Matt ripped the gun out of its holster and bolted across the bedroom. He hesitated. Charging in there with guns blazing wasn’t going to help any of them. A squeak from Eli drew his attention to the sleeping child.
He had to be smart about this. Needed to know what he was dealing with before he took aggressive action.
Cracking the door open, he peered into the living room. Instead of multiple men storming the cabin, the bearded guy stood behind Jenna with a gun to her back. He was dragging her toward the front door.
“Tell them you’re friends with the owner,” the bearded guy ordered.
So these were not his men? Interesting.
“The owner?” Jenna seemed out of it, disoriented. She stumbled as she reached the door, bracing herself with an open palm against the sturdy wood.
“Don’t mess up,” the bearded guy growled.
“Where’s Joey?” she asked.
“Who?”
“I mean Eli—where’s Eli?” She snapped around to glare at the guy.
Pretty gutsy.
“Your friend’s got him in the other room.”
She started to look toward the bedroom, but the guy smacked the back of her head with an open palm.
“Hey!” she shouted.
Matt would certainly need to pray for self-control if he ever got this jerk alone.
“Everything okay in there?” a muffled voice called through the main door.
Matt gripped the gun. Watching, waiting. He was ready.
She opened the cabin door. “Yes?”
“Ma’am, I’m Officer Patterson with the county PD. Do you live here?”
“No, I’m…I’m visiting my friend, Marcus.”
“Is everything okay? You look—” he paused “—upset.”
“I…I was asleep.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to have disturbed you.”
“That’s okay.”
Matt hoped the cop would leave so he could take care of the bearded guy without putting the cop in danger.
“Ma’am, are you alone?”
“No, my friend Matt is here with me.”
“May I meet him, please?”
Jenna glanced over her shoulder at the assailant.
Matt held his breath. Now what? If Matt came out of hiding, the bearded guy would shoot the cop and possibly Jenna.
The bearded guy eased his gun into the back of his jeans and opened the door wide. “Officer,” he greeted the policeman.
“Matt…?”
“Tomlin.”
Yet he’d identified himself as Veck when he’d called for backup.
“The storm’s not letting up for at least forty-eight hours,” the cop said. “I hope Marcus left a fully stocked pantry.”
Something felt off about the conversation. Matt wondered if the cop was a rookie, unable to sense danger. He continued to stand there, making small talk.
Behind him, Matt heard the window slide open. He shut the bedroom door and spun around, aiming his weapon at a man on the other side of the window. The guy pressed his forefinger to his lips, indicating they should be quiet. Matt didn’t lower his weapon.
The man, midthirties with dark hair and eyes, climbed through the window and gazed down at the sleeping boy.
“That must be Eli,” he whispered, and then looked at Matt. “I see you found my favorite piece. Under the bed frame on the right side?”
Matt lowered the weapon. “Marcus?”
He nodded, peeled back a rug and popped open a hidden door. He pulled out a duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder. “Officer Patterson’s a friend. He’s supposed to figure out how many guys broke into my place.”
“You knew they broke in?”
“Got an alert on my phone. What are we looking at?”
“One guy, not afraid to kill.”
“Neither am I.”
“My priority is to protect the woman and child.”
“Me too. When Patterson leaves, go back into the living room and protect the woman. Eli will be safe in here. I’ll take care of the rest.”
Marcus motioned for the gun. “My piece?”
Matt shook his head, still not a hundred percent sure this guy was solid.
“You can’t take that into the living room,” Marcus said.
Matt studied him but didn’t give up the gun.
“You don’t trust me. Fair enough,” Marcus said. “Just know I’m really good at what I do.” He climbed out the window and disappeared into the dark night.
A few minutes later, the vibration from the front door slamming indicated Officer Patterson had left. Matt placed the gun on top of a row of books just as the door to the bedroom opened.
Jenna stepped inside, but only partially. The thug was holding on to her arm. “Is Eli okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, he’s sleeping.” Matt went to her and squeezed her hand. “Everything’s fine.”
She still seemed out of it. The thug released her and motioned them to the sofa. Once there, Matt put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. She didn’t fight him. The sound of a snowmobile echoed through the window.
“She’s a smart girl,” the bearded guy said. “She followed orders.” He glanced out the window.
“I woke up and Eli wasn’t here.” Jenna looked into Matt’s eyes. “You weren’t here.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Eli needed to sleep. He’s one tired little tiger.”
“I should have been awake. I should have helped you.”
“Rest is the best thing for a concussion. A wise person once told me that.”
They shared an awkward smile, remembering when Jenna had given Matt that very advice after he’d been assaulted at the truck stop.
“What if he wakes up?” Jenna said, glancing over her shoulder at the bedroom door.
“He’s out. Trust me.”
She nodded and repositioned her head against his shoulder. He pulled her tighter against him, readying himself for whatever Marcus was planning.
* * *
The anxiety that pinged through Jenna like a pinball seemed to wane the longer she leaned against Matt—a good thing because she needed to find clarity, and she needed to get grounded again. Her head injury had messed up her thinking, like it had years ago after Anthony took out his rage on her.
When she’d awakened earlier she’d been snagged by a memory: She was in the hospital crying out for a son she’d never know on this earth.
Anger bubbled up inside her. She would not let this vile bully hurt Eli. She started to sit up, but Matthew whispered, “Shh, it’s going to be okay.”
She studied his warm blue eyes, eyes that radiated hope and faith. How was he able to do that?
“How’s your head?” he asked.
“It aches but I’m okay, I think.”
The lights clicked off and they were suddenly plunged into darkness. Matt rolled them both onto the floor and shielded Jenna by wrapping his body around her.
“Get over here.” The bearded guy scrambled across the cabin and tried to grab Jenna, but couldn’t get past Matthew.
She heard Matthew grunt as the guy kicked him, but Matt wasn’t letting go.
The cabin door slammed against the wall.
A gunshot rang out.
She yelped.
“It’s okay,” Matthew said against her ear.
Heart pounding with panic, she closed her eyes.
Tried to pray.
She couldn’t remember any scripture, anything that could help calm her nerves.
“Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you,” Matthew said, as if he sensed her need to reach out to God.
She repeated the phrase in her mind over and over during what felt like hours of a violent struggle.
Then, just as suddenly, silence blanketed the room.
“You guys okay?” a man asked.
The lights clicked on.
“Looks like you’re just fine,” the guy said with a touch of humor in his voice.
Matthew released Jenna and helped her sit up. They both leaned against the sofa.
A stranger stood beside the door, his boot resting on the bearded guy’s back. The thug’s wrists were bound and he grunted in protest.
“Jenna,” Matthew said. “This is Marcus.”
“Marcus, wow.” She glanced around the room, noting the overturned chairs and broken lamp. “How did you…?”
He pointed to goggles on the top of his head. “Night vision.” He glanced at the thug. “Didn’t stand a chance.”
Jenna cocked her head. She thought she heard…
Yep. Eli was crying.
“Go ahead,” Matt said.
That’s when she realized he was holding her hand. It felt natural and comforting.
It felt good.
“Thanks,” she said, but didn’t want to let go.
He released her hand. “Hope I didn’t crush you.”
“You didn’t.” In truth, she’d felt safer than she had in a long time. Thanks to a man’s protection. She never thought she’d feel that way. Ever.
“Want me to check on him?” Matthew offered, probably wondering about her hesitation.
“No, I’m good.” She glanced at Marcus. “Thanks for the save.”
“Sure. So what’s going on with my cousin Chloe?”
Jenna’s safe feeling was ripped out from under her. “She…”
“I’ll explain everything,” Matthew said. “Go to Eli.”
“Thanks.” She didn’t want to relive the memory, the fear.
Fear. She needed to seriously deal with that emotion so it wouldn’t consume her every thought, especially if she was about to comfort a child.
She opened the bedroom door and went to Eli. She touched his lips with the Binky, which had fallen out of his mouth. He latched on to it, but still whimpered.
She wasn’t sure what the official pacifier rules were regarding at what age a child should relinquish it, but she figured he deserved every comfort she could offer considering the circumstances.
“Bubba, my bubba,” she said, making up a song. “I love my baby bubba.” She stroked his cheek with the stuffed animal. He rolled onto his side and grabbed the bear. Jenna continued to sing, and Eli kept sucking on his pacifier. His eyelids drifted closed.
The gunshot must have awakened him. Poor child. She hoped he didn’t have nightmares from everything that was happening.
For half a second she wondered if she was doing the right thing, or if she should take Eli back to his father.
Gary is a monster, Chloe had said.
Jenna had experienced her share of those, yet couldn’t remember ever experiencing kindness from a peaceful, compassionate man.
Until now.
Until Matthew.
As she sang to Eli, she wondered what would happen next. The bearded guy’s associates were still on their way, which made Jenna, Matthew and Eli easy targets. They should flee the cabin and take refuge elsewhere. How long could they keep running, and how would they escape with a snowstorm barreling down on the countryside?
Panic threatened to take hold. Then she remembered Matthew’s words: Casting all your care upon Him…
Yes, that’s what she’d do. She’d surrender her worry to God.
As she stroked the little boy’s hairline, she continued to whisper sweet words.
“Precious little boy, you are so very loved.”
For the briefest of moments, she thought she felt a flicker of love from God touch her heart.
…for He careth for you.
She considered the last few hours, how she’d survived a car accident and being held hostage. How Marcus showed up in time to help them, and the incredible peace she’d found in Matthew’s arms.
Was God looking out for her? Had her subconscious prayers, in fact, been answered?
With a sigh and a squeak, Eli rolled onto his tummy, his butt up in the air, clutching the white bear against his cheek. She covered him with the blanket and stroked the back of his head, humming softly.
Thank you, God, for protecting this beautiful child.
As the minutes passed, she was distracted by the sound of low male voices drifting from the other room. She took a deep breath, finding strength to deal with Marcus’s grief when she rejoined them. Could God help with that as well? Could He help her be there for Marcus without the man’s grief pulling Jenna down into the darkness?
That’s when it hit her that all these years since she’d left Anthony, she’d been running from darkness and grief, from any and all conflict. Yet, along with joy, these were a part of the human experience. She admitted she hadn’t truly dealt with the darkness haunting her—she hadn’t dealt fully with her violent past, which meant she hadn’t healed and couldn’t move on.
The past would haunt her indefinitely. As long as she allowed it to.
In essence, she was letting Anthony control not only her present, but also her future.
That thought made her angry, but in a good way. It wasn’t a victim-like anger, it was a warrior-type outrage, the kind that builds strength from within, inspires a person to stand up for herself and not back down from a fight.
To not back down from fear.
Convinced Eli had drifted off into a sound sleep, Jenna slid off the mattress. She made a makeshift wall around the edge of the bed with pillows and blankets. Standing up, she hovered beside the little boy and felt a surge of strength pour through her.
Strength, determination and courage.
She quietly crossed the room, hesitated at the door and took a deep breath. “Please, God, help me be strong.”
For Eli, for Marcus and for herself.
She stepped into the living room and gently shut the door behind her. Matthew was sitting at the kitchen table. The bearded thug and Marcus were gone.
“Officer Patterson took him into custody,” Matthew said, in answer to her unspoken question.
“And Marcus?”
“Helping escort the guy to Patterson’s patrol car. It’s parked on the main road.”
“Do we need to leave?”
“Not right away. Marcus and I checked the assailant’s text messages. His men were delayed by weather. We sent a response text from our bearded friend claiming that he was able to get his car out after all and he’s on his way. That’ll buy us some time.”
“His car?”
“Apparently you blocked it when you banked the truck.”
“Oh, right. I’m not sure how much damage I did to Ed’s truck. Sorry.”
“Come sit down.” Matthew motioned to her. “Coffee’s brewing, or tea if you’d prefer.”
“I’ll get some in a minute.” She crossed the room and placed her hand on Matthew’s shoulder. “Thank you, again, for everything.”
She wondered if he sensed that her gratitude went far deeper than saving her and Eli’s lives, that he’d been able to do something she didn’t think possible—offer her peace.
“That sounds ominous,” Matthew said.
She searched his blue eyes. “What do you mean?”
“It sounds like you’re saying goodbye.”
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
But they both knew the goal had been to find Marcus, who would take over protecting Jenna and Eli.
“How’s Eli?” Matthew changed the subject.
“Good, asleep.” She shifted onto a chair next to him. “He’s such a trooper.”
“That he is. And you?”
She absently touched her forehead where she felt a bruise forming. “I have a little bit of a headache, but my vision’s okay.”
“That’s not what I meant. Who’s Joey?”
“Joey.” She hesitated. “Joey was my unborn son. He died after Anthony shoved me down the stairs.”
Matthew touched her hand. “I am so sorry, Jenna.”
She nodded.
“Anthony went to jail for homicide?” he asked.
“No, aggravated domestic battery.”
“But you lost your child.”
“I needed to extricate myself from his abuse as quickly as possible and wanted to avoid a public trial. He wouldn’t plead guilty to homicide, but agreed to plead guilty to domestic battery. He spends three years in jail in exchange for a quick divorce. I wish the pain had been quick as well, but it will always linger.”
He squeezed her hand in a compassionate gesture. But she didn’t want this to turn into a pity party. “Did you tell Marcus about Chloe?”
“Yes. He blames himself for not taking her more seriously.”
“What do you mean?”
“She sent him an email last week stating she wanted to flee with Eli.”
“And he ignored her?” she said, unable to keep the judgment from her voice.
“According to Marcus, Chloe tended to be dramatic at times.” He glanced at Jenna. “Did you find that to be true?”
“I suppose a little, but that doesn’t negate her feelings.”
“Agreed. Yet if someone constantly sounds the alarm, after a while people start to hear nothing but white noise.” He pursed his lips.
“Why do I sense you’re speaking from personal experience?”
Matthew shrugged. “I think the coffee’s ready. Or did you want tea?”
“Tea would be great.”
He went to the hot water kettle and she watched him scoop instant coffee into two mugs, put a teabag in a third and pour hot water into all three. He rejoined her at the table and slid the tea in front of her.
“Thanks.” She wrapped her fingers around the mug. “So, we were talking about overly dramatic people who cry wolf. Does that have anything to do with—” she hesitated “—Sarah?”
He snapped his gaze to meet hers, but she didn’t see anger there or even irritation. Sadness dulled his blue eyes instead.
“I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.” She dipped her teabag in and out of the mug a few times.
“How did you know about Sarah?”
“When you were injured at the truck stop, you said her name. You apologized to her.”
He stared into his coffee. “She was my almost fiancée.”
“Almost?”
“The night I’d planned to propose, she got in a car accident and died.”
“Oh, Matthew.” She reached over and touched his hand wrapped around the coffee mug.
“At the time, I blamed myself,” he said.
“What? Why?”
“The night I proposed, we got in a fight and she tore off in a crazy state. She wasn’t paying attention to the road, was driving too fast for the conditions and got hit by a truck.”
“Why would you blame yourself?”
“I should have been more considerate of her feelings, I guess. Instead, I thought she was being selfish and overreacting.”
“To what?”
“My job, how dangerous and demanding it is. When I worked an undercover assignment, I could go months without seeing her and she’d worry herself into a state. She knew when we started dating what she was signing on for, and I think she liked it, being able to say she was dating an FBI agent. I never pretended to be a nine-to-five kind of guy.” He glanced up at Jenna. “Sorry. I don’t know why I’m telling you all this.”
“I’m glad you are.” She squeezed his hand, encouraging him to continue.
“Anyway, I thought a marriage proposal might help ease her fears, but instead she lost it. Started shouting about two people making a marriage, not one, that she’d be raising our children on her own, that she’d have to give up her career as a physical therapist. I thought I was doing the right thing by proposing…” His voice trailed off.
“Of course you were. You loved her.”
He glanced at Jenna with regret in his eyes. “I should have gone after her that night.”
“You couldn’t have prevented the accident.”
“No, but I could have stopped her from leaving in such a crazed state.”
“We all have regrets about what might have happened if we’d made a different choice.”
He nodded and sipped his coffee.
“May I ask, why didn’t you stop her? I don’t mean that to sound judgmental.”
He shook his head. “I spent a year and a half asking myself that same question, praying on it, praying for forgiveness.”
“Did you get it?”
“Yes, but I had to face an ugly truth. I was actually relieved she wanted to break up. And then…well, I had to admit that we weren’t meant to be together, but I couldn’t bring myself to break up because she needed me, she needed someone with integrity, someone to take care of her. She’d been emotionally damaged by her father and other men in her life. I didn’t know that until we were together for a couple of months. She was good at hiding her emotional scars with humor.”
Jenna wondered if that’s why Matthew had assigned himself as her protector, because he had a driving need to protect women.
“Do you still blame yourself for her accident?” Jenna asked.
“Actually, no.” He sat back in his chair. “I’ve learned you can’t control other people’s choices, but you should pay close attention to what’s going on, you know, be present.”
“That’s what I was doing with Chloe when she came to see me.”
“You’re a good friend,” Matthew offered.
“Maybe.”
Matthew cocked his head in question.
“A better friend would have been able to save her life,” she said.
“In those circumstances you would have been overpowered. There’s nothing you could have done.”
Jenna shrugged. A few seconds of silence stretched between them. It wasn’t uncomfortable silence, but contemplative.
“What happens next?” she asked. “Will you be heading back to the community center?”
“You’re that anxious to get rid of me, huh?” He winked.
On the contrary, she dreaded the moment he left her and Eli, even though she was confident in Marcus’s ability to protect them.
“I assumed once we found Marcus that you’d go back to your normal, undercover life,” she said. “That sounded weird, didn’t it?”
That charming half smile tugged at his lips. “Let’s confer with Marcus before we make our next move. He knows the area and the local law enforcement, and he’s obviously pretty good with strategy.”
Marcus reentered the cabin, tapping his boots on the rug by the door. “The guy’s name is Brian Veck. Mean anything to either of you?”
“No,” Matthew said.
Jenna shook her head.
“Patterson will run him through the database to see if anything pops.” Marcus shucked his jacket and hung it on the coatrack. “He’s charging Veck with breaking and entering, kidnapping, assault and attempted murder.”
“Attempted murder?” Jenna echoed.
“Yeah, he tried to kill me—oh, wait, you didn’t see it because the lights were out.” Marcus smiled.
“Your coffee’s on the counter,” Matthew said.
“Thanks.” Marcus grabbed the mug and leaned against the kitchen counter. “I still can’t believe what happened to Chloe.”
“I’m so sorry, Marcus,” Jenna said.
“What did she get herself into?”
“I think it’s related to a money-laundering case I’m working on,” Matthew offered.
“She left me a voice mail about wanting to leave Gary, but I was running a protective detail for a family overseas and had to stay focused. I emailed her that I’d get in touch when I returned to the States.” He shook his head. “I can protect complete strangers, but can’t even take care of my own family.”
“No one could have known her life was in danger,” Jenna said. “I certainly didn’t.”
“Why Chloe?” Marcus glanced at Jenna, and she had to steel herself against his painful expression.
“I think her husband was involved in the money laundering somehow,” Matthew said.
“Okay, but why kill her?” Marcus pressed.
“She probably knew too much. Either she heard something or saw something she shouldn’t have,” Matthew said.
“She was certainly scared when she came to see me,” Jenna said.
“And now it sounds like your life is in danger.” Marcus nodded at Jenna. “But what do they want with Eli?”
“Gary obviously wants his son back,” Jenna said.
“Not happening, not if he’s in any way responsible for my cousin’s death.” Marcus turned to Matthew. “You’re going after Gary, right?”
“That’s why I was undercover at the foundation’s office, to determine who was involved and find evidence to support our case.”
“Then you need to get back there and put the guy away. I’ll protect Jenna and Eli.”
Matthew glanced at Jenna and she nodded her approval of the plan, even though her heart panged with the anticipated loss of a good friend.
A friend? Really, Jenna?
“Is that what you want?” Matthew asked her.
No, of course not.
“Yes,” she said. “If it will put an end to the threat against Eli.”
Matthew ripped his gaze from Jenna and addressed Marcus. “I figure we’ve got until tomorrow morning before they come looking for Veck.”
“I’ll keep watch tonight. I’m jet-lagged anyway, so night is my daytime. You two get some sleep.”
“I’ll get the portable playpen from the truck for Eli, and Jenna can take the bed.” Matthew crossed the room and put on his coat.
It was almost like he needed to get away from Jenna, to put distance between them. He hesitated before opening the door, as if he wanted to say something to her. Instead, he left and shut the door behind him.
* * *
The next morning Jenna did her best to be strong as she played with Eli, even though her heart was breaking.
Matthew had left without saying a final goodbye. Once he’d clicked into agent mode, he apparently couldn’t be distracted by feelings that had grown between him and Jenna.
Or maybe she was kidding herself and the feelings were one-sided.
No, they’d obviously grown close or else he wouldn’t have opened up so completely about Sarah’s death. He’d claimed that he had forgiven himself for the accident, but Jenna wasn’t so sure.
For one thing, she was puzzled by the idea of self-forgiveness.
Marcus entered the cabin. “Looks like a good day ahead. Sun’s shining. Main road’s clear. I’m able to track Veck’s main contact through his phone. They’re a solid six hours away.” He went to the kitchen. “I’ve got surveillance set up around the property so we’ll know if anyone’s coming.”
“That’s great,” she said, continuing to play blocks with Eli.
“Once we got the truck out of the snowbank, and changed the tire, it started up just fine. There was a little damage to the fender, but nothing serious. That was a good move, to block the drive so the thug couldn’t get out.”
“It wasn’t intentional.”
“Matt was sorry he missed you this morning. He hopes to get back to Cedar River by midday.”
“Good, that’s good.” Except good didn’t describe how she felt at this very moment.
“It’s normal, ya know.”
She glanced at him. “What’s that?”
“To develop a connection to someone who’s protecting you.”
“How did you…?”
“It’s my business, remember? Protecting people.”
“So I’ll stop missing him after a while?”
“Sure, no doubt.”
His response didn’t sound convincing.
“How’s my little cousin doing?” Marcus grabbed Eli and held him up like he was flying. Eli giggled and kicked his feet. Marcus put the boy down and tugged on his overalls. “Very stylish, dude.”
Eli giggled, turned and ran back to the coffee table to play with his blocks.
“What’s the plan?” she asked.
“My buddy has a place near the Idaho border. I’ll take you there and we’ll wait it out until we hear back from Matt.”
“I hope we’re not interfering with your work schedule.”
“No problem. I got it covered.”
He grabbed his phone and eyed the screen. “That’s not good.”
Jenna sat up.
He grabbed a pair of binoculars off a bookshelf and looked through the front window. “Whoa, you’ve gotta go.”
“Me, what about you?”
He calmly picked up Eli’s snowsuit and Jenna’s jacket. “Get the diaper bag.”
“Who’s here?”
He pinned her with steely dark eyes. “If you want to survive, you’ll need to follow my orders.”
She nodded and went into the bedroom to get the baby’s diaper bag. Although tempted to look out the window to see what was happening, she knew time was critical and that her best option was to follow Marcus’s orders.
When she reentered the living room, she noticed wooden boards were pulled up, exposing a hole in the floor by the fireplace.
“That’s my safe room,” he said, by way of explanation. “It opens to a tunnel that leads to the shed out back. Take Eli to the shed and wait until someone comes to get you. I’d suggest you use the snowmobile back there, but that’d be impossible to manage with a kid.”
“Wait, a safe room? With a tunnel?”
“The shed’s not heated, but you’ll be okay in your snow gear. I’ll text Patterson to retrieve you, okay?”
“But who’s out there?”
“Looks like the Feds, but I can’t know for sure. Go on,” he said calmly.
“But Marcus—”
“Chloe chose you to protect Eli because you’re strong, Jenna. You can do this.”
With a nod, she climbed down the stairs to the safe room and he handed her Eli. Then he tossed their snow gear down and pointed. “Switch is on the left.”
She felt around and flicked it on. A soft glow illuminated a room full of supplies, including weapons, food and water.
“Follow the tunnel to the shed,” Marcus repeated.
She glanced nervously toward the dark opening leading into the tunnel.
“Flashlight is by the entrance, see it?”
She nodded, but couldn’t speak past the fear tightening her throat.
“Oh, and Jenna—”
Pounding echoed from the front door.
“Go, go.” He shut the trap door.
She stared at it for a few seconds, gathering her thoughts…and her courage.
Please, God, give me courage.
With a sudden rush of purpose, she got Eli dressed in his snow jacket. She put on her own jacket and scarf, keeping a close eye on him as she fumbled around the small room.
“Let’s go, buddy,” she said.
She strapped Eli in the baby carrier, positioning him against her chest. “Ready for an adventure?” she said brightly, because she knew children sensed your emotions, your fear, and would react accordingly.
“Buh-buh,” he said. She grabbed the white bear out of the diaper bag and handed it to him. The little boy snatched it and giggled, burying his face into the soft fur.
She aimed the flashlight into the tunnel. “I can do this.”
The ground was covered with wooden planks that served as a floor, and the walls were braced with beams. A quick flash of it collapsing made Jenna hesitate for a moment.
With a determined breath, she stepped into the dark passageway, hearing Marcus’s words echo in her mind—Chloe chose you to protect Eli because you’re strong, Jenna.
“I am strong.”
As she forged ahead, she heard pounding from above, then the sound of men shouting, someone giving loud orders, and more pounding. She blocked out the distraction, determined to reach her goal: getting to safety and waiting for Marcus’s friend, Officer Patterson, to come get her.
In the meantime, she’d keep Eli happy and distracted in the shed. She pushed aside the thought that the men would come looking for her there.
“Isn’t this something, Eli?”
His eyes widened and he looked around. Fueled by determination, and love for this innocent child, Jenna focused on the ladder in the distance.
She picked up her pace, ignoring the walls that felt like they were closing in, the darkness barreling down on her from behind.
Approaching the end of the tunnel, she set the flashlight on the ground, pointing it upward. The beam illuminated a door up above.
“Here we go, buddy.” She ascended the ladder, hoping the door would easily open. She didn’t want to think about being stuck down here.
She tapped on the door. “Help Jenna, buddy.”
Eli reached out and tapped as well.
“One, two, three…”
She pushed it open with ease, and relief poured through her. She climbed up into the shed and took Eli out of the carrier. Shucking the diaper and her messenger bags, she scanned the shed for anything immediately dangerous to Eli. Because the supplies were locked in tall metal cabinets, it seemed pretty safe.
There was one window, facing the cabin, which had probably been designed for Marcus to keep an eye on what was happening if he ever needed to escape and hide out in here. A few minutes later, she noticed two dark SUVs driving away from the property toward the main road.
Driving away? Which meant…they’d taken Marcus?
Eli hugged her leg and let out a squeal. He was bored, or tired, or a little of both. It was about time for his midday nap. She put him back in the carrier, facing her.
“It’s okay, baby boy. Everything’s okay.”
If only Matthew were here.
No, she had to learn to take care of herself and Eli without Matthew’s help.
She rocked Eli from one side of the eight-by-eight shed to the other. He squealed and kicked his feet. She kept moving, humming, and he finally quieted down. She looked at his sweet face and realized he’d fallen asleep from the movement.
“We’ll be okay,” she whispered, stroking the back of his head.
She thought she heard a soft tap at the door. Officer Patterson had certainly arrived quickly.
She opened the door…
To the angry expression of Chloe’s husband, Gary.
“What are you—?”
“I’ll take my child now,” he demanded.