Love Inspired Suspense April 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 Laura Scott (speed reading book .txt) 📖

“I don’t know.” He tried to stand, then fell back to the cot.

The binding around his ankles must have cut off his circulation. Gently, she rubbed his wrists and ankles, trying to restore feeling. Fresh anger surged through her toward the men who had done this to a child.

“New plan.” She stooped down. “Can you put your arms around my neck? I’m going to give you a piggyback ride.”

Jonah wrapped his arms around her neck and his legs around her waist.

She found a secluded room to put him in. “Can you be really brave for just a little while longer? Stay here and wait until I come back with your daddy?”

“I...I think so.”

“Good boy. Are you hungry?”

The look in his eyes confirmed her guess, and she handed a snack to him.

“I’ll be back soon,” she said and went in search of Liam.

The faint hope that Reva would respond to his plea that she give herself up seeped out of him, but he kept his expression blank, unwilling to give her any more advantage over him. As long as Jonah was in danger, he couldn’t make a move against her. Once Paige let him know that his son was safe, he’d act.

Why hadn’t Reva attacked him? It had to be something more than wanting to know what he had on her.

And then he got it. She was basking in the glory of self-aggrandizement. She wanted, no, needed, to be praised, to be lauded, even if it was only by herself.

He realized there was a second reason. She wanted to see his fear, to feel it.

People like Reva fed on the fear of others. He’d seen it in Afghanistan, where warlords forced others to bow to their bidding by threatening to do unspeakable things to their families. Fear was a powerful motivator.

If he allowed his fear to dictate his reaction to anything Reva said, he, Paige and Jonah were as good as dead. His best bet was to keep her talking.

Reva leveled a taunting gaze at him. “You’re scared, aren’t you? The big, bad ex-Delta is scared of little ol’ me. I love it.” Her laugh rang out, the shrill tone scraping against his nerves. “Imagine my surprise and grief when it comes out that you’re the one who killed those three who died in the so-called accidents. I’ll shed a few tears and tell everyone that you must have just snapped from the guilt you’ve been carrying all these years.”

“How are you going to arrange that?” he asked, going for bored. Don’t let her see she’s getting to you. That only feeds her power.

“I have friends all over, friends who can whisper to the right people that you hadn’t been right in the head ever since the accident. People will speculate that you were suffering from survivor’s guilt over those kids in the bus who didn’t make it and took it out on the ones who did. You even hired a private security team to look into it, when all along, it was you. You didn’t know what you were doing.”

Liam kept his tone bored. “Ever hear of something called evidence?”

“Oh, there’ll be evidence. I have the wire and other things I used to cause the accidents. They’ll conveniently turn up somewhere, maybe your gym locker or a storage place you rented. These things always have a way of coming out.”

He silently acknowledged that he was impressed by the glib way she presented it. Could she get enough people to believe the theory that he had been so overcome with regret and guilt that he had gone on a killing spree?

“What about the attempts on my life? How are you going to explain those away?”

“Why, you staged them, of course. What better way to divert suspicion from yourself?” Another of those trilling laughs that held not a speck of humor. “I should know. My little playacting worked out better than I’d ever dreamed. Even the governor himself sent flowers after my brush with death.” Pride resounded in her voice. She motioned to her left. “Come on out.”

At her command, two men, each of whom looked like he could have starred in a pro wrestling match, appeared.

“Hold him.”

The men took Liam’s arms. He jammed his elbow in one man’s gut, but the other delivered a punishing blow to Liam’s kidneys. He fell to his knees, breathing heavily. Remembering the knife in his boot, he reached for it and closed his hand around its hilt.

The first man, now recovered, grabbed Liam’s wrist and twisted it back, forcing him to drop the knife.

Reva came to stand closer and picked up the knife. “Nice toy. I believe I’ll keep it.” She made a tsking noise at Liam. “That was all so unnecessary. You may not believe this, but I don’t like seeing you in pain.”

“Right the first time.” He grunted out the words. “I don’t believe it.”

Though the men hovered nearby, she held up a hand, stilling them. “You always were smart, but not as smart as that little partner of yours.” She raised her voice. “I know you’re here, Paige. Might as well come out.”

“I came alone.”

“Liar.”

“Liam gets a bullet to the knee if you don’t show yourself.” Reva lowered the gun and pointed it at his right leg.

Paige walked out from behind one of the piles of crates. “Don’t hurt him.”

“Take her,” Reva shouted to one of the men, who grabbed Paige by the shoulders, while his partner did the same with Liam.

Paige gave a subtle nod in his direction. He understood that she’d found Jonah and that his son was safe. Fresh energy surged through him.

“Tell me what you have on me,” Reva ordered Paige. “I don’t mind shooting you in the leg before I kill you. I should warn you. I’m pretty good with this thing. Daddy taught me to shoot just around the time I could tie my own shoes. Marie was never interested, but I took to it right away.”

“You’ll kill