Texan's Baby (10 page)

“I can't let you do that. You've already done so much,” Melanie said.

Roger shook his head. “It's no trouble.”

“We want to help,” Celia said. “Don't think twice about it.”

“I don't want to burden you guys—”

Roger's hands went up. “I'm a man of my word.”

“Thank you both. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't answered the door when you did.” The thought of what Sprigs wanted to do to her made her stomach churn.

He was still out there.

* * *

D
AWSON
HAD
ALL
the essentials packed up and ready to go by the time Melanie walked through the front door.

She ran straight into his arms, where he hauled her against his chest. He tilted her head back and kissed her on the forehead, each eyelid and then her lips.

The thought that she might not come home had eaten away at his stomach lining.

The past few hours had been pure hell.

“You're safe,” he whispered as she trembled in his arms.

Anger ripped through him at the thought of what could've happened to her. She'd been quick on her feet and that was the only reason she was here in his arms and not stranded somewhere with that sick bastard Sprigs, or dead.

Her chin came up and there was defiance in her stare. “I couldn't let him take me. I had no doubt he would eventually kill me when he was through with me. All I could think of was Mason growing up without a mother and how much he needed me.”

“You did the right thing,” Dawson reassured her. And then he just held her, trying not to notice how much her body molded to his or how warm her skin felt against his own. “Is Roger outside?”

“He left.”

“I wanted to shake his hand and give him some money for gas,” Dawson said.

“He wouldn't take anything from me. He said to tell you not to worry about it. Said he hoped that if something like that ever happened to his Celia, someone would do the right thing and help her, too.”

Dawson was grateful to the man and he would find a way to repay him.

Melanie told him what had happened and showed him the card that Special Agent Randall had given her. It had a phone number she was supposed to call if Sprigs showed up again in addition to a case number scribbled on it.

“Your car is evidence, so I'm sure you won't be getting that back anytime soon and even if you did it won't be drivable. My SUV is still in Mason Ridge, so I figure we'll need a rental,” he said.

“He got away, Dawson.” Her words trembled as much as her body when she said it.

“Not for long,” he said. “Even if he could walk after a wreck like that, he couldn't have gone far. They'll catch him tonight or tomorrow. They want him as much as we do.” He doubted that was possible but said the words to offer her some reassurance.

“And if they don't?” She pulled back from him a little, and he repositioned so as not to hurt her arms. Wide, fearful eyes stared up at him.

“They will. If not, then I will. He just made a huge mistake when you got away. One I'm grateful for. It's only a matter of time for him now that they have a general vicinity.” Dawson held her tighter, not quite ready to let her go.

“I hope you're right,” she said.

She leaned into his chest and for one crazy second the world felt right again. Dawson reasoned that recent events had him off balance, and the thumping in his chest meant nothing more than gratitude that Mason's mother was home safe.

“In the meantime, I'm taking you and our son to my family's lake house,” he said.

“Your parents still own that place?”

“They do.” Although no one in the family had used it since Bethany was alive. His heart dropped to the toe of his boot and he was filled with the same sense of dread he'd felt when the doctor said all they could do was help her rest comfortably. It had been his idea to take Bethany to the lake house, her favorite place on earth, when she was losing her last little grip on life. It was the last place anyone would ever think to look or expect Dawson to go.

That was precisely the reason it would be perfect for the three of them.

Facing that place again was as appealing as swallowing fire. But Mason and Melanie were the priorities now. And Dawson would do whatever it took to ensure their safety.

“The car rental place doesn't open for another...” Dawson glanced at his watch “...forty-five minutes.”

“I just remembered that I don't have a car seat anymore,” Melanie said.

“Not a problem. They rent those. I've asked for an SUV with a car seat and GPS. Should we wake Mason?”

“Let's let him sleep. I might as well pack his breakfast.” She took a step back and started toward the kitchen.

“Already done,” Dawson said. “I had to do something productive to force myself to stop pacing earlier.”

Melanie turned around.

“How did he find me, Dawson?” Her chin was defiant, but her voice was small.

“I don't know.” If there was a way to keep Melanie and Mason safe tucked away somewhere, Dawson would hunt the son of a bitch down personally and make sure he never hurt another woman or child. As it was, he wouldn't be able to leave them with anyone else or let either of them out of his sight. Not even his best friends in Mason Ridge, and Dawson trusted those guys with his own life.

He thought about calling them for backup and that thought died quickly on the vine.

First of all, he didn't want anyone to know about their new location. He wasn't worried that his friends would tell anyone where he was going. That wasn't the problem. He didn't want to take a chance that anyone could intercept the call.

Another advantage Dawson had at the moment was that Sprigs didn't seem to realize that Dawson was with Melanie and the creep might not know about their son, either. For Mason and Melanie's sake, Dawson needed to keep a lid on his new role as father. All it would take would be one look at Mason and Dawson's friends would make the connection.

Second, all of his friends had been through the wringer in recent weeks while authorities were trying to identify and then arrest those involved with the child abduction ring. Everyone inside Dawson's circle had been touched by recent events, and some of them still had the physical marks to prove it.

“I considered the possibility that he would send someone else after me, but I didn't think in a thousand years that he would come himself. Not when he has this much heat on him,” Melanie said. “And how did he get in my car? I promise that I locked the doors before. I always do and I'm being extra careful now.”

Sprigs was smart and that made him a helluva lot more dangerous. And deadly.

“I've been thinking a lot about that.” Dawson shouldn't notice how beautiful her brown eyes were right now or allow his emotions to take over, because they had him wanting to take her in his arms and never let go. He reasoned that he was still shaken up at the thought of almost losing her. He'd spent a good half hour not knowing what had happened to her and fearing the worst. “He may have gone back to your parents' house and found a pay stub lying around.”

“I cleaned my purse out when I was there. All he'd have to do is look through the trash,” she said.

“Then my guess is that he pulled the fire alarm to create enough of a diversion to get everyone out of the building.”

“He had access to my purse,” she said. “But we came right back in and got our things. Someone would've seen him coming in and out if he went outside to unlock my car, wouldn't they?”

“He'd only have to use your remote to unlock your doors,” Dawson said.

“So that must mean he was watching me earlier when I arrived at work? Otherwise, how would he know which one was mine?”

“All he'd have to do is click the remote and he could see which car belonged to you. In all that commotion and with the fire alarm blaring, no one would notice what was going on in the parking lot.” Dawson paced.

“People were leaving left and right after the alarm,” she said.

“He wouldn't have to know which purse was yours, either. All he'd have to do is check wallets for identification. The fire alarm would be the perfect cover. He could've hid inside the bathroom until everyone cleared out. Then, with all the racket of the sirens outside, he'd be able to cover the sound of your car unlocking. Was it busy?”

“The place was packed.” Her jaw fell slack. “If he checked my ID then he could've taken my driver's license.”

Chapter Twelve

Melanie poured out the contents of her purse and located her wallet. Dawson noticed her hands were still shaking. In that moment, he wanted to put his own hands on Sprigs. Preferably around the man's neck.

“It's here.” She pulled out her ID. “And my credit cards, too.”

“Anything else missing that has identifying information on it?” He also noticed the burn marks on her arms.

“Everything's here.” She gasped. “He might've memorized my address. All it would take is one good look and he could remember where I live.”

“Even if he did, he won't come here tonight. Besides, I doubt he can walk after the wreck you described. His body would've taken all the impact while he was down on the floorboards. At a minimum, he's shaken up and has gone into hiding until everything cools down. Best case, he's lying in a ditch somewhere bleeding until the feds pick him up and lock him away for good.”

It had taken real courage to do what Melanie had done. She'd done good. Dawson didn't want to be
this
proud of her actions. Denying that he was wouldn't change anything, so he chalked his pride up to their history. “Also, he should realize that the feds will be watching this place from now on, which brings me to another point. I should let them know where we're heading.”

“You're probably right. The whole thing just gives me the creeps. I've had a bad feeling ever since his name came up in connection to the child abductions, and I haven't been able to shake it. Even though I shut down everything on social media and cut off ties except to those who I was closest to. I figured he would give up on his fixation with me at some point and just go away or find someone else to put his attention on,” she said. “It had been quiet for a few years. Especially since I disappeared and had the baby. Now this—this is all just too close to home, you know?”

He knew there was another reason she'd withdrawn from everyone and it had to do with their relationship.

No way was he about to discuss that. This wasn't the time or place.

“You might want to pull together whatever personal belongings you'd like to have with you,” he suggested, ignoring the frustration still fresh in his mind at how easy it had been for her to shut him out.

“And Mason's,” she said.

“I packed for him.” He had an idea of exactly what she would want to take, but it wasn't his place to rummage through her personal stuff. “Are you hungry?”

“I doubt I could eat anything after everything that's happened,” she said.

“You have time to grab a shower before we leave.” He would pack something for her to eat on the drive. She needed to keep up her strength.

“That sounds like heaven right now.” She started to get up and stopped. Her gaze shifted from the floor to him, and something exploded inside his chest the second she made eye contact. “Dawson, I'm really glad you're here.”

“Me, too.” He dismissed the feeling.

“I mean it. I can't think of a better friend to have around when the chips are down.”

“We've been through a lot together over the years.” Dawson half smiled. Most of their trials had come from him during his childhood when she helped him through a difficult time, and he didn't mind returning the favor of being there for her.

“Sure have,” she said with a sigh.

“It's my turn to have your back, Melanie. I don't think I ever officially thanked you for being there for me when we were kids.”

“You didn't have to say the words. I knew,” she said.

He smiled at her as she passed him on her way to the shower, ignoring the sliver of light reaching into the darkest places of his soul.

Dawson studied Special Agent Randall's card while Melanie was in the next room. He retrieved his cell and punched in the number.

The agent picked up on the first ring.

“My name is Dawson Hill and I'm helping my friend Melanie Dixon.” He'd used the word
friend
for lack of a better term. Besides, it was true. No matter what else the two of them were or had been, they'd always been friends.

“Ms. Dixon mentioned you.” Special Agent Randall introduced himself and then the two exchanged greetings.

That fact should make this call go easier than Dawson had expected.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Hill?” Special Agent Randall asked.

“Any word on Jordan Sprigs?” he asked.

“That's a negative, sir. Sprigs is still at large,” Randall said. “We're working with local law enforcement and have a lot of resources invested in his capture. The problem with a man like him is that he can easily disappear into the same outlets he uses to move children.”

“I was hoping he wouldn't survive the crash,” Dawson admitted, wishing he would have better news for Melanie when she finished her shower. She was already so on edge she'd jump out of her skin if so much as a fly landed on her.

“In all honesty, we all shared that hope,” Randall said on a hard sigh. “But he's still out there and we're not giving up until we locate him. We know that he's fixated on Ms. Dixon and that leads us to believe that he won't go far. He'll want to be close to her now that he's pinpointed her location.”

“He sent someone to attack her at her parents' house in Mason Ridge a week ago,” Dawson said. “I was there.”

“I didn't see a report come through on that,” Randall said, concerned. “When did you say the incident occurred?”

“It was a week ago. We stayed at a motel that night and then there was a fire the next morning. I'm sure it was him. He has a history with fire,” Dawson said.

“The second incident was reported to the task force. The fire marshal's initial assessment is that he suspects foul play. He's continuing his investigation to pinpoint the cause and it'll take a little while to process the scene.” Randall's voice had returned to an all-business pitch. “Tell me more about the home invasion.”

Dawson relayed the details.

“I'll make contact with the sheriff's department and request that incidents involving you or any of your friends be reported to us immediately,” Randall said, his frustration evident in his tone. “Ms. Dixon returning to her childhood home could've been the trigger that caused Sprigs to reignite his fixation on her.”

“I'm guessing something in his background must be linked to this behavior, but I didn't know the guy very well,” Dawson said.

“Can you tell me anything about him?”

“I know that he kept to himself growing up. I didn't even know he and Beckett Alcorn were friends until all this news broke. In fact, thinking back, I don't remember him having many friends at all.”

“Which could've been the first problem,” Randall said. “And would also make him easy to manipulate.”

Randall made an excellent point. If Sprigs was lonely, had some issues, it could make him pliable. Dawson didn't need to work in law enforcement to put those pieces together. “He was older than us and we pretty much stuck to friendships in our grade. The only reason I knew any of the older boys was my friend Ryan's older brother, Justin. You think Alcorn was pulling the strings on that whole operation?”

“That's what we're trying to figure out,” Randall said.

“Does seem hard to believe someone so timid could be the mastermind behind a child kidnapping ring.”

“What about family? Did you ever have any dealings with the Sprigses?”

“Not really.”

“Were there any rumors about strange behavior?” Randall asked.

“His father died when we were pretty young. Can't say what kind of person he was. Heard that his mom was a religious nut of some kind. I have no idea if that's true or not. He got teased a lot, even by younger kids. The only reason I remember his dad was that traffic shut down on Elder Parkway on the day of his funeral. There was a big game on that day and I overheard older folks complain about the inconvenience. Most people in town are decent, so I remember thinking that Sprigs's dad must've been a jerk. Couldn't say for sure one way or another personally, but it did make me wonder. Can't say I remember much else about the family.” Dawson intended to ask around on his own. “Wish I could be more help.”

“Alcorn might be the key to putting the pieces together. I have another interview scheduled with him this morning. He's given up his partner, but he's protecting information about their routes, and my guess is that they plan to keep business running as usual. He claims that he wasn't involved in logistics, but my experience tells me that he knows more about it than he's telling us. If we catch Sprigs, we might not need Alcorn's information. Either way, we'll have more leverage when both are in custody.”

“Melanie doesn't feel safe here anymore after last night,” Dawson said.

“That's certainly understandable under the circumstances,” Randall said. “I can arrange protective custody.”

“We're planning to leave the apartment and I'd like to move her and Mason to a lake house owned by my family. It's isolated there. No one knows that we own it because we haven't used it in years,” Dawson said, figuring this was as good. “She's concerned he has her address after breaking into her car.”

“To be honest, we're hoping that's true. I'd like to place a female agent in the apartment in Melanie's absence.”

“As bait?” Dawson asked.

“Yes. Can you talk to her and get back to me?”

“She won't mind. She'll do anything to cooperate if it means taking that son of a bitch off the streets.”

“Good. That will go a long way toward an end to this,” Randall said. “I'll notify my surveillance crew of the change. One thing to consider is that she'll be vulnerable during the transition to the new place. I'd like to offer assistance in transporting her.”

“That would be much appreciated.” Dawson had been concerned about that, too. No way would he put her and Mason in danger unnecessarily. The extra security measures would help ease his apprehension.

“What's the address?” Randall asked.

Dawson provided it.

“Hold on one second, please.” The sound of fingers pounding a keyboard came through the line. Randall must be pulling up the location on his computer. “With one main road leading in and out of the property, we'll be able to control access. However, there are a lot of trees and that could make it more interesting to cover the acreage.”

Dawson knew firsthand how easy it was to disappear under the canopy. Even after all these years he remembered the layout. Some of his best times with Bethany had been spent running through those woods. “We had a security system installed out there for the house. It was state-of-the-art at one time. Hopefully that will minimize any concern.”

“How about the perimeter? Anything we should know about security-wise there?” Randall asked.

“Barbed wire fencing. Nothing that's hot, though,” Dawson said. “My mother didn't want to take a chance either of her kids would have an accident.”

“How soon do you plan to leave?” Randall asked.

“I'd intended to wait until a car rental place opened, since my SUV is in Mason Ridge and Melanie's car is no longer drivable,” Dawson said. He heard the water turn off in the bathroom and an image of Melanie naked, stepping out of the shower, assaulted him. He shoved the thought aside.

“We can provide transportation,” Randall offered.

“How soon can you arrange it?” Dawson figured Melanie would be out soon enough and ready to go. He wondered how long it would be before Mason stirred. Thankfully, his son had been well during the past week other than the occasional cough. Melanie had been right. Mason really did get sick fast and hard, and well just as quickly.

“I can assemble a team in about an hour.”

“We'll hold tight until then,” Dawson said.

“I'd like to pick up the keys to the new location now and send a couple of guys to sweep the place before you arrive.” Randall asked.

“Absolutely.” Dawson had no problem agreeing to the extra security measures. While he had no doubt about his own ability to handle Sprigs, Dawson had no idea how many others worked for the man. Besides, he'd cooperate in any way if it meant more security for Melanie and Mason. The hours he'd spent pacing, waiting for her, had been right up there with the worst of his life. And he'd endured doozies. He had no intention of making it easy for Sprigs to get to her, and he had no idea what the crazed man would do to Mason.

Dawson had no plans to risk finding out.

Melanie, dressed in a T-shirt and jeans, walked into the room and sat on the edge of the coffee table near where Dawson stood. He acknowledged her with a nod and then turned his attention to the window. He'd have time to fill her in during the drive. Besides, seeing her fresh-faced from a shower reminded him of the things they liked to do to each other in there, and this wasn't the time to think about it.

Dawson thanked the agent and then ended the call.

Sprigs could be anywhere, even outside at that very moment. He'd been smart enough to avoid capture so far. The fact sat heavy on Dawson's thoughts.

Sprigs's networks had to be pretty sophisticated to pull off something like this, and he'd gotten away with abducting children for far too many years. Calculating back, Sprigs would have had to begin while he was still in high school and practically still a child himself.

What kinds of horrible things had to happen to a guy to twist him up like that so early in life?

It didn't take long to fill Melanie in on the new plan and bring her up to date with the conversation Dawson had had with Randall.

“I have a lot of questions for him,” she said.

“He's planning to meet us at the lake house. Or we could call him back if you'd like.”

“It can wait. My nerves are still jumbled and that'll give me time to sort everything out in my head,” she said.