Love You Madly

by Ashlee Mallory

  “I knew it,” she said. “I knew he was bad news.” She couldn’t help feeling the tiniest bit validated by that information but then was chastised as she thought about how it might be affecting Claire. “How’d she take it?”

  “She was ready to kill me because she’d distinctly warned me not to look into the guy. And then…she kind of warned me about you.”

  She sat up a little straighter. She’d known that Claire disapproved of her, and she hadn’t really cared too much, knowing the woman was loyal to Allie. But now, it felt a little more personal. Especially since—now that she was being honest with herself—she’d developed feelings for the woman’s brother. “What did she say?” she asked, trying to sound offhanded.

  “Probably what you would about expect. That you’ve done some pretty mean things in the past, to me in particular, and that I needed to be on guard before you ripped my heart out.”

  She swallowed. “Harsh. And…what did you say? About the status of your heart?”

  “You’re fishing.” He smiled. “But since you asked, I told her I could handle this. Because now I’m starting to believe that maybe, just maybe, I was wrong. Maybe people can change, if they have the right motivation.”

  They looked at each other for a long minute. It was probably as close as it was going to get to him acknowledging—for now—that something was developing here, and her heart swelled the tiniest bit. She stood. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m itching to get to this gala tonight and kick some butt. Whoever this character is, he doesn’t know how much I love my daughter and that I will go to the ends of the earth to make sure she’s safe—and so will you. Oh, and I picked you up something to wear, too.”

  She lifted the garment bag that had been slung across one of the chairs and handed it to him.

  He held it away from him like it was a rotten fish. “It’s not a monkey suit, is it?”

  “Of course it is. I thought baby blue would bring out the sparkle in those eyes of yours. I hope that works for you.”

  “Sounds perfect,” he said, not flinching, definitely on to her. “So…shopping. That’s where you went.”

  More or less. “And Darcy’s car is parked in the garage. I already checked and didn’t see anything, but it’s still unlocked as I’m sure you’re going to want to check for yourself.”

  She reached down and picked up a couple of bags from the floor. He didn’t have to know that the packages had actually been purchased over a week ago and were just waiting for her to pick them up, which had given her a good chunk of time to get what she needed done.

  “I had to make some guesses on size,” she continued, “but it should work. Trust me, as well as you work that T-shirt of yours and those tight-ass jeans, you’re going to need to be a little less conspicuous.”

  He raised his brows at her veiled compliment but didn’t respond. There was one more thing, though, that she wanted to make clear. “I need you to promise me something. When you find the location where they’re keeping Darcy”—she said this as if it was a foregone conclusion they would find where she was, because anything else would be unacceptable—“you’re not going to leave me behind.”

  Travis met her gaze, shaking his head. “Too dangerous, Mer. We already have an idea of how these guys deal with loose ends. They won’t have any mercy on you just because you’re a woman. And you’re not trained or capable of defending yourself if something goes bad. You could get in the way and not only risk your life, but the life of every girl involved, including Darcy.”

  “I understand your concerns. I do, but…I have to be there. If Darcy’s there and you recover her, I want to be there to comfort her. There’s no other priority than making sure she’s safe. I’ll stay in the car, out of sight, if you think I’ll be in the way. But I can’t sit at home, wondering how things are going. Waiting for a phone call that tells me she’s—she’s gone. She’s lost to me. I need to be there. Please.”

  He stared at her another long minute. Finally, he nodded. “Only if I can keep your position secure.”

  That was probably as good as it was going to get from him. She nodded. “Thank you. We’d better start getting ready, then. I need to be there by six.”

  She already was feeling infinitely more optimistic that she would have her daughter home and in her arms by morning.

  After all, she had Travis on her side. And she trusted him.

  Chapter Fifteen

  An hour later, he’d checked the positioning of Meems’s cameras through his laptop and called her to confirm that she and her assistant, some tech guy who’d freelanced with her before, were already positioned outside the hotel with her surveillance equipment fully operational.

  He checked his watch again and paced around the kitchen counter, trying not to fidget with the tightness of the damned tux around his neck. Meredith needed to be there by six and even if they left right now, they’d be pushing it.

  He was about to head upstairs and remind her of the time when he heard her heels on the floor outside the kitchen, moments before she swept into the room.

  All irritation at having to wait, and the tightness around his neck, disappeared.

  She looked magnificent. A long red satin dress clung to those delectable curves and the neckline plunged to reveal an ample amount of cleavage. Gone was the unkempt, wild hair from the last couple of days; instead, a smooth, silky mane reminded him of an old-time movie star in the way it curved around her cheekbone. Lips touched in the same color as her dress begged to be kissed. But it was the warmth and strength in those brown eyes as she watched him that finally caught his attention.

  Meredith, as always, was sin and sex and every computer geek’s walking wet dream.

  He tried to find his voice, relieved that Claire wasn’t around to watch him flounder for words. “Were you trying to capture the attention of the whole place in that thing?”

  “Honestly? At the time I selected it, I probably was. But now? Is it too much? I can put on something else.” She bit her bottom lip, clearly concerned.

  It took a herculean effort not to close the space between them and draw that bottom lip into his mouth, sucking and kissing away all the uncertainty he saw in those eyes. But that would lead to his needing to kiss other parts of that delectable body, and then they’d end up infinitely later than they already were.

  Head in the game, Travis.

  “Mer, whether you wear that or a damn burlap bag, you’re going to have everyone’s attention tonight. So rather than make us any later than we are, get over here so I can get you wired.” He looked at the formfitting dress in a new light, wondering how he was going to hide the receiver.

  “Wired? For what?”

  He held up a small diamond brooch. “There’s a small camera and microphone in this that will allow me and Meems to hear any conversations in a twenty-foot radius, if there isn’t too much interference. She’ll be recording everything so if we find anything of use, we can forward it to the police. And this,” he said, holding up a smaller device, “I’m going to place in your ear. This way we can all communicate. I’ll be there with you, Meredith. Even if you don’t see me, I’ll be there. And last…” He held up a small knife, sheathed in leather binding. “This is for your protection. I don’t know what’s going to happen tonight, but I’m not letting you go in there without anything.”

  “And, pray tell, where exactly are you going to place that?”

  He smiled. “You’ll have to wait and see. You ready?”

  “Absolutely.”

  He smiled at the determination and fierceness in that one word. Whatever anyone could say about this woman, they couldn’t deny she was a force to be reckoned with.

  Still holding his grin, he slipped his fingers down the front of her dress so he could attach the brooch, enjoying the look of shock followed by a shiver as his fingers almost caressed her skin. She was still as responsive as ever.

  And then he wasn’t grinning anymore as he suffered his own private torture of
touching her body, feeling her respond, and not being able to do a damn thing about it as he put everything in place.

  …

  The hotel where tonight’s gala was being held was already swarming with attendees when they pulled up in front of the hotel so Travis could drop her off.

  “Remember. You’re here only as the hostess. You’re not here to play Veronica Mars, girl investigator. That’s what I’m for. Meems has additional cameras set up inside, so she’ll have a visual on everything. If you see anything out of the ordinary or if anything happens, you’re to find me. Let me follow up on it.”

  “Where will you be?” she asked and climbed out of the Rover.

  “Close by. Remember, I can hear everything you say,” he said and pointed to his ear where he’d placed the tiny earpiece. “If you need me, say the word.”

  She nodded and took a deep breath before shutting the door. She watched as Travis pulled away, turning the Rover around the next corner toward the parking garage.

  Careful not to trip on her dress, she lifted the bottom up as she climbed the stairs, almost running directly into the crowd of women congregated at the top. It wasn’t hard to see who was in the center of the circle, grasping at any attention.

  Annabeth Rivers.

  Annabeth hadn’t seen her yet, and Meredith was hoping to detour around the group before she did when someone called her name.

  “Meredith!” Sheila Poulson called and broke away from the group to come and give her a hug. Sheila’d been on the varsity cheerleading squad with Meredith and had actually been as close to a real friend as Meredith had had back then. Sheila was pretty and smart, which helped propel her popularity, but she hadn’t had the ruthlessness of the rest of them or the desire to be the queen bee, which had made it easy for her to stay under the radar. “I’m so sorry to hear about your daughter. Have you heard anything?”

  “Not yet. But I’m trying to be optimistic. You’re looking great, Sheila.”

  Unfortunately, the embrace had drawn the attention of the rest of the women who were now surrounding her. All except Annabeth, who didn’t disguise her sneer before Meredith caught it. Annabeth had always been in competition with Meredith through high school and had always come up short. Now, however, the tables had turned, with Annabeth in the spotlight as a local news personality, something she loved to remind her old dear friend.

  Meredith accepted the other women’s sympathy and well wishes, waiting to see what Annabeth would do to pull the attention back to herself. Stunning in a beaded ivory Grecian gown, it wouldn’t be hard.

  “Meredith,” she said as she reached her. Her skinny arms lightly wrapped around her in an awkward hug, and she faux kissed the air next to Meredith’s cheek. A warmer reception than yesterday. She did have an audience. “You seem to be holding up pretty well, under the circumstances. How’s Rob holding…oh.” Annabeth held her hand up to her mouth in mock surprise, as if she had just remembered that Rob had run out on Meredith months before. “I can’t believe I said—never mind. You’re holding up better than most, I dare say. Look at you.” She shook her head. “Trying to stay strong.”

  “We do what we have to,” Meredith said, showing restraint in not clubbing the woman with her purse. “Did Kevin make it here tonight?”

  Tit for tat, Meredith said silently. Kevin was Annabeth’s own trophy hubby, cute and buff but not very bright and, of late, always absent. Not that Annabeth seemed to mind, as she usually found other men to entertain her.

  “He’s here, tonight, of course. Somewhere. Even with his training, he knew how important tonight was and wouldn’t miss it. How about the delectable Travis? Did Meredith tell you girls? Our little computer assistant from high school has become quite the beefcake.”

  The beefcake came out of nowhere and stood next to her. The wry smile on his face as he met her gaze told her he’d heard the gist of their interaction and found it amusing.

  Dear God. Every time she saw him in that tux she found herself staving off a flash that sent heat to all the intimate areas of her body, making her want to melt. Even though she hadn’t had his measurements, the lines of the jacket across his shoulders and over that expansive chest were nearly spot-on. With that rugged jaw and determined glint in his eye, he could be the poster boy for the next Bourne or James Bond movie.

  She realized the women were waiting for her to introduce the beefcake. “Ladies, this is Travis Brennan,” she said and waited for the inevitable tangle of arms as they tripped over themselves to hug him. But Travis had taken a different stance, his arm wrapped almost possessively around her waist, and pulled her to him. The women gave her sly smiles. All but Annabeth. Which earned a wider grin from Meredith.

  “Good to see you all again, ladies.” Smooth.

  Before they could send a barrage of questions at him, she took the lead. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to get things started inside.”

  That had been far more satisfying than she’d expected, she thought as Travis escorted her through the lobby until they reached the doors leading into the ballroom. If she weren’t so nervous about the importance of tonight’s event, she would have taken a moment to appreciate how beautiful everything looked.

  Playing on the large screen at one end was a slideshow of photos of the past one hundred years of school history, something she had thought was impossible after a fire destroyed a section of the basement several weeks ago. But Sam, Allie’s boyfriend, had someone managed to pull one together, using photos alumni had forwarded him.

  As if on cue, she spotted the happy couple heading in their direction. Okay. She had to admit, they did look great together.

  “Meredith, you do know how to make an appearance,” Sam said, but his eyes barely left Allie, who looked stunning in a short sequined black dress that was reminiscent of the flapper dresses of the twenties. Blonde and blue eyed, she was the girl next door, and Sam was clearly smitten.

  “Thanks, Sam. I can’t begin to express my gratitude to the two of you for stepping up and helping me out like you did. The place looks phenomenal.”

  Allie looked flabbergasted at the compliment and after a quick glace at Sam managed to say, “Of course, Meredith.”

  For heaven’s sake. Meredith had only given credit where it was due. Was that so unbelievable? Something told her that it probably was. She worked to keep the smile on her face.

  “Allie filled me in on the details,” Sam said, speaking to Travis. “We’ll keep our eyes and ears open. Just let me know if I can do anything to help.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate it,” Travis said, all stoicism. He glanced at Allie. “I haven’t seen Claire yet. Is she…around?”

  Allie sighed and looked almost defeated. “Not yet. Rick was supposed to pick her up and bring her, but after everything you discovered…well. I think she wanted to be alone. I’m going to call her in a few minutes and see if she needs anything.”

  He nodded and Meredith could see he was fighting his own guilt over that and probably over whatever exchange the two of them had shared earlier.

  A flurry of activity near the door indicated that someone of some importance had arrived, their security entourage flanking all sides.

  The mayor. Meredith had better go over and make the cursory greeting. Travis, whose own attention was drawn to something else on the other side of the room, just nodded. “Go. I’ll be fine.” Then he slipped away into the growing crowd.

  “Paul,” she said when she reached the mayor. “I wanted to thank you again for appearing tonight and honoring us with a speech. You have my gratitude.” And her financial support, which was part of the deal, of course, just as his exclusive with Annabeth would come with a price. But that didn’t need to be said.

  “Of course, Meredith.” He took her hand in his. In a quieter voice, his eyes searching hers, he asked, “And how is the search going for your daughter? Any word?”

  For a moment, she had forgotten that she’d gone to him for assistance in those hours right after Darcy went
missing. Hoping he could offer some assistance, throw his name and authority behind her and get some action. Until now, this was the most interest he’d shown.

  She considered how much to share with him. “Not a word. The police are now involved, but nothing’s turned up.”

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t do more, Meredith. I have been so busy with the campaign that I haven’t had a chance really to even breathe. But if you need anything, I’m here.”

  Sure he was. If there was a camera on him, maybe.

  But she just smiled and relayed the time frame for tonight’s events. From the glances people were throwing now at the door, she knew another important guest had arrived, and she could make out the figure of the bishop of the city’s Catholic diocese. Making her excuses to the mayor, she headed over, glad for the escape.

  An hour later, everything was running smoothly, thanks in no small part to Allie and Sam. The gala was going smoothly, anyway. But the task of identifying the mastermind behind the sex trafficking ring that held Meredith’s daughter was going nowhere. Leaving her desolate and in need of a quiet moment to herself.

  The meal had ended, and even now she could hear the band warming up for the night’s dancing, which meant Meredith was relieved of her duties for at least twenty more minutes. She looked around to see if she could find Travis, find out if he had any updates, but at the moment, he was nowhere in sight.

  She slipped out of the ballroom and headed to the restroom at the far end, where she hoped for a moment’s peace. Only a few stragglers were using it, probably wanting to escape like her. Instead, she walked farther down the corridor, welcoming the solitariness in the darkness. Hoping to somehow get her bearings.

  Because despite the smile she’d plastered on her face all evening, inside she was in a panic. As far as she could tell, they weren’t any closer now to finding Darcy and the location of the auction than they were yesterday.

  And the time was flying by so fast and soon…it would be too late.