Ransom by Terri Reed Page B

flakes could cover the harsh reality that faced them.
    Liz’s question about what he’d do if it were his sister who had been kidnapped struck deep. There was no way for Liz to know he hadn’t seen his little sister in nearly a decade. They’d been torn apart when their parents divorced. She’d gone with their mother, while he’d stayed with his father.
    He’d only seen his sister, Emily, a handful of times after that, and now as an adult she lived in Australia with her husband and two kids. She’d left the United States on her eighteenth birthday and never looked back. Christmas cards and pictures were the only communication Blake had with Emily and her family.
    However, Liz was right. If Emily were in danger, if she’d been kidnapped and held for ransom, he’d move mountains and whatever other obstacles stood in his way to rescue her. But he was an officer of the law, not a civilian.
    He understood Liz’s need to stay close by. How could he deny her that much at least? He couldn’t. He’d just have to find a way to keep his focus on capturing Santini. He couldn’t let Liz distract him from that goal, but he could allow her to remain in town.
    A Canadian border patrol officer ran over. “Is there a problem here?”
    With a sigh, Blake showed the man his badge. “No problem.”
    â€œYou can’t leave your vehicle in the middle of the lane,” the officer said. “We’ve got to keep the cars moving before the snow makes driving impossible.”
    â€œWe were just leaving,” Blake replied. He held out his hand to Liz. “We’re heading back into Niagara.”
    Her eyes lit up, and she put her hand in his. Her skin was as cold as ice. He tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and hustled her back to the sedan. Once he had her safely inside, he climbed in and turned the heat on full blast. He made a U-turn and headed back into the city.
    â€œThank you,” she said in a soft voice.
    His heart contracted, showing him just how much she did affect him. Her courage and determination were worthy of his respect and admiration. Her vulnerability, that she tried so hard to hide, endeared her to him in a way he’d never experienced before and wasn’t sure he liked. She made him feel emotions that he’d rather not deal with. “You have to keep your promise that you’ll stay out of the way and do as I ask.”
    When she didn’t respond, he glanced over to see her biting on her lower lip. A moment of misgiving tore at him. “Liz. Promise me.”
    She faced him and nodded. “I’ll do my best to keep my promise.”
    Not exactly what he’d wanted but it was probably the best he’d get. He groaned and prayed he didn’t live to regret this decision. Wind buffeted the sedan, rattling the windows. The storm was in full swing. He had to concentrate on the road. The painted lines had disappeared beneath inches of snowfall. The going was slow and arduous.
    His cell phone rang. He answered, putting it on speaker so he could keep his hands on the steering wheel. “Fallon.”
    â€œWhere are you?” Drew asked.
    â€œHeading back to the condo with Liz. I have you on speakerphone.”
    â€œAh. We’re headed back, too. But we’re in a horrible traffic jam.”
    â€œIt’s not much better where we are,” he said, braking to avoid hitting the bumper of the minivan ahead of him when the van stopped abruptly.
    â€œWe were able to get an address where Santini called Travis from,” Drew said. “He’s holed up in a house on the outskirts of town. At least he was when he made the call.”
    â€œGood.” Blake looked at Liz. He could see the worry on her pretty face. “Then hopefully that means Jillian is someplace warm and dry.”
    â€œYes. We were headed there, but we had to turn back because of road closures.”
    â€œIt’s doubtful