Taken

TWO

At nine twenty-nine Wednesday morning, Central European time, Kate was already second-guessing herself and wondering—not for the first time—if flying halfway around the world had been a sane decision.

She clutched the strap of her pink tote bag and pressed through the crowded promenade running parallel to the famous Champs Elysées. Lined with boutiques, chic restaurants and fancy storefronts, it was exactly how she’d imagined Paris. But after thirteen hours of travel, two planes, the RER train into the city and a taxi, her decision seemed impulsive, even reckless. But what choice did she have? She needed answers. Needed to speak with Chad. Needed to find Sophie. Careless or not, she was still convinced that coming to Paris had been her only option. Chad was the key to finding Sophie.

Which was why there’d been little time to think through the consequences of her actions. She’d charged the airline ticket to her credit card, booked a hotel, then pulled out everything she had on Paris in her travel files. A quick check-in at her hotel after landing, along with a shower, had helped clear her mind, but it hadn’t quite managed to squelch the anxiety or the fear. Added to her list of frustrations was Marcus O’Brian, who had yet to give her an update on his investigation.

Not that he owed her one, she supposed, but a phone call from the man would go a long way. And not because he’d appeared in her dreams last night, or that she’d yet been unable to forget those blue eyes of his. She just needed someone on her side. So far the only person who’d seemed happy for her company had been the taxi driver who’d gladly exchanged her Euros for a neck-breaking race from her hotel to Chad’s place of employment.

Kate glanced at her map, then scanned the stone-cut buildings beside her with their decorative ironwork, looking for Anne-Loure, the jewelry shop where Chad worked. The taxi driver had dropped her off short of the shop, but she’d wanted the exercise and hopefully time to get her bearings. But apparently, he’d left her farther from the store than she’d intended. According to her map, the shop was still a half-dozen blocks away. Exploring the famed City of Lights and its history had always been on the top ten of her bucket list. But not this way.

Paris was supposed to be savored slowly while sipping a café au lait. Lazy afternoons strolling alongside the Seine or leisurely digesting the history of a local museum. Even now, she could sense the historic city’s energy. With its offering of historic sites like the Louvre, Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower, Paris was a mecca for tourists, artists and historians.

Kate blew out a sharp breath. This wasn’t exactly how she’d expected to spend her first trip to Paris. She and Kevin had decided on a twelve-day tour of Europe’s cities of lights for their honeymoon, including two nights each in Paris and Prague. A scenic river cruise along the Rhine, Heidelberg... It would have been the perfect honeymoon until Kevin ran off and married her best friend, who would have been the maid of honor at their wedding.

She’d always thought the story would make the perfect script for a romantic comedy—if it had a different ending. Something along the lines of jilted bride finds love with lonely best man or something like that, but in her case, there had been no lonely best man or happy ending. Just a lot of embarrassment and explanations as to why her fiancé was honeymooning with her best friend.

At least she hadn’t burned the contents of the honeymoon folder, because today she needed the spreadsheet with travel information, Google maps, online transportation websites, hotels and dozens of other details she’d collected and organized while planning their trip.

She was over Kevin. Their broken engagement seemed like a lifetime ago most days. And maybe now something good was going to come out of the situation. She’d traveled enough outside the United States to feel fairly confident as long as she had a map and cell phone in hand.

But as much as the city might beckon, she needed to stay focused on one thing and one thing only.

Finding Sophie.

She ran her finger across the photos of Sophie she’d stuck inside the cover of her travel guide—a reminder as to why she was here. Brown hair, bright blue eyes and a smile that melted your heart in two. This was why she was here. Because if anything happened to her—

Someone brushed against her shoulder. The hairs on her neck bristled. Kate stiffened as a long-haired teen walked away, not even acknowledging the incident. She shook off the eerie sensation. Marcus flashed through her mind, making her wish he was with her, but she quickly shoved away the image. He might have that classic tall, dark and handsome look going for him, and an overprotective vibe, too, but he was also a federal agent with an agenda. He believed Rachel was involved in something illegal. She’d seen it in his eyes, along with the suspicion toward herself. Which meant the man wasn’t worth the risk of a second look.

And she didn’t need him. Because no one was watching her. No one was after her. Lack of sleep, long hours of travel and the added guilt from being unable to protect her sister were messing with her mind.

But she couldn’t ignore the knot of fear that had settled into the pit of her stomach. She turned and glanced behind her. How was it possible that in a sea of pedestrians, she still felt as if she were being followed? She hesitated beneath the shade of a shop awning. Notre Dame loomed a few blocks away with its stunning stained glass windows and gargoyles. For a moment, she considered running to the safety and quiet of the historic church. But God could hear her constant prayers just as well here as in the middle of a cathedral. She forced her mind to focus. Speaking with Chad was her one priority right now.

Someone’s elbow jabbed her from behind. This time, her bag slipped from her shoulder and crashed to the sidewalk, its contents scattering across the pavement. She lunged for the pink MP3 player that had tumbled out and started to grab it, but the man hovering over her snatched it first.

Shaken, she stood up, hand outstretched, and caught the man’s steel gaze. When he still wouldn’t hand over the MP3, she chanced that he would understand English, and asked, “What do you want?”

He pulled back his jacket revealing the tip of the gun he was carrying. “I want you to come with me.”

The knot in her stomach tightened. She glanced around at the shoppers passing by. She could run, but if he caught her, she’d never be able to fight him.

She decided to scream.

Fingers dug into her arm as he dragged her toward the street. “Shut up and get in the car.”

She continued screaming as he shoved her into the backseat of a waiting car. Her elbow slammed against the door frame. She couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe. They’d shot Rachel...taken Sophie... What in the world did they want with her?

She scrambled across the backseat, then lunged for the handle on the opposite side. The door was unlocked. He grabbed her foot, but she jerked away from his grasp and stumbled out of the car, still managing to grip her bag. But the action threw her into traffic. Cars whizzed by. The man scooted across the seat behind her. She slammed the door on him, but the driver was climbing out of the front of the vehicle.

Kate lunged out into the path of an oncoming taxi, then swerved to the left. There was no way she could cross the busy traffic without getting hit. She ran around the back of the car toward the sidewalk, hoping to lose herself in a sea of shoppers. Brakes squealed and a taxi missed her by inches, but the near accident barely registered.

What did they want with her?

For the first time, she wished she’d listened to Marcus. He’d been right. She should never have come. She had no business tracking down her sister’s shooter on her own. All she wanted was answers and justice and to get her niece back. Instead, she’d gotten herself involved in a situation where not only were her sister’s and Sophie’s lives at stake, but somehow she’d become tangled up in the mess.

A flock of pigeons scattered into the air in front of her. She turned onto a side street, disoriented without the help of the map. But she couldn’t take the time to pull it out. All she knew to do was to keep zigzagging through the narrow streets until she lost them. She could figure out where she was later.

Lungs screaming for air, she forced herself to keep running. She had no one to call. Nowhere to run for help. In a city of millions, she’d never felt so alone.

A car pulled up beside her. “Get in!”

Kate kept running, but something made her pause and turn. Marcus sat in the driver’s seat.

“Get in the car,” he repeated.

Still out of breath, Kate slid into the car and dropped her bag onto the floorboard, too scared to ask questions. Too scared to consider the fact that she might not be trusting the right person.

* * *

Marcus pressed on the accelerator as he pulled into the heavy traffic and tried to bite back his irritation. Kate Elliot was supposed to be five thousand miles away in Dallas, Texas. Not trying to track down her sister’s shooter on her own here in Paris. No. From what he remembered, he’d given her specific instruction that she was to let him and the police handle the investigation of her sister’s attempted murder. Flying to Paris in search of her niece—as she’d clearly done—had not been an option. But for the moment, he couldn’t worry about what she’d done or why she was here. He needed to get her somewhere safe.

Marcus changed lanes and sped down the avenue, weaving in and out of traffic, hoping he’d catch sight of the vehicle that had tried to snatch her. But as much as he wanted to catch whoever had tried to grab her, for the moment her safety needed to be the priority. Because chasing down the bad guys with Kate Elliot at his side wasn’t a good idea.

“Are they following us?” he asked.

She looked back. “I don’t know. The cars...they all look the same.”

“It was a dark compact—”

“They’re all compact cars...or taxis.”

“I need a description, Kate. A license plate number—something I was unable to get. We need to find those guys.”

His irritation grew. They were the reason he was here. He needed to catch those guys and now he’d somehow ended up saddled with Kate and needing to think about her protection.

Which raised even more questions than he had answers. Like how did they know she’d be here in the first place?

“I was on my way to Chad’s store.”

“I was just there. He didn’t come in to work today.”

“You think they’re still after us?” she asked, her voice ragged.

“I managed to find you, and I don’t think they’re simply going to give up. So yes. There’s a good chance they’re still back there.”

“They had a gun...” Her jaw was set, determined, but she still sounded as if she were about to hyperventilate. “They shoved me into a car.”

“I know. I was driving by when you came flying out of that car into the traffic. You’re lucky you weren’t killed. I don’t know what you were thinking—”

Someone smashed into the back of his rental car, shoving both of them forward.

Marcus gripped the steering wheel as he swerved to avoid a collision with the car in front of him. “Hang on, Kate. I think we just found them.”

THREE

They’d found them.

“Marcus!”

Kate could hear the edge of panic in her voice. Gripping the armrest with her fingers, she tried not to hyperventilate as the car rammed into them a second time. She winced as her head hit the side of the car. Marcus would get them out of this. He had to. And she had no choice but to trust him. They were just trying to scare them. But why? None of it made sense. They already had Sophie. What else did they want?

Please, God...all I want to do is find Sophie and make sure she’s safe. But I don’t even know what is going on.

“What do they want?” Kate spoke her question out loud, her arms braced for another impact.

“I don’t know. Are you sure it’s them?”

She glanced back again and caught sight of the bald head of the man who’d tried to grab her off the street. She’d recognize him anywhere. “Yes. Besides, I can’t believe this is just a coincidence.”

Marcus’s jaw tensed, the vein in his neck pulsing, as he sped down a one-way street lined with bikes and motorcycles. Pedestrians strolled down the sidewalk, casting glances as they sped past. He slowed down as he came to a busy intersection, and managed to merge into traffic without stopping.

Kate dug her nails into the armrest, willing the car to go faster. “We need to lose them.”

“Not yet. Keep your eye on them. I need a license plate.”

“A license plate?” She craned her neck so she could see out the back window and squinted as she tried to read the plate. The car behind them sped forward, hitting again.

Her seat belt caught as her body snapped forward.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yeah. I got the license.” Kate scrambled for a pen then wrote down the number on her hand.

“Good, because now I need you to make a call.”

“The police?”

“I’m working with French intelligence. They’ll be able to get us some backup.”

Her hands shook as she grabbed his phone, which was sitting between them.

Marcus kept his eyes on the road beside her, weaving in and out of traffic, with the car still on their tail. “Scroll through the favorites contacts and look for Pierre. Make the call, then put it on speakerphone so I can talk to him.”

A moment later, a man with a heavy French accent answered. “Bonjour?”

“Pierre, it’s Marcus.”

“Did you find Chad?”

“No, but I did run into his sister-in-law.”

Kate felt her fear morphing into anger as Marcus explained the situation while speeding through the heart of Paris. She glanced out the back window again. This time there was no sign of the other car.

“I’ll let you know what I find out about the license plate,” Pierre said.

“Good,” Marcus said. “I’ll meet you at the safe house in thirty minutes.”

Pierre hung up and the line went dead. Kate clicked off the phone and set it down. “We’ve lost them.”

“Are you sure?”

She nodded as she caught the hint of anger in his eyes. He’d warned her not to come. Told her to stay in Dallas and let him and the police handle the situation. And she’d done the opposite. And potentially almost got them both killed.

“I’m sorry,” she started.

“Sorry? This fiasco you just involved us both in could have got us killed.”

* * *

Marcus drove around the block three times until he was certain they’d lost their tail—and his anger had managed to subside slightly—before heading toward the safe house.

He glanced at her expression out of the corner of his eye. He could tell she was upset. Her hands were still shaking and her face had paled to a snowy-white color. At least she’d found the courage to do what he’d asked her to, but that didn’t excuse the fact that she’d disobeyed his instructions and flown halfway around the world on some mad quest to save her niece. If the police hadn’t been able to find the young girl yet with all of their resources, why in the world did she assume she could?

And how had her situation somehow managed to penetrate his normally fortified heart?

He mentally discarded the last question to deal with later. Or not at all. His focus was on closing this case. Period.

“Do you know where we are?” Kate asked.

He fought back a sharp retort. Before she jumped on his navigational skills, she had some explaining to do. “Yes. And I’m taking you to a safe house.”

“I checked into a hotel this morning. I’ll be fine there.”

“If they can find you on the street, don’t you think they can find you at your hotel?”

The question silenced her.

He gripped the steering wheel, regretting the tone of his response. He needed time to think, because he didn’t have time to take on her responsibility on top of everything else. But now he was going to have to arrange to send her back to the United States and ensure her safety in the meantime.

He kept his gaze straight ahead, watching the maze of cars around him while at the same time glancing frequently into the rearview mirror to ensure they weren’t being followed again. “I know you’re scared, but I need some answers. Start from the beginning. What in the world are you doing in Paris?”

“I—”

“Because I remember specifically telling you to stay in Dallas with your sister,” he continued, not giving her a chance to answer. “And yet somewhere you got the crazy notion that you could take care of things by yourself.”

A taxi flew past them, forcing him to swerve into another lane, adding to the tension in his gut. The next time he went out he was going to forget driving, stick to Pierre’s advice and use public transportation. Because if whoever was after them didn’t get them both killed, driving in Paris certainly could.

Her voice matched his own frustration when she finally answered his question. “What did you expect me to do? Sit in that hospital and wait? The doctors aren’t sure Rachel will ever wake up. And no one has found Sophie yet.”

“Listen.” He worked to soften his voice. “I really do understand that this is hard for you, but it’s not your job to go running after a bunch of felons. You’re lucky you’re not dead, because these guys mean business.” He glanced at her again, fighting to hold in his irritation. “You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself involved in.”

“I didn’t choose to get involved in this.”

She might be right, but his anger had yet to fully alleviate. “Even so, it didn’t mean you should just hop on a plane to track down a man with known criminal ties.”

She stared straight ahead out the window at the passing shops, her frown deepening. “It seemed like the right thing to do twenty-four hours ago.”

“This isn’t a game, Kate. You saw your sister. And you saw what happened just now. These guys play to win.”

“Do you think I don’t realize that?” She gripped the door handle and turned to him. “They just tried to grab me off the street in broad daylight.”

“I saw them grab you. That’s why I came after you.” Marcus slowed to a stop, waited for the pedestrians to cross, then turned into the underground parking garage and proceeded down the narrow entrance, which explained why all cars in this city were compact.

“Tell me what I should do now.” Her voice shook, despite the determination in her voice.

He squeezed into an empty parking space, then shut off the motor, his mind still running through his options regarding what he was going to do with her. His first choice was to send her back to Dallas on the next flight.

“We’ve got a safe house set up. You can stay there until I can get you a flight back to the States.”

“I’m not going back.”

He frowned, but he hadn’t expected an easy fight. “You don’t have a choice, and besides, you’ll be safe—”

“Safe?” She unbuckled her seat belt and turned to him, the panic in her voice back. “I’m not sure there is anywhere safe. They found Rachel. And now, for some reason, they think I’m involved and found me here. And the crazy thing is that I don’t even know who I’m running from. But I do have a choice as to whether I stay or not.”

“I told you not to get involved, and from what I’ve seen this morning, I was right.”

“And you think I’ll be safer in Dallas? My sister wasn’t safe.”