Protecting Her Daughter

“Just taking care of a little business is all. Now hand over your cell phone and your weapon.”

“I’m a veterinarian. What makes you think I have a weapon?”

Pete laughed without a smidge of humor. “You don’t live in this kind of town and not carry a weapon.” His hard eyes turned to chips. “Hand it over.”

Aaron didn’t bother to protest, just pulled his .38 special from his shoulder holster and gave it to the man. When he did, his keys fell to the floor.

“I’ll take those, too. No sense in giving you something that could poke an eye out.” Aaron hesitated then snagged his cell phone from the clip on his belt and released that, as well. From her position behind him, she could see the tension in the set of his shoulders and prayed he didn’t do anything that would cause one of the men to shoot him. Or her. “What kind of business?” Aaron asked.

“Shut up.” Pete looked at his partner. “Now what?”

“Tie him up,” the partner said. He eyed Aaron. “Anyone know you’re here?”

“Several people know I’m coming out here on a regular basis to check on one of the heifers ready to deliver any day now.” He stayed still while Pete used duct tape to secure his hands behind him.

The partner shoved the gun at him. “Let me rephrase the question. Anyone know you’re here right now?”

“No, but when I don’t show up for dinner, my family will be looking for me.”

Zoe stayed still, listening, feeling Sophia’s heart beat against her side. Her rapid heartbeat. Zoe looked closer and saw the sweat on her daughter’s forehead. She lifted Sophia’s chin and looked in her eyes. She stood. “My daughter needs some food.”

“Shut up and sit down,” the partner said without taking his eyes from Aaron.

Zoe stayed put. “My child needs sugar in her system. She has diabetes. Her sugar is dropping, and I need to give her something sweet. Now.” She tried to keep her voice steady and firm. She failed miserably on the steady part. She lifted her chin and met Pete’s eyes when he finally turned them on her. “She could die and while I don’t think you care if I do, for some reason you want her alive.”

The man’s eyes narrowed, and he stared at her as though trying to figure out if she was telling the truth or not.

Zoe wanted to scream. Instead, she clamped down on her emotions and pointed at Sophia. “Look at her. Sweating, rapid pulse, lethargy. If we don’t regulate her blood sugar, she could faint and go into a coma.”

For a moment he simply studied her. “Fine. Get her something, but Cody’s going to be watching you. You try to get a knife or something, and you’ll pay, you understand?”

“I understand. I just want to get her some orange juice.” Zoe turned to Sophia. “Stay right here. I’ll be back in a second.”

“No, Mom—”

“Shh. You need some sugar. Do as I say, sweetie.” She tried to comfort Sophia while watching the man with the gun. His impatience escalated, and she backed toward the kitchen. Sophia’s lower lip trembled.

Aaron moved closer to Sophia. “It’ll be a bit awkward, but you can hold my hand, honey. Your mom will be right back.”

Sophia’s eyes darted back and forth between her mother and Aaron, and she nodded. Zoe suspected she was feeling a bit dizzy as she simply laid her head against the back of the couch and shut her eyes.

Zoe moved toward the kitchen, not wanting to leave Sophia, but knowing the man beside her baby was an honorable one—at least according to everything she’d heard about him during the short time she’d been in town—and wouldn’t let anyone hurt Sophia if at all possible.

Zoe acted fast. She could feel Cody’s eyes on her, watching, waiting for her to make a wrong move. She grabbed the orange juice from the refrigerator and a glass from the cabinet. Her hands were shaking so hard she was afraid she’d spill the liquid. She stopped for a second and took a calming breath.

Then she picked up the carton and poured the juice into the glass. Sophia didn’t usually have a problem with her diabetes when she ate right, got her exercise and did what she was supposed to do, but it had been a stressful few weeks and her body was reacting to it. This situation definitely wasn’t helping.

Zoe hurried back into the den and over to Sophia. “Here, honey, drink this.”

Sophia wrapped her hand around the glass while Zoe helped her. Her daughter drank the juice while Zoe’s eyes met Aaron’s. His shoulders gave a slight twitch, and she realized he was using her as a shield while he worked on getting his hands free. She stood over Sophia for as long as she dared then turned to find their two captors in conversation. Discussing how to kill them? Bitterness welled and she tamped it down. God, get us out of this, please.

“Sit down,” Pete said and jabbed her with his weapon.

Aaron stilled, and Zoe sat beside Sophia who seemed to already be doing better with the juice. Zoe set the glass on the table then turned back to Sophia. She ran a hand over her daughter’s face and pulled her close. Pete and his partner, the one he called Cody, moved to look out the window then went back to their discussion. Aaron leaned closer. “What do they want?” he whispered.

“I don’t know.” She wasn’t going to tell him what the man had said about wanting Sophia. Not while her daughter was listening to every word.

“How many are there?” Aaron asked.

“I’ve only seen the two.”

Pete turned a sharp eye in their direction, and she snapped her mouth shut then leaned over to kiss the top of Sophia’s head. A ringing phone broke the tense stillness.

Pete turned away to answer, and Cody disappeared out the door. “Lance is on his way out here,” Aaron said, his voice so low she had to strain to hear it. Pete bent his head and muttered something into the phone. “He may be here already.”

“Who’s Lance?”

“A deputy sheriff. I called him and told him something was wrong out here. He said he’d head over and check it out.”

Hope blossomed and she prayed.

“I got my hands free,” he whispered. “Sit tight. Better do this while there’s only one. While I distract Pete, you grab Sophia and run.”

“Don’t—”

Pete hung up and walked back into the den. “Looks like we’re stuck here a bit longer.”

“What are you waiting for?” Aaron asked.

“Instructions.”

He turned slightly, and Aaron sprang from the couch. He slammed into Pete, and they both went to the floor. Sophia screamed, and Zoe clutched her close. Aaron grunted as a fist caught him across the cheek. Zoe looked for a weapon she could use to help. Aaron rolled, avoiding another fist in the face. “Run, Zoe!”

Zoe pushed Sophia toward the front door. “Go. Run as fast as you can into the trees. Hide until you hear me calling. I’ll find you.” She wanted her child safe, but she wasn’t going to leave Aaron to fight alone.

Sophia ran for the door and unlocked it. Zoe grabbed a vase from the end table next to the sofa.

The back door crashed in and a deputy stepped into the kitchen. She could see him assessing the situation in a lightning-fast second. He moved through the small hall into the den and aimed his weapon at the men on the floor. “Police! Freeze!”

Aaron rammed a punch into Pete’s gut, and the man gasped, rolled to his knees and put his head on the floor.

Aaron stumbled back. Sophia froze near the front door then ran back to Zoe who set the vase back onto the table and gathered her child close.

Lance moved quickly and cuffed the man on the floor while Aaron went to the window to peer out. “There’s another one. He left just a minute ago.”

The front door slammed open.

Zoe gasped and spun to find Cody and yet a third man standing there with weapons aimed at them. Lance lifted his gun and aimed it at the two men. “Drop your weapons.”