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The boat carrying Claire and Jacob was gone.
Claire twisted her hands, attempting to free her wrists from their bonds. The zip ties dug into her skin. Warmth trickled down her fingertips. Beside her, on a bench inside the boat, Jacob slept. He hadn’t woken during the entire incident with their captor, which wasn’t normal. His breathing was also shallow. It terrified her.
Her gaze swung to the man driving the vessel. Alex Sheffield. His clothes were soaked from the rain, and yet some animal hair still clung to the fabric. Anger flooded Claire’s veins. “What did you drug my son with?”
He smirked. “Don’t worry, Sheriff. He’ll be fine.”
Jacob didn’t look fine. His complexion was pale, his freckles standing out in sharp relief. Claire twisted her hands more, attempting once again to break the zip ties, but it was no use. They were industrial strength.
Her gaze swept the cabin. She needed something sharp to cut the bonds with. Beyond the windshield, the lake shore whizzed past. Claire’s stomach bounced with each bump along the choppy waters. “Whatever you’re planning, it won’t work. Every law enforcement officer in the state will be looking for us.”
Gavin would send help. Tears pricked Claire’s eyes as she thought of her brave Texas Ranger. By now, he would’ve discovered she was missing. Along with Jacob. She couldn’t imagine the depths of his worry and fear. It threatened to overwhelm the last bit of emotional control she was clinging to.
Don’t think about it.There wasn’t time. Her focus needed to be on saving Jacob. As long as there was breath in her body, there was hope they could get out of this alive.
Alex’s smirk widened. “I certainly hope everyone will look for you. How else can I frame Xavier for the murders?”
Claire’s mind whirled as she struggled to put the pieces together. In Maribelle’s cabin, Xavier had been insisting that someone was after him. Making it look like he’d done things he hadn’t. He’d disappeared to find out who.
It was a member of his own group. Alex had attempted to take control of the Chosen once before. This was his opportunity to get rid of Xavier once and for all. She swallowed hard. “You killed Stephanie? And Faye?”
“Faye was collateral damage. She shouldn’t have involved herself in matters that weren’t her concern.” His expression hardened. “As for Stephanie…she betrayed me. I loved her. I would’ve given her the world, but she decided our relationship was over. She was going to marry Ian. I couldn’t let that happen.”
They were trapped with a cold-blooded killer. Dread slithered through Claire like sludge. Alex wouldn’t hesitate to hurt—even murder—Jacob. He had no conscience. Her gaze swept the sparse cabin again, searching desperately for anything to use as a weapon. She wouldn’t let him hurt her son. “Where did you get the boat, Alex?”
It didn’t belong to him. His family didn’t own one. Alex passed her a quick glance. “I have friends in high places, Sheriff. I didn’t start this without knowing I’d be protected if things went south.”
So he wasn’t working alone. That explained why he’d come after her. Alex didn’t have the ability to pick a new sheriff, but whoever his partner was, did. Sweat beaded down Claire back. She had to figure out a way to overpower her kidnapper.
Alex lowered the boat’s speed, bringing them closer to shore. The boat’s rocking increased. Claire tumbled off the bench. She landed on the floor in a heap, crying out as Jacob’s small form landed on her swollen knee. Her little boy didn’t stir.
She wrangled herself into a sitting position. Jacob’s breathing was still shallow but steady. Claire took some small comfort from that. She closed her eyes, folding herself over her son’s small form.Please, God, give me strength. Help me get through this. Watch over Jacob and keep him safe. He’s just a little boy.
The prayer centered her. She opened her eyes. A piece of twisted metal glinted on the floor nearby. Drawers used for storage were built into the bench she’d fallen from. A handle had recently been replaced. It was newer than the rest. The old one must’ve broken because a sliver was left behind.
Was it strong enough to cut the zip tie with? Maybe. Claire glanced at Alex, but his focus was on driving the boat. She twisted her body, wincing against the pain, and snagged the jagged piece of metal from the carpet. Twisting it in her fingers, she used the jagged end to slice at the zip ties. It was slow going.
“We’re here.” Alex killed the engine. He hauled Jacob back onto the bench with rough movements.
“Don’t hurt him.” Fury blinded her as she struggled to gain leverage into a standing position, even with her hands tied behind her back. The zip ties were weaker, but she still couldn’t break them. “He’s just a child. He has nothing to do with this.”
Alex ignored her, grasping Claire’s arm with a bruising grip. He roughly pulled her into a standing position. Pain shot through her swollen knee and she cried out. The jagged piece of metal tumbled from her fingers. Alex began dragging her to the door. “Let’s go.”
Suddenly, she realized he intended to separate her from Jacob. She tried to break his hold. “I’m not going anywhere without Jacob.”
Alex tightened his grip and shoved a gun into her side. “Stop.” His foul breath washed across her cheek, his dark eyes cold and flat. Evil. “If you do as I tell you, then Jacob will be left alive someplace safe where he’ll be found. Fight me, and I’ll kill him.”
Claire’s knees went weak. Alex meant every word. Her only option was to buy time, either until help arrived or until there was an opening to fight back.
Within moments, they were on shore. The frigid air cooled Claire’s overheated skin. The rain had finally stopped, the cloud cover dissipating enough to allow beams of moonlight through. It streamed over the trees. This section of the lake was familiar. Xavier’s land.
A man stood at the end of the dock. Mayor Patrick Scott. He wore a designer raincoat, his mouth twisted into a hard-edged sneer. Claire wasn’t shocked by his presence. She’d been wrong about his accomplice—he’d paid Alex the $100,000 to kill Stephanie—but right about everything else. He’d had Stephanie murdered to prevent her from marrying his son. Faye’s search for the missing woman threatened to expose their secret, and the mayor had killed her. Everything else that followed was part of a cleanup to keep their secrets buried. Including the threats against Claire.
Now the two men were making a desperate attempt to frame Xavier for everything. They didn’t know the man was already in police custody.
Patrick’s glare swept over Claire before landing on Alex. “You’re late.”
“There were some delays.” Alex shoved Claire and her feet stumbled over each other. Her body crashed to the ground with enough force to knock the air from her lungs. The zip ties around her wrist broke. Before she had time to react, the sharp point of Patrick’s boot landed in her stomach. Pain exploded through her body. Claire doubled over.
