Mostly Risky, page 15
part #3 of The Women of Ambrose Estate Series
Hayden only sped up. “Keep quiet, sweetheart, or you’ll regret it.”
The mildness of his voice was more creepy than yelling. She glanced around the SUV, wondering if he had a gun or another weapon. The thought made her shudder. A man’s bare hands could be equally lethal. Hayden had a good fifty or sixty pounds on her, and he was definitely stronger than she was.
Breathe, Amelia, breathe, she silently commanded herself.
There weren’t many cars on this stretch of road, but Amelia would find someone to help her, somehow. The sun had fully set, and twilight had dissipated into the inky black of the moonlit sky. She could escape the car and find somewhere to hide. Yanking the wheel would only hurt the both of them, and she didn’t know if she could temporarily disable him while driving. They’d probably wreck, and then could she still get away from him if she was injured? Her panicked mind raced through a dozen more possibilities.
Maybe when they reached wherever he was driving, she could escape then. Without a cell phone she’d have to do a good job of outrunning him before she could find some help.
Making as little movement as possible, she slipped off her heels, keeping her gaze forward. She focused on the passing scenery, trying to gauge where they were going and what his plans might be. She chanced speaking again. “Is Grigg really in the hospital?”
Hayden scoffed. “Nah. Although I did get him pretty good. He’ll be sore for a while.”
Amelia’s eyes popped wide. “What did you do to him?”
“We had a little scuffle,” he said with a shrug, then he met her gaze with a smile.
The smile felt like a knife to her heart.
“I don’t think you should be worrying about Grigg right now,” Hayden said. “I’ve got other plans for you.”
Amelia swallowed against the lump in her throat, but she didn’t look away from the man. “What kind of plans?”
“You’ll see, sweetheart,” Hayden said. “Now keep quiet.”
Her eyes burned, and she wanted to throw up. The passing scenery told her they were getting more and more remote. Then suddenly Hayden veered to the side of the road and cut through some underbrush. The SUV bumped along until he stopped near a copse of trees.
Was this it? His planned destination?
“Get down,” Hayden hissed, shutting off the SUV and turning off the lights.
Amelia only obeyed because he’d latched onto her arm, bruising where his fingers dug into her skin. Hayden’s breathing was rapid, matching her own heartbeat, but she held her breath, wondering what he was hiding from.
And then the dimness of the SUV was cut by flashes of lights—red and blue.
Amelia raised her head. Two cop cars were passing by on the road, driving slowly. Hayden grabbed her hair and yanked her back down. Amelia cried out, and he slapped a hand over her mouth.
“Shut up, woman!” he hissed.
Amelia couldn’t let this happen. If Hayden had a gun, wouldn’t he have already pulled it on her? And if she let the cops pass, then would she have another opportunity to get away?
But then again, if Hayden did have a gun, she wouldn’t get very far.
Her heart screamed to run, while the pain in her scalp from Hayden’s grip told her to obey.
Amelia squeezed her eyes shut, thinking of what her female relatives might do in this situation. Gran. Poppy. Margaret Ambrose. Margaret had let her husband and a woman named Celeste Fontaine run roughshod over her, and look at the suffering Margaret had endured her entire life. A husband and two sons lost to her forever. She’d let someone else determine her fate.
Amelia didn’t want that for herself. She didn’t want anyone, especially Hayden, to hold her back from living her life. To stop her dreams.
She took a deep breath, then turned her head enough so that she could bite down on Hayden’s arm.
“Damn you!” he spat, and for a split second, he relaxed his grip on her hair.
But Amelia only needed that split second.
She pushed herself across his lap by using her feet against her door as leverage. Unlocking the car, she then drove her head back, connecting the back of her head with Hayden’s face. This time he cried out in pain, but his arms snaked around her. Amelia was ready. She elbowed him in the gut as hard as she could, then she opened the door and scrambled out of the car.
Her ankle twisted beneath her as she landed on the ground in her haste, but she didn’t care about the pain. She had a cop car to alert. Running, she headed toward the road, her feet slipping more than once in the rocks and dirt. Her breathing came in great gulps, but she was able to muster enough voice to scream. “Stop! I’m here! Wait!”
When she reached the road, the fading lights of the two cop cars told her they were at least a half mile away. She started to run after them, tears coursing down her cheeks, her pounding footsteps on the pavement echoing like a shot through her entire body. She didn’t know how much longer her ankle would hold out, but that could be attended to much later.
The moonlight gave her enough light to see the road by, but the trees and scattered bushes of what lay beyond the road were only murky shapes. If she left the road, could she truly find a place to hide? Or would Hayden simply follow her trail? Then, above her footsteps and her own breathing, she heard Hayden running after her. He was making small grunts as if he were an Olympic athlete throwing a javelin. Cold rushed through Amelia’s veins. She’d have to hide somewhere after all.
Scanning desperately for a place she could lose Hayden, she felt her ankle pop. The pain lanced through her, and she almost tripped and fell. She couldn’t stop. She couldn’t slow down. She had to keep moving as fast as she could. But even as she pushed herself harder and harder, her steps were slowing down and Hayden was gaining on her.
Grigg had never been so sick to his stomach in his life. Not even the moment when he knew he’d torn the tendons in his knee and effectively ruined his football career in one lousy play. Amelia was out there, somewhere, with the bastard Hayden. And Grigg was going to find him and make him wish he’d never set eyes on Amelia Ambrose.
Grigg had followed the cop cars in Brandy’s car, and he was grateful the little vehicle had some sporty spunk. He probably shouldn’t be speeding after racing cop cars, but he wasn’t going to leave the search for Amelia to chance. Thankfully, the cops had been able to activate the GPS tracker on his SUV, and they’d located the vehicle about ten miles from the airport.
Bypassing the airport altogether, Grigg headed in the same direction as Hayden. But now the cop cars were slowing down, so Grigg did too. Had they spotted the SUV? Was Hayden up ahead?
Grigg slowed even more, giving at least a mile’s distance between him and the cops. He’d let them do their work, but if they came upon the SUV, he wanted to be there. Come what may. If Amelia needed defending, then Grigg would be there in the middle of it. He had no problem inserting himself. So what if his head throbbed and his eye was half swollen now? He was no stranger to pain.
The cop cars continued their slow speed, and Grigg kept his distance, scanning the road and the terrain beyond as he drove. Another car came toward him from the other direction, and Grigg slowed down even more. It wasn’t an SUV, and he released a breath as it passed.
Then, several hundred yards up ahead, he saw a person run out onto the road. Well, he was limping and running. Grigg’s heart nearly stopped. Was it Hayden? No . . . the person was too small.
Amelia!
He simply stared for a moment. She was running toward the cop cars. Grigg sped up, putting on his flashers, hoping that would signal he was there to help her. Then another form emerged onto the road. There was no doubt this larger person was Hayden. And he wasn’t limping, and he was plainly moving faster than Amelia. Which meant he’d catch her soon.
Grigg began to honk, hoping to deter Hayden, make him slow down, distract him, anything.
Hayden did look behind him, but he only moved to the side of the road and kept running.
Amelia had also moved to the side, and Grigg stepped on the accelerator, pulling ahead of Hayden. Then in a single movement, he slammed on his brakes and jerked the wheel so that the car spun in front of Hayden. Before the car came to a complete stop, Grigg opened his door and jumped out of the car.
Hayden veered off the road, now running in an arc to avoid Grigg and his car.
“Drop to the ground!” Grigg called out, even though he didn’t have any sort of weapon to back up his threat.
Hayden hesitated just enough to give Grigg an added advantage.
“Grigg!” a woman screamed.
But he didn’t answer. His sole focus was the man who’d just turned coward and was now making a beeline for the trees beyond. Grigg might have given up running long distances due to his knee injury, but he hadn’t slacked off of staying in shape. When Hayden reached a tangle of bushes, Grigg plowed into him from behind.
The two of them tumbled to the ground.
Hayden yelled curses and fought like a cornered cat, but Grigg wasn’t about to be blindsided again.
Grigg pinned Hayden to the ground, shoving his knee against the man’s throat until he was gasping for air. Grigg held down Hayden’s wrists, using all his strength to keep the man from lashing out.
“Grigg!” Amelia cried out, closer now.
“Stay back!” Grigg said without turning. “Keep on the road and signal the cops if they turn around.” He hoped his honking and flashers had drawn their attention.
Hayden jerked and twisted beneath him, and Grigg got a good look at the whites of the man’s eyes in the moonlight.
“You’re done, man,” Grigg spat out.
“Let me go,” Hayden ground out, his mouth sounding like it was full of marbles as Grigg kept the pressure on his neck.
“They’re coming,” Amelia called, her voice farther away.
“It must be your lucky day,” Grigg told Hayden. “Because if it were up to me, you wouldn’t live to see your day in court.”
Hayden’s eyes rolled back, and Grigg knew the man had only passed out. And that he should release him. But the adrenaline pumping through his body was hard to calm down.
“Hands up!” a voice barked.
The cops.
Grigg eased his knee from Hayden’s throat, then slowly stood. “I got him,” he said, raising his own hands as he turned to face the three cops approaching the scene.
Behind them, Amelia released a choked sob.
Grigg stepped away from the prone Hayden, and two of the cops moved forward. One of them cuffed the unconscious man.
“He’ll be awake soon enough,” Grigg said, his hands still raised. “I’m Grigg Edison. The one who called in the alert.”
The third cop nodded and said, “You can stand down, but I want to see your ID.”
Grigg lowered his hands, then fished his wallet out of his pocket and showed his ID to the cop. He could hear Amelia crying quietly, and as soon as the cop cleared him, he walked over to her.
“Mills,” he said as he approached her. “Are you hurt?”
She melted into his arms, and he pulled her close. “I’m okay. What about you? I was so worried. Hayden said . . . he said that you were injured.”
He closed his eyes and tightened his hold. “Hayden attacked me, but it’s nothing. Nothing compared to what you’ve gone through.” He drew away and gazed into her eyes. “Your ankle is hurt. What else?”
She wiped at the tears on her cheeks. “Just my ankle. He only . . . he only scared me.”
Grigg drew her close again. The anger inside simmered, and it was a good thing that the cops had secured Hayden in the back of their car, because Grigg would like nothing more than to punch him out.
“We need to get you checked out at the hospital,” Grigg said. “And the cops are going to want a report as well. Are you up for it?”
She nodded against his chest, keeping her arms tight about him. Sure enough, one of the cops approached, and after several questions, Grigg told the cop to follow them to the hospital. Amelia could answer the rest of the questions there.
The next few hours were grueling, but at least Grigg had Amelia back. The X-ray tech at the hospital reported nothing had been broken, just sprained. While her ankle was being iced, Amelia told the cop everything that had happened, including the phone calls they’d shared leading up to tonight.
Grigg kept her hand clasped in his, and he marveled at her courage. She’d jumped out of the SUV and started running after the cops, Hayden right behind her. Thankfully, Hayden hadn’t had a gun, or things could have been much, much different.
By midnight, everything had wound down, and Grigg was able to find out from the cop that Hayden had been booked into jail with no chance of bail. This set his mind at ease for the time being.
“Ready?” Grigg asked Amelia after the attending doctor cleared them to leave.
She met his gaze, her blue eyes a well of trust in him. “I’m ready.”
“Why don’t you come to my place?” he said. “You can sleep in my room, and I’ll take the couch.”
“I don’t want to put you out,” she said.
“I insist,” he said. “It will help me sleep better, knowing that if you need anything, I’m not far away.”
She hesitated, then nodded. He reached out his hand and pulled her to her feet, then handed her the crutch that would help keep her weight off her ankle for a few days.
“Come on,” he said, wrapping his arm about her waist to support her. He kissed the side of her temple.
“How did I get so lucky with you?” she whispered.
The statement made his heart soar, but he knew the recovery from this trauma could take a while, and besides, he still didn’t know what conclusions she’d come to at Ambrose.
By the time they reached his place, Amelia was half asleep. And even though she protested, he carried her into his condo and set her on the bed in his bedroom. He went about arranging her pillows, then covering her with a blanket.
“You’re too good to me,” Amelia said, reaching up to touch his face. “And I’m sorry about Hayden and what he did to you.”
Grigg shook his head. “Don’t worry about me, Mills.” He stroked the side of her face, then kissed her other cheek.
Her eyes closed, and within moments she was asleep.
Still, Grigg sat in the chair opposite of the bed for a long time—watching over her and hoping that he’d never have to see Hayden’s face again.
Amelia opened her eyes to the sound of heavy breathing. Her nightmarish dreams of Hayden driving her down endless dark roads morphed into the reality of a large Labrador retriever gazing at her, his face about three inches from her face.
“What did I tell you, Boomer?” Grigg said, coming around the corner. “Stay in the kitchen. Let her sleep—oh. You’re awake.” His voice softened, and he moved to her side.
Boomer relinquished his close-up position by a few inches.
“Sorry about that,” Grigg said, looking her over. The bruising on his face was a deep purple now, darker than last night, but his eye was no longer swollen. “How are you feeling?”
She didn’t know yet. Her throat was dry, and her stomach felt hollow. Oh, and her ankle throbbed, but all that was secondary to being safe now. “Okay, I guess.”
At the raspy sound of her voice, Grigg produced a water bottle and some ibuprofen. “Here, take this. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes. Spencer dropped Boomer off about an hour ago, and it was everything I could do to keep him from barking in excitement.”
Amelia glanced at the dog. “I don’t mind, huh, Boomer?”
Boomer took the mention of his name as a sign to move closer and nuzzle her face.
“That’s enough, boy,” Grigg said, physically moving Boomer out of the way.
Amelia didn’t mind the dog’s attention, but she was feeling rather weak. And surprisingly, starving. “What’s for breakfast?”
Grigg smiled, and Amelia felt her heart tug.
“Hungry? I’ve got a surprise for you, then.”
Just then a timer in the kitchen went off, and Grigg set the water bottle on the end table next to the bed. “Just a second. I’ll bring you breakfast in bed.”
“I can get up,” Amelia said, but Grigg had already disappeared. So she relaxed her head against the pillow and glanced around the room. Grigg’s bedroom. The honey-colored wooden blinds were shut, and the deep greens of the bedroom gave off a masculine yet calming feel. The pictures on the walls were of half-finished architectural plans. Interesting.
Something smelled good, and Amelia’s stomach rumbled. Moments later, Grigg appeared with a tray of food. When he set it in front of her, Amelia said, “What is it?”
“The Edison special,” he said, settling into the chair across from the bed. “My mom makes it on the weekends. Sort of like a casserole, but with hash browns, eggs, ham, and whatever else you want to add to it.”
“Smells yummy,” Amelia said, picking up her fork and scooping up a bite. Her gaze connected with Grigg’s. “You going to watch me eat?”
He grinned. “I am.”
Amelia laughed. Wow, it felt good to laugh. And with Grigg watching, she took a bite of his Edison special. “Delicious,” she said after a moment of chewing. Then she took another bite.
Boomer whined, and Amelia gave him one of the bits of bacon.
“You just earned a friend for life,” Grigg said.
She shrugged. “If he’s your friend, then he’s my friend.” She gazed at Grigg for a moment. He looked relaxed in the chair, but the bruises on his face told a different story. He hadn’t shaved, and he wore a well-washed T-shirt and gym shorts. She’d never seen him so dressed down before, but he looked sexy in whatever he wore. Her gaze returned to his bruised face. The guilt that surged up in her was hard to tamp down. Bringing Hayden back into her life had been a huge mistake. “I hope you can forgive me.”
Grigg’s brows pulled together. “For what?”
“For making that stupid list,” she said, “and for putting Hayden on it.”
Grigg rose and crossed to the bed. Sitting on the edge, facing her, he grasped her hand. “It’s not your fault he’s a horrible man. None of it was your fault. We were all deceived by him.”
