Hailey lifted her chin. “Did Farrell tell you I know where it is? He probably sent you on this wild-goose chase so he could claim the stash all for himself.”
“Just tell me where the jewels are.”
“How should I know?”
Deirdre laughed, but the sound was like a hollow echo. “Maybe because of the large cash deposits your dad keeps using to pay for his medical treatment. That good enough for you?”
Hailey shook her head. “My dad isn’t sick.”
“Wow, you really think you can use the money for yourself, for your dad’s medicines or whatever, and we wouldn’t come after you?”
“Why do you need jewels, anyway? You have plenty of money.”
Eric mentally cheered. They needed answers, and despite their disadvantaged position, this was the best way of getting information. Deirdre would hopefully be more inclined to talk if she thought she had the upper hand.
“I did. Until my dad cut me off, and told me to get a job. What is that about?” Deirdre huffed. “Farrell’s brother told him about the money for your dad’s treatment, and we knew you had to be fencing the jewels and using it to pay the old man’s bills. Too bad for you, our score isn’t your emergency fund.”
Deirdre reached behind her and pulled out a handgun, holding it in her grip like she was familiar with the weapon. She lifted it and pointed it at Hailey’s forehead. “Tell me where the rest of the jewels are.”
Hailey swallowed.
Eric glanced around, scanning the area for a weapon. Deirdre had tied his hands behind his back, but if he could get up maybe he could tackle her hard enough to do some damage.
He’d probably get shot before he reached his feet, but Hailey needed the time to work out a plan of her own. All Eric had to do was create a diversion.
He couldn’t completely count on Hailey having a plan in place, but he could guess. It’s what he would expect. And there was a way to ensure whatever happened next had a chance of working.
God, we need Your help now. I know I haven’t exactly talked much to You lately. Can You forgive me for that? I still don’t like that You brought me here, but Hailey and I need You if we’re going to get through this. I know that.
Deirdre’s phone rang and she let the aim of her weapon slip while she swiped to answer the call. “She says she doesn’t know anything about the money.” Her lips curled up. “Got it.” She pressed a button and held the phone out.
“We have eyes on that kid of yours.” Farrell’s brusque, scratchy voice came through the speaker. “And your old man. Now tell us where the jewels are, or your dad meets his demise earlier than the cancer had planned and your girl becomes an orphan.”
An orphan? Did Farrell plan to kill Charles, too, or had he already done it? That was the second time someone had mentioned cancer. Hailey looked sick, and Eric didn’t know anything about it. Her dad hadn’t confided that in him, but that didn’t mean it was a lie. Eric studied her face. Did Hailey not know?
“Right now. Tell us or we kill them.”
Hailey struggled against the bindings. “I don’t know where the jewels are. But I can tell you this much. You harm one hair on either of their heads, and I’ll kill both of you.”
He saw a tear fall from the corner of her eye and his heart ached. The surge of protectiveness didn’t surprise him. Eric knew his own feelings well enough to recall how it felt to care for a woman.
Keeping them from harm was where he failed. It was better to hold his heart separate, when it was only liable to get stomped on when she realized everything he was lacking. If Hailey was going to change her life and let someone in, it should be a better man than Eric.
“I don’t know where it is.” Hailey’s voice was small, like all the pain she was feeling had subdued her.
He hated to see her like that.
Eric tucked his feet close to his body and started to slowly fold up to a standing position, praying Deirdre’s focus would stay on Hailey and the phone.
Farrell’s voice came through the speaker one more time. “Shoot her kneecaps.”
Deirdre drew the phone back and ended the call with a shaky finger. Her face blanched. Didn’t she have the stomach for how far she’d sunk into this business with Farrell?
Eric straightened his legs and breathed, slow and quiet. He only had one chance, or they would both be dead.
He rushed Deirdre. Her eyes widened with fear a split second before Eric bent over and rammed his shoulder into Deirdre’s stomach. He heard the exhale of breath rush out of her lungs and they hit the floor in an awkward tangle of limbs.
The phone shattered. Eric had no idea where the gun was, and with his hands bound he had no way of getting it. Hailey kicked out with her legs, trying to hit Deirdre but coming up short because she was inches too far away from her. She cried out in frustration.
Eric tried to get the woman off him and managed to roll to the side. He swung his legs up and tried to pin her with a wrestling move. He didn’t have many options. This was a plan with a lot of holes, but what kind of partner would he be if he didn’t even try?
He got the angle wrong and managed to kick Deirdre in the head. She shook off the daze and moved to scrabble around for something.
Eric realized what she was going for at the same moment she lifted the gun and pointed it in his face.
“Don’t move.”
TWENTY
“Stop!” Hailey’s breath came in pants. Her face was on fire, and she could barely see through her swollen eyes. She’d been sprayed with pepper spray during training, but it didn’t make the sensation any more comfortable.
Deirdre turned back to Hailey. She had apparently recovered from her flash of panic at Farrell’s order to shoot her in the kneecaps, because there was now a gleam of something sinister in Deirdre’s eyes. “Where are the jewels?”
The gun pointed at Eric’s face didn’t move. Hailey wanted to scream. Why did they think she knew where the stupid things were? And what was all this about her dad having cancer? There was no way he could be sick. He’d been under the weather lately, but if it was worse than that she’d have known. Wouldn’t she?
Hailey stared at Deirdre, but her thoughts went to Charles. Was he really involved with Farrell and Deirdre, and the theft of stolen jewels? She wanted to believe her judgment wasn’t so warped as to have trusted a man who could be involved in something like this. But Hailey figured anything was possible at this point.
She forced herself to focus on Deirdre. “Don’t hurt my partner.”
After all, they needed to get out of this so she could ask her dad why he hadn’t told her he was sick—maybe even dying.
Deirdre’s eyes narrowed. “The jewels?”
Hailey lifted her chin. “Untie me, and I’ll take you to them.”
“Hailey, no!” Eric’s gasp and shout were pretty believable, until she saw the quirk in the side of his mouth just for her. Good. He knew she was bluffing, and he was going to support her. The rush of emotion was unmistakable. Was this what a true partnership felt like?
Deirdre’s head swung back and forth between them. “You two think you can keep the jewels for yourselves, do you? I don’t think so.”
Hailey held back from shaking her head. Deirdre really believed that? She really thought they were going to keep the jewels for themselves?
Deirdre reared back and kicked Eric in the stomach with her designer boot.
He coughed. “Was that really necessary?”
Hailey was ready to be done with this. “Untie me. Now.”
Deirdre stepped closer, aiming her gun at Hailey. “You don’t need your hands to walk.”
“Fine.” She would get free some other way. “Then help me up.”
As soon as Deirdre was within range, Hailey did what she had been waiting for the chance to do. She bent her knees and kicked Deirdre’s legs out from under her so she fell. Hailey shoved the gun away with her boot while Deirdre squealed and tried to get up.
Eric scr
ambled over and pressed his weight on Deirdre’s torso to hold her down. Somehow they were going to have to get out of their bindings and get Deirdre restrained before they could bring her in. It was a shame they couldn’t just leave her there, tied up in the school for someone else to pick up after the floodwaters washed away. She’d be fine for a couple of days.
Hailey shoved Deirdre’s splayed leg toward the other one and sat on her knees. She glanced down at the disgruntled princess. “Word to the not-so-wise. You should have restrained my legs.”
Deirdre squirmed. Eric looked up, his face flushed but happy. “So what now?”
Hailey laughed. “How should I know? I was the one who brought her down. Maybe you should be the one to figure out how we get out of these restraints.”
Eric rolled his eyes. “Now you tell me.”
Deirdre’s voice was muffled, her face pressed against the floor.
Hailey leaned down. “What was that?”
She muttered another collection of choice words and shifted enough to lift her head. “Your kid dies if I don’t call in. Let me up! Or do you want her dead? Maybe that’ll make you realize we’re serious. Steve Farrell won’t be stopped. You can’t best him, so get off me. And get off your high horse. You’re no better than any of us.”
Hailey shook her head and glanced at Eric. “How many times have I heard that today?”
Eric’s face said he didn’t think it was too funny. “I’m sorry. They shouldn’t say stuff like that to you. It’s not right.” He shifted, causing Deirdre to cough and groan.
“Comes with the territory, Eric. It’s a small town. People think they know you so they think they have the right to correct you if you’re going wrong, or comment on your wayward ways.”
“It’s still not right.”
“I know that.” Hailey shrugged. “But it happens.”
“Why not take Kerry and go somewhere people don’t know you?”
“I like it here.”
Eric laughed.
“I’m serious.” Hailey smiled, liking the sound of Eric’s laughter. It was rich and full, smooth like his voice. She could get used to hearing it way too easily.
Movement brought her attention to the door. Parker shook his head at the two of them sprawled on top of Deirdre. “What are you guys sitting around for?”
Hailey motioned him over with her head. “You got a knife?”
Parker looked offended. “I used to be with the SEALs. Are you really asking me if I have a knife?”
“Just cut us loose, will you?”
“Sure. In a second.” Parker grabbed Deirdre’s elbow and hauled her up, spilling Eric and Hailey onto the floor. He handcuffed her.
“How did you find us?”
Parker cut Hailey’s bonds first. “Jonah said you might need some help.”
He handed her a wad of tissue, and she wiped her nose. Hailey didn’t waste any time before she dialed Kerry’s number and stepped away from the two men. She needed to wash her face, because she still couldn’t really see, but that could wait a minute.
“What’s up, Mama?”
The tightness in Hailey’s muscles eased. Kerry was safe, and Farrell had been bluffing. “Just checking in. How’s everything?”
“It’s so boring, Mom. When are you going to be done?” Kerry sighed, full of preteen drama. “Jonah wants to go out in the rain. Apparently everyone’s moving somewhere safer, but he won’t let me go home to Grandpa. He says I have to go with all the cops over to the Falcons’ stadium.”
“Then you should go. Stay with Jonah, okay?”
“Why? What’s going on?”
Hailey pressed her lips together, trying to figure out how forthcoming she should be. “Just be careful. Stuff is crazy right now, and you don’t want to get separated from Jonah.”
“All right, Mom.”
Hailey said goodbye and hung up.
Eric strode over, a washcloth in each hand and a bottle of water tucked in his elbow. She shut her eyes and held his elbow. He wiped Hailey’s eyes with a soapy cloth, poured water over her face to rinse it off—as if she wasn’t wet enough from the rain—and then gave her the dry cloth.
Hailey patted her face and then lowered the towel. “Thanks.”
His eyes surveyed her, the blue depths tempting her to get lost in his gaze, as though maybe if she fell deep enough she would discover something there. Parker cleared his throat. She looked and saw him smirking. Great.
Hailey snapped out of it, still feeling the residual warmth, and looked again at Eric.
A shuttered look had fallen over his eyes, and his lips were pressed into a thin line. “Deirdre says Kerry and your father will die if she doesn’t call Farrell and check in.”
Hailey wanted to stare more at his mouth, but there was no way she was going to let this go. She leaned past her partner to yell at Deirdre. “You suddenly decide to grow a conscience now? You were threatening me with their deaths a few minutes ago. More likely you’re trying to save your own hide. Because my daughter and my father are fine.”
Deirdre’s face twisted with rage. “He’ll come after me, too! If I don’t get the jewels he’ll kill me.”
“That’s what I thought.”
Deirdre was trying to save herself. Hailey wanted to get in the boat and get to Kerry, even though she’d just spoken to her. She didn’t want to go back out and continue the search for Farrell.
She called her dad to check in but didn’t get an answer. She needed to make sure everything was all right there, too. If her dad was sick, he would need to rest, rather than spend hour after hour taking care of a horde of other people.
Eric glanced between her and Parker. “What if she calls Farrell and pretends to check in? Deirdre could get us Farrell’s location.”
“Help you?” Deirdre shook her head. “No way. Farrell will kill me for sure.”
*
Deirdre didn’t look happy, still handcuffed, sitting at the conference table in the office. Parker was on the phone in the main office, and Hailey had disappeared to wash up some more. Eric perched on the edge of the table, waiting for his answer.
When the floodwaters receded, Farrell and Deirdre were both locked up and the danger had passed, Eric was going to find a hotel room with one of those huge corner tubs and sit in it until the water went cold. Then he’d be clean.
His phone buzzed.
“Hanning.” Eric answered with his eyes on Deirdre, who was looking away at the wall.
“Dude, what is going on?”
Eric’s lips twitched. Aaron sounded miserable. “You tell me.”
“It’s a complete nightmare out here. How are you surviving? Are you okay? Are you really still working?”
He stilled. “Aaron, where are you?”
“At the Falcons’ stadium. The sheriff says a team of marshals stayed behind to work. Are you crazy?”
Eric laughed. “You mean as crazy as you?”
“Hey.” Aaron was laughing. “I resemble that remark.”
As a former Delta Force soldier, Aaron had pulled one crazy stunt after another. Even when they were kids, Aaron was the one doing tricks on his bike, jumping ramps and breaking bones. Nearly every summer Aaron had been in a cast for some injury.
Soon Aaron would have nothing to worry about but dirty diapers.
He quit laughing. “Seriously, Eric, when are you going to get to safety?”
Eric couldn’t answer that. He felt pretty safe. Or he would, when Hailey got out of the bathroom and came back in. Something about being in the same room with her made Eric feel better. He didn’t think he needed to be physically safe to make things right, so long as whatever they were doing, they were doing it together.
“Okay, brother.” Aaron laughed again. “What is her name? I thought you were chasing some escaped criminal?”
“We are.”
“But…”
Eric sighed. “Her name is Hailey. She’s my partner.”
“And?”
Eric
pressed his lips together. “And nothing. She’s my partner, that’s all.”
He wasn’t going to say much more with Deirdre listening. Eric didn’t need his personal information being spread around everywhere. Given the surprise on Hailey’s face when he’d given her that quick kiss at his apartment earlier, she wasn’t even thinking about him on the same terms.
“Listen, I’ve got to go.”
“Okay, brother. Get to safety as soon as you can. And if I can get there I’ll come help you.”
“You don’t need to do that, Aaron.”
“Yes, I do.”
“I don’t need your help, and I haven’t for a long time.”
Aaron tutted. “I’ve heard this refrain before.”
“So why do you keep bringing it up?”
“Because I’m your big brother. If you’re in trouble I’m going to be there.”
“I’m not sure two whole minutes counts all that much, brother.”
Hailey came into the conference room. Eric gave her a small smile and thought of something. “Actually, I do have a job for you. Look for Deputy Marshal Jonah Rivers. He’s with a twelve-year-old girl who has red hair and freckles. Her name is Kerry. She’s Hailey’s daughter.”
“The woman you’re with has a child?”
Eric gritted his teeth. “Just find Kerry and make sure she’s safe. Tell her you’re my brother. Show her that picture in your wallet.”
Aaron laughed. “I sure will.”
It would prove to Kerry that the two of them were brothers, at least. Eric hung up and put his phone back in his pocket.
“Who was that?”
Hailey stood across the table, where he could talk to her and she could keep Deirdre in view at the same time. She was a smart, observant woman who loved fiercely. Who couldn’t appreciate that? “That was my brother, Aaron. Again.”
“The one on his way?”
Eric nodded. “He’s at the stadium.”
“And you told him to watch out for Kerry? Thanks.”
“Of course.” Eric knew what it would do to Hailey if something happened to her daughter.
Hailey turned to Deirdre. “So what’s it going to be?”
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