His Witness, Her Child by Ann Voss Peterson

Author:Ann Voss Peterson
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Suspense
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2012-11-22T06:00:00+00:00

As calmly as she could manage, she lifted Amanda in her arms and walked into the kitchen.

When Dillon spotted her, his eyes grew wide. “What happened?”

“Someone’s outside. On the edge of the woods.”

Cursing under his breath, he strode past her, parted the blind slats as she had, and looked out. “Damn.”

That single word chilled Jacqueline to the bone. “Is it Swain?”

“I don’t know for sure. But I can’t imagine who else it could be.” He let the blind fall back into place. The sharp planes of his face were hard, stark. His black brows slanted low over his eyes. “He’s probably waiting for me to usher you out to the car.”

Dread sank into Jacqueline like sharp teeth into helpless prey. Amanda tensed in her arms. “What are we going to do?”

“Let him wait. Come on.” After grabbing his briefcase from the desktop, Dillon spun and strode into the dark bedroom with Jacqueline and Amanda on his heels. He crossed to the double hung window that looked out on the backyard. He pulled up the blind, unlocked the latch and slid the sash and storm window open.

Cold air rushed into the room, slapping Jacqueline’s heated cheeks and clearing her mind.

Dillon tossed his briefcase out the window and turned to Jacqueline. “The Meinholz farm isn’t but a couple of miles through the forest. By the time Swain figures out we’re no longer in the house, we’ll be long gone. If everything works out.”

Please God, let everything work out.

Dillon climbed out the window and reached back through. The moon’s glow illuminated the planes of his face. Despite the tension evident in the lines around his eyes and mouth, he gave Amanda a smile and a wink. “Come on, darlin’. I’ll bet you never left the house through a window before.”

Drawing a deep breath, Jacqueline placed her baby in his arms. Amanda wrapped one arm around his neck and clung.

“Now I have to help your mommy, darlin’.” He pried her arm loose and set her in the snow next to him.

Amanda looked up at Jacqueline. Trembling visibly, she bit her bottom lip and folded both arms around Dorsey.

Jacqueline lowered herself out the window. Dillon’s hands closed around her waist, so strong, so steady. He guided her to the snowdrift below.

The outside air was cold, deathly still, and spiked with the scent of burning wood. A dog barked in the distance, the sound brittle in the cold air.

Dillon lifted Amanda back into his arms. Locking her hands around his neck, she encompassed her stuffed pony in the hug and buried her face in his shoulder.

With a tilt of his head Dillon motioned Jacqueline to follow. He spun and strode off through the snow.

Jacqueline grabbed the briefcase from the snow and followed, struggling to keep up with his rolling stride. Snow crunched under her boots, the sound loud as firecrackers in the still night.

Please, God, don’t let Swain hear.

They ran across the backyard and plunged into the forest. Moonlight filtered through the naked branches, puddling in pools on the snow.

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