Chance Encounter

by Christy Reece

  “Can I ask you a question?” Afraid he would say no, she asked anyway, “Why have you never defended yourself? I didn’t do a lot of research, but from what I did see, you never granted even one interview.”

  “At first I didn’t give a damn. I’d lost my son, and even though the law never considered me a suspect, I blamed myself. I couldn’t talk about it to anyone, not even my parents.

  “I went back to work…had no problem earning my position back. But I had nothing left to give. I was empty inside. So, I just quit.”

  “But the fans wouldn’t forgive you?”

  “Lots of people take their football seriously. They’d wanted a championship and thought I was their best bet. People were pissed.”

  From what she’d read, that was a major understatement. The I hate Brennan Sinclair bandwagon was still alive and well even after all these years.

  “Maybe if you gave an interview…explained what happened, they would—”

  “Would what, Kacie? Like me again? Do you think being liked matters to me now?”

  “No, I don’t. But seeing you treated the way that Carlton Lorrance did today makes me sick.”

  “Why?”

  She jerked back, surprised at the ridiculous question. “Because it’s not fair.”

  “Why do you care?”

  Oh, that was a subject she wasn’t even close to being ready to discuss. This man brought out so many feelings and emotions in her—feelings she’d never experienced and emotions she’d never believed she’d be able to have.

  Instead of telling him that, she told him another truth. “I don’t like to see good people get hurt. And in spite of that gruff, growly exterior of yours, you are a good person.”

  “How the hell does someone who’s been through what you’ve endured stay so sweet?”

  She gave him a sad smile. “Staying sweet was never in the cards. Before Harrington, I don’t believe I had a sweet bone in my body. But after…” She shook her head. “I still don’t think I’m sweet, but I do like to smile, be happy.

  “I know that sounds simplistic and kind of trite. I don’t mean it that way. It’s just I was so miserable for so long, I had to make a conscious decision that I was put on this earth for a reason other than to feel sorry for myself. I survived. There had to be a reason.”

  “What do you think that reason was?”

  “I know what you’re thinking. Being a model, wearing gorgeous clothes, making a lot of money isn’t exactly Mother Teresa behavior.”

  “I don’t think you have to be a nun to do good things.”

  “Exactly. I told you I wanted to be a model to prove that I could actually do it, but I also realized that I could have an incredible influence on young women this way. Skylar was a great example of that.”

  “Is that why you went with the girl-next-door persona?”

  “Kind of but not totally. When I went to modeling classes, my instructors kept referring to me as the fresh-faced one. I thought, why not? It’s different from the sexy, sultry models. And in this business, different can make a splash if it’s done right. So, when I started getting my portfolio ready, that’s the look I told the photographer I wanted.

  “Young girls are bombarded daily about what’s sexy or attractive. I wanted to be a different kind of beautiful.” She shrugged. “I like not having to wear tons of makeup or show a lot of skin. And I like that young girls are able to see that simplicity can be even more beautiful than overt sexuality.”

  “What do you do in your spare time?”

  “I spend a lot of time with my charity. I occasionally do speaking engagements. Last year I taught a class at NYU on modeling.”

  “I meant for fun, to relax? I’m assuming you don’t have an actual boyfriend since I haven’t heard his name yet. From what I’ve read online, your name isn’t connected to any one specific guy.”

  The lack of a social life was a sore subject. Even Skylar, who understood and knew how driven she was, had cautioned her about it. And it wasn’t as if she didn’t get asked out. There were plenty of men inside the fashion world, and outside it, too, who had asked her out. She turned most of them down, telling herself that getting serious with anyone at this stage of her career would be foolish. But in her heart of hearts, she knew there was another, darker reason.

  “I’m guessing this isn’t a favorite topic.”

  “Are you a mind-reader?”

  “No, but you have a very expressive face. Easy to read.”

  She grimaced. “I spent hours upon hours practicing to make sure no one could read me.”

  “If it makes you feel any better, I’ve spent hours upon hours practicing how to read people.”

  She laughed. “We should practice on each other.”

  “And you’re evading the question.”

  Darn it, he was persistent. “No, I’m not dating anyone.” There, that was short, succinct, and the truth.

  “You don’t owe me an explanation, Kacie.”

  The compassion in his voice almost made her weep. “Why couldn’t I have met a nice guy like you years ago instead of getting involved with one loser after another?”

  Sadness darkened his green eyes. “I wasn’t such a nice guy years ago. Barely am one now, but I see things a lot differently than I did then.”

  “Life will do that to you,” she said softly.

  “Yeah.”

  She squeezed his hand one last time and then went to her feet. “It’s getting late.”

  “Justin and Riley should be here sometime tomorrow morning. Hopefully, they’ll have some good leads.”

  She nodded, then took the tray with the empty mugs and now empty plate and headed to the door.

  “Sleep well.”

  “Kacie?”

  She stopped and turned. “Yes?”

  “Thanks for letting me unload on you. Sorry I was an ass before.”

  “You don’t need to apologize. I would’ve felt the same way and been just as angry.”

  “Yeah, but you would’ve been nicer about it.”

  “Just more devious. I might’ve spiked your hot chocolate with a laxative.”

  “Now that is evil.”

  She walked out the door, laughing. Hard to believe that a couple of hours ago, both of them had been miserable. Amazing what a little chocolate and spilling of the guts could do for a soul.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Kacie stood in the middle of the living room, waiting and on edge. Security had just alerted her that Justin Kelly and Riley Ingram were on their way up. Would this end today? Though the thought that someone wanted to blackmail her to keep quiet about her real identity was terrifying, even more horrifying was that someone wanted to torture her about it. Either way, she refused to be cowed. Kendra Carson had been a victim; Kacie Dane was not.

  It had been days since that phone call and those texts. Maybe whoever it was had gotten scared. Perhaps Justin and Riley’s questioning had made this person realize how much trouble he could be in if he continued. Even though it was a lame attempt at hope, she couldn’t resist grasping on to it.

  “We’ll deal with it, whatever happens.”

  Brennan came to stand beside her, and even though he wasn’t touching her, she felt his comfort. Amazing that she had known this man for so short a time, and he’d already become a major influence on her life.

  If this was over, if the LCR operatives had discovered there was no real threat, what would happen with Brennan? Would she ever see him again?

  The doorbell rang, and she jumped an inch off the floor.

  Surprising her further, Brennan wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed gently. “I’m here.”

  But for how long? It was on the tip of her tongue to ask. She swallowed past a sudden lump in her throat. “Thanks.” Straightening her shoulders, she said, “If you’ll let them in, I’ll get us all some coffee.”

  His eyes darkened with both concern and curiosity. Great, the last thing she needed to do was let him in on this s
illy, irrational crush.

  “You okay?”

  Putting on her brightest smile, she nodded toward the door. “I’m fine. Really. Let them in. I’ll be right back.”

  Brennan watched as she exited the room. One minute she’d been standing like a valiant soldier, bravely waiting for Justin and Riley to arrive to either give her good news or tear her world apart again, the next she’d had the appearance of a frightened deer. What had set that off?

  He headed toward the door. Hopefully, they would hear good news today, and this could all be put behind her. Just as he was about to open the door, his mind flickered back to what had just happened, and then it clicked. She’d started looking both worried and sad when he’d put his arm around her. Dammit, he never should have touched her. After what she’d been through, a man touching her, especially one she didn’t know very well, probably brought back all sorts of bad memories. He needed to be careful not to do that again. He was here to help her, not terrify her.

  He double-checked the peephole, confirming that it was indeed Riley and Justin at the door. His gut clenched with dread. The ominous expressions on their faces did not bode well.

  Kacie hurriedly poured coffee into a carafe. Pleased that Brennan had been thoughtful enough to include some pastries in his grocery order, she placed several on a plate and added them to the tray. The instant she entered the living room, all doubts that this would soon be over halted.

  She stopped in the doorway. “What’s wrong?”

  Instead of answering, Brennan solemnly took the tray from her hands. “Sit down.”

  She shook her head. “No…tell me. Now.”

  “Do you remember Dr. Julia Curtis?”

  “Of course. She was my psychiatrist at the hospital. I haven’t seen her since I left, but I—” A sick feeling flooded through her. “Why? What happened?”

  “She was murdered a few months back.”

  A flash of pain went through her. Dr. Curtis, with her no-nonsense but compassionate attitude, had been enormously helpful during her recovery.

  “How? What happened?”

  “Her office was broken into while she was there, by herself. She was killed, her office ransacked.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, but how do you know this is related to me? She’s probably had hundreds of patients in her career.”

  “That’s what made the investigation especially difficult. The police had reached a dead-end, until we showed up and started asking questions. Now they’re revisiting the case.”

  “Why?”

  Brennan had placed the tray on the table. She barely noticed when he took her hand and led her to the sofa. Then, as if they’d known each other for years, he sat beside her and put his arm around her shoulders.

  “They only checked the doctor’s current files. Didn’t even think to go into the archives of her former patients. When we insisted they check on your file, they realized it was missing.”

  “But…maybe—”

  Justin shook his head. “The only one missing was yours.”

  Someone out there knew everything she’d told Dr. Curtis. Kacie closed her eyes. Oh God, not only had she revealed the humiliating and revolting things Harrington had done to her, she’d also shared her secret shame.

  “Excuse me. I think I’m going to be sick.” Pulling away from Brennan, she dashed into the hallway bathroom and slammed the door behind her.

  “Shit,” Brennan said softly.

  “Sorry,” Justin said. “Wish we had better news.”

  “What about the other people on the list? They check out?”

  “Yeah. For the most part.”

  Riley snorted, her disgust of her partner’s assessment clear.

  “Sounds like you have reservations about someone, Riley,” Brennan said.

  Riley shot a fuming look at Justin. “Kelly doesn’t agree with my assessment, but the mother is a...”

  “Piece of work,” Justin admitted.

  “She’s out to get as much as she can from her daughter. Blackmailing her would be damn easy.”

  Before Brennan could speak, Justin explained why he didn’t agree with his partner. “Blackmailing someone for money, as despicable as it is, is a far cry from murder.”

  “It might be, but she could easily have hired someone. Sonia Carson Musgrave is a—”

  “You think my mother is behind this?”

  They’d been so focused on their discussion, no one noticed that Kacie had slipped back into the room. Her face was bloodless, her eyes dull, almost vacant.

  Brennan went to her and pulled her into his arms. He couldn’t have stopped himself from touching her if a tank had been in his way. He forgot his promise to be careful with her. Forgot about who else was in the room. His only aim was to comfort her and try to wipe the devastation from her face.

  She felt fragile in his arms, her body shuddering. Even though he hadn’t been able to keep from touching her, he was surprised and encouraged at how she burrowed into his arms as if she belonged there.

  He whispered, “It’s going to be all right. I promise you.”

  Her voice was muffled against his shoulder. “I’m okay. Really. Just need a moment.”

  She raised her head and gave him her famous smile, only this time, her eyes said something else. She was scared.

  Pulling away much sooner than he would have liked, she turned and faced the LCR operatives. “Sorry about that. So…” She released an explosive breath. “Where do we go from here?”

  Riley gave her a nod, as if approving of her determination to move forward. “Let’s review the list of the people you gave us, just to get that out of the way. Then we’ll talk about some other things.”

  Taking her arm, because hell, now that he knew she wouldn’t flinch from him, he couldn’t stop touching her, Brennan led her back to the sofa. As she settled onto the cushion, he poured her a fresh cup of coffee, sweetened it the way he knew she liked, and handed it to her.

  Though he’d noticed the surprise and questions in Justin’s eyes, he ignored them. Was he acting out of character? Hell yes. Could he explain what was going on with him? Hell no.

  “We ran a background on everyone on your list. Talked with everyone with the exception of Dr. Curtis, of course,” Riley was saying. “Your private nurse, Nancy Wyatt, checks out. Her financials are stable.” She shot a glance at Justin. “Kelly and I both concluded that she can be eliminated.”

  “I remember her,” Kacie said. “She was stern but incredibly compassionate.”

  “The only other person at the hospital who knows the truth is the administrator, John Weeks. Financials are a little shaky for him, but after talking with him, we don’t see him doing this either.”

  “I don’t remember much about him, but I trust your judgment.”

  “Of the other two on your list,” Justin butted in, as if to get ahead of his partner, “your current therapist, Dr. Ramona Crenshaw, checks out as well. Financials are in excellent shape, and our conversation with her was satisfying. Her number one concern is you and what you’re going through. We didn’t go into detail with her…just that we were investigating some possible threats against you. She’s seeing you in a couple of weeks?”

  “Yes.” After seeing Dr. Crenshaw weekly for almost three years, Kacie now saw her therapist once a month or on an as needed basis.

  “Neither Ingram nor myself saw any indication that she isn’t one hundred percent legitimately on your side.”

  “And that leaves your mother,” Riley said.

  “Ingram and I have argued this extensively. I have to admit, her attitude was not only combative, but also—” Justin broke off as if realizing that what he’d been about to say wasn’t something a daughter would want to hear.

  “Go ahead and say it,” Brennan said. “Kacie has no illusions about her mother.”

  Instead of Justin answering, Riley did it for him. “She seemed happy that you’re having these problems. In fact, she said”—she looked down at her notepa
d—“‘About time the little slut got her comeuppance.’”

  Kacie’s response was a small flinch in her expression and then another straightening of her shoulders.

  “Sorry to be so blunt,” Riley said, “but what kind of mother says that about her daughter?”

  “Not the good kind,” was Kacie’s wry reply.

  “We checked her financials,” Justin said. “She’s got money, but she spends a lot, too.”

  “I’m sure the money I was sending her is being missed already.”

  “Makes sense she would want to get back at you,” Riley said.

  “Possibly…probably. But why would she have anything to do with Dr. Curtis’s death?”

  “Perhaps she was preparing, just in case. Having your file would give her the security.”

  “True,” Brennan said. “But she’s got to know that if she were to release information from that file, she’d be incriminating herself in a murder.”

  “Could be she’s not bright enough to get that.”

  “Do you think your mother’s capable of murder?” Brennan asked.

  “I don’t know. I’d like to think she isn’t. But she is a greedy person, and if there’s money to be had, who knows if she’d let a little thing like murder stop her?”

  “Then she stays on the list,” Brennan said.

  “So now what?”

  “Even though she’s on the list, we need to consider that there might be someone else out there who knows your real name and either wants to blackmail you or ruin you.”

  Kacie gave a small, husky laugh, but Brennan heard the stress beneath it. “So basically we have no clue. It could be anyone.”

  As if realizing or regretting her earlier roughness, Riley gave her a sympathetic smile. “I think we can narrow it down a bit, with your help.”

  “How?”

  “We need a list of your employees, closest associates, and friends.”

  “But I—” She shook her head. “No one close to me would do something like this. I trust all of my employees and associates implicitly.”

  Brennan could understand and appreciate her defense. It was hard as hell to accept that the people you had given your total trust to had betrayed you. He knew that feeling well. And he also knew that betrayal happened every damn day.