Kitabı oku: «The Cradle Conspiracy», sayfa 2
TWO
All Sienna could think about was Colby. She needed to see him for herself. To know that he was okay.
It didn’t matter that her limbs were a quivering mess. That tears streamed down her cheeks. That she was shaken to her core.
All that mattered was this child who wasn’t even hers. Colby was her responsibility until Anita returned, and the boy had quickly gained a place in her heart.
She darted past the displaced dresser. Around the cracked door frame. Through her once comforting, safe home. Chilly summer air hit her as she stepped onto the porch.
She was halfway across her lawn when someone jerked her to a stop. She lurched her head around and saw Devin standing there.
Devin.
Her handsome neighbor who never spoke. Or smiled. Or even waved. He had, however, just saved her life.
“Are you okay?” He studied her with his gaze, something close to worry lingering in his eyes. His chest rose and fell rapidly with exertion. What had happened?
“I’m fine,” she gasped, realizing she was breathless herself. “Where’s the intruder? Did you catch him?”
“He had a car waiting for him. He got away.”
Her spirits sank so quickly that her stomach ached. That man was still out there. That meant she and Colby were still in danger. “I need to see Colby.”
“Wait a minute.” Devin didn’t release her arm yet, and his intense gaze remained on her. “Take a few deep breaths.”
“What? Why?” Had he lost his mind? Sienna needed to see the child she’d been entrusted to take care of.
Devin leveled his gaze with her, his voice surprisingly reassuring. “The baby is okay. But you need to calm down before you take him or you’ll frighten him.”
Sienna started to argue but stopped herself. Devin was right. She was a mess right now, and her legs might turn to gelatin at any minute. She needed to get herself together.
With Devin’s hand still gripping her arm, she closed her eyes. Inhaled deeply. Exhaled.
Sienna repeated the process before she opened her eyes, feeling more collected.
“Thank you,” she muttered, her gaze fluttering up to meet Devin’s.
“I’ll walk you over.” Devin kept a hand on her arm as they crossed the street.
He deposited her at the front door of the Wilsons’ house just as the cops pulled up. He squeezed her arm and murmured a few more reassurances before meeting the officers and explaining what had happened.
But Sienna hardly heard any of it. No, the door opened, and her gaze fell on Colby as he rested in Mrs. Wilson’s arms.
Colby.
Sweet Colby.
Her heart melted into a puddle of relief.
Thankfully, the boy seemed calm and peaceful as he hugged a stuffed bunny rabbit. But as soon as he saw Sienna, he reached his chubby little arms out toward her. Just what she’d been waiting for.
She took the boy into her embrace and held him close—but not close enough to scare him. As soon as the clean scent of baby shampoo and lotion filled her, her heart rate slowed even more.
He was okay. They were okay. For now.
But what if that man came back? Sienna would think about that more later. Right now, she wanted to concentrate on Colby and getting warm.
“Hello, little one,” she murmured.
Tears filled her eyes as the boy rested his head on her shoulder.
He was okay, she told herself again.
Thank goodness.
Things could have turned out a lot differently.
Thankfully, Devin had shown up when he did.
But Sienna knew this was far from over.
The break-in hadn’t been random. No, someone had specifically wanted Colby, and Sienna had no idea why.
Did this have something to do with Anita’s disappearance?
She knew the likely answer was yes.
Now she had to figure out what to do about it. Because Sienna would keep this boy safe if it was the last thing she did.
* * *
Devin glanced over from the officers he was speaking with into the Wilsons’ house, which had become an unofficial meeting place. The kind couple had said it was okay, and it was better than everyone—mostly Sienna and Colby—being outside in the unusually chilly June evening.
A CSI team was inside Sienna’s place, collecting evidence. Another team talked to neighbors, while yet another officer ran the plates on the car that had driven off.
Devin had already given his statement, but officers were giving Sienna a few minutes to recover before telling her side of the story. The Wilsons had made themselves scarce, fixing coffee for everyone in the kitchen and staying out of the police’s way.
His heart caught when he saw Sienna cradling Colby. The boy had fallen asleep in her arms, and she looked down at him with such a look of love in her gaze. The moment reminded him of Grace and Willow, and sadness gripped him so furiously that his chest ached.
It still seemed impossible that the two were gone.
He pushed those thoughts aside. This wasn’t the time to explore his grief.
Instead, he glanced at Sienna and the baby again. What was the story between these two? He was more curious than ever.
He’d have to wait until later to find out.
Sienna looked paler as Detective Jenson approached. Devin watched her a moment. Noted her slender figure. Her wheat-colored hair with subtle blond highlights. How her wavy locks brushed her shoulders, and how the few scattered freckles across her nose gave her a youthful appearance.
The woman was easy on the eyes, for sure.
And she was terrified right now.
Devin made a split-second decision and went to sit on the couch beside her. Though Sienna held the baby, she looked so utterly alone. Something unknown to him seemed to drive him for answers.
“You mind if I listen in?” he asked softly.
Sienna’s eyes widened with surprise before she shook her head. “No, not at all. I...owe you.”
“You don’t owe me anything. I’m just glad I got there when I did.” He looked at the detective for approval. “You okay with me staying?”
“Yes, sir.” Detective Jenson’s gaze fell on Sienna as he pulled a ladder-back chair from the corner of the living room and placed it three feet in front of her. “Ma’am, could you talk me through what happened?”
Devin listened as Sienna told him about hearing a sound. Checking on Colby. Going into her living room and seeing the window open. Making it to Colby before the man saw her.
Thankfully, the woman was quick on her feet. Otherwise tonight could have ended a lot differently. This could have been a very different kind of crime scene. His stomach turned at the thought.
“You have no idea who the man was?” Detective Jenson kept his voice professional but kind as he leaned toward Sienna.
“No idea. Of course I couldn’t see his face—he wore a mask—but I didn’t recognize his voice, either. Or his eyes.” Sienna’s voice cracked as memories appeared to pummel her.
“Tell me about your son.”
Sienna looked down at Colby and smiled—but it was a sad, wistful smile. “Oh, he’s not mine. He’s a coworker’s.”
Both men stared at her, waiting for her to explain.
She let out a small sigh, one that belied the simplicity of her words.
“A woman I work with—her name is Anita Gwinn—asked me if I could take care of Colby for a week. She had to go out of town to attend to her mother, who just had hip replacement surgery and needed round-the-clock care.”
“Is this Anita Gwinn woman a coworker or a friend?” Devin asked, trying to get a better feel for the situation.
Coworker sounded cold and impersonal. People usually didn’t trust acquaintances with their children. In Devin’s experience, at least.
Sienna hesitated and glanced at Colby again. “Honestly, more of a coworker. I know that sounds terrible to say. But I don’t know Anita all that well. She only moved to the area a few months ago, and she said she didn’t have anyone else to ask.”
“Where do you work?”
“I teach kindergarten. Anita was a teaching assistant in the classroom next door, but she seemed to latch on to me for some reason.”
“What was she like?”
“She’s probably in her early thirties. She’s kind of frazzled, but she is a single mom, so I figured that was why. No mention of a boyfriend or the baby’s father. But she loves Colby. Had pictures on her desk and on her phone. Everywhere. She always said he was the one good thing in her life.”
“Did anything seem off about her?”
Sienna shrugged. “Anita was quirky. But some people are, right? I mean... I don’t know. I just want to give her the benefit of the doubt.”
“We should probably call Ms. Gwinn,” Jenson said. “Would you mind giving me her number? I’d like to talk to her.”
“Of course.” Sienna hesitated and shifted. “But here’s the thing—Anita was supposed to pick Colby up two days ago. She never showed up, and she hasn’t been answering her phone.”
Devin’s heart rate kicked up a notch. Most likely, when combined with what had happened tonight, that wasn’t a coincidence.
“Did you call the police?” Jenson asked.
“No, I figured Anita would show up. Or that she lost track of time. Or... I don’t really know. I was at a loss as to what to do. I didn’t want a social worker to come and take Colby, though. I figured he was better off with me until his mom returned. Maybe, looking back, that wasn’t wise.” Sienna frowned as she glanced at the detective and then Devin, her gaze begging for understanding yet laced with regret.
Jenson straightened, and Devin could tell he was skeptical about Sienna’s story. It did seem like a strange explanation, yet it could still be plausible. Police often investigated those closest to the case first. Nine times out of ten, it was someone familiar instead of a stranger.
“We’ll need you to be available in case we have any more questions,” Jenson said.
“Of course.” Sienna offered a tight nod, but her gaze showed her exhaustion.
As the detective walked away, Devin turned toward Sienna. He knew this wasn’t any of his business. But he couldn’t stop himself from saying what needed to be said. All of his FBI training begged for his attention.
“I realize this isn’t my place, but I don’t think you should stay at your house tonight,” he said. “It’s not safe.”
“That could be true, but I’m not sure where else I can go.”
The thought of them being in a hotel made Devin’s stomach churn. Sienna and Colby were too much of a target, and hotels weren’t secure. They needed more answers before Sienna resumed life as normal. Or even halfway normal.
“This is going to sound strange.” Devin kept his voice professional. “I know it will. But I have a family cabin about an hour from here. Why don’t you use it?”
“I’m not sure the idea of staying in a cabin miles from nowhere is comforting.” A moment of fear flickered in her gaze, and she glanced back down at Colby again.
Devin wanted to ask her if there was anyone else she could stay with. But he didn’t. Because he knew that not anyone else would do. Sienna needed protection—at least until they had more answers.
Devin had seen the gunman with his own eyes. He’d seen the ruthlessness in his gaze. Heard the malice in his voice. Devin knew that whoever he was, the man would go to extreme lengths to get what he wanted. And what he wanted was Colby.
Devin was desperate to piece this together. Who was the man? Why did he want the baby? And where was this baby’s mom?
When he put it all together, he didn’t like the picture it formed.
The situation was full of danger and ruthlessness.
“Listen, I’m FBI,” Devin started. “I’m currently on a leave of absence from the bureau, and I don’t have anything on my schedule. If you’re comfortable with it, I can stand guard while you’re there at the cabin.”
Sienna still hesitated. “I don’t want to put you out.”
“I can’t exactly sit back and resume life while my neighbor and an innocent child are threatened.”
When she still didn’t agree, Devin softened his stance and his tone. If he’d only been a little friendlier, maybe she wouldn’t be so untrusting right now.
“Do you have a better alternative?” Devin asked. “Because as long as I know the two of you are safe, I’m okay. I can stand down.”
Sienna glanced at Colby again before shaking her head. “Not really. I have friends I could stay with...but most of them have kids, and I don’t want to put anyone else in danger. I have to look out for Colby. I really don’t know what to do.”
“Just take me up on the offer. I promise, the invitation is purely professional.”
Finally she nodded. “Okay. For Colby’s sake, I’ll do it. But please don’t make me regret it.”
Just then, Detective Jenson walked back into the room, a grim look on his face. His eyes went to Sienna, some of that earlier doubt still there—and still strong.
Devin braced himself for whatever he had to say.
“We’re trying to locate Anita Gwinn,” he announced. “The bad news is that Anita Gwinn doesn’t appear to have existed until four months ago.”
THREE
Devin felt the tension pulling across his shoulders as he drove into the night with Sienna beside him and Colby sleeping in a car seat in the back of his SUV.
They’d left the warm lights of suburbia and headed west, deeper into the Rocky Mountains. Homes and businesses were sparser out here, making it ideal as a hiding spot. Yet these mountains within themselves were a beautiful danger, one that needed to be appreciated and respected.
Devin had grown up in Colorado, almost five hours away from this area, but had moved here when the FBI stationed him in Denver. His little town of Woodard’s Mill was on the outskirts of the city and felt like the perfect place to relax after a stressful day at work—whenever he finally went back to work. Things like this didn’t happen in neighborhoods like his.
Except this had happened. Right next door.
He couldn’t stop reviewing tonight’s events. Why things had played out as they had. What this story could possibly be. Those questions were what motivated him to solve every case he’d been handed while working in the criminal investigative division: answers that would ultimately lead to justice.
He glanced over at Sienna, at her heavy eyelids as she stared out the window, and his heart panged with compassion.
Truth was, he hadn’t exactly been friendly to the woman. She’d seemed nice enough. And maybe that was part of the reason he’d chosen not to speak and had only nodded curt greetings in passing.
Getting close to people—and then losing them—was so hard. It was beyond hard.
It was heartbreaking.
Images of Grace and Willow filled his thoughts again, and a radiating pain began in his chest. What he wouldn’t give to have them beside him again. If he could go back and change time...
But that was just wishful thinking that would get him nowhere.
“Thanks for doing this,” Sienna murmured. She pulled her sweater tighter and glanced away from the window a moment.
The somberness in her gaze spoke volumes. Tonight had shaken her to the core, yet she’d still remained graceful and kind. His respect for the woman grew.
“It’s not a problem.” Devin stole another glance at her and saw her exhaustion. “I know you’ve been through this with the police, but could you tell me what you know about Anita?”
Detective Jenson had told them that Anita Gwinn didn’t exist until four months ago. That had just been a preliminary finding, of course. The police would contact the school system and find her records there. They’d track down her Social Security number. There was still a good chance that the woman was real and did exist. It was too early to say.
Sienna let out a heavy breath, as if carrying the burdens of the world. And, in a way, she was. She was carrying the burdens of Colby’s world, at least.
“I wish I knew more,” she started, her voice soft and almost fragile. “I really do. But I only worked with Anita for a few months. She’d just moved here from Arizona. I had the impression she was leaving a bad situation. Maybe an abusive husband or boyfriend? She didn’t like to talk about it.”
“You said there’s no father in the picture?” He glanced in his rearview mirror and saw the headlights behind him.
Was it someone following them? Or was it just another traveler headed the same way? Devin hoped it was the latter. Prayed it was.
“By all indications, there is no father,” Sienna said, clueless about the potential danger on their heels.
Devin would keep it that way for as long as he could. The woman had already been through a lot. And there was no need to alarm her for no reason.
He drew his gaze away from the rearview mirror as they climbed higher and the road became narrower. “Where did her mom live? You said her mother was having surgery?”
“Anita told me her mom was out in Kansas. I didn’t ask questions. Figured Anita didn’t have a reason to lie to me. And maybe she didn’t lie. Maybe she’s a victim here or she was in a car accident or... I really don’t know what to think.” Sienna swung her head back and forth, her features pinched with anxiety. “Maybe all of this is a misunderstanding.”
She didn’t sound like she believed that any more than Devin did.
Devin had the urge to reach over and offer his neighbor some kind of comfort. But he didn’t. It...didn’t seem appropriate and, though this wasn’t an official assignment, he wanted to keep things on the up-and-up. Still, his heart hurt for the woman and her distress.
A stranger had turned her life upside down.
Silence fell between them, and the sweet sound of Colby snoozing filled the car.
Devin glanced in the mirror again. The lights were still there behind him on the road. No one else followed, just the one lone car. Most people weren’t out on the road at 3:00 a.m.
He needed to figure out if he was being followed once and for all.
As he came up on a street, he veered to the left.
“What...?” Sienna muttered, her eyes widening.
Devin kept his grip tight on the steering wheel. Keeping a cool head means keeping everyone alive. That’s what one of his instructors at Quantico had always said. That was what Devin needed to adhere to now as well.
“Sorry,” he muttered. “I’m taking a little detour.”
Sienna craned her neck behind her as the truth seemed to click in her mind. “Are we being followed?”
“I didn’t say that.”
Her gaze was sharp as she turned to him. “You didn’t deny it, either.”
“I’m just being cautious.” And the woman was no dummy. That was good, because they’d need to keep their wits about them to get through this situation.
The way Sienna squeezed the armrest didn’t go unnoticed, nor did the way she rubbed her forehead with her other hand. “I just don’t understand.”
“I don’t think any of us do.” He kept his eyes on the narrow road as the asphalt edged closer to the mountain’s edge.
“Is this about me? Colby? Anita?”
“Until we have more information, we won’t know.” Another glance in the rearview mirror showed that the car had turned also. They were definitely being followed.
The driver didn’t appear to be aggressive. That was the good news. The bad news was that he—or she—wasn’t backing off, either. Devin tried to get a better look at the vehicle, to see if it was the same one he’d seen earlier—the one the intruder had jumped into. It was too dark to tell, but that was his suspicion.
“What are we going to do?” Sienna asked, glancing over her shoulder again.
“We’re going to have to lose them.”
She sucked in a quick breath. “But...these are back roads. Mountainous. There aren’t a lot of places to go.”
So she was familiar was this area. And she was correct. These were winding, narrow streets where one wrong move could mean crashing into a mountain or going off a cliff.
Neither of those things were options. Devin was going to have to do his best in the situation. The one thing he wouldn’t be doing was leading the guy straight to his cabin.
* * *
Sienna couldn’t shake the bad feeling—and rightfully so. Her instincts screamed that danger was on their tail. But it was like she’d just asked Devin: Why? It just didn’t make sense. How could the simple task of watching a coworker’s son have turned into this nightmare? This fight for survival?
And now someone was following them. How far was this person going to take it?
Sienna glanced in the back seat at little Colby. He was such a cute kid with his spiky, fine blond hair and cherublike features. He had incredibly long eyelashes that made his blue eyes look even bigger than they already were. His favorite word was more, and he could entertain himself for hours just playing with pots and pans.
He snoozed in his car seat, unaware of anything going on around him. What Sienna wouldn’t give to have that kind of peace and serenity in the midst of a storm like this.
Her life hadn’t worked out according to plan.
She wasn’t supposed to be here in Colorado. She wasn’t supposed to be single without children.
But she was. And on most days, she made the best of it.
But right now, all Sienna felt was resentment. And fear. A lot of fear.
“Hold on.” Devin turned the wheel sharply again.
Sienna held her breath as they pulled onto another mountain road—this one smaller, tighter, possibly more winding. As the SUV turned, she reached for the armrest, grabbing Devin’s hand instead. She quickly pulled away as she felt a jolt of electricity rush through her.
Electricity? No, that couldn’t be right. When—and if—she decided to fall for another man, it would not be someone like Devin. She needed someone warm and friendly.
Then again, her ex, Jackson, had been Mr. Personality, and look where that had gotten her. Humiliated at the altar.
She glanced over at Devin quickly, noting his strong jaw and determined gaze. There was no question the man was attractive and fit. Sienna’s friend Viviana used to joke, asking Sienna to call her next time Devin was outside cutting his grass in the heat. The man had light brown hair that was pushed back from his face and a barely-there beard. He towered at least a foot taller than her own five foot three inches.
She closed her eyes, hoping Devin knew what he was doing. Why had she entrusted her life and Colby’s to him? What had she been thinking? That hotel room was looking better and better all the time. Yet Devin seemed so confident and protective. Maybe in a subconscious way she’d been drawn to that.
Being alone out here in Colorado—being single—it wasn’t easy. Most of the time she prided herself on being independent. But deep inside, it would be nice to have someone watching out for her. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought it would be Devin.
Sienna had only said yes because she knew Devin was FBI. She’d seen him talking with the officers on the scene. He’d seemed respected and professional. He’d also been surprisingly kind.
She gripped the armrest as she glanced out the window and saw the steep cliff beside her. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to breathe until they reached the end of this. Until the car was no longer behind them.
This whole thing was a bad idea. She should have gotten that hotel room and begged the police to station a guard outside it.
Why hadn’t she thought of that an hour ago?
Instead, she was in the middle of the wild, rugged mountains with a man who was virtually a stranger. If this car hit them, they’d have no help. There would be nowhere to go.
This was all a bad, bad idea.
“It’s going to be okay,” Devin said.
Sienna wished she felt as certain as he sounded. Because nothing felt okay right now.
She could hardly move, much less turn her head. “Is he still there?”
Devin’s eyes flickered into the rearview mirror. “I don’t see him yet.”
“Do you know where this road goes?”
“It goes to the top of the mountain.”
“To your cabin?”
“No.”
“Then where?
“It ends.”
Sienna sucked in a breath. “That doesn’t sound like a great plan.”
“Trust me.”
“I hardly know you.”
“I realize that. And I know this is difficult. But I do have a plan.” With that, Devin turned the wheel again—turned it hard again—until they barreled toward some tall pine trees on the edge of the road.
Sienna sucked in a breath when she spotted the blackness just beyond the trees. It was dark there because there was nothing. Nothing but a cliff.
Just what was Devin thinking? He was going to kill them all.
Sienna’s racing heart agreed.
As the edge of the cliff got closer and closer, a small voice came from the back seat. “Mama? Mama?”
Colby was awake. And he began to wail in fear.
The sound echoed in the car, matching exactly what Sienna was feeling.
Especially when, in the next instant, the SUV lurched forward.
