Chapter Thirteen
Bree wasn’t even going to be able to blame the babies for her lack of sleep tomorrow. That dubious honor fell directly on Captain Tanner Dempsey’s wide shoulders.
And lips.
She’d stood staring at the door for a good five minutes after he’d left, just trying to process what had happened.
Now here it was, after two o’clock in the morning, and she still was trying to understand it all. And stop replaying the feel of his lips on hers.
She’d fed the babies when they’d woken up around midnight and normally would’ve been fast asleep, getting as much rest as she could before they woke up again between four thirty and five.
But she wasn’t. And whose fault was that?
Captain hot lips, that’s who.
Why did he remember all that stuff they’d talked about over the last couple of weeks as he walked her home?
And why did that make her feel all soft and gooey in the middle?
She rolled over on her double bed and punched the pillow next to her. When she heard something rattle against her nightstand, she thought it was from her anger management session. But then it happened again.
The phone Melissa had given her was vibrating.
Bree shot up in bed and grabbed it, opening it when she realized it was a call.
“Hello?” Her voice was tentative. She didn’t want to give away any information before knowing who it was.
“Bree? Get out now!”
“Mel?”
“They found you.” It was definitely Melissa. “Get the kids and get out of wherever you are. Destroy the phone. Hurry!”
“Mellie, are you safe?”
“Yes, they don’t know it’s me who gave you the phone, but they know it’s someone from inside the Organization. I didn’t realize they were tracking you already. Go now!”
Bree jumped up and pulled on her jeans and shoes. “But how will we get in touch if we don’t have the phone?”
She took Beth out of the crib and rushed her to the carrier.
“I don’t know. I’ll be at the symposium. We’ll have to find a way to get a message to each other there. We’ll worry about that later. They’re going to be there soon. I love you. Kiss them for me.”
The phone went dead.
Bree threw the phone on the ground and stomped on it until it broke into pieces.
They had to get out now. Get to her car and leave town immediately. She refused to even think about having to leave without any sort of word to Tanner. What would he think, especially after that kiss? She forced those thoughts away or she would never make it through this.
Grabbing Beth’s car seat carrier, she brought it over to the front door and set it down on the ground.
Careful not to be noticed, she moved to the window and slid the curtain over just slightly so she could peek out.
Her blood turned cold when she saw not one but two men walking toward her apartment in the darkness.
She darted to the back door and was pretty sure she could see someone in the darkness there.
Either door was going to spit her directly into their hands.
The only possibility would be climbing out the low kitchen window out the side of the building—maybe none of them would notice that. But the car seat carriers definitely wouldn’t be an option that way.
She darted over to the bed and grabbed the baby carrier one of the ladies at the diner had lent her a couple days ago.
She’d said it might help with Christian’s fussiness.
Bree prayed that would be the case now, because if he started howling before she made it to her car, the men would immediately be able to pinpoint her location.
She slipped the straps over her shoulder, wishing she’d paid more attention when the lady had shown her how to use it, and when it felt secure enough, she darted over to the crib and picked up Christian.
“Hey, sweet baby boy. Bree needs you to be nice and quiet, okay?”
Christian, of course, immediately began to fuss as she lifted him, but thankfully he settled back down when he was tucked up warm against her with the carrier.
“That a boy,” she murmured kissing the top of his head.
She ran over to Beth and unhooked her from the car seat. “I’m counting on you to be your normal sweet self, baby.”
Bree didn’t know what she was going to do when she got them to the car without their car seats, but that was the least of her worries.
Taking Beth in one arm, she pried the window open as quietly as possible. When she heard someone try the doorknob on her front door, she knew she was out of time. Abandoning all attempts at quiet, she began trying to fit herself through the large window while carrying two babies.
Getting through from the inside was easy, but there were bushes on the outside.
As she heard the doorknob rattle again, she propelled herself through the window, twisting to land on her back in the bushes, protecting Beth and Christian.
She swallowed a cry of pain as something sharp ripped into her shoulder, but immediately got up as best she could with arms full of babies.
She heard the men, now inside her apartment, say something to each other and knew it was just a matter of seconds before they figured out where she’d gone.
She sprinted toward her car, wincing at the pain in her shoulder, afraid she might run into the third man at any moment.
Deciding on stealth rather than speed, she slowed down and tucked herself into the shadows.
She sucked in her breath silently when the third man passed by not ten feet away from her.
He was watching the streets, obviously the lookout guy.
His phone rang, and he answered it, turning his back to her.
“What?”
She was too far away to hear what the other person said, but whatever it was, this guy wasn’t happy about it.
“Well, she damn well didn’t come through here. Are we sure she was even in the house in the first place?” He muttered a curse and began walking away from her, toward the front of her apartment.
It was the break Bree needed. As soon as he was far enough that it was relatively safe, she began jogging toward the car. If she could just make it there, they would be okay.
But that was when sweet, angelic Beth decided she wasn’t happy with all the sleep interruptions and let out a wail.
“Oh, no, sweetie,” Bree crooned, slowing to bring Beth up to her shoulder and pat her.
But that just caused Christian to start crying.
There was no way the guy on the phone didn’t hear them.
Forgetting about stealth, Bree bolted into a sprint, grimacing when she realized the third man was between her and her car.
For the first time, Bree wished her apartment wasn’t on the outskirts of town, away from everything else.
Even if she started yelling, no one would hear her.
Why hadn’t she called for help rather than destroy her phone? Not that anyone could’ve gotten here in time.
Both babies were crying now, and she was way too slow to get away with the added weight. She glanced behind her and saw the third man was just a few feet away.
He was going to catch her. She wasn’t going to make it. She pushed for one last burst of speed, but it wasn’t enough.
When she felt fingers grasp at her shoulders and slip away, she started yelling. She was still too far out for anyone to hear her, but she had to try.
“Help me! Somebody help me!”
Both babies startled at her yell and wailed louder. Hard fingers gripped her shoulder, this time not letting go. Bree cried out as he jerked her back, fear coursing through her system.
The voice came heavy and dark in her ear. “You’re going to regret making me chase you.”
She pulled away from him, but he grabbed her hair, yanking her back. Bree struggled to hold on to the twins. And knew she couldn’t allow herself to pitch forward—she might crush them.
Beth gripped firmly with one arm, Bree swung around, keeping her elbow out to use her momentum and catch the man off guard. But he was too quick and stopped her elbow before it could do any damage. He twisted her arm in a painful grip.
She got her first look at her attacker. He didn’t look like a criminal. His face was nondescript, friendly even. Bree had no doubt he was from the Organization. They would send people who blended in.
His features might be neutral, but the menace in his eyes was obvious. “I’m going to enjoy teaching you some manners. And I know I’m not the only one. You’ve been making us look bad.”
His hand raised in a fist, and she braced herself to take the punch without dropping the babies, but before he could connect, the guy went flying onto the ground.
Someone had tackled him.
Bree didn’t know who it was, whether it was friend or foe or if karma had just chosen that moment to show up. She wasn’t going to wait around to find out.
She took off toward the main part of town. If she could just make it another couple of blocks, she’d be able to yell for help. When someone rushed out from between two parked cars, she screamed and twisted away, trying to head in the other direction, but arms wrapped around her and held her firm.
“Bree! Bree, it’s me.” Tanner’s voice finally got through to her. And she stopped trying to fight him.
“T-Tanner?”
“Yeah, sweetheart, it’s me. Are you okay? I got a call that you were in trouble.” He pulled her sideways against him, mindful of the babies, then took a crying Beth out of her arms.
“Somebody broke into my apartment. Three guys.”
Tanner muttered a curse under his breath. Keeping Beth secure in one arm, he reached down and grabbed the police walkie-talkie at his belt.
“Ronnie, we’ve got a 10-64 off Lincoln Street. Three guys broke into Bree’s apartment.”
The other deputy responded, but Bree couldn’t hear over the sound of her own labored breathing and the cries of the babies. When Tanner wrapped his arm back around her and began leading her somewhere, she just went.
“They found us,” she said, almost on autopilot. “I’ve got to leave. We’re not safe. They found us. They found us.”
Bree could feel the panic welling up inside her. She had nothing she needed for the babies, no way of knowing if she could even get back to her car safely, and she still didn’t have enough money to survive long on her own. How was she going to make it?
The world was starting to spin, the dark sky closing in on her. How was she going to do this? How would she keep the twins fed if she was on the run? Where else was going to allow her to work while good people helped look after them?
It would never happen. She wouldn’t make it. What was she going to do?
Her throat was closing up, and she couldn’t breathe. She began to scratch at it frantically, trying to get oxygen into her system.
Then suddenly Tanner’s face was right in front of hers. His hand wrapped around the back of her head, his fingers digging into her hair. It wasn’t painful, but there was definitely no ignoring it.
“Bree. Listen to me. I am not going to let anything happen to you. Not to you or the kids.” As she stared into his brown eyes, so serious and authoritative, she couldn’t help but believe him. Her throat loosened enough to let in some air.
“You’re not in this alone anymore.” His fingers rubbed at the back of her neck. “Not alone. Got it?”
She could only stare, couldn’t quite formulate words. So Tanner moved her head in a nodding motion.
“You’re going to stay here at the diner with Dan and Cheryl until I get back.”
She realized she could see him so well because they’d made it back to the Sunrise. A few moments later, Cheryl and Dan pulled up in their car. Cheryl took Beth from Tanner, and Dan wrapped an arm around Bree.
Tanner reached over and kissed her forehead. “Not. Alone. Okay?”
He waited until she nodded, this time of her own accord, then took off running into the night.