She smiled warmly and placed her hand on the side of his face. “You’re an amazing man, Decker. And you’re nothing like your father.”
“That’s reassuring.” He grinned and she laughed lightly.
When they were ready to go, Decker left the room before her, seeing his father still there. The man had no conscience.
“So, you’re really going to do this,” Russ said.
“We’re leaving now. Don’t talk to me unless you can be civil.” He stopped in front of Russ. “And if you talk about Kendall the way you did this morning ever again, I’ll beat you.”
Some of the haughtiness left Russ’s eyes. “What’s gotten into you?”
“A breath of fresh air.” He reached for Kendall’s hand and saw her meet Russ’s look with defiance.
“You’ll be back in the morning,” Russ called after them.
“I won’t ever be back, Dad, not if I have to work for a tyrant like you.” He helped Kendall with her luggage, pulling it for her to the elevator.
Russ trailed behind them. “I’m your father!”
“Much to my embarrassment right now.” Decker faced him from the elevator.
Russ had stopped in the hall and didn’t get on with them.
Decker put his arm around Kendall, making it clear where his loyalty lay. Russ took note of it with considerable shock. He seemed to grapple with this drastic change in Decker. Hopefully he’d realize he was the one making the mistake, not Decker.
The elevator door closed.
* * *
Another snowstorm descended that afternoon, but that didn’t stop Trey from arranging a meeting. Kendall watched it snow while everyone got settled and servants passed out beverages. Decker had insisted on having this meeting at his house because his security was good and Kendall wouldn’t have to venture out into the dangers of the city. Trey had talked with the contractor who’d referred Emilio to her father.
She faced the living room. Decker stood with Trey as the two of them talked. Her parents sat together on the sofa, also talking.
“Thanks for coming out here,” Decker said to Trey.
Not feeling like sitting, Kendall folded her arms.
Decker came to stand beside her, slipping his arms around her in show of comfort and support. Her parents quieted and looked to Trey, who stood in front of the fireplace.
“We’ve made what I call progress on the Elardi case,” Trey said, looking dapper in a tan jacket, a white shirt and blue jeans. “I managed to locate the contractor Bernard reported referred him to Elardi. His name is Antonio Garcia and he does single-family homes for developments. He was surprised when we showed up on his current job, but cooperative. He said he heard about the ransom victim but didn’t believe Emilio was responsible. When we went over the evidence, he changed his mind.”
“Was he telling you the truth?” Kendall asked. Antonio could be as crooked at Emilio. “He didn’t know?”
“Emilio paid him a commission for every referral. According to Antonio, they never talked about them afterward. Antonio would send him referrals, Emilio would pay him and that was the extent of their dealings.”
“Did Emilio specify any criteria for Antonio?” Decker asked.
“He did,” Trey said. “He wanted clients who had nowhere else to turn.”
And Antonio hadn’t at least thought that was suspicious? “How do they know each other?” Kendall asked her father.
“I don’t know. He never said.”
“I asked Antonio that question and he said he built a guest house for him and does other odd jobs for him. He didn’t indicate he knew what kind of man Elardi was.”
“So he’s on the up-and-up?” Bernard asked.
“I’m not sure. I find it odd that he’d take money from a man like Emilio and not know or even suspect that the ransom story was connected to him. He referred the father of the kidnapped victim,” Trey said.
Antonio had to have at least suspected Emilio’s involvement. Had he turned a blind eye to keep the money rolling in?
“Antonio willingly provided copies of the deposits he made after Emilio paid him. It’s substantial enough to give him motive to keep quiet. And we don’t know whether Emilio threatened him in any way. I asked and Antonio denied being threatened.”
“I’d be afraid of someone like Emilio too,” Kendall said. She was afraid of him.
“There’s more,” Trey continued. “We tapped Antonio and had him tailed. He met with Emilio after being questioned by us. During the course of their discussion it came out that Emilio hired a gunman to kidnap Kendall.”
Kendall sucked in air. Although she had suspected something like this, having it confirmed shocked her. Her father had done business with a man who paid someone to kidnap her and likely murder her to keep her from identifying anyone involved.
She glanced at Decker and saw his jaw working, a clear indicator that he was angry with the news.
Her mother bent her head and began to cry. When Bernard tried to put his arm around her, she shrugged him off and stood. Kendall went to her and took her in for an embrace. Over her shoulder she could see her father looking on, a beaten man.
“We got the name of the gunman,” Trey went on to say, turning to Decker after her mother calmed a bit. “He’s got a record.”
Trey brought over a photograph.
Kendall moved away from her mother to take it from him. She looked at a man with thick black hair and dark eyes.
“This is the man Emilio hired,” Trey said.
Decker moved so he could see the photo as well. His nearness warmed her as frequently happened.
The man had the same build as the one she’d seen in the car, but she hadn’t gotten a good enough look at him to be certain this was the same person.
“Do you recognize him?” Decker asked.
She shook her head. “I never got a close look at him. This man has the same body type but that’s all I can tell you. That and he has shoulder-length dark hair, like this man.” She looked at Trey. “How tall is he?”
“Six-one.”
She nodded. “It could definitely be him, but he always wore sunglasses. I’m not sure I could pick him out in a lineup.”
“This is enough for now. We’ll keep looking for him.”
Kendall was immensely relieved that they at least had identified her attacker. With any luck, they’d catch him before he struck again.
* * *
Two days later, Decker received a call from his father. He knew what this would entail before he answered. His dad had been out of The Lodge’s general operations for some time now. He had no doubt run into problems only Decker could resolve.
“Hello,” he said into the cell phone.
“Hi, son,” his father humbly said. “We need to talk. Can you come and meet me?”
Decker looked over at Kendall, who waited at the front door. He was supposed to take her to work so she could meet with her wildlife biologist and his team to discuss her wolves. She wouldn’t go alone after the bombing.
“What about? I have plans,” Decker said, but he felt the familiar pull of ambition running The Lodge always gave him.
“I need you. There are multiple issues going on here.”
Decker didn’t respond as he silently analyzed his options.
“Please,” Russ said. “I know I was out-of-bounds the last time we talked.”
Talked? Argued and fought more described that. “You were way out of bounds.”
“When can you be here?” his dad asked without acknowledging Decker’s comment.
“I have to take Kendall to Hadley Forestry. I can come by after five.”
“That will be too late. One of the lifts isn’t working and I’m having trouble with the agreement with the vendor.”
A ski lift not working meant skiers were not getti
ng to their slopes. Major issue. Decker felt the pull intensify. The Lodge really needed him. Now.
“Decker?” his dad said after several moments of silence.
“Yes?”
“We need to talk anyway. Please come back.”
“All right. I’m on my way.” He didn’t wait for his dad to end the call. He ended the call himself and looked at Kendall.
Already he could see her disappointment. She’d angled her head slightly and stuck one foot out, hitching a hip in what he could only call annoyance.
“A ski lift stopped working and my dad can’t fix it. People are waiting in lines.” How could he make her understand the dire urgency of this situation? Decker already suffered the impacts of the Rouge murder. And his passion for the care and feeding of The Lodge was tantamount to the whole notion of true love.
“I can go myself to my meeting,” Kendall said.
He heard the halfhearted tone and knew she did not want to go alone.
He went to her. Standing a foot or so from her, he took her hands in his. “Darling, I know how much those wolves mean to you, but can you reschedule your meeting?”
“Ben can’t meet any other day this week. He drove all the way from Lakewood, which is basically Denver. So, no, I can’t reschedule.”
“I’ve got to go meet my dad. He’s going to ruin everything I’ve built at The Lodge.”
“I understand that.”
Hearing her tone again, he did not believe her. But he’d made up his mind.
“I have to go. I’m sorry. Not only do I need to address some serious issues, exactly what I’d hoped would happen is coming to pass. My father is realizing how much he needs me.” This was why an arranged marriage appealed to him so much. He needed a woman who would understand when issues like this came up and he had to drop everything to attend to them. He’d always be there for her but she had to allow him the freedom to work. And once her attacker was captured, this wouldn’t be a problem.
He felt her weigh his issue versus hers. His business versus hers.
She became eerily calm and unreadable. She straightened and looked at him as though he were one of his business associates.
“Go ahead,” she said, walking back into the house.
Decker experienced a moment of guilt. His gut told him not to go meet his dad, but if he didn’t he’d be set back too much to possibly recover. He could put off his father, but not the business. And to Kendall’s benefit, if The Lodge did well, so would her family’s company.
Putting his business first over her wolves would hurt their relationship. He knew that. But his hands were tied here.
“Kendall...”
“Just go.”
With his gut churning with the wrongness of it, he didn’t stay.
* * *
Feeling as though he had betrayed Kendall gnawed at Decker’s conscience as he made his way to his father’s office. His head spun with how much she affected him. How much she made him feel. He grappled with the foreign emotion. He had never felt this way before.
Since when did he feel bad about putting his business first?
He reached his father’s office, pausing at the door to attempt to shake himself into focus before entering. Russ looked up from his computer and relief washed over his expression. He stood.
“Thank you for coming, Decker.” Russ walked around his desk.
“I haven’t agreed to come back to work yet.” Decker had to stand firm on his principles.
Russ put his hand on Decker’s back. “I know. I’ve prepared for that. Let’s go over here to the table.”
Decker went there, seeing papers set out.
“I’ve appointed you CEO. All you have to do is sign. Have your lawyer look it over if you want. You don’t have to sign today.”
Decker looked at his father in surprise. This he had not expected. A true dangling carrot. Russ must really want him back or he wouldn’t have gone this far. But Decker needed him to accept Kendall.
“What about Kendall?” Decker asked.
“I told you I was out of bounds.”
“That isn’t good enough. How can I be sure you won’t treat her like a lesser being because of her father’s mistakes?”
“I won’t. I give you my word. My love of this company sometimes makes me lose touch with the rest of the world. I am protective of its success. The Hadleys’ financial trouble made me panic.”
Decker could understand that. He also appreciated his father’s sincere candor. He rarely apologized, but Decker could see he truly meant it.
“I’m not unreasonable,” Russ said. “I just lost control because I was afraid of what the Hadleys would do to The Colton Empire. I see now that your marriage to Kendall wouldn’t jeopardize that. You wouldn’t do anything to threaten the livelihood we’ve worked so hard to build.”
“I do intend on looking into investing in Hadley Forestry. I am very interested in taking on the challenge of turning the business around.” His father had to understand where he stood before he made him CEO of his precious company.
Russ’s face pinched a little. He clearly did not like hearing that.
“Do you trust me?” Decker asked.
Russ blinked once. “Yes, son, I do. I only worry you’d invest for Kendall and not based on good business sense.”
“It would be both, Dad. But I wouldn’t try to save something that isn’t salvageable. I haven’t seen the books yet.”
After a moment, Russ nodded. “Fair enough.” He extended his arm to the table. “How about signing so you can get to work fixing all the bugs that infected this place since you left.”
* * *
After Kendall had phoned Ben, he’d offered to come to her. They’d met at Decker’s house. The wolves were thriving and would likely have a litter soon. Ben decided not to put a tracker on any of them, leaning more toward letting them live untouched by humans. He’d check on them on a regular basis but not so often as to scare them off.
Now in a nightgown and watching a movie, she yawned. Decker still wasn’t home and it was after nine. He hadn’t even called her.
She tried not to let that get to her, but the letdown wormed its way in anyway. This is why he pushed for marriage with her. He thought she’d be okay with being kicked to the curb so he could give all his energy to The Lodge. She hadn’t thought it would bother her since she wasn’t interested in getting hurt again. But more and more she felt she’d be hurt no matter how hard she tried to avoid it.
Nevertheless, she hadn’t changed her mind about marrying Decker. And she wouldn’t unless her instinct told her she would be all right, that she wouldn’t be hurt, and as of this moment, her instinct said the opposite. She felt as though she would be hurt, because she could fall in love with him and what if he never returned that love?
Hearing the front door open, she looked back over her shoulder and saw him remove his jacket as he stepped into the living room. Draping that over the back of a chair, he moved closer.
“Hi,” he said in a deep, raspy voice she wished didn’t make her tingle.
“Busy day?” She faced the television.
“A lot of problems.” He came to sit beside her. “Kendall, I’m really sorry about leaving you the way I did.”
She waved her hand in dismissal. “It’s done. Ben came here for our meeting. How did it go with your dad?”
“He made me CEO. He also apologized.”
She looked at him.
“He admitted his love for his company sometimes clouds his judgment.”
“But he’ll always look at me like you married a poor person, or someone beneath him,” she said, her temper rising as it had when Russ had insulted her. Who did he think he was? Money didn’t make a person better than anyone else. Russ was greedy that’s all. And that would never change, no matter what Decker believed.
“No he won’t. Especially not after I improve revenue at Hadley Forestry,” he said.
“You plan on doing that?”
“Yes. I’d like to talk to your dad.”
She nodded. “Okay. Let’s go in the morning.”
“I’ve got to go to The Lodge tomorrow.”
Kendall felt the same sting she’d felt when he’d abandoned her this morning. She looked away from him.
How could he so easily turn his back on her? And why did she feel like he was anyway? He had to go to work. Investing in Hadley Forestry would be work too. Why did he have to put it second?
She may be overreacting but she couldn’t help it. “I’m going to sleep.” She stood. “In the guest room.”
“Kendall.” He stood with her.
“Good night, Decker.” She left the living room, hoping he wouldn’t follow her and try to smooth things over. He didn’t.
She needed this night alone. Things had gone so well over the last couple of days. Now she felt she’d gotten another man wrong again. She’d thought Decker would work out for her, but she no longer did. He’d end up being another mistake.
Chapter 13
Kendall woke the next morning, groggily reaching over for Decker. She’d just had the best dream about him. Not feeling him beside her, she lifted her head and clarity returned. She’d slept in the guest room. Decker was probably already gone.
Getting up, she took her time showering, wondering what she’d do to fill her day. With her attacker still free, she didn’t feel safe leaving, and there were plenty of ways to entertain herself at Decker’s house. She could work out. She could watch a movie. She could read in his fabulous library. She could also invite her mother over for lunch. Maybe her friends.
The rare warm days this time of year had cooled. Finished dressing in jeans and a sweatshirt, she left the room and made her way downstairs. In the kitchen, she saw coffee had been made. She poured a cup and went to sit at the dining table, turning on the television to catch up on the news.
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