Kidnapped Hearts (12 page)
Authors: Cait Jarrod
Pamela leaned forward. “This man has been
there for me, which is more than I can say for you.”
She was protective of him too, and that
took Jake by surprise. Pamela wobbled. When her hand released the gown to seize
her head, he knew she was going down.
“Easy.” Jake slid his arms around her
waist the moment her knees buckled and gathered her into his arms.
“My head really hurts,” Pamela said into
his chest as she pulled the IV pole behind them.
Jake laid her on the bed, crossed the
room to the door, and opened it. “Get out.”
Vivian blinked at him several times.
“Young man.”
Nicholas grabbed her arm and tugged.
“Let’s go.”
The door closed behind them. Still
Nicholas’ loud voice penetrated the walls. “I told you, it was fruitless to
come see that ungrateful girl.”
“You’re the one who insisted on coming to
the hospital, so you could give her another one of your silly books.”
Jake entered the hall in time to see
Vivian’s body shaking again.
“For the life of me, I don’t know why you
think those books will serve as a peacemaker. I’ve never heard such rubbish,”
Vivian snapped.
The arguing continued until they
disappeared behind the elevator doors. Jake ducked into the room. “Where is the
package Wine gave you?”
Pamela pointed to the chair.
“You care if I open it?”
“Help yourself. I don’t want it.”
The thin wrapping paper tore easily, and
Jake held a
Now and Then
history
book. “Do you want to go to
“No, I don’t. For the last month,
Nicholas has given me books on different cities. They aren’t even places I want
to visit.”
Jake jostled the book around in his
hands, examining it. Something wasn’t right. The leather jacket seemed intact,
and as he thumbed through the pages, nothing fell out. “Wine has given you a
Now and Then
book every time?”
“Yes.”
“All of them covered in leather?”
“Yes.”
He set the book on her bedside table. “As
I said last night, your residence and business have to be searched. They’re
being searched now.
“I’m not surprised.”
“It may be best if you stay another
night.”
“The way I feel, I don’t want to leave.”
Her fingers were massaging her temples. Jake wanted to take over the job, but
once skin touched skin, he wouldn’t be able to trust his fingers not to wander.
“I’m sorry about Vivian.” Pamela snuggled
into the pillow. One eye peeked at him.
Jake rested in the seat beside her bed.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“She is a hateful woman.”
Sitting there, beside her bed, listening to
her attempt to comfort him, did an odd thing to him. The armor he’d erected
around his heart after Jennifer’s betrayal shifted. He resisted the urge to
take her in his arms and console her. Having a cold and callous mother couldn’t
be easy, and yet he was so quick to judge her motives earlier. “I’m sorry,
too.”
Her eyes blinked and locked with his. “We
all have crap that we have to let go. Right now, I’m concentrating on being
safe.”
She closed her eyes, and her breathing
became steady.
Jake extended his legs and folded his
arms over his chest. He might as well get a few winks while she did. A tough
evening lay ahead of him. Later, he would see his foster parents for the first
time since he returned to the states.
****
“Baby girl,” a deep voice yelled.
Jake jolted awake and jumped to his feet,
his gun in the ready position.
Droopy, Pamela forced a smile. “Dad.”
“Sweetheart, I didn’t mean to wake you.”
Jake lowered his weapon. “Sorry, sir,
I’ll leave you two to visit.”
“Just a second, son, I want to thank you
for what you did for my Pamela.”
“Mr. Young—”
Donald raised his hand, stopping Jake.
“Your job was to protect Pamela, no one else. Also, I want you to hear the
update on Marge.” Facing his daughter, Donald continued, “Marge is going to be
okay. The glass hit a main vein, but the doctors were able to get the bleeding
under control. Her high blood pressure and heart arrhythmia gave the doctors
some trouble.” He cleared his throat. “Marge is stable. They’re moving her to a
regular room.”
Pamela blinked, fighting tears.
“I’ll leave you two alone.”
Donald nodded, and Jake walked out the
door. He shoved his hands through his hair and let lose a breath himself. If
something had happened to Marge, especially on his lookout, he would have hated
to contact her sons, Lincoln and Jackson.
“Mr. Gibson,” Agent Lever called,
straightening the bow tie of his three-piece suit as he approached.
Jake scratched the back of his neck.
“Kind of hard to stay inconspicuous when you stand out like a sore thumb.”
“It works for me.”
Another person Jake added to his mental
list of people who didn’t appear to be on the up and up. He put Agent Lever
right below Peter Jameson. Sanjar had the honor of being number one.
In silence, they walked to the opposite
corner of the hallway, out of earshot from the other agents standing guard.
“Did you find anything?” Jake asked.
“No, her residence and business were
clean.”
Jake shoved his hands into his pockets.
“Not surprising.”
Agent Lever flipped open his notepad. “A
Mark McDowell arrived after the search had taken place to do the repairs. He
said Donald Young called him.”
“The party is here,” Agent Dennis
announced, emerging from the elevator and joining the group. He wore jeans and
a dress shirt, his shirttail covering his belt.
Jake titled his head toward Agent Dennis.
“Agent Lever, this is the proper clothing protocol for agents in the field.”
“Noted,” responded Agent Lever without
expression.
“Any word from Intel?” Jake asked Agent
Dennis.
“Sanjar is not taking responsibility for
the shooting.” Agent Dennis reared back on his heels. “It isn’t his normal MO
anyway.”
“I have to agree,” Jake declared. “He
doesn’t go after small business owners.”
“What about the bearer bonds? Doesn’t
Sanjar raise funds to support his cause?”
Jake and Agent Dennis cocked their heads,
studying Lever. Finally, Agent Dennis said, “It’s unlikely. Other organizations
fund Sanjar’s warfare. He doesn’t like the mundane task.”
Jake’s eyebrows shot up. Too bad he
hadn’t heard that information when his informant lied to him.
He would call Larry later to see if he
knew the location of his snitch. First, he needed the threatening notes
analyzed. “Lever, would you take these two notes to the lab?”
Lever pulled out a plastic bag and held
it open. Jake dropped the notes inside.
“Sorry to break up this love fest,” Agent
Dennis broke in, “but, Jake, I heard you were supposed to be off the clock
right about now, something about family business.”
“Is the Director putting his nose in my
family business?”
“That would be an affirmative. Ms. Young
has to stay another night due to her headaches. I’ll stay until you come back
on duty.”
“Thanks, man.”
****
After a quick call to Larry requesting
the whereabouts of his informant, Jake drove over to his parents’ house to meet
his brother and to see his parents for the first time since returning to the
states. Now, on the front porch, Jake leaned his shoulder against the wall
while Paul rang the doorbell. “Where did you and Celine disappear to today?”
“Are you kidding me? We saw Vivian and Nicholas
heading toward the room, and we took off. No way did we want to get stuck in
one of their arguments.”
“Thanks for leaving me to hang out to
dry.”
“No problem, consider it a down payment
on the payback I owe you.”
Paul pushed the button again.
Elizabeth and Howard England expected
Paul and a friend for dinner. They didn’t know the friend was their adoptive
son. Jake swallowed and readied himself for an ambush of emotions. He imagined
his foster parents would be elated to see him, but then there would be the
dreaded conversation as to why Jake had abandoned them for the last few years.
Worse, they would realize that the Director of the FBI, Elizabeth England’s
good friend, decided it was best for them to think Jake was dead.
The door opened, and
her son. “Paul, how are you? Didn’t you have a bike race while we’re gone?” She
tugged his arm and pulled him inside.
“Missed you, Mom.” He wrapped his arms
around her and kissed her cheek. “Let’s talk about the race later. There’s
someone—”
She clasped her hands together and
rambled on. “Your father and I had a wonderful time on the cruise. Howard
didn’t think he’d like a cruise, but we had a fabulous time. The margaritas
helped.” She smiled. “Let’s go in the kitchen.”
pitcher she deposited on the table before opening the door. “I’m sorry, please
excuse me. You brought a friend. Where is she?”
Jake appeared.
The pitcher in
floor. Pieces of glass scattered and liquid splashed in every direction.
“
are you okay?” Howard England shouted as he ran out of the kitchen, his
grilling apron waving around his waist.
Jake didn’t know which was worse, his
mother being quiet or yelling.
Howard’s stern eyes locked on Jake.
The room quieted.
Here it comes, the onslaught of
questions.
“Where in the hell have you been, boy?”
Howard switched his fierce glare to Paul. “You knew your brother was alive?”
Paul cleared his throat. “I just found
out.”
Howard inched toward Jake.
arm, stopping him. “He’s here. That’s all that matters.” She tiptoed through
the crushed glass and collapsed into Jake’s arms. “I thought we lost you. I
assumed when we buried Jennifer, we buried you too.”
Jake wrapped his arms around her
shoulders as he had done countless times. “I’m sorry.”
As a young child, his mother often left
him at the
afterward. He peered over
shoulder, regarding the only person he knew as his father. His hair had
thinned, but he was still spry. “Dad.”
Through his stern face, moisture
brightened Howard’s eyes. He didn’t speak, only nodded.
Paul. “You should have told me. I would have fixed his favorite food.”
“Mom,” Jake interrupted, “any food you
fix is my favorite.” He assumed the words would comfort
her hands and wept. Howard crossed the room, diverting the broken glass, and
pulled her into his chest. He met Jake’s gaze. “We’re glad you’re here, son,
but after dinner, you have a lot of explaining to do.” Hugging his wife, he
said, “Jake, I should kick your ass.”
Paul disappeared. In short order, he
returned with the supplies to clean up the mess. “Why don’t you three head into
the dining room? I’ll clean up.”
Jake guided them to the dining room
table. Once there, his mother’s tears subsided, and she stared across the
table. As if she needed confirmation as to what she saw. “You’re alive?”
“Yes.”
The dinner was uneventful, then they
headed outside to the patio for after dinner drinks.
The men seated at the patio table, Howard
eyed Jake, the sternness in his eyes back. “What’s going on?”
A rattle halted their conversation.
outside of the sliding doors, and the glasses on the tray she carried shook.
“Mom,” Jake and Paul said in unison.
Her usually pink face paled, and the tray
in her hands lowered. Paul raced to her side and grabbed the tray before it
tumbled on the unyielding bricks of the patio. Paul deposited the tray on the
table.
“Mom,” Jake began.
“Jake, what you put your father and me
through is reprehensible.” She sucked in a shaky breath.
