Read Online Taken Hostage by Ranae Rose - Free Book Online

native.
    She nodded, not trusting herself to
speak.
    ‘What about you?’ the officer asked, eyeing
Rolando with a frown. ‘What the hell’s your problem?’
    Rolando licked his lips. ‘Nothing’s wrong
officer,’ he mumbled, looking down at his knees.
    ‘The hell it isn’t.’
    Rolando grimaced. ‘Alright. I feel sick. Ate
some bad fast food or something. That’s why I pulled over. That’s
all.’
    The officer eyed him, his skepticism obvious.
‘License and registration,’ he demanded.
    Rolando looked as if he wanted to curse.
Instead, he reached behind himself, apparently to fumble in his
pocket for his wallet. Tiffany knew better – she could see the
handle of a gun peeking from above his waistband as he lifted the
hem of his shirt. The cop spoke again just as his fingers brushed
it.
    ‘Hey!’ the officer said, leaning closer and
pushing his sunglasses up onto his forehead suddenly. His eyes were
brown, and they went wide with surprise – and perhaps recognition –
as he met Tiffany’s eyes. The officer drew his gun before Rolando
could and aimed it at Rolando’s chest. ‘Don’t move,’ he said. ‘Put
your hands in the air above your head. Slowly.’
    Rolando’s hand hovered over the gun handle as
he sweated.
    ‘Now,’ the officer said, ‘or I shoot.’ There
was no hint of an idle threat in his voice.
    Rolando raised his hands slowly into the air,
gunless.
    ‘Miss,’ the officer said, ‘just stay still.
I’m going to get you out of there.’
    Tiffany’s suspicions were confirmed – he
recognized her. News of her capture and her photo had apparently
spread all the way to the backwoods of Mississippi.
    She eyed the gun that protruded from
Rolando’s clothing and cursed herself as an idea seized her. It was
an impractical idea. It was a stupid idea. It was all she could
think about. Her hand itched to take action. But why? James had
hidden big things from her after declaring her his partner. He’d
practically lied to her. Why shouldn’t she let this end and go
safely back to her old life, unharmed save for the blows to her
confidence and heart?
    Because she couldn’t forget the look she’d
seen in James’ incredible blue eyes when he’d stroked her face in
the woods, that was why. She swallowed, blinked and grabbed the
gun. ‘Don’t shoot!’ she cried as she raised it, aiming it past
Rolando’s shoulder at the policeman. ‘Don’t shoot,’ she repeated.
‘Just put your gun down.’ Her hands were trembling, but she could
probably hit him at this range anyway. She broke into a cold sweat
at the thought.
    The officer’s eyebrows climbed high above the
rims of his sunglass lenses. ‘I’m here to help you,’ he said,
maintaining his practiced hold on his weapon. ‘I won’t let him hurt
you.’
    ‘I’ll shoot if you make me,’ Tiffany said.
‘Just drop your gun.’
    The officer lowered his weapon slowly. ‘Calm
down,’ he said in a steady voice, ‘I’m here to help.’
    ‘I don’t want to be helped!’ Tiffany cried,
and it was true. She couldn’t let James be arrested. She had to get
the cop to back down.
    The officer said nothing for several moments.
‘Were you in on it from the beginning?’ he finally asked.
    ‘No,’ Tiffany said, surprised at how calm her
voice sounded.
    ‘I want in,’ the officer said.
    This time, Tiffany did sound
surprised. ‘What?’
    ‘You heard me. I want in. I want a cut of the
cash.’
    ‘No,’ Tiffany said. Her arms were trembling.
The gun was too heavy for her to hold up for much longer.
    ‘You don’t have much of a choice,’ the
officer replied, ‘unless you want to go to jail.’
    ‘I told you I’ll shoot if I have to,’ she
reminded him, trying to ignore the queasiness that assaulted her at
the mere thought of firing the gun.
    ‘Go ahead,’ the officer said coldly. ‘You’ll
never make it out of Mississippi if you do. Cops would be crawling
everywhere within an hour. They’d catch you at one of the
roadblocks,