Nick slipped his arm around her shoulders, drawing her to his side. 'There's no way I'll be able to keep her here,' he told Sam Dundee. 'We'll head back to Huntsville tonight.'
'Nick?' Fear shook her like the impact of a high-powered rifle.
He held her tightly as he continued his conversation. 'How's Hester?'
'Is something wrong with Jim?' Addy squeezed Nick's arm.
'I suppose Johnson is at the hospital,' Nick said.
'Nick!'
'I'll be in touch as soon as we get there.' Nick hung up the phone, turned to Addy, and pulled her completely into his arms. Tilting her chin, she stared up at him. 'It's bad, Red. You're going to have to be strong for me and for yourself, but mostly for Rusty.'
'Tell me, dammit, just tell me!'
'Your father and Jim Hester had a late dinner meeting tonight. When they returned to the M.A.C. executive offices, they were ambushed.'
'Ambushed?'
'Your father's chauffeur-bodyguard was shot. He's dead.'
'Alton's dead? My God, he's been with Daddy for years!'
'Jim Hester was shot, too.' Addy tensed in his arms. 'He's still alive. He's in surgery.'
'What about Tiffany? Who's taking care of her?'
'Hester's sister-in-law has Hester's little girl with her.'
Addy swayed, her legs buckling under her. Nick steadied her, then helped her to a nearby chair. Bending down on his knees in front of her, Nick prayed she was strong enough to handle the worst news. 'The person or persons who shot Alton and Hester kidnapped your father.'
'No! Oh, Daddy!' Slouching over, her shoulders drooping, Addy covered her face with her hands. 'I was the target! They threatened me, not Daddy! I don't understand this. Why kidnap Daddy?'
'Dina received a call from the kidnapper,' Nick said, pulling Addy's clenched fists into his hands, stroking her knuckles, trying to soothe her. 'He wants you to withdraw the NASP bid.'
'The NASP bid really is what he's after, isn't it? It's not a red herring like you thought.' Addy stared at Nick, her eyes overly bright, glazed with anxiety. 'It's Gerald. It has to be. But—but he'd know—he'd know I don't have the authority to withdraw the bid.'
'Calm down, Red. If Carlton is behind Rusty's kidnapping, we'll nail him. I promise you.' Nick couldn't bring himself to tell her that he still doubted the validity of the NASP bid threat, that his gut instincts told him that Rusty's kidnapping had another motive. Someone wanted Addy McConnell back in Huntsville, and they'd used the only conceivable method to ensure her return.
'What if he's already killed Daddy? They killed Donnie. Daddy paid the ransom and they still killed him.'
Nick felt her panic. Grabbing her by the shoulders, he shook her soundly. 'Don't do this, Red! Don't fall apart on me now.'
Elizabeth stepped forward, her clear blue eyes focusing on Addy. 'Your father isn't dead.' Standing beside Addy's chair, Elizabeth touched her cheek. 'Your father won't be killed. You will return to Huntsville and save him.'
Nick swung around, glaring at Elizabeth. 'She doesn't need to hear this.'
'Yes, I do.' Shoving Nick aside, Addy stood. 'I've got to go back. We need to leave as soon as possible.'
Grasping his cane, Nick followed her to the door, but couldn't keep up with her when she broke into a run once she'd entered the yard.
'Addy, stop!' Nick flung open the front door. 'Dammit, woman, will you slow down!'
Elizabeth caught Nick by the wrist, halting him. 'Keep her guarded, every moment. She's in danger.'
'Don't you think I know that!'
'Her enemy is someone she knows.'
Nick could hear the deafening roar of his heartbeat throbbing in his ears. 'What else? You know more, don't you?'
'He means to kill her.' Elizabeth's grip on Nick's arm tightened. 'A woman has been helping him, but she doesn't want Addy harmed.'
Elizabeth released Nick. They stood for several long moments, staring at each other, Nick uncertain whether or not to believe this woman's soothsaying abilities. Sam had once told him that she possessed unearthly powers, that he'd seen Elizabeth Mallory turn barren soil into flowering life and call the animals out of the forest to come to her and they obeyed. Sam had said that his ward, his brother's stepchild had the ability to see inside a person and predict their future. Sam Dundee had never lied to Nick.
'That's all I know,' Elizabeth said. 'Hurry and go after her. Now, more than ever, Addy will need her paladin.'
'Her what?'
'You, Nick, she will need you, her knight in shining armor. No one else can save her. Only you.'
« ^ »
Nick had broken all the posted speed limits on the trip to Atlanta where a private plane awaited them. They arrived in Huntsville at seven-thirty in the morning, both of them were bleary-eyed and exhausted from worry and lack of sleep. Taking a cab from the airport, they went directly to the hospital. Hot and humid early morning sunshine greeted them the moment they stepped onto the pavement, and one of Ned Johnson's FBI agents, Alan Sturges, met them at the lobby entrance.
'Any word on my father?' Addy asked as the agent whisked them through the lobby and into an elevator.
'Sorry, ma'am, there's no news to report.' The young, slender investigator punched in the correct floor, then turned to Nick. 'Ms. Lunden is upstairs. We've had quite a time with her. Even Brett Windsor can't do anything with her.'
Hell, that's all they needed, Nick thought, an overwrought, hysterical Dina. Addy was close to the breaking point herself; she didn't need Dina's theatrical show of concern sending her over the edge. 'What's Dina doing here?'
'She refuses to leave until she sees Ms. McConnell,' Agent Sturges said. 'She and Windsor have been here since about five this morning.'
'Has Jim come out of surgery yet?' Addy asked.
The elevator stopped. The doors opened. The three stepped into the hallway.
'No, ma'am. He's been in surgery for hours. It doesn't look good. He was shot up pretty bad, I'm afraid.'
Nick gave the young agent a deadly look, silently reprimanding him for being so blunt with Addy about Hester's condition. 'Come on, Red, think positive thoughts.'
The minute they rounded the corner that led to the surgery waiting area, Dina Lunden came running toward Addy, tears flowing down her rosy cheeks, her arms spread wide. At the touch of Dina's arm around her, Addy cringed, then chastised herself for being so insensitive to the other woman's feelings. Maybe Dina really did care about her father. If she didn't, she certainly was putting on an award-winning performance.
'Oh, Addy, it's just awful! This shouldn't have happened. If only you had stayed in Huntsville, instead of running off to God knows where and going into hiding.' Releasing her tenacious hold on Addy, Dina faced Nick. 'It's all your fault. I had no idea when I invited you to my engagement party that you would wind up making such a mess of things.'
Brett Windsor came forward, placing a comforting arm around Dina. 'Now, Dina, stop talking nonsense. Neither Nick nor Addy could have prevented Rusty's kidnapping.'
Dina glared at Brett, her eyes bright and wild. 'You know I'm right, dammit!' Flinging off Brett's arm, she walked away from him.
Turning to Addy, Brett gave her a gentle hug. 'I'm so sorry about all this. Dina's been hysterical ever since she heard Rusty had been kidnapped.'
Addy accepted Brett's comfort, thankful that he was around to help keep Dina in check. 'You were with Dina when she was told about Daddy?'
'No, as a matter of fact, I wasn't.' Brett glanced over at Nick whose dark, pensive stare issued a warning.
