Living On The Edge

As they rose high in the sky, he checked his man. Two gunshots, both bad. One in the chest, one in the leg. Dammit all to hell, he thought grimly and glared at the woman huddled in the far seat. There were things worth dying for, but saving someone like her wasn’t one of them.

The other two team members had already started emergency first aid. Tanner moved back to give them room. He picked up a headset and motioned for Madison to do the same.

“Your reunion is going to have to wait,” he told her, speaking into the attached microphone. “I need to get my man to a doctor.”

Her gaze moved from him to Kelly, then back. “Of course. I can stay with you at the hospital.”

There was no point in telling her they weren’t going to a hospital. Public health facilities required too much paperwork, and the staff would have too many questions. Tanner had his own state-of-the-art medical center with trained specialists—all former military doctors—on call.

“One of my men will take you to a safe place,” Tanner told her. “You can wait there until I’m available to return you to your family.”

He figured Madison and her husband could hold on an extra hour or two before seeing each other. As his was the only face his clients ever saw, he would have to return her himself. Just as well—he could pick up his sizable check at the same time.

He jerked off the headset and fought his temper. It should have been an easy job, he told himself. No one was supposed to get hurt. Certainly not Kelly—the youngest and newest member of their team. Kelly had just gotten engaged the previous month. He was from Iowa, for God’s sake. This wasn’t supposed to happen to a kid from Iowa.

Madison Hilliard paced the length and width of the small room. She had no idea how long she’d been held there—no windows provided light, she wasn’t wearing a watch and she couldn’t find a clock. She figured at least a couple of hours had passed. Maybe more.

The space was spare to the point of being monastic—a single bed, a sink and a toilet. No closet, no desk. Nothing to read, nothing to look at, nothing to do. She supposed she should have slept—she hadn’t been able to do more than doze since the kidnapping. But anxiety kept her moving. While she wanted to believe she’d been rescued, she knew it was unlikely.

Fear gripped her. In the past twelve days she’d grown used to the cold fingers clutching her midsection and the sense of looming disaster. She tried to tell herself that someone, somewhere would miss her. That her clients would ask questions, that her friends would notice she’d disappeared. But would they? Wouldn’t Christopher have already thought of that and planned for the contingency?

The only door in the room was locked from the outside. She’d already tried it several times. There was no way she could break through the metal door and she doubted she could claw through the walls. So she was trapped until her rescuer returned to reunite her with her family. And then?

How long would Christopher keep her alive? A few weeks? Months? She didn’t know his plan, so she wasn’t sure if he needed her. That need was her only hope.

A faint sound came from the hallway. Madison turned and braced herself for the inevitable. For the sight of the man who wanted her dead. Instead the door opened and her rescuer stood in front of her.

He was tall, muscular and dark in a way that went deeper than his black hair and brown eyes. He was the kind of man people walked around rather than confronted. Power and confidence surrounded him like a visible aura. He wore black and there was a gun at his belt. How much did he know? Would he be using the gun on her?

“Sorry to have kept you waiting,” the man said, sounding more angry than actually sorry.

“It’s all right. How is your friend?”

“Still in surgery.”

“I hope he’s going to be all right.” She didn’t need the weight of a stranger’s injuries on her already burdened conscience.

A case could be made that the shooting wasn’t her fault—she hadn’t asked to be rescued or even kidnapped in the first place. But the injured man had been there because of her, and she couldn’t make herself believe she wasn’t somehow responsible.

The man in front of her looked her over. “Are you hungry? Did they feed you?”

“I’m fine.” She couldn’t imagine ever eating again. She couldn’t imagine life ever being normal. “I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name.”

“Keane. Tanner Keane.”

“Mr. Keane, I’m assuming my family hired you to find me?”

He nodded and crossed his arms over his chest. “Call me Tanner. And yes, your husband and your father came to me a few days ago. They’d hired another company to locate you after the kidnapping, but they didn’t have much luck.” He raised one shoulder, then let it fall. “I’m better.”

Interesting. Why would Christopher have gone to someone who wasn’t the best? He hated dealing with anyone who wasn’t completely qualified. She tried to focus on the question, on the point of it all, but lack of sleep made her fuzzy.

It had to be about money, she told herself. But how?

“Was there a ransom?” she asked.

“Twenty million.”

Madison felt her head start to swim. “That much.” She crossed to the bed and sank down onto the mattress. “Was it paid?”

“It would have been.” Tanner glanced at his watch. “In about two hours. I put in a call to have it intercepted. I’ll be returning the money to your family when I take you to them.”

Which was the problem, she thought. “My father hired you?”

“And your husband. They’re both very anxious to get you back. It’s understandable. This has been difficult for them, as well.”

Madison fought the urge to laugh. She had a feeling any humor would quickly explode into hysterics. Once she lost control, she might never get it back.

“Mr. Keane—Tanner—I don’t want to be returned to my family.”

One dark eyebrow rose slowly. “Why is that?”

“Do you need a reason? Can’t you simply let me go?”

“My contract with your family states that I return you to them. I would have done it right away, but Kelly’s medical treatment took priority.”

“I know and it’s fine. I just…” She stared at him, wondering how to make this man understand. “Unless you’re planning to hold me captive, as well, I should be free to go.”

If only he would agree. She could easily disappear—Los Angeles was a huge place and she had friends no one knew about.

“I can’t have you wandering the streets with no money or identification.”

Oh, right. No credit cards, either, although she didn’t think she could use them. Christopher would be able to track her.

Tanner gave her a smile that didn’t come close to reaching his eyes. “Mrs. Hilliard, you’ve been through a very traumatic experience. You’re confused, and that’s understandable. I’m sure when you’re back home with your husband and your father, you’ll feel much better. In a few weeks, you’ll be able to put this whole experience behind you.”

“I hope you’re right. Unfortunately I think there’s also a very good chance I’ll be dead.”

Chapter 2

Tanner held in a groan. He had neither the time nor the patience to deal with a drama queen right now. He wanted Madison Hilliard out of his life so he could focus on what was important. Dammit all to hell, what was it about rich women and their need to be the center of the universe?

“Wasn’t the kidnapping enough for one week?” he asked, barely able to restrain his temper.

“I’m not playing a game,” she said, her eyes wide with a lot of emotion he wasn’t interested in reading. “You can’t return me to my family. Take me anywhere else. Please.”

“How about a police station?”

She considered that option. Funny how he wasn’t surprised when she slowly shook her head. The cops wouldn’t be the kind of audience that interested her. They wouldn’t be willing to play her little game, either.