Jon could almost feel the nervous energy coming off the man. That made Collin even more dangerous because he was running scared and jumpy as a cat in a roomful of rockers, as his mother used to say. What had to be a memory shocked him for a moment as he tried to picture his mother and couldn’t. He shook his head, clearing away any thought other than stopping Collin.
Closing the distance in a few quick steps, Jon looped the cord around the man’s neck, twisted it quickly and pulled it tight. The half-empty can fell from Collin’s hand to the floor and rolled away, splashing the rest of the beer across the linoleum floor.
Collin was already off-balance. Jon kept him that way as the man gagged and flailed, arms windmilling. At first he tried to reach Jon behind him and, failing that, tried to get his fingers under the cord around his neck as he fought for air. Both Collin and the chair suddenly fell sideways onto the floor, and Jon had to drop to his bad leg to keep his grip on the cord.
Adrenaline pumping, he reminded himself that he didn’t want to kill him. It was a relief when Collin quit struggling and passed out from lack of oxygen. Jon checked his pulse. Alive. And out. At least for the moment.
He heard a sound behind him and quickly turned to find Kate standing there. He rose, struggling a little on his bad leg, and limped to her as he stuffed the cord with his DNA on it into his coat pocket. “He’s only unconscious. Let’s go.”
She nodded, looking scared and in shock. He knew the feeling well. They quickly left by the front door, going around the block to where he’d left his pickup.
Once inside the truck and several blocks away, he finally glanced at her and asked, “Are you all right?” He could see that she was shivering uncontrollably. He turned up the heat, knowing that was only part of the problem.
“You came after me.” She sounded surprised by that. “Danielle. How?”
“I have a friend who helped.” He could feel her gaze on him, feel her need to ask about him, about his past, about how he’d found her and a dozen other questions. They would have to wait. “We can’t get across the border until morning.”
“Collin took my passport and my phone,” she said, sounding scared. “I won’t be able to cross the border.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll get you across.”
“There’s something you should know,” she said, sitting forward a little and looking behind them. “We were stopped not far from the border by what I thought was highway patrol. The cop told Collin he had a taillight out and then handed him a note. I was able to see some of what was written on the note. It mentioned a house and a key. I believe it told Collin to go to the house where you found me.” She swung her gaze to him, eyes widening. “They’re going to find us. Even if we run.”
He took in the news, wishing he were surprised. This apparently was a fairly large operation, if cops were involved. “It’s all right. We’ll go to a hotel with a parking garage for the rest of the night,” he told her.
Kate stared out into the winter darkness. It had begun to snow. She looked scared in the glow of the streetlights. “I don’t understand what’s going on.” She glanced over at him. “How did you find me?”
“I put a tracking device on your rental car.” He could feel the intensity of her gaze. While she didn’t move, he could feel her drawing back. “You can trust me.”
She made a sound close to a sob. “Can I?”
He shot her a look. “You know you can, Katie.”
* * *
COLLIN WOKE COUGHING. His hands went to his throat. He let out a cry as his eyes came open with the memory. Stumbling to his feet, he glanced around the kitchen before racing into the bedroom where he’d left Kate.
He knew even before he threw open the door that she’d be gone. He swore, tearing into the room to find the window still open where the bastard had climbed in. Jon Harper. He didn’t think Danny could also be a killer. He should have called the syndicate on him before he left Buckhorn. What had he been thinking?
He hadn’t expected the carpenter to come after them—that’s what. He’d thought it would be a relief for Jon that they’d left. Why would the man come after them? Because he’d bought into Kate’s story about him being her husband?
Or because Jon Harper was the kind of man who had to play hero? Wasn’t that exactly what had gotten him into trouble in Oklahoma?
With another curse, he remembered what Kate had said to Jon right before they’d left Buckhorn. She had passed a message. How else had the man known where they were going?
Was the woman stupid? Collin had her youngest daughter. All he had to do was make one phone call... His eyes widened in alarm. Unless... He quickly dialed his friend’s number. The phone rang and rang. He was starting to panic when Eric answered sounding half-asleep. “Is everything all right there?”
“Fine. What time is it?”
“Never mind. Call me if there are any problems?”
“Right. No problem.”
He disconnected, relieved and yet furious that his leverage hadn’t kept the woman here. “Kate, you are so screwed. You should never have left with Jon Harper. Now I’m going to have him kill your daughter. It will be your own fault.” He reminded himself that that had been his plan, anyway. Not that it mattered. Kate hadn’t known that.
His throat hurt like a son of a bitch, that and his growing panic making it even harder to think. He raked a hand through his hair, wondering how long he’d been out. He had no idea what he was going to do now. Worse, what Kate and her knight in shining armor were going to do. Not go to the cops. If Jon Harper had planned to go to the cops, Collin would already be behind bars. Jon Harper had every reason not to want the law involved, even in Canada. After Kate had seen a cop hand him a note, she wouldn’t be inclined to head in that direction, either.
So, what did that leave?
Collin told himself that maybe all Jon Harper wanted was to save Kate. If so, then he’d head for the border. With a painful laugh, Collin coughed, remembering that he still had her passport. She wasn’t crossing the border. Not unless she planned to tell all. But if she did that, then she would be jeopardizing Jon and her daughter. She wouldn’t do that. It seemed she was screwed.
Collin smiled. Maybe things weren’t as bad as he’d first thought.
* * *
KATE STOOD IN the middle of the hotel’s honeymoon suite looking lost.
“It was the only room available,” Jon said with a shrug as he locked the door and dragged a chair over to prop against the knob.
“It must have been expensive. How did you—”
He didn’t let her finish. He knew exactly what she was asking since she’d seen him slip the desk clerk cash. “I’m not as destitute as I look.”