by Barb Han
“You hadn’t?” he asked.
“No, of course not. What we had was real to me. My father is powerful and he won’t accept this. I’d hoped to disappear. Problem solved. Or, at least one problem was. I created another because I knew inside my heart that it wasn’t fair to you or our child to keep you in the dark. I was too afraid to tell you what was really going on. You’re a good person and you’d think that you could help.”
“I could’ve and I can.”
“I don’t know. You can’t watch over me 24/7. I have to go outside the ranch sometime. I didn’t see a way out. And then Nicholas disappeared before I could execute my plan and I had nowhere else to turn.”
“It’s not a good feeling to be someone’s last resort,” he said.
“If I’m honest, I’d been stalling anyway. My home has been ready for weeks and I’d started stashing money in an offshore account a long time ago. Small amounts so my father wouldn’t notice what I was doing. If he figured me out, it was over. I guess my mother was trying to do the same thing in her own twisted way. She was just doing it all in one shot. Now I have no idea what will happen to her.”
“I’m surprised you care,” he said.
“There’s no way she should’ve missed at that close range,” Faith said. She’d been brought up Texan, and that meant she knew her way around guns.
“I know.” He held up his arm. “Your brother couldn’t fake that bad of a shot. He tagged me anyway and I think it was meant to slow us down. He could’ve done a lot worse damage.”
“The two of them working together? I never saw that coming,” she said. “I guess they’ve both had enough. Jesse was always the most compassionate of my brothers. He’d been drinking more and more recently. I guess I’ve been too caught up in my own troubles to notice. And when I saw him earlier, I just saw desperation in both of their eyes.”
“Like caged animals,” Ryder agreed.
“I know I should probably hate both of them for what they did, but it makes me sad more than anything else that they’ve been pushed to this point. I know how desperate they feel because I’ve lived with it every day, too.”
“And yet you didn’t react in the same way,” Ryder said.
“We’re different people.” She shrugged. “They made their choices. I just can’t bring myself to hate them for trying to get away from my father. It blinded them to everything else and it made me realize that I have to face him. Going behind his back and hiding isn’t me. He needs to know that I’m cutting him out of my life. I never want to see him again and he’s no grandfather to my child.”
“It’s a risk I don’t plan to take with you or the baby,” Ryder said.
“You can come with me.”
“I would. I’m just hoping that you’ll listen when I say that you don’t owe him anything. His emotions are going to be heightened when he realizes your mother and brother masterminded this whole plot against him, if he doesn’t already know. I don’t want you to leave the ranch for a while. I need you to be safe, and Dr. McConnell ordered bed rest,” he said.
“Okay,” she said after a thoughtful pause. “I don’t have to deal with him right now if you’re not comfortable with that. I’ll face him once the baby’s born. I need him to see that he can’t break me.” The look of relief on Ryder’s face was worth giving in. She couldn’t deny his points. Once Nicholas was found healthy and alive—because she wouldn’t allow herself to think any other outcome was possible—she planned on focusing on having a healthy pregnancy.
“I have a question to ask...a favor,” he started.
She nodded.
“Would you consider sticking around the ranch?” he asked. “At least until the baby’s born, and then we can figure the rest out.”
She didn’t immediately respond. She hadn’t given much thought to a plan B. Now that her entire life had changed she probably needed to learn to be more flexible. She also had some ground to make up with Ryder, and taking his ideas seriously would surely go a long way toward showing that she was ready to change, to let him in so he could begin to trust her. The threads were still very fragile. Plus, his suggestion had a nice ring to it. She’d be safe at the ranch and everything she needed would be provided. Maybe it was time to learn to go with the flow.
“Yes,” she finally said, liking the smile that one word put on Ryder’s face.
* * *
RYDER NEEDED TIME to figure out what he was going to do about his relationship with Faith. He saw a new maturity in her, and he was ready to take a few tentative steps toward working together for the sake of their child. Trust was still an issue but he could work toward finding a way to trust her again.
The past few hours without her had been pure hell. He told himself it was because he needed to know that she was okay for the sake of the baby. Anything more would just add to his confusing feelings for her. Confusing because Ryder didn’t normally do second or third chances when it came to people he cared about. They let him down once and he’d always been more than willing to walk away. Faith was different. He wasn’t ready to explore all the ways just yet. All he knew was that he felt more at ease when she was around and he knew she was okay.
“You should try to get some sleep,” he said. “Everything that can be for Nicholas is being done tonight. Tommy said it’s a good sign that the Hattie brothers saw him as innocent in all this and so wouldn’t want to hurt him.”
“My biggest fear is that he’s out there, somewhere, alone. Scared. With no food or water,” she said.
“We’ll find him, Faith. Between us, my brothers, and two sheriff’s offices, we’ll bring him home safely.”
Faith stood and started toward the guest room wing.
“Take my room,” Ryder said. “McConnell was called in to check on a patient at the hospital and wants to stop by to check on my arm on her way home.”
Besides, he had no plans to use his bed. He intended to stay up and go over the possibilities until he figured out where they’d keep Nicholas. In this process, Ryder had come to care for Celeste and couldn’t turn his back on her any more than he could walk away from Faith.
Chapter Fourteen
Dr. McConnell had come and gone. She’d pressured Ryder into taking pain relievers for his arm that would also help him sleep. Faith crashed on the couch, her phone on her lap. The last thing he remembered was popping those two little pills in his mouth and then he’d gone down for the count.
So what was with feeling like he was being bounced around in a dryer?
Blinking his eyes open, Ryder tried to focus. Everything was a haze of yellow and orange, no doubt due to the pain meds. Concentrating was problematic.
There was a humming noise in his ears that he couldn’t shake. McConnell must’ve given him strong medicine, because Ryder couldn’t will his arms to move. What the hell? Was he even awake?
A burst of light passed over him and for a split second, he saw clearly.
Faith was across from him, eyes wide, tape secured over her mouth.
Ryder tried to speak, but couldn’t. Then it dawned on him that he had tape over his mouth, too. He bit back a curse because he also realized that his hands were tied in front of him.
Somehow, and he had no idea how this could happen, there’d been a security breach at the ranch. Anger ripped through him that Faith was in danger once again.
They were traveling in some type of vehicle. Based on the size of the back area, an SUV. Thoughts of the Hattie brothers and Hannah crashed into Ryder’s thoughts. A moment of sadness for the senseless loss of life pricked at him. It was replaced by determination.
Something was digging into his back. Hard. Metal.
Another burst of light revealed that someone was on the other side of Faith. His first thought was Celeste and that probably was right. If anyone managed to get inside the ranch and into his h
ouse, they’d had three people to deal with.
Ryder needed a plan. His ankles were bound together, so walking wasn’t an option. Where were they being taken? He had no idea how long they’d been in the SUV. Figuring out which road they were on was useless for now. As soon as the vehicle slowed, he’d try to pop up and get his bearings.
On second thought, the element of surprise was all he had going for him.
Ryder fought his instincts to blindly react to the situation.
Patience.
The SUV made a soft right. He’d heard the click-clack noise of blinkers so whoever was behind the wheel was being careful not to break any laws that could get him pulled over. Ryder was reasonably certain that the driver was male. It would take someone with superior strength to haul his dead weight into the SUV. Or the driver had help of some kind. Maybe someone who knew the ranch. He’d circle back with his brothers to discuss tightening security when he got through this ordeal. He refused to believe any other outcome besides survival was remotely possible.
Ryder listened for voices.
The SUV was quiet save for the purr of the engine, normally a sweet sound. This time, it felt like background music for attempted murder.
He kept the fact that he was awake from Faith. One wrong move, her eyes diverting a second too soon, could give him away. He’d keep her as much in the dark as the driver hopefully was. Of course, he’d prefer that she wasn’t involved at all. Since that option was outside his control, he’d work with what he had.
After a bumpy ride through what Ryder had to believe was woods, the SUV stopped. It was pitch-black outside, so they were obviously somewhere remote with no street lighting. The driver had veered off the main road at least fifteen minutes ago, which would be a safe enough distance to bury them alive if he wanted to without anyone noticing for weeks, months, possibly years.
The hatch slowly opened.
As soon as the bastard leaned in, he was going to get Ryder’s heels in his face. If he could connect in the right place...
He shot his feet toward the blurry mass leaning toward him.
“Oh, no you don’t,” Hollister McCabe said as he caught Ryder’s ankles.
McCabe? That thought didn’t have nearly enough time to settle in as Ryder realized the man had a surprising amount of strength for being in his early sixties.
Faith tried to scream through the duct tape. Ryder needed to communicate to her that she had to stay strong. He’d figure a way out of this mess. No way was Hollister McCabe going to be Ryder’s downfall.
“Think you’re going somewhere? Think again. Many people have tried to bring me down and failed,” McCabe said, agitation clear in his voice. He would know by now that his wife and eldest son had betrayed him.
Ryder wished he could say, “Like your wife?” but the reminder might make McCabe even more determined to take his frustration out on Faith. Ryder couldn’t afford to let that happen. McCabe’s emotions would be even more raw now.
The next thing Ryder knew, he was being hauled out the back of the SUV. He dropped onto the ground with a thud and a grunt, having landed on his sore arm. He’d ducked so his head didn’t slam into the bumper.
Feet hauled in the air, he flipped onto his back as he was being dragged into a wooden building of some sort, fighting against the pain shooting up his arm. A light flipped on and Ryder could see this place housed mowing and extra farm equipment.
Curled in a ball, bound and gagged, was another male frame. Even on his side, Ryder could see that the figure was tall and thin, the body of a boy who had yet to grow into his height. Nicholas.
McCabe mumbled unintelligible words as he tossed Ryder’s feet toward the dusty wood floor and then disappeared. No doubt he was leaving to get Faith and the other person in the SUV Ryder believed to be Celeste.
He scooted toward the frightened teen.
Eyes wide, tearstained cheeks, there was no doubt this was Nicholas. The resemblance to Faith was evident.
Not being able to speak to calm the teen was frustrating. Ryder glanced around the room, looking for something—anything—he could use against McCabe. He tried to work the bindings on his arms with no luck. His legs netted the same result.
He had to slow down, to think. Joshua had told him how to break free from duct tape years ago when he was in some kind of law enforcement training. There was a way, if Ryder could remember. He hadn’t been paying close attention, hadn’t thought he’d ever need to know.
Another body was dragged in, kicking and fighting. Celeste.
A wave of panic shot through Ryder in thinking that McCabe would disappear with Faith. He forced steady breaths through his nose to keep his heart rate down. Fear would only feed the beast and cause him to make a mistake.
Ryder repeated his new mantra. We’re making it out of here alive.
He thought back to his brother, to the duct tape.
The tape was easy to rip from an angle, he remembered, as McCabe disappeared again. He didn’t close the door, and that was the first sign of hope that he was coming back.
Celeste was still kicking and screaming. Ryder needed to calm her down. Or maybe not...
Faith was dragged in next, and then positioned sitting up next to the door.
“You think you’re going to betray me?” McCabe said. His voice had an eerie detachment to it as he ripped the tape off Faith’s mouth.
“Say it,” he demanded. “Tell them how you turned on me with that filthy mother and brother of yours. Did you really think you could use the Hattie family to outsmart me? I didn’t want it to come to this, Faith. After all, you’re my only girl. But you’ve turned on me.”
“I have nothing to do with Mother and Jesse,” she stated.
A menacing laugh tore from his throat. “You expect me to believe that? All three of you can burn in hell for all I’m concerned.”
“Fine. Punish me. You won’t believe that I’m not involved anyway. But the others here had nothing to do with it. None of this is their fault.”
McCabe reached up high and then backhanded her across the cheek. Her head snapped left. She let out a cry that nearly broke Ryder’s heart and renewed his resolve in the same beat.
“Everyone will pay for your betrayal.” He sneered. “Just remember, all this is your fault.”
“Please,” she begged, “don’t hurt them.”
Ryder remembered what he needed to do. He needed to sit up in order to break out of the duct tape, remembering that his brother had said too often people freaked out and gave up when it didn’t come off easily. Others fought it until they were too exhausted to keep going. Ryder had to admit that he’d fall into the second camp if he didn’t know better. Many had died because they didn’t know how easy it could be to rip. The method was specific, though. And Ryder needed space.
It would be impossible with Hollister McCabe in the room.
“I’m pregnant,” Faith said, turning her face toward her father. Shock had been replaced by anger.
Ryder didn’t need her saying anything else to agitate her father, and those two words would surely do it.
“You think I don’t know about the secret doctor’s visits? Sneaking around behind my back? You put on a good show, though.” His lip curled. “And now I know who the father is.”
“How did you...wait, you had me followed. How long have you known?” she asked, so much anger in her voice. Which was another thing that could set McCabe off.
“For a while,” he snapped.
Ryder was close enough to nudge Nicholas with his toe to get his attention. As it was, the boy lay on his side, crying.
Celeste tried to inch her way toward her boy. Ryder needed her to cause a scene in a different direction. He just needed a chance...
His opportunity came when McCabe stomped out of the shed, barn, whatev
er this building was. Using every ounce of energy he could muster, Ryder sat up. His abs burned but he managed it. He poked Nicholas’s shin with his toe in order to get his attention. He had no idea how long he had before McCabe returned but he’d put money on not long enough.
With a bad arm, Ryder grunted as he put his arms over his head and pushed his elbows together. A forceful, downward motion and a quick burst out should rip the tape.
His first attempt netted zero unless he considered the intense pain.
“I don’t hear him,” Faith said quietly. “What can I do?”
Ryder shot her a look that said, “Stay put.”
She took in a sharp breath and then scooted a little more toward the door.
Thankfully, with the explosion of pain came a burst of adrenaline. Celeste was still making her way toward Nicholas but he’d been focused on Ryder and was trying to break free of his bindings.
Ryder repositioned his arms, elbows together, hands above his head and gave it another try. Nothing. He was getting nowhere and McCabe could walk through that door at any second. With duct tape over his mouth he couldn’t tell Faith to alert him the instant she heard footsteps. He assumed she would.
He squeezed his elbows together, hoping to create a tight seal. Hands high above his head and with a burst of energy, he pulled down and out. The rip echoed at the same time Faith warned that her father was coming.
Ryder glanced at Nicholas, who was still struggling with the tape. Damn. It would’ve been useful to have his help. At least Ryder’s arms were free even if the pain was blinding and blood covered his elbow and ran down his arm. He dropped to his side, as did Nicholas, and put his arms together in front of him so McCabe wouldn’t realize what was going on.
McCabe stomped into the room and straight to the opposite corner, which had several cans of gasoline. Nicholas must’ve realized, too, because his crying amplified and Ryder had no way to calm him. He could only hope that he wouldn’t anger McCabe further.
They had exactly three things going for them right now. One, Ryder’s arms were free. Two, McCabe didn’t know. Three, the old man was working alone.