Page 46 of Ambush

Paradise whirled and raced for the other gate. She opened it and dashed through before closing it and locking it tight. Her knees didn’t support her, and she sank to the grass with her arms clutched around her.

Then Blake was there, holding her and crooning in her ear. “You’re safe and Isaac is fine. You saved him.”

Jenna knelt down too, and the family surrounded her on every side. Small hands patted her face and hair, and the heat from Blake’s body radiated around her in a comforting embrace.

Jenna was sobbing, though she clearly was trying to suppress the cries pouring from her throat. “Thank you for saving my baby. I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”

Paradise closed her eyes and let them touch her, heal her with their honest love and gratitude. She opened her eyes and stared at Jenna, then at Blake. “It wasn’t me. God was in that enclosure tonight. I couldn’t have done it on my own. I—I felt him.”

And while she had much to learn, she felt the boulder she’d been carrying for so many years roll off and vanish. Maybe she wasn’t beyond hope.

***

None of them could have lived here if they’d lost this little guy. The animals would have been a constant reminder of the danger that had suddenly stolen him away. Blake’s arms tightened around Isaac, and he rested his chin on the boy’s head against his chest. Isaac had fallen asleep as soon as they’d gotten home, even though dinner was ready. None of the rest of them could force down a morsel either. The near tragedy had stolen their appetites, and Mom had put the food away without comment.

Blake couldn’t tear his gaze away from Paradise’s beautiful face. She’d managed to compartmentalize her fear and save his little brother. If he wasn’t already crazy about her, her bravery tonight would have sealed the deal.

“This has gone too far.” Blake choked out the words past the fear that had lodged in his throat for the past hour. The solid weight of his little brother on his lap on the sofa reinforced howbadly this could have gone. “If the gate was unlocked, someone left it that way on purpose to try to hurt me. I hadn’t made my rounds yet tonight, but I would have gone in there and been vulnerable to an attack. I ordered some additional cameras a few days ago, and they should be here soon. We have to find the culprit.”

“And why would he think Tigey had cubs?” his mom asked. “Someone had to tell him.”

“He said he heard some visitors say there were tiger cubs,” Levi said from his spot nestled against Paradise. “He was sure it had to be Tigey with the babies.”

Paradise sat beside him with her feet curled under her. The faint scent of plumeria wafted from her. They should move the boys to bed, but none of them wanted the boys out of their sight. Blake studied her serene expression. She seemed different after having just faced down a white tiger to rescue Isaac. He’d been shocked by her mention of God being with her, knowing what he did about her struggle with faith.

His mother carried in a tray, and the aroma of strong coffee wafted toward him. “I thought we could all use some brain fuel. It’s a given that none of us are ready for bed and won’t be for hours. I don’t think I can sleep tonight at all, and I’m going to have both boys sleep with me.”

“I’ll take them and let you get some rest,” Blake said.

His mom shook her head. “I need them with me.”

“I get it,” he said. She’d laid two men in the dirt, and tonight’s awful incident had made terror rear its horrifying head.

“We need help to figure this out,” Paradise said. “Could we hire an investigator? I have a little bit of savings I could throw into the pot.”

“They’re expensive,” he said. “And Hez is digging for us for free. He never sends me a bill.”

“This might take up more time than he can spare for free,” his mother said. “But we aren’t helpless. We’re all smart. Let’s start with interviewing all our employees. Someone had a key, Blake. This wasn’t some random person off the street. That lock wasn’t broken, right? It had been left open on purpose.”

Blake shifted Isaac’s small form. “It wasn’t broken, just unlocked. I examined it after everyone was safe.”

“Can we make everyone account for their keys?” Paradise asked. “Do you know how many keys have been made for black locks? What’s the color mean anyway?”

“Black is the highest security,” Mom said. “We use them for the big cats and other predators. Green is for animal habitats, and blue is for generic gates like the front entrance. A key that opens the black gates will open anything in the park. I have a list of who has what keys on my computer. Let me go check it.” She rose and went down the hall, and her office light came on.

Blake reached across the sofa and took Paradise’s hand. “Doing okay?”

Her fingers closed around his. “I’m not even shaking. I think maybe God really was in there with us.”

He squeezed her fingers. “I’m sure that’s true.” Her full lips were slightly parted, and he checked the impulse to kiss her. They were still reeling from the events of the evening, but he wanted nothing more than to pull her onto his lap and bury his face in her hair.

His mom came back in. “There are eleven black keys out, most of them with the predator keepers. Tomorrow I’ll personally talk to every employee who has one in their possession and ask to see it. I want to make sure they haven’t lost a key.”

“Maybe it would be better for me to talk to them. You tend to be too sweet, Mom. They might snow you.”

His mother wrinkled her nose. “This mama bear has her teeth bared, Blake. I want to do it. I promise I’ll be fierce without a trace of sweetness.”

The fire in her blue eyes convinced him and he nodded. “Okay, Mom, it’s all yours. You want me to be there too?”

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