your father into custody, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t others out there who might be watching Claudia.”
Sean’s hand closed around my shoulder, pulling me further back into the house. “Well if that’s the case, then Claudia isn’t going either.”
I shot him an exasperated look. “We’ve been over this, Sean. Sharon and the other agents will be with me the whole time. No one will be able to touch me. But people can’t know that you’re free.”
“She’s right,” Sharon backed me up. “I promise we’ll keep her safe, Sean.”
I fully turned to Sean, giving him a pleading look. “Please stay here, Sean. I’ll only be gone a few hours.”
He glared at me for a long moment. “I know that I can’t stop you,” he said finally. He still looked angry though. I squeezed his hand and kissed him lightly on the lips.
“Bye,” I whispered.
Then I turned from him quickly, unwilling to see his disapproval. I heard the door slam shut behind me as I followed Sharon to her car, and I winced. I was going to be in so much trouble when I came home.
I smiled at Tommy as his small leg jerked when I tapped the reflex hammer beneath his knee. “That’s perfect,” I told him warmly. The day had flown by, and it was already late afternoon. I almost didn’t want to go home; I had forgotten how much I loved my job. But now I had a reason to be eager to return to my house: Sean. My smile broadened at the thought of seeing him at the end of the day. And at the potential prospect of seeing him at the end of every day for the rest of my life. I was determined to ask him some very serious questions when I saw him in a few hours.
My happiness was slightly marred by the information that I had received around mid-morning. Sharon had come back to my office to tell me that Ronan and Bradley hadn’t been at work. The FBI and NYPD were combining manpower to scour the city for them. Sharon assured me that they would soon find them, but she urged me to return home. I had refused. I was just as safe in the clinic with FBI agents outside as I was at my house with FBI agents outside, I reasoned. No way was I going to spend any more time in hiding. If they still hadn’t found Ronan and Bradley by tomorrow, then I would stay home. But for now, I was determined to finish out the work day.
I was listening to the steady beat of Tommy’s heart when I was distracted by a knock on the door.
“I have a package for Dr. Ellers,” a muffled voice drifted through the thick wood.
I moved to open the door. “You can just take it to the front de-”
The words died in my throat as I recognized the man in the chocolate brown UPS uniform. Bradley was holding a cardboard box in one hand, and his other rested at his hip, emphasizing the familiar bulge of the gun tucked into his waistband. When he spoke, he lowered his voice so that his words wouldn’t carry down the hall.
“If you come with me quietly, no one will get hurt.” He looked at Tommy significantly, and fear shot through my gut. Surely even Bradley wouldn’t hurt an innocent child. I glanced over at my purse where I had stashed my gun. Could I get to it fast enough?
“You have three seconds, doc,” Bradley threatened, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “One,” he began to count.
“Wait!” I choked out, my voice high and thin. “I’ll come with you. Just… Please. Don’t hurt him.”
I raised my chin and stepped out into the hallway, heading for the lobby. The FBI was waiting outside. I wasn’t sure how Bradley had gotten past them, but they would be on him as soon as we walked out the front door. He caught me by the elbow, redirecting me. My heart sank. We were going out the back.
My pulse was racing and my hands were trembling. I struggled to formulate a plan as I walked down the long hallway as though heading for the gallows. I just needed to get outside, to
Sean’s hand closed around my shoulder, pulling me further back into the house. “Well if that’s the case, then Claudia isn’t going either.”
I shot him an exasperated look. “We’ve been over this, Sean. Sharon and the other agents will be with me the whole time. No one will be able to touch me. But people can’t know that you’re free.”
“She’s right,” Sharon backed me up. “I promise we’ll keep her safe, Sean.”
I fully turned to Sean, giving him a pleading look. “Please stay here, Sean. I’ll only be gone a few hours.”
He glared at me for a long moment. “I know that I can’t stop you,” he said finally. He still looked angry though. I squeezed his hand and kissed him lightly on the lips.
“Bye,” I whispered.
Then I turned from him quickly, unwilling to see his disapproval. I heard the door slam shut behind me as I followed Sharon to her car, and I winced. I was going to be in so much trouble when I came home.
I smiled at Tommy as his small leg jerked when I tapped the reflex hammer beneath his knee. “That’s perfect,” I told him warmly. The day had flown by, and it was already late afternoon. I almost didn’t want to go home; I had forgotten how much I loved my job. But now I had a reason to be eager to return to my house: Sean. My smile broadened at the thought of seeing him at the end of the day. And at the potential prospect of seeing him at the end of every day for the rest of my life. I was determined to ask him some very serious questions when I saw him in a few hours.
My happiness was slightly marred by the information that I had received around mid-morning. Sharon had come back to my office to tell me that Ronan and Bradley hadn’t been at work. The FBI and NYPD were combining manpower to scour the city for them. Sharon assured me that they would soon find them, but she urged me to return home. I had refused. I was just as safe in the clinic with FBI agents outside as I was at my house with FBI agents outside, I reasoned. No way was I going to spend any more time in hiding. If they still hadn’t found Ronan and Bradley by tomorrow, then I would stay home. But for now, I was determined to finish out the work day.
I was listening to the steady beat of Tommy’s heart when I was distracted by a knock on the door.
“I have a package for Dr. Ellers,” a muffled voice drifted through the thick wood.
I moved to open the door. “You can just take it to the front de-”
The words died in my throat as I recognized the man in the chocolate brown UPS uniform. Bradley was holding a cardboard box in one hand, and his other rested at his hip, emphasizing the familiar bulge of the gun tucked into his waistband. When he spoke, he lowered his voice so that his words wouldn’t carry down the hall.
“If you come with me quietly, no one will get hurt.” He looked at Tommy significantly, and fear shot through my gut. Surely even Bradley wouldn’t hurt an innocent child. I glanced over at my purse where I had stashed my gun. Could I get to it fast enough?
“You have three seconds, doc,” Bradley threatened, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “One,” he began to count.
“Wait!” I choked out, my voice high and thin. “I’ll come with you. Just… Please. Don’t hurt him.”
I raised my chin and stepped out into the hallway, heading for the lobby. The FBI was waiting outside. I wasn’t sure how Bradley had gotten past them, but they would be on him as soon as we walked out the front door. He caught me by the elbow, redirecting me. My heart sank. We were going out the back.
My pulse was racing and my hands were trembling. I struggled to formulate a plan as I walked down the long hallway as though heading for the gallows. I just needed to get outside, to
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