SEAL's RESOLVE - Rebecca Deel Page 0,94
side. “You saw the footage.”
She nodded.
“Hale and Fleming are in this together, and others may be involved who weren’t at your father’s office.”
“What aren’t you telling me, Rafe?”
“I talked to Brent a few minutes ago. The computer techs at Fortress have been watching your father’s financial accounts. Someone tried to access his accounts several times and messed up the password.”
She looked at him. “The accounts are locked?”
He nodded. “Hale and Fleming want money. They’re out of luck unless they find another source of cash.”
“Me.”
“You’re the easiest target to reach.”
“But wouldn’t they force my father to access Stewart Group accounts?”
“I imagine they tried. However, when the techs told Brent about your father’s personal accounts, he had them lock down the company’s accounts as well. He also called Stewart Group’s chief financial officer. Walters knows what’s going on. Hale and Fleming will call you with a ransom demand.”
“What do I say?”
“Depends on what they want.” And how they wanted the money delivered. He didn’t have a problem with Kristi transferring money into their account. Jon could track and reroute the cash to Kristi’s account. Cash delivery was a different problem altogether. Unfortunately, Rafe suspected the greedy security men would want traveling cash and a money transfer to an offshore account.
“I don’t care how much they want. I need my father, Rafe. I don’t want to lose him.”
“We’ll get him back, hopefully without any money exchanging hands or bank accounts.”
“We should go inside now,” she murmured although she didn’t move.
“I need to hold you a minute.” Rafe’s gut twisted into a knot as he contemplated the likely scenarios that could occur over the next few hours. None of the outcomes were acceptable.
“They want money, not me.”
“You don’t know that. So many things could go wrong.”
“You’ll protect me.” She kissed his jaw. “I know you have my back.”
Fair enough, he supposed. She had his heart. Rafe wanted to tell her how he felt, but he didn’t want that revelation tainted by uncertainty and fear. “When this is over, I have something to tell you.”
“Tell me now.”
He chuckled at her impatience. “No way, Ms. Stewart. My secret gives you something good to wonder about and anticipate.”
“All right. I have something to tell you when Dad’s been rescued.”
Rafe stilled, heart leaping into his throat. Was Kristi in love with him? “Something good, I hope.”
“Yes.” She smiled. “Now you have something to think about other than worrying over my safety.”
He cupped her nape and drew Kristi closer for a long, deep kiss that conveyed the depth of his feelings. Rafe reluctantly broke the kiss. He wanted a lifetime with her. “We need to go inside.” They had plans to make.
Inside the kitchen, Rafe sat beside Kristi at the table. “What did Adams say, Eli?”
“Call him. He’s willing to tell you what he knows.”
“Did he talk to Hale or Fleming?”
Eli shook his head. “Calls to both men went straight to voice mail. The phones have been turned off.”
“How will we find my father?” Kristi asked.
“Adams may have some ideas.” They would locate Stewart. The problem was protecting Kristi and rescuing her father before Hale or Fleming killed him. No matter how much money Kristi paid, Hale’s end game was Stewart’s death and probably Kristi’s as well. Rafe’s hands fisted. That wouldn’t happen on his watch.
Eli called Adams. “It’s Eli. You’re on speaker with Wolf Pack and Kristi. Rafe has questions.”
“How can I help?” the Ranger asked.
“Do you know where Hale and Fleming might take Stewart? They’ll want an isolated place without nosy neighbors. Can’t be a property in their names. Maybe property under a relative or friend’s name. They used a rental cabin on Hart Mountain to hold Kristi, but they won’t take Stewart back there with us in the picture. They know we’re hunting for him.”
“Hale doesn’t have a place like that. His circle of friends is small, and he told me his mother’s family disowned her when she became pregnant with him. He never knew his father’s name.”
“We think he knows who his father is now. Did you notice a change in his behavior in the past two months?”
“Hale’s been more aggressive and sullen.”
“Did the change start before or after his mother’s death?”
“A few weeks before. That was also when Ward started showing up to talk to Hale.”
Rafe frowned. Had Ward told Hale about his birth father? If so, what purpose would that serve except to stir up Hale against Stewart? Perhaps he used Hale’s anger to solicit the guard’s help. “What about Fleming? Does he