Mistletoe Reunion Threat

by Virginia Vaughan

  She’d always hated the injustice of the world, mostly because in her childhood she’d been a victim of life. She’d made a vow to herself that she would provide a better life for her child, and while she hadn’t gotten off to a good start—his own father hadn’t wanted him—she had mostly succeeded.

  Jacob would never have to worry about the lights being turned off for lack of payment or going hungry because his father spent all their grocery money on booze. Yes, Stephen had been a good husband and father. He’d provided for them well, and still did. Yet she hadn’t been able to keep it all together for him and he’d obviously sensed it and felt alienated. She’d never loved Stephen the way he’d wanted her to, and she knew the reason was standing in his kitchen right now.

  The connection she’d shared with Garrett could never be topped. She’d done a disservice to Stephen by marrying him when she couldn’t forget Garrett, but she’d done what she’d thought was best for her baby at the time. She’d given him the father who wanted him and could provide a good life for him. And she had loved Stephen and been hurt when he’d left her, although that pain had been nothing like she’d felt when Garrett walked away.

  Indignation bristled through her at that reminder. She would never allow him to hurt Jacob. She may need him, even be grateful to him, for helping her find Jacob, but once her son was home safely, Garrett Lewis could not be a part of their lives.

  * * *

  Garrett scanned the living room, looking at photos that were all around. A large Christmas tree that looked flawlessly decorated stood in the corner. Not an ornament was out of place. It looked too picture-perfect for a house with a four-year-old and he doubted Stephen Morris had done the job himself. His gaze landed on the mantel and pictures depicting happier times with Stephen, Ashlynn and Jacob—a trip to Niagara Falls, a photo in front of the Eiffel Tower, Jacob’s second birthday party, complete with cake and candles and Billie the Bear, a franchise he recognized as a local favorite for kids.

  He turned away from the photos. They were painful to look at. That should have been him with Ashlynn and only his foolishness had prevented it. Letting her go had been one of his greatest mistakes, but at the same time he knew it had been for the best. He hadn’t been seriously injured in the ambush that took the lives of many of his friends, but it had shattered his life in ways he was still discovering.

  Only Colton had escaped physically unscathed, although Garrett knew he’d carried emotional wounds deep inside him until he’d met Laura Jackson recently and found a reason to believe in life again. Garrett missed the times he and Colton had spent working together after leaving the rangers, just the two of them on privately funded search-and-rescue missions. After Colton had hung up his gear and retired to ranch life, the solitude had quickly turned to loneliness for Garrett.

  That was when his friend and former Ranger buddy Josh Adams had heard about the opening at the local police agency and all his ranger friends had encouraged him to take the job. Garrett was glad he’d finally relented. He enjoyed the camaraderie with others and enjoyed putting his skills in action in a way that didn’t always have to put his life in danger. Only a few days ago, he’d convinced himself he was content with his life now, but seeing Ashlynn, hearing her voice and having her need him, had sent him once again into a tailspin. And having evidence of her perfect life before him in high-quality photos didn’t make it any easier. Ashlynn might now be single, but he’d done too much to ever be worthy of a woman like her.

  “Are you him?” Stephen asked from the doorway, causing Garrett to startle. “Are you the one who broke her heart?”

  Heat rose in his face as he realized Stephen Morris had just managed to sneak up on him, all because he’d had Ashlynn on his mind.

  “She never got over it,” Stephen continued. “I tried to make it work between us. I thought she would learn to love me the way I loved her, but that never happened. I just wish she could have—”

  Suddenly, a shot rang out. Garrett ducked, reaching for his gun as he watched the bullet burst through the glass in the window and slam into Stephen’s chest. The force of it knocked Stephen from his feet, tossing him backward. He landed on the edge of the sofa then slid to the floor, the life draining from him in a matter of moments.

  THREE

  Ashlynn ran into the room at the sound of the shot. She saw Stephen on the floor and called out his name, trying to reach him. Garrett grabbed her around the waist and threw her to the floor. Whoever had made that shot was still out there and Garrett was certain he or Ashlynn would be his next target.

  Yet he also knew they couldn’t stay here. The shooter would be coming inside soon to finish the job, just as he’d done at Ashlynn’s house. Garrett considered their options. No way they would make it all the way to his truck without being seen. He slid across the floor to where Stephen lay motionless and searched through his pockets for his car keys. He hadn’t seen Stephen’s car in the driveway, so it had to be in the attached garage. If they could make it there, they might have a chance.

  He reached for Ashlynn’s hand. “We’re going to the garage. Stay low and remain quiet.”

  She nodded her agreement then followed him, her hand pressing tightly into his. He had his gun in his other hand, but it wouldn’t do much good against a long-range shooter. He’d have to get closer to do any real damage, but he could and would use it for cover fire if necessary. After all, whoever was shooting didn’t know what kind of weapon he had on him.

  He led Ashlynn through the kitchen to the garage entrance. There were no windows so they were able to stand normally in here. They rushed to the car and Garrett was glad to see it was a BMW. The higher quality German-made steel would be better able to withstand the gunshots that were sure to be fired at them and the engine was powerful enough to whisk them away quickly.

  He slid behind the wheel while Ashlynn dived into the passenger seat, pulling on her seatbelt. He paused. Once he started the car, it was do or die for them. He glanced at Ashlynn to make sure she was ready. Her nod told him she was.

  He lifted a silent prayer that they would make it through this, then hit the start button and pressed the automatic opener on the visor.

  “Hang on,” he told her as the garage door rumbled open.

  He shifted into reverse and barreled out of the garage straight into the street, stopping only to shift back into Drive and take off down the road. The dat-dat-dat of gunfire rang in his ears and he heard several of the shots ping against the car. Ashlynn slid down in her seat to avoid the windows.

  Garrett roared out of the neighborhood, employing all the skills he’d learned in driving during combat situations. Thankfully, traffic was light even when he hit the interstate, but he didn’t let up until he’d determined for certain no one was following them. They’d escaped again, but it hadn’t been clean. Stephen was dead and Jacob was still missing. But how had the killer tracked Ashlynn there? And why kill Stephen if they were after her? Was it possible this was all about something Stephen had been into? He needed to know more about Ashlynn’s ex.

  He turned to her to demand more information but stopped himself when he saw she was shaking. Her arms were folded over her chest and she appeared small and frightened in the lush leather seat.

  Garrett came to a stop at the side of the road and pulled her close.

  She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face deep into his shoulder as sobs racked her body. She had every right to be upset. She’d been through a lot in the past several hours. Her son was missing, both her nanny and her ex-husband were dead, and someone was trying to kill her, too.

  He might not be able to ever be a real part of her life, but Garrett knew he wouldn’t rest until Jacob was back safely in her arms.

  * * *

  “What do we do now?” Ashlynn asked when her tears were spent.

  She knew she should pull away fr
om Garrett’s embrace, but she couldn’t. She felt safer here with him than she had since this mess started. If anyone could help her through this and get her son back alive, it was Garrett.

  “I’ll call Vince and let him know about Stephen, then we’ll head to my house. You’ll be safe there, I promise.”

  He drove while Ashlynn tried to keep her bubbling emotions in check. She hated that she’d lost control. He’d been understanding about it, but she didn’t like being so vulnerable in front of Garrett. She had to keep her emotions in check around him or she would be of no help in finding her son. She needed to remain strong, at least until they found Jacob. After that, Garrett would be on his way, moving on with his life and she with hers.

  He pulled into the driveway of a craftsman-style house in a neighborhood she recognized and led her inside. The house was neat and orderly but homey. Garrett motioned toward the living room. “I’ll take the couch tonight. You can have the bedroom.”

  She nodded absently. Of all that had happened to her tonight, being here seemed the most surreal. She’d first met Garrett when she was placed in a group home after her foster mother had nearly killed her. He’d been young and rebellious, and into more trouble than she’d known at the time. She hadn’t fallen for him then, but many years later, when they reconnected at a party given by one of her college friends, she’d fallen hard and fast.

  He went to a cabinet and pulled something out of a box. It was a cell phone. “I know you lost yours this afternoon. This one is clean and no one can track you with it. I’m not planning on us splitting up, but in case it happens you’ll be able to contact me.” He quickly programmed his number into it then handed her the phone. “Do you have any other electronic devices on you that the killer could be using to locate you?”

  She shook her head. “No, everything I had was in the car when it exploded. Why?”

  “The killer found you at Stephen’s house. Possibly he was there for Stephen, but we need to be sure he doesn’t have some way of finding you.” He reached out and took her hand, an act that put her nerve endings on alert. “Don’t worry, Ashlynn. We’ll figure out who is after you and why. And I promise you I won’t rest until we’ve found your son and brought him home.”

  She thanked him again for his help, claimed she was tired and went upstairs. While it was true she was exhausted, she wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight. How could she with Jacob still missing?

  She pulled out the phone Garrett had given her and dialed her friend and neighbor, Olivia Williams, thinking she should at least let someone know she was safe. But it was more than that. She longed for someone to talk to about what was happening.

  Olivia sounded stunned to hear from her. “I thought you were dead,” she whispered, her voice choked with grief. “Your house is surrounded by police and crowds. The news has been saying there was a shooting there and a woman was killed.”

  “It wasn’t me,” Ashlynn told her, then recounted the events of the night.

  Once the shock of the situation wore off, Olivia turned to worrying about Ashlynn’s safety. “So where are you now? Are you safe?”

  “I’m safe. Remember I told you about my old friend Garrett Lewis?”

  “The hunky army ranger?”

  She smiled at Olivia’s very accurate description of him. “That’s the one. I ran into him at the courthouse this afternoon. I’m with him. If anyone can help me find Jacob, it’s him.”

  “I hope you’re right. Jacob is such a sweet little boy. He doesn’t deserve this. I’m just happy you’re alive,” Olivia said. “I thought I’d lost my best friend. Is there anything else I can do?”

  “I don’t know,” Ashlynn said honestly. “The police will probably question you if they haven’t already. If there’s anything you can tell them that might help find Jacob...”

  “Of course. I just don’t know how helpful I can be. I didn’t see anything. In fact, the first I’d heard about this was from the news.” She huffed. “That just goes to prove you can’t believe everything you see on television. Be safe. I’ll be praying for you,” Olivia told her before hanging up.

  Ashlynn clicked off with her friend. She was glad she’d phoned her and glad Olivia was the praying type. Maybe God would listen to her and intervene to bring Jacob home safely. Ashlynn suspected they would need all the prayers they could get.

  * * *

  Garrett stretched out fully clothed on the couch. His mind was alert, replaying every moment of the night. Someone with serious firepower was after Ashlynn, and there was no denying that. That man had come prepared to kill her. Garrett knew she was terrified. He’d been in combat, was trained and experienced to handle such incidents, but he’d certainly never expected to come across them in his hometown in Mississippi.

  He liked Vince and the other guys he worked with, but he couldn’t say he trusted any of them with his life. There were only five men who’d garnered that kind of confidence—Josh, Colton, Matt, Levi and Blake, all that remained of his ranger squad after the ambush. Since the night the rest of his friends, including his best friend, Marcus, were killed, trusting had come as hard for him as it had for the others. They’d been betrayed by someone they’d relied upon, their translator, who’d turned out to be an enemy spy.

  He glanced at the ceiling, knowing that Ashlynn was only one floor away from him yet they remained so far apart. He’d chosen this life and he deserved it, but a pang of jealousy still nipped at him that she’d gotten on with her life. She’d married and started a family. Logic told him he had no right to be angry about that, but when had logic ever factored into his feelings?

  He should have died on that mountain with his friends, but God had allowed him to live and there had to be a reason for that. He thought that reason might be sleeping upstairs in his bed right now. She needed him and, if he was honest, it felt good to have her need him again. He’d been crazy to let her go. It had taken him years to realize he’d made the biggest mistake of his life. He didn’t deserve her and he knew she could never love him again after all that he’d done, but he couldn’t deny he still cared for her.

  A light shone through the living room window, grabbing his attention. It was a red light, like the kind on high-powered targeting rifles. He knew exactly what it was the moment he saw it. The killer had found them.

  He slid from the couch to the floor and crawled toward the hall where he’d be able to safely stand without being exposed. He had to get to Ashlynn and warn her. They had only minutes to escape before the killer came bursting through the door, and Garrett had no way of knowing how many there were. He’d only seen one man at her house, but the more he considered it, the more he thought the shooter had made it inside a little too quickly. He might not have been acting alone.

  But how had they been found, and so quickly? No one knew he and Ashlynn had a connection so no one should know to look for her here. Yet here they were, approaching with guns, ready to kill her as if stealing away her child wasn’t punishment enough for whatever the reason was behind this attack.

  Garrett burst through the bedroom door and Ashlynn jerked up from the bed. She was also fully clothed and lying on top of the covers. “We have to go,” he said. “They found us.” He stopped at his closet and pulled out his emergency gun bag. He kept it loaded with weapons and ammunition for situations just like this. His time with the rangers, as well as his freelance jobs, had taught him to always be ready to protect his back.

  Leading her down the stairs and to the side door, he handed over the keys to the BMW while pulling a rifle from his go bag along with his night-vision goggles, which he slipped on. “You run to the car and start it up. I’m going to give us some cover fire.” She nodded at his instructions.

  He raised the weapon and stepped out, scanning the landscape for any trace of movement. He didn’t want to just fire blindly. This was a family neighborhood, and he didn’t
want to take the risk of unintentional casualties. As Ashlynn reached the BMW, he saw movement behind a bush. He held his breath, waiting to make sure it wasn’t a stray dog or a possum. Through his NVGs he saw the figure of a man rise and the outline of a weapon point at the vehicle. Garrett pulled the trigger, taking out the intruder as the engine on the BMW revved up. The man fell unmoving behind the bush where he’d been hiding. Garrett jumped into the car, aware that if the shooter was wearing a bulletproof vest, he would be back on his feet soon. Ashlynn quickly backed out of the driveway and took off down the street before more shooters became visible. But the sounds of gunfire from another direction as they roared away played in his ears confirming to him that whoever was after Ashlynn wasn’t acting alone. He prayed none of his neighbors had been collateral damage.

  * * *

  Ashlynn attempted to concentrate on the road, but the thumping of her heart in her chest demanded all her attention. She tried to push through the trembling fear that raced into every nerve in her body, steadying her breath and gripping the steering wheel until her knuckles were pale. And she didn’t let up on the accelerator, either. Thankfully, the roads were nearly deserted this time of night.

  Over her pounding heart, she heard a noise and realized Garrett was speaking to her. She turned to look at him. His face was flushed with adrenaline, but that was the only sign that some madman had been shooting up his house mere minutes ago. “You can slow down now. We’re not being followed.”

  She nodded, but her hands seemed glued to the steering wheel and her foot to the pedal. Finally, he touched her arm. “You want to pull over and let me drive?”

  “No, I’m fine,” she said. Her voice was clipped and edgy. She hadn’t meant it to be. She was just trying to hold all her emotions together, but she wasn’t stopping this car for anything, not now, not until her heart returned to a normal beat and she was certain no one was behind them.

  “How did they find us?” she asked him.