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Authors: Delores Fossen
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because Alana was Joey’s birth mother, Jack didn’t want the town to square off against her.
She had enough enemies.
Dr. Bartolo finally made it to them, and like Jack, the first thing he did was check her pulse. Then he lifted herright eyelid and looked at her pupil. “Yes, she’s been drugged. Any idea what she was given?”
“No. The guy who tried to take her didn’t say a word.”
“Hmmm.” The doctor reached for his phone. “I’ll have the medics bring out a gurney. She doesn’t appear to be injured but better safe than sorry.”
Jack couldn’t agree more.
The hospital wasn’t safe, and he didn’t have the manpower to provide round-the-clock protection for her. Willow Ridge was a small town with just him and two deputies. Jack had often pulled double and even triple shifts.
Now he was going to have to take it one step further.
He’d have to take Alana in his protective custody.
Maybe then he could request assistance from the Texas Rangers. Or convince the city council to pay for a bodyguard service or a temporary deputy. But for now, the only solution he could see was to take her to the ranch.
Where she’d see Joey.
It wasn’t his first choice. Or even his second. Heck, it wasn’t even on the list. But it was his only choice.
He couldn’t let her get hurt. He couldn’t let that kidnapper come after her again.
“Joey,” Alana mumbled.
Jack leaned over her. “He’s not here.”
Frantically, she shook her head and tried to say something. What, was anyone’s guess.
“You’re safe now,” Jack told her, and to try to reassure her of that, he touched her arm with his fingertips. Rubbed gently. “We’ll get you inside, and the doctor will examine you.”
She shook her head again, and her face twisted as if she were in pain. “Joey.”
It was her hysterical tone and expression that grabbed his attention. “What about him?”
“That man…the kidnapper…he threatened me. He said if I didn’t go with him, he’d take Joey.”
Jack’s heart dropped.
Not this.
Please, God, not this.
“See to Alana,” Jack instructed the doctor. And he practically ripped the phone from his pocket. He forced himself to stay calm. Which was impossible. But somehow he managed to stab in the numbers without breaking his cell.
“I think I lost him,” Reyes announced when he answered the call.
That didn’t get Jack’s heart back in his chest, and it kicked up his adrenaline. “Get to the ranch,” Jack ordered. He started to sprint toward his car. “I’ll meet you there.”
“What’s wrong?” Reyes asked.
Jack almost hated to say the words aloud. Because the words were a father’s nightmare. “The kidnapper’s going after Joey.”
Chapter Seven
Alana forced open her eyes. She was inside the hospital again. In the E.R. That in itself was enough to cause her to panic, but that particular panic was nothing compared to what she remembered.
The kidnapper had threatened Joey.
She pushed away the hands that were trying to examine her. Dr. Bartolo’s hands, she realized.
“Just relax,” he insisted. “You’re okay.”
No. She wasn’t. She wouldn’t be okay until she stopped that monster from taking her son.
“Joey,” she said. Alana sat up and quickly tried to get her bearings. She was dizzy and weak, but that wouldn’t prevent her from leaving.
“Jack’s already on the way to the ranch,” the doctor explained. “I’m sure he’ll call the moment he gets there and confirms that all is well.”
But everything might not be. The kidnapper’s threat was clear. He would use Joey as leverage to get her to cooperate, and Jack might need help.
Alana took a deep breath, hoping it would clear her head, and she got up from the gurney.
“I wouldn’t advise that,” the doctor warned.
She ignored him and looked around for a pair of shoes or a robe. There was nothing like that in the ER, so that meant she would have to wear just the gown she had on. She started for the
She had enough enemies.
Dr. Bartolo finally made it to them, and like Jack, the first thing he did was check her pulse. Then he lifted herright eyelid and looked at her pupil. “Yes, she’s been drugged. Any idea what she was given?”
“No. The guy who tried to take her didn’t say a word.”
“Hmmm.” The doctor reached for his phone. “I’ll have the medics bring out a gurney. She doesn’t appear to be injured but better safe than sorry.”
Jack couldn’t agree more.
The hospital wasn’t safe, and he didn’t have the manpower to provide round-the-clock protection for her. Willow Ridge was a small town with just him and two deputies. Jack had often pulled double and even triple shifts.
Now he was going to have to take it one step further.
He’d have to take Alana in his protective custody.
Maybe then he could request assistance from the Texas Rangers. Or convince the city council to pay for a bodyguard service or a temporary deputy. But for now, the only solution he could see was to take her to the ranch.
Where she’d see Joey.
It wasn’t his first choice. Or even his second. Heck, it wasn’t even on the list. But it was his only choice.
He couldn’t let her get hurt. He couldn’t let that kidnapper come after her again.
“Joey,” Alana mumbled.
Jack leaned over her. “He’s not here.”
Frantically, she shook her head and tried to say something. What, was anyone’s guess.
“You’re safe now,” Jack told her, and to try to reassure her of that, he touched her arm with his fingertips. Rubbed gently. “We’ll get you inside, and the doctor will examine you.”
She shook her head again, and her face twisted as if she were in pain. “Joey.”
It was her hysterical tone and expression that grabbed his attention. “What about him?”
“That man…the kidnapper…he threatened me. He said if I didn’t go with him, he’d take Joey.”
Jack’s heart dropped.
Not this.
Please, God, not this.
“See to Alana,” Jack instructed the doctor. And he practically ripped the phone from his pocket. He forced himself to stay calm. Which was impossible. But somehow he managed to stab in the numbers without breaking his cell.
“I think I lost him,” Reyes announced when he answered the call.
That didn’t get Jack’s heart back in his chest, and it kicked up his adrenaline. “Get to the ranch,” Jack ordered. He started to sprint toward his car. “I’ll meet you there.”
“What’s wrong?” Reyes asked.
Jack almost hated to say the words aloud. Because the words were a father’s nightmare. “The kidnapper’s going after Joey.”
Chapter Seven
Alana forced open her eyes. She was inside the hospital again. In the E.R. That in itself was enough to cause her to panic, but that particular panic was nothing compared to what she remembered.
The kidnapper had threatened Joey.
She pushed away the hands that were trying to examine her. Dr. Bartolo’s hands, she realized.
“Just relax,” he insisted. “You’re okay.”
No. She wasn’t. She wouldn’t be okay until she stopped that monster from taking her son.
“Joey,” she said. Alana sat up and quickly tried to get her bearings. She was dizzy and weak, but that wouldn’t prevent her from leaving.
“Jack’s already on the way to the ranch,” the doctor explained. “I’m sure he’ll call the moment he gets there and confirms that all is well.”
But everything might not be. The kidnapper’s threat was clear. He would use Joey as leverage to get her to cooperate, and Jack might need help.
Alana took a deep breath, hoping it would clear her head, and she got up from the gurney.
“I wouldn’t advise that,” the doctor warned.
She ignored him and looked around for a pair of shoes or a robe. There was nothing like that in the ER, so that meant she would have to wear just the gown she had on. She started for the
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