Nick, p.14
NICK, page 14
“You might change your mind someday,” he said, wincing with every step. “Any kid would be lucky to be yours.”
Those words spoken by him were enough to melt her heart and her resolve. She should definitely not spend too much time with Nick. Because he made her believe certain things were possible that she’d never wanted in a million years before him.
“This Michael person has nothing to lose,” Nick pointed out.
“That’s right,” she said. “He’s going back to jail no matter what and he lost his daughter, so he’ll never get her back. He doesn’t know where she is because we had his parental rights revoked for when he was released, which was supposed to be years down the road.”
“A clerical mistake means there’s most likely a manhunt going down right now,” Nick said.
“If we can get him out in the open, we have a chance that law enforcement will do the rest for us,” Vanessa said.
“He knows that too,” Nick said. “Which is why he set up out here where there’s fewer law enforcement officers. You coming here created the perfect storm for him to isolate you.”
“My assistant gave him the information to find me here,” she said. “Linda had no idea what she was offering. And I’m certain he was cunning enough to smooth talk her right out of the data.”
“How long has he been locked up?” he asked.
“Two years,” she said. “Of a ten-year sentence.”
Nick stumbled and she barely kept him on his good foot.
“Maybe we should take a break,” she said.
He shook his head. “I’m fine. We can keep going.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, wishing she could find bars for his phone.
“We don’t have a choice,” was all he said. “Besides, the faster we get to the road, the quicker we can get help. This bastard needs to be locked up again so he can’t make threats or hurt anyone else.”
“You won’t get any argument out of me.”
“Maybe you should stop, like the bitch said,” Michael’s voice boomed from behind them.
Nick spun around on his good foot, winced at mind-numbing pain, and tucked Vanessa behind him. Buzz Cut, a.k.a. Michael, stood there, feet spread apart in an athletic stance with the barrel of a gun aimed at them.
He managed to lean over a step or two in order to shield them with trees that were staggered in between them and the shooter.
This wasn’t good. Nick’s vision was already blurring. Pain had him wanting to pass out, but he’d managed to fight the urge so far. A thump of adrenaline would come in handy about now except that he might have drained the supply.
Or maybe a steady supply was the only thing keeping him standing and this was as good as it was going to get.
“Hands where I can see ’em,” Michael ordered. The bulk of his body mass was behind a tree as well. Smart guy. He’d used a hunting rifle the other morning. A couple of years in jail could make anyone rusty, but Nick wouldn’t take the guy’s aim for granted.
He lifted his hands in the air, palms out.
“Now send her over to me,” Michael demanded.
“Afraid I can’t do that,” Nick stated, stalling for time. He needed to think of something to deter the man and keep him from shooting. Make no mistake about it, Michael intended to kill them both. He had no plans to allow either one of them to walk out of this thicket alive.
The crack of a bullet split the air. A splinter of wood came flying off the tree near Nick’s head.
“Are you okay?” he whispered to Vanessa, turning his head slightly while keeping his gaze firmly fixed on Michael.
“Yes,” she confirmed. “I’m not hit.”
He breathed a sigh of relief.
“Hands up, bitch,” Michael shouted to Vanessa.
“You’re disturbing the wildlife,” Nick said, throwing anything out there that came to mind to stall so he could think of how the hell they were going to get out of this.
He felt hands on his back and then the Ruger slipping out of his waistband. Vanessa wasn’t used to guns. Aiming while adrenaline surged was a whole different ballgame anyway. If she tipped their hand without getting off a shot, they’d lose the element of surprise.
At this point, Michael didn’t know they had a weapon. He’d like to keep it that way, if at all possible.
Another shot fired, a little closer this time.
He felt Vanessa tense up behind him.
“It’ll be okay,” he said out of the side of his mouth.
“What was that?” Michael shouted. “I didn’t hear you.”
“Wasn’t talking to you,” Nick said, doing his level best to remain calm and not let his own temper get in the way of good judgment.
And then before he could figure out anything else to say, Vanessa bolted right into thicker trees.
Michael followed her movement with the barrel of his gun, took aim, and fired.
The bullet pinged a tree in front of her. She flinched but kept moving until she disappeared.
“Follow her and I’ll track you down,” Nick warned. “You have me right here. She’ll come back. Don’t do anything stupid.”
If Michael ran, there wasn’t anything Nick could do about it. He wasn’t strong enough to follow. Hell, he was barely making it out of the woods at a snail’s pace.
But Michael didn’t know that.
Nick fished out his cell phone and held it out in front of the tree. “The law is already on its way.”
“Like hell it is,” Michael shot back.
“Believe me, it is,” Nick said. “Pretty soon, choppers are going to fill the air. Deputies, cops, and canines are going to fill these woods to track you down. You can’t get away.”
Michael glanced side-to-side. The words were getting to him. He was nervous.
“I have to,” he said. “Once this bitch is dead, I have to rescue my Little Jenny. And Vanessa Mosely is going to tell me where my daughter is. I know she knows.”
Just then, Vanessa popped out from behind a tree to their left, and got off a shot. She’d either been going to target practice or had beginner’s luck because the bullet slammed into the hand holding the pistol.
Instinctively, Michael grabbed his injured hand while the gun went flying into the scrub brush. He dove for it, exposing more of his body mass.
Vanessa took aim and shot him in the upper thigh. Nick hobbled over in time to throw himself on top of Michael. Off the bad foot, he could pin the bastard to the ground.
“Go get help,” Nick instructed. “Find cell service and bring someone back.”
Vanessa started off but then doubled back. She picked up the branch Nick had been using to help himself walk and slammed it into the back of Michael’s head. His body went limp as he was knocked unconscious.
“I’ll be right back,” she promised.
Nick fell in and out of consciousness as he waited for what seemed like an eternity. By the time emergency personnel and law enforcement arrived, he was slipping away as Michael was waking up.
Good. The bastard needed to be fully awake when he was arrested.
Then, everything went black.
Nick woke up in a hospital room with Vanessa right by his side. His brothers and a few of his cousins were there, forming a circle around the bed. His father stood off to one side.
“Hey, you’re awake,” Vanessa said. Looking at her first thing was like a campfire on a cold night. “Surgery on your foot went well. You’ll be in a boot for a while but should fully recover.”
The news was good. He managed a smile as he searched the faces in the room, all but Rowan’s. Smiles broke out as well as a collective sigh of relief.
“We knew you’d make it through alright, but dang, did you have to give us a scare?” Kellan asked with a smirk. “Haven’t we been through enough already?”
“Just keeping everyone on their toes,” Nick said, hearing the raspy quality to his own voice.
“We’ll be in the hallway if you need us,” Morgan said before, one by one, they filed outside after gazes bouncing from him to Vanessa.
“Everything okay?” he asked Vanessa.
“Yes,” she said, her tone unreadable. “I think they just want to give you some breathing room. Your mother is doing better and my motions to have the trial relocated worked out. Looks like I’m heading back to Houston tonight.”
“Do you have to go?” he asked, figuring he already knew the answer to the question. And he’d be damned if he put his heart on the line a second time for it to be stomped. “You know what? On second thought, don’t answer that question. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me and for sticking around the hospital while I got through surgery. You can go now. You’ve done your part.”
Vanessa stood up and took a step back almost as though he’d thrown a punch. “I drove myself here. Thanks for delivering my car to the ranch, by the way. I can leave now.”
“I wasn’t trying to hurt your feelings,” he clarified. Of course, she would leave. She always left.
“Is that what you want?” she asked with a hurt look that almost had him back peddling. “For me to go?”
“Maybe it’s best if we take a little time off of each other,” he said, suddenly feeling sick to his stomach. “Feelings have been stirred up and it’s probably best if we take a minute to figure out what that means.” The last part was true enough, but the words came out like sandpaper on his tongue.
Her chin quivered and her gaze darted out the window. Now, he really wanted to puke. The queasy feeling took hold and didn’t let go. The fear he’d just ruined the best thing that had ever happened to him pierced his heart, making it hard to breathe. A familiar ache settled in his chest. It was the one he recognized from all those years ago when he’d lost her the first time.
“If that’s what you want,” she said before walking out as he tried to call her back to the room and apologize.
Had he just royally messed up?
17
“You have a package.”
Vanessa glanced up to find her administrative assistant at her office door. Linda Larson waved when the two made eye contact. Vanessa had been so deeply entrenched in the file she’d been staring at on the screen that she hadn’t even heard a knock.
“Come in,” Vanessa said, waving her assistant in.
Linda carried in a sizable flat rectangular box. It couldn’t be flowers, obviously. She set it on top of the desk. “It’s not heavy.” Linda made eyes. “I wonder what’s inside.”
“I’m guessing there’s a card or something to indicate this belongs to me,” Vanessa said, drawing a blank as to who might have sent it and why. She glanced at the time. “It’s seven o’clock on a Saturday night. I didn’t realize FedEx delivered this late on a weekend.”
“This one was hand delivered,” Linda supplied.
Vanessa’s cell buzzed. She glanced at the screen as she sat a little straighter in her executive office chair. The text was from Nick. They hadn’t spoken in days. Each was supposed to be taking time to hit the reset button before deciding their next steps, if any.
“What the…?” Vanessa asked out loud as she read the text from Nick telling her to open the box.
She set the phone down and then tugged at the big red bow on the box.
“I can’t wait to see what’s inside,” Linda said, clasping her hands together against her chest while giving a little hop of joy. Her smile was a mile wide.
Vanessa cocked an eyebrow at her assistant. “Do you promise you had nothing to do with this?”
“Are you kidding?” Linda asked. “I’d never be able to keep this a secret.”
That much was probably true. Linda was a sweetheart, but the term chatterbox came to mind. She was also an open book. There were no secrets with Linda unless they related to a client or a case. Then, she was a vault. They’d already had a talk about Linda never handing out information about Vanessa’s whereabouts no matter who asked after Michael’s arrest.
“Okay, I should probably stand up.” Vanessa did as she repositioned the box before removing the lid. The red ribbon tumbled onto the floor. She made a move to catch it a second too late. Sparkles inside the box caught her attention. “Holy, Batman, what is this?”
She gingerly picked up the purple gown. Underneath the folded sequined evening gown was a pair of designer spiked heels. Vanessa held the beautiful evening dress up against her.
“It’s a perfect fit and you’re going to look gorgeous in it,” Linda said, gushing.
“Thank you for the lovely compliment,” Vanessa said, certain she was blushing. Compliments always made her feel self-conscious for some odd reason.
“You should definitely text him back,” Linda urged.
“I plan to,” Vanessa said, still taking in the stunning gown. She had no idea where she would wear the dress out to but that didn’t stop her from appreciating the gesture.
She set the gown gently on top of the box and then bent down to pick up the ribbon.
“Or you could just tell me face-to-face,” the familiar male voice said—a voice that rolled over her and through her, causing desire to well up.
Vanessa was dreaming. Of course, she was. This was all an elaborate fantasy that she was going to wake up and realize wasn’t real any minute now. She blinked her eyes a couple of times.
Nope. She was wide awake.
From underneath the desk, she could see a shiny black dress shoe and a black sock in a boot. Her heart fluttered, skipping a few beats as she slowly stood up and Nick came into view. The tuxedo he wore made him look sexy as sin. Thick mane slicked back, the man was the definition of gorgeous. Tall, muscled, and in a tux, Vanessa’s pulse raced as she took in the sight of him.
“I’ll be out here if you need anything else,” Linda said, a full blush to her cheeks as she stood beside Nick.
“You can go home for the night, Linda,” Vanessa said. “I doubt I’ll be getting any more work done.”
“You’re the boss,” Linda said before taking a step back. She practically beamed at Vanessa while giving her a solid two-thumbs up.
If Nick turned his head in the slightest right now, Linda would most likely die from embarrassment.
“Go home,” Vanessa mouthed, shaking her head.
Linda kept up her antics until she disappeared down the hallway.
“Is she finished?” Nick asked with a smirk.
“Doing what?” Vanessa asked, trying to be coy.
“I saw her reflection in the glass hanging on the wall,” he said, smirk firmly in place.
“She would absolutely die if she knew you saw that,” Vanessa said with a laugh. Her expression turned serious. “I wasn’t expecting you tonight. How long has it been since we last spoke?”
He made a show of glancing at his watch. “Four days. Eleven hours. And thirty-six minutes.”
“Did we make plans that I seem to have forgotten about?” she asked, motioning toward the box.
“Put the dress on and we’ll see,” he said with an irresistible twinkle in his eye. That look sparkled with adventure.
“Should I be afraid?” she teased.
“Of me?” he asked, feigning hurt. “I’m shocked.” He put a hand to his chest like he was in the middle of a heart attack. “And hurt.”
“I’ll put on the dress if you stop acting like a cut-up,” she quipped.
He regained his composure in a flash. He wiped a hand down the front of his jacket like he was getting rid of lint before he took a seat. “I’ll wait.”
Vanessa couldn’t help but smile. She couldn’t remember the last time she was genuinely surprised, in a good way. She grabbed the gift and then headed into the bathroom. Thankfully, she kept a makeup bag in there just in case she worked right up until she ran out for a dinner date. It had happened more than she cared to admit. For one, she worked all the time. And, secondly, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so excited about a date that she’d gone home first to spend time primping.
Slipping out of her work clothes, she glanced in the mirror. A little bit of mascara and some lipstick should do the trick. She had a black sequined hair tie from the Hope Gala, a charity event that raised money benefiting orphans.
Sliding her feet into the shoes felt like a true Cinderella moment, which was a big statement considering she’d never subscribed to the whole fairy tale fantasy. And yet, there she was standing in front of a mirror with her hair pulled back off her face in an incredible gown, feeling like a princess.
When she opened the door and stepped into the room, the look on Nick’s face nearly knocked her back a step. He immediately stood up, and his gaze roamed her curves.
“Wow,” he said, eyes wide. “You’re even more beautiful.”
“You’re not so bad yourself,” she said, trying and failing at pulling off a casual demeanor. Seeing him standing there in her office in a tuxedo no less had her heart hammering against her ribcage. “It’s good to see you, Nick.”
“You too,” he said.
“Now, do I get to know where you’re taking me?”
“It would ruin the surprise,” he said, his voice low and gravelly. Sexy.
“I thought you were the surprise,” she countered, clearing her throat from the sudden dryness. “You did show up here unexpectedly. Bearing gifts, no less.”
He closed the distance between them, and then took her hands in his. “Do you trust me?”
This close, she could smell his spicy aftershave as she breathed. The heady scent would make her agree to pretty much anything. “Yes.”
“Good,” he said. “We need to lock up because we’re getting out of here.”
Vanessa gathered her purse and closed down her system. She locked up behind them as they exited the building from the side door.
There, waiting, was a stretch limo.
What in the world was he up to?
Nick had everything planned out. Pulling this together on short notice had been quite a feat. He could only hope Vanessa liked it because he had a lot to make up for after the foolish move he’d made in the hospital.
