Page 90 of Protect My Heart

He nodded.

“Tell me about your family?”

“My baby girl is seventeen.”

His sedate tone and rhythmic breathing told Liz her plan was working. But for how long?

She sent up a private plea that Jim and CJ found her, and soon.

Chapter 25

Jim wanted to pace. He kicked his legs out in front of him for the twentieth time and flinched as his hip throbbed with each movement. The nondescript van sat parked at the end of the Sampson’s lake cabin driveway. Tall, snow-covered pine trees masked their presence.

The guard. How did he miss him? Doc’s life depended on him and his fucking instinct let him down.

“Stop beating yourself up. I missed it, too. The guy looked like a happy family man. No skeletons popped in the preliminary research. I wouldn’t have pegged him as the mastermind.”

His partner was right, but it didn’t stop the nervous bouncing of his foot. Pulling two more Tylenol, Jim whispered to CJ. “How long does it take the judge to sign a search warrant in this county?”

His patience ran out hours ago. “What if he—”

“Don’t say it.” CJ’s green eyes blazed with the same fierceness Jim felt. His partner’s knuckles were white from hours of fisting his hands.

Jim knew it was killing CJ to sit here, but there were laws they both had sworn to uphold. Well, fuck his oath. “If it doesn’t come through soon, I’m going to walk up to the door and kick it in. I don’t give a shit about his rights. If Doc is in there—”

“Maybe I should do the kicking.” CJ smirked. “Calm down. It will come through, or we’ll move to plan B in ten minutes.”

Jim looked out at the rising sun. It would be daylight in about thirty minutes and they’d lose their element of surprise.

“What’s plan B?” Jim wanted to know, and whether it involved shooting the asshole between the eyes?

The back van door flew open. All four men in the back reached for their weapons. “We got it.” The deputy held up a piece of paper.

“It’s about time. Did Judge Vanderhue have his morning crap before he would look at it? Doesn’t matter, we got it now. Let’s move.” The sheriff took the warrant and shoved it in his tactical vest.

With radio silence, the two teams flanked the log structure. On the sheriff’s command, they entered the cabin from all sides. Jim and CJ took the rear. Pure adrenaline masked his pain as he followed his partner through the door.

With the main level secure, Jim crept down the stairs, gun drawn, listening for any sounds. Murmurs came from below. As he reached the last step, he could see Doc. Her dark hair loose around her face. Her eyes locked with the man standing in front of her, talking. Jim moved into the room, gun trained on Sampson. When the man stopped, Doc spoke in a soft even tone. “Jim, Mr. Sampson is in a trance-like state. Davis, please lie down on the floor, face down.”

The man obeyed.

What the fuck? Jim blinked. He held up a hand as CJ descended the stairs. Catching on, his partner tiptoed back up and shushed the other officers. Jim gestured for Doc to have the man place his hands on his head. Once Davis complied, Jim moved in and cuffed the man.

“All clear,” Jim yelled. CJ and the others came down the stairs.

The sheriff read Mr. Sampson his rights and hauled him away. CJ cut Doc loose and scooped her up in a big bear hug. “You had me scared to death. Twice in a week. We can’t let you out of our sight.”

“What if I promise to have a big, ornery detective with me?” Her gaze locked on Jim. She broke the embrace and turned to him.

NASCAR drivers had nothing on his heartrate. It had to be beating two hundred miles per hour.

“You got my message.” Doc’s arms slid around his waist and cinched him close.

“Yeah.” He didn’t need to admit he’d been an idiot and too stubborn to play it right away. He’d save that conversation for later. His hands found her curls and locked in.

“Then you know.” She gazed up at him. Nerves and hope in her eyes.

“Tell me again.”