Guarded by the Soldier
Auteur
Laura Scott
Lezers
17,1K
Hoofdstukken
19
HarlequinONE
Olivia Habush closed and locked the office door, then shouldered her large zebra-striped bag before heading out the back door of the church. The early June evening was warm, and she resisted the urge to fan herself. Early summer in the quaint town of Harrisburg, Illinois, was much warmer than what she was used to when she’d lived in Madison, Wisconsin.
The edges of her oversize blouse flapped around her large pregnant belly as she made her way across the street. Mrs. Willa Bentley was watching over Olivia’s three-year-old son Aaron while Liv did her weekly Thursday-night bookkeeping job for the We Are One Church. As an accountant, she enjoyed working with numbers and it was the least she could do for the nice people who’d welcomed her with open arms.
Upon turning the corner, the hairs on the back of her neck rose in alarm. For the second time this week she had the distinct feeling she was being watched.
The Blake-Moore Group.
Was it possible the organization her late husband worked for had found her again, after all this time? Having overheard details about what the former soldiers belonging to the Blake-Moore Group had gotten involved in, she knew they were not to be trusted.
Resisting the urge to glance over her shoulder, she began to run, her movements awkward and clumsy because of her pregnant belly. Her oversize purse/diaper bag banged against her hip as she moved. The run didn’t last long, and she slowed to a fast walk while frantically looking for someone nearby.
But there wasn’t anyone around. For whatever reason, the streets of the Garden Ridge neighborhood were unusually vacant and quiet.
Liv pulled her phone from the front pocket of her bag, intending to call 911 despite her determination to avoid the police, but before she could push a button, large, strong hands roughly grabbed her from behind.
“No! Let me go!” She managed to get most of the words out mere seconds before a firm, calloused hand clamped hard over her mouth. Her phone fell uselessly to the ground with a loud clatter.
She couldn’t breathe!
Panic flared, paralyzing her with fear. They’d found her. After all this time, the men employed by the Blake-Moore Group, the men who’d turned her husband into a monster, had found her!
Dear Lord, help me!
Desperate to save herself and her unborn baby, she lashed out against her attacker with all her strength, kicking backward with her feet and scratching at every exposed inch of skin on his face and hands.
“Knock it off,” her attacker growled, his voice low and rough in her ear as his arm tightened painfully around her. “Or I’ll kill you right here and now.”
Kill her? No! This couldn’t be happening! She thought about her son, Aaron, and her unborn baby. Her eyes burned with helpless tears as her attacker easily subdued her feeble struggles and began to pull her backward, away from the streetlights and deeper into the shadows.
She stopped struggling, in an attempt to preserve her strength while reminding herself that she’d escaped once before and could do so again. Granted, that was six months ago, when she’d only just discovered she was six weeks pregnant instead of thirty-four.
How had they found her?
“Oomph.” The man holding her in his iron grasp abruptly let go. Still off-balance, Liv felt herself falling backward, even as she flailed her arms in an attempt to stay upright.
A pair of strong hands caught her before she could hit the ground, gently pushing her upright so that she was back on her own two feet. Her bag was somehow still on her shoulder and she hitched it higher, feeling relieved for a brief moment before realizing this could be another guy from the Blake-Moore Group.
“Let me go!” She shouted as loudly as she could, but the words came out like a weak croak. “Help! Police! Help me!”
“Olivia, please be quiet. We need to get out of here and pick up your son before this guy regains consciousness.”
The stranger’s use of her first name pulled her up short. She twisted out of his grasp and stared at his face, but he didn’t look familiar. She noted he was dressed from head to toe in black, making it easy for him to blend into the night. Then her gaze dropped to the body of a man lying on the ground, also dressed in black, apparently unconscious. The silver glint of a knife blade lying on the asphalt beside him caught her eye, making her swallow hard.
What was going on? Who were these men?
“Olivia, I’m not with the Blake-Moore Group,” the stranger continued in a tone she was sure he meant to be reassuring. “I’m here to keep you and your son safe.”
He knew about the Blake-Moore Group? And her son? Had he known her late husband, too? Questions flashed through her mind like laser beams, but she managed to pull out of his grasp, hitching her bag more securely over her shoulder then clutching the edges of her long blouse together like a shield over her belly.
She tucked a chin-length strand of dark hair behind her ear and bravely faced him. “I don’t know who you are, but I’m fine on my own.”
“You were fine on your own, until now,” the stranger agreed. The fact that he didn’t try to strong-arm her was confusing. She rubbed her hand over her belly, hoping he wouldn’t notice her nervous gesture. “But there are likely others on the way. We need to leave immediately. We’re running out of time.”
She instinctively shook her head, not wanting to go, yet deep down she knew he was right. She and Aaron couldn’t stay in Harrisburg any longer. Oddly enough, while they’d only been here for a little over two months, it already had begun to feel like home. Regret swelled in the back of her throat and it was all she could do to keep from bursting into tears.
Stupid hormones.
“My name is Ryker Tillman.” In the darkness she couldn’t see the stranger’s facial features clearly, but noted he was taller than Tim had been, with broad shoulders and short dark hair. He cupped a hand beneath her elbow. “Come on—we need to hurry.”
The name didn’t mean anything to her and frankly she wasn’t sure if that was good or bad. Ryker knew about the Blake-Moore Group, but claimed he wasn’t one of them. But he hadn’t said he was a cop, either.
Not that hearing he was a cop would have helped her relax. She’d trusted a cop once, but when he’d called the Blake-Moore Group, instead of backup, she’d realized he was in with them. Thankfully, she’d gotten away in time, and gone back on the run.
Nope, she wasn’t doing that again.
“I don’t know you and I don’t trust you.” She forced the words past her constricted throat. “Please leave me alone.”
“I can’t do that. They’re obviously coming for you.” Ryker urged her forward. “That guy was only the first. There will be more. Your son’s nanny is this way, correct?”
Wait, he knew where Willa Bentley lived? Where she and Aaron lived? As much as she wanted to pull out of his grasp, she knew there was no possible way she could outrun him. For a moment she glanced back at the man lying on the sidewalk.
The assailant had threatened to kill her. Ryker Tillman claimed he wanted to protect her.
Why? What was this all about? She didn’t know who or what to believe.
When she could see Willa’s duplex up ahead, she began to doubt the wisdom of going along with this stranger. “You knew my husband, then? Timothy Habush?”
There was a momentary hesitation before Ryker spoke. “No, not personally. I knew of him, as we both served in Afghanistan. But he joined the Blake-Moore Group when we returned stateside while I decided to go in another direction.”
To hear Ryker was former military wasn’t surprising, and far from reassuring. She didn’t want to be associated with another soldier. Her husband had once served with honor, but after his last tour of duty had ended, he’d decided to work for the Blake-Moore Group. After the first year, she’d known it was a mistake. The missions Tim had talked about were motivated by greed, not by doing what was right. When she’d overheard something about selling guns to the enemy, she’d felt sick at the realization Tim had sold out his country.
He’d sold out her, too. He’d been more interested in making money than having a family.
It had happened gradually, not all in one fell swoop. But one day, about a month before his death, she’d looked into his eyes and had seen nothing but a dull, flat emptiness.
His cold, dead eyes had scared her in a way nothing else ever had. Even now, the memory made her shiver.
She glanced up at the man at her side. It was too dark to see Ryker Tillman’s eyes. Did they look the same way? Had being in combat changed him, the way it seemed to have changed her husband?
Tim was dead and so was her brother, Colin. It was all so surreal, especially when Colin had dragged her and Aaron out of the house during breakfast shortly before Christmas, insisting Tim wanted them to go into hiding. But it wasn’t until she realized she and Aaron were locked in a small motel room that she understood they were being held prisoner under the guise of being safe.
Upon hearing the news that Tim was dead, she’d managed to escape Jeff, the guy Colin had ordered to watch over her. Oddly enough, the past several months being on her own with Aaron had felt liberating. Tim had become a coldhearted stranger to her, and when she’d discovered she was pregnant she’d worried about what her future, and the baby’s future, would hold. As she left the Madison area, she told herself that it was better to be on her own. If Tim had lived, she felt certain he would have treated the new baby with the same indifference that he’d displayed toward Aaron.
On her own, she’d managed to drive Jeff’s car to the closest town, then had been able to withdraw enough money from several ATMs. Her plan was to make her way south, seeking warmer weather. But her progress was slow. She’d stayed in one town for two weeks, the next town for three, the following one for two and so on. When she’d reached the charming town of Harrisburg, she’d liked it so much she’d decided to stay.
The two months she’d been here were wonderful. But now that the Blake-Moore Group had found her, the town was no longer safe.
She and Aaron would need to go on the run again.
As she walked down the street toward Willa’s house, the feeling of dread became suffocating.
How in the world would she manage to keep running once her baby was born?
Ryker could tell Olivia’s nerves were frayed and she was nearing her breaking point. There wasn’t much time. They needed to get out of town. Maybe head into the Shawnee National Forest. It wouldn’t be easy to hide off-grid considering Olivia’s advanced pregnancy and her three-year-old son, but there wasn’t another option.
The sooner they hit the road, the better.
He mentally kicked himself for letting that idiot get his hands on her in the first place. If he’d been quicker, he could have taken the guy out before he’d hurt her.
“I’m sorry.” The words came out of his mouth before he could stop them. “I should have gotten to you sooner.”
“You were following me?” The edge to her tone made him wince. But he wouldn’t lie to her.
“Yes. But only because I’d noticed the guy from Blake-Moore following you.” He’d been here for about two weeks, watching Olivia and her son from afar, shocked at first to discover she was very pregnant. He’d kept his distance, but then had gotten a glimpse of the mercenary following her.
The Blake-Moore Group was a team of former soldiers turned mercenaries who were highly paid to take on secret missions for anyone willing to fork up the asking price. In his opinion, they were motivated solely by greed, and that was enough to raise his suspicions.
About six months ago, he’d helped former army buddy Hawk Jacobson, his wife, Jillian, and their young daughter escape from the powerful man who’d hired the Blake-Moore Group to find and kill Hawk. Ryker had gladly helped arrest the man in charge and had assumed the group would have been disbanded.
But it seemed they were still afloat.
While helping Hawk with the investigation, he’d come across a scene at Tim Habush’s house that had concerned him. A half-eaten breakfast, and the mysterious and obviously rushed disappearance of Olivia and Aaron.
His first priority was to help Hawk, but once that was finished, Ryker hadn’t been able to get Olivia and Aaron out of his mind. It had bothered him that they were out there somewhere, likely scared and alone.
Vulnerable.
It hadn’t been easy to find her; she’d done well staying under the radar. It had been frustrating to discover she’d disappeared without a trace. He’d backtracked, trying to ascertain what he’d missed, when he’d finally stumbled upon a clue. One of the last ATMs she’d used had been located near a small used-car lot outside Chicago. When he’d questioned the owner, the older guy denied knowing anything, but later that night, Ryker had entered the unlocked office and found paperwork that showed Olivia’s car had been exchanged for an older model.
It was the break he’d been waiting for. With renewed vigor he’d gone back on the hunt, determined to find her. It had taken time, but that clue had finally led him here to Harrisburg, Illinois.
When he’d gotten his first glimpse of Olivia and Aaron, he’d felt a huge sense of relief to discover they were safe and unharmed. Yet he couldn’t seem to simply walk away.
Especially once he’d realized Olivia was pregnant.
“Listen, Mr. Tillman,” Olivia said as they walked up the short sidewalk toward the two-story house. “I really don’t think—”
“Ryker. Please call me Ryker.”
She let out an exasperated sound. “Ryker, then. I appreciate your willingness to help but Aaron and I can disappear easier on our own.”
He didn’t agree, but waited as she dug her key from the depths of a giant bag and inserted it into the lock. She opened the front door, and he followed her inside.
“Willa? I’m home,” she called.
The interior of the house seemed unusually quiet. From the little interaction he’d had with Hawk’s daughter Lizzie, he knew young kids tended to make noise.
“Willa?” There was a note of worry in Olivia’s tone.
He pulled his weapon, just in case. “What is it?” he asked in a low voice.
“She usually waits up for me.”
There was a light on in the kitchen, but the rest of the lower-level apartment was dark.
Every one of his senses went on full alert.
Something was very wrong.
“Stay behind me.” Ryker gently but firmly pushed Olivia behind him. He debated whether or not to tell Olivia to call the police, but decided to find out what they were dealing with first.
“Where is Aaron’s room?” he asked in a whisper.
“His room is upstairs next to mine,” she whispered back.
He nodded and made his way down the short hallway to the two bedrooms separated by a tiny bathroom. One bedroom door was open, the other was closed.
With his foot, he shoved the door hanging ajar all the way open. The room was apparently used as a guest room and appeared empty.
Behind him, Olivia sucked in a harsh breath and he knew she hadn’t expected the room to be vacant. He took a moment to check the closet and beneath the bed, before deeming the room clear.
He checked the bathroom next, but found nothing.
Testing the knob of the closed bedroom door, he found it wasn’t locked. Keeping Olivia behind him, he abruptly shoved the door open, then stepped back to wait.
Nothing happened. Leading with his weapon, Ryker cautiously crossed the threshold, then stopped abruptly when he saw the older woman lying on the bed.
After checking in the closet and beneath the bed to make sure there wasn’t anyone hiding in wait, he crossed over to feel for a pulse.
The nanny was dead.
“Willa!” Olivia’s horrified gasp indicated she knew the woman was gone. “Oh no! Where’s Aaron?”
“Olivia, please,” he tried but then he heard the sound of someone coming down the stairs. “Run away and call for help.”
“Not without my son!” She had her phone in her hand, but he knew any chance of help arriving would be too late.
“Go!” He pushed Olivia toward the door then quickly but silently crossed the living room into the kitchen, flipping the light off as he went. There was a side doorway that he felt certain led up to the second-story apartment.
He took up a defensive position behind the door, and waited, hoping the guy who likely had Aaron didn’t know that his cohort in crime had failed at kidnapping Olivia.
“Mommy! Mommy! I want my Mommy!” Aaron’s cries echoed high and shrill above the thumping footsteps coming down the stairs.
“Aaron! I’m here, baby, don’t worry!” Olivia’s voice rang out loudly and Ryker momentarily closed his eyes, wishing he’d handled things differently.
He should have gotten Olivia and Aaron out of the city the moment he’d found them.
Instead he may cause the very thing he’d been trying to avoid.
Getting them both killed.
The footsteps came closer and he instantly felt all his emotions drain away, a sense of cool calmness washing over him. Every one of his senses was keenly focused on the threat and what needed to be done.
The same eerie sense of control had always come over him when he faced death. Back in Afghanistan and back in December while he’d been helping Hawk.
From his position he could see that Olivia hadn’t left the duplex as ordered. He speared her with a stern look, but she ignored him. At least she was hovering near the doorway leading into the kitchen, somewhat protected behind the wall.
Except for her pregnant belly which was too large to hide.
He waved her back, but Olivia didn’t see him. Her eyes were glued to the doorway.
Steeling his resolve to get her and the boy out of this mess, he waited.
“Mommy, Mommy!” Aaron cried again. “Lemme go!”
Ryker sensed the man holding Olivia’s son was standing on the other side of the doorway, planning his next move. Ryker believed the perp was cowardly enough to use the child as a shield.
Which meant he’d have to find a way to take the guy out without harming the little boy.
His gut knotted with tension, but he kept his ears and eyes focused on the door. Ignoring the child’s cries wasn’t easy, but then he heard the barest whisper of sound.
He dropped his gaze to the doorknob and watched it slowly and silently turn. He mentally counted the seconds.
The door flew open. There was a long pause but Ryker was ready. He shot out from behind the door, bringing his gun hand down hard on the back of the perp’s head.
“No! Aaron!” Olivia cried.
The guy stumbled, but didn’t go down or let go of the child. Ryker grabbed his shoulder and hit him again just as Olivia rushed forward and grabbed for Aaron.
On some level he was aware of Olivia wrenching Aaron out of the perp’s grasp, even as the big guy groaned and turned toward Ryker. In a nanosecond Ryker saw the gun and fired.
The sound of twin gunshots echoed loudly through the kitchen, and a flash of pain along the upper part of his left leg made Ryker realize he’d been hit.
But he forced himself to ignore it. They had to move! Keeping Olivia and her son safe was all that mattered.
