Page 48 of Two Favors Repaid

Emma shrugged. “No idea. But he’s been up there for a long time,” Emma whispered.

“Did he say where he was taking us?”

Emma shook her head.

“I’m not sure he knows. The man is mad, Rob. You can see it in his eyes.”

“What’s that, angel?” Ford’s voice boomed from the doorway. He jumped down the steps and was by them in an instant. Not long enough for Rob to pretend he was still unconscious.

“Ah, you decided to join us again, Chief Deputy Hope. This is perfect. Just perfect.” Ford looked outside, where the sky was getting lighter by the second. From where he sat, Rob saw open sea in all directions. “The dawn of a bright new day. And I think it’s going to be a great one.”

The cut over Rob’s eye throbbed with a life of its own, but he ignored it.

“There’s an international manhunt for you, Ford, centered on Sharp’s Cove. If you value your freedom, you really should be getting out of here,” Rob said calmly.

“Don’t you worry your pretty head about me. We both know the FBI is eagerly following the crumb trail I left for them to follow. They must be somewhere near … I don’t know … Arkansas by now? It’ll keep them entertained for a while.”

Rob shook his head.

“What do you want?”

Ford wagged his finger at Emma. “You sure you want to keep him, Emma, angel? It took him long enough to ask.”

Emma glowered at Ford but didn’t say anything.

“What I want is simple, really. I want revenge. I want those who turned my life upside down to pay for what they did.”

“You’re a rapist and a murderer, Ford. There’s no one to blame for what happened to you except yourself,” Rob spat out.

Ford replied with a hard punch to Rob’s gut. Rob managed to tense his stomach muscles just in time, protecting his ribs, but still the blow drove all air out of his lungs.

“You,” he said, looking at Emma. “And your friend the sheriff, my Natalie, are to blame. Think of how much she will suffer when she finds her best friend and her colleague dead. Killed by sharks in a terrible accident.”

Rob shook his head. The man was truly delirious.

“You’re insane, Ford. Nobody’s going to believe that. Let us go now. You’ll still have a head start, you can run away anywhere you like.”

“And you’ll just let me go, right, Chief Deputy? Why don’t I believe you?”

“Nobody’s going to believe a shark killed us,” Emma said in a small voice.

“I think people will believe almost anything. They believed me for over a decade, if you recall.” He smiled, as if thinking of the time fondly.

Suddenly there was a sharp claxon sound right outside. Rob recognized the sound of Jessy’s jet ski. For a moment his heart soared then fell just as quickly. The last thing he wanted was to put some other woman in danger.

“What the hell,” Ford said. He stood on the side of the window, looking out. From where he sat, Rob couldn’t see anything. “Can a man not commit murder in peace in this town anymore?”

“Hey, Rob! What are you doing out here at this time in the morning?” Jessy’s voice yelled from outside.

“Do you know that young lady? Damn, she’s pretty,” Ford said, smacking his lips.

He’s baiting you.

And yet the barb hit home. He wondered what alternatives he had.

Ford came closer to Emma and brought his blade near her neck. “Before either of you try to come up with any brilliant ideas, know that I will bathe in our dear Emma’s blood without a moment’s hesitation if you make a noise.”

Rob shook his head quickly. “Please. We’ll be quiet. She’ll go away.”