Free Her Risk To Take by Toni Anderson

isn’t him. I recognize the guy with the rifle. Henry Henriksson. I’m guessing he finally put his wife in the hospital and got a little upset when someone called social services.”
    Cal’s heart raced. “So this isn’t Terry?”
    Nat shook his head.
    Cal couldn’t believe how convinced he’d been that this was all his fault. It steadied him, though in reality, it made no difference. Sarah was still in imminent danger from a misogynist. The idea of anyone laying hands on her…
    Nat pulled out the Glock and checked the witness hole. There was a bullet in the chamber.
    Cal was unarmed, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t dangerous. If the guy hurt Sarah he was going to throw him right off the damn roof. “I’ll circle around the back of the ventilation stack. See if he’s there.”
    Nat nodded. “I’m going to head west. We’ll meet on the other side of the stairwell.” Nat pulled out his cell. “Switch yours to silent. Let’s keep an open line between us so we can hear what’s going on—I’ll add Eliza to the call too. Hopefully she can stop the cops shooting us.”
    It might stop them shooting Nat, but Cal didn’t think it would win him any favors. He nodded and did as Nat suggested, holding the phone to his ear as he moved cautiously from one piece of cover to the next. There was no one near the ventilation stack.
    He heard voices and made his way carefully toward the far side of the stairwell.
    “Tell me where my wife and child are, you fucking bitch!” Henriksson shouted at Sarah.
    Cal edged around the corner and saw a man holding Sarah by the hair, her face twisted in pain. He wanted to charge the guy, but the gun was slung over his shoulder, the barrel pointed at Sarah’s body in a one handed grip. If Cal surprised the bastard, it would be all too easy for him to pull the trigger.
    Cal didn’t recognize him and doubted Henriksson knew his connection to Sarah or the Sullivans. He figured he could draw him out.
    He put the phone to his ear and wandered casually into sight. He let his eyes widen in horror as both Henriksson and Sarah looked at him with matching expressions of surprise.
    Cal raised his hands and slipped the cell into his shirt pocket. “Dude,” he said, hoping Sarah played along. “What’s going on, man?”
    “Who the fuck are you?”
    Cal took a step back. Henriksson pushed Sarah out of the door as if to follow him. Come on, buddy. Come to Papa. Nat was a good shot. Cal just had to get Henriksson into the open and Sarah away from that damn rifle barrel.
    “I just came up for a smoke,” said Cal. He hoped to hell the guy didn’t notice his lack of footwear.
    Sarah hid her reaction to his appearance with a squirm that Cal prayed wouldn’t earn her a bullet.
    “Mr. Henriksson here is looking for his wife.” Sarah’s eyes spat defiance. “I told him his wife discharged herself and is probably on her way home with their son, right now, but he doesn’t believe me.”
    Henriksson tightened his grip on Sarah’s hair and she cried out. Cal had to clamp down on the desire to pummel the bastard to death for laying a hand on his woman. Instead he took a step back, and the guy lumbered toward him. “Dude. This isn’t cool. Let the doc go and go find your wife. Your missus isn’t up on the roof, that’s for darn sure.” He guffawed like an idiot and drew the guy out another step. Come on, asshole.
    Henriksson jabbed Sarah hard in the ribs. “She set social services on me. I’m gonna give her a reason why bitches should keep their big mouths shut.”
    “Hey, man, I get it.” Cal sent a silent apology to women everywhere. “Some bitches deserve what they get.” He let his voice get hard, and Sarah’s brows rose to her hairline. But finally Henriksson was out in the open and Cal watched Nat slip around the door until he was standing just a few feet behind the guy. Henriksson was even bigger than Nat. Hell, the guy probably weighed the same as the two of them put