Free Nowhere To Run (To Protect And Serve) by Mary Eason Page A
Authors: Mary Eason
breaths before answering.
“I think someone just tried to kidnap me.”
“What? Where are you?” He reached for the police light he kept for emergencies and kicked the truck’s speed up as high as he dared in the heavy traffic.
“ I’m at my apartment--” Her next words were broken up with static.
“Jordan? Are you there? Jordan. Dammit!” Riley swerved seconds before hitting a cab that’d cut in front of him. “I’m on my way.”
“No. You can’t.” She drew in a breath. “I’m okay.”
“You’r e not. Let me come get you.” He floored the gas peddle, hit the horn, then sped through the yellow light two blocks from her neighborhood.
“I’m two minutes away. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Riley dropped the phone in the passenger seat and parked the truck as close as he could get to her building and headed for the second-story apartment Jordan shared with her brother.
“I’m okay,” She repeated as she unlocked the door and threw her arms around him. She was in shock, unaware of what she was doing.
Especially to him.
After a second’s hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her body and drew her against him. “You’re trembling.” He whispered against her ear and held her tighter.
“I know , but I’m okay. “
Riley released her then gripped her chin searching her face.
“He didn’t hurt you—“
She shook her head. “No. No. He scared the hell out of me, but he didn’t hurt me.”
“Come sit down and tell me exactly what he said to you.”
Before she could do either of those things, her cell phone rang.
She took the phone from her pocket. “It’s Caesar again. He knows something’s wrong. I didn’t answer his last call. I have to take this one.”
Riley watched her turn away. He could no longer see her expression, but the brittleness in her tone ma de it clear she didn’t trust her fiancé.
“Yes-yes, I’m fine. No, nothing’s wrong.” She glanced hesitantly over her shoulder in Riley’s direction. “Of course I’m alone.”
Riley didn’t bother to pretend he wasn’t listening to ever word of their conversation. Jordan’s body language alone made it easy to see she was terrified of Santiago.
“No, I haven’t spoken to Detective Donovan at all.” She shot Riley a worried frown. “Look, Caesar, I-I’ll be leaving soon. I just want to spend a little more time here , okay. I’ll call you when I’m on my way.” She snapped the phone shut without waiting for Santiago’s response and turned to Riley. “He won’t settle for that answer. He’ll come soon. You need to leave before he finds you here.”
Riley’s gaze settled on her. “Jordan, I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what happened to you tonight. You sounded…terrified.“
She dropped to the sofa , shuddering as she remembered the ordeal. “I was.” She recounted the details of the unsettling exchange.
“ And he mentioned Caesar by name?”
“ No. Not exactly. He said, ‘Tell your fiancé this city is a cesspool. People die here all the time. I’d suggest, if he knows what’s good for him, he’d better watch his back—‘“. She stopped and glanced at Riley. “What is it?”
He shook his head. He didn’t want to tell her his suspicions yet. “Nothing. Go ahead. What else did he say to you?”
Jordan drew a deep breath before continuing. “He said ‘anything could happen to a young woman such as yourself out alone…Doctor Scott.’ This has something to do with Jeremy’s death, doesn’t it?” When he didn’t answer she added, “D o you think this has something to do with Caesar’s family?”
“I don’t know ,” Riley said. He couldn’t be certain, but he did plan to check on the family’s whereabouts. See if someone connected to the Cartel might have been in the city. If so, had they been here at the same time as Jeremy’s death?
“ Who else would know I’m-I’m Caesar’s fiancé?” She couldn’t quite meet his gaze as she
“I think someone just tried to kidnap me.”
“What? Where are you?” He reached for the police light he kept for emergencies and kicked the truck’s speed up as high as he dared in the heavy traffic.
“ I’m at my apartment--” Her next words were broken up with static.
“Jordan? Are you there? Jordan. Dammit!” Riley swerved seconds before hitting a cab that’d cut in front of him. “I’m on my way.”
“No. You can’t.” She drew in a breath. “I’m okay.”
“You’r e not. Let me come get you.” He floored the gas peddle, hit the horn, then sped through the yellow light two blocks from her neighborhood.
“I’m two minutes away. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Riley dropped the phone in the passenger seat and parked the truck as close as he could get to her building and headed for the second-story apartment Jordan shared with her brother.
“I’m okay,” She repeated as she unlocked the door and threw her arms around him. She was in shock, unaware of what she was doing.
Especially to him.
After a second’s hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her body and drew her against him. “You’re trembling.” He whispered against her ear and held her tighter.
“I know , but I’m okay. “
Riley released her then gripped her chin searching her face.
“He didn’t hurt you—“
She shook her head. “No. No. He scared the hell out of me, but he didn’t hurt me.”
“Come sit down and tell me exactly what he said to you.”
Before she could do either of those things, her cell phone rang.
She took the phone from her pocket. “It’s Caesar again. He knows something’s wrong. I didn’t answer his last call. I have to take this one.”
Riley watched her turn away. He could no longer see her expression, but the brittleness in her tone ma de it clear she didn’t trust her fiancé.
“Yes-yes, I’m fine. No, nothing’s wrong.” She glanced hesitantly over her shoulder in Riley’s direction. “Of course I’m alone.”
Riley didn’t bother to pretend he wasn’t listening to ever word of their conversation. Jordan’s body language alone made it easy to see she was terrified of Santiago.
“No, I haven’t spoken to Detective Donovan at all.” She shot Riley a worried frown. “Look, Caesar, I-I’ll be leaving soon. I just want to spend a little more time here , okay. I’ll call you when I’m on my way.” She snapped the phone shut without waiting for Santiago’s response and turned to Riley. “He won’t settle for that answer. He’ll come soon. You need to leave before he finds you here.”
Riley’s gaze settled on her. “Jordan, I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what happened to you tonight. You sounded…terrified.“
She dropped to the sofa , shuddering as she remembered the ordeal. “I was.” She recounted the details of the unsettling exchange.
“ And he mentioned Caesar by name?”
“ No. Not exactly. He said, ‘Tell your fiancé this city is a cesspool. People die here all the time. I’d suggest, if he knows what’s good for him, he’d better watch his back—‘“. She stopped and glanced at Riley. “What is it?”
He shook his head. He didn’t want to tell her his suspicions yet. “Nothing. Go ahead. What else did he say to you?”
Jordan drew a deep breath before continuing. “He said ‘anything could happen to a young woman such as yourself out alone…Doctor Scott.’ This has something to do with Jeremy’s death, doesn’t it?” When he didn’t answer she added, “D o you think this has something to do with Caesar’s family?”
“I don’t know ,” Riley said. He couldn’t be certain, but he did plan to check on the family’s whereabouts. See if someone connected to the Cartel might have been in the city. If so, had they been here at the same time as Jeremy’s death?
“ Who else would know I’m-I’m Caesar’s fiancé?” She couldn’t quite meet his gaze as she