Love Inspired Suspense April 2015 #2 (25 page)

“Not much. I was barely ten when I was taken away. Those I had contact with seemed to think it was best I only knew that my father, sister and brother had perished.” She paused as if needing an extra boost of fortitude to continue. “It was only when I overheard them planning on moving my brother that I learned he was still alive.”

“That must have been difficult for you.” His mother had died when he'd been young, as well. His father and brothers meant the world to him. He would do anything for them. The realization gave him a new respect for her and what she had overcome.

“It was.” She sighed. “But I had my faith. I've always believed that good can come from the most difficult times. I had God with me through it all, and as Leo and I grew older, we also grew smarter. We found ways to work around the plans to keep us apart.”

“By having your annual meeting?”

“Yes.” Her voice broke. Ronin resisted the urge to reach out and lay his hand over hers. “It wasn't much, but it was better than never seeing my brother again.”

“You will see him again.” He hoped his words would give her the added courage to continue telling him what she knew. There was so much buried in her mind somewhere. She had been there when the king had been shot. No one knew for sure how much she'd witnessed, but anything at all would be better than the nothing he had now. He needed to know if she held any memory of his father from the night her family had died, if she remembered who had attacked her and left her for dead.

“I know.” She sounded sure, more sure than he was at this moment. Where the courage came from he didn't know, but he respected her all the more for not giving up.

“What about you? Do you have family?”

“Yes. I have two brothers.”

“Are they in Portase?”

Her question caught him off guard. He had hoped to get answers from her, not the other way around. Not that he minded sharing with her. He held a close bond with his brothers. They had come to the United States even before he had, when the country they had called home for all of their lives had shunned them.

“They are all here in the States, actually. My older brother, Jarrod, started up his own security company in Colorado. My other brother, Declan, and I have both been working for him.”

Ronin debated telling her more. His father had gotten them both out alive and a plan had been set in motion before he was imprisoned. It was Jarrod's company that had provided the security for the prince and princess for the past several years. Before that, a few close friends of their father's had helped move Thea and Leo from place to place. It had become his family's mission to keep the royal heirs safe and hidden from those who were currently in power and were likely responsible for the king's death.

“Are you not from Portase, then?” Her voice sounded tired. She turned toward him and he noticed her stifled yawn. She was doing her best to stay awake, but she looked drained. After all that she'd been through today, she was probably exhausted both mentally and physically.

“Originally, yes.” Any other truths he needed to share or questions he needed to ask could wait. “But that is a long story and you need to rest.” It would be selfish to keep her awake when she so obviously needed sleep. “I'm going to drive as long as I can through the night. If you'd like to relax, there's a pillow and a blanket in the backseat.”

“I might take you up on that,” she said as she twisted in the seat, reaching behind her and feeling around for the items. Finding them, she turned and arranged the pillow against the window and her shoulder. She spread the heavy military blanket over her lap and snuggled into the seat as best she could. “Normally, I can't sleep in a moving car, but this snow is hypnotizing. Besides, I feel pretty safe with you at the wheel.”

She would be safe. He'd see to that. Earlier he had not been paying as close attention to their surroundings as he should have been, and he'd nearly failed his self-imposed assignment before it even began. He honestly hadn't expected an attack so soon. He should have known better. But in those few minutes when she'd turned to face him, her eyes filled with trust, and he'd taken his mind off protecting her and thought about the many reasons she'd have for not trusting him when all of the truth came out.

Thea relaxed her head against the pillow and fidgeted some more, trying to find a comfortable position in near impossible circumstances. She would be asleep within minutes.

Ronin glanced in the rearview mirror to see if any vehicles were following. The men would need a new car, and they could have been injured and possibly arrested. The roads were nearly vacant with the ice storm picking up force in the area. Travel would be slow, but he and Thea had a good head start, and if they stuck to back roads, the odds were in their favor they would not be found.

“Is anyone back there?” she whispered.

“I thought you were asleep.” He smiled and shook his head. He would have to be careful with her. She paid a lot more attention to things than he'd thought. “Nothing but ice and snow.” He glanced back again, just to be sure. “Go to sleep. I'll wake you when we get there.”

“Where's there?” she mumbled.

“We're headed to a safe house in Denver. Then, after your identity has been verified, it's on to the royal estate outside Denver.”

“I've always wanted to see the mountains.” She breathed the words on a sigh. Ronin wasn't sure if she was even awake.

When she didn't say anything else after a few minutes, Ronin realized she must have truly fallen asleep this time. It was going to be a long night. At these speeds and with these road conditions, they probably wouldn't arrive until late tomorrow. If his brothers were on task, they would be preparing a safe haven for the princess. But he couldn't be certain what they'd find when they arrived. There had been one leak already; there could be more. She'd need her rest for the possible receptions they could receive.

As he drove, Ronin thought of checking in with his older brother. Jarrod had worked hard behind the scenes to make sure everything was prepared for their arrival. He was just as dedicated to finding the truth as Ronin. It would be nice to know what preparations were being made, but he dismissed the idea. Cell service was limited and he wasn't supposed to make any sort of contact.

They were on their own.

He'd known that before he'd come for her. There would be no formal move against the current king until the prince and princess could be brought forth and validated as the true heirs of the throne. There were many out there who would go to any extremes to keep that from happening. The king was still the king, and if he had a hand in the murder of her father, he would have the support of their country. At least until the truth was revealed.

Ronin drove for several hours, running different scenarios through his mind as they moved out of Missouri and into Kansas. It all passed by in a blur of white. None of the ways Thea's homecoming might play out were within acceptable limits. Until their country actually saw them and accepted them, she and Leo were still as good as dead. He had no doubt attempts could be made on their lives even once they'd reached the estate where they were to meet. Until the real killer was found and imprisoned, they would never be safe.

He'd just made the decision to switch to a different county road that would be less traveled when he noticed the headlights coming up behind him. The only vehicles he'd seen in the past few hours were two truckers moving even slower than himself and a car that was being pulled out of a ditch by a tow truck.

The headlights came up fast behind him. Too fast.

Within moments the interior of the car was flooded with bright light.

Ronin watched in disbelief as the car grew closer. Only a desperate fool would try what he knew was about to happen.

“Thea.” He spoke calmly but loudly. He didn't dare take his hands off the steering wheel to nudge her. “Thea, wake up.”

Thea awoke with a start at the first lurch of the car when bumper tapped against bumper.

“What's happened?” she questioned, bolting upright in her seat and glancing quickly behind them.

“Hold on tight.” Ronin gripped the steering wheel, preparing for the worst that was sure to come. “They've found us.”

FOUR

T
hea rubbed her eyes in an attempt to remove the last remnants of sleep. The interior of the car was lit up bright as day, but it couldn't be morning already. A quick glance through her window showed nothing but darkness against a haze of snow. She glanced over at Ronin. His knuckles whitened as his grip on the steering wheel tightened.

For a brief moment she thought she was still asleep, caught in some bizarre nightmare.

Her body lurched forward, the seat belt catching tightly around her waist and upper body.

Bright headlights flooded the inside of the car, blinding her as she turned to look behind them. This was very real.

Metal crunched against metal and she lurched forward again, feeling the car slide from one side of the road to the other.

“Brace yourself!” Ronin shouted. The car slammed into them again. His expert handling of the wheel kept them from going into a total spin. For now anyway.

Panic welled up in her chest. Her first instinct was prayer. She wasn't sure if her mumbled words were aloud or in her mind, but they were from her heart. God was with her. He would keep them safe. She knew it. But the fear still threatened to overtake her.

Thea glanced over her shoulder and saw the car coming up on them again. Another crunch as the other car made impact with their rear fender. Ronin fought with the steering wheel, struggling to keep the car on the road. His eyes darted between the mirrors and the road ahead. His body tensed with every motion. A frown covered his features as the car moved up beside them, bumping them.

Side by side they raced at unsafe speeds down the icy road. In the darkness, she could barely make out the shapes of the two men in the car. A flash of metal caught her eyes as one waved what looked like a gun.

Ronin turned the wheel sharply, effectively ramming his car against theirs. The car slid away from them and then came back with force, screeching against them as each car pushed back against the other.

“This is crazy!” she yelled over the scraping of the cars.

She wasn't sure if Ronin could hear her. She could barely hear herself.

Ronin sped up and for a few moments kept some distance between them.

“You're going too fast.” Driving these speeds on the icy roads would only endanger them more.

“They are not going to give up.” He glanced at her quickly, his eyes filled with concern.

The car came up beside them again, ramming hard into the driver's side.

“We're going to go off the road.” He said it as fact, giving her some warning of what was about to happen. “Hold on.”

Thea felt the slide as the car rammed them one last time. There would be no controlling it. She watched helplessly as they crossed the edge of the pavement, plowing through guardrails and heading down a steep embankment. Thea grabbed tight at the edge of her seat with one hand and the handgrip with the other as the car jostled from side to side. Her head knocked against the passenger-side window, sending jolts of pain through her body.

Twigs and barbed wire scratched against her window as they flew through a fence and farther down the incline. The car jerked and then tipped. She closed her eyes as the car rolled hard to one side. Her seat belt pulled tight against her, digging into her skin as she was tossed in every direction as the roll continued.

The air bag shot out against her chest at the same time the car landed with a deafening thud and splash at the bottom. Water seeped over her feet.

They were in water. Freezing water.

Thea sucked in a deep breath and choked on the dusty, chemical-filled air. Stabs of pain shot through her lungs as she did so.

“Are you okay?” Ronin asked. She nodded, but even that slight movement sent more pain shooting through her body. She was nowhere near okay, but she was alive. That in itself was no small feat considering the situation. God had His hand on them. Of that she was sure.

“We need to go,” he said.

Movement seemed nearly impossible when every breath she sucked in brought more pain, but she knew they had little choice. If the men who had run them off the road hadn't suffered a worse fate, they would be looking for them. They had left little doubt about their determination. The thought spurred her movements and she reached around to unclasp her seat belt. But pressing the release button repeatedly brought no satisfaction.

“It's stuck.” She tugged as hard as she could. “My seat belt is stuck.”

Thea continued to struggle with the clasp. Panic welled up inside her along with visions of the water rising to cover her.

“It's okay.” Ronin's large, warm hands closed over hers, tugging with her, but to no avail.

His hand moved away and for a slight moment the thought darted through her mind that he meant to leave her. But within seconds he was back. Thea barely registered the flash of steel as the blade of a knife. She felt a tug and heard the slice through the cloth constraint. The release of pressure was instantaneous. She was free.

“You can breathe now.”

“I am breathing,” Thea replied as she released the breath she'd not realized she'd been holding.

Ronin didn't argue as he reached over her, slashing through the now-deflated air bag to reach the glove compartment. It was too dark to make out the objective of his fumbling movements, but within seconds his attention was elsewhere.

“Grab anything you have to help stay warm.” He reached behind her and tossed her bag into her lap. His voice strong and steady, he continued, “If you have gloves or a scarf, put them on.”

She did as she was told, thankful that she'd thought to pack all the things he mentioned.

“Make sure you have your adrenaline auto-injector with you. We may not come back to the car.” The fact that he knew her so well and thought to remind her surprised her; she was in such a state of shock she wouldn't have thought of it. His calmness soothed her.

She took a deep breath.

“Can you get your door open?” he asked.

Thea tested the handle and felt the pop of the latch as she pulled on it. “I think so.” With a slight nudge of her shoulder, the door creaked open.

“Good. Mine is jammed.”

Thea stepped out into water. Mixed with chunks of ice, the frozen slush seeped through her boots and soaked the bottom of her jeans. Thankfully, the water was only shin deep and after a few wobbly steps she was able to stand. She moved along the side of the car and could feel Ronin right behind her, his hands on her back and head, pushing her gently over into a hunched position behind the car.

“Stay low,” he whispered, tossing the blanket over her shoulders as he glanced above her head.

Snow still fell in huge flakes. Thea looked around them to see if the other car and the men in it were nearby, but visibility was limited. The wind blew in forceful gusts, sending the snow dancing in clouds of frozen swirls. He held her close as he tugged the blanket tight across her back and shoulders, pulling her against him in his temporary warmth. For a moment they were alone in their own little world.

“Keep this around your neck and up over your face,” he said. His gloved fingers brushed her cheek as he adjusted the knitted scarf.

Warmth filled her despite the freezing conditions. She allowed herself to feel safe and protected as she looked up into his eyes. Tiny bits of snow and ice caught in his lashes and along his brow as he glanced at her and then their surroundings.

“I think they went off on the other side of the road,” Ronin said.

Thea shivered. She was soaked, bruised and freezing, but she knew he would stop at nothing to keep her safe. That was what he had been trained for. To protect her. To lay down his life for her if need be. Just like those who had protected her before had done. Part of her wanted to pull away and run into the arms of those who wanted her dead. Just to end it all.

“Don't let go of my hand.” The warmth of his hand closed around hers as he took it.

She gripped tightly. She wouldn't let go. Despite the fear and pain, giving up now would make all that had happened before this moment be for nothing. Those who had already died deserved more than her quitting.

The wind gusted against them, making movement even more difficult. She was thankful for the wind and snow. The blizzard conditions could keep them hidden, if the freezing temperatures didn't kill them first.

* * *

Ronin tugged Thea along behind him, her small hand lost in his. He felt her shiver, and with each shake of her body he willed every ounce of heat from his body through his gloved fingertips to try to give her some warmth. She was strong, probably stronger than she knew, but if he could take the pain for her, he would. She didn't deserve this.

Thea stumbled and he slowed his pace. A full moon hung high in the sky, but it didn't provide them much light through the heavy clouds. A constant sheet of snow blew against them. Each step felt like a battle through a wall of freezing foam. The wind made travel more difficult, but it also blew across their tracks, making it nearly impossible for anyone to follow them. Yet every time he glanced behind them, he could see beams of light slicing through the white haze. The eerie glow only reminded him of how much danger they were in.

Ronin pushed forward, half dragging her behind him. She stumbled again, but this time the full weight of her body pulled against him. He turned to realize she'd slid on the edge of a small ravine; her body hung like deadweight as she fought for a foothold to help herself up.

A strong gust of wind blew as Ronin tugged against her arm and he lost his footing as well, sending them both tumbling the short distance to the bottom.

“Are you okay?” he asked, gathering her up in his arms.

“I'm sorry. I should have been more careful.”

“It's not your fault.” Ronin glanced around and spotted a tiny crevice against the ravine wall that was barely large enough for two people to squeeze into. “Can you make it over there?” he asked pointing toward the large, gnarled tree roots that hid the entrance.

At her nod they made their way. Ronin dusted off a spot of rocky ground and then sat with his back against the stone wall. He pulled her down beside him, wrapping the blanket around them both so that they were totally covered except for the small slit he left at his eyes. The heavy wool material would shield them from the snow and give them some warmth as it held in their combined body heat.

“We'll rest for a few moments.”

She needed the time. He knew that, but just as certainly he knew if they stopped for very long, they'd be dead. The men who had run them off the road meant business. They were not here to take prisoners. Not the way they'd slammed into them.

It didn't make sense. His mind raced. He had taken extra care to stay on back roads. Even though they were less maintained and more hazardous with the worsening weather, avoiding as much traffic as possible made it less likely they'd be noticed.

He'd been even more careful since they'd been on foot. He'd stayed near the creek until it had veered back toward the road. For the past half hour or so, they'd ducked in between trees and overgrowth in a densely wooded area.

She wiggled closer to him and he tightened his arm around her and held her close. The blanket cocooned them both. He could feel the warmth slowly beginning to heat his limbs.

“What's that?” she asked.

“That” could mean any number of things, but knowing she was snuggled up against his left side, he was pretty sure of what she'd noticed.

“That's my gun.”

“You have a gun?” Her voice shook. Whether from the cold or fear, he wasn't sure. “You've had a gun all this time?”

“It was in the glove compartment.” He'd left it there when he'd gone to meet her. Maybe he shouldn't have, but he hadn't wanted to take the risk that she'd see it and be even more afraid of him than she had been.

“Are you going to shoot them?”

Would he? In a heartbeat.

“Only if I have to,” he replied.

He felt her relax against him again. Happy his answer seemed to have pacified her, his focus returned to the men who were hunting them. They'd steadily been gaining on them. Soon, they'd be within earshot.

It went against his every instinct to stay hidden. He could take them. He knew it. He would have the benefit of surprise. He had his gun. Although he was reluctant to use it in anything less than a life-and-death situation, he was reasonably sure it would come to that if they were found. However, they had probably been injured also. It served them right. He knew it was wrong to think it, but he only hoped they suffered more. Considering what they'd already put Thea through, he'd enjoy having a part in some of that suffering.

Her strength continued to amaze him. After what she'd experienced, he wouldn't be surprised if she took his gun from him and shot them herself. There was only so much a person could take. He'd seen it before—what a person could be like when they reached that limit. Her father and sister had been taken from her, and she'd spent her teenage years moving from one home to another, never having time to form friendships or fall in love.

She'd lived in fear, waiting and wondering if someone would come for her.

She had to be pretty close to that edge.

That realization gave him the clarity to stay right where he was. More important than seeing the people against her punished was the fact he had to get her home safe. Hiding was the only option for now. If he showed himself, she'd be right behind him. He couldn't put her in that danger. He had to protect her. He had to find out what she remembered of that night.

There was every chance he'd bring her more pain. When she discovered he'd come for her not only to protect, but also to guard and retrieve the knowledge she held in her mind, she might never trust him again. It was a chance he had to take.

He held her close. She trusted him now.

That would have to be enough.