she felt his touch all the way to her toes. Her heart squeezed tight.
Ryan swung his attention back to Christina. “Give me a location.”
Christina frowned. “I don’t know. They took her away.” She swung her gaze to Sharp. “But you know where she is.”
“She’s irrational. Don’t listen to her,” Sharp said, desperation reeked with every word.
“Tell them where they took her,” Christina screamed.
He shook his head. “You may have a death wish, but I don’t.”
“What makes you think they don’t already presume you’ve talked?” Ryan asked, his voice hard and uncompromising.
If anyone could get the information, it was him. Her respect and admiration for him tripled. He was a special man. A man worth allowing into her heart.
Sharp clamped his mouth tightly shut. Christina jumped up from her chair and flew at Sharp with her fingernails out like claws. Sharp yelped and tried to defend himself against the attack by covering his head with his hands and cowering. Ryan and Captain Gregson pulled Christina off the lawyer.
“Tell them!” Christina screamed as she continued to lash out at the air. “Tell them about how you broker sales. Tell them about the babies!”
Meghan’s reporter’s antennae rose high. Baby smugglers? Human trafficking. She’d been right. Christina had been into something a lot bigger than they’d imagined. Just how involved was she? She acted as if she were an innocent victim in all this but, if that were the case, then why run away with Georgina in the first place?
Sharp ran a hand over his jaw. “You’ve done it now.”
Ryan planted his feet wide and faced Sharp. He looked like a warrior ready to do battle.
“You’re both in way too deep,” Ryan said. “The only life preserver you’re going to get is if you cooperate and tell me who and what.”
“You’ll provide me protective custody?” Sharp asked, his face taking on a haggard appearance.
Funny how he didn’t include Christina in the bargain.
Ryan exchanged a glance with Gregson who gave a single nod. “Yes. Now tell me where the child has been taken.”
Sharp’s shoulders sagged beneath his designer suit. “All I have is an address in Queens.”
“It’s a start,” Ryan said.
Meghan ran for the door, praying with everything in her that this time they would be successful in their search for Georgina.
A little girl’s life depended on it.
The address in Queens the lawyer Sharp had given to Ryan turned out to be a rickety two-story house built in the ’20s. Dormer-style windows jutted out of the second floor roof like warts on a hag’s nose. Shutters hung off rusted hinges.
The place appeared deserted. The overgrown lawn needed a good mowing and the flower beds housed an abundance of weeds. No parked car to indicate a resident. All the window coverings were drawn closed and the high chain-link fence encircling the yard was meant to keep out unwanted intruders, not to keep a cute puppy dog or child contained.
But looks could be deceiving. Who knew what they would find inside? Hopefully, Georgina.
Antsy anticipation infused Ryan as he prepared himself to join the tactical team stationed at the end of the block. A white van sat parked at the curb, its back door open. Men donning flak vests hovered nearby, ready to invade the structure that supposedly housed a baby-smuggling ring.
Ryan broke away from the van to talk to Meghan. His heart softened when he saw her. She sat in the passenger seat of Cribs’s cruiser at the end of the block with a view of the back of the house and alley-her pretty lips pursed in annoyance. He understood how she felt. It was never fun being sidelined when you wanted to be a part of the action. He appreciated that she hadn’t put up a fuss when Officer Cribs had driven her far enough away that she wouldn’t be in danger.
He leaned down to look into the open passenger window. “You okay?”
“I will be once you get Georgina,” she said, her gaze meeting his.
The trust, the confidence in her gaze made him more determined to fulfill the promise he’d made to her. “It won’t be long now. You stay here, no matter what.”
She frowned. “Meaning?”
He hated to scare her any more than she already was, but she had to know how dangerous this situation was. “This could get ugly. I doubt the men who have Georgina are going to come willingly or quietly.”
She arched an eyebrow. “In other words, if I hear gunfire I should duck?”
Liking her pluck, liking her, he nodded. “Exactly. I’ll send Cribs back to stand guard.”
“I’m safely tucked inside this car. I’ll roll up the window and lock the doors. Let Cribs help. You need all hands on this.”
Maybe, but her safety was his responsibility. He wouldn’t let anything bad happen to her. Would never forgive himself if she got hurt. She’d come to mean a lot to him. More than he’d ever thought possible. He’d never intended for that to happen. But it had. No, Cribs would be returning. Ryan didn’t want to be worrying about Meghan when he needed to be concentrating on Georgina.
“I promise I won’t do anything stupid,” she said, as if sensing his thoughts. “If I got in the way and something happened to Georgina because of me…”
“I’m not going to let anything happen to her,” he assured her.
“I know.”
Her confidence warmed him. He tapped the door. “It’s time. See you in a few.”
“Ryan.” She reached out through the window and grabbed his hand and halted him from leaving.
“Yes?”
Concern lit up her lovely hazel eyes. “Please be careful.”
She cared. About him. The realization sent his blood pulsing. “You’re worried about me,” he said in a little bit of awe.
She tugged him closer. “Yes, I am. Please, promise me you won’t take any chances.”
“I promise.” He closed the distance between them to place a light, gentle kiss on her sweetly shaped mouth.
She inhaled sharply, a quick breath that stilled his.
He felt the surprise on her lips. He drew back, unsure of her reaction. Unsure of his own. Had he overstepped the bounds of their… He was loath to qualify their association as a relationship. Yet…
Her fingertips slowly rose to touch the spot where he’d kissed her. Color heightened the contours of her cheekbones.
His ego puffed up. Were her lips tingling like his?
He wished he could stay and explore the sensations and emotions knocking around inside him, but duty called. A child’s life hung in the balance, and giving in to his attraction and the affection invading him wasn’t an option.
He gave her a mock salute and hustled away. Glancing back once, he felt a pang of tender fondness that slowed his steps. If he wasn’t careful, he’d find himself falling for her.
With determination, he broke into a jog.
Time to take down the bad guys, rescue the little damsel in distress and make it back in one piece to the woman who’d woven her way under his skin and laid siege to his heart.
A feat he thought no woman capable of.
