That was the second time someone had referred to them as his family. The words branded his heart as he sat there chomping at the bit, praying for a chance to hold them in his arms again.
* * * *
Henri relaxed as they approached the private airfield on the outskirts of Lusty, appearing to enjoy his conversation. He’d seemed awfully sure of himself and his ability to get her on that jet and make her and Toby disappear forever. He hadn’t even tried to hide where they were headed or to keep the information from her. Hopefully his indiscretion was about to backfire on him.
Her heart was pounding by the time they entered the gate leading to the private airfield. All appeared deserted around the hangars except for a mechanic with a tool belt slung low on his hips. He was standing in the wide-open door of a hangar from which a sleek Learjet, undoubtedly Henri’s, was being pulled by a work truck. Two other Learjets sat on the tarmac outside the hangar, as well as a sleek helicopter, hinting that there was more to Lusty, Texas, than just the sleepy little town it appeared to be.
As they rolled up, Jayne recognized that man’s confident stride. Julián Alvarez. Seeing someone she knew increased her hope. Jayne remembered that Julián was a cowboy by trade and it was unlikely he’d be there unless it was to help her and Toby. His appearance and easygoing grin would lead anyone to believe that he was a grease monkey and this was just part of his normal workday.
Phillipe said, “I don’t remember him.” He’d lapsed into French, which did him no good as she understood him.
Henri made a dismissive gesture with his hand and replied in French. “Pfft, never mind about these sweaty Texans. Get the two of them on the jet while I settle the bill for the repair and the use of their vehicle. I want to be in the air as soon as possible.”
Julián gestured for them to pull the SUV into the shade beside the hangar, which was situated next to another smaller building. They did as he directed.
Fighting nerves, Jayne darted her eyes around the seats, searching for a means to help secure their escape. Her eyes settled on the diaper bag. Henri murmured to Jayne in English, “If you speak or misbehave in any way before Phillipe gets you on the jet, I will shoot you, kill this man, and anyone else who interferes. Phillipe is armed as well.”
He might’ve been a little rat of a man, but Henri had already proved his willingness to use violence, and she recalled what Seth had told her. Her best shot lay in behaving and waiting for an opportunity.
Julián ambled up in his dusty cowboy boots, looking like a good ol’ boy, and pushed his cowboy hat back as he leaned against the window frame. From her vantage point, she could see the handgun slid into the waistband of his jeans. Henri lowered the passenger side window.
“It’s repaired, fueled, and ready. The pilot is just doing some last-minute checks and you can be on your way.”
Julián opened Henri’s door and would’ve opened her door, but Henri stopped him to ask for the bill as he shifted in front of her door to open it himself. Julián handed Henri the bill as she climbed from the vehicle. She turned back and made as much of a production of lifting Toby from his car seat as she could while Henri pulled bills from his wallet and paid in cash. Julián chewed his toothpick as he turned his gaze on her and nodded imperceptibly but didn’t smile.
Emanating menace and blocking Julián’s view of her, Phillipe turned her with a strong hand on her lower back and directed her toward the jet. He had to keep forcing her forward as she resisted each step that took her closer and closer to the means by which Henri would get away with this heinous crime. Clutching the heavy diaper bag and Toby, she finally mounted the first step with Phillipe grasping her upper arm tightly.
Where are they?
She looked back one last time before stepping over the threshold and hid her surprise as men swarmed the tarmac and emergency vehicles raced down the road to the airfield. Knowing Henri and Phillipe were armed and that this could easily turn into a shootout with her and Toby at point-blank range, she did the only thing she could. She grasped Toby to her chest with her left arm, and swung the diaper bag, filled with at least a dozen glass baby food jars, in as tight an arc as she could. On the upswing it struck Phillipe in the head as his attention was drawn by the activity on the airstrip. He teetered on the edge of the top stair step, grasping for the handrail.
Thanking Charity silently for that self-defense class she’d talked Jayne into years before, she turned, shot her foot out, and slammed her heel against his knee. Pain and shock filled his eyes as he lost his balance, falling down the fold-out steps toward Henri as he ran up them, brandishing his gun. Evidently realizing his luck had run out, Henri pointed the gun at Toby. She jerked her body around to shield Toby as the gun blast filled the jet cabin. A white-hot blast of pain tore through her side as she was tackled by a hard male body, pinning her facedown onto a cushioned leather seat with Toby still in her arms, dazing her as the wind was knocked from her.