Proof of Life: A Christian Romance (BlackThorpe Security Book 4)

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  Eric’s screen showed their arrival at the hospital. As soon as the vehicle stopped, medical personnel rushed to meet them. Within minutes, Alana had been whisked away, and Eric just stood there looking around. They hadn’t really discussed what would happen beyond this point, but Alex was sure that Eric wouldn’t leave until Justin had arrived.

  “Any word from the FBI?” he asked Marcus.

  “It appears they’ve caught up with the vehicle and are following it now to wherever he’s going,” Marcus said, his gaze still on the monitor.

  The team members that had remained behind were busy packing up their site. Once Justin landed, the team would return on the Hamilton jet, leaving the BlackThorpe one for Justin and Alana. Depending on how things went at the hospital, he or Marcus might need to fly down there as well to run interference with the FBI.

  Alex looked down at Rebecca, whose gaze was also on the monitors. “I can get someone to give you a ride home now if you’d like. I’m going to be here for a while yet.”

  Though she had declined the offer each time before, this time, Rebecca nodded. “I think maybe it would be a good idea for me to head home. I was glad I got to see Alana being rescued. Definitely an answer to prayer.”

  Alex knew they still needed to talk—now more than ever—but it wasn’t the time or the place. Turning, Alex looked for Tyler and found him standing next to the door. His head was bent over his phone. Alex walked over to him.

  “Are you planning to go see Melanie?” Alex asked.

  “Yes. I thought I’d head over there for a little while. Will you be sending out a message to the staff or are we still keeping this quiet?” Tyler asked.

  “Let me talk to Marcus about that, but you can go ahead and tell Melanie about it. And Adrianne too if you see her.” Alex glanced over to where Rebecca stood, still watching the monitors. “Would you be able to give Rebecca a ride home as well? I want to stay here for a bit longer to see if we can get an update on Alana.”

  “Sure. That wouldn’t be a problem at all since I’m going there anyway.”

  Alex thanked him and went back to speak with Rebecca. “Tyler will give you a ride home since he’s going to see Melanie. Will that be okay?”

  “That would be great.”

  Alex hesitated then said, “I’m sorry our evening was interrupted but thank you for understanding.”

  “Of course. I know how important this was for you and your team. We can talk more later.”

  He walked with her to the door of the room and then said goodbye. It was a bit awkward given their interactions throughout the evening, or, at least, he felt it was. Rebecca, on the other hand, seemed to take it all in stride as she said goodbye and left with Tyler.

  With a sigh, he returned to stand next to Marcus. They stood in silence for a few minutes. Alex could hardly believe that what had started out as such a flimsy lead had resulted in finding Alana. He knew that everyone involved in the rescue had been emotionally invested in bringing her home to Justin. He took a deep breath and let it out. Some of the weight of the past few weeks had eased away, but until they knew exactly what condition Alana was in, he wouldn’t be able to totally relax.

  Over the next hour, they sent out a notification to the staff to let them know that Alana had been found and to ask for continued prayers for her physical well-being. Eric had remained at the hospital, but so far they had received no update. They likely wouldn’t release any information until Justin arrived which could still be an hour or so away.

  One by one the screens on the large monitor began to go dark as the team disconnected their cameras. Eric had also turned his off but was currently on his cell phone talking to them over the speakers. The update from the FBI came a short time later to notify them that Craig had been arrested at a hotel about half an hour away from the house where he kept Alana.

  Slowly but surely, the pieces of this puzzle were beginning to fall into place, but the most important pieces for this particular situation were held by Craig. They needed to determine if he was in any way connected to the previous attacks on BlackThorpe. They had updated the FBI on the attacks so that Craig could be questioned about any possible involvement.

  Alex still had a hard time believing that somehow the situation with Jordan was tied in with everything else that had happened. Why would whoever was behind the attacks decide to do something that was actually good instead of harmful? Or had they hoped that the revelation of his marriage to Rebecca and Jordan’s presence would have a negative impact on his life? While finding out he had a son had definitely impacted his life, it wasn’t in a negative way. He wouldn’t go back in time to where he didn’t know about Jordan. Yes, it had been a challenge, but one he was going to try very hard to rise to.

  Unfortunately, there was no guarantee that whatever the person had planned next would be as harmless as the situation with Justin. Now that they had Alana back, they would have to be on high alert for any more potential attacks. The stakes were higher than ever for Alex, now that he had Rebecca and Jordan in his life. A small part of him wondered if perhaps the person had given him Jordan only to turn around and take him away.

  It was that fear that made him determined to do whatever he had to in order to make sure that both Rebecca and Jordan were safe.

  ~*~*~

  Given the late hour, the traffic back to the Thorpe house was light enough that they made good time. Tyler had been more subdued than Rebecca had ever seen him, which she didn’t quite understand given the good news they’d gotten earlier. She toyed with the idea of asking him what was wrong but then realized she really didn’t know him well enough for him to spill his guts. No doubt Melanie would be the one who would be able to get him to share what was still bothering him even after they’d receive news that Alana had been rescued.

  After thanking him for the ride, Rebecca let herself into the apartment quietly but wasn’t surprised to find Jordan still awake. He was tucked into his bed but had his tablet in his hands.

  “Say hi to Robby, Mom,” Jordan said as he turned the tablet to face her.

  The familiar face of her son’s best friend filled the screen then blurred as he lifted a hand to quickly wave at her. “Hi, Mrs. Mackenzie.”

  “Hi, Robby. How are you doing?” she asked as she sank down onto the bed next to Jordan.

  “I’m doing good, but I really miss Jordan. When are you guys coming home?”

  Rebecca sighed. Wasn’t that the question of the hour? “We don’t have a definite date yet. But it won’t be before Christmas.”

  She could see the disappointment on Robby’s face and decided the next time she talked to Maureen, she would see if they could arrange to have Robby fly out to spend some time with Jordan. It might be a little too close to Christmas to have him come now, but maybe the week between Christmas and New Years might work.

  She got up then bent to press a kiss to Jordan’s head. “I’m heading to bed. You guys don’t stay up too late talking, okay?”

  The boys both promised her they’d be going to bed soon and then said good night to her. It wasn’t until she was in her bed with the light off that she allowed her thoughts to go back to the embrace that she and Alex had shared. Was it really possible that there was someone special just for her? When Alex had wrapped his arms around her, it had truly felt like coming home. His body had changed some in the years since they had last embraced, but there had still been enough familiarity to it, to the way he held her, that it just felt right. Like she belonged in his arms and no one else’s.

  Had he felt the same way too? Or had he gotten caught up in the emotion of the moment? Had he recognized the perfume that she wore? He had been the one to give it to her for the first time and she had worn it ever since.

  There was still so much they needed to talk about, and Rebecca had been working hard to keep her heart and emotions out of the mix. But after that hug earlier, on top of the time they had spent together before getting called to the office, there was just no way she could ke
ep them separate any longer.

  But she needed to know what was in Alex’s mind and heart too. Would she be brave enough to come right out and ask him? She was going to have to be because she just didn’t have the desire to pussyfoot around it all anymore. So in addition to the things they still needed to discuss from earlier, she now wanted to add a topic that had the potential to be even more loaded and difficult.

  Rebecca curled onto her side, her hand reaching out to the empty half of the bed next to her. They had only shared a bed as a married couple for little over a week. And then it had been fifteen years of sleeping alone. Of taking care of a sick child alone. Of cheering on her son’s accomplishments alone. Of lying in bed in the dark, wishing for someone to talk to. To pray with. To hold her. Would she get another chance at her marriage or would Alex want to move on?

  She closed her eyes and began to pray, asking God to show His will to them and to give her the peace to accept whatever that was.

  ~*~*~

  Despite a late night, Alex was up early the next morning. It was a Saturday, but he had work to do. They had waited for Justin to arrive at the hospital and to get that first update before shutting down the monitoring of the mission. As they had suspected, Alana had been drugged. She had also been dehydrated, so they’d hooked her up to an IV while they took blood to determine what was in her system.

  Alex had heard the worry mixed with happiness in Justin’s voice. How he wished that they could have given him back his love completely healthy so there would be none of this worry over her physical health. But apparently God wanted them to continue to trust Him with all of this, so they would.

  He’d spoken briefly with Lucas Hamilton the night before and had made arrangements to meet with him in the morning for coffee. It was mainly to thank him for his help the night before, but Alex also wanted to talk to him about how he’d learned to balance fatherhood and his work. Because Brooke had a ten-year-old son already when they met, Lucas had become a father when they’d married. Alex wondered if the man had had as much trouble adjusting as he was having.

  Lucas had invited him to their home, and as Alex got closer to the address he’d given him, he was rather surprised at the state of the neighborhood. The Hamilton family was one of the richest ones in the state, and yet Lucas and Brooke lived in a rather modest neighborhood. The driveway he pulled into led to a rather simple looking two-story home. Alex took a minute to confirm the address before he climbed out of the truck and made his way to the front door.

  He’d barely pressed the doorbell when he heard barking. The barking quickly stopped, and the door swung open to reveal Lucas standing there in a pair of faded jeans and a University of Minnesota sweatshirt. The man stepped back and motioned for Alex to come inside. A large golden long-haired dog sat next to Lucas, its tail swishing back and forth along the floor.

  The warmth of the home was filled with the scent of cinnamon and fruit. Alex’s stomach growled in response.

  “Sounds like you’re hungry,” Lucas said as he took his coat and hung it up in the closet. “That’s good because Brooke and Danny made way too many muffins for breakfast.”

  When the dog beside him whined, Lucas ruffled a hand across its ears. “This is Ava, by the way. She likes to be introduced. Ava, shake.”

  As Alex bent over to scratch the dog’s ears, she lifted a paw. Grinning, he shook it and then straightened to greet Lucas.

  As Lucas led the way into the house, Alex glanced to his right and saw a large living room with a decorated Christmas tree in front of the window. There was a staircase at the end of the hallway, but Lucas turned to his left and made his way through the dining room into the kitchen.

  “Coffee?” Lucas asked as he gestured to the coffee maker on the counter.

  “Please. And just black.” Alex glanced around the kitchen, once again surprised at the simplicity of it.

  Lucas filled two mugs then carried them to a small table under the window that looked out over their backyard. He set them on the table then went to get a container off the counter along with two plates.

  “Have a seat.”

  Alex pulled out a chair and sat down. He picked up the mug Lucas had put at his place and took a sip, grateful for its warmth. “So are Brooke and Danny here?”

  Lucas shook his head. “Danny had hockey practice, so Brooke went with him.”

  “Does she usually take him or do you share that responsibility?” Alex asked, well aware that his question might be a little weird to Lucas.

  Apparently, it wasn’t too weird for him to answer, though, since the other man responded. “We take turns for the most part. Sometimes all three of us will go, but other times Brooke will have to take him if something’s come up that I need to deal with. When it comes to his games, however, I make an extra effort to be there for those if I can.”

  Alex traced a finger around the thick rim of the coffee mug. “Have you found it difficult adjusting to having a son in your life?”

  Lucas arched a brow as he lifted his mug to take a sip of coffee. “It was definitely an adjustment. But I knew it was one I had to make if I wanted to have Brooke and Danny in my life.” He regarded Alex thoughtfully for a moment. “So is the rumor true then? You’ve discovered you have a son?”

  Alex nodded, not surprised that Lucas knew. With his connection to Than, it was only natural that he would have found out. Alex hadn’t asked anyone to keep it a secret after all. “Yes. Jordan is fourteen years old.”

  “And you knew nothing about him?”

  Alex didn’t even hesitate before sharing the whole story with Lucas. If he wanted to ask the man’s advice, it only made sense that he should know exactly how Alex, Rebecca, and Jordan had ended up at this point. And even though it painted him in a bad light, Alex didn’t even leave out his actions that had led to his and Rebecca’s split.

  “I’m really struggling to find the balance between being a father and a businessman,” Alex said. “BlackThorpe has been my life for so long that I don’t know how to give anything higher priority in my life. I don’t seem to have anything in common with Jordan, and to be honest, right now, he doesn’t seem too interested in spending time with me after finding out how I reacted to hearing about Rebecca’s pregnancy with him.”

  Lucas nodded, his gaze serious. “The situation certainly does seem to be challenging, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.” He paused as if contemplating his next words. “Well, starting at the beginning, have you forgiven yourself for how you reacted with Rebecca?”

  Alex knew his question was valid, but he didn’t really want to dwell on it. The guilt had been there almost from the minute the words had escaped his mouth and then when he’d hoped to take them back, Rebecca had already disappeared. The guilt was no doubt one of the reasons why he’d never sought out Rebecca and filed for divorce. He didn’t deserve to be free to find love with another woman when he’d so badly hurt the first one he’d ever loved. It hadn’t felt right to think about finding happiness for himself when it came to a relationship, when the memory of how bad he’d messed things up with Rebecca never seemed to leave him.

  “I guess I’ve always felt that the guilt I carried for what I said was justified.” Even now it weighed heavily on Alex. “I didn’t deserve to be free of it.”

  “You know that’s not true, though, right? God never meant for us to carry guilt when He has offered us forgiveness. He didn’t send His son to die on the cross for our sins in order for us to still carry the guilt of them.” Lucas leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the table. “I really think that part of the struggle you have with Jordan is that you can’t look at him without being reminded of what you said. You look at him and see the life you lost because of your words. But somehow you need to get past that and realize that in spite of your moment of weakness, when you demanded of Rebecca something you normally wouldn’t have, God intervened. Rebecca decided not to do as you had asked her to and in doing so brought Jordan into the world. And now Jordan has
been brought into your life and you into his. Though the circumstances may seem a bit suspicious, there’s no reason why you can’t embrace what God has brought into your life. I sincerely doubt that God brought Jordan back to inflict guilt on you, but He may have brought him into your life so you could truly be free from it.”

  Alex shifted the handle of the mug between his fingers as he thought about Lucas’s words. It was true that his guilt was overshadowing his relationship with Jordan. It was the overriding emotion every time he looked at his son. That and the unworthiness he felt to be Jordan’s father. Was Lucas right? Had God really brought Jordan back into his life to free him from his guilt?

  Lucas reached out and took his cup from him. “Why don’t you grab a muffin while I freshen up our coffee?”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  ALEX LOOKED INSIDE the container at the selection of muffins. A weight on his leg drew his attention down, and he saw Ava sitting with her chin on his leg. She looked up at him with her warm brown eyes, and it almost seemed as if she was there to try and comfort him.

  As Lucas came back to the table, he said, “You have a choice between apple cinnamon and blueberry.” He reached over to pat Ava on the head. “And Ava doesn’t get any because she’s already had some this morning. So no matter how cute she looks, resist the urge to feed her more.”

  Alex chose a blueberry muffin from the container. He peeled the wrapper off and took a bite. “These are really delicious.”

  Lucas nodded. “The blueberry are Danny’s favorite. He’s quite a pro at making them. In fact, he’d made them the morning I met him for the first time.”

  “Did you think twice about being in a relationship with Brooke knowing you’d be an instant father if it got serious?”

  “To be honest, in my heart, it was serious from the moment I laid eyes on the two of them. I knew they were a package deal, and I had no problem with that. Danny’s a great kid and he’s made being a dad easy.” Lucas finished off his muffin and took a sip of his coffee. “You’re in a unique situation, that’s for sure. But don’t let that stop you from embracing the role of fatherhood.”