I quickly shook my head. “No, but he'll be back soon,” I managed to croak.
Maple struggled in my arms, giggling. I put her down and she grabbed Grey's leg like a fireman's pole. He ruffled her golden hair. “That's okay. I wasn't planning on hanging around.”
He followed me downstairs and helped me throw all of our meager belongings into a trash bag. As we finished, I turned to see him holding Maple in the crook of one muscled arm. Something about seeing him like that—a strong protector carrying my baby—cracked my heart wide open. All the stress and fear of the past three days finally hit me. I buried my face in my hands and started sobbing. I didn't need to stay stoic anymore. If only for a moment, I could let go. I could let my tears wash me clean.
Firm warmth closed all around me. Grey's other arm, with Maple pressed between us. “What's wrong?” he asked. His voice rumbled beneath my cheek. “Are you hurt?”
Swallowing hard, I gave him a weak smile. “It's okay,” I said, and meant it this time.
Grey may not have understood why I was crying, but he kept on holding me. Maple did her part by reaching up to pet my chin.
A minute later I stepped back, sniffed loudly, and said, “Let's hurry.”
He nodded and started back upstairs, still carrying Maple. I followed with the trash bag.
Once we were all safely in the car, Grey pulled out his phone and dialed a number I didn't recognize. “Mr. Barton,” he said, with no preliminaries. “I've secured the hostages. The target should arrive within the hour. I'd like to have a little party waiting for him when he gets back...arrest him for kidnapping and assault.”
Grey paused for a moment to listen, then turned to me and asked me in an undertone, “Was he armed?”
I nodded. “He kept a pistol tucked into his waistband.”
“Tell the state troopers he's armed and dangerous,” Grey said. Then he hung up and gunned the engine. With a spray of gravel, we started bumping down the mountainside, heading on our long way home.
Chapter Thirteen
Greyson
With hot blood still raging through my veins, it took everything I had just to keep driving east. I wanted to go back there and wait for Brant to return. To make him feel the same agony I’d felt for the last three days searching for Finley and Maple—let alone the pain and fear he'd put them through. But getting them home as soon as possible was more important than revenge. Knowing they were both safe, and next to me, I kept driving, putting as much distance as possible between them and danger’s path.
Finley sobbed quietly in the passenger's seat, her hands shaking in her lap, while Maple napped behind us in her car seat, unaware of everything that had gone on. Or maybe, somehow her little mind had absorbed some of it and the stress had exhausted her.
I curled my fists around the steering wheel and settled in. We had a long drive ahead of us and there was no way in hell I was ready to take Finley back to her apartment. Honestly, I had no intention of letting her out of my sight again, but I didn’t know how she was going to take that. So I just drove.
A couple hours later, Maple was restless and we were all hungry. I navigated to an acceptably nice hotel off the interstate and pulled the SUV to a stop.
“What are we doing here?” Finley asked. There was smudged makeup under her eyes and she looked exhausted. I couldn’t even imagine what she had been through. We would get to that, but first I needed them settled.
“We’ll rest. Let Maple run around and play. Order room service. Come on.” I turned off the car and got out.
Finley gave a soft sigh, but didn’t argue. We checked into a room with two double beds and requested a crib be brought up. I ordered a feast from room service while Finley changed Maple's diaper and unpacked what little luggage she had.
“Are we really staying the night here? We’re only a few hours from home,” she asked after I hung up the phone.
“It’s the safest thing to do for now. Brant knows where you live.” Obviously. “Until I hear that he’s in custody, I can’t have you going back to your apartment and have him try to come after you again.”
I checked my phone again. No word from Jerry yet. The idea of that guy being hauled off in handcuffs—preferably with a little police brutality—was the only thing that could ease my mind right now. Until I knew for sure, we’d lay low.
“Once we eat, we’ll find a store and pick up some supplies.”
We’d gotten out of there so fast, all they had were the clothes on their backs and a few meager articles thrown in a trash bag.
Finley sunk down onto the bed and nodded. “I just feel like an epic failure. I put my daughter in jeopardy. Probably scarred her for life.”
“Don’t say that. She’s fine. Look at her.”
Maple was toddling around the room while babbling into the TV remote, pretending it was a phone.