Rush (Eligible Receivers #3)

Chapter Twenty-four

Nora pulled out her phone and checked the time. Only five minutes had passed since Linc had left. Time was moving at a snail’s pace. She rubbed her forehead, her headache starting to come back. Getting up, she went to the kitchen for more Tylenol before it got any worse.

She ran into the attractive woman in the expensive looking skirt suit, who she’d seen talking with Linc earlier. She stood with a hip to the counter talking on the phone. “No, Jerry, I said check your in-box for the contract, not the mailbox.”

Nora opened the cabinet and took out the bottle of painkillers, popping the lid and shaking three into her palm, all the while trying not to eavesdrop, but it was hard in the otherwise quiet room.

“I don’t care what time it is. You need to sign it tonight or the deal is off.”

Nora silently closed the cabinet door and got a bottle of water from the fridge.

“Yes, email it back. Goodbye, Jerry.” The woman disconnected the call and Nora swore she heard her mumble idiot under her breath.

Curiosity getting the better of her, instead of leaving the kitchen, Nora approached the woman. She was even more beautiful up close, with a sophisticated elegance that Nora could never hope to achieve.

“Hello, I’m Nora,” she said, holding out a hand. “I’m guessing you’re Liz, Linc’s manager.”

She took Nora’s hand in a firm grip, a small knowing smile curving her lips the only confirmation of her identity. Then as if being thoroughly inspected, the woman’s head tilted to the side, the diamond in her ear catching the light and nearly blinding Nora with its glare.

After a long moment when the woman still hadn’t said anything, Nora inquired, “You’ve known Linc longer than me, how did he seem to you?” While Liz and Linc had barely touched, their conversation had been intimate. They were very close in some way, and given Linc’s track record, Nora could take a wild guess how.

That brief thought must’ve shown on Nora’s face as Liz replied, “Steady, but even though I’ve known him longer, I’m just his manager.” She gave Nora a knowing smile. “And only his manager. I think you know him far better than I do by now.” Then she surprised Nora by saying, “I hope you aren’t blaming yourself for what happened today. That man would have gotten ahold of Sophie one way or another.” Liz was obviously as blunt as she was beautiful.

Nora swallowed and looked down at her toes. “I realize that.”

“Do you?”

Nora flinched at Liz’s harsh tone and snapped. “Well, even if I didn’t, you’d now be the last person I’d admit it to.”

A genuine smile transformed Liz’s features from sharp into something softer. “I knew I was going to like you.” She glanced at her phone. “Linc should be nearing the drop-off point soon. Shall we go eavesdrop on the police?”

Nora’s stomach dropped and she felt like she was about to throw up and it didn’t have anything to do with her head injury. If the police didn’t get Sophie back safely… No, she wouldn’t finish that thought. Sophie would be okay. She had to be.

Nora expected a lot more chaos when she walked back into the living room but the opposite was true. The remaining officers, both uniformed and tech crew, barely spoke while gathered around the radio listening for updates.

Suddenly, their sporadic chatter stopped altogether when the radio squawked to life and a male voice came over the line, which Nora assumed belonged to one of the detectives, saying the money had been dropped and Linc was on his way back. So far, no suspects had approached the alley.

Time slowed as they waited, Nora growing more and more anxious, until they finally heard, “ Possible suspect approaching on foot, crossing 15 th from the CozySleep motel and entering the parking lot. Looks to be Caucasian male, early-to-mid sixties .”

“That sounds like the man who took Sophie,” Nora blurted without thinking.

One of the officers nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

“ Possible suspect entering alley, east bound .”

Nora held her breath, waiting for the next update, which seemed to take forever to come.

“ Suspect exited alley with bag. Traveling westbound through parking lot on foot .”

Nora didn’t miss the upgraded status from possible suspect to suspect at that point.

Barely breathing, Nora listened as they tracked the man until he entered a room on the second floor of the motel across the street. Having the money drop so close to where they were staying was clearly an amateur move and more proof, to Nora’s way of thinking, it really was the Parkers. Not that knowing that made her feel much better, but at least that lowered the odds they were dealing with a psycho killer.

“ Car fifty-seven and eighty-six, get into position.”

Hearing the front door slam and knowing it had to be Linc, Nora rushed from the room to meet him halfway.

“What’s going on?” he asked as soon as she got to him.

She filled him in on everything that had happened, ending with, “I think they’re about to go after them.”

Which they did.

The next several minutes felt like a state of suspended animation, complete with slowed heart rate and sporadic, shallow breaths, feeling like, if she made the wrong move, the whole operation would fall to pieces. Logical—no. But then her logical brain had flown out the window the second Sophie had been taken.

“ Juvenile subject has been acquired safe and unharmed. Perpetrators in custody .”

The room erupted in applause when everyone heard Sophie was out of danger. Lightheaded with relief, Nora’s body literally sagged as she sank into the closest chair, her eyes darting around the room until they landed on Linc. He looked tired all of a sudden, as if worry had been the only thing keeping him going and now that it was gone he’d been drained. Still, he managed to smile. One that not only reached his eyes, but every facet of his expression as he was surrounded by congratulating officers, shaking his hand or slapping him on the shoulder.

So intent was her stare, she didn’t miss the instant his gaze found hers. They shared a moment, eyes locked, before his attention was pulled away, this time by Liz. Nora wished she knew what he’d been thinking in that instant because then she’d know if the decision she’d struggled with over the long course of the even longer night was the right one.

Nora paced from the kitchen to the hall, keeping an eye on the open front door while waiting for the police to arrive with Sophie. Being told she was safe was one thing, but Nora needed to see with her own eyes Sophie was unharmed before the knot in her stomach would fully go away. Linc stood sentry, his body filling most of the doorway, his eyes never leaving the street.

The sound of small, slapping footsteps had her head whipping around and she rushed toward the door.

Linc’s tall frame bent and he landed on his knees, arms opened wide, as the tiny whirlwind ran full out, her little arms pumping as she shouted. “UncaLincUncaLinc.”

The words were smashed together but unmistakable, regardless. Nora's hand flew to her heart, eyes filling. The high-pitched, lyrical voice they'd waited so long to hear felt like witnessing a miracle and she decided that if this moment was a dream, she never wanted to wake up from it.

Linc was obviously feeling the same because his own voice was thick with emotion as he wrapped Sophie in his arms and choked out. “Yeah, Peanut, that's me... Uncle Linc. I've missed you and I'm so happy you're home.” He pulled back just enough for Nora to see the tracks of his tears as he kissed Sophie's little cheek and muttered. “You are never allowed out of my sight again.”

Nora felt each of his words pierce her heart like tiny knives. Sophie wasn't allowed out of his sight. Not their sight, but his. And while the words were most likely rhetorical, the slight smacked her right in the face anyway.

“But Unca Linc, you hafta go to work and I’m gonna start school soon.”

Linc’s chuckle echoed through the hall as he situated Sophie on his knee, clearly unwilling to let her go. “You’re okay, yeah?”

Sophie nodded and the gesture was so much like the silent girl Nora had fallen in love with that she must've made some sound that caught Sophie’s attention. “Norwa!” She twisted from Linc’s arms and ran at her, wrapping herself around her legs so tightly that Nora had to brace herself. “You're okay too right?” she cried out. “He hurted you, I saw it!”

Wiping the wetness from hers and Sophie’s cheeks, Nora bent and returned the fierce hug with everything she had in her. “You were so brave and yes... absolutely, yes, I'm ok.” Kissing the top of her head, Nora squeezed a little tighter. She had no words for how she felt and was terrified that making a huge deal about Sophie speaking would send her back into her shell, so she rocked her gently back and forth, stealing a few precious moments to soothe them both.

One of the detectives approached as Linc scooped Sophie up into his arms, planting her on a hip. “We’ll get out of your hair. There we’ll be enough questions in the coming days, so you should take time with your family while you can.”

Linc held out a hand. “I can’t thank you enough for all your help.”

Going directly to the couch, Linc flopped down on it with Sophie on his lap. The night was finally catching up with all of them and Sophie was drifting off with her head on Linc’s shoulder as they watched the tech crew packing up the last of their stuff.

When Nora was certain Sophie was completely out for the count, she whispered. “I’m going to head upstairs and lie down for a bit.”

Linc raised his brows, seeming surprised, but covered it by saying, “You look tired. Try to get some rest. I’ll be doing the same soon. Just need to make a few phone calls, let the gang know Sophie is safe and talking up a storm.”

She trudged up the stairs, her feet feeling almost too heavy to lift but nowhere near as heavy as her heart as she made her way to her old room. Kicking off her shoes, she didn’t bother changing as she crawled between the sheets, hugging the spare pillow to her chest. With as physically and emotionally exhausted as she was, sleep should’ve been instantaneous, but it wasn’t. She lay there and listened to the sounds in the house—male voices, the opening and closing of the front door, the TV turning on. Then she lay there longer listening to the sounds of the house—its settling creaks and groans, electrical hums, the muffled swoosh of water through pipes. And she was still awake as the first light of dawn made an appearance through the window.

That’s when she got up, took a shower, and packed her bags.

She found Linc and Sophie sprawled on the living room couch, dead to the world, with the TV still on. She closed her eyes, imprinting the image in her mind. Goodbyes were always hard, but this one was exceptionally painful. As she’d sat alone in that chair for hours on end yesterday, she hadn’t tried to tell herself it wouldn’t be. She knew the devastation her decision would have on her heart.

Looking at Linc now, she still thought it was the right one.

She allowed a single tear to fall before swiping it away. She’d done her crying last night and this morning in the shower. She wouldn’t allow herself to cry again until she was alone. Because if she started crying again, she wasn’t sure she’d ever stop.

A soft little voice called her name as she made her way to the front door. Setting her bags down, she knelt in front of Sophie. “It’s early. What are you doing up?”

She rubbed an eye with a tiny fist. “Noises woke me.”

“The bad people are in jail. You have nothing to be scared of,” Nora reassured, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Are you leaving?”

Nora’s heart twisted and she choked back a sob, trying to keep her voice as even as possible when she explained, “I’m going to visit my brother for a while. But I’m just a phone call away if you need me, okay?”

“When’ll you come back?”

“I’m not sure, but I’ll miss you while I’m gone. Now give me a hug then get back on the couch and go back to sleep.”

“’kay.”

Nora closed her eyes and breathed in Sophie’s baby-powder scent while savoring the feel of her child-size arms encircling her neck. Then she watched Sophie climb back on the couch and waited until she became absorbed in a cartoon before silently letting herself out of the house.

Even with early morning commuter traffic, Nora was knocking on Oz’s front door in under ten minutes.

Awake and dressed in workout clothes, as she knew he would be now that training camp had started, Oz opened the door, surprise filling his expression when he saw her. “Hey, half-pint. What are you doing here so early? With the night you guys had, I figured you’d all be sleeping in.” His gaze shot over her shoulder to peer toward the driveway where her car was parked then zeroed in on the redness and swelling decorating the side of her face. “Did you come here alone? Should you even be driving right now?”

Absorbing the warmth and concern she heard in his tone, she threw herself at Oz and he engulfed her in his embrace. The tears started to flow as she buried her face in his chest.

“Okay, now you’re scaring me. You gotta tell me what’s wrong or I can’t help fix it.”

“I’m okay,” she mumbled against the soft cotton of his t-shirt before stepping out of his hold and wiping at her face, taking a second to get herself under control. “I wasn’t sure where else to go. I’m sorry for coming so early but—”

“Hey, now, you’re my sister. I’m here for you whenever you need me. Come on, let’s get you inside.”

He ushered her in and shut the door, waving her into the kitchen.

Oz nodded in the general direction of the coffee maker while pulling out his phone. “I just made a fresh pot. Help yourself to a cup while I call Coach and let him know I’ll be a little late.”

The aroma of coffee reminded her of just how little sleep she was working on. “Yeah, that might be a good idea.” She made herself a cup then pulled herself up onto a barstool at the kitchen island while Oz finished up his phone call.

Shoving his phone back into the pocket of his shorts, Oz picked up his own mug, taking a sip. “All right, now spill. And don’t try to feed me any I’m fine bullshit because we both know you’re clearly not.”

She stared down into her coffee, her hands cradling the heavy-weight ceramic for warmth. “It’s, um, over between Linc and me.”

“What the fuck did he do?”

Shocked by the steel in his tone, her head whipped up. “Nothing,” she quickly reassured. “But he blames me for what happened to Sophie and knowing that I couldn’t stay.”

Oz’s tense muscles didn’t relax. “You could’ve been killed by that asshole, he better not fucking blame you.”

“He made it pretty damn clear on the phone and doubled down when he could barely even look at me the whole night.” She took a ragged breath. “I really thought we were building something, Linc, Sophie, and I. If felt like we were becoming a family, but we failed at the first test. How could I have gotten it all so wrong? Maybe I got caught up in the fantasy, thinking his feelings for me were more significant than they were.”

She felt Oz’s hand land on her shoulder and looked up. “You didn’t get it wrong. I’ve never seen Linc happier than when he was with you.”

She sighed. “It doesn’t matter anymore. Whatever feelings he may have had are gone now. He lost faith in me, and a relationship can’t work without trust.”

“Then fuck him if he's so far up his own ass he can't see that you adore that little girl as much as he does.”

Taking a deep breath to squeeze out the ache in her heart, she pushed out her next words before she lost her nerve. “There’s a flight back to Kansas later this afternoon and I plan to be on it, but I couldn’t leave without seeing you first.”

Oz’s voice was suspiciously hoarse as he reasoned, “You don’t have to leave. You can stay here. We’ve got plenty of room now.”

“The new house is beautiful, Oz, truly, and I do love it here in Portland and being close to you, but I don’t think I can stay. You're not only friends with Linc but teammates. It hurts too much right now for me to take the chance I'll run into him. And the media coverage he gets here is crazy, you know that. What happens when he moves on? I just… I can't see that.”

His hand moved from her shoulder to clasp her hand and a lump formed in her throat that she struggled to swallow down. “There is something I need to tell you though. Before I came out here, I was so worried you’d resent me for what our father did. I felt so betrayed by my parents and know your feelings had to be a million times more. But the moment I met you, all those worries disappeared because you and Emerson both made me feel so welcomed and loved. You’re no longer just a name that I found on a piece of paper in the closet. You’re now a true brother who I love with all my heart. I may be leaving now, but we’ll keep in touch and I will be back. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

His eyes turned pleading. “If you mean that, stay and think things through before making any rash decisions about going back to Kansas. If you want to be alone, I know the perfect spot. I’ll rent you a place at Cyan Beach. It’s secluded and quiet and no one will know where you are. It’s the perfect place to heal. And when you get back we can talk some more. You have so many options. You can stay here with us and go back to school or find a job and get a place of your own. And yes, I know it’s selfish, but I’m not ready to let my baby sister go. Not after just finding her.”

Nora’s heart swelled, filling with even more love for her brother. “You’re going to make me cry again.”

His pleading eyes morphed into panic-filled ones as he held up two oversized hands. “Please don’t do that.”

The last thing she thought she’d ever do that day was laugh, but that’s exactly what she did as a watery chuckle slipped past her lips. “Okay, I’ll take you up on the first part and think about the second.”

He whipped out his phone. “I’ll book you a room now while you call the airport and cancel your flight. And Nora?”

“Yeah?”

“There’s not a friend or teammate I’d let come between us. If Linc really does blame you and is stupid enough to let you slip through his fingers, he’s not the man I thought he was. You keep that in mind, okay?”

“Stop talking and make that reservation or you really will see some waterworks.”

He couldn’t dial fast enough. “On it.”