Her Mistletoe Protector Read online

  Margie rose to her feet at the same moment Nick walked back into the room. “Wait here for a minute.”

  After their hostess left the room, she looked at Nick. “Well?” she asked in a low voice.

  “Nothing,” he murmured with a slight shake of his head.

  Nothing, as in he didn’t get to search very much? Or nothing, as in he truly hadn’t found anything?

  Before she could ask anything more, Margie returned. Rachel hastily scribbled her number on the slip of paper the older woman handed her. “Thanks so much, Margie. I really appreciate you taking the time to talk to me.”

  “No problem.” Margie walked them to the front door. “Take care.”

  “You, too,” Rachel said, before slipping outside. Nick followed her, grabbing her hand as they strolled down the sidewalk to the street. “We probably shouldn’t have parked far away,” she murmured under her breath. “Margie will think it’s odd that we didn’t pull up right in front of her house.”

  “You might be right,” Nick said. “But you did a good job of convincing her that your reason for being there was related to Frankie. Maybe she’ll think we’re just paranoid.”

  Once they turned the corner, Rachel relaxed. “I was there because of Frankie. He’s been here in Chicago, Nick. I think he must be involved in Joey’s kidnapping.”

  Nick didn’t say anything more until they were in the car. “Frankie might be involved, but as far as I could tell, Margie isn’t. I looked around and didn’t find anything. I even managed to sneak down the basement stairs. There weren’t any hiding places down there that I could see, so I didn’t spend a lot of time searching. I was afraid she’d hear me.”

  Rachel couldn’t believe he’d managed to get all the way into the basement. “What would you have done if she had heard you?” she demanded.

  He shrugged. “I would have claimed that I took a wrong turn.”

  She put a hand over her knotted stomach, glad she hadn’t known what Nick was doing while she chatted with Margie. Her nerves were already at the breaking point. Time was running out; they were due to be at the bank in the next twenty minutes.

  Soon, they’d be one step closer to getting Joey back, safe and sound.

  * * *

  Nick glanced at Rachel as he navigated the traffic, taking the fastest route to the bank. He couldn’t say he was surprised that they hadn’t found anything at Margie Caruso’s house. He still believed that Dr. Karl Errol might be the missing link. But no matter what he thought, there wasn’t enough time to keep searching for Joey. He knew that once they’d finished their transaction at the bank, Rachel would contact the kidnapper.

  There was no way she’d risk anything happening to her son. Not that he could blame her. Easy for him to say the kidnapper was bluffing. If Rachel found a single mark on Joey, she’d never forgive him.

  His phone rang and he picked it up, recognizing Jonah Stewart’s number. “Hey, are you in town?”

  “Yep, sitting in the parking lot of the hotel down the road from the bank.”

  Nick could feel Rachel’s curious gaze on him. “Good. We’ll be at the bank within the next ten minutes or so. I’ll be in touch as soon as we’re finished.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll be waiting.”

  “Thanks, buddy.” He disconnected from the call.

  “Was that the cop buddy you told me about?” Rachel asked.

  “Yeah, Jonah Stewart is a Milwaukee detective who helped build a case against your ex-husband. Anthony tried to kill him. Thankfully, Jonah and Mallory escaped, and Anthony was the one who’d died that night.”

  “So he was the one responsible for bringing down Anthony,” Rachel mused. “I always wondered exactly what happened.”

  The last thing he wanted was for Rachel to hear the gory details. “None of that matters now. Just know that we really can trust Jonah.”

  Rachel nodded and looked away, staring out the window as if lost in thought.

  He mentally kicked himself for reminding her of Anthony Caruso, especially at a time like this, when her son was still missing. Didn’t she already have enough to worry about? Right now, she needed to stay focused on the task of getting the money together. That was the first step. The second was to exchange the money for her son.

  With the kidnapper calling the shots, they’d be lucky to get Joey back without incident, even with Jonah’s help. “Nick?”

  He dragged his gaze to meet Rachel’s. “Yes?”

  “I want you to promise me something.”

  Uh-oh. He braced himself, certain he wasn’t going to like this. “Promise you what?”

  She locked eyes with him. “Promise me that you’ll get Joey out of there safely. I don’t want you to worry about me—I want you to focus on keeping my son safe.”

  Every instinct in his body protested, but he knew very well that if the situation was reversed, he’d ask the exact same thing. Children were a cherished gift from God and they deserved a chance to be protected. As much as he didn’t want to lose Rachel, he knew he had to give her this much.

  “I promise,” he vowed, silently asking God to spare both Rachel and Joey so he wouldn’t be forced to make an impossible choice.

  * * *

  Rachel rubbed her sweaty palms on the sides of her jeans before picking up the pen to sign over her shares of the company stock to Gerry Ashton. She couldn’t help glancing at her watch, wondering if right now, the kidnapper was somewhere close watching them.

  “Are you sure about this, Rachel?” Edward Callahan asked. The poor bank manager had been beside himself since they’d arrived. She wanted to believe he cared about her, but she suspected the large withdrawal of cash was the main source of his concern.

  “Absolutely.” She wasn’t nervous about selling off her company; she was worried about Joey. Because the moment Edward handed over the cash, she’d have to call the kidnappers.

  Please, Lord, please don’t let them hurt my son.

  The transaction was completed with ridiculous simplicity—she was sure she’d completed far more paperwork when she’d bought her house eight years ago.

  A house that she’d have to sell, once she had her son back. She shoved the thoughts away, refusing to dwell on her decision. She’d give up everything she owned to get Joey back.

  “I have the cash pulled together in the vault,” Edward said as Gerry finished his portion of the agreement. “It wasn’t easy... I had to send couriers to several other branches to get what you needed. I—uh, put it all in a large duffel bag for you. I didn’t want it to look too obvious as you left the building. A cashier’s check would be much safer,” he added, even though he’d already lectured her on the perils of walking around with so much money.

  “I know, thanks, Edward.” She forced a smile as she turned toward Gerry. “I haven’t told anyone at the office yet, but I’d appreciate it if you’d tell Edith first, privately.”

  Gerry’s forehead was puckered in a concerned frown. “I will. Rachel, I wish there was more I could do to help you....”

  “You’ve helped more than you could ever know,” she assured him. “Thanks again.”

  Gerry gave her a quick hug and then tucked his copy of the paperwork into his briefcase and made his way toward the door. She turned her attention toward the bank manager. “I’m ready.”

  Nick stayed close at her side as they walked into the bank vault. Edward used his ID to open the first door and then punched in a key to access the second door. Once inside the vault, she saw the duffel bag he’d mentioned, surprised to find that it was the size of a small suitcase.

  “I promise it’s all there,” Edward said, as she opened the bag and went through the contents. She’d never seen so much money before, especially not such crisp one-thousand-dollar bills.

  “I’m sure you’ll understand
Rachel’s need to verify the amount,” Nick said, standing over her as if worried the bank manager himself was in on the kidnapping.

  “Of course,” Edward agreed, discreetly wiping more sweat from his brow.

  She focused on the task at hand. The thousand-dollar bills were bound in stacks of one hundred so it didn’t take long to validate the amount was correct. “Thanks again, Edward,” she said, as she rose to her feet, slinging the duffel bag strap over her shoulder.

  “We’d like to leave through the back door,” Nick announced.

  Edward nodded and led the way back out the vault, pausing long enough to close and lock both doors before he took them to the back of the bank.

  Nick stayed close to her side as they left the building and climbed back into the car. She crammed the duffel bag on the floor between her feet, too afraid to store it in the backseat. The minute they were settled, she pulled out her phone.

  “Wait just a minute, okay?” Nick said, putting a hand on her arm. “Let me call Jonah first.”

  The image of her son being hurt was impossible to ignore. It took every ounce of willpower for her to wait for Nick to call Jonah. He hadn’t even completed his call when she quickly texted the kidnapper, I have the money.

  Within seconds, her phone rang. Before she could push the button to answer, Nick whispered, “Put the call on speaker.”

  With trembling fingers she did as he directed. “This is Rachel.”

  “Go to the abandoned barn located twenty miles outside the city near the intersection of Highway F and Highway 93 in exactly one hour,” the mechanically distorted voice directed. “Come alone or your son will pay the price.”

  Rachel swallowed hard. “I’ll be there,” she whispered, never doubting for one moment the kidnapper would make good on his threat.

  If he hadn’t hurt Joey already.

  EIGHT

  Nick watched the blood drain from Rachel’s face, leaving her pale and shaking. He wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms and offer comfort, but this wasn’t the time or the place. Right now, they had to get to the abandoned barn as soon as possible, if they were going to be successful in getting Joey back.

  He called Jonah, repeating the kidnapper’s directives. “I’m not sure where this place is, but we need to take only one car, as it doesn’t sound like there’s a lot of cover,” he told his friend. “And, if you don’t mind, it might be best if we take your car to change it up a bit. Rachel and I have been driving around town in mine, and the kidnappers might recognize it. What do you think, buddy?”

  “Sounds good.” Jonah quickly gave him directions to where he was parked at his hotel on the edge of town and they agreed to meet there in less than ten minutes.

  “It’s almost over, Rachel,” he said, reaching out to squeeze her hand before he put the car in gear and drove away from the bank. “We’re going to get Joey back.”

  “I’m so scared,” she whispered. “There are so many things that could go wrong.”

  “Try not to think of the worst-case scenario,” he advised, knowing that was his job.

  “I won’t. But I’ll be glad when this is over.”

  He didn’t bother pointing out that even if they managed to get Joey back unharmed, the nightmare might not be over. There was no guarantee the kidnapper would simply disappear once this exchange was completed. Especially since Morales was nothing more than a hired thug, doing what he was told. Whether the source of the kidnapping was the Mafia or someone related to her company, Rachel and Joey could still be in danger.

  And of the two scenarios, he still found himself leaning toward the possibility that this was all somehow connected to her company.

  He slowly unclenched his hands from the steering wheel. He needed to keep a cool head. Right now, it was best to focus on the upcoming swap. Later, there would be plenty of time to think about who was behind this.

  The moment he pulled into the hotel parking lot, they quickly switched vehicles. Rachel lugged the duffel bag of money and Jonah handed the keys to Nick, choosing to climb into the backseat.

  Nick quickly introduced the two and then started the engine. “Pleased to meet you, Rachel,” Jonah Stewart said as he buckled himself in.

  Rachel tried to smile, but it wasn’t much of one. “Thanks for helping us.”

  “I don’t mind at all. We’re going to get your son back, Ms. Simon,” Jonah said reassuringly.

  “Please, call me Rachel.”

  Nick listened to their brief conversation as he drove, pushing the speed limit as much as he dared while following the directions leading them to the designated meeting spot. The GPS took them directly out of town, into farm country. As the traffic thinned, he pushed his speed even further, wanting to make good time.

  The kidnapper hadn’t chosen the location or the tight timeline by accident. Clearly the guy didn’t want to give them too much time to prepare. And Nick absolutely didn’t want to get there after the kidnappers were already there. He was hoping that the perpetrators might have to pick up Joey first, before meeting them, which would give them the time they needed.

  A half hour would be nice, but he’d take less time if he had to. They would need every second to get the lay of the land. And to get Jonah hidden someplace nearby where no one would see him.

  “Dear Lord, please keep my son safe in Your care,” Rachel whispered.

  Her quiet prayer caught him off guard, but he quickly joined in. “And, Lord, please guide us and give us strength as we fight to get Joey back safe and sound.”

  “Amen,” Jonah said from the backseat. Rachel glanced over her shoulder at Jonah in surprise.

  Nick reached over and squeezed her hand. “Jonah is a believer, too.”

  “Good to know,” she said in a soft voice. “I feel like I need all the help we can get.” There was a slight pause before she asked, “Does praying always make you feel calmer?”

  “Absolutely,” he agreed. “Sharing my burdens with God always helps me feel better.”

  “I wish I knew more about God and faith and prayer,” Rachel said. “I feel like I’m not worthy of His help.”

  “You are worthy, Rachel, and so is Joey. But if you’d really like to learn more, I’d be honored to teach you.” He didn’t want to push her too hard, but he was thrilled that she had opened her heart and her soul to God and faith. “Once we have Joey back, I’ll be happy to study the Bible with you.”

  “After we have Joey back,” Rachel repeated. “I’m going to hold you to that, Nick.” She was twisting her hands together in the way he knew meant she was worrying again.

  “We’re going to be okay, Rachel,” Jonah chimed in from the backseat. “God will guide us through this. We’ve been in other tight spots before, right, Nick?”

  “Right,” Nick agreed drily.

  There was so much more he wanted to say, but off in the distance he caught sight of an abandoned barn at the end of what looked to be a hard-packed dirt road. That must be the meeting place. His heart sank as he realized it was out in the middle of a wide-open space, where it would be difficult to hide any backup.

  “Take a look, Jonah,” he said, gesturing toward the barn. “They sure didn’t leave us many options.”

  “We’ll find something,” Jonah replied with confidence. “I doubt they’re going to take the time to search the entire barn. I suspect they’ll make this a quick exchange and get out of Dodge.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Nick muttered, pushing down harder on the accelerator. He couldn’t help constantly looking at the clock on Jonah’s dashboard. It seemed that time was slipping away from them.

  The kidnappers would be there in forty-two minutes. Unless, of course, they decided to show up early. In that case, there was no way to judge how much time they had to prepare.

  * * *

/>   Rachel’s stomach hurt so badly she feared she might be sick. She took several deep breaths and wrapped her arms tightly across her middle. She could do this.

  She had to do this.

  The big dilapidated barn loomed ominously as they approached. This was it. The moment she’d been waiting for and dreading at the same time. In less than forty minutes the kidnappers would drive up with her son, demanding money in exchange for his freedom.

  Please, Lord, please keep Joey safe!

  The calm she’d felt before after praying seemed to have deserted her now. Maybe because her prayers betrayed the depth of her desperation. Despite Nick’s reassurances that she was worthy, she couldn’t help feeling that maybe God thought she was a big fraud. But she hoped He wouldn’t punish her son for her previous lack of faith. She took another deep breath.

  Nick backed up the dirt road so that the car was facing outward toward the road. The minute he shut off the car, he and Jonah jumped out to see what they had to work with.

  She was still trying to pull herself together. But when she stared down at the duffel bag, she realized she couldn’t sit here. She had to be in the driver’s seat, as if she’d just driven here by herself. Swallowing hard, she shoved open the door, hauled the duffel bag up so that it was on the seat, and then slammed the door.

  Nick had Jonah’s car keys, so she went to find him. She needed the kidnappers to believe she’d followed their instructions to the letter.

  The barn door was open only about a foot, so she turned sideways to slide inside. The interior was surprisingly dim. She’s expected it to be brighter considering there were several missing boards and glassless windows. The place reeked of fertilizer mixed with musty old hay, thanks to the piles that looked as if they’d been there untouched for years.

  Nick stood, looking up at the loft. She followed his gaze and gasped when she saw Jonah carefully going up a rickety old ladder that didn’t look strong enough to hold his weight.

  “Are you sure that’s safe?” she whispered.

  “Not really, but he insisted on giving it a try.”