Page 53 of Ransom for His Secret Son

Brody’s jaw flexed. “I’m not waiting.”

“Brody—”

Remi sighed and hit the red button, ending the call before Violet could argue any further. Later, she would owe Violet an apology for hanging up on her, but for now, they didn’t need the distraction. Violet had the address and would no doubt send backup. If it got there in time, great. If not, they’d handle this as a team because it was obvious nothing was going to stop Brody.

She turned her attention back to the address, pulling up what information she could on the search engine on her phone. “This place is part of a small vacation-rental setup. Looks like a handful of cottages on private land. Only one road in and out. It’s isolated.”

A perfect location for someone who didn’t want to be found.

Brody didn’t respond, but she could feel the tension radiating from every muscle in his body. They were still wearing their Kevlar vests, and they were armed, but those things might not be enough. Not when they were walking straight into the unknown.

“Get me my backup piece from the glove compartment,” Brody instructed.

Remi popped it open, retrieving the compact pistol and checking the magazine before handing it over.

Brody’s gaze flicked toward her briefly. She knew that look. He was about to tell her to stay in the car, that this was his fight, his son—his risk.

She didn’t give him the chance. “We’re in this fight together,” she said firmly.

His eyes held hers for a fraction longer before he gave a curt nod.

Then, without another word, he pushed the accelerator down harder, sending them racing toward the only lead they had left.

They didn’t speak as Brody continued to drive, but rather than sit and worry about what lay ahead, Remi focused on finding out who owned the cottage. It didn’t take her long to determine it wasn’t a single owner but rather a group of investors who specialized in building vacation sites. Neither Christina nor Eloise were part of that group. Nor was Langley, and that actually gave her some hope they might find the child there. They wouldn’t have stashed a baby away in a place that could be connected back to them.

So why might one of them have used this cottage?

Had it been Lila’s doing? Maybe. Then again, this could be the wild-goose chase that Tarrant wanted them on so he could eliminate them. He could already be at the cottage, lying in wait.

Brody took turn after turn, and the road narrowed as they turned off the highway, the pavement giving way to dirt and gravel. Tall trees loomed on each side, their trunks thick with underbrush, making it impossible to see beyond them.

Remi’s pulse drummed in her ears as she scanned the area. The cabins were spaced far apart, at least a quarter of a mile between them. Whoever built this place had wanted it to blend in with the landscape. The area was kept natural. Wild, secluded. A perfect place to hide.

Brody drove slowly, his eyes locked on the road ahead. “All the cottages back onto the creek,” Remi noted, double-checking the map on her phone. “It’s dense enough that someone could slip out the back and be gone before we ever knew they were here.”

“Then, we make sure they don’t get the chance,” Brody muttered.

He pulled the cruiser to a stop in front of the cottage. The place was small, rustic, with a deep wraparound porch and a single light burning above the front door. It looked empty. Too quiet.

Remi’s gut roiled.

She scanned the surroundings, her gaze sweeping over the tree line, the brush, the narrow driveway leading up to the house.

Something didn’t feel right.

That didn’t stop Brody from getting out. It didn’t stop her either. She hurried to keep up with him as he sprinted toward the door. And they almost made it. They were only a few feet from the porch.

When the shot rang out.

Chapter Fifteen

A bullet slammed into the ground inches from Brody’s leg, dirt and rock spraying up against his vest.

“Move!” he shouted to Remi as they dived for the cover of the thick shrubs near the cottage.

They were only about six feet away from each other, but Brody didn’t try to get to her to pull her down with him. There wasn’t time. More shots rang out from the trees, hammering the cruiser behind them. The car windows and body were bullet resistant which meant it’d be a heck of a lot safer than being out in the open like this. But it was too damn risky to try to make it back to the vehicle.

From the corner of his eye, Brody saw Remi drop down next to the bottom step of the porch. Good. It wasn’t ideal cover but it was better than nothing. He hit the ground hard, too, his breath punching out of his lungs as he scrambled to get behind some shrubs.