Chapter 47
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
Elizabeth
T wo ambulances had been dispatched but in a town this small, it would take a minute.
Kenny had explained they didn’t usually have anyone on duty, just on call. We were racing toward the location on foot once Cookie mapped it and found we’d be best off that way. We’d have backup from Saint coming in the next fifteen minutes, and we’d left Jack once we could see the sirens of another local deputy approaching and Jack assured us he wanted us to go.
“She’ll be fine. She’s gonna be fine,” Kenny said, almost chanting it like he could will it into happening.
I wasn’t about to stop him. I needed Evie to be okay. We’d seen Jack, and he was going to need a little therapy maybe, and something for the shoulder at least, but he’d be okay. Next up, Evie .
And then, catching the idiot who thought he could get away with this in the first place.
We froze when we heard a rustle in the trees and a loud thump, then cursing. Another voice rang out.
“Pipe down!”
Aside from the fact the person had whisper-yelled the words, they were being fairly quiet. Not by any trained standard, but for a bunch of criminals in the woods, sure.
The moonlight gave us enough light we could see each other, but it was the modified night vision we both wore now that allowed us to move. I was grateful I’d spent some time under NODs despite not typically using many of my tactical skills.
Kenny directed me with hand and arm signals. We moved forward, fanning out slightly, and he got the drop on one of the men while I took down the other. I held out my leg and shoved him forward, guiding his shoulder down, wrenched one arm, then the other, behind him. I quickly zip-tied his hands, then rolled him over to make sure none of the ground cover was causing him breathing difficulties.
“Good?” Kenny asked from where he shoved the second guy over on his back. He must’ve done something very similar to what I had. He walked over. “Let me stick with them and you push ahead.”
Get to Evie, he meant.
A small hit of relief spread through me. I’d been worried about catching these geniuses, but the fact they were on foot and this forest was about to be swarming with local PD and Saint Security staff meant I wasn’t worried they would be found.
I was extremely concerned for Evie.
She wasn’t a friend, exactly, but I cared about her. I wanted her to have a shot at a life that made her happy. She and her baby deserved to be safe and cared for. I touched his arm, squeezed, and ran.
I worked on pulling off my equipment and letting my eyes adjust as I ran—not an easy feat, but as I approached the road, I could see police lights flashing and we’d heard the ambulance arrive right as we’d taken down the two perps.
Even knowing she and the sheriff had reinforcements, I pushed as much as I could until I reached the road, rounding the car and nearly choking when I glanced at the ambulance and saw Evie sitting on a stretcher cradling a tiny baby.
I couldn’t even see the baby’s head, but she was gazing down at the little person in her arms with such love that had to be it. Someone was checking her blood pressure and someone else was moving her into the vehicle.
“Evie!” I yelled, running toward her.
A large—and I do mean actually rather gigantic—man stepped in my path. “Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask?—”
“It’s okay. She’s with the security team. Please, Grant. Let her through.”
The large man nodded and stepped aside, and I rushed to her, shoving my weapon into its holster and securing it before I made it to her side.
“You had your baby,” I said, announcing the most obvious thing of all time.
She giggled, then tears pricked her eyes. “I did. In a car. It’s a boy.”
I laughed. “Oh my gosh, congratulations, but are you okay?”
“We’re taking her to Silverton Hospital to get her and baby checked out. In fact, ma’am, I’m going to need you to step back so we can get the baby secured and get her taken care of.”
Evie squeezed my hand. “Thank you for coming for me. Is Jack okay?”
“He’s conscious. He’ll be okay.”
She nodded, lips pressing together.
“I’ll come visit when I can.”
“Okay.” She smiled, and it cut right to my heart. This woman was brave as hell and had just done something incredible in the worst circumstances.
One door swung closed, but before the other one shut entirely, Evie yelled, “Thank you, Sheriff. I’ll never forget this.”
For his part, the large man tipped his hat—an actual sheriff’s hat—and cleared his throat.
“I guess you’re Sheriff Ryan. I’m Elizabeth Malcom. I’ve been working with Kenny Carmichael.”
His face split into a small but very handsome smile. “Ah, Kenny. I assume he’s around here somewhere?”
“He’s got the perps. I’m assuming the rest of the crew will be marching them right here to you any minute.” I craned my neck to see into the woods, but it was too bright out here to see much into that darkness.
“Appreciate the help,” he said, his face serious again.
“Seems like you handled things as well as you could. Did she… I mean, I guess everything went okay?” I asked, not sure what he could tell me. It was amazing the paramedics were here to help.
“First time I’ve delivered a baby roadside, but she was amazing, and the baby seemed as healthy as could be despite the odds.” His brow dropped low, his face severe. “He’s got a good one in Evie, that’s for sure.”
“He does. And… thank you for helping her. ”
“It’s my job.” Garbled voices came through on his radio and he dipped his head and mumbled something into the mic on his shoulder, then looked at me. “Want a ride to the other site? Your team’s there now.”
He shuttled me around the forest to the neighborhood where we’d found Jack and met up with the rest of the Saint team, several members of the Silverton Sheriff’s department, and Kenny. Silverton had already read the two kidnappers their rights, and they were being loaded into a vehicle.
I reported on Evie, and Kenny and I agreed we wanted to check on Jack and Evie as soon as we could. Since we weren’t the police, though, we wouldn’t have access to them right away while they were getting attended to, so once back in Silverton, we went our separate ways to get cleaned up.
In the ensuing hours, the police discovered Evie’s ex had learned she was in Utah after paparazzi photos of Jack appeared online. While his assumption that she and Jack were lovers and he’d taken her to be his wife and live here with him had been wrong, he’d been unnervingly successful at gaining access to Jack’s home after just a few days of planning. The Saint staff were already working to address the issues they could, as the house hadn’t been under their contract thus far.
When Beast had learned it’d been a Mandee Carmichael who’d tipped off the paparazzi about Jack McKean’s whereabouts, my heart sank. But Kenny nodded, like he’d known. I wondered if he had, or had simply gotten to a place where he refused to be surprised by his family’s betrayal. I hated it for him, but thankfully, the overall outcome was a good one.
We visited Jack first, whose driver arrived to take him home after he’d had his shoulder examined. A dislocation and inflammation already, but he’d likely be fine with lots of care.
We also saw Evie, who let us each hold the baby. I hadn’t been prepared for that, or how tiny he was, but the moment Kenny cradled the swaddled shape into his arms and spoke in a whisper, a part of me came alive.
I couldn’t verbalize why the sight of this man whispering tender words to a baby who wasn’t his made me want to weep, but it certainly did.
We left not long after, afraid to stay too long, but not before Evie held my hand and pinned me with her wonderfully peaceful eyes.
“I know this is all in a day’s work for you, but I have to say thank you again. I’m so grateful for your help, your protection, and the way you believed me and wanted to help and protect me from the minute we met, even from someone like Jack if he’d turned out to be a jerk.”
We laughed, both fairly aware Jack wasn’t at all a jerk.
“I’m so grateful to have met you, Evie. I hope you have an amazing life full of all the things you’ve ever wanted.” And I meant that down to my toes.
“I hope the same for you, Elizabeth.”
I thanked her and walked out, joining Kenny in the hallway and slowly moving toward the hospital exit, my heart fairly burning from the events of the night, Evie’s thoughtful words ringing in my head, and what had to come next.
It was noon by the time we stepped out into the cool early March air, and I’d promised Jo I’d be at my dad’s house by three. I needed to finish packing and return the apartment keys.
And worst of all, I needed to say goodbye to the man I was completely in love with.