The Last Bride (DiCarlo Brides #6) (23 page)

He stopped the car in the middle of the narrow road and looked around him. He didn’t see anyone or any signs of people around. Slowly he opened the door and stepped out. “I’m here, on time.”

He waited a moment, then opened the back door and pulled out the duffel bag of money. “I’ve got the money,” he said as loudly as he could. “Twenties and fifties like you asked for. Non-sequential.”

A figure stepped forward a little in the trees to the left of Gage’s vehicle. He was covered with a ski mask and wore a heavy coat and gloves despite the heat. “Set it on that tree stump,” he directed in a gruff voice. It wasn’t the guy from the phone calls. Not unless he was disguising his voice.

“Joel?” Gage asked in a whisper as he bent forward to pick the bag back up off the ground.

“Almost there. Take it slow and easy. You don’t want him to get twitchy.”

“Right.” Gage carried the bag twenty feet to the stump, then backed away, keeping his gaze on the other man.

“He’s in my sights,” Joel said. “Get back in your car and go. Send someone back to get me from the parking lot in a little while. I’m going to see if I can track this guy through the forest to his car.”

“You have the money. I expect my sister to be released,” Gage called out to the other man.

“Get in your car and go. When I have the money, she’ll be freed.”

Gage nodded and got back into his car, frustrated.

“It’s all yours,” Gage muttered into the small microphone when the door was closed. “Be careful.”

“I know what I’m doing,” Joel reassured.

Gage hoped so. He put the car into drive and continued down the road, seeing the man reach the money through his rear view mirror just as the road curved and the clearing disappeared from sight.

“Good job,” this came from the detective, who must have been on the radio the whole time, though he’d been silent. “Just head back to the main road. Hopefully we’ll have Natalie by the time you reach the south end of town.”

Gage’s heart pounded, though he hadn’t realized it until he was headed back down the mountain and his breathing had turned ragged. It took all of his concentration to stay the speed limit as he hurried to the edge of town.

Would they really release his sister?

Gage’s cell phone rang as he hit Main Street. “Hello?”

“We’ve got her. She’s safe and she looks okay.” Vince’s voice came on the line offering reassurance. “I’m with Deputy Oliver at the Dairy Queen and she walked right over to him.”

Relief poured through Gage’s system. “Thanks, Vince. I’m only a few minutes out. Wait for me there?” His voice was a little shaky. He had been so close to losing his whole family. But Natalie was still alive.

“We will. She’s fine, Gage. It’s okay.”

“Thanks. I owe you.”

“Forget it. I
still
owe you. See you in a minute.” Vince hung up.

“Did you hear that, Joel? They’ve got Natalie.”

“Glad to hear it. Ah, there we are,” Joel said back in the radio system. “It’s a red four-door. Looks like a Ford Escort maybe. Late model with a… pale blue license plate. It’s not a Colorado plate. Kansas, maybe?” He read off his GPS coordinates. “The road is south of me and they’re headed west.”

“Good job, Joel. Head back to the ski parking lot and we’ll pick you up.” This was the detective again.

Gage pulled into the Dairy Queen parking lot and bulleted from his car to the deputy’s truck where Natalie waited. He yanked open the door and she fell, somewhat disheveled, into his arms.

“Gage, I knew you’d get me out of there. They’re crazy. They hurt Mom. Is she okay?” Tears rose in her eyes and she grabbed his shoulders. “I’ve been so worried. She was laying there, so still.”

Gage’s heart ached as he held her tight. “You’re okay, let’s focus on that for now. I’m so glad they let you go.” He leaned back a little and looked her over. “Did they hurt you?” Her hair looked like it hadn’t been brushed in a while, she wore no makeup, except for streaks of mascara on her face, and her wrists were red and irritated, as if she had been tied up, but she didn’t look bad.

“I’m fine. They didn’t hurt me. What about Mom? Is she okay? I need to see her.”

His heart broke all over again, but he couldn’t ignore her question if she was so insistent. “She’s not, Natalie. We got her to the hospital and she had surgery and she was doing better. We thought she would be able to come home today, but then she had a heart problem last night. They don’t know what happened. She was healing and then she just… wasn’t. She died last night.”

Natalie’s face crumpled and she leaned against him, crying on his shoulder. “How? I mean, she was so vibrant and healthy and now she’s gone.”

The release of stress at having Natalie back, the sorrow of losing his mom—both piled on him so he lost the tight leash he’d been holding on his emotions. They stood like that for a long while, both of them grieving, Gage glad that at least his sister was back.

Trent finally interrupted them. “We should take Natalie in to be checked by a doctor. We need to document everything in case they catch the guys who abducted her.” His voice was gentle and, the light Southern accent softened as he spoke.

Gage released Natalie slowly and nodded. “Right. We need to get you in so they can look at these.” He lightly held her hands, taking a closer look at her red and swollen wrists, which had his gut clenching.

“I tried to get loose,” she said in a low voice, bowing her head a little. “But I couldn’t do it. They kept me locked up in a room in the basement the whole time. All I could see were rocks and a couple of trees.” She grew hoarse as she spoke, tears clogging her voice. “They threatened me, but they didn’t follow through.”

“You’re safe now. Shhhh. It’s okay.” He’d always been the one to fix things. He had her back, but he couldn’t change what happened to her. “Come on, let’s have you checked out. Do you want to ride with me or the deputy?”

She looked between them, as if torn. “I want to be with you,” she finally said.

“Okay. Come on, we’ll take you to the hospital in Otter Creek.” She was safe. He reminded himself of that as he helped her into the passenger seat of his car. As he removed and handed the radio buds to Trent, he said, “Tell the detective thanks. Tell everyone thanks for me. Are you following us to the hospital?”

“Yeah. I still have some questions for her when she’s a little calmer.”

“Thanks.”

Vince stood by Gage’s car door when he got back there. “I’m so glad she’s all right.”

Gage nodded. What did that mean, being “all right?” After something like that, were you ever really “all right” again? “Thanks for everything.”

“No problem. I think your woman is probably waiting at your place. You want me to take her back to work?”

“Jonquil. Right.” He’d forgotten she was stuck at his place. She’d taken his car home the previous night—the car he was currently driving. “Yeah, if you would. Tell her thanks for everything. When I get Natalie back to town I’ll call.”

“Okay. Glad this worked out. Call me if you need anything.”

“Thanks, man. I will.” Gage settled into the driver seat and started the car.

“What was that about Jonquil?” Natalie asked as they headed for the canyon road that lead to the closest hospital.

“Oh, we were,” making out while Mom lay dying on the floor? “together when the ransom call came through. She’s been really great to be there for me through all of this the past few days.”

“This is one of those DiCarlo girls you’re talking about, isn’t it? The youngest one?”

“Yeah.” His response came out a little defensive.

Her brow furrowed and she wrapped her arms around her stomach. “I thought you hated her.”

He thought about how great she had been the past few days. “I thought so too. Guess I was wrong.”

Natalie’s voice grew curious. “Are you two getting serious?”

“No, no, of course not. It’s been like, a week. Me get serious with someone? Not happening. Especially not her.” But a little voice in his mind asked
why not?

Natalie usually hated going to the doctor, so Gage knew she must be shaken up if she capitulated so easily to the deputy’s suggestion. Things were slow at the small-town hospital and they got in to a doctor quickly, but the only injuries Gage was aware of were to her wrists which had been chaffed by the ropes they’d been tied with. If there was more, she told the doctor privately while Gage was in the next room, filling out paperwork.

When they walked back out to his car after everything, Natalie looked around her nervously, as if afraid she would be abducted again.

“Don’t worry. You can come back to my place tonight,” he said. “I have that guest room. The housekeeper has been in to clean things up at mom’s place but there are still a few things that need to be done before you go back.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Natalie got into the car and stared out the front window, a pensive expression on her face. “I think maybe it would be better if I faced my demons and went home tonight.” She said hesitantly when he got in at the driver’s side.

“Don’t be stupid. Stay at my place,” Gage insisted. “I’m happy to have you stay with me for a few days. You’ve been through so much, and with mom gone…” He couldn’t finish the sentence. He still hadn’t come to terms with his mother’s death, too preoccupied with what had been happening with his sister.

She paused, then nodded. “Maybe you’re right. For a night or two, anyway.” She spoke slowly, though, sounding unsure if she really believed it.

“We’ll stop by the house to get a few of your things. I can grab them for you if you want.” He didn’t want to freak her out with bad memories.

She shook her head slowly. “No, I can get them. Really.” She bit her lip—something he hadn’t seen her do in years.

They walked into the house and the emptiness seemed to echo back to him. He went first to his mom’s room while Natalie waited in the hall, nervously. Gage was relieved to see that everything looked normal there. He didn’t see blood or disorder of any kind. They continued on to Natalie’s room, which had been even worse off than their mom’s. He relaxed when he walked in to find the doors securely locked, all of the things that had been strewn across the room were cleaned up and put away; the bottles and jars from her bathroom counter were back in place where they belonged. It smelled fresh and clean; bless the housekeeper.

She smiled at him. “This is okay, better than I expected.” She started digging into her closet for clothes. When she merged from the bathroom, her bags packed, she nodded. “Everything’s back to the way it should be. Thanks for everything, Gage.” She pulled him into a hug. “I knew you would take care of me. You always do.”

His guilt rose and grew—she’d counted on him and he’d fallen through. If he had really been there for her, she wouldn’t have been kidnapped in the first place. He didn’t say it though, instead smiling as if unworried. “I’m really glad you’re safe. You have no idea how worried I was that they would hurt or kill you.”

“Especially with Mom…” Natalie covered her mouth with her hand. “Sorry. I just can’t believe she’s gone. I can’t imagine life without her here. I know sometimes I got frustrated with her hypochondria, but I liked living with her or I would have moved out ages ago.”

And here Gage had thought she preferred living at home because she could spend the rent money on new jewelry instead. But he kept his mouth closed on that uncharitable thought. “I’m really glad you’re back safe. Let’s go to my place.”

“Thanks.” She set a hand on his arm. “You need to go home and sleep, You look totally wiped. It’s been a rough few days for both of us.”

“It has at that.” He grabbed one of the bags and led her out to his car. Even though it wasn’t four o’clock yet, sleep sounded like a really good idea.

As he drifted off twenty minutes after settling his sister in the spare room, he realized he hadn’t called Jonquil. He made a mental note to call her when he woke up in an hour.