he assured her. “Let’s get you and Ben someplace safe for tonight and then I’ll see if I can get in touch with your brother. We’ll discuss our next steps in the morning.”
Tears pricked her eyes at his obvious concern. He’d saved her life tonight, and instead of saying thank you, she’d snapped at him. Of course they needed to leave, and right away. If the gunman knew what she was driving, she and Ben weren’t safe.
She sniffed, blinked back her tears and nodded. “Sounds good. Thank you, Isaac. For everything.”
“No problem.” He rose to his feet. “Why don’t you grab Ben and I’ll take care of his booster seat?”
She slid out of the car and tucked her keys in her jacket pocket before heading around to the opposite side to get Ben. The cop followed and waited patiently until she had lifted her son in her arms before reaching for the car seat.
“Is that your Jeep parked on the road?” she asked.
“Yes. Wait for me, though.” He tucked the booster seat under his arm and then lightly grasped her arm, escorting her down the street, sweeping his gaze over the area as if ready for anything.
The idea that the gunman might not have been alone made her stomach twist with fear. Although if he’d had help, wouldn’t that person have come forward to even the odds?
Maybe, maybe not. Killing a cop was something most criminals tried to avoid, at least according to what Shane was always telling her. But then again, her brother often downplayed just how dangerous his job was, especially since he worked in a district that handled the highest rate of violent crime. Shane knew that she’d purposefully chosen a man who wasn’t a cop for a husband because of the fact that their father had been killed in the line of duty. Not that marrying a lawyer had helped her any. Elliot had been killed by a drunk driver, despite his safe job.
She pushed aside a wave of despair over losing her husband, knowing this wasn’t the time to think about the past. She needed to concentrate on keeping her son safe.
Where was Shane now? She couldn’t bear the thought of something happening to her brother. He had to be all right, he just had to be. Her son had already lost a father he didn’t even remember.
Surely God wouldn’t take his uncle, too?
She stumbled and would have fallen if not for Isaac’s hand beneath her arm.
“Leah?”
His low, gentle voice helped keep the panic at bay. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It had been a long time since she’d leaned on a man for support, and she couldn’t deny appreciating the fact she wasn’t alone. “I’m fine.”
Isaac opened the Jeep door and quickly threaded the belt through Ben’s booster seat. He stepped back, giving her room to get her son settled inside.
“I love you, Ben,” she whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.
“I love you, too, Mommy.”
Tears threatened again, and since she wasn’t the crying type, she had to assume that they were a delayed reaction from the horrific experience of being held at gunpoint. Her son was only five years old, but she was afraid he might have nightmares from seeing the gunman grab her. She brushed the dampness away as she climbed past her son so that she could sit in the back, next to him.
If Isaac was annoyed with her choice to stay in the rear rather than next to him, he didn’t let on. He shut the door behind her and then jogged around to get into the driver’s seat. He started the engine and glanced back at her. “Buckle up.”
She reached for the seat belt a bit embarrassed that she hadn’t remembered. As an E.R. nurse, she’d seen more than enough car-crash victims and normally the gesture was automatic. But nothing about this night was normal.
She rested her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. Almost instantly the memory of the masked man grabbing her from behind the wheel flashed in her brain, so she pried her eyelids open and stared out the window, willing the image away.
When Isaac slowed down to turn onto one of the main highways leading away from town, she frowned and leaned forward. “Where exactly are you taking us?” she asked.
“There’s a hotel that isn’t too far from our SWAT headquarters,” he said, meeting her gaze in the rearview mirror.
“Why do we have to go all the way across town?” she asked. “There are plenty of hotels closer to my house.”
“Yes, but I don’t think staying close to your house is a wise thing to do right now.” He was using the same calm, reasonable tone that he’d used with the gunman, and for some reason that irked her. “The guy knew where you lived and what time you were coming home. Trust me, the farther away we can get from your place, the better.”
“I know, but what if Shane comes looking for me?” She couldn’t understand why they had to go so far away.
“We’ll let your brother know where we are,” Isaac assured her. “Did that guy say anything to you before I arrived?”
She didn’t really want to relive those moments, but understood that Isaac was only trying to get information. And she’d do whatever necessary to help her brother. She licked her dry lips. “He told me that if I screamed he’d shoot.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
The sincere note in her rescuer’s voice made her eyes fill with tears, which she rapidly blinked away. She had to be strong, for Shane’s sake as well as Ben’s. She tried to recall every detail of her brief encounter. “The garage door wouldn’t open and the light I left on above the kitchen sink was out, too. Do you think he cut the electricity?”
“Very possibly, but unfortunately, I didn’t see him do anything like that. I only saw him hiding behind your big oak tree. Is it possible you were followed? I can’t help wondering if he might have cut the power earlier.”
The thought that she might have been followed to the birthday party at Fun Zone only put her more on edge. How could she not have noticed?
Although why would she even look for someone following her? Being an E.R. nurse was hardly dangerous. And suddenly Leah was overwhelmed by a wave of helplessness. She closed her eyes again and prayed.
Please, Lord, thank You for saving me and Ben from the gunman. I ask that You keep Shane, Isaac, me and Ben safe in Your care. Amen.
Her emotions calmed down after her prayer, and for the first time since pulling into her driveway, she felt as if she was on the right path.
If her brother had sent Isaac to keep her and Ben safe, then Leah needed to trust his judgment. And to trust in God. She couldn’t do this on her own.
“The place I’m taking you and Ben is called the Forty Winks Hotel.” He captured her gaze in the rearview mirror. “It’s a cute establishment. We’ve used it before. You and Ben will be safe there.”
Safe. She liked the sound of that. Oddly enough, she was glad Isaac was here, protecting her and Ben.
But abruptly, the Jeep jerked sharply to the right, causing her
