Ransom (8 page)

“Are you hurt?” he asked, his voice urgent and filled with tension.

He cared. The thought sent a ribbon of warmth to curl around her, heating her skin in a pleasant glow. “No, I'm fine. Really, I am.” And she could easily stay in his embrace and be even better.

She put her cold hands to her cheeks as a way to keep herself from giving in to the need to snuggle more deeply into his arms. She was sure it was the letdown of adrenaline from being kidnapped. Certainly not anything deeper. She had to make sure of it.

To prove the point to herself, she stepped back and fought for a calm and collected demeanor. She needed to stay focused on the moment. Her sister needed her to keep a clear head and not give in to her attraction to Blake.

She pointed to the fence. “The man from the airport, Ken, escaped over the fence.” She glanced back to see Nathanial once again securing Travis's hands but with metal cuffs this time. “Travis...protected me from him. He stood in front of me when Ken pointed a gun at me.”

Surprise flared in Blake's eyes. A muscle jumped in his tense jaw. “That's something, I suppose.”

“Travis said he purposely gave you false info on Santini's whereabouts because he doesn't think you and your team will be able to rescue Jillian. He's afraid that if Santini suspects your presence he'll kill her.” A bolt of horror blazed through her as she said the last words. How would she go on if her sister died because she'd agreed to work with Blake?

Blake held her gaze. “That's not going to happen.”

Though she appreciated how confident he was, she couldn't keep dread from clawing sharp talons into her. Snow began to fall, white flakes dropping from the sky to land on her uncovered head, soaking into her hair. She pulled the edges of her coat together, but nothing would stave off the chill freezing her blood.

Nathanial led Travis over. “I'll wait with him for a cruiser. You should get her out of here before the snow gets too bad.”

Blake nodded. “Agreed.” He turned his dark gaze on Travis. “Who's this Ken fellow? What's his connection to Santini?”

Travis shrugged. “Ken's just a two-bit thug from Miami. I've worked with him a few times when I needed to fence something. He doesn't work for Santini but he'd like to cut into Santini's business. As far as I know he's not employed by anyone.”

“How does he know about the necklace?”

Liz glanced at Blake, wondering why he was asking a question that he knew the answers to.

With a grimace, Travis said, “I was spouting off. I bragged about lifting the piece. It was stupid. Stealing the necklace was stupid.”

“Understatement.” He cupped Liz's elbow. “Let's go.”

“Wait!” Travis called. “Please, you need me to help you find Santini.”

Blake left Liz's side and stalked forward to stare down Travis. “What makes you think we'd trust you again?” Blake reached into Travis's coat pocket and removed two cell phones—Liz's and the one Santini had called Travis on. “We'll find Santini without you.”

A blue and white Niagara Regional Police car pulled in the alley and parked next to Blake's sedan. The two officers Travis had overpowered emerged, their expressions hard. No doubt the officers were angry at themselves for letting Travis get the upper hand. Liz had a feeling that the two officers wouldn't let it happen again. Blake greeted them, then said, “Arrest this man for kidnapping, impeding an investigation and for smuggling illegal goods.”

“I'll go with them to the station,” Nathanial said.

“Good.” Extra protection against Travis escaping again. Blake turned to Liz and gestured to the sedan.

“Are you sure we don't need Travis?” Liz said, walking fast to keep up with Blake.

“I'm sure,” Blake said. “We have Santini's number. We'll trace it and find his location, then rescue your sister.”

She climbed into his car and buckled up, and was glad when he started the engine and cranked up the heat. “How long will that take?”

“I don't know,” he said. “With this storm it might take longer than I'd like.” The windshield wipers struggled to keep up with the falling snow.

“Where's the necklace?”

He pulled into traffic. “In the trunk.”

Seeming satisfied with that answer, she said, “Travis wouldn't tell me where Santini was hiding out.” She couldn't keep the frustration out of her voice. “Travis is determined to be the one to rescue Jillian since she's his wife. But I told him he needed to let you do your job.”

Blake slanted her a glance. “I'm glad to hear you say that.”

Pleased with his approval more than she should be, more than was smart, she settled back and tried to contain herself and regain her composure. “I just don't understand Travis. He claims to love Jillian, yet he keeps putting her life in more danger.”

“I've learned over the years that some people are incapable of good judgment. And some people lack common sense. Then there are those who are pure evil.”

The jaded tone in his voice hurt her heart. “I'd imagine in your line of work you see a great deal of strange behaviors and horrible situations.”

He nodded. “I do. Some of it is sheer stupidity. And some people buy into a lie that convinces them what they are doing is the right thing even though it makes no sense and is usually destructive.”

Remembering the Sunday sermons at Peaceful Hope Church, she said, “Our pastor talked often about the battle that is constantly being waged for our souls. I suppose that's the lie you're talking about. Evil can be persuasive and pervasive.”

Blake made an affirming noise in his throat. “That's true.”

When the sedan slowed, Liz realized they were in line to cross the Rainbow Bridge back into the United States. She sat up straight. “What are we doing? Why are we leaving Canada?”

“I need you to go home so I can do my job without having to worry about you, too,” he said in an exceptionally even tone that grated on her nerves.

“No way,” she said, setting her jaw. “I'm not leaving.”

“Yes, you are.”

Desperation crawled through her. “You can't force me onto a plane, and the second you leave, I'll head back to Canada.”

“Not if you're stopped at the border.”

Her stomach dropped. He'd do that? Put her name on some watch list so the border agents wouldn't let her cross? How could he so calmly send her away when he knew how much seeing her sister rescued meant to her? She opened the car door.

“Liz!”

She jumped out of the slow-moving vehicle. She had to jog a few steps to keep from taking a headlong splat into the snow-covered curb. She wasn't sure where she dredged up the courage or the gumption to not only defy him but to brazenly exit a moving car, but the sense of empowerment surging through her was like nothing she'd ever felt before.

The sedan screeched to a halt. The car behind them blared its horn as Blake climbed out of the car and stalked to her. “Are you insane? You don't jump out of a moving car. You could've been injured.”

“The car was barely crawling and I'm fine.” She crossed her arms over her chest to keep from showing how freaked-out she was. She'd never done anything like that before. Impulsiveness was Jillian's way, not hers. She thought things through, approached life in a methodical and careful way. However, she'd never faced a situation like this before. In the course of forty-eight hours she'd not only left her island home, she'd also teamed up with law enforcement and been kidnapped by her brother-in-law. And now she had jumped out of a moving vehicle!

Her life was spinning out of her control.

But she wouldn't let him see how out of her element she was. She lifted her chin and faced Blake with determination. “Blake, you can't send me home without Jillian.”

He scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “You're a distraction, Liz. I need to keep my focus on Santini if I'm going to bring your sister home to you safely.”

She tucked away his admission that he was distracted by her and concentrated on her objective—to convince him to let her stay and help. Her sister needed her. “I've done everything you've asked. I had no control over Travis kidnapping me, and I managed to escape on my own. I promise I'll stay out of the way. But I can't leave here without Jillian.”

He shook his head. “Liz, it's—”

She held up a hand. “Do you have a sibling? A sister?”

He frowned. “My having a sister has nothing to do with what's going on here.”

“Yes, it does,” she insisted, needing him to see this from her perspective. “If your sister had been taken hostage, you'd do anything for her, right? You'd want to be here when she was rescued. You'd want to make sure everyone was doing everything they could to bring her home safely.”

“I'd trust the authorities whose job it was to bring her home,” he countered.

“It isn't a matter of trust. I know you'll do your job.” She needed him to understand. “I'm not asking to be involved. All I want is to stay in Niagara until you've rescued my sister. She's all the family I have left. I would go nuts sitting alone at home waiting for word.”

Indecision warred on his face.

“Please, don't send me away.” The burn of tears scalded her eyes. “I'm afraid I'll never see her again if I leave.”

SIX

A
fat tear rolled down Liz's cheek to mingle with the crystal flakes landing with abandon on her pale skin. The sight scored Blake to the quick. He hated to see her tears, knowing he caused them. He reached up to caress her cheek, wiping away a tear with his thumb.

The snow fell in earnest now, blanketing the cars queued up at the border crossing in white as if somehow the purity of the flakes could cover the harsh reality that faced them.

Liz's question about what he'd do if it were his sister who had been kidnapped struck deep. There was no way for Liz to know he hadn't seen his little sister in nearly a decade. They'd been torn apart when their parents divorced. She'd gone with their mother, while he'd stayed with his father.

He'd only seen his sister, Emily, a handful of times after that, and now as an adult she lived in Australia with her husband and two kids. She'd left the United States on her eighteenth birthday and never looked back. Christmas cards and pictures were the only communication Blake had with Emily and her family.

However, Liz was right. If Emily were in danger, if she'd been kidnapped and held for ransom, he'd move mountains and whatever other obstacles stood in his way to rescue her. But he was an officer of the law, not a civilian.

He understood Liz's need to stay close by. How could he deny her that much at least? He couldn't. He'd just have to find a way to keep his focus on capturing Santini. He couldn't let Liz distract him from that goal, but he could allow her to remain in town.

A Canadian border patrol officer ran over. “Is there a problem here?”

With a sigh, Blake showed the man his badge. “No problem.”

“You can't leave your vehicle in the middle of the lane,” the officer said. “We've got to keep the cars moving before the snow makes driving impossible.”

“We were just leaving,” Blake replied. He held out his hand to Liz. “We're heading back into Niagara.”

Her eyes lit up, and she put her hand in his. Her skin was as cold as ice. He tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and hustled her back to the sedan. Once he had her safely inside, he climbed in and turned the heat on full blast. He made a U-turn and headed back into the city.

“Thank you,” she said in a soft voice.

His heart contracted, showing him just how much she did affect him. Her courage and determination were worthy of his respect and admiration. Her vulnerability, that she tried so hard to hide, endeared her to him in a way he'd never experienced before and wasn't sure he liked. She made him feel emotions that he'd rather not deal with. “You have to keep your promise that you'll stay out of the way and do as I ask.”

When she didn't respond, he glanced over to see her biting on her lower lip. A moment of misgiving tore at him. “Liz. Promise me.”

She faced him and nodded. “I'll do my best to keep my promise.”

Not exactly what he'd wanted but it was probably the best he'd get. He groaned and prayed he didn't live to regret this decision. Wind buffeted the sedan, rattling the windows. The storm was in full swing. He had to concentrate on the road. The painted lines had disappeared beneath inches of snowfall. The going was slow and arduous.

His cell phone rang. He answered, putting it on speaker so he could keep his hands on the steering wheel. “Fallon.”

“Where are you?” Drew asked.

“Heading back to the condo with Liz. I have you on speakerphone.”

“Ah. We're headed back, too. But we're in a horrible traffic jam.”

“It's not much better where we are,” he said, braking to avoid hitting the bumper of the minivan ahead of him when the van stopped abruptly.

“We were able to get an address where Santini called Travis from,” Drew said. “He's holed up in a house on the outskirts of town. At least he was when he made the call.”

“Good.” Blake looked at Liz. He could see the worry on her pretty face. “Then hopefully that means Jillian is someplace warm and dry.”

“Yes. We were headed there, but we had to turn back because of road closures.”

“It's doubtful Santini will be going anywhere in this storm,” Blake said.

“True, might be a good time to pay him a visit though, eh?”

“Santini wouldn't expect a raid in the middle of a whiteout,” Blake agreed.

“When I get back to the condo I'll coordinate with the Niagara Regional Police.”

“We'll see what we can do about getting outfitted for the snow,” Drew said. “Sami says to text her your sizes for boots, pants and jacket.”

“Will do. See you soon.” Blake clicked off.

Seeing a public parking garage, he turned in. “It'll be faster if we hoof it the last few blocks. Are you up for the hike?”

“I'm used to storms, though I will say I wish I had my snow boots,” Liz said.

He marveled at her resilience. This woman was so much more than he'd first thought. She was slowly wiggling her way into his heart against his will. And he didn't know what to do about it. “I've never owned snow boots,” he said as he parked and texted Sami the info she'd requested. “Not much use for them in Alabama where I grew up or in Seattle where I now call home.”

She smiled as she climbed out of the car. “I was right. You're from the south. Where in Alabama?”

“Pelham.” He opened the trunk and grabbed the bag with the necklace inside. He rolled it up to fit into his coat pocket. “It's a small community about twenty minutes south of Birmingham.”

Tucking her closer to keep them both warm, they hurried out of the three-story parking garage. A few other brave pedestrians hustled by. She fit so well against him.

“Is your family still there?” she asked, though her voice was muffled as she turned into him and huddled against the onslaught of freezing flakes that dampened her hair and jacket.

Despite the cold he started to grow warm. It was a struggle to concentrate. “My dad. He's retired now, but he was the chief of police.”

“Ah, so law enforcement is in your blood. What about your mom?”

“She and Dad divorced when I was ten.” The sidewalk was slippery beneath their feet. He held on tight to Liz. “She took my little sister and moved to Chicago.”

“That must have been hard for you and your dad,” she murmured on a shiver.

In so many ways. Up ahead, he could see the tall brick building like a beacon, guiding them through the snow. His feet were numb from the cold and his pant legs wet. Car horns blared. Tires spun. The street had become icy. A small pickup truck slid, its tires throwing up debris as it tried to grip the pavement.

The sensation of being scrutinized itched at the nape of his neck. He glanced around at the other pedestrians with bowed heads in deference to the icy snow, coats and jackets zipped to the chin. No one seemed to pay them any special attention. Yet he couldn't shake the feeling that someone, somewhere, was watching as he and Liz hurried along the wide sidewalk with the goal of a warm condo for their effort.

They reached the end of the sidewalk. The condo building was across the side street. Instead of crossing the street when the light turned green, Blake urged Liz inside the corner market. The heated interior made his numb ears thaw and tingle.

“How about we pick up some supplies?” he asked to cover the real reason for the stop.

Though she gave him a curious look, she said, “Sure. Like what?”

“Coffee. I think we're low.” He kept his gaze out the picture window. “And soup. Maybe some bread. Whatever you want.”

Liz moved away to gather his requested items. Blake stepped closer to the window. Through the thick, falling snow he could barely make out a tall man wearing a pea coat and fedora standing across the wide expanse of the main street. The guy from the airport had had a fedora and pea coat on. What had the informant said his name was? Ken. That's right. He wanted Santini's necklace. Not going to happen. Blake's initial instinct was to rush out and apprehend the man, but Liz's safety came first. He needed to stay with her.

Blake turned to the cashier, a buxom brunette who eyed him as if he was her favorite candy dish.

“Anything I can do for you?” she asked in a sultry tone. “Anything at all.”

Ignoring her blatant attempt to flirt with him, he showed her his badge. “Is there a back exit?”

She gestured toward the far left corner of the store. “End of the dairy aisle through the gray flaps. I could show you if you'd like.”

Liz stepped up then with a basketful of goods. Her gaze bounced between him and the brunette behind the counter but she didn't say a word.

“That won't be necessary.” He paid for the groceries, then hefted the bag in one arm and snagged Liz's elbow with the other to prevent her from stepping out the front entrance. “This way.”

“What's happened?” she asked, her voice slightly high with anxiety.

“That Ken guy is outside.”

She twisted to look over her shoulder. “He had a gun.”

“He must have doubled back and followed us.” He pushed aside the long flaps suspended from the top of the doorway. They entered the storage area. Before they left the store through the back exit, Blake called the Niagara Regional Police office and reported Ken's location. “He's armed and dangerous,” Blake added.

He hung up and pushed open the back door. Outside, the raging blizzard had intensified. Tucking Liz into his side, he ducked his head and they tramped out into the wall of white toward the condo. They hustled the short half block to the building's side entrance. He used his key card to open the glass doors and they hurried inside. He made sure the door shut and locked behind him. They stomped the snow from their shoes. Blake's feet were numb from the cold. As they rode the elevator up, feeling returned to his extremities with pins and needles.

They reached the condo just as the electricity went out, plunging them into gloom. The curtains of the large picture window allowed light that penetrated the wall of white outside to illuminate the condo, so they weren't in total darkness.

Blake set the groceries on the dining table. He removed the bag containing the jewelry box with the diamond necklace from his coat pocket, then shrugged out of his wet overcoat and hung it up in the laundry room. Liz followed him and hung her coat up, as well.

“There are flashlights in the entryway closet,” he said as they moved back to the entryway.

“We'll need those if the lights don't come back on before nightfall.” She headed for the hall. “I'm going to change clothes. I'll be right back.”

Needing to do the same, Blake headed to his room where he traded his soggy pants for dry and warm sweatpants. Then he called Nathanial.

“Hey,” Nathanial greeted him. “Where are you?”

“We're back at the condo. You?”

“We? Did Drew and Sami make it there?”

Blake grimaced. “Not yet. I've got Liz here.”

There was a slight pause before Nathanial said, “Interesting.”

A slight note of amusement laced the word. Blake scrubbed a hand over his face. “Yeah. I'm a sap. I let her talk me out of taking her back to the US.”

Nathanial barked out a laugh. “It's good to know your cold heart can be thawed.”

“Cute,” Blake shot back. “Is Travis in custody?”

“He is. I'm sticking around until the storm lessens,” Nathanial said. “I figure I'll take another run at Travis and see if there's more he could tell us about Santini's operation.”

“Good idea. Have you heard from Drew?”

“Not in a while.”

“Okay. Keep me posted if you get anything from Travis.”

“Will do. And Blake...”

“Yes?”

“It's okay for you to have feelings for Liz. It wouldn't be the end of the world if you fell for her. Who knows? She may be just what you need.”

Blake's gut clenched. He didn't do romance. He didn't do serious. Especially not with someone involved in a case. That was a perilous path. Once he had Santini in custody and Liz's sister safely home, Blake would move on to his next assignment, which meant he couldn't have, didn't want or need, ties to anyone or any place.

Deciding the best course of action was not to acknowledge his friend's remark, he said, “I'll talk to you later.”

Nathanial snorted. “Sure, whatever you say, eh?”

Shaking his head, Blake clicked off, shoving Nathaniel's comment to the furthest reaches of his mind. Then Blake called Niagara Regional Police to coordinate a raid on Santini. He also asked for a female officer to come to the condo to stay with Liz while they took down Santini and rescued her sister. After he hung up, he went in search of Liz. She had lit several votive candles, lighting the place in a soft glow. He stopped to light the gas fireplace, which provided warmth and more light.

Clanking pots and pans drew him to the kitchen. She had opened a can of soup and had it simmering on the gas stove. She now stood at the counter, chopping veggies for a salad. Her honey-blond hair was swept up in a messy bun exposing the creamy white column of her neck. She'd changed into casual athletic wear with a matching pullover. His gaze raked over her feminine form before lifting to meet her sea-green eyes. An invisible current of attraction drew him closer. If he got too close, would he get burned?

“Can I help?” he asked, his voice coming out huskier than he'd have liked.

She gave a tiny nod. “You could melt some butter for the bread.”

A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. The way he was feeling with her so close he could melt the butter with his hands. “Sure, I can do that.”

He was surprised by how comfortable and relaxing it was to work side by side with her. When they finished the preparations, they took their meal to the dining table.

“Drew and Sami should be here soon,” Blake said as they took their meal to the dining table.