“Jake,” Emma interrupted before Drake could answer,
“you’re supposed to put your arms around me and comfort me. That’s what fiancés do when someone tries to kidnap their betrothed. Drake did his job, I’m fine, three men are dead, and in case you’re interested, Sean’s hurt.”
Jake let himself look at her. For one moment time seemed to stop. She was alive. She was safe. Tears streaked her face and there was blood on her. His gaze quickly jumped to Drake.
“Not hers,” Drake confirmed.
Jake’s knees actually felt weak and he could only stand there, trying to stop the roaring in his head and the hammering of his heart. He reached for her, needing to touch her, to feel her warmth and know she was safe. The moment his arms closed around her and he drew her from the seat of the SUV, he felt complete.
“Thank you, Drake.” His voice was gruff with emotion, and he turned away from them, burying his face in the silk of her hair, carrying her into his house. “I’m sorry, Emma. I shouldn’t have put the announcement in the paper.”
“It wouldn’t have made a difference, Jake,” Drake said. “At least we know someone’s watching the ranch. How else would they have known we were on the move with her? And they didn’t have a professional crew coming at us. It was amateur hour.”
“The police are on the way,” Jake said tersely. “I’ve got the lawyers waiting. I want your report. Tell them everything and do whatever they say when the police come.” He kissed the top of Emma’s head again. “They’re going to want to talk to you, Emma. You’ll need to talk to the lawyers as well, and don’t answer anything the police ask until the lawyers okay it.”
She nodded, looking a little frightened, and Jake kissed her, his mouth coaxing, feeling her tremble against him.
The process with the lawyers and police took long, exhausting hours. Emma eventually fell asleep, curled in a chair. The questions had been endless, but truthfully, everything had happened so fast she couldn’t tell them much, only how scared she’d been. Jake draped a blanket over her while he and Drake and the lawyer talked with the police and she’d finally just drifted off.
After everyone left and the house was quiet and dark, Jake stood over Emma for a long time, just watching her sleep. His lungs burned with the effort just to breathe. His vision blurred as he picked her up, cradling her close to him, sheltering her against his heart. She murmured softly, frowning and burrowing against him.
“I’m just taking you upstairs,” he said, his heart aching. If this was love, it hurt like hell.
15
“YOU look beautiful, Emma,” Jake said, “absolutely beautiful.”
She was grateful he didn’t say anything about her hair being up. He preferred it down, but it didn’t go with the sophisticated look she was trying to pull off. She was actually a great deal more nervous than she thought she’d be. She cared nothing for these people, but she wanted to be an asset to Jake.
Knots of gold were on her ears and gleamed in a collared necklace at her throat. More golden knots formed a chain around her wrist. The pieces were spectacular, one of a kind, yet very simple in their design.
She put her hand in his as he helped her from the car. She tried not to tremble, not to allow him to see her sudden nerves. After all, she was there to support him. But Jake saw everything about her, and she wasn’t surprised when his fingers came under her chin to tip her face up to his. His eyes were sharp, focused, intent. “We’ll be fine, honey. Remember the rules and stay very close to me. Trust no one here. No one at all. Drake and Joshua will be inside; they’re coming as our guests and they’ll stay close.”
She pressed a hand to her churning stomach. “I’m pretty nervous, Jake. I can’t imagine that I’ll be making a lot of new friends tonight.”
“You told me that you could smell a lie. Trust that tonight. Use all of your senses.”
She slipped her hand into his. “I’ll be fine. Let’s get this over with.”
He brought her hand to his mouth. “They’ll be here tonight.”
“Whatever you need here must be important,” Emma said.
“I have to find out what they’re after. I know they think I’ll give them one of the children. They have to have something big to think I’d give up a child to them.”
Emma stiffened. “I don’t understand what that means. Have they threatened you? Us? Are they blackmailing you? Do you think they were behind the kidnap attempt on me?”
Jake shook his head. “Yes, but I don’t know why. They’ve been working very hard, thinking they’re under the radar, and I don’t have a clue what they’re up to, why they’re trying to take over my company, the one that owns all the various tracks of land with the potential for natural gas or oil on them. They don’t have a prayer. Even after buying off my man, it’s locked up tight. I’m not that stupid as a businessman. They know something I don’t, and I have to find it out. Knowledge can be the most deadly weapon of all.”
“Do they think you’d give up a child for money? Or give them money for me?”
He would give up his life for her—or for the children. And maybe that was their ultimate goal. He couldn’t see what the enemies were after, and that worried him more than anything else. “They would give up a child in an instant, so they might judge me accordingly. It’s possible you’ll find out more than I will. They’ll be more inclined to think they can talk in front of you. They like innuendoes and think they’re very clever with their barbed comments.” His hand slid up her arm until he reached her shoulder and pulled her to him. “Be careful, Emma, and if it gets to be too much, signal me and we’ll leave.”
He was worried. Really worried. And that was very unlike Jake. There was something going on behind the scenes that she didn’t understand, but for him to be this worried over a party, her nerves turned to full-fledged stomach flips as they walked toward the entrance, hand in hand.
“If we get separated—and we will, they’ll see to that—take the opportunity to sit down in any chair in the center of the room. I’ll keep an eye on you. Don’t accept drinks from anyone else, and when you do get a drink from the bar, don’t put it down and pick it up again.”
Emma nodded, unsure whether he was just being paranoid or if he had information he wasn’t sharing with her. Either way, she was very nervous as they walked toward the elaborate mansion. The noise hit her first, hurting her sensitive ears. She felt hot, as if she had a fever, her core body temperature rising until she felt beads of perspiration between her breasts. Her body burned in heightened awareness. She could only put it down to Jake’s close proximity. She was becoming as bad as he was, needing sexual relief often or her body seemed to just burn all the time.