Maya Banks - Sweet Temptation

She bounded to her feet, but he gained his as well. He lunged and she dodged, but he caught her waist and they both went to the floor, her taking the brunt of his weight.

Fear for her baby outweighed everything else. She had to end this quick or he’d kill her baby.

Be smart. Use your head. You can beat your opponent no matter how big or mean he is.

She relaxed and went completely still. In his surprise, Chad loosened his grip, and his eyes narrowed in suspicion. She waited until he reached for her shirt and then she jabbed her fingers into his unprotected eyes.

He roared in pain and rage. She shoved with all her strength and he fell away. The gun. It was lying just a few feet away.

She dove for it, her hands stuttering over the barrel.

Chad landed on her, driving the breath from her. She felt a pop in her ribs and pain exploded through her chest. They wrestled, rolling as she gripped the pistol. His hands gripped hers cruelly, squeezing until she thought her bones would surely break, but she wouldn’t let go.

They grappled for control, their bodies tangling as they rolled over and over. She was fighting for her life and that of her child. She fought for David and Hannah. And for all that she and Micah had lost.

A loud explosion rattled her ears, and pain seared through her shoulder. She was knocked backward several feet and fire licked up her arm, searing, hot, excruciating. God help her, he’d shot her.

He climbed over her, straddling her body as her blood flowed onto the floor. She saw the intent in his eyes and knew that unless she found a way to survive, his face would be the last she saw.

Whispering an urgent prayer to God, to David and Hannah, who watched over her, she made one last stand.

Maybe Chad thought she was done. Maybe he didn’t think she was a threat any longer. It was his mistake. Ignoring the agony any movement of her arm caused, she wrenched the pistol from his grip with both hands. Before he could react, she cracked the butt over his face, shattering his nose that was already damaged from her head butt.

He fell backward, landing on the floor with a thump. She lay there a long second, heaving for breath. She was light-headed and the room spun crazily around her. Gasping for breath, she struggled up, only to see Chad out cold in front of her.

The cuffs. She couldn’t chance him waking up. Couldn’t chance him following her. She wouldn’t be able to hold him off again.

Silver glinted in the candlelight and she saw the cuffs across the room, thrown carelessly aside when he’d freed her before.

She crawled over and grabbed them, her hands shaking violently.

Simply cuffing him wouldn’t do. She had to incapacitate him. She quickly cuffed one wrist and then rolled him so that he lay on his belly. She yanked both arms around and then secured the other wrist.

Rope. She’d seen rope when they walked in. But where? She searched the living room frantically and then remembered it was out on the front porch. Hoping it was sturdy and not rotted and frayed, she stumbled out to get it, ignoring the blood that dripped from her bullet wound.

Calling on strength she didn’t know she had, she looped the rope around his ankles and then pulled until his legs were bent back, and his body was bowed, belly out. She tied the rope as tightly to the cuffs as she could, winding and winding again until he was bent at an impossible angle, his arms and legs tied together behind him.

Keys. Where had he put the keys? First things first. She had to stop the bleeding. She ran to the kitchen and rummaged through the drawers until she found some old rags. As best she could with one hand, she fashioned a tight bandage, but blood was soaking through them already.

She tucked the gun into the waist of her jeans and went in search of the keys. Frustration ate at her when she came up with nothing. She searched his pockets, the living room, even the bathroom. He hadn’t left them in the car. She knew that much.

A groan rose from across the room, and she panicked. She pulled the gun and eased over, pointing the barrel down at him as he moaned again and tried to move.

Rage. Such red-hot fury descended. Her hand shook and her finger curled around the trigger. She could shoot him. Right here, right now. No one would blame her. No one would ever know it hadn’t been done in the heat of the fight. She could shoot him and then untie him and leave him to die. He deserved to die like a gut-shot animal. Slow and painful.

Do it. Just do it.

The voice whispered over her ears. She was tempted, so tempted. He’d taken everything from her. From Micah. He’d tried to kill her baby. He didn’t deserve to live.

Tears filled her eyes and she wiped at them, leaving sticky blood.

She lowered the gun and turned away. No. David had taught her to value life. He’d never want her to kill another human being for him.

She left the house, stumbling down the steps, the gun once more tucked into her jeans. Cell phone. Chad’s cell phone. He’d left it on the seat of the car.

She wrenched the door open and looked again for the keys, though she’d seen him bring them inside. She grabbed the phone and slammed the door shut.

From inside the house, she heard Chad curse and then yell at her. He called her a litany of names and vowed to kill her if he ever got his hands on her again.

She needed no urging; she turned and ran down the road they’d driven in on.

Micah paced the interior of the meeting room at HPD. He was about to go out of his mind. Nathan, Gray, Connor and even Damon had gathered along with several detectives. They had crawled over Chad’s entire life, tracked his movements by credit card receipts, knew where he’d stayed in Houston and when he’d taken leave from Miami PD.

Micah blamed himself. The taste of guilt was sour and overwhelming. How could he not have seen what a nutcase his friend was? Hell, they’d worked together for years. Nothing had ever made him suspect Chad was off his rocker.

He’d made it entirely too easy for Chad to get to Angelina. He’d failed to protect her then just as he’d failed her now.

His cell phone rang and he flipped it open in his hand. He froze as he stared at the incoming number.

“It’s him,” he barked.

Silence fell, and one of the detectives motioned him over to the table.

“Put it on speaker,” he mouthed to Micah.

Micah pushed the button and snarled into the phone. “Where is she, you son of a bitch?”

There was a moment’s hesitation and then Angelina’s voice quivered across the room. “Micah?”

Fear exploded over him. He snatched up the phone even though it was still on speaker. He needed to be closer to her voice.

“Angel? Angel, baby. I’m here. Where are you? Are you all right?”

Her breath came out in a low sob, and she sounded winded and scared out of her mind.

“I don’t know where I am. I need help, but I don’t know where I am.”

The desperation in her voice scared him shitless.

“Okay, baby, calm down a minute. Where is Chad? Is he there?”

“I left him in the house,” she said faintly. “I handcuffed him and tied his legs and arms so he couldn’t come after me.”

Stunned expressions met her statement. The detective’s mouth dropped open. “Holy shit.”

Micah ignored him, his only focus on Angelina. “Good girl. You got away from him. Now tell me where you are so I can come get you.”

Another sob poured through the phone. “I don’t know. I’ve been walking forever, but I don’t see any signs and it’ll be dark soon. He ... he shot me.”

All the blood drained from his face. He collapsed into a chair still holding the phone to his ear. Oh God.

“How bad?” he asked, trying to stay calm when his heart was ready to pound out his chest.

“My arm. Or my shoulder. I’m not sure. Hurts. I’ve lost a lot of blood.”

Her voice sounded weaker.

“Angel, Angel, baby, listen to me. I want you to find a place to sit down. I need you to save your strength so you can help us find you.”

There was wind noise and a light whimper and then silence.

“Angel. Angel! Stay with me. I need you to stay with me,” he pleaded.

“Who is the cell provider?” the lead detective whispered loudly. “We can try to lock onto her location. I need that cell number.”

Micah held up one finger. His first priority was making sure Angelina was still on the line.

“Angel, talk to me.”

“I’m here,” she said faintly.

“I’m going to need just a second. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

“Okay,” she whispered.

He held the phone away and related the number to the detective.

“Keep her talking,” he said to Micah. “Have her tell us as much about her location as possible.”

“Angel, do you know what direction he took you?”

“North,” she said after a brief hesitation. “Last highway I took note of was 146. After that he took back roads. Dirt farm roads, only they weren’t marked. He took me to an abandoned house at the end of one of the roads. The woods are thick here.”

“Okay, Angel, don’t worry. We’re working on it,” he said soothingly. “Have you stopped the bleeding? How bad is it?”

“I’m pregnant,” she blurted. “He made me take a pregnancy test.” Tears were thick in her voice. “He was so furious. I knew I had to protect my baby.”

Micah laid the phone on the table and covered his face with his hands. Someone put a hand on his shoulder, but he didn’t look up.

“Angelina, can you hear me?” the detective said in a loud voice.

“I hear you,” she said in barely a whisper.

“My name is Detective Sanchez. I’m here with Micah. We’re going to find you. I need you to believe that. You and your baby are going to be okay.”

“I can get a helicopter in the air,” Damon said. “Two, three, whatever we need. We can use the last known highway as a jumping-off point.”

“I won’t turn it down,” Sanchez said. “I have Carol working on getting a trace on the cell signal. If we can just get a tower, it will narrow the search field.”

“Micah?”

Micah raised his head. “I’m here, baby. Right here. We’re coming for you.”

“I should keep moving,” she said.

“No!” Micah protested. “Save your strength. We’ll come to you.”

“I need to stay awake. I feel so sleepy now. I’m cold. I’m afraid to close my eyes.”

Oh God. Tears knotted Micah’s throat. “Keep moving then, Angel girl. But go slow. Don’t hurt yourself.”

The wind noise stopped and the line went eerily silent.

“Angel?”

Silence greeted his demand.

“Angel? Goddamn it!”

He looked down to see the call had disconnected. He punched the send button to reconnect the call, but it went straight to voice mail.

“Son of a bitch!”

“We’ll find her, Micah.”

Micah looked up to see Connor standing over the table, his hands braced on the surface as he leaned forward.

Nathan, Gray and Damon stood to the side, their expressions grim but resolute.

“We can spread out. It’s only been a few hours. He couldn’t have gone too far,” Gray said.

“I’ll notify the sheriff’s department in Liberty County and have them out looking,” Sanchez said. Then he looked at Damon. “How fast can you get the choppers in the air?”

In response, Damon flipped his phone open and started barking orders and directions.

Micah stood, gripping the phone, his thumb hitting the send button again. Connor put a hand out to stop him as he went to leave the room.

Micah shrugged him off. “Don’t,” he bit out. “Don’t even say it. That’s my child out there. Angelina. I’m going.”

“I’ll drive,” Connor said. “You’re in no shape to.”

Before Micah could protest, Connor shook his head. “You need to keep trying to get her back on the phone. I’ll drive.”

Micah nodded, ignoring the jackhammer going off in his head. “Let’s go then.”

Micah wavered in and out of consciousness. His head felt like someone had popped it like a grape. But he forced himself to remain as focused as possible. Angelina was out there. Hurt, scared and alone.

“It’s been hours,” Micah said hoarsely. “Why the hell haven’t we found her? Why can’t I get her on the phone?”