"Dad! Help us," yelled his son.
"Move back," he shouted, stepping back to the balcony railing.
Rushing forward, shoulder down, he threw all two hundred and twenty pounds of him against the door. The wood cracked but remained closed.
He ran at it again, and he broke the wood around the lock, and the door banged loose against the wall. He took in his son, dried blood on his face, his skin flushed, his hands bound behind his back, hopping on both feet for balance with his legs tied together. Assured that he would be fine, he dropped his gaze to Joey, curled on the floor, her back to him.
"Son? Are you okay?" He stepped into the room.
"Yeah." Travis breathed, close to hyperventilating.
He bent his knees, reached out, and rolled Joey over. "Tiger?"
"I'm okay." Her chin chattered. "Help me up. Please. Just help me up."
He took his knife out of his pocket and cut the tape at Joey's ankles and lifted her to her feet. Holding on to her, he moved around and cut the tape off her wrists.
"Hold on to me." He stepped over to his son and carved through the tape.
Once everyone was free, he gathered them both in his arms. His heart pounded, finding them alive. He had no idea they'd been so close the whole time.
Travis turned. "We need to go."
"Where is Dean?" he asked.
Travis forehead wrinkled. "I sent him away, but he's going to come back and find out I lied when he can't find what he's after." Travis hobbled to the door, still unsteady on his feet. "We need to get out of here."
"Lied about what? What was Dean after?"
"The drugs. The kind that killed Mom. I stole them so he couldn't force anyone else to take them." Joey shook. "We need to go."
Capturing Joey's face, he looked in her eyes. "Can you walk?"
Pain etched her face, and she nodded. "It's just my shoulder."
He kept both of them close, taking them outside, down the stairs. Their progress slower than he wanted, he couldn't carry Joey, or he'd cause more pain in her shoulder.
Wanting them safe inside before Dean came back, he scanned the area as they walked across the grass. There was nobody around. Besides Frank inside with Jess, there were no Tarkio members in sight because they were all out looking on the streets surrounding the apartments.
"Son, where are the drugs?" he asked.
"At the rest stop by the river. I threw the bag on the roof of the public restrooms." His son rubbed his wrist. "Nobody can get up there without a ladder."
He'd need to go get the bag and dispose of the drugs before anyone mistakenly found it. There were already too many deaths because of a bad batch of crack.
Twenty-five feet from the apartment, Frank stepped out, spotted them, and jogged over to help. While Frank put Travis's arm over his shoulder and took some of the weight off his legs, Wyatt concentrated on getting Joey into the house.
"Do they need medical care?" asked Frank.
"Joey hurt her shoulder." He looked at his son beside Joey on the couch, tilted Travis's head, and inspected his son's nose. "How's that feel?"
"It aches when I breathe," said Travis.
"Looks like you got your first busted nose." He turned his son's face sideways. "It'll heal. How are your teeth?"
"My mouth is fine." He turned his head. "Can you shut and lock the door?"
Jess walked over and locked the door, then joined them on the couch, handing Travis a wet washcloth. He looked at his family, wanting to keep them right here in front of him, forever.
The phone rang. He ignored it.
"I'll answer that. It could be someone from Tarkio calling," said Frank, moving to the kitchen.
"I'll get you to the hospital." He leaned over and kissed Joey's forehead. "As soon as I know it's safe."
"I'll be fine. It's just really sore." She held her arm and looked up at him. "You need to stay with Travis," she whispered.
He nodded, understanding that more went on that he couldn't understand and went unspoken for now. His hands shook. A man was out there that had harmed his family. Dean wouldn't get away with the damage he'd caused. Nobody was allowed to touch those he loved.
"Jess, get some ice for your brother's nose. Put it in a towel." He caressed Joey's leg, unable to keep his hands off her, to assure him she was okay. "Are you hanging in there?"
"I'll be fine." She turned her head to look at Travis, and her lower lip quivered.
The vulnerable display of love from her to his son shook him. He squeezed her leg, rubbing his thumb along the seam of her jeans, shook to his core. The emotions he witnessed pass over Joey's face sealed his love for her.
She wasn't worried about herself. All she wanted was Travis to be okay. He could guarantee he would be because he would make sure that nobody else would ever get their hands on his son, or her.
Frank entered the living room. "We got him."
Wyatt stood. His body at attention. "You're sure?"
"Roddy spotted him running behind the apartment. Two Tarkio members were close by and took off after him." Frank lowered his voice. "You've got exactly one minute, and then we're taking him away."
He looked at his son, met his strong, stubborn gaze. Understanding passed between them. He wasn't aware of how much Travis knew about his former stepdad, but what he received was understanding and support.
Gazing at Joey, she blinked. A blink that pushed him to tell Frank to stay with his family and sent Wyatt walking out of the apartment. Kicking into a jog, he stayed close to the building and headed toward the back.
He spotted the Tarkio members at the rear corner where no one from the other units could see them from their windows. Arriving full of anger and moving on the adrenaline still coursing through
