by Hope White
Matt nodded, not that he’d believe the man’s lies.
“I keep most of my money offshore to protect my clients’ identities,” Marcus explained. “I can log in on my phone and show you my accounts. I’ve got over three hundred thousand in my Cayman account.”
“You have an answer for everything, don’t you?” Matt said.
“Plus, the job I recently completed is going to deposit ten grand into my US bank account.”
Matt heard the man’s words, but his explanation didn’t ease the distrust in his heart.
“What can I do to convince you I’m on your side?”
“I believe him,” Jenna said.
Matt glanced at her innocent and trusting expression. How could she be so naive after everything that had happened to them?
“Marcus said they let him go because he agreed to be a double agent,” she said.
Matt snapped his attention to Marcus.
“He’s pretending to work for them so he can help us protect Eli,” Jenna continued.
“You’re too trusting,” he ground out, adrenaline still pulsing through his body.
“If he’d wanted to turn me over to Billings, he would have taken us away.”
“But he didn’t, and now they know where we are. We’re easy targets,” Matt said.
“Matt—” Marcus began.
“I’m not talking to you,” Matt interrupted him.
“Marcus said we’d be safe here because police checked the premises and didn’t find us, so there’s no reason for them to come back,” Jenna said. “We listened to the scanner. They’re headed south.”
Matt couldn’t take his eyes off Marcus, trying to logically assess the situation. What Jenna was saying made sense. Marcus could have left with Jenna and Eli.
But he hadn’t. He’d brought them back inside.
To Matt.
Because being here, in a cabin that had been checked and cleared, was the safest place for them to hide.
It dawned on him that Jenna was being the grounded one, while Matt orbited in crazy world.
Because he cared so much about Jenna. Were his feelings making him paranoid and distrustful when he didn’t need to be?
“May I speak?” Marcus asked.
Matt nodded.
“I’ll admit I agreed to be their spy to find you guys and expose your location. I could have done that just now, but I didn’t. Matt, I’d never do anything that would put Eli in jeopardy. You’ve gotta believe me.”
Silence permeated the room as Matt studied the man tied to a chair. Eli ran up to Jenna and raised his arms.
“What’s your story, little man?” she said, picking him up.
Protect them. You have to protect them.
“We need to pack up and get out of here,” Matt said.
“That’s a bad move—”
“Quiet,” Matt interrupted Marcus.
“Matthew?” Jenna said tentatively.
He glanced at her as she bounced little Eli in her arms.
“Why not listen to the scanner to see if it’s safe to leave?” She went to Marcus’s bag, pulled out a scanner and walked it over to Matt.
He holstered his weapon and clicked it on.
For the next few minutes they listened to the activity of local law enforcement. Cops were spread out everywhere. Of course they were, because a child’s life was at stake—a child with a phantom medical condition.
Leaving the resort and fleeing on any surrounding roads would be risky.
And extremely dangerous.
As Matt fought to find clarity, he struggled against the panic that had blinded him when he’d opened the bedroom door and they were gone.
“My gut tells me staying here is the best choice,” Jenna said.
Her gut told her. This woman who’d been abused by her former husband, chased by thugs for the past few days and survived more than one dangerous situation was relying on instinct. She was able to trust her gut, while Matt’s was a tangled mess.
Thinking critically, as an agent without a personal agenda, Matt catalogued the facts in his mind—Marcus’s background check had come up clean. Marcus could have turned Jenna over to Billings’s men—twice now—but he hadn’t.
Jenna and Eli were safe. They were here, right in front of him.
Because Marcus had protected them.
“You can leave me tied up if you want,” Marcus said. “I’m okay with that.”
Matt glanced from Jenna to Marcus and back to Jenna. They both looked at him like he was a little insane, maybe a lot insane, and with good reason. Matt’s perspective had been blown apart.
He was falling in love with Jenna North, which put both Jenna and Eli at risk.
“Look,” Marcus began. “Chloe didn’t have an easy childhood. My aunt and uncle were mean drunks. I saw what was going on, but I was just a kid. Chloe suffered her share of abuse and I couldn’t protect her. I’d really like to help protect her son.”
It was a reasonable request, an honorable request, from a man who loved his family.
Matt started to come down from his adrenaline rush and realized his paranoia stemmed from the feeling that someone close to them was feeding information to the other side, setting up Matt, Eli and Jenna to be snared like animals in a trap.
As he studied Marcus, the sounds of a playful little boy drifted across the cabin. A boy who was happy and safe.
Jenna touched Matt’s arm. He couldn’t look at her. He’d just lost his concentration, his professionalism. This time it didn’t threaten anything, didn’t put them at risk.
But next time?
Bottom line—the thought of losing Jenna had destroyed his ability to think clearly.
You’re in big trouble, Weller.
When she squeezed his arm, he glanced into her caring green eyes.
“What do you think?” she asked.
Voices echoed from the scanner and it was obvious that the county officers were heading away from the Lazy Shade Resort, in both directions. Assuming the thugs who’d been after Jenna, Matt and Eli were also listening to the scanner, and using that information to decide where to look next, Matt decided that staying put was a safe choice, at least for now.
He also admitted he was overreacting in regards to Marcus, whose background check had portrayed him as a dedicated soldier who’d earned a medal for valor in combat. What more did Matt want?
He crossed the cabin, pulled out his knife and cut Marcus’s hands free. “Sorry.”
“No problem. I appreciate how much you care about Eli.”
More like how much Matt cared about Jenna. Not good. He had to...
What? Stop caring about her? That ship had sailed and wasn’t coming back to port. Instead, he had to make a responsible decision: find a replacement guardian, someone who’d have the necessary perspective to protect Jenna, not put her at greater risk.
Jenna studied him with an odd expression, as if she were trying to read his thoughts. Matt turned to the counter to make coffee.
“I’m not sure what the plan is, but I’ve got a tablet in my bag if that’ll help,” Marcus said.
“Getting Gary to testify against the cartel would be the biggest help,” Matt said.
“That weasel?” Marcus went to retrieve his tablet. “Not likely.”
“What do you mean?” Matt asked, scooping grounds into the coffee maker.
“I did surveillance on Gary before Chloe married him.” Marcus sat at the kitchen table with his tablet.
Jenna continued to play with Eli, but her eyes were on Matt.
“As I told Jenna,” Marcus started, “Gary would hack into IT systems to prove his talent as a tech specialist. The companies he broke into were either so grateful that they hired him as a consultant, or in some cases they threatened to take legal action.”<
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Matt turned to Marcus. “Were charges ever brought against him? Because we never found any.”
“Nope. He only exposed his identity to companies that had something to lose.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Companies that were involved in questionable activity, maybe even criminal activity. Basically Gary would breach their system, they’d threaten to bring charges and he’d threaten to expose them. Then they’d back off.”
“That’s a good way to make enemies,” Matt said.
“You’re thinking this may not be related to the cartel’s money laundering?”
“Perhaps, except that Gary’s exact words were, There is no getting out,” Matt said. “That sounds like the cartel.”
“Although he didn’t come out and admit it,” Jenna offered.
“Maybe he didn’t want to incriminate himself?” Marcus suggested.
“It would help to have access to Gary’s emails,” Matt said.
“I know a guy—”
“We need to keep this legal,” Matt interrupted Marcus. “I’ll contact my IT guy at the agency.”
“Marcus, did you tell Chloe about Gary hacking into secure systems?” Jenna asked.
“She didn’t want to hear it. She was so in love, kept saying how her life was finally working out and she’d found a kind man to take care of her, someone who was the opposite of her dad. She was angry with me for trying to ruin her happily-ever-after and, well, we didn’t talk much after that.”
“She was in love with the idea of love and security,” Jenna said softly.
Matt sensed she was speaking from experience.
“Some would say Gary was pretty harmless, just manipulative for a buck,” Marcus added.
Jenna handed Eli a toy. “Not so harmless if his work put his family at risk.”
“True,” Marcus agreed.
Matt joined Marcus at the table, careful to avoid Jenna’s scrutiny. How was he going to do this? How was he going to leave her and Eli in someone else’s care and not share his reasons for the decision? Because he knew if he told her of his plan, she’d push back.
He sensed she was feeling it too, this pull between them.
“You okay?” she said with a questioning frown.
She knew something was up, and somehow he had to distract her from figuring out his next move.
“I’ll be better once we put an end to this thing.”
* * *
They spent the next day going through online files, even Jenna’s work files, to see if the flow of money was going through her foundation fund. She certainly hoped not. The thought of somehow being a party to the cartel’s money laundering sent a shudder down her spine. Is that why the big donations had come in? Because they were being funneled from the cartel?
While she took care of Eli, either Matt or Marcus would keep an eye out the window, as the other took the lead on digging into the case via the tablet.
Jenna stretched out on the bed beside Eli for his afternoon nap. As she lay there, humming the little boy to sleep, Matthew’s words taunted her:
I’ll be better once we put an end to this thing.
So would Jenna, although she admitted she didn’t want her time with Matt to come to an end. How dysfunctional was that? He was just doing his job, that’s all.
Yet last night he’d seemed irrational about Marcus being a threat. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to talk him out of his dark place. Ironic that she’d been the grounded one in that situation.
Ironic and refreshing. Jenna was learning to cope with dire situations more quickly than ever before. She no longer felt the need to run every time things got hard.
With a sigh, she studied the ceiling and pictured an easier life where she and Matt went for pizza, took Eli sledding, or even...attended church.
Wow, where had that thought come from?
She remembered him talking about how God had touched her life, how He brought the women of Gloria’s Guardians to her, how she’d developed strength through tragedy.
Matt’s words had resonated deep within Jenna. Somehow this man had peeled away the resentment encapsulating her heart, the anger she clung to against a God who never seemed to listen.
Yet hadn’t He? After everything she’d been through these past few days, Eli was safe. And Jenna was still safe too, even with a police bulletin out on her.
She silently thanked God.
As night darkened the cabin, Eli awoke in an irritable mood. She completely understood since she wasn’t one to wake up with a grin on her face most mornings either. She changed him, gave him his bear and went into the living room, where Marcus sat at the kitchen table, studying his tablet, and Matthew kept watch out the window.
“How’d you sleep?” Marcus asked.
Matthew glanced at Jenna and offered a strained smile, but didn’t say anything.
“Eli slept pretty well, didn’t you, little dude?” she said. He rubbed his cheek with his bear and leaned against her shoulder.
“Wish I could say we’ve made progress,” Marcus said. “But even the FBI tech can’t crack Gary’s code and back doors to his files.”
“So we’re no better off than we were a few hours ago,” Jenna said, heading into the kitchen.
“Jenna?” Matthew said.
She turned to him.
“We’ll figure it out.”
A sudden crash sounded from the bedroom.
“Stay here,” Matt ordered, drawing his firearm.
He rushed across the cabin and disappeared into the bedroom just as something hurled through the living room window, shattering the glass.
“Close your eyes!” Marcus shouted.
ELEVEN
Clutching Eli, Jenna dropped to the floor and shielded his face. Taking purposeful deep breaths, she was able to calm her racing heart and focus on protecting the little boy.
The front door slammed open with a crash.
“Get on the ground!” a man shouted.
The police? No, but they’d already been here, Marcus said—
Another crash was followed by a grunt.
Something was flashing behind her eyelids, probably a flash bomb, which is why Marcus had yelled to keep her eyes closed.
Suddenly a firm hand gripped her arm.
“Let him go!” a man shouted.
She clenched her jaw, knowing what was coming next and not caring. Nothing would make her release Eli.
Something smacked her in the head. She saw stars. But still wouldn’t let go.
The child wailed into her ear.
“She won’t let go of the kid!”
“Kill him!”
Kill Eli?
The man jerked back and released her. She guessed Marcus had come to her aid.
Clicking into protective mode, she opened the cabinet door beneath the sink and did a hand search for something she could use against her attacker. Then she got an even better idea. With a swipe of her hand, she cleared everything out from under the sink.
Against his protests, she slid Eli into the cabinet and shut the door. Again, without opening her eyes, she felt around for a bottle of something she’d taken out of the cabinet. She opened one and sniffed. A pine-scented disinfectant. Perfect.
She turned her back to the struggle going on behind her and pretended to still be holding Eli.
Men’s grunts echoed across the cabin.
The flashing stopped.
“Bedroom clear!” a man shouted.
The bedroom? Where Matt had gone to check out the sound of a breaking window?
“Get ’em!” the other guy shouted, but it sounded like he was still tangling with Marcus.
She waited. Took a deep breath.
Tuned in to her highly sensitized instincts honed from years of antici
pating when Anthony was coming for her.
She sensed the assailant was getting close.
And the next moment he pinched her arm and yanked her back.
In one fluid movement, she spun around and jerked the open bottle of disinfectant upward, making sure to keep her eyes closed in case of backsplash.
The guy cried out. His gun went off, causing her ears to ring.
“I can’t see!” the man shouted and stumbled back against the kitchen table.
Behind her, Eli screamed from his safe hiding spot.
“Stupid cow!” the other guy said.
He was no longer fighting with Marcus. No, he was headed her way.
Deep breath, deep breath.
She curled into herself, clutching the bottle.
Cracked her eyes open.
He grabbed her and she jerked the bottle upward, but he yanked it out of her hand. She scrambled to get away and he grabbed her hair.
She screamed. Someone dove at the man...
Matthew.
He flung the attacker across the kitchen table. The gun flew out of his hands and slid across the floor. Eli pushed against the doors beneath the sink.
Jenna slammed her foot against the cabinet to keep Eli safe, and splayed her hands across the vinyl floor to grab the gun. Could she really shoot someone? Yes, if it meant saving her life.
Eli’s life.
Matthew’s life.
Her fingers wrapped around cold steel. With a firm grip on the gun, she scooted back to her protective position against the cabinet where Eli’s muted cries echoed.
Casting all your care on Him...
She aimed the gun, ready to shoot.
Marcus lay unconscious a few feet away. The thug she’d nailed with the disinfectant had disappeared, probably into the bathroom to wash out his eyes.
Matthew and the other attacker punched and kicked, stumbling back toward the kitchen. That’s when she spotted the blood on Matthew’s shirt.
They hit the floor and rolled, getting dangerously close to slamming into Jenna. She held her position.
Should she do it now? Shoot the attacker?
What if she missed and shot Matthew by accident?
They rolled again. Knocked over a chair. The attacker pinned Matthew, pummeling his fist into the bullet wound. Matthew cried out and rolled away. The attacker turned to Jenna.