Liz Johnson - Christmas Captive

And then he ran toward the doorway. But instead of going into the stairwell, he slipped to the side, his back against the white outer wall, his ear pressed in.

She took a step to follow him, but stopped as Elaina let out a small sob. “It’s okay, honey,” she said, cuddling her niece close. Everything inside her cried out to help Jordan take care of this guy, but she couldn’t possibly carry Elaina into that kind of situation, and leaving her behind was equally impossible, so she held her position with watchful eyes.

Their pursuer had reached the bottom of the stairs, and the pace of his clanging steps had slowed.

But it didn’t calm the tantrum of her heart. Or loosen the way Elaina’s skinny arms squeezed around her neck. Pressing Elaina’s face against her shoulder, Amy tried to hold her tight enough to keep both of them from falling apart.

But she couldn’t look away from Jordan, whose shoulders rose and fell in a steady rhythm. His face was a mask of calm, and he closed his eyes for a long second.

She wanted to scream at him, to tell him to pay attention. He was going to miss it all, and she and Elaina would be easy pickings for their pursuer. But she bit her lips until they stung and she tasted the coppery tang of blood.

And suddenly the entire world seemed to explode. Everything happened at once. A wicked Glock 23—silencer attached—came through the entrance, their pursuer holding it straight out and ready to fire. But before the rest of him could make it through the doorway, Jordan squeezed his hands together, raised them over his head and brought both of his arms down on top of the other man’s. There was a sickening crack, and the gun flew across the deck as the man groaned and swore. But before he could do anything more, Jordan landed an elbow to his sternum.

The man in black crumpled to the floor.

Years of training told Amy to secure the weapon, but when she tried to put Elaina down so she could grab the gun, Elaina whimpered and refused to let go. So she took her with, racing for the gun, scooping it up and pointing it at the still man on the ground.

“Are you all right?” Jordan asked, his hands swiftly moving up and down the beefy arms and legs of their pursuer, searching for additional weapons. Suddenly he stopped and stared hard at her. The gentleness he’d displayed with his cousin earlier in the evening was gone. Replaced by something that could only be called his mission face. It was all hard angles and firm planes. The teasing smile that he so often used had disappeared. Even the little cleft in his chin seemed especially dark.

And she was so busy studying his face that she nearly missed his repeated question. “Amy, are you all right? Were you hurt?”

“What? No. We’re fine. You’re fine, right Elaina?” The girl nodded despite the persistent trembling of her chin.

Amy’s own adrenaline was dropping fast and making her hands shake, but she held on to her niece and kept going. “A little shaken up, but we’re all right. Who is this guy?” Her words came out on a rush, but they seemed to be all Jordan needed before going back to work, confirming she had scooped up the only weapon.

When he was satisfied, Jordan pulled the man’s arms behind his back, which launched a loud groan.

“Might have cracked a bone there,” Jordan said. As apologies went, it wasn’t much. But somehow she didn’t think he spent much time telling bad guys he was sorry.

And that was just fine with her.

“Go find an officer or security guard and bring them back here.”

“But there was another man, too. He went the other way, but they were talking. What if he comes to see what’s keeping his friend?”

He looked into the silent stairwell, but shook his head. “If he shows up, I’ll handle it. The two of you go now.”

His blunt orders made her hackles stand on end, but she fought the urge to tell him she could take care of it. She could. Usually. In any other circumstance.

But she was responsible for Elaina. And she’d rather die than leave the girl open and vulnerable to another attack.

Jordan was skilled and experienced. And no matter how much she hated admitting it—especially to herself—there were few people she trusted to handle an unexpected threat more.

When she found a security officer, it took a bit of convincing to get him to follow her back to the scene. But the gun in her hand, which she’d emptied of bullets, piqued his curiosity.

“Guns aren’t allowed on the ship.” He looked equal parts confused and angry, his pasty cheeks going red and splotchy.

“I know.” She’d left hers at home, locked in her gun safe. And it was a fair guess that Jordan had done the same. Amy felt a little bare without her weapon, and she wondered if Jordan felt the same way. Either he felt as unprotected as the day he was born or he didn’t even notice because he was fully equipped to use his hands to neutralize any threat.

Downed man in a black suit was exhibit A.

For the moment, they had no idea how the man had gotten a gun on board. But that would have to wait. “We need to see the captain.”

The guard agreed, and followed her and Elaina back to Jordan, who stood over their pursuer like a hunter showing off his haul.

As the trio approached, the guard let out an audible gasp, and she tried to look at Jordan through his eyes, to consider what it would be like to see him for the first time. He’d been a part of her life for almost as long as she’d been friends with Neesha—more than twenty years. So the big shoulders and towering height didn’t frighten her. The size of his biceps and strength in his grip didn’t intimidate her. No, they made her feel...

Well, it was better not to think about how they made her feel.

After more than sixteen years of daydreaming about how he made her feel, she’d realized just how wrong she’d been.

It was better for her—better for everyone—if she just moved on.

Only she couldn’t deny that, in this moment, he made her feel safe. And she’d never been more grateful.

The big guy in the black suit groaned again, his head lolling to the side as the officer cuffed him. It took both Jordan and the comparatively puny guard to drag the man upright. And it seemed to take hours to make it across the ship and down three levels to the security office. They’d gotten a few strange looks, but most of the ship’s guests were too wrapped up in their own vacation to give more than a passing glance to a man leaning on a security guard and another man, who could have been his friend.

When they finally arrived, Amy sank into a chair, Elaina by her side. As she wrapped an arm around her niece, she whispered to a nearby security guard, “Can you get her father down here? He was in the captain’s office not too long ago.”

The guard nodded, and Amy squeezed her hands together in her lap to keep them from trembling.

* * *

His hands were still shaking.

Jordan tried to hold them still, but there wasn’t much he could do to stop the adrenaline charging through him. What kept him on his feet during a confrontation always left him feeling a little out of sorts when the conflict was resolved.

But as he stared through the window into the makeshift cell at the unconscious man, and then looked back at Amy, he could do little more than thank God that he’d heard Elaina’s screams and gone to investigate. There was no telling what the man would have done when he’d caught them. But while Jordan was glad he’d been able to protect Amy and Elaina, he needed more information if he was going to be able to continue keeping them safe. Question number one: Why had the man been chasing them?

And as much as he wanted to beg for answers, Elaina’s stricken face left him mute. She’d have to rehash the whole ordeal when the captain arrived, so he’d patiently wait for that.