Her knuckles connected with the bridge of his nose with a satisfying crack. The man cried out, a high pitched whine. She pulled her fist back, ready to drive down again, but Aidan grabbed her hand.
She looked up and realized Aidan held the ax the man had dropped when she hit him.
Aidan jerked his chin to the side. “I’ll keep an eye on him. You see if Toby is in there.”
Toby! In her blind rage, all she’d thought about was hurting that man. She leapt to her feet and grabbed the knob. Locked. She twisted and shook it, but it wouldn’t give. She stretched up and looked through the small window. No sign of him. She pressed her face to the glass, but there was nothing but boxes and pallets.
She spun around to the man and screamed, “Where is my son?”
The man had scooted back against the concrete wall. He didn’t respond, just stared at her sullenly. He held one hand to his nose, blood streaming between his fingers.
Aidan held her back with one hand. She was vibrating with anger. Aidan hissed, “Keep it down. He’s not the only one we have to worry about.”
She breathed in and out, short, quick breaths. Her son’s life depended on her keeping her cool. What next? Where else could he be? Her head swiveled back and forth. One of the other rooms? But why was that man so desperate to get in that room?
She grasped the edge of the window with her fingertips and stood on her tiptoes. The blanket. It moved. She tapped on the glass. The edge of the blanket lifted, and Toby looked at her. His eyes widened with recognition, then he jumped to his feet and ran to the door. He fumbled a moment, then the lock clicked and the door knob turned in Gina’s hand.
The door swung open and Gina swept Toby up in her arms, holding him tight and nestling her head against his hair. She breathed in that little boy scent, mixed with dust and dirt and sweat.
Oh, she never wanted to let him go!
Aidan leaned close. “I hate to break this reunion up, but we’ve still got to get out of here.”
She nodded quickly and turned. Aidan grabbed the man on the floor and hauled him into the storage room. Gina watched as Aidan snagged a packing tape gun from a hook on the wall and quickly secured the man’s hands behind his back, then his feet. Finally, he wrapped tape over his mouth and around the back of his head. She winced. That was going to hurt when it came off.
She cradled Toby against her chest. Before they closed the door, she twisted the lock on the inside. She glanced back at the man and his eyes pleaded with her. Let his buddies save him. She pulled the door shut and they darted down the hall.
Gina reached out to punch the elevator button, but Aidan shook his head. “Stairs are safer.”
She nodded and followed him through the doors and up the stairs. They were almost safe. Toby wrapped his arms around her neck and held on tight. A short hallway and they’d be home free. They stopped at the top and Aidan pressed his ear to the door. He held up one finger, then he pulled the door open and peeked out.
He pulled the door open and went out. Gina followed. He put one arm around Gina and they hurried down the hallway. She panted with exertion, but held on tight to her son. They reached the doorway to the break room and burst through, but slid to a stop.
A man and a woman spun to face them, shocked at first, but then their faces contorted with anger. The man pulled a gun. The woman was that pigtailed woman she’d seen at the truck stop.
Gina shook her head and pleaded, “My son is all we want. Let us go. We’ll never tell anyone—” Toby buried his head tighter against her neck.
Aidan huffed out a breath and said, “Lana?”
The woman looked up at him and grinned. She looked absolutely manic, eyes wide and wild. “It’s over. Shoot ‘em and get it over with, Brennan.”
The door behind them burst open and Steve strode through. Lana turned to look at him and tilted her head. It was a look of endearment. Of fondness.
Gina stared open mouthed at her ex-husband. He looked at her, eyes wide. His jaw dropped. His gaze flitted from Gina to Aidan to the boy in her arms, then back again, then he gathered himself and his face went blank.
Lana hooked her hand in the crook of Steve’s arm and turned him toward the door. The door exploded open and two officers in full riot gear burst through and slammed Brennan to the floor in seconds. Lana stared at them blinking in surprise.
Steve jerked one arm behind Lana, then the other and held them there while he tugged a pair of handcuffs from the back of his pants.
Lana twisted around to look at him, her face twisted in an ugly sneer. “You double-crossin’ twit. You’re gonna pay for this.”
Gina watched as her ex-husband turned the woman over to one of the officers. As soon as the officers had taken Lana and Brennan out, Steve rushed to Gina and cupped his hand against Toby’s face. “You okay, buddy?”
Toby nodded gravely. Gina couldn’t take her eyes off of Steve. “You’re a cop?”
He grinned. “Sorry. Undercover.”
Aidan stepped forward and stuck out his hand. “Thank you, man.”
Steve took his hand and shook it. “Thank you for saving my boy.” He nodded toward Gina. “And Gina.”
Aidan nodded solemnly. “Happy to do it. Gotten kind of fond of both of them.”
“Easy to do.” One corner of Steve’s mouth twitched up. He turned to leave. “Y’all are going to have to give a statement.”
“Wait!” Gina said, reaching out for Steve. “There’s another guy in the basement. He’d locked in one of the storage rooms.”
Aidan added with a grin, “And he might need medical attention.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Home
After Steve’s captain was done talking with them, they were exhausted. Gina put Toby in the back seat of Aidan’s truck and buckled him in, then climbed into the passenger seat. As they drove back to the Diamond J, Gina listened to the hum of the tires on the blacktop and mulled over the events of the night.
The relief at finding Toby was overwhelming. In all the excitement, she’d forgotten about the incredible offer from Signet. She was going to be able to keep the store.
And Steve … Wow.
An undercover agent!
Who would’ve ever guessed that?
At least now she knew why he often disappeared without warning.
She glanced at Aidan. This man dropped everything, risked everything, to save her son. She grinned at him. He reached over and wrapped his fingers around hers.
He nodded toward the east, where pink was just beginning to hint at the coming day. “It’s late.”
“Or early,” she offered.
He snorted in agreement. “You guys want to stay at the Diamond J? Get some sleep?”
She squeezed his hand. Could she? The idea of being able to just collapse in a bed felt really good.
He released her hand and picked up his cell phone from the console. He punched a number with his thumb. After a moment, he spoke. “Charlotte. It’s me. I’ve got a whole lot to tell you, but it can wait. Can you set up a spare room for Gina and her little boy?”
He pressed the end button and dropped the phone, then splayed his hand on the seat between them. Gina reached out and placed her hand on top of his, then tucked her fingers between his and settled back in the seat. She’d never met anyone as chivalrous as Aidan.
She’d found her knight in shining armor.
THE END
DEAR READER:
I hope you enjoyed this novel, the second in the Diamond J Series (the first was Denim & Diamonds).
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Lori
Diamond in the Rough (Diamond J #2) Page 23