His phone vibrated, and he picked up Duncan’s call. “Are you close?”
“Ten minutes. Do you need something to eat?”
“We’re good. Just grabbed something from across the street. But pick up something for yourselves. Once you get here, we’ll need to find a place to ditch the sedan. It’s not safe to have it nearby.”
“Okay, make that fifteen minutes, then, so we can swing by and get food.”
“Not a problem.” Ryker smiled as he disconnected from the call. It felt good to have backup so close.
“Ryker?” Olivia’s sleepy voice came from the doorway. He swung around to face her, relieved that the color had returned to her cheeks. “I didn’t hear you return.”
“You needed the rest.” He stood and gestured to a chair near Aaron. “Have a seat. I’ll get your food.”
“Thank you.” She’d finished her meal by the time Duncan and Mike arrived.
“Thanks for coming, guys. Olivia, this is Duncan O’Hare and Mike Callahan.” He gestured to the two men. “Duncan is a cop and former soldier who served with me in Afghanistan, but Mike is just a cop.” He cocked a brow toward Mike, letting him know he was teasing.
“Just a cop.” Mike let out a snort. “Gee, thanks. It’s nice to meet you, Olivia.”
“Yes, it is,” Duncan chimed in. “Ryker, are you ready to roll out to ditch the car?”
“Sure.” He gestured toward Mike. “Would you mind staying here with Olivia and Aaron?”
“Are you sure you trust me? After all, I’m just a private investigator turned cop.”
“Yeah, I trust you.” One of the things Ryker had missed after leaving the army was this brotherly ribbing. Having no siblings of his own, he’d enjoyed the camaraderie of the men who’d fought beside him. “We won’t be long.”
“I think I can handle it,” Mike said dryly.
Ryker nodded at Olivia before leaving the motel. He drove the tan sedan to a strip mall he’d remembered seeing on the way in. Leaving the car behind gave him a measure of satisfaction.
One less way for the Blake-Moore Group to track them down.
Back at the motel, he drew the two men aside to fill them in on everything that had taken place in the past twenty-four hours.
“Blake-Moore strikes again.” Mike scowled. “Hawk I could understand. After all, he’d witnessed a crime. But coming after a pregnant woman and her son? What kind of threat are they?”
“I don’t know.” Ryker glanced between the two men. “I’d like to move again tonight, but Olivia is exhausted. I’m afraid to push her too far. If she goes into premature labor...”
Duncan and Mike exchanged a glance. “I think we’re safe here,” Duncan said. “We’re armed. We can take care of anything that comes up.”
“Yeah. That’s good.” Ryker relaxed for what felt like the first time in hours. His head still throbbed, as did the wound on his thigh, but he didn’t care. “I need to hit the shower and get a couple hours of sleep, but I can take the second watch.”
“Go.” Duncan waved a hand. “I’ve got first watch and Mike can take the second watch. You’re no good to us if you’re not one hundred percent.”
Ryker nodded, knowing they were right.
A hot shower did wonders to ease his pain. The wound on his thigh didn’t look too terrible. If it got worse, he’d pick up gauze and antibacterial ointment.
He fell into a deep sleep, secure in the knowledge that Mike and Duncan were watching over things.
But then a loud thudding noise brought him upright. He blinked, trying to get his bearings.
Another thud, then a muffled shout. He shot off the bed and grabbed his weapon.
Blake-Moore had found them!
SEVEN
A thud woke Olivia from a sound sleep. Had someone fallen? She pried open her eyes and peered at the cheap alarm clock on the nightstand.
Two in the morning. She glanced down at Aaron who was curled next to her. The noise hadn’t woken him.
Another thud and a muffled shout sent fear spiking through her body. What in the world was going on?
She slid out of bed, steadying herself with a hand on the wall. Her bladder urged her toward the bathroom, but before she could take a step, she heard a sharp report.
A gunshot?
No! Please, Lord, help us! She bent over and scooped Aaron into her arms, although she wasn’t sure where to go or what to do. Where was Ryker? Duncan? Mike?
She had no weapon of any sort. Not that she’d know what to do with one anyway. There was a bathroom within the suite, so she went inside, locked the door and glanced around, her thoughts whirling.
The Blake-Moore Group must have found her. Again. She wanted to cry, to rant and scream in frustration, but forced herself to swallow the cries burning the back of her throat.
Think. Think! Her gaze landed on the toilet. The motel hadn’t been updated in years, and the toilet tank was similar to the one she had at home, with a heavy ceramic cover on it.
“Mommy?” Aaron raised his head, rubbing at his eyes.
“Shh. We have to be quiet.” Olivia set him down in the bathtub, the safest place she could think of. “Stay here, okay?”
“I don’t wanna.” His lower lip trembled and she was very much afraid that he’d begin wailing at any moment.
She lifted her heart in prayer. God, please protect us!
“Mommy?” Her son lifted his arms toward her, his gaze begging.
“Shh. Please, Aaron. I need you to be quiet. We don’t want the bad guys to find us.” She hated scaring him but was more worried about what would happen if he cried loud enough to draw attention. She quickly lifted the heavy porcelain cover off the tank and held it over her head, positioning herself behind the door.
If anyone came inside, she’d whack him over the head, hopefully with enough force to knock him unconscious.
Time passed in slow motion. The noises coming from the main suite area concerned her. What if something happened to Mike and Duncan?
To
