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CHAPTER FOURTEEN

I f Robert had wondered before how Nina had killed his wife, Nina’s kick cleared the haze from his eyes.

He hadn’t met anyone with blood trickling down their throat, a knife still pressed to the wound and a man threatening to butcher them who’d so calmly and collectedly wait for the right moment to strike.

If people didn’t panic when death stared them in the face, it would make rescue so much easier.

Nina Banerjee was one such person.

Robert had thought she was ready to pass out. But just as he’d convinced Shah to let her go, she’d lashed out with a kick straight into the man’s nuts.

Shah bent over, clutching the area between his legs and screaming. Still Nina wasn’t done. She turned and slammed her booted foot into the man’s family jewels again.

Another bellow dripping with abject pain. But Nina wasn’t waiting around to hear it. She’d turned and started sprinting down the road.

Robert unfroze from his spot. He’d be damned if she got away again.

The sea of people gaping at the howling Shah parted for Nina.

If he’d been just a few inches shorter, Robert would’ve missed her, especially under the dancing shadows the lights cast. But towering over most people like he did, Robert spotted Nina’s head bobbing as she zigzagged her way through the crowd.

Forgetting about Shah – someone would deal with him, he was certain – Robert commanded his feet to move. Unlike Nina, he cut across the crowd, calling for people to give way. Nina wasn’t Finn, and this time round, Robert was prepared. Before standing out in the cold handing those damned leaflets to people, he’d first warmed up his body with a bit of exercise, and that stood him in excellent stead right then. His feet lapped up the distance, closing in on Nina.

When she was just a shop distance away, Robert spotted a splash of neon yellow. Police. Of course someone had given them a call after Shah had pulled that blade.

If Nina stayed and the cops took her in for an interview, she would have the opportunity to escape after they let her go. And if she escaped now, she would certainly go to ground, never to be heard from again.

Robert dove for her, clutching her by the shoulders and pulling her against his body. She tumbled into his arms, her breaths puffing out in pants, her chest heaving.

For a moment, they just stood there, her back pressed against his front, her sweet floral scent tickling his nostrils, beckoning that sexual haze again.

His hands tightened on her shoulders. Focus, Robert! He took a breath and followed his own order. ‘There are two cops on our right. If you keep running, they’ll spot you. Follow me.’

He wove their arms together and tugged her to the left, towards a side alley. A service van lingered at the end of it, someone loading and unloading a few cardboard boxes.

Apart from that and the pieces of wrappers and cans littering the floor, the alley was empty. Someone had used it as their personal lavatory, but Robert didn’t care.

Nina snorted, trying to tug away. ‘Aren’t you a cop?’

Robert shot her a side glance. ‘Aye, but not at the moment.’

He pulled her along, urging her to walk faster. Not being able to keep up with his pace, she jogged a bit. Again, he didn’t mind. Robert had one goal in mind – to get her away. And he needed someone to check out her wound. If it wasn’t deep, it might’ve already stopped bleeding. He gave her a once-over. Nina was jogging – not the hallmarks of someone feeling dizzy or in pain. In fact, she wore a scowl, her brain clearly working through some conundrum.

‘Why are you interested in getting me away?’

Robert didn’t respond. ‘Less talking, more moving.’

The van driver shot their little walk-jog a glance, then turned away when someone said something from the doorway he was unloading goods into.

‘Hey!’ A shout from behind halted them. Oh no, no, no!

Nina’s feet stuttered; she hadn’t realised Robert had stopped. A gasp slipped from her parted lips, then she turned and saw who’d stopped them. Now her dark eyes grew wider. Apparently, she wanted to avoid the police as much as he wanted her to avoid them.

For now, of course. Eventually, Robert planned to lead her behind bars, and to do so, he’d need help from the police. But if they took Nina now, she would be the victim, not the criminal.

As Cheryl had screamed at Robert last night when she’d found out about his little plan to trap Nina that they didn’t have a lot of evidence against her. But he would find the damned evidence.

‘You need to stop there, mate,’ the police officer said.

One look at him and Robert pegged him as a new police constable – his boots were shiny and too stiff to have been broken in.

Robert tightened his hand around Nina. She was now tugging at their conjoined arms harder, wanting to break free. ‘Aye?’

The police constable jogged closer. ‘We need to bring you in for questioning.’

Nina made a sound, something which sounded like a strangled gasp. Her hand rose to cup her throat. Was she choking?

Robert pulled her closer, hugging her from the side.

‘Let me go!’ she whisper-yelled.

He cupped her chin and tilted it upward to check the wound. To the police constable, he said, ‘I’m PC Robert Muller. She needs to see a medic.’

The police constable paused, then thrust a thumb over his shoulder. ‘The paramedics are that way.’

Robert studied the wound on Nina’s neck, then whispered, ‘Does it hurt?’

Bent so close to her as he was, that floral scent was back. He looked up and found her wide eyes trained on him. The space between her eyebrows furrowed, and her mouth fell open just a bit.

Robert’s heart clenched. She was so beautiful. Vulnerable like this, her features no longer sharp and efficient, that sweet scent of hers… she was a woman you held and loved.

‘Sir?’

The voice broke through their little bubble, startling Robert. What the hell had they been talking about?

Nina straightened and clutched Robert’s wrist. ‘I’m okay.’

Aye, right, the paramedics.

Robert swallowed and gestured to where they were headed. ‘I was told the medics are that way. We’ve no time to lose. She might lose consciousness.’

The constable hesitated, and Robert used the opportunity to put some distance between him and them.

The van driver had now dropped his boxes and was staring at them, hands on hips, mouth agape.

‘Can I see a warrant card, PC Muller?’

Robert shut his eyes. Of course the damned constable would ask for his ID.

Nina took a shaky breath.

He squeezed her even closer, closer than there was need to, and shot over his shoulder, ‘We have to go now!’

‘But I-I will… I’ll come with you.’

Shite!

‘There’s no need for that, Constable.’ A woman stepped from the doorway beside the van. Her heels clicked on the stone pavement as she sauntered onto the road. Cheryl.

She held up her warrant card to the constable. ‘DI Spiers.’ Then she jerked her head to where Robert was headed. ‘Don’t waste time, Constable Muller. We need her to live.’

Not about to argue with a detective inspector, the constable nodded and turned. ‘I’ll get the medics,’ he shouted over his shoulder.

Robert mouthed a ‘thank you’ to Cheryl.

Cheryl leaned closer to Robert, then peeked around him at Nina. ‘Hmm, pictures can be deceiving, eh?’

What was that supposed to mean?

Before he could question her, Cheryl dropped a key into Robert’s hand. ‘All I have is this van. Get what you need, then hand her over to me.’

At Cheryl’s word, Nina pulled, twisting Robert’s arm. Pain snapped through him. ‘Jeez!’ he yelled at Nina. ‘You’re surrounded by cops. Your little escapist streak is over.’

Palming the key, he nodded at Cheryl. ‘Thanks. There will be fallout from this?—’

‘I’ll handle it,’ Cheryl cut him off and gestured to the van. ‘Now scram.’

He moved, dumping Nina into the passenger seat and starting up the car. But as he pulled out onto the road, leaving behind the scores of people hunting for them, a thought rose to his mind. If that constable hadn’t interrupted him back there, would he have leaned in and pressed his lips to Nina’s?

Robert gripped the steering wheel so tight, his fingers ached. But he wanted to erase the sensation of her curves against his palms, and the reaction he’d had when she’d glared at him.

She was his prisoner. An abductor never fell in lust with the abductee. No, whatever was happening to him, he would not give in. Nina Banerjee would face justice. He’d make sure of it.