two weeks ago, they hadn’t hugged since Gwen had died. Had rarely touched each other except for an accidental brush when handing the kids to each other. Then there’d been that kiss.
An unexpected kiss after an impromptu surprise birthday party with several of his friends. A kiss that had thrown her into so many loop-de-loops, she’d been dizzy for days. But it must have thrown Josh for a loop he didn’t want. He hadn’t spoken to her except in passing. Which was the reason she’d accepted the out-of-state position.
She held him, feeling the rapid beating of his heart through the hospital scrubs they’d given her. They had so much to face and right now he needed to be comforted as much as she did.
Someone at the hospital had said she was just the nanny. She didn’t feel like just the hired help. She’d avoided that particular title and thought it demeaning when Josh’s friends referred to her that way. Months when the rent was hard to come by, her friends asked her why she didn’t move in to take care of the twins.
At first it had been because she thought it was a temporary job. Eventually Josh would hire a real nanny. Then she’d been certain Josh would eventually date and remarry, so she hadn’t wanted to complicate the situation. And this past year it had been because she was falling in love with him.
Now the word nanny didn’t seem complex enough for their situation. She’d been a part of the twins’ lives from infancy. She’d been told to go home and stay there with a protection detail so she could be easily reached if needed. She was just the nanny.
Just the person who provided day care—and any other time of the day care when Josh was on a case. But his lost look was the reason she hadn’t obeyed the order.
Technically, Tracey knew she was just the nanny. Yet, her heart had been ripped from her body—twice. Once for each child.
She held Josh tight until Agent McCaffrey cleared his throat. She sat in the chair next to Josh. Bryce brought the bottle of water he’d offered when she first arrived and dropped back to the living room doorway.
“Is this a vendetta or revenge for one of the men you’ve put away?” Tracey asked Josh, who finally looked her in the eyes. “I tried to convince them to take me instead. They said it needed to be someone you loved.”
Someone you loved...
Did she know? Josh searched her face, seeing nothing but concern for his kids. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her they would have gotten it right if she’d been taken.
That sounds ridiculous.
He didn’t want her abducted any more than he wanted the twins to be gone. He reached out, touching her swollen cheek.
“They hurt you.” Stupid statement. It was obvious, but he didn’t know what else to say. “Of course they did. They took you to the hospital.”
He noticed what she was wearing, the streak of blood still on her neck, the bandage at her hairline. Hospital scrubs because her clothes had been ruined.
Time to shed the shaking figure of a lost father. Tenoreno had hit his family—the only place he considered himself vulnerable. But he was stronger than this. He needed to show everyone—including himself. Gathering some courage, he straightened his backbone and placed both palms flat on the table to keep himself there.
He knew what McCaffrey was thinking. The agent had repeated his questions about Tracey’s possible motives more than once. Agent Kendall Barlow had been ordered to run a thorough background check on “the nanny.” If Tracey heard them call her that she’d let them know she was a child care provider and personal nutritionist.
Definitely not the nanny.
The FBI might have doubts about Tracey—he didn’t. First and foremost, she had no motive. They might need to rule her out as a suspect. No one in the room had mentioned Tenoreno by name. But Josh knew who was responsible.
Drawing air deep into his lungs, he readied himself to get started. Ready to fight Tenoreno or whoever he’d hired to take his kids.
“The agents need to know how long Jackson’s insulin will be okay. Can you give them more details?” All the extra chatter around him died. He took Tracey’s hand in his. “I took a guess, but you know a lot more about it than I do. These guys need an accurate estimate. I couldn’t think straight earlier.”
“It depends.” She drew in a deep breath and blew it out, puffing her cheeks. “There are stress factors I can’t estimate. A lot will be determined by what they give the twins to eat, of course. The cartridge can last three days, but he might be in trouble for numerous reasons. They could give him the wrong food or the tube might get clogged. The battery should be fine.”
“Hear that everybody? My son has forty-eight hours that we can count on. Seventy-two before he slips into a diabetic coma. Why are you still here?” He used his I’m-the-ranger-in-charge voice.
It worked. All the rangers, cops and friends left the house.
“I’m more worried that Sage might try to imitate what I do with the bolus when he eats. She knows not to touch it. But she also knows that when Jackson eats, I calculate how much extra insulin to give him. She’s a little mother hen and might try since I’m not there.”
“What’s a bolus?” George Lanning asked.
“An extra shot of insulin from his pump. You calculate, it injects.” The female agent shrugged. “I read and prepare for my cases.”
Josh hated diabetes.
Bryce stayed by the kitchen door. He’d driven Josh and wouldn’t leave until he had confirmation of orders that the two of them had already discussed. Unofficial orders when no one had been listening. Ranger headquarters had someone on the way to relieve him as Company F commander. Whoever was now in charge would make certain every rule was followed to the letter and that personnel kept their actions impeccable.
“Everyone is working off the assumption that the Tenoreno family is behind this. Right?” he asked McCaffrey, finally stating what everyone thought.
The FBI agents’ reactions were about what he expected. No one would confirm. They zipped their lips tight and avoided eye contact. But their actions were all the confirmation he needed.
The Mafia family connection was the reason the FBI had been called as soon as Josh had received the news. He’d rather have his Company in charge, but the conflict of interest was too great.
Bryce stood in the doorway and shook his head, warning him not to push the issue. They’d talked through the short list of pros and cons about confronting anyone called in to handle the kidnapping.
The more they forced the issue, the less likely the FBI would be inclined to share information. It could all blow up in his face. But it was like a big bright red button with a flashing neon sign that said Do Not Push.
The longer the agents avoided answering, the brighter the button blinked, tempting him to hit it.
“The Tenoreno family?”
Tracey was the only one left who didn’t know who they were. She needed to
