Page 72 of Theirs to Take

The tall guy standing in the corner laughed and pointed his gun into Ruby’s side, causing her to sob. “You’re not the one calling the shots here, tough guy.”

“Understood,” Luke said, “please, just don’t hurt her.” His panic was tangible, and he worried that Ranger getting his cryptic text and showing up was his only hope of both of them surviving. It was a long shot and one that he wasn’t willing to sit around and wait to happen.

“Well, that will be up to you,” the other guy said. “You have some information that we need.”

“I don’t know what information that you think that I have, but I’ll tell you anything you want to know, as long as you don’t hurt her,” he said, nodding to Ruby. The fear in her eyes was almost too much for him to bear. Luke would do best not to look at her if he planned on keeping his cool in all of this.

“Where are Joo Won’s wife and two sons?” the tall guy asked. He kept his son trained in Ruby’s side as if Luke’s answer would determine his next move.

“Joo Won,” Luke breathed. That wasn’t a name that he had heard for over five years now. Won was one of the names on their watch list while he was stationed in South Korea. At one point, Won had been a contractor who worked with the American government, but then, he went rogue. He was suspected of espionage against his own country and had ties to the North Korean government. The last thing Luke had heard was that the North Korean government had Won’s family. They were holding them until he agreed to give them the information that they wanted. Won had gone underground just before Luke was shipped back home.

“Was Won the reason why I was sent back stateside?” Luke asked. “Was he the one following me back in South Korea?”

“Now you’re catching on,” the tall guy said. “We almost had you, but then, your government sent you home and for years, you were out of reach. But Won never stopped looking for his family and he’s under the impression that you know where they are.”

“I think Won might believe that my clearance was higher than it actually was. I have no idea where his family is. Even if I did know where they were being held back then, who’s to say that they’re still in that same place and haven’t been moved?” He left out the part about them possibly being killed after so much time because he was sure that would only piss off the two men with guns. That was the last thing that they needed.

“I think our boss is onto something,” the other guy said. “He told us that you knew where to find his family, and I think that still holds true.” He had no clue where Won’s family was. Hell, he’d only heard rumors that they were being held in North Korea back when he was in the military, but he didn’t even know that for certain. If he couldn’t give them a believable answer, he’d end up getting them both killed.

“Fine,” he spat. “I have information, but I won’t hand it over until she’s safe. You want me to tell you where Won’s family is being held, you let her go,” Luke insisted. “It’s the only way that I’ll talk.” He worried that he was pushing them and that they’d hurt Ruby in retaliation. He felt as though he was holding his breath waiting for what their next move would be.

“We let her go and you’ll give us the information that you have about Won’s family?” the tall guy asked.

“Yes,” he breathed. “You have my word.”

“We have more than your word,” the other guy said. “We’ll kill you and then find and kill her if you’re lying to us.”

Luke was sure that they were telling him the truth. They would kill them both if he fucked this up, but this way, Ruby and their unborn child would have a fighting chance. “Understood,” Luke said. “Do we have a deal?”

The second guy shrugged, “Sure,” he agreed. “Let her go.” The tall guy looked at him as if he’d lost his mind, but he followed orders and let Ruby up from the kitchen chair.

“Luke,” she sobbed. The tall guy pushed her past where Luke sat across the room, and he shook his head at her.

“Just go, Ruby,” he insisted. “Please,” he begged. She wiped the tears that were now spilling down her face and nodded.

“I love you,” she whispered as the tall guy practically pushed her out the back kitchen door. He didn’t say it back, he couldn’t speak past the lump that had formed in his throat. If he had, he’d beg her not to go, beg them to let both of them go so that their baby would have two parents, but that would be a mistake. This way, Ruby and his baby would have a fighting chance—even if it would be without him.

Ruby

Ruby grabbed her purse and keys from the ground where the guy had thrown them. He told her to get lost and not to even think about going for help or coming back to rescue Luke. She nodded and promised that she wouldn’t. The tall guy promised to find and kill her and Luke if she did anything so foolish, and all she could seem to do was agree with him. But that was total bullshit because the very first thing she planned on doing was finding Ranger and begging him to help Luke. She couldn’t lose him—she’d only just found him. They were going to be parents and she was sure that she couldn’t go through that alone. Her baby deserved to have both parents to grow up with, and she had to make that happen no matter what the consequences.

She backed out of the driveway as the guy stood on the porch and watched her. She didn’t bother to look back in the rearview mirror, knowing that watching him walk back into that house to confront the man that she loved, was something she might not be able to do. Ruby couldn’t help Luke if she didn’t find Ranger first. She needed his help and going back to the house without him would only end up getting both her and Luke killed.

Ruby pulled her cell phone from her purse and dialed Ranger’s number that Luke had programmed into her phone in case of emergency. Ever since finding out that she was pregnant, he started doing things like that, just in case. Ranger answered the call after the first ring.

“Ruby,” he growled into the phone. “Tell me that you both are safe.”

“I am, but they have Luke,” she said. “Please, Ranger, you have to help him.”

“I’m on my way,” Ranger assured. “I got a cryptic text from Luke and knew that something was up. Where are you now?”

“I just left Luke’s house. He bargained with them to release me for the information that they want,” she sobbed.

“Okay, listen to me,” Ranger ordered. “I need for you to go back to your old apartment. Can you do that for me? Go to Millie’s place. She’ll know what to do. I’ve gone over this with her a million times.”

“I can do that,” Ruby promised. “Just get to Luke and keep him safe. I can’t lose him. I’m pregnant.”

“Oh,” Ranger breathed. “I’ll do my best, Ruby. I love Luke like he’s a brother. I need for you to tell me who the men were and what they wanted.”

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