Page 79 of Fierce Hope
Deke exhaled harshly, chest tight. Ronan was right. Jade was brilliant, resilient. She’d use every bit of her con-artist skillset and ingenuity to protect his son.
But she was only human. A civilian up against a ruthless enemy with a gun and nothing to lose. Fear knotted sharply inside him.
The five of them moved swiftly, trading formal wear for tactical gear as they ascended to the helipad. Ronan ran ahead and jumped into the pilot’s seat.
Deke checked his weapon, the familiar weight offering little comfort. “How long to reach them?”
“Thirty minutes, maybe less if we push it,” Ronan replied over his shoulder. “Weather’s not ideal, but we’ll manage.”
Half an hour. Way too much time.
Rotors churned to life as Deke strapped himself into the helicopter seat, the noise drowning out his chaotic thoughts. Beside him, Izzy and Zara exchanged worried glances, while Maya checked their weapons one last time, tactical gear locked and ready.
As the helicopter lifted swiftly into the night, Deke’s heart raced fiercely, desperation clawing his throat. He could barely breathe beneath the suffocating weight of dread and guilt.
He should have seen this coming. Should have recognized Sarah as a threat. The signs had been there—her proximity to Kent, her convenient alibis, her too-perfect demeanor. He’d been so focused on protecting Jade from external threats that he’d missed the one hiding in plain sight.
And now Jade and DJ were paying the price for his failure.
The memory of Jade’s smile flashed in his mind—the real one, not the polished version she showed the world. The way her eyes softened when she looked at DJ. The quiet strength that had drawn Deke to her from the beginning.
He stared into the darkness ahead, visualizing Jade and DJ, their vulnerability starkly clear. The powerful ache within him was nearly unbearable.
Please, Lord,get me there in time to save my son. Give me one more chance to tell Jade what she means to me.
Izzy passed him a tactical vest and night vision goggles. “We’ll find them. DJ was clever enough to get that message out. They’re fighters, both of them.”
Deke nodded, unable to speak past the tightness in his throat. He checked his weapon again, the mechanical movements grounding him. Losing himself to panic wouldn’t help Jade or DJ. They needed him calm, focused, ready.
Below them, the city lights gave way to darkness as they flew over the mountain range. Somewhere in that vast wilderness, Jade and DJ faced a killer. Alone.
The helicopter raced onward through the black, snow-filled sky. He kept his gaze locked forward, mentally urging the aircraft faster, his entire body rigid with tension, every nerve on fire.
The haunting image of Jade’s frightened eyes and DJ’s desperate message replayed in his mind relentlessly. He forced away the agonizing thought of arriving too late, focusing solely on the fierce determination fueling him now.
Hold on, Jade. Hold on, DJ. I’m coming.
42
Between the coldand the ropes around her wrists, it didn’t take long for Jade’s hands to go numb. She wiggled her fingers, trying to ignore the tingling and prickling that cascaded across her hands as the nerves reenergized. “Keep your hands and feet moving,” she reminded DJ. “When the time comes, we’ll have to react fast.”
“I’ve almost got my knots undone,” DJ whispered. “I won’t let them know, though. Don’t worry.”
What a kid.
Jade only hoped she’d have the opportunity to let Deke know what a bright, brave soul he’d raised.
With a loud bang, the warehouse door flew open, sending a gust of frigid air swirling through the cavernous space.
Sarah jumped. “What the?—”
Chad barged in, head and shoulders coated with snow. His face was flushed with cold and frustration as he brandished a broken shovel handle, the metal blade missing.
“Stupid shovel broke,” he muttered, shaking snow from his jacket. “The handle snapped clean off when I hit a frozen root.”
Sarah swore and rolled her eyes. “So get another one.”
“Where am I supposed to find another shovel out here in the middle of nowhere?” He threw the broken handle across the space where it clattered against ancient machinery.
