by Laura Scott
Naomi looked up in surprise. “Okay. I know exactly where it is.”
“Good. The other thing I need you to do is rest. A head injury is nothing to fool around with.”
“I’m aware.” She reached up to finger the gauze over her injury. “Makes me realize I should have been more compassionate to my patients in the ICU who had head injuries.”
“I’m sure you treated them very well.”
The corner of her mouth tipped up in a half smile. “I really loved my job. It wasn’t easy, but it also was never boring.”
“Is that your way of saying the clinic job is boring?”
She flushed and shrugged. “It’s okay. Caring for patients in any setting is important.”
“But it’s not as interesting as working critical care.”
“Not to me. I guess I do miss the adrenaline rush that comes with taking care of the sickest of the sick. I was also a member of our medical emergency response team. It was my job to run out to take care of any patient suffering an abrupt turn for worse.”
“I give you a lot of credit for being able to do that,” he said honestly.
“Really?” She looked surprised. “You put yourself in danger every day. That’s far more important than what I do.”
“Not more important, but similar I guess.” He finished his soup, stood, and reached for her empty bowl. “I don’t often think of it as being in constant danger. My main concern every day is to keep the public safe.”
There was a long silence before she said, “Sawyer, may I ask you a question?”
He turned and instinctively tensed but nodded. “Sure.”
“Is my being here going to get you into trouble? Either with a girlfriend or at work?”
Hesitating, he shrugged. “No girlfriend, but work? I can’t lie, your being here isn’t ideal since you’re the witness to a crime. I’d rather not tell my boss, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I’m fine with going to a hotel.”
“I’d rather you head home, but we can discuss next steps in the morning.”
She stared at him for several heartbeats. “Okay. I guess that’s why you can’t take me on patrol with you. Honestly, Sawyer, I don’t want you to get into trouble over me.”
“I won’t.” It wasn’t entirely true. Sawyer knew he was in deep trouble over her. Personally more than professionally.
He cared about Naomi, far too much.
And his feelings toward her, along with her staying with him, could be a big problem if she had to testify at trial against her kidnappers. Which was why he should have insisted on the hotel room.
But he hadn’t. And right now he was more concerned with keeping her safe while making sure she didn’t suffer a relapse from her head injury than about a nonexistent trial.
Hopefully, this all wouldn’t come back to bite him in the rear end.
“I’ll get some sleep, then. Thanks for dinner.” Naomi was looking a bit peaked again, as if this much activity had been too much for her.
Which only convinced him she had no business driving around town looking for her kidnappers.
Or for Kate.
He washed the dishes, giving Naomi time to use the bathroom. Their early start to the day made it seem later than it was, but Sawyer knew the smart thing to do was to rest when you had the chance.
Sawyer decided to head outside to make another sweep around his cabin before heading to bed. The likelihood of anyone finding them there was slim to none. However, he wasn’t about to take any chances.
Not with Naomi’s life.
He avoided his fishing line trip wires and was relieved when he didn’t find anything out of the ordinary.
The area surrounding his cabin was peaceful and quiet, the way he liked it.
Despite his exhaustion, Sawyer found it difficult to fall asleep. He’d been surprised and secretly pleased that Naomi had asked about his having a girlfriend. It made him think he should have asked about her having a boyfriend, but somehow, he sensed she didn’t.
When he dragged his mind off that topic, the shooting outside the café played through his head.
Why on earth would someone take a shot at her when he was in his squad next to her? It seemed like a ridiculous risk to take.
Had the officers canvassing the area come up with anything useful? He considered calling in to find out but figured his boss would have let him know if they’d found something major.
Especially if they’d brought in Melvin Curtis.
A strange thudding sound woke him from a sound sleep. Not the creaking of a floorboard this time, but a muffled sound.
Something tripping and falling in the woods?
One of the kidnappers? Or a wild animal? Sawyer quickly slipped out of bed, taking several precious moments to slide his feet into shoes and to grab his gun and his phone. Naomi’s door was closed, so he silently moved through the interior of his living space, avoiding the creaking spot on the floor.
Easing from the cabin and silently locking the door behind him, Sawyer stood outside for a few seconds, allowing his vision to adjust to the darkness.
His heart was pounding, but every sense was on alert. Years of living in the woods after escaping the fire helped him now. He moved silently, using trees for cover, toward the area where he’d strung the trip wires.
Another rustling sound followed by a whispered curse. Knowing the thudding sound had been made by a person rather than an animal had his pulse skyrocketing.
How had the kidnappers found Naomi here?
He tightened his grip on his phone and briefly considered calling for backup. He rejected the idea for two reasons. He lived so far out of town the intruder would be long gone before anyone had a chance to arrive. And he didn’t want to give away his position.
At the moment, he still had the upper hand. The intruder wouldn’t have cursed if he’d known Sawyer was out there.
Moving farther into the woods, Sawyer peered through the night in an attempt to find the guy. But the intruder must have realized he’d made too much noise and had stopped moving.
Being on the run and surviving in the wild had taught Sawyer to be patient. He went still and listened.
Was it his imagination? Or had he heard the sound of breathing?
He continued to wait. One minute. Five. Ten.
Had he imagined the intruder? He didn’t think so, but anything was possible.
Fifteen minutes, then twenty minutes passed before he heard the intruder moving through the brush. The sounds were faint, indicating the guy was taking his time, stepping carefully to avoid being tripped up again.
Fighting the urge to follow blindly, Sawyer remained still, straining with the effort to pinpoint the intruder’s location. He desperately wanted to catch this guy, but he knew the intruder was likely armed.
Especially if he was the same guy who’d taken the shot at Naomi. In that moment, he realized the gunman must have gotten the license plate of his squad. Although, still, his address wasn’t available on any public listing.
His thoughts were interrupted when he caught a glimpse of movement to his right.
There! A large dark shape was moving in a direction away from his cabin.
Sawyer silently stepped forward, hoping to close the gap between them. But the intruder must have sensed his presence behind him because a small light came on, and the man began to run.
No! Sawyer quickly followed the man’s bouncing light, determined not to let him get away. Then the man abruptly doused his light at the same moment he disappeared behind a large tree.
Sawyer instinctively hit the ground as the echo of a gunshot rang out.
This had to be the same man who’d tried to kill Naomi outside the café.
Sawyer crouched behind some thick brush, again trying to pinpoint the man’s location. Without the light, his eyes took a long moment to readjust to the darkness.
The sound of a person crashing through the brush had him leaping to his feet. Running after an armed
man was foolish, but Sawyer didn’t care.
He could not let this guy get away!
Another gunshot rang out. Sawyer easily imagined the guy simply shooting off his gun over his shoulder as he ran in an effort to keep Sawyer at bay.
The shot hadn’t come anywhere close, so Sawyer kept going. But he was moving slower than the intruder, and suddenly he heard the sound of a car engine.
The Buick? Sawyer put on a burst of speed but was seconds too late. As he came out of the woods, he stared in horror at the red taillights disappearing around the curve.
The armed intruder had gotten away.
Chapter Eight
Naomi woke to a loud popping noise. For a moment, she was disoriented. Had the sounds been from a dream? Had she relived those moments of being shot in her car?
For several seconds she heard nothing but the sound of her own breathing. She did her best to relax.
Easing out of bed, she quickly dressed. Thankfully, her lingering headache was less intense, making it easy to ignore as she slipped from the guest room.
The door to Sawyer’s bedroom was open, as was the bathroom. Fear congealed in her gut as she tiptoed through the cabin. There was no sign of Sawyer, which frightened her more than anything else.
He wouldn’t leave her alone without a good reason.
After pulling a knife from the butcher block on the counter, she crossed over to the large picture window overlooking the woods. A quick glance at the front door confirmed it was locked. When she saw a flash of light, her pulse kicked into high gear.
Was Sawyer in trouble? Had the gunman found them?
Reminding herself that Sawyer was an armed cop didn’t help much. There had been two kidnappers, and while she’d seen only the driver in the Buick, the leering guy could have been somewhere else close by.
Like holding the girls, Kate and Louisa, captive.
The light in the woods grew brighter, and moments later, she saw Sawyer emerge from the thicket. Her shoulders slumped in relief to find him unharmed.
He wore a grim expression on his face as he came up to the cabin. She moved away from the window to unlock the door so he could come inside.
“What happened?”
He frowned upon seeing the large butcher knife in her hand. “You should know that most intruders would be able to easily overpower you to get the knife and wouldn’t hesitate to use it against you.”
“Thanks for the cheery thought.” She hated feeling foolish. “What happened out there?”
“I’m fine, nothing to worry about.”
“That wasn’t my question. Something sent you outside with your gun.” She crossed over and replaced the knife in the butcher block.
When she faced him, he looked uncertain, as if deciding how much to tell her.
“Sawyer, please, I deserve to know what happened.”
He blew out a breath. “I heard noises outside and chased a man through the woods. He shot at me twice and unfortunately managed to get away.”
Panic hit hard. “Are you hurt?”
“He missed,” Sawyer said in a reassuring tone. “But I’m trying to understand how he found us here in the first place. It’s not like my property is easy to find. You can’t see the cabin from the road.”
A shiver rippled down her spine. It was a good point. “It’s my fault.”
“No, it’s not.” Sawyer’s tone was firm. “My squad was parked right next to your Toyota when the shot was fired. He could have gotten my license plate number and followed us. I didn’t see anyone following, but maybe with a pair of binoculars he was able to follow us to the general location.”
Her knees went weak, and she sank into a kitchen chair. “That only confirms it really is my fault. That he came here for me.”
“Try not to think like that.” Sawyer came toward her, setting his gun on the table. “You’re the victim, Naomi. Those guys kidnapped you. It’s not like you asked for this.”
She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. “But I did.”
“What do you mean?”
“I voluntarily followed the boxy white van.” She opened her eyes and forced herself to meet his gaze. “And when the two men rear-ended me, I didn’t try to escape right away. I was hoping they’d take me to wherever they had Kate. Don’t you see? I pretty much asked for this.”
“No, you didn’t.” His low husky voice washed over her. He drew her to her feet. “Following a white van isn’t a crime. Being rear-ended and kidnapped is. And those men would likely have done worse.”
His hand was warm and strong around hers. She clung to it as if it were a lifeline. “I know, but I hate how you’re in danger now too.”
“Oh, Naomi.” He sighed and drew her closer. She didn’t resist. “I’m a cop, and as you pointed out earlier, we’re always in danger.”
“Sawyer.” She whispered his name, resting her forehead against his chest. Stunned to realize how much she’d come to care for him in such a short period of time.
Then he was gathering her close, hugging her tightly. She welcomed his embrace, soaking up his warmth and strength like a dry sponge.
Breathing in his musky scent, she secretly longed for Sawyer to kiss her, which was crazy since she barely knew him.
Although she was forced to admit that Sawyer had already proven himself to be more honorable than Tony. By a mile.
The sound of a car engine had Sawyer pulling away. She tightened her grip in an effort to hold on to him. “What if he’s come back?”
“No, I’m pretty sure this is the squad I requested for backup.” Sawyer smiled reassuringly. “The bad part about living way out in the woods is that the local police aren’t readily available.”
“Okay.” Feeling foolish, she released him. It never occurred to her that he’d called for backup. Sawyer seemed like such a loner, but of course, he worked with other officers in the Chattanooga police department.
“Stay inside,” Sawyer said before heading out.
She crossed her arms across her chest, watching through the window as Sawyer met with the officer. The two men spoke briefly before heading over to the woods. Sawyer pointed at something near the ground.
Footprints? She could only hope they found something to lead them to leering guy and/or the driver.
The interior of the cabin was dark. She yawned and debated whether or not to make a pot of coffee. It was three in the morning, and she felt sure Sawyer would want to get more sleep. She had no idea how long he’d been up and out in the woods while she’d been out like a light.
When Sawyer came back inside, he didn’t look very happy. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Other than me seeing the guy and hearing the gunfire, there’s no solid evidence the intruder was out there.”
“I heard the gunfire too.” She frowned. “Why didn’t the officer talk to me?”
Sawyer grimaced. “Because I didn’t tell him you were staying here. I didn’t want to open that can of worms. Besides, even your statement agreeing with what happened here doesn’t mean much if there’s no hard evidence to prove it.”
“Oh.” She was embarrassed to realize he’d hidden her presence in the cabin from the officer on duty. Good thing she hadn’t gone outside to help. “I thought you were in the woods checking on footprints.”
“We were, but we didn’t find anything. Not surprising since the woods are really dense. Even though there’s a lot of humidity in the air, the ground didn’t reveal anything useful.”
“Maybe you’ll pick up something in the daylight?”
“Possibly. But it doesn’t matter. The officer will write a report, which will help if there’s an additional attempt.” He smiled when she yawned again. “It’s still the middle of the night, why don’t you get some more sleep?”
She blinked and eyed him thoughtfully. “Are you going to get some sleep too?”
He glanced around the interior of the cabin, rubbing the back of his neck. “I figured I’d stretch out on the s
ofa for a bit.”
Somehow, she knew that meant he wouldn’t be getting any more sleep. Her headache was a dull throb, and sleep was critical to her feeling better.
Especially if she was going to leave here to get a hotel room later that morning.
“Okay, good night, Sawyer.”
“Good night, Naomi.” The way he said her name sent a wave of warmth through her entire body.
Upon returning to the guest room, she had to remind herself that staying with Sawyer was temporary. He wasn’t interested in her as a woman but as the victim of a crime. He was searching for the local missing girl along with her half sister.
But as she drifted off to sleep, she imagined being held in his arms and reveling in his kiss.
Sawyer stayed on the living room sofa. He lightly dozed, waking frequently to assess for potential threats, the way he used to do when he was living and hiding in the woods.
He didn’t think it likely that the intruder would return. But old habits never died, and he refused to be caught unaware a second time.
Good thing his trip wires had worked. Sawyer hated to imagine how close the intruder might have gotten if he hadn’t put them in place.
He fully intended for Naomi to head home later that morning, but now he wondered if that was the best plan. She lived alone in Dalton, and he had to believe the kidnappers had taken note of her address on her driver’s license.
Although they hadn’t taken it with them, which was interesting. If he was a bad guy who wanted to track a victim down, he would have kept her driver’s license.
Had Naomi’s kidnapping been a crime of opportunity?
Maybe.
When the sun brightened the sky, he gave up trying to get any more rest. What he needed was a plan for the day. Naomi would want to get her purse and driver’s license, but what about after that? He had to be to the station by seven thirty and didn’t like the idea of leaving Naomi alone and vulnerable.
With a head injury no less.
A motel in town might be the best option. If he could get her into a place without being seen. But having her in town would be helpful. While being out on patrol, he could swing by and check on her.