The Other Side - J. D. Robb [131]
The dog snatched up the meat and took off running.
Hearing the crash, Tyler peered around the corner of the building. Spying Jake in the headlights, he started running toward him.
Jake couldn’t believe his eyes. He opened his arms and scooped up the little boy, hugging him to his heart.
“I’ve been looking for you. Your poor sister is waiting at home, worried sick about you.”
The boy buried his face in Jake’s neck.
“Thanks for making this easy.” A voice behind them had all the blood freezing in Jake’s veins.
Mark gave a chilling laugh. In his hand was a small, silver pistol. “Now I get to kill two birds with one stone.” He turned to the driver of the car. “If you value your life, you’ll get back in that wreck and drive.”
The man, seeing Mark’s gun, scrambled into his car and drove away, tires screeching.
Vanessa grabbed hold of his door and clung before climbing in beside him. As he swerved around a corner she reached into his pocket and held out his cell phone. Seeing it, he stood on the brakes, brought his car to halt, and dialed nine-one-one.
Very deliberately, Jake set Tyler down and muttered under his breath, “When I make a move, you run as fast as you can between those buildings.”
He straightened and took up a position in front of the boy, shielding him with his own body.
“Trying to be a hero, are you?” Mark gave an evil smile. “It won’t work. You’ve meddled for the last time, carpenter.”
As he took aim, Vanessa returned to Ted’s side and the two hovered beside Jake and Tyler, desperate to stop the carnage but unable to come up with anything more.
Just then, police cars appeared from both directions, filling the street with lights and sirens. Half a dozen officers leapt from their cars and took aim with automatic rifles at the man holding the gun.
A bullhorn announced, “Police. Toss aside your weapon at once.”
Mark hesitated, but seeing the number of armed men, was forced to comply. In the blink of an eye the scene was swarming with men shouting orders, with Mark facedown in the middle of the street.
Jake and Tyler were whisked off to a police car.
As they headed away from the scene, the little boy wrapped his arms around Jake’s neck and burrowed against his chest. Riding along, Ted and Vanessa were alternately laughing and weeping with relief.
“Oh, Ted. You did it. Luring that dog right in the path of Jake’s truck was brilliant.”
“Sheer desperation, babe. But it wouldn’t have been enough if you hadn’t forced that other driver to do the right thing and phone the police. We saved our boy, and that’s all that matters.”
“No, Ted darling. This is what matters.” Vanessa pointed to Christina, Mrs. Mellon, and Bonnie, all standing on the porch as the police car pulled up the driveway, and all of them weeping copious tears of joy.
It was one of those perfect California days, the sun shining brightly in a clear, cloudless sky.
Guests sat on chairs arrayed with white satin skirts and bows that had been arranged in a semicircle around a platform dressed with urns of white hydrangeas and trailing ivy.
Ted and Vanessa watched their daughter as she made her way along the white carpet. Her gown was a long sweep of ivory silk. The veil was the same one that had been worn at her mother’s wedding.
Christina paused to hug Mrs. Mellon, who was weeping softly, and Bonnie, who handed her a lace-edged handkerchief for luck, before she ascended the platform where Jake and Tyler, in matching tuxedos, stood proudly waiting.
While the judge spoke the words that united them, Vanessa turned to her husband, tears of joy sparkling on her lashes. “We chose well, didn’t we, Ted darling?”
“That we did, babe. See how much he loves our children?”
“Jake Ridgeway turned out to be the perfect champion.”
Seeing a shimmering light, they turned to welcome Lily as she drifted