Sandra Robbins - Yuletide Fugitive Threat

Her eyes filled with tears again. “I was so afraid to come here. I didn’t know if you’d even listen to me. I can never tell you how much I appreciate your help.”

Telling Lucas about her life hadn’t been easy, but she felt better, almost as if a dam had burst and all the memories that threatened her sanity had poured out. Maybe this was the beginning of a new life for her. She hoped so.

She had no idea what she’d do once Tony Chapman was back in jail where he belonged, but at least she’d be free. Free to go and do as she pleased. And free of everything that tied her to the past. And Lucas was going to make that happen.

THREE

Lucas walked to the window in the living room and stared outside. The discovery of what Mia’s marriage had been like had almost sucked the breath out of him. He raked his hand through his hair and groaned. Even if he had spent the past seven years trying to come to grips with the anger he’d felt for her, he would never have wanted her to endure what she’d had to go through.

He glanced around. She still sat on the sofa, her eyes downcast and her hands clasped in her lap. He’d thought she looked like a waif when she’d arrived. Now he realized she was a battered woman. Not only had Kyle hurt her physically, he had hurt her emotionally, and Lucas had no idea how to deal with it.

However, he did know how to deal with danger, and, from what Mia had told him, she was in a lot of danger right now. The one thing he still hadn’t figured out was how Mia’s caller had known she was at his house. If he hadn’t followed her here, he had to have some way of keeping tabs on her. The answer hit him, and he groaned again.

“Of course. The car.” He whirled around from the window and ran to the door. “I’ll be right back,” he called over his shoulder to a startled Mia.

Once outside he headed straight to Mia’s car. It took only a few minutes to find the GPS tracker attached by a magnet to the inside fender of the back left tire. He pulled the tracker out, and an uneasy fear slowly curled through his body. When Mia had first begun to tell her story, he hadn’t believed the threat to her to be that severe. Now, with Mia’s account of the attack at her home, the threatening phone calls and a GPS tracker on her car, he knew it was serious. Deadly serious.

He stared down at the device in his hand before turning it off. Then he closed his fingers around it as he reentered the house. Mia stood just inside the front door, waiting for his return. When he walked in, her eyes grew wide. He motioned toward the living room. “Let’s go back in there.”

He followed her into the room and stopped when she turned to face him. A puzzled expression flickered in her eyes. “Why did you go to my car?”

Lucas opened his hand. “To look for this.”

She took one glance at what he held and frowned. “Wh-what is that thing?”

“It’s a GPS device that was attached to your car. That’s how your caller knew where you’d gone. As long as you kept using your car, he’d have known where you were at all times if I hadn’t found it. I think we need to go to the police and tell them Chapman is stalking and threatening you.”

“No!” A panicked look flashed across her face, and she glanced around as if in search of an escape route. “I can’t go to the police. He said if I did, I’d end up with three bullet holes in my head.”

Lucas reached out and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her to an abrupt stop. “We have to, Mia. My brother-in-law, Ryan Spencer, is a detective on the force. You don’t have to go to the police station. I’ll call him and have him come over here.”

Mia tried to pull away from him. “I can’t. I’m afraid,” she cried out.

Lucas clamped his hands on her shoulders and stared down into her eyes. “I know you’re afraid, and I understand. You’ve been through things in the past seven years that would have destroyed a weaker woman. But you’re not weak, Mia. And you’re not alone anymore. I’ll help you face this.”

She shook her head. “I’m not the same woman you once knew, Lucas. I can’t do this. Maybe it’s better if I just let Tony Chapman finish what Kyle tried to do many times—kill me.”

A lock of hair had fallen across her forehead, and he reached up and gently smoothed it back into place. “You don’t mean that.”

She closed her eyes, and a tear ran down her cheek. “I do. I’m tired and scared, and I just want this to be over.”

Lucas put his finger tip under her chin and tilted her face up. “Look at me, Mia.” When she didn’t respond, he nudged her again. “Please look at me.”

Hesitantly, she opened her eyes and swallowed as she stared up into his face. “What?”

“Do you trust me?” he asked.

She gave a slight nod. “Yes.”

“Then you need to do exactly as I say. I’m going to keep you safe from Tony Chapman, but we have to report this to the police. Now, I want you to sit back down on the couch while I call Ryan. When he arrives, you can tell him your story. Then we’ll figure out where we go from here. Okay?”

After a moment she nodded, and he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and stepped back into the hallway to make the call. His brother-in-law answered right away. “Ryan,” Lucas said, “I need to ask a favor of you.”

“Sure. What is it?”

“I have a new client who’s in trouble, and she needs to talk to the police but doesn’t want to come to the station. Can you come over to my house?”

“I can. I’m on my way home now and can stop by, if that’s okay.”

“That’s great. We’ll see you soon.”

He ended the call and walked back into the living room where Mia sat on the couch again. “Did you talk with Ryan?”

“I did. He’s on his way. Would you like something to eat while we’re waiting?”

She shook her head. “No. I just want to get this over with.”

Lucas sat down beside her on the sofa. Mia shivered, and she reached for the afghan once more. “Are you cold?” Lucas asked. “Do I need to turn up the thermostat?”

“No. I think it’s just nerves,” she said as she wrapped the afghan around her.

There had to be some way to make her relax. He said the only thing he could think of. “Mia, I’m sorry I was curt with you earlier when you asked about my parents. They’re doing well.”

She turned her head toward him and smiled. “Really? That’s good to know.”

“In fact, they’re doing great. Dad’s enjoying retirement, but Mom still works part-time as a nurse. We all had dinner together at their house last night.”

“All?”

“Yeah. Adam got married about a year and a half ago. His wife, Claire, works as the receptionist at the agency for us. They’re expecting their first child in a few weeks. My sister, Jessica, married Ryan Spencer, the guy we’re waiting for, about six months ago. She works with us, but she was Ryan’s partner before she left the police force.”

A smile tugged at the corner of Mia’s lips. “That sounds like a wonderful family group.” She hesitated a moment before she spoke again. “And what about you? Is there someone special in your life?”

Lucas chuckled and shook his head. “If you mean a woman, then the answer is no. If, on the other hand, you meant to say something special, then you must be referring to my motorcycle, and the answer is yes.”

Her eyes crinkled at the corners the way he remembered as she giggled. “Oh, Lucas, you always could make me laugh.”

The chiming of the doorbell sounded before he could reply, and he jumped to his feet. “That must be Ryan.”

When he opened the front door, Ryan hurried into the house. “It’s getting colder by the minute. I hope I don’t get called out on a case tonight. I’m looking forward to spending a quiet night at home.”