Don't Tell (49 page)

Then he stopped. And laughed. Caroline’s blood ran cold despite her efforts at bravado. His hands came up and covered her nose and mouth. Instinct and self-preservation made her struggle to breathe, but he pulled her head back against his chest, pinning her in place. Cutting off her air.

„Don’t try to play with me, Mary Grace,“ he crooned in her ear. „You won’t like my rules. I can guarantee it.“ He pulled her against him, the back of her head against the hard wall of his chest, reminding her how strong and massive he was. She struggled to stay calm, but the room started to sway and bright lights started to twinkle before her eyes.

Then he released her and she gulped the air in. „You’ll do what I say. You’ll find a way to give me back my son. You’ll find a way to undo all the damage you’ve done.“ He trailed his fingertips down the side of her neck. „Just think. We’ll be a family again.“ His voice was mocking her. „We’ll go on picnics and play Scrabble on Wednesdays.“ He tightened his hold on her mouth and nose again and this time she straggled, trying to wiggle free, desperately trying for a single breath.

Just when the lights started to twinkle, he let her go again. She fell back, gasping like a drowning survivor. He tapped her chin with his forefinger, still behind her. „No marks, Mary Grace. I can do this over and over and over and not leave a single mark on your skin. You’ll agree to tell the police and everyone else that you stole my son and you’ve been an unfit mother.“

„No,“ Caroline spat the word. „Not as long as I still breathe. And if you kill me, you’ll never get Tom to believe you.“

His hands closed around her neck. „Robbie. His name is Robbie.“

Something deep inside drove her to push, to taunt him harder still. „His name is Tom. He’ll never be Robbie again. No matter what you do to me. He hates you. He loathes you.“ Caroline sucked in a breath wondering when the hands would tighten around her neck. „He will never, never be your son again. You forfeited any rights you have.“

His hands tightened, but she could still breathe. Barely. „I am his father. Any court will recognize my right to full custody.“

„Before or after they convict you for kidnapping and assault?“

He tightened his grip and Caroline gagged, then gasped when he loosened it once again. „They won’t charge me for anything,“ he said smoothly, right into her ear. „You contacted me and I met you in Chicago. You missed me; you felt guilty for all these years apart. You asked me to forgive you for the whore’s life you led all these years. I forgave you.“ Minor pressure on her windpipe had her gasping again. „Because I love you so, Mary Grace,“ he continued.

„You came with me willingly. You wanted to have a second honeymoon.“

Caroline almost defied him to explain away the little boy he’d kidnapped, but stopped herself just in time. Rob seemed to forget about Nicky from time to time – now, back when he found her by the window and when he’d grabbed her from the back of the van when they’d first arrived. He’d almost left Nicky all alone in me back of the van. If Nicky had gotten away, she didn’t want to be drawing attention to him now.

„I never had a first honeymoon,“ Caroline replied, steadfastly refusing to look at the door.

His hands covered her mouth and nose again. „You think you’re so smart. But you keep forgetting that I’m smarter.“ He jerked her head backwards and the room spun. Her lungs were burning. On fire. Then he leaned forward and whispered in her ear. Two words, a number and a name and her control splintered. Her resolve shattered.

Rob knew the address of Hanover House.

Max walked to the east side of the cabin, leaning heavily on his cane. The ground was soft. It had rained here recently. His cane kept getting stuck in red mud. Finally he reached the side of the cabin and he leaned up against it, listening at the window. He could hear a voice. One male voice, harsh and loud. He inched closer, close enough to peer in the window.

His heart stopped.

There she was, her back to him, tied to a chair. Bile rose in his throat. Then the fear set in. A man came into view, his mouth moving, his expression… rabid. Winters.

Max watched in frozen horror as Winters put his hands around Caroline’s neck. He could see the revolver stuck in Winters’s waistband. Max carried no gun. Where the hell was Lambert?

Max watched as Caroline shook her head and though he listened he couldn’t hear her voice.

Winters’s big hands tightened around Caroline’s neck. He was choking her. The bastard had tied her and was now choking her to death. His mind raced as he thought of a solution that wouldn’t put Caroline in greater danger.

Suddenly Winters leaned closer and Max reached for the window. He could think of nothing more than to charge. To break every bone in the bastard’s hands for touching one hair on her head.

Max stopped, mid-motion. Winters was speaking again, his hands covering her mouth. He was suffocating her. In agony Max stood watching, knowing a small sound could signal Winters to pull the gun out and… use it. Max watched and listened, hoping to catch him by surprise.

„Hanover House,“ Winters was saying and Max’s heart contracted. Winters knew about the shelter. „Nice place, I’m told. Who’s the director again? Dana, that’s her name. Great legs. Bet she’ll ride like a champion.“ His lip curled when Caroline struggled against him to no possible avail. „Didn’t like that? I guarantee she won’t either. She’ll think twice before helping any more women take children from their fathers. Hanover House. That piece of information will be of reasonably high value to every husband in the place.“

He released Caroline’s mouth and her head lolled back and Max could see her gasping for air. Winters again put his hands around her throat. „Imagine, Gracie, darlin’. Every one of those mothers, kids. They think they’re safe. Do you want to live with that on your conscience?“

Max watched her shake her head, so wearily.

„So you’ll… cooperate?“

Caroline felt her body sag. She was so tired. Could she obey him? Could she tell the world he’d never touched her? How could she not? She’d be risking Hanover House, where innocent women and their children huddled in fear of monsters just like Rob Winters. She couldn’t allow him access to Hanover House. It had to remain secret, protected above all else. Above her own safety, her own life.

She hesitated, wrestling with her thoughts, with her innermost values when he covered her nose and mouth and the room began to twinkle once again. Yes, the occupants of Hanover House were to be protected even above Tom’s life. She prayed her son would understand, that he’d find sanctuary with one of the many friends they’d made over the years. She prayed Tom could forgive her someday. Finally she nodded and Rob released his hands.

„Your word?“ He asked, his voice despicably triumphant.

She nodded, too exhausted even to gasp for air. She breathed slowly, heard her lungs wheeze as the air seeped in and out. Rob dropped her head and it fell forward like a puppet on a severed string.

He’d won. Nausea rolled in her stomach and she fought back the bile that threatened to suffocate her from the inside.

„Say it out loud, Mary Grace,“ he demanded, coming around to face her. „You will cooperate with me. You will obey me?“

Her mouth opened, formed the word, but no sound emerged. He grabbed her head, pressing her skull between his big hands. The pressure was almost too painful to bear.

„Out loud, Mary Grace,“ he gritted. „I want to hear it from your lying, deceitful mouth.“

She opened her mouth again, a whimper the only sound she could muster.

A loud shout shattered the mountain silence and in one movement Rob released her head and whirled around to the sound.

„Winters! I know you’re in there! Send my son out. Unhurt. Now.“

Caroline opened her eyes and saw Rob reach for his gun even as his face paled.

„Thatcher,“ he muttered. „You sonofabitch.“

Chapter Twenty-four

„Steven, dammit!“ Toni rushed up behind him as he stood in the cabin’s front yard, still quivering from his shouted challenge. „What the hell do you think you’re doing?“

„Getting my son back,“ Steven said loudly.

Toni grabbed him and hauled him back toward the trees. „This isn’t how to do it, Steven. Do you want him to hurt Nicky? What are you thinking?“

Steven hung his head, trying to control the frantic beating of his heart. „I’m thinking about my son inside that cabin.“ Desperation clawed at his insides. So close. His baby was so close. Twenty feet away. „I’m thinking about what Winters is doing every minute my son is in there.“ His voice shook. „Oh, God, Toni, he’s got my baby in there and I don’t even know if he’s still alive.“

Toni squeezed his shoulder, painfully, and Steven’s head shot up, his eyes blinking in surprise. She was staring at him, a cool determination in her eyes. „Get a grip on yourself, Steven.“ She looked over to where Detective Crowley was canvassing the wooded area to the far left of the cabin then checked her watch. „Where the hell is that hostage negotiator?“ She scanned the trees. „And where the hell is Jonathan?“

„And Hunter,“ Crowley added, coming up behind them.

„He’s in the car,“ Toni said, keeping her eyes on the cabin. „With the boy.“

„No, that’s David, the brother. I found footprints and depressions of a cane in the mud around the side of the house. Max Hunter is in the house.“ Toni breathed out a sigh. „Shit.“

He was in. His hip ached from climbing over the windowsill, but he was in. And he wasn’t leaving without Caroline. Gritting his teeth, Max swung his better leg over the windowsill, paused and pulled the other in behind him, making a soft thud as his feet hit the floor and he regained his balance. Caroline jerked to see behind her, unsuccessfully.

In two seconds Max was behind her and smoothed a gentle hand over her hair, felt her start of fear at his touch and damned Rob Winters to a violent and painful hell. He knelt on the floor and leaned forward even as he pulled a pocketknife from his pants pocket.

„I’m here. I love you,“ he breathed into her ear and she sagged back against the chair, letting her head rest against his. He made short work of the twine binding her wrists and she flopped to one side. He caught her in one arm and used the other to cut at the twine binding her ankles, then looked up at her face. His stomach pitched. He had to fight the urge to gag. The hand holding the pocket knife fisted, holding the knife as he might a dagger, for a moment visualizing cutting Winters’s heart out of his broken, bleeding body.

Her face…

He’d bruised and bloodied her. He’d scratched and cut her.

He hurt her. Oh, God.

„Caroline,“ he whispered, his heart in his throat.

She closed her eyes, but not before he saw the shame there.

„I’m sorry,“ she mouthed, unable to force the words from her sore throat.

Rage burned, so intense he had to shut his eyes against the strength of it.

„You’re still beautiful,“ he whispered, lightly brushing his fingertips against an unbruised area at her temple. „I love you.“

She fell forward, letting him take her weight. Still on his knees he wrapped his arms around her and eased her to the floor. Her hand, her poor abused hand, reached up and clasped his neck, pulling him down so that his ear touched her mouth.

„Tom?“

„He’s fine. David’s got him.“

Relief shuddered through her body. She pulled him down again. „No phones here. We can’t call for help.“

Max shook his head. „Don’t worry. I brought a police detective with me.“

Her shoulders sagged in relief. „Thank you.“ She tried to smile, then winced in pain.

Winters was a dead man. Max wasn’t sure how, but he was sure. He drew a breath, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer to his next question.

„Did he… Did he…?“ He stopped.

Caroline shook her head, only a few inches each direction. „He tried. He couldn’t.“

The wave of relief nearly knocked him over. „Can you walk?“ he whispered.

She drew a breath and worked her fingers to get the circulation moving. „My feet,“ she whispered. „They’ve been tied since yesterday.“

Max took one foot and began to massage it vigorously. „We need to hurry.“

„Max?“

He looked up, still working her foot. „What, sweetheart?“

„The little boy, Nicky. Is he okay?“

Max shook his head and took her other foot. „I don’t know, Caroline. Detective Lambert thought he was still in here.“

„I can’t leave him here, Max,“ she whispered. When he looked up her eyes were clear and resolute. „He’s just a baby. He’s not more than six.“

Max sighed and continued working her circulation. „Let’s get you out of here and then I’ll worry about Nicky.“

She grabbed his hand, stilling him from his task. „Do you promise? I have to know he’s safe.“

Max met her eyes. No longer did he see shame, but the strength of purpose Dana had described. Here was the woman that ran for her very life to save her own child. She couldn’t leave another. She wouldn’t be Caroline if she could. „I promise, sweetheart. Now we need to hurry.“

„Dammit, get down!“

Toni’s warning came a split second after splintered bark came showering down on Steven’s head. He hunkered down, a skinny tree his only shield.

„He’s escalated this thing, Steven,“ Toni muttered, hunkered down beside him. She eased herself to her stomach and pulled her gun from her shoulder holster. „Thanks for telling him we’re here,“ she added sarcastically.

Steven followed her lead, laying himself prostrate on the ground. She was right. She was absolutely one hundred percent right. He’d fucked up and his son and an innocent woman might suffer. „I’m sorry, Toni,“ he said, his humility sincere. „You’re right. What should we do next?“

Toni lifted her head a fraction of an inch and glared at him. „We – as in you and me – do nothing. I’ll attempt to talk him out. God help me if he knows about the riots downtown. If he does, we could be talking about dealing with his demands of safe passage out of the country.“ Toni sighed quietly. „And you know we won’t do that, don’t you, Steven?“

Steven nodded dully, his head like lead on the end of his neck. „I know.“ He laid his head down and felt a rock piercing his cheek, but he didn’t care. „What was I thinking, Toni?“