Mistletoe Reunion Threat

“That’s really not necessary.”

“Someone tried to kill you today, Ashlynn. Who’s to say they haven’t come here to finish the job?”

“I would know if someone had been here, Garrett. I have a security system.”

He spotted the car in the driveway. “I guess your husband would have phoned you, huh?”

It was none of his business about her marriage, and she didn’t want him to think she’d failed without him. “My nanny and son are in the house. Mira would have called me if something was wrong.”

“Still, I would feel better if you’d let me check it out. It won’t take long.”

She finally relented and walked to the front door. Anything to satisfy him and get him away from her home and away from her son. However, she stopped walking when she noticed the front door ajar, a flicker of fear racing through her.

Garrett saw it too and stiffened as he reached for his gun, pushing past her. “Stay here,” he commanded. He shoved open the door and entered the house.

But she wasn’t going to obey that command. Her son was inside that house. If someone else was there, someone who meant to get back at her by harming her son, she wasn’t going to be still.

“Jacob!” she screamed, hurrying past him and running up the stairs.

“Ashlynn, wait.”

She heard his footsteps behind her but she wouldn’t stop until she knew Jacob was safe.

Sounds from the TV in the playroom greeted her at the top of the stairs, but she heard nothing else. Jacob was a rambunctious four-year-old and the house was too quiet. Panic ripped through her and she took the last few stairs in a haze of anxiety and fear. She pushed open the playroom door. Jacob’s toys littered the floor and the television was still playing his favorite evening show...but he wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

“Jacob!”

She rushed into the room, intent on looking in his favorite hiding spots. She tripped over something beside the couch and hit the floor, landing hard on her hands. Ashlynn turned to see what she’d tripped over and saw a leg jutting out from behind the couch. Panic hit her at the sight. It was too big to be Jacob’s leg, but...

She looked up at Garrett, who now stood in the doorway, his gun drawn. His eyes focused on the leg. She moved to look behind the couch and saw Mira on the floor. The young girl wasn’t moving, her eyes were vacant, and the carpet was stained red with blood around her.

Ashlynn didn’t need to check for a pulse to know Mira was dead.

She screamed Jacob’s name and leaped to her feet. If someone had broken in and killed Mira, Jacob might have gotten scared and hidden.

“Jacob!” She ran down the hall to his bedroom and burst in, searching under the bed and in the closet. He wasn’t there. She checked her bedroom then rushed downstairs. She called for him, frantic with worry as she checked every nook and cubby, searching for any place he might have hidden.

He was nowhere to be found.

Panic filled her. Mira was dead, murdered, and Jacob was missing. If something had happened to him...

Ashlynn dropped to her knees as anguish rushed through her.

Where was her child? Oh, God, where is Jacob?

* * *

Seeing her this way was like a sucker punch to his gut, and all Garrett wanted to do was sweep her up into his arms and make everything better. He checked that response, realizing not only might she object, but her husband wouldn’t be too thrilled with him, either. He’d noticed the family portrait of them when he entered the house. And he no longer had that right. Even if she hadn’t been married with a child, there could never be a future for them, not after all he’d seen and all he’d done. He’d walked out of a firefight unscathed when other men, better men with families, had died, and his grief had pushed him to kill and maim all in the name of war.

But his heart hurt for her. He couldn’t imagine the devastation of having her child ripped from her. She’d already had such a difficult life, having lost her parents in a car accident when she was eight then being placed in an abusive foster home and nearly beaten to death by her foster mother. But it seemed she’d turned that all around now. She had a nice home in a fancy neighborhood, a good job in the DA’s office and a beautiful family.

He holstered his gun and pulled out his cell phone to alert the police about the dead girl in the playroom and the missing child. This couldn’t be a coincidence. It had to somehow be connected to the bomb in her car earlier today.

Garrett stopped dialing when he heard a noise from outside the house. His ears perked up and all his senses went on alert. He put away his phone and retrieved his gun. Someone was here. He grabbed Ashlynn’s hand, pulled her to her feet and pressed his hand against her mouth to keep her from speaking. Her eyes widened in fear and her lashes were wet with tears, but she didn’t ask questions.

“Follow me,” he whispered, his instincts warning him to tread cautiously. He led her away from the front windows but peered out of them from the side, peeking through the heavy curtains. He saw nothing but the setting sun.

Something was wrong. He felt it in his gut. He sensed someone watching them. His truck was parked in the driveway but the direct route to it would be dangerous if he was right and someone was out there.

He grabbed a lamp from the end table and waggled it in front of the window. A shot rang out, bursting through the glass and shattering the lamp in his hand. Ashlynn screamed, but Garrett grabbed her arm and pulled her back up the stairs, his heart heavy at the continuing threat against her. Now that the shooter had made himself known, but failed to kill them, he would watch the exits closely or possibly come inside to finish them off. They had to find a way out of the house.

He led her into the master bedroom and locked the door. It wouldn’t hold off an intruder with a gun for long, but possibly long enough for them to escape. He had his weapon, but it would be no match for the shooter’s gun which, by the sound of it, Garrett recognized as a semi-automatic rifle, a serious weapon with serious intent. He hurried to the balcony and swung open the doors. Their only chance was to get out of this house, and now that they were upstairs this was their only way out. They would have to jump. He glanced down and saw a concrete patio below. It wasn’t a high drop, but it would hurt. He holstered his gun.

“I’ll go first. Then you follow behind me.”

She shook her head, fear pooling in her wide brown eyes. “I can’t.”

“You have to, Ashlynn. You have to stay alive for Jacob.” His words were meant to provoke her to action, knowing she would do whatever she had to in order to find her son. It worked. She considered his words for only a moment before fortifying herself and nodding.

He crawled over the railing and climbed down, letting himself drop and hitting the ground. Pain ripped through his leg, but he ignored it. He’d sustained worse injuries and kept moving. He looked up and motioned for Ashlynn to jump.

She nodded and swung one leg over the railing. Just then, he heard the sound of the door cracking open and the shout of the gunman as he burst into the room. Ashlynn’s head jerked up and the dat-dat-dat of gunfire filled the air. His gut clenched as her fingers slipped from the railing and she fell, tumbling backward toward the ground.

TWO

She felt herself falling, and her only thoughts were of Jacob and to wonder if he was crying for her. She was going to die without ever knowing what had happened to him.

She slammed into something hard and felt Garrett’s arms surround her as they both fell to the ground. He scrambled up before she could even process what was happening and pulled them both toward the safety of the house as the shooter fired over the balcony. Garrett’s arm tightened protectively around her and Ashlynn was surprised by the way her heart picked up speed at being this close to him. She chided herself. Her son was missing and someone was shooting at her, but she felt safe swept up in his arms.

Garrett pulled his gun and fired upward into the balcony. Tension was rolling off him in waves. The shooter scrambled back into the room to avoid the shots.

“Run to my truck now,” Garrett commanded, and Ashlynn did as she was told without question. She heard shots and screamed at the fear that ripped through her, but she didn’t stop running. She was also keenly aware that Garrett was beside her, matching her steps and stopping every now and then to return fire into her house before easily catching up with her. The Christmas lights she’d placed on a timer flickered on, illuminating her bullet-riddled home and making this entire situation seem less real and more like a terrible action movie gone wrong.

She reached the pickup and slid into the passenger’s seat. He jumped behind the wheel and started the engine, roaring away a moment later. The shooter started firing again and shots hit the vehicle. One pinged the rear windshield, causing it to shatter. Ashlynn winced as glass spilled over her but she knew it could have been so much worse.

She glanced in the side mirror and saw a masked man with a long gun run toward a waiting car.

“Hang on,” Garrett said, then punched down on the accelerator, putting distance between them and the man, their attacker.

* * *

Ashlynn was shivering by the time they reached the downtown police precinct and it wasn’t from the chill in the December air. Whoever had been shooting at them either hadn’t been able to keep up with Garrett’s driving or had given up. It didn’t matter if they didn’t kill her right then. They had her son, which meant they could have whatever they wanted from her. She would do anything to get him back.

Garrett led her inside, telling the on-duty officer about the incident. Within minutes, the precinct was on alert.

Garrett slipped his jacket around her shoulders and tried to offer her comfort as he led her to a quiet office. “They’ve got officers headed to your house right now to process the scene. They’re also trying to contact your husband. Is it possible Jacob is with him?”

She saw a hopeful look in his expression, but she knew that wasn’t the case and shook her head. “Mira doesn’t live with us. If Stephen had picked up Jacob, she would have gone home.”

“You don’t live together?” Garrett asked, surprise coloring his face.

She shook her head. “He lives on Barrister Avenue in the Wood Hills subdivision. We divorced a few months ago.” She didn’t want to discuss such personal matters with Garrett, and thankfully, he didn’t ask any further questions about her and Stephen. It was embarrassing to admit to him that her marriage had broken down.

Ashlynn felt numb. Her thoughts were all about Jacob. Her arms ached at the thought of not being able to hold him and her heart broke at the idea that he was probably crying for her. It wasn’t fair! Ripping a child from his mother’s arms was the cruelest thing anyone could do.

She’d never been much of a praying woman. Her anger at God was too strong. He had allowed too many bad things to come into her life. She’d foolishly thought things were turning around when she’d met Garrett, but then he’d turned against her, too, choosing the rangers over her and Jacob. And now it seemed God was still not on her side.

Vince arrived at the station, his hair tousled and his clothes dirty. Since she’d known him, he’d always been cool under pressure and presented a well-kept appearance. It was the first time she could remember seeing him look so disheveled. He apologized for not being there when they’d arrived and explained he’d had to leave to fix his wife’s car that had stalled on the interstate. Garrett filled him in on what had happened, how they’d entered the house and found Mira dead, then been attacked by an armed gunman.

“Did you see the man?” Vince asked her once Garrett told him about the incident on the balcony. “Can you describe him?”

She thought back, reliving the terror of the man bursting into the room and raising his gun at her. But she wasn’t able to offer much in the way of description. “He was wearing a dark mask over his face, like a ski mask, and he was dressed all in black. I couldn’t see any of his features, but he was a large man, tall with big shoulders.”

“He had an automatic weapon,” Garrett added. “I would say by his tactics he’s probably had some military experience. He came prepared.”

Vince nodded. “The question is, did he come prepared to take the child or was it an impromptu decision? And why kill the nanny if Ashlynn is the one he wants?”

“We didn’t see Jacob, but he could have had him tied up in the car.”

Vince’s face grew grim. “Whoever this guy is, he has access to both automatic weapons and explosives.”

Ashlynn shuddered and folded her arms around her. They were talking so clinically, as if it wasn’t her child missing or her world falling apart.

“Did Mira have any family that needs to be notified?” Vince asked her.

Ashlynn nodded. “Her parents live in Memphis.”

“Is it possible this is about her?” Garrett asked.

“It’s possible, but unlikely given the bomb was in Ashlynn’s car.” Vince looked at her. “What about your husband? I understand you divorced recently. Was it an amicable split?”

Ashlynn swallowed hard and wished Garrett wasn’t listening to every word she said. She didn’t like sharing information about her personal life, especially unpleasant details. She nodded. She doubted Stephen was involved in this. He was a good man and loved Jacob like his own son. “Stephen isn’t a violent person. I can’t believe he would try to kill me.”

“But he could have hired someone to do it. It wouldn’t be the first time a man has tried to off his ex-wife over a custody dispute. I’ll send someone to his house to update him on what’s happened and try to ascertain his involvement, if any.” Vince’s phone rang and he pulled it out. “It’s the commander on scene at your house.” He answered the call and listened intently.

Garrett walked over to her and rubbed her arms. “How are you holding up?”

She wanted to scream and rant, but her arms and legs were numb with shock and fear. Her chin trembled as she spoke. “I just want him back,” she whispered, fighting with everything she had to keep her emotions under control. Falling apart now wouldn’t do any good. She had to keep her wits about her in order to figure out who was targeting her and who had Jacob.

Vince ended his call and turned back to them.

“My men have been through the house and there’s no sign of your son. We did gather photos of him.” He pulled up one that had been sent to him. “Is this a recent snapshot?”

She looked at the photo and bit back tears. It was his preschool Christmas photo, taken only two weeks earlier. She traced the outline of his face, her heart breaking at the sight of his beautiful green eyes and his wide, mischievous smile. “Yes, it’s very recent.”

He nodded. “We’ll add this photo to our Amber Alert. Don’t worry, Ashlynn. We’ll find him. Ken sent me those names and my officers are checking them all.”

“How sure are you that this has to be someone she’s prosecuted?” Garrett asked.

“Without any other identifiable enemies, it’s a logical place to start. We’re still on the scene processing the house and interviewing neighbors so we may find some more evidence that might lead us in the right direction there.” He looked at her and his face softened. “You can’t go home. Do you have somewhere to go, Ashlynn? Somewhere safe?”

“I’m not going anywhere until Jacob is found.”

“You won’t do anybody any good here. You need to get some rest.”

“I can’t rest until I know he’s safe. Besides, with someone trying to kill me, I couldn’t possibly put any of my friends in danger that way.”

Garrett placed an arm on her back, but he addressed Vince when he spoke. “She can come home with me. I’ll keep her safe.”

“No!” Ashlynn insisted. “I said I’m not leaving.”

“I need you to rest, Ashlynn,” Vince told her and Garrett agreed.

“You can’t do Jacob any good if you’re so tired you can’t function. There’s nothing you can do here.”

She wanted to lash out at him for using Jacob against her. He had no right to act so concerned. He’d lost that right when he’d abandoned them five years ago. Yet she knew he was right. She needed to be at her best for Jacob’s sake.

She stared up into Garrett’s face and saw the worry in his expression. He wanted her to trust him and she instinctively desired to. She’d trusted him with everything she’d had once upon a time He’d been her rock and her protector, and she had to admit she was glad he was by her side now. Her initial displeasure at seeing him was beginning to fade. What would she have done if he hadn’t been there? She would have been dead in her car this afternoon or at the very least in her house tonight.

But how could she rest when her child’s life was at stake? She shuddered thinking of the possibility that Jacob might need her and she wasn’t close by. She shook her head stubbornly. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Garrett glanced over at Vince then tried a different tactic. “Okay then, we won’t go anywhere. We’ll stick around and man the phones for the Amber Alert.” He looked at Vince, who nodded his agreement.

“I’ll keep you updated if we get any new leads,” he promised then walked off.

She was glad that was settled. She wasn’t just any crime victim. She was also a prosecutor and she didn’t want to be handled. She had to stay strong and make certain every lead and angle was being investigated in finding her son.

Garrett reached out and placed a reassuring hand on her arm that sent tingles through her. “We’ll find him. I promise.” She stared into his green eyes and melted a little inside, remembering how much she’d once loved this man. “Do you trust me, Ash?” he asked, using his old nickname for her.

She stared at her hands to avoid looking into his eyes. Every instinct told her she could trust him, but her heart knew better. She’d once trusted him more than anyone in the world. She’d believed he was someone she could count on forever, but that trust had ended when he’d shut them out after discovering she was pregnant. The memory of how alone and broken she’d been brought back anger and bitterness so intense that she nearly couldn’t breathe.

Instead of answering him, she asked a question. “When did you leave the rangers?”

He looked like he didn’t want to answer, but he did. “Two years ago.”

So he’d given up on them for something he hadn’t even stayed with.

He sighed. “I owe you an apology, Ash.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Yes, I do, and I want to explain. I never told you this, but after I left you to return to my unit, my ranger team was ambushed. I saw men with wives and families who were suffering because their husbands and fathers had decided to take on a dangerous task. I knew I couldn’t let you have that kind of life. My life, my work, is dangerous. I was trying to protect you from that.”

She cut him off, anger pulsing through her at the idea that he was going to try to justify abandoning his family. “What you did was to make the choice for me. You made a decision that affected us without even consulting me. You cut me out of your life.”

His expression held regret and pain, but he nodded reluctantly. “I know.”

“I can’t even begin to fathom how I can trust you to help me look for Jacob.”

“I know I’ve let you down in the past, Ash, but I’m here now and I won’t leave you again. I’m right here by your side and I promise you I’ll find your son.”

His eyes steeled with determination, but she noticed he still referred to Jacob as her son, not their son. Well, he was right. Jacob was her son. He’d abandoned them when they’d needed him most. But he had skills that could help her. He had been an army ranger. She needed him in order to find Jacob. And even though she didn’t want to, she instinctively trusted him in that regard.

* * *

Garrett hung around the precinct and kept an eye on Ashlynn. For the next few hours, she answered calls from the Amber Alert and he could see the devastation on her face when each lead proved unworthy. He agreed with Vince that she didn’t need to be here in the center of all this. She needed to distance herself and allow others to field through the evidence. Yet he also knew she wasn’t the type of person to sit around and wait for answers. Like him, she was action oriented. It was one of those things he’d once loved most about her. She’d never played the part of a victim no matter how many obstacles life threw at her. He knew she wouldn’t now, either.

He had to admit he was feeling antsy himself. He needed to do something and his mind was focused on speaking with Ashlynn’s ex-husband, Stephen Morris. He’d been surprised to learn of their divorce. It wasn’t really his business, but this was Ashlynn they were talking about, and as far as he was concerned she was still his business.

Despite what she’d told Vince earlier, his stomach constricted as he realized the attempt on her life along with her son’s abduction made much more sense when you added an angry ex-husband to the mix, especially since they had yet to receive a ransom call. Had Stephen hired someone to plant that bomb in Ashlynn’s car? And was he behind the murder of their nanny? He wanted to believe such a thing would shock him, but unfortunately he’d seen too much and was no longer surprised by the depravity of the world. Both his time in the rangers and his private search-and-rescue missions had cemented his belief that evil knew no bounds and betrayal was a bitter pill. It pained him to think that Ashlynn might have been betrayed by someone she’d once cared for.

He tracked down the detective Vince had sent to interview Ashlynn’s ex and asked him what his take was on Stephen Morris.

“The husband would automatically become a person of interest in an attack on his wife, but this guy seemed genuinely shocked at the nanny’s death and understandably worried about his kid. We’ll keep looking into his business dealings and financials, but my personal opinion is that he’s not involved.”

Garrett hoped the detective was correct, but it was hard to take the man’s opinion at face value. He didn’t know him that well and didn’t yet trust his judgment. In fact, there wasn’t anyone on the force he trusted that much yet. Garrett wanted to look into Stephen’s eyes himself in order to know for sure he wasn’t involved in this.

But he wasn’t leaving Ashlynn alone. He found her refilling a cup of coffee in the break room and pulled her aside. Her face showed signs of weariness and her eyes were red and sad. He hated seeing her this way and had the sudden urge to take her in his arms. Instead, he dug his hands into his pockets before he acted on it.

“How are you holding up?”

She shook her head. “It’s frustrating. The Amber Alert isn’t generating much usable information. I feel like I should be out doing something, even if it’s just driving around with my head out the window screaming Jacob’s name.”

He smiled at that image, but he agreed with her sentiment. They’d been at the precinct for hours. They both needed to be out doing something.

“I was thinking we should go talk with your ex-husband. I know the police have already questioned him, but he may say something to you that he wouldn’t say to the police.”

“I know Stephen is the most logical suspect given that the bomb was in my car, but I still have a hard time believing he would kill Mira.”

“This may have nothing to do with him or he could be involved indirectly. What if someone is targeting his family to get back at him? We should check out every possibility.”

He could see she was still hesitant to believe Stephen could be involved, but her urge to do something obviously won out because she agreed to go with him. She followed him outside and slid into the passenger seat of his truck. The back window was still out so he cranked up the heater to knock off the chill of the December night air.