Ripped Apart Read online

  “So you never believed he would just disappear, did you? You flushed him out like those hit men in San Antonio.“

  “That was the plan—God, Clare, you tackled him like a linebacker.” His arms tightened around her to pull her close, and Clare buried her face in his shoulder.

  “I had to do something. I told you if it came to making a choice, I wanted you to save Tyler—and you did. But someone else helped us, too.”

  Clare pulled away from him and faced Manuel. Her face flushed that they must have appeared to forget him.

  “Mr. Castillo, forgive us—” she began.

  “No need. Everything is as it should be.” Manuel glanced with disgust at the body already covered by a white sheet. “He and that fucking Eduardo won’t be stealing from me anymore.”

  He’d said the last words almost under his breath but Clare had picked them up. Everything Jake had told her about the Castillo drug cartel flashed through her mind and she felt an icy chill.

  She was gaping at Manuel again, and she sensed Jake’s tension beside her. Manuel clearly had no intention of speaking to him or acknowledging him. To her surprise, Jake slowly held out his hand to Manuel.

  “Thank you.”

  Manuel didn’t move for what seemed to Clare an eternity. His expression was unreadable. He clearly measured Jake and Jake stared right back at him—until Manuel gave the slightest nod and shook Jake’s hand.

  “Mommy!”

  Clare spun around at the sound of Tyler’s voice, and she winced at the stinging in her leg. Jake wound his arm around her waist to steady her. She forgot the pain, though, as the nurse hurried forward to deposit Tyler in her arms. The woman’s reassuring nod told Clare in an instant that he was okay in spite of the unexpected jostling he’d suffered. His face still wet with tears, he pointed at the ambulance.

  “Is that the bad man, Mommy?”

  Clare’s heart sank for him to see the blood seeping through the sheet but she nodded. She knew the truth was best in helping him to understand everything that had happened to him. “Tyler, he won’t hurt you anymore.”

  “He won’t hurt you?”

  “No.”

  “He won’t hurt Jake?”

  Clare hugged Tyler close and kissed his cheek, and her gaze met Jake’s. “No, sweetheart. Everything’s going to be all right now.”

  “Would you kindly introduce me to your son, Miss Carson?”

  Clare drew in her breath at Manuel’s unexpected request and turned to face him. She met his dark eyes, but she saw no malice and she took another leap of faith with Jake standing behind her. “Tyler, this man is our friend. Manuel Castillo. He helped us so we could go home.”

  She watched silently as Manuel enveloped one of Tyler’s small hands in his larger one, and to her surprise the man bent his head and kissed Tyler’s fingers. When Manuel straightened, Clare was even more stunned to see tears in his eyes, his voice thick with emotion as he faced her.

  “You have a fine boy, just like our Daniel. Take good care of him.”

  Clare nodded, but before she could say anything Manuel turned and walked away. Rico fell into step behind him as they left the hanger and climbed into a black sedan that pulled up as if out of nowhere. Within seconds, the vehicle disappeared down the tarmac.

  The enormity of everything that had happened hitting her, Clare finally believed she no longer had to fear Tyler being taken away from her. She hugged Tyler closer and looked at Jake. “Did you know Manuel Castillo was in the hanger?“

  “Not a clue, but he must have had the same instincts about Reed. I didn’t see them until his man Rico came up alongside the ambulance. No wonder the Feds are still trying to nab him. Damned amazing. The guy earned himself a couple of brownie points as far as I’m concerned.”

  “Just a couple? You shook his hand, didn’t you?”

  “Seemed like the thing to do. Surprised myself, too.” Jake grunted as Clare jabbed him with an elbow. “Okay, a truckload of brownie points.”

  “I want a brownie, Mommy.”

  “Oh, sweetheart, you can have as many as you want once we get home.” She shifted Tyler in her arms but the pain in her leg had grown more uncomfortable. Too her surprise, the same nurse who had hustled Tyler away appeared with a wheelchair.

  “Sit down, Clare, and I’ll carry him,” Jake said as he carefully took Tyler from her. “Hey, buddy, think you’d like to go on an airplane ride?”

  Tyler gave a quick nod, but then he looked uncertainly at Clare. “Is Mommy coming, too?”

  “You bet.” Jake reached for Clare’s hand and gave it strong squeeze. “I’m not going anywhere without her—that is, if she’d like the company.”

  Jake looked as if he wasn’t sure what her answer might be, but Clare gave his hand a good strong squeeze right back and a slow smile spread across his face. “Why not? You might need my help some time—and we make a pretty good team.”

  “Just what I’d hoped you’d say. C’mon. Let’s go home.”

  About the Author

  Miriam Minger is the award-winning author of ten bestselling historical romances. Writing as Miriam Aronson, she is also the co-author of the popular Little Mike and Maddie series of children’s picture books about an adventuresome pair of dogs and their motorcycle escapades. Ripped Apart is Miriam Minger’s first thriller.

  Thrillers by Miriam Minger:

  Ripped Apart

  Historical Romances by Miriam Minger:

  Twin Passions

  Stolen Splendor

  A Hint of Rapture

  Captive Rose

  Defiant Impostor

  The Pagan’s Prize

  Wild Angel

  Secrets of Midnight

  My Runaway Heart (sequel to Secrets of Midnight)

  Wild Roses (sequel to Wild Angel)

  Children’s Picture Books by Miriam Aronson:

  Little Mike and Maddie’s First Motorcycle Ride

  Little Mike and Maddie’s Black Hills Adventure

  Little Mike and Maddie’s Christmas Book

  To read more about the above titles or to share any comments, visit http://www.walkerpublishing.net or write to [email protected].

  Miriam Minger’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/MiriamMingerfans

  Follow Miriam Minger on Twitter @miriamminger

  Table of Contents

  Title page

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  About the Author

  Table of Contents

  Title page

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN<
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  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  About the Author