Between Faith and Fear Read online

  Damn. She’d felt him.

  Leaving the infant behind, Melanie turned to the same old beater car she’d had when they were together and slid behind the wheel. If he remembered right, that ignition would turn over three sluggish times before… Yep. Just like he remembered. Everything was just as he remembered; only now there were two new players in her life: a husband and baby girl.

  A slight pressure bore down on the tip of his toes. “Soon, Chewie,” he whispered, slowly returning the thick branch of leaves to its natural position. The anxious Shepherd mix beside him stood on all fours and brushed soft midnight fur against his knees. “We’ll get her soon.”

  And then what? Electric heat arced down to impact with his groin. For some reason, his pecker wasn’t on the same page as his head, but he must not lose focus. Lives hung in the balance. Everything depended on his ability to pull off this particular heist.

  With bolstered fortitude, he touched his leg thus giving his partner-in-crime the signal to proceed.

  * * *

  Her foot pressed the gas pedal. The engine raced, but the wheels of her 1993 Honda continued to roll backward.

  “Dammit.” Melanie mashed the brake and struggled with the gearshift until something beneath her jerked. “Thank you, baby,” she mumbled as the car began to move forward. It was with high hopes that her poor excuse for transportation would get her through one more week before taking its dying breath. That new four-door Audi was just one paycheck away, then all those hours spent marketing, taking field trips to the park, serving lunch, and keeping records will have finally paid off.... not that she didn’t like her job.

  Okay, she loved her job just as much as Mac did. But, truth be told, he was the reason for their daycare’s success. It gave single moms — and a few married ones — an excuse to see him every weekday when they dropped off their children. There was just something irresistible about such a big, burly man who could handle a wet sneeze as easily as a power tool. It got even worse when he started shaving his head. Mac was humble enough to deny it, but she loved to tease him about his appeal to women.

  As she reached the curve that would steer her out of northern Springfield, her mind ventured to the phone call she’d gotten from Danny. Apparently, the woman who’d tried to kill them almost two years ago had just escaped Valley State Prison’s psychiatric ward. They believed she’d had outside help.

  The news didn’t sit well. Rena Hellberg had turned all their lives upside down when Derek had become the single victim of her murderous rampage. Danny had lost her favorite of eight brothers, Melanie lost the only man she’d ever loved and DJ lost his father before they even realized he’d been conceived. Was it possible Rena had come back to stalk, lurk and kill again? If so, the police believed she’d lay low for a few days while attempting to avoid recapture.

  Headlights streaked past the approaching woods as Melanie veered along the curve. With a gasp, she stomped on the brake until the small hatchback came to a screeching halt. When the dust cleared, a dog blinked at her through the windshield. Its long, black coat quivered in the breeze as it sat defiantly in the middle of her lane with a pink monogrammed blanket draped loosely from its teeth.

  “No way…”

  The temperamental engine sputtered beneath the hood. Precious moments ticked by as she processed things. Should she dare leave the car with her precious cargo nestled in the back seat? Heather-blue eyes darted to the rearview mirror to see if Mac had given chase, but the road behind her was clear. Of course. He wouldn’t leave baby Sasha.

  Melanie reached for her purse, but her hand encountered an empty passenger seat instead. A mental snapshot of her oversized canvas bag sitting on the counter justified that ever-present feeling of forgetting something.

  Jeez, she’d done it anyway! Her phone, her driver’s license... At least she hadn’t gotten too far away, but the least she could do was try to get Sasha’s blanket back. Maybe the four-legged critter would respond if she called him over.

  When she rolled the window down, the passenger door opened. Light illuminated the car’s maroon interior as a person quietly slid into the seat beside her. As the door slammed shut, returning the interior to darkness, she opened her mouth to scream only to have it swallowed by warm, demanding lips. Something about them stirred memories deep within her soul, but fear reigned when his gloved hand curled around the base of her neck. A slight prick penetrated the skin just below her hairline.

  Her claws came out. The intruder captured them before they could draw blood, but instead of punishing her, he angled his head, deepening the kiss while he gathered her closer. When his tongue glided across the roof of her mouth, her thought to sever it with her teeth instantly disappeared. A confusing cocktail of emotions flooded her body as her head began to swim.

  No. I can’t go under… not with DJ in the… back...

  * * *

  As soon as the woman in his arms went limp, he promptly removed his tongue from her slackened mouth. He was lucky to still have it given the risk of sticking anything between vicious, snapping jaws. But the temptation of tasting her again had proven too great to ignore.

  She hadn’t changed a bit. Even unconscious, Melanie Parker was a vision of flawless beauty. The brief glimpse of porcelain skin offered by the dome light wasn’t nearly enough to satisfy him, but soon he’d soak in as much of her as he wanted.

  He opened his door and exited the car. Chewie hopped in and took his place in the passenger seat. The drug wouldn’t wear off for at least an hour, so there was no chance of the woman coming to while en route to his hideaway. No reason why she’d object to being stuffed in the cargo area.

  The longer they stayed in the road, the greater the risk of getting caught. But he knew how to work fast in impossible situations and had her unbelted and in his arms in one swift move. But something wasn’t quite right.

  Chewie had moved to the back seat. The sound of soft babble pricked his ears.

  No. She left the baby with Mac...

  Blood swiftly drained from his face. With Melanie’s weight adding to the sinking feeling in his gut, he bent below the doorsill and visually confirmed his worst fear.

  Tiny fists had Chewie by the jowls. The dog took the abuse without complaint, instead leaned in and gave a tentative lick to the cherubic face beside him. A delighted squeal reverberated through the enclosed space and a pair of wondrous heather-blue eyes narrowed with laughter.

  Holy shit!

  He took a deep breath as he marveled at the smaller version of the woman he held. “Chewie, we are soooo fucked.”

  Chapter 2

  When disaster strikes, one’s first instinct is to run from unforeseen dangers that soon may follow. Self-preservation makes us human. To cast it aside for those less able makes us brave.

  “What a sweet boy you are…”

  A familiar sound followed the softly spoken words. Her son’s velvet sigh was familiar to her, but the other voice was not. Slowly, Melanie opened her eyes to an unfamiliar scene. Once the blur cleared, she was able to make out the small shape of her toddler as he teetered toward the edge of the rough mattress she laid upon.

  It happened in slow motion under the artificial light of a nearby lantern. As the boy tipped past the point of balance, Melanie rolled, reached for the back of her son’s overalls. Soft denim barely grazed her fingertips before he slipped from sight. Her gasp was stifled when he reappeared, held between two feminine hands in a flying hover. Laughter ensued.

  With less strength than normal, Melanie scrambled to the edge of the bed to visually confirm the owner of those hands.

  Raven hair fanned over floorboards like wings around a pale, haunting face. The woman who held little DJ by the middle could have been a ghost, but her full lips, stretched in an adoring smile, shone pink with life. Set against translucent skin in shocking contrast were large sapphire eyes that widened crazily when they focused on her.

  “Well, hello, Momma.”

  Melanie’s first instinct was
to scream. Her second was to grab the nearest weapon and beat the crap out of the escaped lunatic on the floor. But that lunatic had her precious son and now held him tightly to her ample bosom.

  “I…I know who you are,” Melanie stammered while slowly moving to her knees. DJ wiggled under the firm hold and the fear in her voice was poorly masked. “Please don’t hurt him.”

  Rena Hellberg – certifiable killer – rolled her eyes in answer. “You think I’m going to boil him up for stew? Get real.”

  When the woman rose from the floor, Melanie stumbled off the bed in order to keep the close proximity. “I just want you to give him back to me.”

  “Ma,” the toddler said through cheeks squished between hand and breast.

  “He’s doing just fine,” Rena assured, eyes wary beneath thick, black lashes. “You can barely stand up straight. I’ll take care of him until you’re right again.”

  Anger mingled with panic. “Until I’m right? That’s rich coming from you!” Melanie took a steadying breath under the heat of Rena’s gaze. “He wants me. Please…”

  Rena cocked her head. Slowly, she said, “Come and get him.”

  It sounded like a challenge. Chills zinged down her spine. Melanie took a step and the room instantly began to sway beneath her feet. The lunatic laughed.

  “Rena, that’s enough.”

  The gravelly command came from behind and Melanie’s attempt to spin around finally brought her down. She caught herself on the bed avoiding an impact with the floor. Her eyes came up, barely caught the shadow of a man in the doorway of the large windowless room she occupied.

  “Lay down,” he whispered, “and she’ll give him back.”

  His words were meant for her. When it struck, Melanie sat down heavily on the bare mattress and struggled not to pass out from fear. “Who are you? Why did you take us?” Instead of answering, the figure disappeared. “Wait! Come back!”

  “I’m not sure you want to know, sweetheart,” Rena answered. The woman approached the bed. “Come on. Lay down and I’ll give him back, just like he said.”

  It was hard to trust a single word that escaped those lips, but Melanie obeyed and Rena transferred the wiggly toddler into her outstretched arms.

  The reunion was tumultuous. Never before had Melanie experienced this kind of fear for her child, not even when he was caught downing a bottle of scented bath oil six months prior. “Oh, baby, Mommy’s got you…”

  He was warm and soft, safe and sound, and he snuggled deeply within her fierce embrace.

  The worn mattress dipped when Rena sat down beside them. “He’s so cute,” she said. “Such a chubby little face. It makes me want one all over again.” She retrieved a familiar pink blanket from the floor and put it in his pudgy hand. “But I’d highly recommend blue if we don’t want to confuse the kid later on.”

  The woman almost sounded normal. Far from the crazy bitch who’d shot bullets at her and Danny two years ago.

  Fatigue washed over Melanie now that her child was back in her arms. “Please, Rena. I don’t know what you have planned for us, but you need to let us go. DJ needs to be home, not in this…” she glanced around the room which was half cast in shadow from the white glow of the lantern, “this moldy old place, whatever it is. A classroom?”

  Rena stretched out beside them, smiled at the baby who smiled back. “Chalkboard gave it away, huh? Don’t worry, I cleaned up once I heard we were getting this precious little guy. Talk about surprise! You got busy after our last encounter!”

  “That last encounter almost killed me, and here you are chit-chatting like we’re girlfriends!” When the woman’s head reared back, Melanie checked her tone. “Sorry… I’m sorry.” A deep breath and a pressing kiss to DJ’s silky blonde hair restored her calm. “I’m just trying to make sense of things. You’re obviously behind this and I can’t help but think…”

  “What? That I might be using you as bait to lure the happy Cahill couple into my evil trap?”

  Melanie swallowed. “Something like that.”

  “Ha!” Rena, dressed like a cat burglar in a black athletic ensemble, rolled from the bed and retrieved DJ’s diaper bag. “To be honest, I can’t figure out what Austin sees in her. I never thought he’d be into the tomboy slut type, but whatever.” She shrugged as she opened a plastic tub of Cheerios. DJ accepted the miniature “O” and immediately stuffed it into his mouth, held out his hand for another. “It’s history. Plus, I want to forget that part of my life... the parts I can remember, anyway.”

  “Don’t bother trying to convince me you’re reformed, Rena. We wouldn’t be here if you were.”

  Leaving the cereal within reach, the woman stood and turned her back. Shoulders stiff, she walked to the black rectangle at the far end of the room and chose a small white stick. The slow whisper-click of chalk gliding over slate gave eerie new life to the peeling paint and falling plaster surrounding them. When Rena finished, she put the chalk down, moved out of the way and headed for the door. It closed, locking behind her, leaving mother and child in the abandoned classroom alone.

  In the ensuing silence, Melanie squinted until the printed words came into focus. When they did, goose bumps washed over her skin.

  It’s not all about me.

  * * *

  “I don’t think she’s going to cooperate,” Rena said as she topped the stairs, her words echoing in the cavernous domed chapel of the crumbling church they occupied. “We riled the momma bear and we’re going to see nothing but teeth from here on out.”

  “I still can’t believe it,” he mumbled, running an anxious hand over the back of his neck. “Melanie Parker. Chronic wild-child…a mother for Christ’s sake.”

  Debris crunched beneath Rena’s sneakers as she approached him from behind. They were surrounded by clouded windows and broken stained glass which demanded they remain in darkness. She peered over his shoulder. “Well… locking yourself up over comparisons isn’t going to make this go any faster.”

  The woman was right. If they were going to beat the clock, there was no time for stupefied wonder. He was still clutching the few items he’d found in her glove box even though he knew they revealed nothing pertinent about the life she led or the woman she’d become. Nor did the small bag of clothes she had with her. Except that her car was still registered under her maiden name, which told him she and Mac may not have tied the knot yet.

  A very pertinent detail, though it shouldn’t be. The frustration of not knowing overwhelmed him. For some reason, he knew her lack of a purse and phone only meant she’d left it somewhere. That part of her, at least, remained unchanged. How many times had he backtracked in order to rescue it for her? At least a handful, before he’d taken it upon himself to assume the role of purse grabber. Never in his life did he think he’d miss that.

  “I shouldn’t have spoken to her,” he said. “Did she suspect anything?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Good.” He pushed off the windowsill and stuffed the papers in his waistband. “The less she knows the better. You remembered to lock her door, right?”

  “Snug as a bug.”

  “I’ll be back in a while with supplies.” He pulled the deep hood far over his forehead and swiftly closed the distance between them. His close proximity hinted of a threat as he loomed over her. “You’ll behave?”

  Her frown indicated hurt. “You still don’t trust me?”

  Calloused fingers tilted her chin upwards. “Not even a little.” His lips barely brushed the tip of her nose. “I’m leaving Chewie with you. Not one wrong move toward that kid or his mother.” He headed silently for the exit.

  “Hey.” Rena hugged herself to keep the shivers at bay when he paused to peer at her over his shoulder. “We’re in this together. I won’t screw up, I promise.”

  “I’ll believe that when you tell me what I want to know.”

  Chapter 3

  It was useless. There was simply no way out of this poorly lit holding-cell of a clas
sroom.

  “Damn it!” Melanie seethed, pounding a fist on the solid door that refused to budge. “Rena! Mister! Somebody! I need to use the bathroom!”

  DJ mimicked her actions below by patting the door with an open palm and releasing an ear-piercing squeal that was sure to loosen more plaster. So far it was all play for the little guy, but Melanie wondered when he would finally tire of their depressing environment and begin his usual bid for the outdoors. There was no telling how long she’d been unconscious, what time it was, or how long they’d been there. Fighting back tears, she scooped the toddler in her arms and carried him to the bed. He struggled, tired of being held.

  “Jeez, you get more and more like your daddy every day,” she cooed affectionately, allowing him his freedom and swiping at the moisture on her cheeks. “Risk taker, outdoor lover… chick magnet extraordinaire.”

  Thoughts of Danny’s deceased brother always loomed toward the surface and Melanie always welcomed them. Derek Bennett left such an imprint on anyone who knew him, his spirit had no chance of leaving this earth as his body had. She spoke of him every day so that DJ might still grow up with his father in some small way. His Aunt Danny was of the same mind, always showering him with Derek stories whether DJ could understand them or not.

  The Bennett siblings had been so close. Danny was still recovering from the guilt and separation anxiety that followed his death. Thank God for Austin, or that woman would still be a basket case.

  As these thoughts shuffled through her head, Melanie’s face heated with anger. The very person who’d robbed them all of Derek’s presence in their lives was on the other side of that door. Though Rena had targeted Danny for stealing Austin’s heart, her murderous trap had snared the wrong Bennett. Once discovered, Rena had ranted her way to the cracker factory screaming of ghosts and retribution, leaving them all broken-hearted in her wake.

  Even Austin, who had been caught up in a vicious feud with Derek for years, grieved for his old friend-turned-enemy. The two men had only a few precious hours to reconcile their differences before Derek suffered a severe brain hemorrhage and passed away from his injuries. Every time Melanie went there, her thoughts would jumble with emotion, so she tried not to.