophie in front of him “Wife? You married a criminal? Your career is in the toilet, Winter.”
“Not your problem, is it? Take your hands off my wife, Abbott. Now.” He adjusted his stance, shifting even as Abbott maneuvered Sophie for better coverage of his own worthless hide. No way was the rogue cop getting out of this house with his wife and son. Micah knew he’d never see her or Nathan again if he escaped with them. Abbott’s plans for his wife? Never going to happen. The only way the cop left this house with Sophie was if Micah was dead.
“I don’t think so. I’ve got the ace card, fed.”
“You have a death wish.”
“You won’t shoot me. Too much risk to your kid.”
And the woman he loved more than life itself. Micah sited Abbott’s sweat-streaked forehead. “You read my jacket. Marksmanship is part of the information listed. I don’t miss.”
The cop’s right eye twitched.
Oh, yeah. The detective knew what he was up against. Come on, sweetheart. Move that gorgeous head a little to the left. He could make the shot, but he preferred a bigger target, even at this distance. If Sophie shifted at the wrong time, the shot would kill her and Abbott.
He didn’t mind taking out the dirty detective, but hurting Sophie would kill him too. The future would stretch into an infinity of bleakness. Small, slow movements from the fallen bodyguard told Micah she was trying to get to her weapon. In a move calculated to draw attention away from Lily, he shifted position yet again, this time away from the shadows.
“Stop angling for a better shot. Here’s how it’s going down, Winter. I’m leaving. Your wife is insurance. When I’m safe, I’ll let her go. If I see you or any of your people, I kill her. If I see cops, she’s dead.”
Not after he’d heard Abbott’s plans for Sophie. Micah didn’t trust him to keep his word. “Leave her. Take me instead.”
“Micah, no,” Sophie whispered. Abbott tightened the arm around her neck. Sophi
e grasped his arm, coughed at the constriction on her throat.
“I’m a better bet as a hostage.” Micah forced himself to focus on the man holding a gun now pointed at his wife’s stomach. “You know I’m on medical leave. I couldn’t run if I wanted, but I won’t try to escape. Leave her and I’ll go with you.”
Abbott snorted. “You must think I’m an idiot. Even injured, you’re more trouble than she’d ever be. Put the gun down and kick it to me. Get on the floor facedown, arms and legs spread. Any sudden moves, I’ll shoot you, then your wife.”
A subtle brushing of fabric told Micah Lily was still moving. How much longer could he stall without making Abbott suspicious? A guest at Nelda’s party might wander in at any point and become a casualty in this battle with the dirty cop.
Sophie grimaced and clutched her lower belly. Micah’s gut tightened in response. That didn’t look like the same expression she’d had downstairs in the ballroom. Alarm jolted his system. Could she really be in labor or was she trying to throw Abbott off his game?
A big movement from the shadows and a shout from Lily. “Abbott!” At the same time, Sophie groaned and a gush of liquid puddled around her feet.
Disgust on his face, Abbott shoved Sophie away from him and shifted his weapon her direction. That was all the opening Micah needed. He pulled the trigger. Abbott dropped to the floor. His weapon discharged.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Micah knew that moan. He’d heard it often enough when he massaged Sophie’s legs and feet. “Sophie?” He didn’t dare take his gaze from Abbott and Lily couldn’t move fast enough to take Abbott if he was still alive. “Talk to me, baby.”
Another moan, then, “Micah.” Her voice was choked, her breathing heavy as if she’d just finished a marathon.
The need to check on her nearly overwhelmed him. Priorities. He had to be sure Abbott didn’t pose more threat to his family. Gun centered on the fallen cop, Micah leaned closer and checked for a pulse. None.
Holstering his weapon, Micah turned to Sophie. Breath stilled in his lungs. Blood pooled on the floor by her left side. He limped to her side and dropped to his knees, sharp pain from his injured leg registering in the back of his mind. “Sophie.”