There's Only Been You (26 page)

"Mike, you promised to tell me why you were following Garrett and Ethan tonight,” she reminded him.

"Tomorrow, sweetheart. I'll explain everything tomorrow."

She wasn't pleased, but decided to let it go—for now.

"Fine. But Mike, I won't be put off any longer than that,” she warned.

Mike gave her one last kiss. “Tomorrow, I promise."

Mike drove down Thomas’ block, but came in from the opposite side this time and parked three buildings down. The Big Bird truck sat in its usual spot, and Thomas’ apartment was lit up, so Mike dug his binoculars out of his glove compartment and trained them up at his window.

From this angle, he couldn't see much at first. Then Thomas stalked past with a phone glued to his ear, shouting at whatever poor soul was on the other end of the line.

Mike set the binoculars down and climbed out of his truck. He'd take a quick walk past Thomas’ truck and peek inside. It was a long shot, but he desperately needed to find something, anything, that could shed light on the reason Thomas had targeted Garrett.

He approached the truck, clicked on his penlight and peered inside. He ran the thin beam of light around the interior of the truck, disappointed to find nothing more than the usual—papers and receipts strewn across the floor, a couple of candy bar wrappers, a pile of loose change in the unused ashtray, some fast food wrappers and paper cups ... he stopped the light on a cup sitting in the cup holder on the passenger's side of the truck. Now why did that cup make his hackles rise? He ran the beam of light across the name stamped across it. Perelli's.
Bingo
.

Thomas must have been there at the same time and seen him and Sara together. Mike considered that for a moment. So what if he'd seen them together? That was reason enough to be pissed off, sure. But cold-blooded murder? No way. There had to be something else.

Could Jimmy have been with Thomas at Perelli's and identified Mike as the guy who'd busted his nose? A bandaged nose is surely something a person would ask about. And if Thomas had any instincts at all, he would've questioned Jimmy about the connection between himself, Sara and Mike. Then he would've run Mike's plates and discovered he's a cop.

Mike clicked off the penlight and headed back to his truck. Thomas must have suspected Garrett was on to him. From there, it wouldn't have been much of a stretch to assume Mike had been aiding him in the investigation. Hell, he may even suspect Sara had been in on it. Christ, the thought of that bastard going after her was enough to freeze the blood in Mike's veins. Thomas had no way of knowing Garrett would never use his beloved sister in such a way.

Thomas also must have suspected Mike had been tailing him all week. The fact that Mike had confronted Jimmy only minutes after his meeting with Thomas would've been a pretty obvious clue. Christ, Mike thought as a chill ran through him, what if Thomas had counted on Mike following him to that dive tonight? Maybe Garrett hadn't been the only target after all. And Ethan could've very well been caught in the crossfire.

Mike blew out a frustrated breath as he climbed back into his truck. He glanced up just in time to watch the light go out in Thomas’ apartment, and he seriously doubted Thomas was heading to bed. The scumbag's only possible chance of weaseling out of an attempted murder charge would be to silence Jimmy. Tonight. Mike put the truck in gear and headed for the hospital.

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Sara padded into the kitchen and put a cup of water into the microwave for tea. After tossing and turning for more than an hour, she knew sleep would be impossible. She glanced up at the clock—nearly one a.m.

Sitting at the kitchen table with the steaming mug cupped between her hands, her thoughts went back to the exact moment Uncle Luke told her Garrett had been shot. And since she'd been in complete shock, it hadn't registered at first that Garrett had taken Ethan along with him. When it did, the sheer horror that had numbed her body was something she hoped to God she'd never have to feel again. But Uncle Luke had quickly explained that Ethan was fine, and Garrett's injury wasn't life-threatening.

Sara sipped her tea and wondered where Mike was at that moment. Out following a lead? At the hospital questioning the man who'd shot Garrett? Or was he at home alone in that great big bed?

She ached for the comfort of his arms around her. She also wanted to make sure he was all right. The look on his face earlier as he'd gazed at Ethan's picture had been a cross between helplessness and fury.

She heard the clip of footsteps on the front porch seconds before a soft rap sounded on the door. For a split second, she feared it might be the shooter come to finish Garrett off. Then her common sense returned—the shooter certainly wouldn't knock on the door, she thought with a mental eye roll. Not to mention he was lying in a hospital bed with a bullet hole in his chest.

Sara peeked through the window and breathed a deep sigh of relief.
Mike
. She unlocked the door and let him inside.

"Sorry if I startled you. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep until I'd checked on you and Ethan.” He opened his arms and Sara flew into them, snuggling against his chest.

"I'm glad you came back,” she admitted.

"I couldn't stay away. We've been apart for so long I hate to spend even another minute without you.” He kissed the top of her head.

Sara lifted her head and met his gaze. “Then stay with me tonight. Danny's sleeping over at his girlfriend's, a nuclear bomb wouldn't wake Garrett up, and Uncle Luke, Nicky and Ethan all sleep like the dead."

Mike leaned down and slanted his lips across hers. When she groaned, he pulled back and said, “You have no idea how tempting that is. But out of respect to your brothers and uncle, I have to say no."

She failed to hide a slight pout. Mike chuckled and ran the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip. “If you'd just agree to marry me, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. We'd be in our own bed and—"

"What did you say?"

"I said, we'd already be in our own bed—"

"No, before that."

Mike had to think for a moment, and Sara grew slightly annoyed. “How can you forget something you just said?"

"Sweetheart, I said the same thing I said to you yesterday. If you would just agree to marry me—"

"No, you asked me to move in with you,” she clarified, “not marry you. I think I would've remembered something that important."

He stared down at her as if she'd just spoken gibberish. “But you knew what I meant. Of course I want to marry you. I love you."

Sara felt as if her heart would burst from pure happiness. A tear slipped from the corner of her eye.

"Sara...? Honey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry."

She shook her head and reached up to swipe at her eyes. “I'm crying because I'm happy. Don't you remember? Ethan explained it to you."

A small grin lifted the corners of his mouth. “Actually, he said girls cry over stupid things, but I don't think being happy falls into that category."

"Are you sure?"

Mike curled his big hand around the back of her neck and caressed the flesh beneath her ear. “Am I sure I want to marry you? Sweetheart, I've never been more sure about anything."

He leaned down for another kiss, and Sara wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back with such fervor Mike started inching up her nightgown right there in the middle of the living room. He backed her up until her calves hit the couch, and the two of them tumbled backwards, laughing.

"Ahem."

Sara swung around as Uncle Luke stepped into the room.

"I'm really sorry to interrupt, but I thought I heard Ethan cry out in his sleep. I saw the light on in the kitchen and ... well, I had no idea Mike was here."

Face burning, she climbed off Mike's lap with as much dignity as possible. “Thanks, Uncle Luke. I can't believe I didn't hear him.” She hurried off to check on Ethan.

Sara opened his bedroom door and stepped inside. “Ethan, sweetie, are you awake?"

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she realized with a start that his bed was empty. She flipped on the lamp. “Ethan, this isn't funny. Not after the night we've had.” Still no answer. She got down on her knees and checked under the bed. It'd been quite awhile since he'd hid from her like that, but she had to look. Empty. She swallowed hard and placed a shaking hand to her chest.

Then she heard the toilet flush and her breath whooshed out in relief.

Good Lord, she'd almost worried herself into a full-blown panic. The door creaked and she looked up to see Nicky enter the room.

"I saw the light on,” he said. “Figured I'd come check on him."

She smiled her appreciation. “Uncle Luke heard him cry out. I think he may have been having a nightmare, so as soon as he returns from the bathroom, I'll lay with him till he falls back asleep."

Nicky reached up and scratched the back of his head. “Ethan's not in the bathroom. I just came from there."

"Christ, I feel like a teenager right now,” Mike admitted, hands on hips. “Please tell me my face isn't as red as it feels."

"Maybe just a little,” Luke said, grinning. “But don't worry, boy, I won't be chasing you out of the house with a shotgun, if that's what you're worried—"

"Mike! Mike! Oh my God, this can't be happening! Mike! Oh, God, please!"

Sara's hysterical shrieking sent a chill up Mike's spine. He took off like a shot and raced into Ethan's bedroom. “What the hell—?"

"He's gone! Mike, I looked everywhere, but he's not here! He's not here!” Sara was frantically combing the room on her hands and knees. Mike grabbed her by the upper arms and hauled her to her feet.

"Sara, calm down. Take a deep breath."

Garrett burst into the room clutching his side, his face pinched and drawn with pain. “What the hell's going on in here?” he demanded to know looking wildly around. “Where's Ethan? Sara, where the hell is Ethan?"

"He's not in the kitchen,” Nicky announced as he came up behind Garrett.

Sara was sobbing uncontrollably in Mike's arms. He sat her on the end of the bed, then turned to the others. “Garrett, stay here with Sara. Nicky, Luke, we're going to search this house from top to bottom. Probably Ethan just went downstairs to play video games and fell asleep on the couch."

Garrett gave a curt nod. He wrapped his good arm around Sara as Mike, Nicky, and Luke all raced from the room.

The three of them finished searching at almost the exact same time and filed back into Ethan's room. Sara jumped up from the bed and ran to Mike, her eyes imploring him to tell her Ethan was safe and sound downstairs, just as he'd said.

He grasped her shoulders to steady her, then said to Garrett, “We need to issue an Amber Alert."

Sara's knees gave out, and she would have fallen to the floor if Mike hadn't been holding her up. “No, please, not my baby! Oh my God, this can't be happening!” She started sobbing again, and Mike bent down and swung her into his arms. His own eyes were burning, but he had to stay calm. For Ethan's sake as well as Sara's.

Mike carried her into her own room and sat on the edge of the bed with her cradled in his arms. “Sweetheart, I have to go. The sooner we get out there, the sooner we'll find him. But I can't be worrying about you, too. I want you to promise me you'll stay put until you hear from me. Do you promise?"

Sara took a deep, shuddering breath, then reached up to swipe the tears from her eyes. “No. I'm going with you. And you obviously know who took him, so tell me right now, who has my son?"

"Sara—"

"Dammit, Mike, I deserve to know."

Mike blew out a heavy breath. “Jason Thomas. And he's dangerous, Sara. I want you to stay here where I know you'll be—"

Her face screwed up in surprise. “Jason? But why?"

"Sara, I don't have time to explain right now. Please, just stay here and I'll call—"

"I'm not going to just curl up into a ball and do nothing. My son needs me. I'm going with you.” She jumped up from the bed, yanked on a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and slipped into a pair of sandals in record time. “Let's go,” she said as she swept past him.

While he understood her need to come along, to help find and rescue their son, all Mike could think about was protecting her from what Thomas might do—or may have already done—to their little boy.

Nicky, Luke, and Garrett all waited for them by the front door, dressed and ready to go.

With his hand resting on the pistol he'd stuck in the waistband of his jeans, Garrett looked ready to commit murder. “That bastard better pray to God I don't find him first."

Sara gasped and Mike wrapped his arm around her. “I don't give a damn what you do with him once Ethan's safe and sound, got me?"

"Don't worry. I'd never do anything to endanger Ethan's life. Let's go."

"Son, I'm driving and I don't want any arguments,” Luke said as he grabbed Garrett's keys out of his hand.

"Sara and I'll head to his apartment first. I doubt he's that stupid, but it has to be checked out. Nicky, run past T&R's Place, but be careful since you're not armed, and we already know the son of a bitch isn't above murder. If you spot his truck, call us on our cells."

They quickly swapped cell phone numbers, jumped into their respective vehicles, and sped off in different directions.

Mike and Sara raced over to Jason's apartment, but just as Mike had figured, his truck was nowhere to be found.

Mike handed Sara his cell phone. “I'll be right back. Holler out the window if one of them calls."

He ran up the walkway and pressed every doorbell there until someone buzzed him in. He yanked the door open and raced up the stairs, stopping cold when he saw the door to Jason's apartment stood wide open. He ran inside and did a quick sweep of the place. Empty. Jason had no intention of returning, and that was a fact.

Mike's heart hammered in his chest, but he had to keep his fear in check. Ethan needed him, and there was no way in hell he was going to lose the son he'd only just found.

He flew down the stairs and raced back to his truck. “He's gone,” he said in response to Sara questioning gaze. He hated the desolate look in her eyes and silently swore the bastard would pay dearly for causing her such torment.