Guarded by the Soldier (Justice Seekers Book 2) Read online

  She didn’t look convinced. He pulled into the parking lot, then slid out from behind the wheel. After looping the zebra-striped bag over his shoulder, he unbuckled Aaron and lifted the boy into his arms.

  “I wanna walk.” The kid squirmed in his arms, and he glanced at Olivia. She wearily nodded.

  It went against the grain, but he bent over to set the child on his feet. Then he reached into the back and quickly unlatched the car seat. He knew Miles had a daughter and a son of his own, but wasn’t sure he’d thought ahead to bring a car seat for Aaron.

  He took one of Aaron’s hands in his, Olivia took the other, and the three of them walked toward Main Street.

  Like your average, everyday family.

  He hoped.

  The walk to the café seemed to take forever. He breathed a tiny sigh of relief when they entered the restaurant. After choosing a table toward the back, sitting so that he could face the doorway, they settled in to wait.

  Duncan and Mike arrived first, dropping into chairs on either side of him.

  “Thanks again,” he said. “I appreciate you watching my back.”

  Duncan waved him off. “You’d do the same for us. Coffee, please,” he added as the server approached.

  Breakfast was only a couple of hours ago, but he thought it might be good for Olivia and Aaron to eat something. “Lunch menus, please.”

  “Not for me. I’m fine,” Olivia protested.

  “I want chocolate milk.” Aaron shot a glance at his mother, who nodded.

  When they all had something to drink, Duncan leaned forward. “Okay, so Miles is bringing a clean SUV, but I’m feeling like we need two sets of wheels. It worked pretty well to have us hanging behind to cover your back.”

  Ryker nodded. There was no denying the strategy had worked. “Maybe we can pick up something else later tonight.”

  “I can meet up with you later, after I check on Shayla and Brodie,” Mike offered.

  Ryker was touched, but knew that Mike belonged with his wife and son. “Focus on taking care of your family. We’ll think of something.”

  The door opened and Miles Callahan walked in. Without hesitation, he made his way toward them. “What’s going on? Mike wouldn’t say much when he called.”

  Ryker quickly filled him in on the Blake-Moore Group and the way the mercenaries continued to come after them.

  Miles let out a low whistle between his teeth. “You’re deep in a hot mess.”

  “Exactly. I have to believe they’ve been tracking the vehicles we’re using. Maybe they have connections who can get registration information through the DMV, since we’ve only used disposable cell phones for the past twenty-four hours. With a clean SUV, we should be able to shake the tail.”

  “I took the SUV from the Milwaukee PD undercover lot.” Miles grinned. “It’s untraceable to you, or to the police, as I changed the vehicle’s status to damaged in the computer system. Should be safe enough.”

  “Good.” For the first time in what seemed like forever, Ryker felt a sense of relief. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to get going.”

  “Not a problem.” Miles set the keys on the table. “It’s parked around the corner across from the police station.”

  “That’s where I left our car.” Ryker picked up the keys. “Maybe you could put in a good word with the locals to leave it there for a while. Or have it towed somewhere out of sight.”

  “Will do.” Miles glanced at his brother. “Guess we’re taking the hot SUV back to Milwaukee, huh?”

  “Hey, it may help be a diversion for Ryker and Duncan.” Mike didn’t seem concerned about the potential danger.

  “Thanks again, Miles.” Ryker rose to his feet. He helped Olivia stand, then tossed the zebra bag over his shoulder. “I owe you one.”

  “Nah.” Miles waved him off. “You came to bail us out last year. It’s only fair we return the favor.”

  Duncan picked up the car seat. Olivia took Aaron’s hand and made a quick trip to the restroom before they headed outside. Ryker led the way, with Duncan covering their backs.

  At the car there was no sign of anyone lurking around. Olivia volunteered to sit in the back near Aaron, which irked Ryker for some reason. Duncan rode shotgun, as Ryker slid behind the wheel. He kept a keen eye on the rearview mirror, but didn’t relax until they were out of town and back on the highway. Avoiding the interstate, he took the less traveled highway toward Whitewater, which would eventually get them to Madison.

  “Where do you want to stay for the night?” Duncan asked.

  “Somewhere remote and outside the Madison area, while being close enough to drive there as needed.”

  “Cambridge? We passed a sign. It’s a few miles ahead and they have a motel.”

  “Just one motel?” He glanced at Duncan, who nodded. Great, just great. Although one motel was probably okay for now. He was hopeful that the mercenaries would assume they’d head to the Milwaukee area, rather than Madison.

  Unless they already knew that Seth Willis was the lead they were following up on. He swallowed hard.

  “Cambridge has beautiful hiking trails,” Olivia said. “I’ve been there before.”

  “Okay, sounds like Cambridge is our next destination. Once we’re settled in the motel, I need to drive out to do some recon on Tim’s cousin.” He glanced at Duncan. “I’d like you to stay back to watch over Olivia and Aaron.”

  “Wait, what? You’re leaving?” Olivia’s tone was sharp. “I’d rather come with you when you talk to Seth.”

  “No.” His blunt, flat tone came out harsher than he intended, but he was tired, his head ached, the wound on his thigh burned and he was running out of patience. “I just managed to get you out of danger, Olivia. I’m not letting you step back into the middle of it.”

  “You don’t understand, Ryker. Seth knows me. I think he’ll talk more if I’m there to smooth things over.” The stubborn streak he’d once found attractive was wearing thin.

  He could feel Duncan’s gaze on him, but thankfully his former army buddy didn’t say anything. If he was honest, he’d admit leaving Olivia and Aaron with Duncan didn’t sit well. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Duncan, but every cell in his body shunned the idea of having Olivia out of his line of sight. Out of arm’s reach.

  He felt attached to her in a way that wasn’t healthy. He wanted her to stay glued to his side, which was ridiculous. Wouldn’t it be better to know she was safe with Duncan while he grilled Seth for inside information about the Blake-Moore Group?

  Yes, it would. But he still didn’t like it.

  “Ryker? Did you hear me? Seth is more likely to cooperate if I’m there with you.”

  Duncan coughed and he speared him with a narrow look. “Olivia, please. I appreciate you want to help, but I don’t think involving you and Aaron is smart. These men are playing a deadly game. And you’re thirty-four weeks pregnant on top of that. I’m sorry, but you’ll be better off staying at the motel with Duncan.”

  There was a long silence and he knew Olivia was trying to find a way to change his mind.

  “I can always question Seth for you,” Duncan offered.

  It was tempting, very tempting to let Duncan take on the interrogation. But this was his problem, not Duncan’s.

  Actually, it was Olivia’s problem, but that made it his problem. One he refused to let go. “No, I’d rather be the one to confront him. I’ll feel much better knowing you’re watching over Olivia and Aaron.”

  “Your call.” Duncan was easygoing that way.

  “Does it matter what I want?” Olivia’s tone held an underlying note of panic. “Can’t we just skip talking to Seth? I doubt he knows anything.”

  He caught her gaze in the rearview mirror. “Olivia, I need you to please trust me on this.”

  Her gaze pleaded with him to reconsider, and it was the ha
rdest thing in the world to ignore it.

  The kiss they’d shared still haunted him. He longed to kiss her again, and again.

  Yep, he was in way over his head.

  And the way things were going, he didn’t think a life preserver would be tossed his way anytime soon.

  TEN

  Swallowing her frustration wasn’t easy. Liv didn’t want Ryker to leave her and Aaron with Duncan, so that he could confront Seth on his own. And for what? The slim chance of getting information?

  It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Duncan’s abilities to keep them safe. Without him and Mike covering for them in the field, they wouldn’t have been able to escape. She owed both men a deep debt of gratitude.

  Yet what she felt toward Ryker was different. She was in tune to him in a way that she didn’t feel toward Duncan and Mike. She cared about him on a personal level. The very idea of him being harmed by Seth made her sick to her stomach.

  The motel in Cambridge that Ryker identified for their next stop was in rough shape, a stark contrast to the pretty scenery. The neon vacancy sign had more letters burned out than lit. The paint on the building was faded and peeling, the shingles on the roof curling beneath the heat. She frowned, hoping the ceiling of their room didn’t leak.

  Duncan slid out of the passenger seat, then closed the door behind him with a solid thunk.

  “Are we home?” Aaron asked.

  Home. Her heart squeezed in her chest. It was a sad testament that she had no place to call home. “No, sweetie, we’re staying in a motel. Won’t that be fun?”

  Her son wasn’t buying her fake enthusiasm. “I don’t wanna go to a motel. I wanna go home!”

  “Aaron.” Ryker’s firm yet gentle tone caught her son’s attention. Ryker turned in his seat so he could see the boy. “We can’t go home until we’re safe. No more complaining, okay? I’m sure there’s a TV for you to watch, if your mom says it’s okay.”

  Aaron eyed Ryker with a hint of confusion, as if he vaguely remembered what it was like to have a father, then surprised her by giving in. “Can I take my toys with me?”

  “Of course.” She sent Ryker a grateful smile. “And we’ll find a movie for you to watch, too.”

  “With cars?” Her son’s fascination with cars had made him badger her incessantly to play certain movies at home. She’d enjoyed watching it with him, although that seemed like a time in their lives that was far removed from where they were now.

  “We’ll see.” She had no idea what sorts of movies were available and didn’t want to make a promise she couldn’t keep.

  Duncan returned, getting back in the passenger seat. “We’re all set. I have two connecting rooms at the end of the row. No suites here, I’m afraid.”

  “Thanks.” Ryker put the car in gear and swung around toward the designated rooms. He pulled in and parked. “I don’t like leaving the SUV out in the open like this. I’m going to park it behind the building.”

  “Good idea,” Duncan agreed. He jumped out of the vehicle and quickly used the key to unlock the motel-room door.

  Liv gathered Aaron’s things from the SUV, tucking them in her diaper bag before she slid out. Ryker was already on the other side, extracting Aaron from his car seat.

  The way he took on the fatherly tasks of caring for Aaron caused a lump to lodge in the back of her throat. It wasn’t just that he didn’t seem to mind, but more so that he took control of what needed to be done without being asked.

  Almost as if he knew what it was like to have a child of his own.

  She followed Ryker and Aaron into the motel room, wrinkling her nose at the musty smell. She didn’t say anything, but Ryker flipped a switch on the air-conditioning unit as if reading her mind.

  “It will air out soon.” He set Aaron on the floor.

  “It’s fine.” In those first few nights she’d been on the run she’d stayed in worse places. No use complaining.

  Being safe was all that mattered.

  “Excuse me.” She ducked into the bathroom for what seemed like the fiftieth time. The muted sounds of the television reached her ears, and she knew Ryker was getting Aaron settled. When she emerged a few minutes later, Aaron was watching Cars and Ryker was hovering near the connecting door between the rooms. She noticed his laptop was open and a picture of Seth Willis was up on the screen.

  “I’ll be back as soon as possible.” Ryker met her gaze straight on. “If anything happens, Duncan will get you safely to the authorities.”

  “Please don’t go.” She wasn’t proud of how pathetically desperate she sounded. “Duncan can question Seth just as easily as you can.”

  “No, Olivia. I’m the one responsible for getting to the bottom of this. Duncan has done more than enough for me.”

  By the stubborn glint in his eye she knew Ryker wasn’t budging. She bit her lip. “Okay, but please be careful. Worrying about you will only add to my stress level.”

  Ryker’s gaze dropped to her belly, then shifted away. She felt a pang of guilt at using her pregnancy as a way to convince him not to go. “This won’t take long.”

  Ryker turned to leave. She rushed over and grasped his arm. “I’ll pray for you.”

  He paused, then surprised her by nodding. “Thanks. At this point, I’ll take all the prayers I can get.”

  He would? Surprised, she dropped her hand, and he swiftly moved through the connecting door and out to the SUV. Pushing away the edge of the curtain, she watched as he slid behind the wheel and drove away.

  The SUV was nothing but a black speck on the horizon when she finally let the curtain drop. A peculiar warmth spread through her at the way Ryker had agreed to accept her prayers.

  She hadn’t found God and faith until she’d met Willa. And the idea of sharing her faith with a man was even more foreign. Her life before, with Tim, hadn’t revolved around God.

  But the knowledge that Ryker actually believed in the power of prayer reassured her in a way nothing else did.

  God must have a plan for him. For them.

  She just needed to be patient until she understood what that plan entailed.

  * * *

  Ryker hated leaving Olivia behind, even though he knew in his heart it was the right thing to do. There was no doubt in his mind that Duncan would protect Olivia, the baby and Aaron with his life.

  He prayed such a sacrifice wouldn’t be necessary.

  Keeping his attention focused on the road, he followed the directions to Seth’s home. He’d memorized the location by looking at the map he’d pulled up on the computer in the motel, while Olivia had been in the bathroom.

  Thinking of Olivia brought a new surge of guilt. She was becoming far too dependent on him, and that wasn’t good.

  The fact that he was just as emotionally involved with her didn’t help. This brief time apart would be good for both of them.

  He made sure there were no signs of the mercenaries as he drove toward Madison. The closer he got to the capital city of Wisconsin, the harder it was to figure out if anyone was on his tail.

  Seth’s address was in Sun Prairie, which was on the other side of the city. The traffic was crazy busy, often bumper-to-bumper, as he made his way around the city, bypassing the congested downtown area, toward the suburbs.

  Finally, he found Bakerville Street and drove past without stopping, taking a quick survey of the neighborhood. It was quiet, without a lot of people around, indicating many of the homeowners might be at work.

  After making a large loop around the subdivision, he parked on the street that ran behind Bakerville. On foot, he went through a yard that was overgrown with weeds, then crouched behind a bush to watch the rear of Seth’s house.

  There wasn’t any hint of activity within the house or in the surrounding area. Had he come too early? It was the middle of the afternoon, and for all he knew, Seth was one of the mercenar
ies that had been sent after Olivia.

  The thought was depressing. Still, he didn’t move for a full five minutes. Finally, he retreated, after deciding he’d need to return after dark. If Willis wasn’t home then, he’d search the place for any potential clues.

  After he was back in the SUV and driving away, Ryker realized he’d jumped on the chance to leave the motel, without considering the possibility that Seth wasn’t home.

  Idiot. That was what happened when you let a woman mess with your concentration.

  Ten minutes outside of Sun Prairie, he pulled into a parking lot and called Duncan.

  “Find him?”

  “Not yet. Place looks deserted.” He wondered if Duncan thought he was an idiot, too. “Looks like I’ll need to stick around until later tonight, to go in under the cover of darkness.”

  Duncan remained silent, no doubt questioning Ryker’s judgment. “Well, you should come back here, then. Better to work together to come up with a plan.”

  Because he liked the idea of returning far too much, he rejected it. “No, traffic through the city was ridiculous. Besides, I want to keep an eye on the place. If Willis shows, I’ll go in and talk to him. I just wanted you to know this will take longer than planned.”

  “And you want me to tell Olivia you’ll be delayed indefinitely.”

  “Yes.” He inwardly winced. “I’m sorry, Dunc. I know she won’t be happy.”

  “We’ll be fine. I’ll pick them up something for dinner.”

  His gut clenched. “Don’t leave them alone. Take them with you.”

  “Telling me how to do my job, Tillman?” Thankfully, there was a note of wry humor in his tone. “I think I can handle it.”

  “Yeah. Sure. I’ll be in touch.” Ryker disconnected before he could make a bigger mess of things.

  It had been a long time since he’d done any stakeout work. After leaving the army, he’d done private bodyguard work for a while, then opened his own security business. Different from what the Blake-Moore Group did, Ryker’s job was to enhance the safety measures for private companies.