Page 93 of Operation Protector
“Shut up, idiot child.”
The fury in the mother’s voice made a chill go down her spine.
“You shut up,” Grace retorted.
And then she heard a yelp from Grace, a shout from Colby, the sound of a door opening and a “Don’t even think about it,” from Teague.
Her first instinct was to charge into the room, but Quinn held her back. “Not yet. Timing is crucial. And evidence, to win in the end.”
That reminded her this was all being recorded. It was an effort, but she stayed put.
“You take one more step toward us, you bastard, and she goes over!” Liz was shrieking now. And beneath that horrid sound, she thought she heard a tiny scream of fear.
“Boss?” Liam’s voice sounded like she felt, and Ali didn’t like that. The young tech wizard held out his phone for them to see.
Liz was out on the deck, had Grace in her grasp, and even as they watched, pulled the child up onto the railing.
“Take another step,” Liz screeched, “and I’ll drop her!”
Three stories up, nothing but rocks and a stone patio below.
A fall would kill her.
Quinn looked at Ali. “I think we need that moment.”
She nodded. Steeled herself. She knew what her goal was. Grace, and Grace alone. She pasted the biggest smile she could manage on her face. With Cutter at her heels she grabbed the knobs and pushed the double entry doors open and strode into the room.
“Liz? Oh, there you are,” she said cheerfully. “They said I’d find you here.”
The woman gasped and spun around, gaping at her. And in that moment Grace pulled free of her mother’s grip. Ali saw her start to grin victoriously, but then she wobbled and started to fall backward. That fatal drop. She screamed in fear.
Cutter ran. The dog arrived just in time to catch the sleeve of Grace’s jacket in his strong jaws, using the vertical bars to hold himself back from the drop. And in the next split second Colby was there.
Without hesitation he went over the rail himself. He hung on to the decking with one hand as he reached down with the other. He caught Grace’s wrist just as her jacket began to rip. Ali wasn’t sure how he did it, but knew she was seeing just how strong he really was as he pulled his precious girl to safety.
Only when she was safely back on the deck did he start to pull himself up and over the railing. There was an instant when he nearly slipped and Ali gasped. But then his strength overcame gravity, and he was safely back. Grace clung to him like the lifeline he was and he hugged her fiercely.
Liz had turned as if to run toward the doors, but the moment she realized the woman was going to run, Ali stepped in front of her.
“I don’t think so,” she said, letting all the contempt she was feeling show in her voice.
Liz tried to shove her aside, but froze as Quinn stepped between them. Liz gaped up at the man she’d never seen, butwhose steady stare had likely made worse people than her back down.
Gavin spoke, and sounded just amused enough to put the icing on Liz’s humiliation. “Lovely.” He plucked the disguised mini camera from his shirt collar, and let her see it. “And now, in addition to the recordings the sheriff will obtain from your nanny cams, we have you on video for child abuse, assault and attempted murder. And investigations will be opened in the next few days into many of the Hollen financial dealings. Say goodbye to your luxurious life, Elizabeth Hollen. Oh, and you might call your father, when they let you near a phone, and tell him you’ve managed to destroy his life, too.”
“Are we going to go home soon?” Grace asked hopefully.
“Very soon,” Colby promised.
Quinn had had them all decamp to a meeting room at a resort lodge Foxworth had rented down the hill, based on the accurate assumption that none of them wanted to stay in that house any longer than they had to. Then he had told them he would be flying them, including Grace, home as soon as the weather made it possible. Liam was busy gathering all their gear, then he would fly back with Gavin, who would stay as long as it took to deal with the locals. Then the attorney would head back himself to deal with the fallout at home, including any government agency that might want to get their hands on Grace.
“Where were you in the house?” Ali asked the girl. “We searched the bottom and second floor, and Cutter didn’t find any sign of you.”
“I was hiding in the library. Down the hall from where she was in that room. She never goes in the one at home. I was figuring out a way to sneak out.”
Colby was still holding her tight against his chest with one arm. Ali was next to them, and his other arm was around her. He felt a bit drained, but that didn’t matter, not when the three of them were together. And having Cutter at their feet, Cutter who had essentially saved her life by delaying that fall that precious second so he could get to her, was beyond comforting.
“Then what were you going to do?” Ali asked.
