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“Vinnie shot a gun at us?” Tyler asked. His smile was gone. Clearly he was picking up the adults’ fear. “Why did he do that?”
“I’ll explain later, Tyler.” Jim shifted him back into Selene’s arms. “They didn’t follow you? You’re sure?”
“No. I think Vinnie had his hands full with Kara. And, Jim, you should know Angela helped us. She saw us in the back, unlocked the window and kept Vinnie out of the bathroom so we could get Tyler out.”
He nodded, but the words didn’t matter to him. That his one-time wife had finally, for one moment out of millions, put her son’s well-being ahead of her own meant nothing to him. Real parents did it every day of their lives. If either one of them hurt Kara...
He shook off the thought. It wasn’t possible to even consider it. “Take Tyler back to your mother’s. You’ll intercept the guys on the way here. Fill everyone in.” Sirens sounded. “The police are already on their way. Go now.”
She nodded, putting Tyler back into the car. Then she came out again, a scrap of paper in her hand. “Jim, wait. Here, this is the info on the car they were driving. Just in case.”
He took the paper, barely glancing at it before cramming it into a pocket.
Selene got into the car and said, “Save my sister, Jim. Bring her back to us.”
“I will,” he said, then ran to his pickup, got in and took off.
As he pressed the accelerator to the floor, he realized that in spite of everything—his past his determination, his stubbornness—he was sick at the thought of anything hurting Kara. Devastated at the notion of facing a future without her in it, and killing mad at those who were keeping her from him.
He wanted her, he realized. Not for Tyler’s sake, not because she would be the perfect mother. But for himself. He wanted to be with her. Always.
And if that wasn’t love, he didn’t know what was.
Damn, he loved Kara Brand, after all. And he probably had for a while now. He’d been so busy telling himself he didn’t— couldn’t—that he hadn’t noticed that he did. Fine time to figure it out now that he might never have the chance to tell her, he thought. He hoped he would be able to make things right with her.
All along he’d been beating himself up, feeling guilty for not being able to give the woman what she so richly deserved. A husband who loved her. Was devoted to her. Could make her happy.
And now he realized he did. And he could.
But he had to save her life first.
CHAPTERSIXTEEN
There were sounds, sickening sounds. Grunts of pain accompanied each one.
Kara opened her eyes and tried to bring the room into focus. Her head was spinning, and so was the room around her. But it slowed, and she found she was lying on her back on a floor, her legs inside the bathroom, her upper body in the motel room. Blinking, she lifted her head, managed to roll onto her side, though the motion brought pain. And then she saw where the sounds were coming from. The man held a woman by the front of her blouse with one fist, and pounded her face repeatedly with the other. He was swearing at her.
Kara pushed up with her hands, managed to get up onto her knees but no further. “Stop. Stop it, you’re killing her.”
He stopped pounding and swung his gaze her way. Kara didn’t look back. She couldn’t; her eyes were glued to the woman’s battered face. She looked as if she’d lost a battle with a meat grinder. Her neck seemed like rubber. She wasn’t holding her head up, and Kara wasn’t sure if she was conscious.
The man released his grip on the woman’s blouse, and she slumped to the floor. Then he turned and strode across the room to Kara. “You keep your mouth shut, bitch.” He kicked her, his foot landing hard in her side. She collapsed flat on the floor, then curled around herself, hugging her middle. God, it hurt.
“You know what you’ve done, you and your do-gooder family? Huh, you know what you’ve done to me?”
“It wasn’t about you,” she whispered. “It was about Ty.”
“The kid was fine. You should’ve kept your nose out of it! I’d have let him go and everything would’ve been all right. You’re the one who screwed that up. I wasn’t gonna hurt anyone, but now—”
“Liar.”
The tortured whisper came from the other woman, though she didn’t move when she spoke. “You were gonna kill him.”
“What’s-a matter, Ang, you haven’t had enough yet?” He started toward her again, and again Kara pushed herself upright. She looked around, spotted a half empty soft drink bottle sitting within reach, grabbed it by the neck and smashed the bottom against the stand. She held the jagged edged remnants as he turned around, shock in his eyes. “She’s had enough,” Kara whispered. “Leave her alone.” Gripping the table with her free hand, she hauled herself to her feet.
“Guess you haven’t, though, have you?” he asked.
“You ever beat up on anyone besides women, Vinnie?” she asked. “You kidnap children and pound on women. You’re a real man, aren’t you?”
