Michael was not and would never be a monster like his father. He was just a frightened, confused kid. One who’d witnessed way too much violence as a child.
“Let’s get you home. Your mother is worried sick.” His gut told him Nicholas was not on the premises. Not that the fact made him feel any better, but it did make it easier to leave.
As he stood, he pulled Michael up with him and wrapped an arm around his stepson’s broad shoulders, steering him behind the building toward his truck. It amazed him at how quickly time had slipped by and changed Michael from that scared little boy to this determined young man.
Luck had once again been with them today. Hell, who was he kidding? God had been with them today. Too much had happened too fast for luck to have played any part in it. Ryan just hoped his faith was strong enough to see this nightmare to the end.
***
Makayla gathered a few items from her bathroom medicine cabinet in case Nicholas was hurt, adding them to the stash of food she’d collected earlier. She’d thought about letting the FBI in on her little plan, but she still couldn’t be certain one of them wasn’t working for Steven. She couldn’t risk Steven getting to Nicholas first.
Hang on little man.
Ear to the door, she listened for movement on the other side.
Nothing.
Her guard was either reading a book, dozing off or away from his post. Didn’t matter which as long as it kept him busy for a while. She planned to search for Nicholas and be back before anyone noticed she was gone. That way no one would get into trouble. She had two full hours before anyone would be thinking about suppertime.
After closing the bathroom door and filling the tub with water, she eased the bathroom window upward, trying not to make a sound. If she was lucky, they would think she was just taking a long needed bath to relax. They’d be reluctant to barge in if they thought she was undressed. Right?
Turning over the trashcan, she used it as a stool and hoisted herself up and out the window in one smooth motion. The minute her feet touched solid ground, she quickly crunched to her knees behind the tall shrubs running the length of the house.
So far so good. Now just breathe.
The bathroom’s window sat at the back of the house. For once, she was thankful Ryan hadn’t made it around to trimming the overgrown foliage yet. The unruly branches and thick green leaves were the perfect cover for her escape.
Two uniformed police officers stood guard just beyond the patio. She’d clocked their movements earlier and knew they wouldn’t be making a sweep in her direction for at least five more minutes.
Inching her body along the ground, she made it to the dark corner of the house unseen. From there, she lifted the loose board to the fence adjoining her neighbor’s yard and slipped through.
The rest was easy. Her neighbor’s house sat on the corner of the street. All she had to do was head to the far left side, climb the fence and she was home free.
Getting back would be a tad bit harder though. If she found Nicholas, she’d walk right through the front door. But if she didn’t, if it turned out her gut feeling was wrong, she’d have to figure out a way to climb back over the fence. The outside boards were smooth. No steps to make her reentry effort easy. She wasn’t quite as young or as athletic as she used to be.
She bit at her bottom lip, rethinking her plan. This was a big risk for a hunch. But what choice did she have? Nicholas’ safety was at stake.
***
The man sitting in a limo parked behind the neighborhood convenience store took special notice of the slender woman as her head bobbed above the fence for a moment. Then, out of nowhere, her entire form cleared the top with one smooth move.
“No shit.” He rubbed his eyes. Blinked. Yep, she was still there.
“Well, what-a-you-know?” His bad luck had just taken a turn for the better. The feeling rushing his veins was right up there with winning the lottery. Hell, he’d recognize Makayla anywhere. Eye candy, that’s what he’d always thought. To himself, of course. No way he’d ever tell a soul or say it out loud, lest somebody hear. Steven would do more than just skin him alive.
A huge smile eased over his scarred face as he picked up his cell phone and made the call that would put him back into his cold-blooded boss’ graces. “Hey boss, guess who I found traipzen around town all alone?”
“Don’t play with me, Ricky. Who’d you find? The boy?”
“Even better, sir.” He paused for effect then said, “Makayla. In the flesh.” All that sweet womanly flesh. Ricky could barely hold his enthusiasm. “She’s all alone. You want me to pick’er up?”
“No.”
Well, shit. Just what Ricky thought he’d say. Steven had been trying to figure out if she knew about the boy. This might be the clue they were searching for. Might be their chance to seal all the loose ends quite nicely. And the best part? Steven would have to give Ricky some credit for his keen observation skills.
“Watch her. Follow her. But don’t let her spot you. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir. Will do.” A part of Ricky’s elation over finding her took a nosedive. He wanted to be the one to bring her in, prance her around in front of the others. But he’d left on Steven’s shit list earlier and wanted nothing more than to weasel back into his boss’ good graces. It was almost as if Steven blamed him for her leaving all those years ago, like Steven thought he’d actually be stupid enough to be a part of her plan. Ricky had a few good-sense brain cells left.
Stupid, he wasn’t. He valued his life too much. Not to mention the lives of his nieces and nephews as well.
But watching without being seen meant the black air conditioned limo had to go. With a heavy sigh, he backed the limo up further behind the convenience store and turned off the engine. He found it odd the police weren’t out patrolling for the huge vehicle. But then, it was Steven. Nothing was normal when it came to him and the police. He had so many of them on his payroll it was unbelievable. They’d just adjust their sunglasses and drive on. He’d seen it happen numerous times before.
No way was he messing this up. He’d watch, follow and find every way under the sun not to let her spot him, even if he died of heat stroke in the process.
***
Tiny pinpricks tickled the back of Makayla’s neck the minute she cleared the fence and she seriously thought about going back. Shaking off a shiver, she scanned the block. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. The street sat empty, garage doors closed up tight, trash cans at the street awaiting the next morning’s pick up. So why the weird feeling?
Her gaze stopped on the convenience store parking lot at the corner. A few cars sat at the gas pumps, but they were locals. The Ridgepark High School bumper stickers were proof of that.
Stop it.
Just knowing Steven was in the same town was enough to freak her out. She couldn’t afford to waste any more precious time. The sun was easing its way down behind the trees and it would soon be too dark to see without the flashlight. The bright beam of light would bring attention to her in the dark for sure.
Even though she forced them back, pictures of Steven’s eerie smile filtered through her brain and doubts tried to sneak in. She needed to stay calm. Needed to reach Nicholas’ secret spot, and make it back home without running into Steven, the FBI or local police before sunset. Now that shouldn’t be so hard.
Right.
Who the heck was she trying to fool?
Her feet pounded the sidewalk in an even rhythm, almost in line with the sound of her heartbeat echoing in her ears. She pulled the hood of her jacket up over her head, tucking her hair deep inside the neckline, hoping to disguise her features as well as her gender.
Focus. You can do this.
The wind whipped at the exposed skin of her face, stinging as tiny dust particles made contact. A storm? That was the last thing they needed right now. Any tracks Nicholas left behind would be lost if it started to rain. With the thought of missing what might be her last opportunity, she picked up her pace, ignoring the protest of her lungs as they filled with the ever growing humidity in the air.
She cursed herself for getting out of shape. Ryan had made life so easy. He never made her feel unattractive or teased her about those few extra pounds she put on after Nicholas was born. Pounds she was still carrying. But gosh, how she’d always loved to run. She’d been a long distance runner on the track team in high school. The feeling was so freeing, so relaxing. You could lose yourself in that feeling. Forget your worries, your fears, your struggles.
Steven stole that from her too. Soon after moving into his mansion, he’d voiced his disapproval, forbidding her from doing the one thing she loved.
Head low, she let the anger fester inside. The scars Steven had inflicted ran way too deep.
Certain no one would look twice in her direction, she relaxed a bit and felt her muscles ease into the familiar strides. Runners frequented this path often. She’d be safe. Blend into her surroundings.
Her jumbled mess of memories and regrets kept her occupied as she covered the five-mile stretch to the park. Nicholas had to be there. He just had to.
One thought finally crystalized. Steven would never lay a hand on either of her sons again. He could do what he wanted with her. But the boys were off limits. And she planned to do whatever it took to guarantee their safety.
Ryan’s handsome face flashed to the forefront of her thoughts. He cared for all of them. Had for more years than she preferred to admit. She wanted to believe he’d only married her, adopted Michael and had Nicholas out of some sick kind of obligation to the FBI. Not at all a logical thought, but it sure would make things easier when he found out she still had trust issues—when he decided to divorce her. Ryan had a high stake in this madness and she knew he’d never leave his sons, but she wasn’t so sure about her. Not after this. She clearly didn’t trust him.
She stifled a sniffle. Love was such a crazy emotion. Ryan genuinely was her soul mate no matter how hard she tried to deny the fact. And he was a good man.
The park’s tall trees rose up against the horizon, a golden hue seeping through the branches. Not much farther and she’d be there— Nicholas’ private retreat.
He’d shared the location with her only months before.
Michael had taken Nicholas to the park to play and they’d decided on a quick game of hid and seek before heading home. Poor Michael searched for the little stinky for hours. But Nicholas was a pro, and only revealed himself after Michael called her for backup. Threatening to take Nicholas’ video games away persuaded him to show her his hiding place. And after making sure it was safe, she’d told him he could use his special place when they were at the park only if he told her first.
That one promise bothered her now. Would he disobey? Would he be smart enough to know that this time his disobedience would be okay considering the circumstances?
Ryan pulled his truck into their driveway with Michael sitting quietly in the passenger seat. The entire ride home, Ryan worked hard to figure out what he’d say to Makayla first. That he was sorry. That he loved her. That no matter what happened in her past he wanted her in his future.
He worried he wouldn’t get the chance. He’d lied to her all these years about who he was and what he did. That was a lot to take for anyone. But for Makayla, one who’d been lied to and hurt so often, his betrayal would sting much worse. A lie, for whatever reason was still a lie.
“Michael, let me talk to your mom first. Okay?” He watched Michael nod his head in agreement and felt a rush of emotion zip through his chest. Compassion for all this young man had been through in his life caught in his throat. Reaching over the seat, he tugged him into a bear hug, surprised when Michael didn’t pull away, but clung to him instead.
“Thank you, Ryan.”
“For what, son?” He released his grip and eased back in the seat to turn off the truck.
“For being good to my mom. For stopping me from making a terrible mistake. I’d never be able to live with myself if I acted like him. If I played God and killed another human being out of revenge.”
“Try not to think about might have beens. Make yourself a promise to move on. To forgive and in time forget.”
“I don’t think I can do that.”
“That’s the hard part. You have to trust what you cannot see. I believe God takes care of us all. That he has a plan for everyone. And all the struggles, the pain, they make us stronger and prepare us for our destiny.” Boy, that was a line getting harder for even him to believe.
Michael sat quietly. He held his hands in his lap, clenched tightly together, his jaw flinching beneath the skin.
“You, my boy, have a great destiny ahead of you.”
Michael’s misty eyes met Ryan’s and he thought he’d lose it. All his training, all those years working to rescue innocent children and none of it prepared him for the emotions coursing through his body at that moment.
“You think?” Michael voice cracked.
“I know.” There was no way God would let a child suffer like Michael and not have great plans in store for his future. Michael’s caring nature gave him the ability to help so many abused, neglected angry young people in his lifetime. The idea swelled Ryan’s heart with pride just thinking about it. Michael was in need of time to heal his own wounds. Wounds engraved so clearly across the features of his face now it was difficult to watch. They had to find Nicholas, make sure Makayla stayed safe.