How had a woman who’d been nothing more than an unattainably attractive acquaintance become one of the most important people in his life in a few short days?
Maybe he’d been half in love with her from the start. Or at least the idea of her. He’d been drawn to her brightnessand beauty and intelligence, without understanding that she was so much more beneath the dazzle. She was loyal and compassionate and good with people. She was fierce and adaptable and kept her cool under stress. He’d been drawn to her without understanding that, despite his misgivings, she was the puzzle piece that completed his heart.
Had his dad been right? Could he find a way to have bothEvanandTara in his life? Assuming he came out of this with a life at all.Fuck. He shouldn’t have wasted a minute with her. He should have taken the chance, told her he loved her, and asked her to be part of his and Evan’s lives.
He would not fail to do it again. Not if he got another chance.
Now he had to figure out how to make it happen.
The man next to him was the key. Tank’s knee bouncedbeneath the steering wheel as he toyed with his cell phone.
“I’m guessing you don’t have kids,” Jeff said.
Tank scoffed. “What makes you say that?”
“I just figured if you had children of your own you wouldn’t be so willing to threaten mine.” As if that had ever stopped someone from being a monster.
The big man shifted in his seat, but didn’t take his eyes off his phone.
Jeff cataloguedeverything about the man from his slightly receding brown hair and pale blue eyes to the combat boots on his massive feet. He was several inches taller than Jeff and well north of two-fifty, mostly muscle. He’d probably been a lineman for his high school football team, but he must not have gone on to college ball, or why would he be playing enforcer ten years later?
“My son is four,” Jeff said.Somewhere he’d read that if you humanized yourself to your captors you had a better chance of survival. It probably depended greatly on the abductor’s motivations and constitution, but what the hell else did he have to do right now except wait? “He was recently taken hostage and injured by the same man who murdered his mother. That’s why he’s in the hospital.”
Tank didn’t say anything, but hisgaze shifted out the window.
“It’s been a tough week—hell, a tough year—but he’s still the sweetest kid you ever met. He loves Spider-Man, and wants a puppy, and has the biggest, best smile. He’s still learning to chew with his mouth closed, and he can pack away food like you wouldn’t believe.” Jeff’s breath turned to clay in his throat.Oh, God. He didn’t want to leave Evan alone. “It’s goingto kill him if I don’t come back—”
“Shut the fuck up.” Tank’s gaze knifed him. “I don’t give a shit about you or your brat. You can cry and blubber like a sissy all damn day if you want, but it won’t make a difference. None of it changes what’s going to happen.”
Jeff glared until Tank returned his attention to his phone.
“Besides,” the behemoth murmured. “I’m not going to kill you.”
Thatdidn’t make sense. If they’d kidnapped Tara, they didn’t need Jeff as bait.
“Your fine-ass girlfriend’s going to do it for me.”
