Finding Her Son(49)

“But he did. I can’t trust him.”

“And you won’t stop until you find your son, will you?”

“No.”

Noah patted her leg. “Let me have your cell.”

“Why should I?”

“Because I’m one of the good guys.” Noah gave her a cocky grin so like Mitch’s it made her belly ache.

Hesitantly she dug into her pocket and handed him the device. He snagged a small tool from his back pocket and with a couple of twists opened the phone to reveal its guts. After a few deft movements, he closed the phone and returned it to her.

“I took out the GPS and put a handy little gadget in that will block your number, no matter who you call. Just to be safe.”

“Who are you?”

“Just your standard, ordinary computer jockey,” he said, flashing a charming smile.

“Right. Just like Mitch really cared about me.”

Noah’s smile vanished. “No, Emily. Mitch cares. A lot.” Noah rubbed his beard. “You pulled a gun on me back at my house. You know how to use a .40 Glock?”

“My private investigator taught me how to shoot. He thought I might need the training.” Poor Perry. He’d been right more often than Mitch or the police department had ever believed.

Noah opened up a small compartment over her head and handed her a large pistol and a clip. “It has a big kick, but it’ll stop most anything or anyone. If you’re going to try to investigate on your own, you’re going to need it. Just don’t use it to kill my brother. Even if he’s an idiot, I’m fond of him. Dad would be disappointed if I provided the weapon that sent Mitch to the pearly gates.”

Emily accepted the weapon. “Thank you.”

Noah sighed and looked over his shoulder. “I think he loves you,” he said and disappeared into the cockpit.

“No, I’m just a job,” she whispered. She had to remember that.

“Buckle up.” Noah’s voice filtered through the intercom system.

Emily snapped on her seat belt and leaned back, gripping the weapon in her lap. Mitch’s betrayal stung, but it didn’t change her mission. With Mitch untrustworthy, Perry gone and Marie dead, she had one more option that she’d forgotten about until just now. She would keep the appointment with the adoption attorney. It was a long shot, but it was all she had.

For the next four hours, Emily went over every scenario she could think of. Mitch had tried to talk to her several times. She shut him down. She needed help, but not his. Not again. She thought about asking Ian, but she couldn’t allow herself to use Mitch’s best friend. He was a single parent with a young child. That meant going back to William. Trying to convince him to help her find another PI, and to pay for it until the house sold. Not an easy task in this market. Even more so considering her house wasn’t safe with these people after her.

She didn’t have a place to stay, either. Or a car.

Noah announced their approach to Denver, and Emily braced herself to see Mitch again. After the plane eased to a stop, she unclipped her seat belt and stuffed the gun into her bag.

Mitch left the cockpit and faced her once more. “Please. Don’t go alone. Let me help.”

Noah unlatched the door and extended the stairs. A blast of arctic air blew into the plane, no more chilled than her heart. “I’m fine,” she said. “I know what to do.”

Emily went down the stairs and walked toward the small, private-airport terminal. Noah put a hand on Mitch’s shoulder, and he glanced up at his older brother.

“She’s something else,” Noah said quietly.

“Yeah. I screwed up big time. She doesn’t trust that I really would do just about anything for her.”

“Well, I helped you out.” Noah handed him a small unit with a map on the computer screen. A dot slowly moved away from them.

“What is it?”

“I fixed Emily’s phone for her. No GPS for the bad guys. No trapping her phone number. But you, little brother, can track her with this. Just don’t lose it.”

Mitch gave his brother a stunned stare. “You’re a hell of a sneak, if I haven’t told you that before.”

“You let my other interests get out, little brother, and I’ll change the code so you can’t borrow my Harley.”

Mitch sputtered.

“Yeah. I know about the Harley. But you found more than I’ll ever have, bro. You found someone real in a world of cheats and liars.”

“If she’ll only give me a chance to prove I’m not one.”

Noah slapped him on the back. “If she didn’t care, you wouldn’t have hurt her so much. Take heart in that. Heck, if you find her son, she’ll have to take you back.”

Noah took off, and Mitch let his brother’s words stew in his mind. He didn’t want Emily that way. Not out of some mistaken form of gratitude. He longed for her to want him in the same way he did her. Because he admired her, cared for her…loved her.

Oh, God. He’d fallen in love with her.

The recognition nearly made him sink to his knees. He’d blown it. He’d finally found someone whose loyalty and courage he could respect, whose passion lit a fire within him so hot it consumed his thoughts. And he’d driven her away.

He straightened his shoulders. His feelings didn’t matter. All he could focus on was Emily. He made his way to the truck, keeping close watch on her location. The dot had sped up significantly. He turned on his phone, then played through six messages. All but one was from Tanner, ordering him back to the office, threatening him with a suspension and finally to fire him. The last one came from Ian with the news about Marie.