Behind the Lies (Montgomery Justice #2)(78)

Seth peeked in. “Do you have a minute?”

“Yeah, get in here,” Zach said. “We’re going over the mission.”

Seth and Luke entered, then hesitated just inside the door.

Zach frowned at them. “Something’s wrong?”

“What happened?” Jenna rose.

Luke clutched his phone. “Was Agent Fallon your contact at the FBI?”

She bit her lip and nodded.

“I’m sorry. I just received a newsflash. Fallon and his partner,” Luke looked down at the screen on his cell, “an Agent Johansson, were killed in a car accident on I-10 earlier today. No witnesses. Their car was found off the side of the road. It burst into flames.”

Jenna went numb, and slowly sat again. “It’s Brad.” She closed her eyes. “Even halfway across the country, he can kill someone if he wants to badly enough.”

Luke laid his phone on the table and placed his hands on the wood tabletop. “That doesn’t mean he can’t be stopped.”

She kneaded the back of her neck. “How? He destroys everything he touches.”

Zach knelt between her knees. “Don’t give up, Jenna. You haven’t let him knock you down yet. Don’t do it now.”

“What’s the point? The evidence is in California. He’ll be calling soon. He’s smart, Zach. He’ll find me wherever I run. Sam will never be safe.”

“We’ll stop him. Besides, there are always ways. I’ll get Ace to fly us to La Jolla and we’ll get the evidence. We can turn the rest over to the authorities and be back here in a few hours.”

“What about Sam?”

“Seth and Luke can guard him. They’ll protect him with their lives.”

The two men nodded their agreement, but foreboding settled in Jenna’s gut. Every time she let herself hope, the world came crashing down on her.

Sam’s scream sounded from inside the bedroom. Jenna ran down the hall and slammed open the door. Sam was sitting up in bed, tears streaming down his face.

“Daddy!” he moaned, his eyes still closed

Jenna sat next to him and pulled him into her arms.

“Daddy, don’t hurt her,” Sam shouted, kicking and striking her blindly. Her heart hurt with each pound of his small fists on her arms and chest.

Zach leaned over Sam and clutched his shoulders. “Wake up, Sam. It’s OK, buddy. We’ve got you.”

“Zach?” Sam pushed away from Jenna and launched himself at Zach.

He tugged Sam into his arms. “You’re safe. I’ve got you.”

The little boy looked at the man holding him and immediately quieted.

Zach rocked him closely, each movement breaking Jenna’s heart. Gently, she pushed the hair away from her son’s tear-streaked face.

She had to end this. For Sam. She had to erase Brad from their lives or Sam would never heal. She headed for the kitchen where Luke and Seth huddled in a private conversation. Jenna scanned the table. There, Luke’s phone in plain sight.

At the edge lay a folder labeled with her name. She grabbed it and slipped the phone under the manila file to hide her actions. With a deep breath she returned to Sam’s room, staring at her terrified son, her heart aching.

“Jenna,” Zach whispered, cradling Sam in his arms. “Where are you going?”

“He wants you right now, and I need to take a shower,” she lied. “I…I need some time alone.”

“Jenna, Sam didn’t mean to hurt you. He just needs to be held right now.”

“I know, and thank you.” She smiled sadly at Zach and her baby. “As his mother, I know exactly what he needs.”

“Have I overstepped?” Zach asked.

“No,” Jenna said. “I just need a few minutes on my own. Please.”

Zach nodded, his expression brooding while she walked to the bathroom, closed the door, and turned on the shower. She cradled Luke’s phone in her hands, held her breath, and thumbed through recent calls. When she recognized the California area code she hit redial.

“That was fast, Montgomery.”

The sound of her husband’s voice made Jenna shake.

“I accept your offer, Brad,” Jenna said. “I’ll bring your evidence tonight. Where and when do you want to meet?”

Brad chuckled. “I knew you’d come through, Jenna. Don’t try to double-cross me or else I’ll take you down with me.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” She clutched the phone and sent up a heartfelt prayer that her plan wouldn’t fail. “If you give up Sam, Brad, you can have whatever you want.”

She folded her fist at the second knuckle and tensed her hand. To protect her son, she would do anything.





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Chapter Fifteen




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HOT WATER DOUSED Jenna in the small, utilitarian bathroom. The sheets of heat pounded into her, but she didn’t linger. She couldn’t afford to. Swirling steam cleared her head when she breathed in. She couldn’t believe she’d agreed to meet Brad. She had no more chance of giving him the evidence in the next hour than she had of flying to the moon.

She slammed down the shower handle, grabbed a towel, and quickly dressed. She peered into the hallway, then skirted into the bedroom. She tossed the phone onto the bed and stared at the device. What had she done? Her legs trembled beneath her. The room felt colder than she remembered. Maybe it was the shower—or the thought of seeing Brad chilled her soul.