Saving Love (The Piper Anderson Series Book 8)

by Danielle Stewart

  “Stop,” Chris demanded, pulling her hands back down. “You did everything right today. You did more for my son than I could have ever asked of you. You risked your life to keep him with us. And you stayed alive so you could tell us what you know. We’re going to find him and it’s going to be because of what you’ve done.”

  “He saved me,” Sydney said flatly as the blank stare took back over. “They were going to kill me and he said if they left me alive he wouldn’t try to get away. He was so brave.”

  Chris felt a knot in his throat at the thought of his son sacrificing himself for Sydney. It’s something he knew he’d do himself in a heartbeat, but hearing his son had been so selfless overwhelmed him.

  “Chris,” Jason’s voice cut through the silence hanging between him and Sydney. “They still haven’t spotted the car anywhere but there are four small airstrips within a hundred miles. Local officers and agents are going to lock down all of them. If they haven’t flown out yet, they won’t be able. There’s a command post set up about two miles from here. Why don’t you take my SUV and head over there with Sydney? When there’s any new information, that will be the first place to hear about it.”

  “Where are you going?” Chris asked, quieting his voice so Sydney couldn’t hear him. The men took a couple steps away as Jason continued.

  “I’m going to the closest airstrip to here. I looked at the map and if they were heading down this road that one makes the most sense. If they are there or heading there I want to be on the scene.”

  “I’ll come with you. I want to be there. I want to help,” Chris said forcefully, ready to argue if Jason didn’t agree.

  “This isn’t the Wild West, Chris, and this isn’t your old life in Edenville. You don’t hunt down the people who cross you and make them pay. We have a SWAT team on sight at every airstrip. Highly qualified teams who can work to get your son back.”

  “And not a damn one of them cares as much about my son as I do. Not one of them would go to the lengths I would to get him home. They have to follow the damn rules and wait for the orders. I don’t. I can get him back.”

  “Or you can get him killed. Do you really want to take that chance? I know your history better than anyone else. I know how rash you can be. I know how quick your trigger finger is and I know what it has cost you. Go to the command center, take care of Sydney, wait for an update on Sean from the hospital, and let me focus on getting your son back.” Jason was already striding away before Chris could argue his case. He hesitated because he knew Jason was right. He would go looking for his son with guns blazing, shooting first and asking questions later. Maybe that would get his son back, or maybe it would compromise the situation.

  “Chris,” Sydney called out as she shrugged off the blanket and got to her feet. “Do they have an update? What’s happening?”

  “You and I are going to the command post that’s been set up. Jason is going to the closest airstrip. He thinks that’s where they’ll be going.”

  “We should go with him,” Sydney shot back anxiously. “I want to be there. I want to help.”

  “I know,” Chris said softly, “me too. But we have to trust the authorities. They’ll get him back, Syd.” Chris wasn’t feeling nearly as strong as he was appearing at this point. His guts felt like jelly. Until his son was safe in his arms he knew the sensation wouldn’t go away. But being tough when everyone else fell apart was something he’d forced himself to master. It meant going inside himself to a place where nothing lived. No love. No joy. No family. But that place allowed him to put on the brave face.

  He reached his arms out and Sydney leaned against him on the way toward the car. Part of his family was back, mostly unharmed and close enough to hold. Yet he couldn’t be happy with only a fraction of his family. He needed it all back in place to feel like he could breathe again.

  Chapter Nine

  Sydney winced as she settled into the front of the SUV and buckled her seat belt. Nothing seemed real except the weight of guilt that was cursing her and the confusion about what she’d heard Bo say while he tied her up. She glanced at Chris, and her eyes raked over his profile. His dark hair was messy and his eyes looked painfully tired but dry of any tears.

  How could he be so calm? How could he have let so many skeletons in his closet come back to haunt them like this? She’d spent most of her time since meeting Chris convincing herself he was due a second chance and that the risk of loving him was worth it. Would she feel the same way if he’d massacred his parents? If he was just a cold-blooded killer rather than a reluctant mob boss who was always looking for a way out, could she still love him?

  “He called her,” Sydney whispered, not sure if she even wanted Chris to hear her.

  “Who called who?” Chris asked, anxiously looking over at her, as if she’d been holding out some information that might have helped them.

  “He was mad and so tired of feeling trapped, he called his mother. Chris tracked her down, not the other way around.” She saw his hands close down tighter over the steering wheel as his body filled with what she read as guilt.

  “I can’t believe he’d do that. He barely remembers her. She wasn’t much of a mother even before she left. She had her problems.” Chris hesitated, letting reality sink in. “That means he thought being with a woman he hardly knew would be better than being with us.” Chris shook his head in disbelief and it pained Sydney to have to break that news to him. But the knot in her stomach was from the other information that had been eating at her.

  “I’m worried about what they’ll fill his head with while they have him.” Sydney bit at her lip and tapped her fingers nervously on the console of the car. “Bo said something to me when he was tying me up.”

  “Bo is a maniac, he better not lay a finger on Little Chris or—” Chris gritted his teeth as he spoke, and Sydney cut in.

  “Or you’ll kill him? That’s what you’ll do, right? Because you killed people before and you’d be perfectly capable of doing it again.”

  “Sydney, you know about my past. I told you about what happened at my cabin and how I killed Piper’s father. He was a serial killer. I don’t regret pulling that trigger.”

  “But there were others, weren’t there? He wasn’t the only person you’ve ever killed. You’ve told me a lot about your past, but you haven’t told me everything, have you?” Sydney knew her tone was accusatory and now might not be the time or place, but she couldn’t help it. Bo’s words were ringing in her head. She’d managed to make peace with so many things Chris had told her over their time together. She could understand how he’d been thrust into the life his father had been living. Like any son buried in guilt and feeling like he had no choice, Chris had followed in his father’s dark footsteps. The lure of money and power had overtaken him and that was how she’d explained away the things he’d told her he’d done.

  He’d extorted money from people under the guise of protection. He’d sold guns to other men with bad intentions. He’d threatened. He’d stolen. He’d run gambling rings. Somehow she found a way to judge him based on the content of his current character rather than the choices he’d made in the past. But if one of those choices was to kill his parents in cold blood she knew for certain it would change everything.

  “Where is this coming from? Our son is out there somewhere scared out of his mind and you’re trying to dig up the past. What did Bo say to you?” Chris stared straight ahead, his nostrils flaring. Sydney had gotten to know the landscape of his face well enough to realize what each twitch and change meant. This look was telling her he was angry.

  “He said you slaughtered your parents just before Christmas and the only reason you didn’t go to jail was because you owned half the law in town and the other half was glad to be rid of your father.” Sydney choked back her tears and watched intently for any indication of what Chris was feeling as he listened what she had to say.

  “Did my son hear him say that?” Chris asked, keeping his eyes level and focused on th
e dark road ahead of him.

  “No, he said it just to me. But I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before he tells him, too. Is that all you’re worried about? Us finding out? You’re not going to deny it? I need to know if you did this. It changes everything if you did.”

  “It doesn’t change where our son is right now. It doesn’t get him back here. I can’t believe this is where you want to put your energy right now.” His frustration was palpable as he turned the car into a large parking lot, which was a makeshift command center alive with commotion and portable overhead lights shining brightly down on everyone. He maneuvered into a parking spot and turned off the car. Sydney had asked him a question, but she still sat waiting for an answer. To her surprise, he gave none. He opened his car door and got out without another word.

  She sat motionless for a moment, contemplating what that might mean. He hadn’t denied the claim, but surely he was just overwhelmed by the need to hear some news about his son. She’d picked poor timing to bring it up. That had to be it; she tried to convince herself. Because the man she loved had been many things in his past life, but surely he was not a cold-blooded murderer.

  When she’d had enough time to get her brain functioning normally again, she stepped out of the car and joined Chris under the large tent that had been erected. She caught the tail end of one conversation that led right into another one.

  “I’m Officer Knicks. You’re the parents of the boy?” he asked, extending his hand to both of them for a quick shake. Chris nodded, not taking the time to differentiate Sydney as merely a stepmother. She was glad. Little Chris felt like he was her child and she was glad to be acknowledged as his mother. But the inches between her and her husband, the tension screaming in their body language, made her realize something had shifted between them. She was scared but under the fear was a simmering anger at him for not answering her. Brewing with doubt in choices to marry him. And she was certain below his own fear was anger that she’d picked now to accuse him.

  “We just got an update there is a waiting plane at the Theoland airstrip. The manifesto says it’s bound for a small airstrip near Charlotte, North Carolina but we know that isn’t the case. The airstrip listed as the destination has been closed for over a year. We believe this is where the assailants are headed with your son, and we’re acting swiftly to stop them. If that is the plane, they haven’t reached it yet, and they will not under any circumstance leave with your son on that aircraft.”

  “Thank you. When will we know more?” Chris asked, anxiously wringing his hands together.

  “I should be getting an update any moment from the team that’s set up at Theoland. It’s small, so boxing the area in won’t be a large task. But as of a few minutes ago, they still hadn’t spotted anyone coming that way. The plane is a small jet and it’s scheduled to take off in less than fifteen minutes. When that time approaches, if there is still no sign of them, we’ll ground the plane and question the pilot. Set your watches.”

  Chris looked down at his wrist, adjusted the face of his watch, and then glanced over at Sydney. She knew this would be it. If they were heading for a plane, this plane, then this would be when they would get Little Chris back. Or it could be the moment Diana would be so desperate for her child she might put herself or him in mortal danger.

  A woman in civilian clothing came up and handed Sydney a piping hot cup of coffee. “I hear you’ve had quite the ordeal tonight. Can I get you anything else?”

  “The ordeal isn’t over yet. Not until they find them.” She held the cup with both hands and breathed in the warmth of it. There was no real comfort right now so whether the coffee was good or not didn’t really matter.

  “I’m Lucy Worth. I am the counselor for the police department. I’d be happy to sit with you and talk if you’d like.” The woman’s soft eyes reminded Sydney of her mother’s when she was young. They were lit with a spark of genuine caring.

  “I just want to wait to hear an update. I don’t really have much to say otherwise. Not until I know what’s going on.” Sydney took a small sip of the hot coffee and glanced back at Chris. She wanted to be alone with him right now. She wanted answers to the mystery that hung between them in the car. But that was just selfish. The only thing that mattered right now was hearing back about the plane. Seven of the fifteen minutes had passed. There was no chatter that could be heard over any of the radios, and no people hustled around indicating something had happened. The only thing that existed was a silence that seemed to spread like the flu through the large group—one collective holding of breath and counting of seconds.

  “Then I’ll wait with you,” Lucy offered as she sidled up a little closer to Chris and Sydney and matched their silence.

  Minutes ticked by with no update. “If that were the plane they were headed for, then why the hell aren’t they there yet? Your guys must have gotten spotted. Diana can’t get backed into a corner. What the hell are you doing?” Chris began to pace around the large tent looking as though he might burst.

  “I’m sorry about that,” Sydney offered, feeling much like Chris did but still not wanting to take it out on someone who didn’t deserve it.

  “He’s scared for his son. He’s acting the way I think most of us would under the circumstances. Maybe even better than most,” Lucy answered, keeping her tone level and warm.

  Sydney knew Chris wasn’t like most men. Most men she knew hadn’t broken as many laws as Chris. They hadn’t hurt as many people. Most men went through their lives in a normal way. When she fell in love with Chris she knew he was different. She knew there would be more chances for danger to catch up with them. But now that it was actually happening, now the light was shining on who he really was, she wondered if she was actually ready.

  From a distance she watched Chris biting frantically at his fingernails as the last two minutes ticked away. The scheduled time for the flight to leave was approaching still there was no report of the car carrying Little Chris. She heard Officer Knicks call the order into his radio. The plane would be grounded and the pilot and crew would be detained and questioned. But none of that brought Little Chris home on what was now a pitch-black night.

  Chapter Ten

  “The pilot admitted he was waiting for Diana and Bo but they never showed and didn’t contact him. He doesn’t know anything else about them. He was hired last minute when their first flight left without them. My team will continue to question him but I think he’s a dead end.” Officer Knicks lit a cigarette and offered one to Chris who turned it down with a wave of his hand.

  “What does this mean; now what do you do?” Sydney asked frantically as she stumbled forward into the conversation.

  “We continue looking for them. Every cop here and in the surrounding states is on the look out. Figuring out their backup plan will be important.”

  “That’s not good enough,” Chris bit out angrily through his teeth. “Your people must have spooked them. They must have known something was up and now they’ve taken off to who knows where with my son. I want answers. I want to know where he is!” Chris could feel his blood boiling and with far too little thought he shoved Officer Knicks backward. Sydney reached for him but in a moment of frustrated fear he brushed her off, and sent her tumbling backward.

  “Chris,” Jason shouted as he ran over to break up the fight, “get yourself together. You can’t do this shit and think it’s going to help bring him home.”

  Chris shook himself from the anger as he looked down at his wife’s exhausted and frightened face as she got back to her feet.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, reaching for her.

  “You’re not the first dad to lose his cool when his son is missing,” Officer Knicks replied as he grabbed his chiming radio. “Just try to stay calm while we wait for more news.”

  Like a cacophony of instruments coming alive, cell phones all around the parking lot began to chime and chirp and ring. Officer Knicks moved quickly toward a cluster of other officers and Chris felt the ha
ir on the back of his neck stand at the thought that something must be happening. “What is it, Jason? What’s going on?”

  Jason looked down at his phone as the screen lit with a message. “They have the car. They’re apprehending Bo and Diana.”

  “Oh, thank God,” Sydney cried out as she fell into Chris’s arms. “Where is he now? Are they bringing him here?”

  “Initial reports from the scene say he was not in the vehicle. They’re searching the surrounding woods and questioning Bo and Diana but no news yet. Stay here for a second.” Jason hurried off to join Officer Knicks and the others as Chris felt Sydney bury her face in his neck.

  “Where is he?” she cried, and all he could do to keep himself from storming over to the officers was hold tight to Sydney like an anchor and wait to hear more news.

  When Jason came back looking somber Chris released Sydney and braced himself on the tent pole next to him. “They questioned Diana and Bo at the scene. Bo was tight lipped but Diana said she wanted to talk to you and only you.”

  “So take me there,” Chris shouted, ready to run for the closest police car that could toss on its sirens and speed like a rocket toward the only link to his son’s whereabouts.

  “Not you,” Jason said, shaking his head. “She wants to talk to Sydney. I’ll take you both closer to the scene but you’ll need to hang back, Chris. She only wants Sydney.”

  They jogged toward his car while Chris tried to make sense of why Diana would ask for Sydney and how that could lead to his son.

  “I don’t understand; why would she want to talk to me?” Sydney asked as the car with flashing sirens barreled down the dark road.

  “No one’s said why,” Jason replied as he glanced down at his phone, looking for an update. “You need to be calm and try to find out where the boy is without pushing her too much. Don’t make too many promises you’re not in a position to keep. Just try to figure out what she wants.”