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  But what else could she have done?

  She was so tired of trying to keep it together, trying to rein in her emotions, trying to focus her energies on what she could do. She was too weak to try, and her desperation washed over her.

  Words sounded around her from Nathan, speaking to Detective Carter and the other officers. But all Arissa could think about was lying on the ground, watching Charity being taken away.

  Then a snatch of Bible verse came to her:

  He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire.

  She did feel as though she’d been dropped into a muddy pit, and a part of her wanted to stay there, to wallow in her despair.

  But then in her mind’s eye she reached for the hand held out to her. It had her in a firm grip. It wouldn’t let her fall.

  She wiped at her eyes, reached for another tissue from the box on Detective Carter’s desk and saw the worn Bible sitting on the edge of it. And she knew, somehow, it had been placed there just for her.

  She picked it up, thumbed through it. She remembered the verse because she’d read it recently. She was going through Psalms with her discipler. It didn’t take her long to find the full verses:

  He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.

  The last words were like a spear thrust into her heart. Trust in the Lord. In all her anxiety and urgency, in all her fear and confusion, not once had she stopped to think that all her efforts were just that—hers. Not God’s efforts.

  Because somehow she hadn’t trusted God to take care of her. She had kept thinking of more things she could do, almost as if she hadn’t thought God could do anything for them.

  Oh, God, forgive me.

  She sat there weeping, but a different sort of crying from what she’d been doing before. This was a crying that came up from the depths of her soul, calling out to God in a wordless entreaty she didn’t fully understand herself.

  And when she was finished, she felt tired but also covered with peace like a heavy quilt. God was with her, and with Charity. She didn’t know what He would do, but she knew she needed to trust Him.

  Detective Carter’s phone rang suddenly, and Arissa had a feeling she knew who the caller was.

  “Carter,” the detective answered, but then his gray eyes sharpened to deadly steel. He didn’t speak for a few seconds, then he opened his mouth, but was cut off. He put the handset back in the cradle with a grimness to his lips that spoke of tightly controlled anger.

  “He wants to trade Charity for one hundred thousand dollars.”

  “It’s a trap,” Arissa and Nathan said at the same time.

  A ghost of a smile appeared on Detective Carter’s face as he glanced between the two of them. “I figured that one out myself, thanks.”

  “When?” Nathan asked. “And where?”

  “Three hours at a cherry orchard outside Sonoma.”

  Arissa was confused. “That doesn’t make sense. You could range officers behind the trees all around him—”

  “No, the cherry tree trunks aren’t wide enough to hide anyone,” Detective Carter said. “It will be almost as open as a field.”

  “Did he mention Arissa?” Nathan asked.

  “No, but he’s probably guessing she would want to be there to see Charity.”

  “He needs me.” Arissa sat up straighter. “He can’t go back to the gang without me. Let me be bait.”

  “No,” Detective Carter said firmly.

  “Absolutely not,” Nathan retorted with some heat.

  “I can’t get officers close enough to cover you,” the detective said.

  “You won’t need to,” Arissa said. “I’ll have Nathan with me.”

  Nathan frowned at her. “What makes you think Charlie will agree to that?”

  “Because he knows you’re injured in your arm and especially your thigh. We can dress up your leg, you can limp more dramatically. Maybe we can get you a cane.” She stared into his eyes, willing him to understand. “He’ll underestimate you. He probably already does because of the blow he gave you at the cabin.”

  Some of the muscles in Nathan’s face flinched at her words, but she knew that this was their only chance. “You’re overestimating me,” he said in a low, hard voice.

  “No, I’m not.” She grabbed his shoulders and gave him a slight shake. “I know you can protect me. But we can deceive Charlie into thinking you can’t.” She turned to Detective Carter. “Can you think of a better solution?”

  He eyed both of them, and it was obvious he didn’t like her suggestion one bit, but he didn’t have much choice. “Fine,” he snapped. “You two wait here.” The detective left and shut the office door behind him.

  Nathan turned away from her, but she reached out and forced him to look at her. “Please, Nathan, I need you to understand.”

  “I do understand.” He spoke through gritted teeth. “I just didn’t expect you to rub my injury in my face like that.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.” Normally she would never have come up with a plan like this, never have spoken to Nathan about his leg, but this was Charity’s life at stake. She wet her lips. “Despite what you feel about your injury, you’re wrong to think you know how I feel about it.” About him.

  “Then you’re being stupid,” he shot back. “I haven’t been able to protect you very well.”

  “Yes, you have. Every time we’ve been attacked, you’ve fought for us, you’ve taken a bullet for us, you haven’t ever given up. You would never abandon us.” Her voice caught on those last words. Nathan was nothing like any of the other boyfriends she’d had. They had run at the first sign of trouble, but he had only clung to them harder. “I know you would have been willing to die for us, Nathan.”

  Tears had glassed over her eyes so she couldn’t see his face clearly, but she felt the weight of his stare. The anger had drained out of him, but she couldn’t quite read his expression.

  “Nathan.” She reached up and cupped his cheek in her hand.

  He didn’t move away from her—he grew very, very still.

  “I am willing to do this because I know you’ll protect me. I trust you completely.” And then she leaned forward and kissed him.

  He didn’t respond at first, but she tried to convey everything she couldn’t yet say to him, all that was in her heart. She trusted this wonderful, honorable man—and she wanted him to trust himself, too.

  And then suddenly, fiercely, his arms went around her and he kissed her. She felt the strength of his arms and the tenderness of his mouth.

  She kissed him as if she’d never let him go. As if she’d never kiss him again.

  * * *

  Nathan couldn’t understand why she trusted him. But it felt like an energy drink sizzling in his veins.

  He stood beside her in the middle of the cherry orchard, the leaves rustling above them in a night wind that brought the scent of cherry blossoms. He rested his hand against the trunk of a nearby tree, as if he needed it to help him stand, while his other hand clutched a cane.

  His head still reeled from her kiss, which had ended only when Detective Carter came back into his office. But she’d spoken to him in words he’d been able to hear.

  She trusted him. She didn’t see a cripple. She didn’t think his injury made him too broken. She didn’t let his insecurities push her away.

  She wanted him. To her, he wasn’t half a man.

  He’d been fighting a black mood ever since Charlie had driven away with Charity. He had trusted Charlie, had trusted in their past together. He had begun to realize that maybe Arissa had been right. He had been blaming God, but in this, h
e had no one to blame but himself.

  And then she’d said those three words: I trust you. They had released something in him like a dam breaking. He’d pulled her close and returned her kiss, his emotions raging out of his swollen heart.

  And he had vowed, then and there, that he’d die for her if he had to.

  A flash of headlights made Arissa straighten. She glanced down at the duffel bag at his feet, filled with fake cash, only the top stacks of bills being real.

  Charlie parked the car at the edge of the orchard and approached them, limping badly. The car’s headlights illuminated them all and kept his figure in shadows until he drew closer, towing a crying Charity. She saw Arissa and tried to run to her, but Charlie held her wrist in a tight grip.

  Nathan had thought at first the officer helping him had padded his leg with too many bandages, but apparently not, because as Charlie drew near, his lip curled as he took in Nathan’s serious injury. “Bring me the bag,” Charlie said to Arissa.

  Nathan picked up the duffel bag, and Charlie snapped, “Not you.”

  “I can’t carry the bag,” Arissa said. “It’s too heavy.” Her voice was just the right mix of anxious trembling and sobbing worry.

  Charlie’s lip curled again, and he motioned Nathan forward, a few steps behind Arissa. Nathan made sure to exaggerate his limp.

  Nathan hadn’t clearly seen the gun in Charlie’s other hand until he drew nearer, but he knew it had to have been there. Arissa’s gaze fell on the weapon as well, and she looked at Nathan with a speaking glance.

  Charlie wouldn’t shoot her or Charity. It was both Nathan’s advantage and also his point of weakness, because Charlie could shoot him.

  As Arissa approached, Charity began wildly struggling against Charlie’s grip on her wrist. The tip of his gun fell.

  Nathan dropped the cane and whipped out his firearm that had been hidden beneath the bandages on his leg. “Freeze!”

  Arissa darted forward and grabbed at Charity to pull her from Charlie.

  At Nathan’s words, shouts sounded and officers began swarming into the orchard from where they’d been hiding on their bellies in the neighboring vineyard, out of sight in the darkness.

  Startled by Nathan’s gun and the approaching officers, Charlie loosened his hold on Charity and she pulled free. But he recovered too quickly and lashed out, and his weapon smacked Arissa hard in the temple. She dropped to the ground.

  “Arissa!” Nathan fired near Charlie’s foot—the injured one—and he hobbled backward, hissing in pain with the movement.

  Charity hesitated near Arissa, tugging at her hand, but Nathan called sharply, “Charity!”

  The command in his voice made her look up, eyes wide and red from tears. Nathan gestured to her to come to him, and she hesitated only a moment before running to him, eluding Charlie’s grasp as he recovered from the surprise of Nathan’s shot and grabbed for the girl.

  Charity’s small arms wrapped tightly around his leg, and he touched her back once before firming his grip on the gun pointed at Charlie. “Drop your weapon.”

  Arissa moaned and began rising to her feet, and then Charlie reached down to grab her, forcing her in front of him as a shield.

  Arissa. The sight of her with Charlie paralyzed Nathan. He might as well not even have a weapon, because Charlie had Arissa.

  Mark had died in front of his eyes. Now Arissa would, too.

  Oh, God. Oh, God.

  “I dare you!” Charlie shouted to Nathan. “You won’t do it. You won’t shoot her.”

  Arissa shook her head, shaking off the effects of the blow to her temple and starting to understand what was going on. Charlie had his left arm wrapped around her throat, his other hand pointing the gun at Nathan.

  It was dark. He wasn’t confident he’d be able to hit the corrupt officer without hitting Arissa.

  What could he do? What was there for him to do?

  Arissa’s voice sounded in his memory. I trust you.

  Except it wasn’t Arissa speaking to Nathan, suddenly it was Nathan speaking to God. Lord, I trust You.

  He had nothing else he could do. His heart cried out within him, giving Jesus everything he had left. He was utterly, completely dependent upon God.

  And then suddenly he could almost feel a soft touch on his head, on his hand. And he no longer felt alone.

  More alert now, Arissa’s eyes found Nathan’s, wide but determined. She silently mouthed a word to him.

  Prudence.

  He didn’t have time to object. She raised her hand to her chest, where Charlie couldn’t see, three fingers showing. She counted down: three, two, one.

  God, help us, he prayed.

  She was shorter than Charlie, so she didn’t have a good angle to hit him in the jaw, but her elbow flew back and connected solidly below the ribs. He grunted and his hold on her slackened.

  Then she dive-bombed to the ground, leaving Charlie’s upper body exposed.

  Nathan took aim and fired. The bullet hit Charlie squarely in the right shoulder, making him drop his gun. Within seconds, the nearest officers had grabbed him and Charlie was handcuffed.

  Nathan’s arms had turned to rubber, and he lowered his weapon.

  Then Arissa flung herself into his arms, her cry of relief vibrating against his lips. He held her close, feeling Charity sandwiched between them, Arissa’s heart beating against his chest in tune with his.

  He was whole.

  THIRTEEN

  God couldn’t have created a more perfect moon.

  Arissa soaked in the soft light, a gentle summer evening breeze ruffling her hair and bringing the scent of peaches from the nearby orchard. Sitting beside her on the picnic blanket, Nathan poured more icy lemonade into her cup. It was full dark but the heat still wrapped around them like a blanket. Arissa took her cup and held it to her throat to cool her skin.

  “So when do your parents start work in the boutique?” Nathan asked her.

  “Monica talked to her father, and he says the Joy Luck Life Hotel and Spa is set to open in two months.” Monica’s father, Augustus Grant, had graciously offered the management job to her parents, allowing them to sell their grocery store and move to Sonoma. Arissa laughed. “Since there’s a short break between them closing the store and starting work at the boutique, Dad said he wants to surprise Mom with a vacation to Hawaii. He asked me to get them tickets.”

  “Did you already put in your transfer to SFO?” Nathan asked.

  “Yes, I’ll start flying out of San Francisco in three weeks, maybe sooner.” She looked out at the rolling foothills before them, striped with rows of grapevines that looked like blurry dark lines in the moonlight. Nathan had spread the picnic blanket on a patch of ground that overlooked the fields, with the moon hung like an ornament low in the sky above the horizon.

  Nathan’s breath tickled her ear as he leaned close to her, pressing a kiss at the pulse on her neck. “I feel like I haven’t spent time with you in months.”

  “It’s only been a couple weeks.” Their moonlit dinner date had been exactly what she wanted—romantic and yet quiet, enabling them to talk or be silent and drink in the scenery.

  “I almost forgot to tell you.” Nathan took her empty plate from her lap. “Detective Carter called me today. The accountant is going to testify.”

  She breathed a deep sigh. Charlie had found out about the money Mark had stolen because he’d been an accountant before becoming a police officer, and one of his colleagues had been the accountant who had hacked in and doctored the gang’s bank accounts for Mark. Charlie had told the gang, who had indeed tried to get into the account with a girl posing as Charity, only to discover they needed both Charity and Arissa to get their money back. After being arrested, Charlie had given up the name of the hacker. Combined with the informatio
n Mark had gathered, the accountant’s testimony would be enough to destroy the gang’s infrastructure. Soon they would never be a threat again.

  “Without their leaders, there’s no chance the gang will go through with their plans to move to NorCal?” Arissa asked.

  “Steve said that the LAPD doesn’t think there are any remaining gang members who command the respect needed to organize them that way, and none of the junior officers knew much about the move plans.”

  “So we’re safe. At last.”

  Nathan’s head blotted out the moon and his lips were on hers, warm and tender. This was the man she remembered from before Mark was killed. Romantic and creative, planning a dinner like this, with a heart that would cherish her as if she were the only woman in the world.

  He drew away from her a fraction of an inch, and his lips touched hers as he said, “I love you.”

  The words hung like bells in the air, bells that rang in her chest. “I love you,” she said.

  He grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles. “I owe so much to you.”

  “No, Nathan, I owe my life to you.”

  “I would still be that hollow, burned-out shell if you hadn’t come to me that night with Charity.” She couldn’t quite see his eyes, but they glittered in his shadowed face.

  “I came to you because I trusted you,” she replied.

  Then her left hand, the one still held in his, felt something cool slip onto her ring finger. She started in surprise, something golden and joyful bubbling up inside her.

  He kissed her again. “Will you marry me?”

  “Oh, yes!” She threw her arms around his neck.

  The solitaire diamond glittered on her hand, but brighter still was that perfect moon. Its soft light showered on them and Arissa felt joy, peace and love—from the God who watched over them, and the man holding her close to his heart.

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt of Betrayal on the Border by Jill Elizabeth Nelson!