Meghan Carver - Under Duress

Reid swiped his hand through his hair. He could almost hear the ding in his mind as long-forgotten pieces came together. “Wait a minute. What’s your father’s name?”

Samantha narrowed her gaze at him. She had probably figured out where his question was leading. “Thomas Callahan.”

“You mean the Thomas Callahan, one of the most well-known and well-paid divorce attorneys in the Indianapolis area?”

“Unfortunately, yes. It’s not a pretty thing when a prestigious divorce lawyer leaves his own wife.” She pressed her hand to her chest as if the heart palpitations caused by the betrayal were still fresh.

Her expression was so pitiful Reid wanted to slide to the edge of his seat and take her in his arms, and whisper sweet comfort to her. But there was nothing worse he could do at this juncture, for her safety or his. In fact, the sooner this whole situation was resolved and he was removed from Samantha’s presence, the better. He couldn’t risk attachment, not with his history and the statistics to prove his genetic tendencies toward anger.

Before he could respond, Samantha killed that idea. “If these bad guys have done their research, they should know that my father would most likely not pay a ransom. We haven’t spoken much over the years. When we do, it’s rather curt. And we haven’t been in contact at all in over a year.”

“What about Lily? Who in her past would have money to pay a ransom?” Reid glanced at the backseat. Lily wore her spy sunglasses and was stroking her long ponytail, pulling it off to the side as if trying to see it in the mirror in the glasses.

Samantha picked at an invisible piece of lint on her skirt. “When she was only three, her mother died. So it’s been just her and her dad for several years. I got to know her at church and became a sort of substitute mother for her. Her father was killed in a hit-and-run not long ago, but at least he had set up a will that appointed me as her guardian.” She squinted at the dark sky and the clouds hovering outside her window. “Can we talk about this on the way to my condo? Surely we can at least pick up some clothes and necessary items before the rain starts.”

Reid sagged in his seat, his ankle holster pressed into his leg. Perhaps just a few moments to run into her place would be all right. He turned the key in the ignition and checked his rearview mirror.

Lily sat in the middle of the backseat, clutching the purple backpack, a tear escaping from underneath her sunglasses.

* * *

Finally, Samantha was making some progress in her reasoning with Reid. Maybe once they got to her condo and all was well, he would see that she could stay there without problem.

Maybe she would be convinced of that, as well...especially since there was no place else to run.

At her instruction, Reid pulled out of the parking lot and turned right.

“Are you familiar with the Maple Grove Condominiums on the east side of town?”

Reid turned to smile at her. “It’s been a while since I’ve been in Heartwood Hill. Several years. I’ll need directions.”

Even in the dark, Samantha could see a shadow of whiskers beginning to cover his jaw. She swallowed down the lump growing in her throat. She had to admit that Reid was an attractive man, but she couldn’t account for her sudden desire for him to find her home pleasing. When was the last time she had dusted? Had she left dishes in the sink that morning? Did she have enough coffee to offer him a cup?

She pinched her own leg to punish herself for even thinking such thoughts. Someone with Reid’s reputation would never be interested in the coziness and pleasures of home. Nor would she want him there. She and Lily were doing just fine by themselves.

She pointed to the next stoplight. “Turn left up there.”

“So what else can you tell me about Lily’s father?”

“I told you about all I know. The driver was never found, so we don’t know who hit his car. Lily came home with me after seeing her father at the hospital, and she’s been with me ever since.”

“So he didn’t die on impact?”

“No. She got to spend a little bit of time with him. It was good to say that goodbye, but bad to have to say it. You know what I mean?”

“Yeah. I do.”

A catch in his voice touched something deep inside Samantha. Even the tall, strong and quiet Reid Palmer had some difficulty with his background. Samantha checked their location. “In here, at the subdivision sign. I’m in the third house on the left.” Whatever more it was that was bothering him, she couldn’t dwell on that now. Probably never. She had a child to protect, her first priority.

Reid drove slowly, sweeping his gaze over the other houses and down the side streets. “What did her father do? For a living?”

“He was an accountant with that big manufacturing company on the north side of Indy. Why?”

“Just searching for information that might help us figure out who’s after you and Lily.”

Samantha sniffed. “I didn’t know a lot of the details, but accountant sounded like a pretty dreary job to me. I can’t imagine that has anything to do with our present difficulty.”

He idled past the house and turned right at the next street.

“Where are we going? You passed it.”

“I’m circling and double-checking.” He leaned forward and peered past her, in between the houses that backed onto hers. “There was only one car parked on the street, and no one was in it. I think we’re okay.”

Reid pulled up in the driveway and cut the headlights. Lily fidgeted in the backseat but stilled when he held up a hand. “We’ll sit here for a moment and check it out.”

The structure was cloaked in darkness, even more so with the thunder-boomers blotting out the nighttime stars. Samantha sat in the eerie silence and let her gaze dart around the yard. Everything seemed in place. Not a single flower appeared to be trampled, although she couldn’t see all the beds in the dark. “Looks fine to me,” she whispered in Reid’s direction.

“It doesn’t seem that anyone’s around, but it’s hard to tell from the exterior. Let’s go in, but be watchful and stay behind me.” He leaned over the steering wheel and pulled up his pant leg, retrieving the weapon from the holster fastened to his lower leg. “And keep it quiet. Not even a whisper.”

Lily lunged against the back of the seat. “I knew it! You do have a gun.” Her hoarse whisper whipped through Samantha’s hair.

“Whoa.” Samantha scooted to the edge of her seat near the door. She’d never been close to a gun before. “You have a gun?”

“Yeah. What police officer, even former, wouldn’t be armed?”

“You have a permit for that thing?”

“Of course. And in Indiana it’s called a license.”

Samantha tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear with a trembling hand. “Stay back, Lily. Let Mr. Palmer handle this.” She should have figured a former police officer would carry a weapon, but she hadn’t been prepared for her innocent ward’s sudden interest in firearms.

“I’m not going to touch it, Sam. And I know better than to stand in front of it. I just want to look at it...from here.” Samantha couldn’t quite tell in the darkness, but Lily probably executed a classic eye roll as only a ten-year-old could.

Reid swung his door open and motioned for Samantha and Lily to do the same. He slowly pushed it closed without latching it, and Samantha softly closed hers as well, grabbing Lily’s before the girl could slam it shut.

As they approached the door, Samantha uttered a prayer thanking the Lord for sending such a tall, broad-shouldered protector. She hated to put him in the line of fire, but at least he could fire back.

He nudged the butt of his gun against the door, and it swung open. Someone had been there for sure. There was no way she would leave the door hanging open when she went to work. Besides, she usually left through the garage. The front door was only opened when she or her sister, with whom she shared the condo, were expecting guests.