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
