Chapter 28
Anxiety ricocheted inside Connor. Two hours had passed since Evelyn had vanished.
“It’s been too long. What if we’re too late?”
Mark turned from the main street, and clusters of trees gathered on the side of the road where the Hudson River lay hidden beyond the foliage. Red and blue lights flashed in the distance. “Police are here. Maybe they found her.”
Mark continued down the uneven lane until a log cabin with lights ablaze inside emerged in front of them. He parked his cruiser beside the lone police car in the driveway.
Connor jumped from the passenger side and raced up the porch stairs and into the home. “Hello? Anyone here?” A young officer swept around the corner with a gun trained in front of him. “Stay where you are and put your hands in the air.”
Biting down his frustration, Connor lifted his hands as Mark stepped through the door. “I’m Detective Mitchel, NYPD. We called in the tip and secured your warrant for this place.” He nodded behind him. “That’s Detective Mark Tyson.”
“Let me see your identification and move slowly.” The slight tremor in the young man’s voice spoke of his inexperience.
Connor lowered one hand to his badge clipped on the side of his pants and tossed it over. “Have you found Evelyn? Is Gabriel here?”
The man studied the badge then lowered his weapon. “No one’s here. My partner’s upstairs. We’ve searched the entire house, top to bottom. No sign of anyone.”
“Dammit.” Connor swiped his hand over his head. “Did you search the property? Plenty of woods to hide.”
“Yes, and again nothing. Their property line doesn’t extend far beyond the patch of land behind the house.”
Irritation boiled in his veins. “What about beyond their property line?” Gabriel was a twisted murderer. A little trespassing wouldn’t bother him.
“No, sir.”
Connor raced outside, off the porch, and skidded to a stop. “You got a flashlight or something in your car? We’re gonna need more than the light from our phones.”
“Yeah. Give me a second.” Mark ran to the car and grabbed two flashlights from the trunk. He tossed one to Connor.
Connor swept the wide beam over the dark yard.
Tall trees loomed high, towering over the yard and shielding the space.
He rested the light on a patch of trees separated by a dirt path.
He ran across the yard, the unkept grass smooshing beneath his hurried steps.
He trained the light on the ground and crouched.
The path was only about a foot wide, but booted tracks marred the soil.
He jumped to his feet and took off into the woods.
Ragged breaths tore through his chest. His lungs burned. Dread filled his soul as they passed through the woods, no sign of what lay inside except the distant sound of rushing water. The river was close.
A soft thud echoed to his right. He turned toward the noise. “Did you hear that?”
Mark stilled. “Sounds like some sort of banging.”
Evelyn.
He took off in a sprint toward the sound, wayward branches smacking his face and slamming against his body as he barreled through the dense woods. The sound grew louder, the banging more insistent. He had to get to her in time—he couldn’t lose her.
Pain shot through the side of Evelyn’s hand, but she kept pounding it against the door. Her heart raced along with every frantic beat against the hard metal.
“No one can hear you.” Gabriel snarled and clambered to his feet. The nail she’d jammed into his eye fell to the floor, and blood poured from the damaged socket. He staggered forward, his jaw set tight and lips twisted in a snarl.
He came toward her, and she darted her gaze around the room. Saws lined the wall, but they wouldn’t help her now. Hand tools lay on a workbench to her left. She didn’t want to leave the only means of escape, but the damn door wasn’t much use if she couldn’t get it open.
“Evelyn, step back from the door.” Connor’s muffled voice carried through the thick metal. “I need to shoot out the lock.”
Relief shot through her. He’d found her—Connor had found her.
“He won’t get you in time.” Gabriel growled and lunged.
He grabbed a handful of her shirt, but she slipped away. She ran for the other side of the room to put distance between Gabriel and her, and also wanting to be away from any bullets coming through the door.
Bang!
She crouched and covered her ringing ears. A hard yank on her ponytail pulled her backward, and she stumbled against the hard muscles of Gabriel’s chest. The door crashed open and knocked against the wall.
Gabriel wrapped one arm around her neck and fisted the base of her ponytail in his hand. He twisted her around so they faced Connor and another man, both with guns trained on Gabriel. He pressed his lips to her ear, and his moist breath vibrated her eardrum. “I’ll never let him take you from me.”
“Let her go, Gabriel. You don’t stand a chance,” Connor said through clenched teeth.
Blood dripped onto her face, and she struggled to catch her breath. Gabriel pulled his arm tighter around her windpipe, and she dug her short nails into his skin. She locked her gaze on Connor, but his focus stayed fixed on Gabriel.
“You’re too late to save her. Now you get to watch her die.”
The hard lines of Connor’s face tightened. He flicked his gaze to hers.
She raised her brows and widened her eyes. She might not be able to get completely away from Gabriel with his tight grasp on her hair and his arm around her neck, but she could get out of the way enough to give Connor a clean shot.
Connor dipped his chin.
The time was now. She breathed in deep and took one more look at Connor’s face before she turned her neck to the side, grabbed hold of Gabriel’s wrist, and dropped all her weight toward the floor.
Gabriel’s grip on her hair tightened, and her scalp screamed as her hair pulled in the opposite direction.
Bang!
She closed her eyes, and the pressure on her hair released. Wet and sticky liquid sprayed the exposed skin of her neck as she fell to her hands and knees.
The sob trapped in her throat broke free and tears fell down her face.
Strong arms wrapped around her—Connor’s arms. She opened her eyes and stared into his face.
He was here, he’d saved her. She buried her head in his chest. His heartbeat thundered under her ear, and she pressed her palm to his cheek.
Warm tears coursed over her hand. She was safe.
“He’s dead,” the man behind them said.
Connor ran his hands over her hair, her face, her arms... his gaze following the path of his frantic fingers. “Did he hurt you? Are you okay?” His voice trembled, and she stopped the motion of his shaking hands by covering them with hers.
“I’m okay.”
His gaze never stopped sweeping her body, as if her words didn’t ring true in his brain.
“Connor,” she whispered. “Look at me.”
He locked his eyes on hers, and the tears running down his face burst her heart.
“I’m fine. Just get me out of here.”
He hooked an arm around her waist, helping her to her feet. The earlier wave of adrenaline crashed, and her limbs shook. His lips brushed against her temple. “Do you want me to carry you?”
Dizziness rained over her. She swallowed hard, pushing down the nausea still swimming in her stomach. “No. I can walk.”
Connor slowed his steps to match hers as they walked out the door and stepped into the night. The eerie sound of an owl hooted from above, and the cool air whipped over her, increasing her shivers.
“It’s a bit of a hike to get back to the house. Are you sure you can make it?”
Evelyn glanced behind her at the tiny shack hidden among the trees. “I don’t know where in the world I am, but I just want you to take me home.”
Connor hiked up one eyebrow. “Home? As in your apartment?”
Warmth flooded her body, and she smiled up at the man she’d once thought so damn intimidating. “Anywhere I’m with you is home, Connor.”
He grinned and bent down to seal his mouth on hers.
She circled her arms around his neck and pressed her body to his. For the second time in her life, she’d come out the other side of a nightmare, but this time she got more than she’d ever imagined.
She’d gotten Connor.
A light brush against her cheek stirred Evelyn from a deep sleep. She blinked herself awake, taking in the small confines of the parked car and the moon shining brightly into the passenger side window.
A dull pain pulsed against her skull. Leaning into Connor’s touch, she locked her gaze on him and smiled. “You’re nice to wake up to. Even if I did pass out in your car.”
He dropped his hand to her knee. “Good to know. I plan on sticking around for a while.”
Warmth flooded her chest. “Where are we?”
His grin faltered, a grim expression setting his mouth in a tight line. “Hospital. You’ve had a long night, but I have to see Monica.”
She laid her hand on top of his. “Of course. We need to make sure she’s all right.”
Relief loosened the tension around his eyes. He hurried out the door and rounded the hood to her side. Opening the door, he extended a hand and helped her to her feet. “Sure you’re up for this? I could drop you off with Ben and Lacey.”
She pushed away the pain and terror of the last few hours. Connor needed to see his sister, and she needed to be with Connor. “I’m fine.” She grabbed his hand and rushed in through the emergency room doors.
Connor led her to the elevators at the side of the information desk. He tapped his toe against the floor until the bell chimed and the door slid open. “I called the hospital and got Monica’s room number. They admitted her already. Room 302.”
Evelyn nodded and pressed her back against the wall of the elevator.
She waited for the familiar pangs of panic when the elevator door slid closed, but they didn’t come.
A smile ticked up the corners of her mouth.
She’d hid for so long, she never expected to get past the constant reminders of her childhood.
The elevator reached the third floor, and she fell into step beside Connor as they rounded the corner and approached Monica’s open door. He rushed inside, Evelyn a step behind him.