The Seal's Secret Child. Elisabeth Rees

an urgent need to quash these unrealistic hopes. “I know you want this story to have a happy ending, but Josie and I are two totally different people now. To tell you the truth, I get the feeling she doesn’t see me as a strong protector.”

      Tim seemed surprised. “You do?”

      “Since I lost my leg, I’ve gotten used to people treating me differently, assuming that I’m somehow weak and fragile. I know they’re well-intentioned, so I say nothing. But I’d never tolerate that attitude from somebody close to me.” He gave a soft laugh. “Maybe that’s why I’ve never fallen in love again. I’m waiting for a woman who treats me like a man with two legs.”

      Tim mulled over his next words for quite a while before saying, “Doesn’t Josie treat you like a man with two legs?”

      “No. She doesn’t even think I’m capable enough to carry a heavy suitcase, let alone chase down the bad guys.” He looked out the window wistfully. “She doesn’t see me the way she used to. She patronizes me.”

      “Don’t you think you should talk to her about the way you feel?”

      “No,” Blade replied quickly. “Our relationship is already pretty rocky. I don’t want to make it even more uncomfortable, so I’d appreciate you keeping this conversation between ourselves.”

      “I think you should be open with her,” Tim said. “She probably doesn’t realize that her comments are hurtful.”

      Blade shook his head. “She’s likely to be defensive, and I’d rather not start off on the wrong foot.” He laughed again. “Although I have only one foot to start off with anyway.”

      He then noticed Detective Pullman pick up the radio and put it to his mouth. “Carly, I think we’re being tailed. I recommend evasive action. Let’s go off our designated route.”

      Blade spun his head around to get a view of the pursuing vehicle. Behind them was the same stolen black sedan that had been parked across the street earlier, showing ragged signs of the earlier gun battle. As soon as Blade’s eyes came to rest on the man sitting behind the wheel, the car surged forward, ramming into the SUV’s bumper and sending the vehicle lurching forward.

      “Carly!” Detective Pullman shouted into the radio. “Let’s move. Now!”

      * * *

      Josie put her arm around Archie and pulled him close, placing her hand on his chest. His heartbeat was strong and steady, whereas her heart was beating like a jackhammer. Detective Sykes was driving at top speed, weaving her way through the quiet streets of Sedgwick in an attempt to lose the car pursuing them.

      “It’s okay, Mom,” Archie said, taking her hand. “Dad’s in the car behind. He won’t let the bad man get to us.”

      Josie closed her eyes and pulled Archie closer. Her son had built up an aura of invincibility surrounding his father. He knew that his father had been in the navy SEALs and, consequently, believed him to be some kind of all-conquering hero. But Josie knew different. Josie knew that Blade was a man with weaknesses and failings like any other. Yet she couldn’t burst her son’s bubble by telling him this. And she definitely couldn’t compete with the rough-and-tough persona that Archie had allocated to Blade. She felt sidelined.

      “Hold tight, guys,” Detective Sykes said, taking a sharp left and sending Josie and Archie leaning heavily to the side. “Don’t worry. We’re taking the scenic route to your new house.”

      “We’re not worried,” Josie said, forcing brightness into her voice.

      “I hope Sherbet is okay,” Archie said, looking up into his mother’s face. “I should have brought him with me.”

      “I’m sure he’s fine, honey,” Josie said, craning her neck to look back. She saw Detective Pullman at the wheel of the second SUV close behind. She could just make out the outlines of Blade and her dad in the seats behind him. Blade was positioned in a way that allowed him to observe the car on their tail, and she wished that her son was correct in his assumption that his father was invincible. They sure could use a hero right now. But she couldn’t expect Blade to be the action man he used to be. It simply wasn’t possible anymore.

      She saw Detective Pullman look in his rearview mirror and open his mouth, seeming to shout a warning to his passengers. The SUV pitched forward, having been hit from behind by the pursuer, and the vehicle momentarily mounted the curb, ramming into a fire hydrant so hard that a loud bang sounded. The tire had blown. They were sitting ducks.

      “They’re in trouble!” Josie shouted. “We should help them.”

      “We don’t stop unless we have to,” Detective Sykes said. “We follow protocol.”

      Then, quick as a flash, Blade jumped from the car and, using the open door as a shield, he began firing rapidly into the windshield of the black sedan, shattering the glass and creating an explosion of noise. Detective Sykes eased off the gas and took their vehicle to the end of the street before stopping at the side of the road and looking around to observe the scene anxiously. She picked up her radio and requested backup, shouting over the noise of firing bullets.

      Josie put her hands over her son’s ears and held his head on her chest.

      “It’s okay,” she whispered into his ear. “It’s all under control.”

      Looking back, she saw that Blade had been joined by Detective Pullman. Both men fired on the black sedan, alternately shouting orders for the man to exit the vehicle with his hands up. But this guy had taken cover by crouching beneath the dash and clearly had no intention of showing himself. Instead he put the car in Reverse, floored the gas pedal and careened backward, the tires squealing and smoking on the asphalt. He mounted the curb, veering wildly from side to side, but managed to bring the vehicle back onto the road and perform a skidding turn. Then he raced away, vanishing from sight in just a few seconds.

      Josie took her hands away from Archie’s ears and smiled at him. “The bad man has gone.”

      Blade appeared at the passenger side of their SUV, alert and watchful. He opened the door. “Tim and I will ride with you while Detective Pullman stays with his damaged vehicle,” he said, reaching into the backseat and touching his son’s cheek. “You okay, kiddo? That was a bit scary, huh?”

      Josie could see that a look of apprehension had crept onto Archie’s face. “Where’s Granddad? And where’s Sherbet?” He looked around. “He didn’t fly away, did he?”

      “Granddad’s right here,” Blade said, opening the back door to allow Tim inside. “And he’s got Sherbet with him, so scooch over and make some room.”

      Josie could hear the smooth, even tone of Blade’s voice, yet he couldn’t mask his urgency to leave this situation behind.

      Detective Sykes turned to Josie. “Detective Pullman will be just fine here until backup arrives, and he’ll ensure that the black sedan doesn’t come our way.”

      “There’s no way that his vehicle will get very far,” Blade said, sliding into the passenger seat and securing his belt. “The engine was pouring smoke from bullet damage. I figure he’ll be caught soon enough.”

      Josie looked down at her hands. She knew that these were hollow words, designed to comfort and reassure. This criminal was determined to catch her, determined to make her pay a heavy price for representing Norman Francis. And she had no doubt in her mind that he was already long gone, plotting how to find her and when to launch his next attack.

      She watched Archie lift the blanket on the birdcage and talk to Sherbet in a gentle voice. Her son was the most tender and kindhearted child in the world. He didn’t deserve this level of threat in his life. It just wasn’t fair. While she could take the danger and the risk, Archie was just a six-year-old boy. He was innocent of any wrongdoing.

      There was nothing else to do. She would have to send him away until the danger had passed, whether Blade liked it or not.