Can't Let Go

  Next she returned to Caroline's side. Remembering Coot's story about his wife, she attempted to break her zip ties. Failed. Wait. What had he done, exactly? Come on, come on. Think! Stop letting panic cloud your thoughts. He'd dragged his arms--

  Two men stalked around a half wall. Glen and Cigarette, the muscled giant who'd once squired Savannah around Strawberry Valley. Cigarette wore a smug smile and held a .44. Ryanne's .44 to be exact. She recognized the mother-of-pearl handle.

  Glen wrung his hands. He took the lead, rushing to Caroline and Ryanne. "I'm sorry. You should have left town after the shooting in the alley. I wasn't trying to hurt you."

  Cabron!

  "Bastard," Caroline spit at him. "I hope you contract a flesh-eating bacteria in your tiny penis!"

  Cigarette laughed. "She's feisty. I like her."

  The way he leered at her... Ryanne shuddered.

  "You're the one who shot Jude?" she demanded, glaring at Glen.

  Everyone's attention returned to her.

  Glen was the one who had almost harmed her baby. He'd admitted to the shooting before, but the truth hadn't yet crystalized. Now it took everything she had to remain in place and not drive her fists into his face.

  "So you're a criminal and a lousy kisser?" Caroline said with a sneer. "I should have listened to my mother. You aren't worth two shits and a giggle."

  "All right, ladies. Fun times are over." Cigarette lifted the gun, aimed at Ryanne. "Here's what's going to happen. We're going to call Jude. If he wants you two to survive the hour, he'll bring us Savannah and Thomas. Until then, you're going to keep your mouths shut. Understand?"

  Tremors of fear swept through Ryanne as she nodded. Caroline hissed.

  Cigarette peered into Ryanne's eyes--gloating. "If Dushku weren't on his way, you and I could have a little fun. But lucky for you, orders are orders, and you aren't to be harmed...yet."

  He walked away, and Glen followed.

  "What are we going to do?" Caroline whispered as soon as the guys disappeared around the corner. "They won't let us leave, even if Jude makes the trade. We've seen too much. We'll be...be..." She whimpered, her bravado deserting her.

  First of all, Jude wouldn't make the trade. He wouldn't allow Savannah to be harmed. Second, there was no way Ryanne was staying put, her sweet baby in danger.

  "We've got to escape before Jude arrives," she said quietly. "Follow my lead, okay?"

  Wasting no time, she contorted her body, nearly pulling her shoulders out of their sockets as she worked her arms under then over her legs. With her hands in front of her, she easily performed Coot's infamous move--raised her bound hands over her head, and swiftly swung her arms down, her elbows spread to bypass her hips, pulling her hands apart--argh! The ties didn't break. She tried again, then again and finally achieved success, the plastic ripping, the chain falling to the ground, useless.

  Caroline managed to do the same, and Ryanne dragged her to her feet.

  If they could make their way outside, they might survive this. But as they moved through the building, ducking behind boxes, checking the cars for keys, she only managed to make her way deeper inside.

  Thud!

  Her ear twitched. The slam of a door? Had to be! They were close to an exit, then, but not close enough. As she and Caroline wedged themselves between two boxes, Ryanne's heart drummed so loudly against her ribs she feared someone would hear her before spotting her.

  Pounding footsteps registered. More than one person approached.

  "Tell me." Dushku's voice rang out, autocratic to the extreme.

  As Cigarette explained the situation, the footsteps lessened in volume. Ryanne peeked over the box in front of her, only to duck. Two guards had remained behind. They stood at least fifty yards to her left--by the door?

  Caroline trembled and pressed a hand to her mouth. They stared at each other, waiting, dreading what would happen next.

  "Where are they?" Dushku shouted. "Find them!"

  The guards rushed forward but stopped when a series of loud bangs rang out.

  "Sir," one of them called. "The man you contacted is here."

  Jude?

  No, no, no. He would be walking straight into the lion's den for no reason!

  *

  JUDE APPROACHED THE entrance of the old steel mill located on the outskirts of Blueberry Hill, his rage barely contained. When he'd reached the Scratching Post, he'd gone in search of Ryanne, desperate for a kiss. He'd found a splatter of blood instead.

  He'd been watching the security feeds like a madman, obsessed and possessed. Just when he'd decided to prove he'd kicked fear to the curb and give Ryanne a little breathing room, Dushku attacked.

  Irony was a stone-cold bitch.

  Jude had tried not to panic as he'd played back the security feed. Then he'd seen Glen Baker using the correct code to enter through the back door. The very reason Jude hadn't been alerted about an intruder. Then he'd watched the bastard pistol-whip both Ryanne and Caroline.

  A text from an unknown number had come in with this address and the message Bring Savannah and the boy, and come unarmed. He hadn't needed a number to deduce the identity of the sender. This was Dushku's chance to get Thomas back, and also kill Savannah, Ryanne and Caroline, all while blaming Jude.

  The man was counting on Jude's upset to cloud his judgment.

  Two days ago, it would have. Today, the opposite happened. Despite his rage and, yes, even a bombardment of fear, Jude maintained razor-sharp clarity. Save Ryanne and the baby, whatever the cost. He'd contacted Daniel and Brock, who'd followed him here, leaving Savannah and Thomas with Strawberry Valley's incorruptible Sheriff Lintz.

  Jude had a small transmitter in his ear, allowing his friends to hear what was going on around him and respond.

  Need all the help I can get.

  Jude had come unarmed, as commanded, certain he would be frisked at moment one. But no matter. He didn't need weapons to win this war. As soon as he'd verified Ryanne's well-being, he would attack--and he wouldn't stop until Dushku and every single one of his men were neutralized.

  "Got you in my sights," Brock's voice whispered in his ear.

  "Ditto that," Daniel said.

  "Tell me you've found Dushku's money." Jude needed leverage, and he needed it now.

  Daniel's sigh crackled over the line. "It'll be done by the time you're inside."

  "It had better be." Ryanne's life depended on this.

  As Jude approached large metal doors, he drew in a deep breath, held it...released it.

  He raised his fist and knocked.

  To his left, a garage door big enough for a semitruck began to lift. Two armed guards swarmed him, patted him down. He was a little surprised he wasn't just shot on sight, which he'd kind of expected.

  He'd worn Kevlar underneath his shirt. That Kevlar wouldn't help him if he was shot in the head, but it would protect vital organs if he were shot in the chest.

  "Kevlar?" One of the males laughed.

  "At least he's clean," the other said.

  They pushed him forward. He tripped, his leg unprepared to support his weight. Through sheer strength of will, he managed to remain upright.

  Dushku, Anton, Dennis and Glen Baker waited several yards ahead. And so did Officer Jim Rayburn. Knew it. Boxes, crates and metal storage units acted as decor.

  Dushku smiled a smile that didn't reach his eyes. For some reason, he wasn't gloating. He actually appeared...unsettled? "Where are Savannah and the boy?"

  "Where are Ryanne and Caroline?" Jude snapped. "I want proof of life. Now."

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  RYANNE SWALLOWED A cry of distress. Jude was here, but he was unarmed, danger surrounding him at every turn. Jim Rayburn was here, too. As an officer of the Blueberry Hill PD, his word of today's events would be believed above everyone else's. More than that, he wouldn't want anyone spilling tales about his allegiance to a gang. He would want Jude, Ryanne and Caroline killed, wouldn't he?

  So badl
y Ryanne wanted to jump up and shout, "Here I am!" Heart leaping, she pressed her lips together and peeked over the boxes.

  Jude had never been more beautiful to her. His hard features were tight with tension, making his skin look as if it might tear at any second. Determination radiated from him. His sandy hair stuck out in spikes, and his eyes possessed a wild gleam, his lips a harsh line.

  In that moment, she knew he would do anything, absolutely anything, to save her. There was no line he wouldn't cross. The very reason she and Caroline had to stay put. If they distracted him or startled the others, he might be shot. And so might she and her baby! She needed to gain Jude's attention stealthily, let him know she was okay, and that she and Caroline could sneak out with him...somehow.

  "Proof of life," Dushku said, only the slightest bit of unease in his tone. "Very well."

  Ugh, just how was the guy going to provide proof of life when he had no idea where she and Caroline were?

  Caroline squeezed her hand, a clear request to stop peeking over the box.

  "Get the girls." Dushku snapped his fingers, and Snake rushed off, disappearing around one of those half walls. "I must admit, I'm a little surprised you came at all. You had to know how this would end."

  Ryanne's stomach threatened to rebel. How easily he spoke of death.

  "I knew you'd keep the women alive until you had what you wanted. Afterward, I'll kill Ryanne, Caroline and Savannah, and then myself, right? That's the story the world will hear, anyway."

  "No, Mr. Laurent. I'll let your Ryanne live, as promised. I'm not a monster," Dushku replied. "Besides, she's a pretty piece. I could make use of her."

  Jude unveiled the coldest, meanest smile she'd ever seen. "You're right about one thing. Our war will end today." He'd been pushed past all civility, his humanity stripped away. "I'm going to kill you."

  Dushku laughed.

  Ryanne needed to divert everyone's attention, like, now. She looked down at the supplies she'd stolen, her mind whirling. Simply throwing a pencil or pen would do no good, considering she couldn't lift her arms without gaining everyone's attention.

  An idea bloomed and, hopeful, she got to work as quietly as possible.

  What are you doing? Caroline mouthed.

  You'll see, she mouthed back, as she attempted to assemble Coot's infamous crossbow.

  "You're going to be sorely disappointed," Dushku said. "I always get what I want, and I want your blood spilled over my floor. You and yours have been more trouble than you're worth."

  "Pouting?"

  "This is your fault, you know. You displayed your weakness the day we met. Love for another will always stop you from doing what needs to be done. If you want to succeed, you have to look out for yourself."

  "You're the one who's going to be disappointed." Jude took a step forward. "Love makes a man stronger. Gives him a solid foundation on which to stand. Love takes the guesswork out of his choices and makes his path clear."

  Such beautiful words. Ryanne wanted to hug him.

  When Jude took another step forward, everyone but Dushku aimed a gun at him.

  "That's close enough," Dushku snapped, obviously unnerved by Jude's lack of fear.

  Jude unveiled another smile, this one smug. "Check your bank accounts. You're about to discover you're broke, not a cent to your name."

  Dushku laughed. "Hardly."

  "You don't know me, so let me clue you in. I never bluff. Go ahead, check. And when you realize I'm telling the truth, you'll let Ryanne and Caroline go. Otherwise you'll never see a dime." His gaze moved over the guards. "And you guys won't get paid."

  A moment passed, tension crackling in the air. Then, "Bring me a laptop. Now!"

  Cigarette hurried off.

  All right. With two guards busy elsewhere, there would be no better time to use the crossbow. But Ryanne was trembling, a rush of adrenaline giving her strength while also screwing with her agility, and she failed to finish the weapon's construction before Cigarette returned with the laptop.

  Dushku's fingers jabbed at the keyboard. He grew stiffer, then shouted the darkest string of curses she'd ever heard. "Where's my money?"

  The guns aimed at Jude were cocked.

  Ryanne finished the crossbow at last. Now or never. She took aim--and fired off a shot. The pencil soared past a row of boxes and thumped into a far wall. Dushku, Glen, Jim and Cigarette turned. Without a moment's hesitation, Jude leaped into action, spinning, grabbing the barrel of the gun held by the guard standing behind him. With his other hand, he punched the guy's wrist, putting himself out of striking range, at the same time forcing the man to relinquish his grip on the weapon.

  Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

  Jude shot the guards, Jim and Cigarette in swift succession; she knew he'd chosen Jim and Cigarette versus Dushku because they had weapons of their own. All four males collapsed within milliseconds of each other, unable to fire off a shot of their own.

  While Jude had nailed the guards and Cigarette in the heart, he'd only hobbled Jim's shoulder, preventing him from retrieving and lifting the gun he'd dropped during his fall. All purposeful actions on Jude's part, she suspected. He was a military hero with skill, and he wouldn't miss what he aimed at, even if it happened to move.

  Ryanne had never witnessed a death before, and even though these men were mean and nasty--had been mean and nasty--they were still human, and watching them die was surreal and horrible, and made her stomach churn.

  With the biggest threats out of the way, Jude kicked Jim's gun farther away and focused on the pale and trembling Dushku.

  "Where are the girls?" Jude demanded.

  "Put the gun down, Mr. Laurent." Dushku couldn't mask his fury--or his fear. "Let's talk about this. I have other men inside the warehouse. Any second they'll come barreling this way, and if you're aiming at me, they'll take you out. You'll never see Miss Wade again."

  Glen dropped to his knees, tears running down his cheeks. After every terrible thing he'd done to avoid prison, he must realize his actions today had earned him a far greater sentence than he would have gotten for embezzlement.

  "Where. Are. The. Girls?" Jude insisted.

  "We're here." After a brief pause, making sure she wouldn't be shot at, Ryanne stood to quaking legs. "We escaped our bonds and have been hiding. We're unharmed."

  Caroline raised her arm to wave while keeping the rest of her body hidden behind the boxes.

  Abject relief emanated from Jude, rage from Dushku.

  "Can you make it to the door without leaving the safety of the boxes?" Though Jude spoke to Ryanne, his attention remained fixed on his target.

  "We can't," she said, after scrutinizing the route they'd have to take.

  "Then stay where you are, okay? I'll escort you out after Daniel and Brock make sure there's no one else in the building."

  Before she could reply, Snake peeked around a wall and, aiming haphazardly, frantically hammered off a series of rapid-fire shots--at Jude. One of those shots hit him.

  "No!" she screamed as he crumpled. Horror punched her so fiercely she lost her breath, a second scream dying a brutal death inside her throat.

  Before anyone could move, two more shots boomed, but it was Snake who toppled, blood pouring from his forehead to pool around his motionless body.

  Another death, but this time, she had no sympathy. Daniel and Brock rushed up from behind him, even stepping over him, their guns trained on the remaining threats. Mud covered the two from head to toe.

  Moaning, Jude sat up and shook his head as if his ears were ringing. He patted frantically at his chest, but no blood coated his hands. He was unharmed?

  Thank you, God! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

  "It's safe to come out," Daniel announced. "We took out the other men. They never saw us coming."

  With a cry of relief, Ryanne rushed to her man. Halfway there, she dropped to her weakened knees and skidded. She threw her arms around him, quickly losing sight of the rest of the world.

&nb
sp; "Are you okay? Please tell me you're okay, cowboy, before I lose it."

  "I'm okay, love. Wearing Kevlar." He drew her closer, enfolding her against him. Shudders rocked him back and forth, and she figured his adrenaline was crashing, now that the worst was over. "You?"

  "I'm not wearing Kevlar, but I'm fine." Tears filled her eyes and flooded her cheeks as she beat her fists against his shoulders. "I had this in the bag, you foolish man. Escaped my chain, was sneaking to the door. Why did you come and risk your life?"

  "Without you, I don't have a life."

  "They could have killed you."

  "But they didn't, and now the war is over. Without money, no one will be willing to take Dushku's place."

  "What if the money is retrieved?"

  "Impossible. It's already been dispersed to different charities."

  "Revenge--"

  "Won't be a problem, either. He has too many enemies. He won't last a week in prison. You're finally safe. Savannah, too. The war is over," he repeated. "With Dushku, and with myself. Fear didn't win. Fear didn't win."

  She hugged him again, unwilling to let go now or ever. "I'm so proud of you, and I love you. I love you so much."

  "I love you, too." He kissed her temple, her cheek. Her lips. Then they stared into each other's eyes, basking in a beautiful reunion.

  Seconds, minutes, an eternity passed, before the rest of the world came back into focus. Daniel was trying to comfort a distraught Caroline while also talking on the phone with...a 911 operator? Must be. He was explaining the situation. Jim, Glen and Dushku had their noses pressed against a wall as Brock paced behind them. Jude told her that Jim wouldn't be a problem, either. The guys would hack into the security feed and prove his involvement with Dushku, who was trying to talk his way free, making promises he couldn't keep.

  At some point the cops arrived, shocked by the turn of events, especially with Jim. Then the medics arrived. Uniformed men and women packed the warehouse. Pictures and statements were taken, and arrests were made. Ryanne, Jude and Caroline were escorted to an ambulance outside, their vitals checked. The sun was shining, and in the parking lot different vehicles were flashing multicolored lights.

  Jude removed his shirt and vest, revealing two black and blue knots on his chest. A chest that looked slightly different than before, and not because of the injury. The reason escaped her, however.