THE CRADLE CONSPIRACY

by Robin Perini

  His gaze unwavering, he gently lowered them both to the sleeping bag. His eyes flickered in the light of the lantern. He trailed his finger down her jaw. “You’re beautiful.”

  “So are you.” She let her touch flutter against the scar on his cheek. He flinched, but her hand remained steady. “I love your strength and courage.”

  He went to speak, but she stopped him with a finger to his lips. “Shh.” She pushed him, and he let her roll him to his back, then she straddled him. Her wet hair framed her face, and her hips shifted on top of his.

  His eyes darkened. She lifted the scrub shirt over her head and unhooked her bra. She felt brazen but powerful. He couldn’t take his eyes away from her. He cupped her breasts in his hands.

  Raven leaned down and let her breasts press against his chest. “Take me now.” She pressed her lips against his and then explored his mouth. “Now. That’s an order.”

  Suddenly he laughed. “I don’t always follow orders well,” Daniel said, flipping her onto her back. “But this time...” His teeth teased her nipple until she arched against him. “This time, nothing will stop me.”

  He pressed a denim-clad leg between hers and explored her naked torso with his hands and mouth. She didn’t know how he removed the remainder of their clothes so quickly, but suddenly he settled on top of her, and he was touching her everywhere. With devastating thoroughness, he worked his way down one leg, then up the other until he found the center of her. She cried out as he caressed her, and her body exploded in an eruption of need. She could feel his throbbing heat, strong and hard and wanting. “Daniel,” she panted. “I want you inside me.”

  In response, he grabbed the bag Noah had provided and dug into the side pocket. She whimpered in protest until he pulled out a foil packet.

  He slipped on the condom and held himself above her. Her heart raced until she thought it might leap from her chest, then he shifted, joining them as one. She cried out in joyous relief.

  His eyelids fluttered closed. For a few moments he remained unmoving, sucking in one breath, then another.

  She wrapped herself around him, tilting her hips, cradling him, surrounding him. They belonged together. She wanted to whisper the words, but she didn’t dare.

  As if he had heard her, Daniel let out a low moan. “God, it’s like coming home.”

  A wall seemed to crumble between them. He lowered his mouth to hers and moved against her, driving her higher and higher until she called out into the night, her mind and heart flying free for the first time since he’d found her.

  * * *

  CHRISTOPHER HAD WANTED to push his vehicle to the limits to return to Trouble, but he couldn’t risk anyone stopping him, so he’d gone the speed limit. He and Tad set up on the outskirts of town. Now Christopher paced back and forth beside the SUV. The grumble of thunder sounded in the distance, over the mountain, making the hair on the back of his neck stand at attention.

  Static crackled from the listening device he’d placed at the sheriff’s office. He shoved his boot heel into the ground and let out a string of curses; then he whirled and slammed his fist into the vehicle’s side. “Damn it. What’s taking so long? I was sure Galloway would know, or at least get in touch with that woman. Where the hell is she?”

  Tad shoved his hand through his hair. “You never did have any patience for surveillance. It’s just another part of the hunt. She’ll turn up sooner or later.”

  Christopher rounded on his friend and grabbed him by the neck. “Listen to me. I’m protecting my family, and if I have to kill someone to do it, I will. Even you. So shut up and let me think.”

  A sharp ring sounded through the speaker. Chris shoved Tad away and turned up the volume.

  “Sheriff. This is Noah Bradford. I’m trying to reach Daniel. I have news, and I need to talk to him. I can’t get through to his SAT phone.”

  “Sorry, Bradford, but Adams left without telling me where they were going. Didn’t trust that we could protect Raven. Not that I blame him,” Galloway complained. “Lucy’s still touch-and-go. Hondo’s in a bad way. I’d get the hell out, too.”

  Noah swore succinctly. “I’m sorry about your friends, but I’ve got to talk to him. There’s a tracer in his laptop so I have his coordinates. If I give them to you, can you get to him immediately?”

  “Yeah, won’t be a problem.”

  The man named Noah read off the digits.

  “Jackpot.” Christopher grabbed a pen from Tad and wrote the information on his arm.

  Galloway whistled. “I just checked the map. Not good. They’re by the washes that lead away from the peak. There’s a flash flood warning for that area. The place is unstable at the best of times, but with the unexpected rain in the mountains, the ground there won’t soak up anything. There will be flash floods and mudslides all over that land. Even if I wanted to get to him, he has the four-wheel drive. I can’t risk it with the vehicles I have. Maybe dirt bikes could get in.”

  “Forget it.” Noah let out another curse. “I’m taking a chopper to get them out.”

  “What’s going on, Bradford?” Sheriff Galloway asked, his voice suspicious.

  “That’s the problem, Sheriff. We have no idea, but I’ve got a really bad feeling this is where the whole case is about to change.”

  The call ended.

  Christopher grinned. “Damn straight.” He and Tad jumped in the SUV. “It took a few hours, but it paid off, Tad. We know where they are now, and I got an easy way to make that woman’s death look like an accident.”

  “Now let’s go steal some dirt bikes.”

  * * *

  DANIEL’S HEART RACED like he’d just run for his life, but he felt like he’d grabbed a small piece of heaven. He didn’t want to leave the warmth of Raven’s body. She lay curled against him with her eyes closed, but she wasn’t asleep. Her grip on him was too strong, as if she didn’t want to let him go.

  An unfamiliar warmth seeped through his chest, surrounding his heart. He kissed the top of her hair and stared out into the night. It felt so right to have Raven in his arms.

  He tucked her head under his chin, being careful not to bump her wound.

  She sighed and wriggled closer. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice low.

  He smiled and tightened his hold. “That should be my line.”

  She laughed. “In that case, you’re welcome.”

  She shifted in his arms and looked up at him, the flickering of the lantern illuminating her dark hair, creating a halo around her head.

  He pushed back the silky locks. How he wished he could have been there to protect her from the beginning. She should never have been so vulnerable. Her bruises hadn’t faded much, and she couldn’t hide the circles of fatigue under her eyes, but she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever known, because her beauty came from deep inside.

  “I haven’t felt like a normal woman since I woke up,” she whispered. “Not until now.”

  “Normal is overrated,” Daniel teased, even as his body hardened against hers. “Your uniqueness is way better than that. I like the sounds you make when I’m inside you.”

  A soft blush reddened her cheeks, and he smiled, feeling halfway human for the first time since Bellevaux. A flashing image of the black bag being pulled over his head and him being dragged into that prison cell seared his mind. He didn’t want to think about his past.

  No.

  He hated the memories. He wouldn’t
let them taint this moment.

  Daniel let his fingertips linger against the bruise on her temple. “Head still okay?”

  “Fine,” she said with a small yawn.

  He kissed her temple. “Try to get some sleep. I won’t leave you,” he said, settling her against him. “I’ll keep you safe.”

  Her eyelids fluttered close. “Safe,” she said. “I like feeling safe.”

  After several minutes, her breathing grew regular.

  Daniel didn’t want to move. He wanted to just disappear in this cave forever with Raven, but she shifted onto her side, and the lantern’s light reflected off the locket around her neck, reminding him that disappearing wasn’t an option.

  In fact, ignoring the past wasn’t an option.

  For either of them.

  * * *

  PAMELA STARED AT the baby in the crib, her cheeks rosy and healthy. The other baby. If Chelsea had given her this one, everything would have been fine.

  Now Pamela loved Christina with an obsession that scared even her.

  The little girl whimpered and let out a sneeze.

  No. This baby couldn’t get sick. They’d call off the procedure. That wouldn’t work.

  Christina was failing faster.

  Pamela raced down the hall and grabbed a vaporizer. Within twenty minutes the room was bathed in healing steam. She paced back and forth, every few seconds staring down at the child.

  Christopher hadn’t come home, thank God. She’d seen the wild look in his eyes and recognized he hadn’t changed. Somehow she had to figure out a way to get away from him without him learning the truth about the babies.

  A ringing phone pierced the night. Pamela ran into the hallway and picked up the receiver. “Hello?”

  Small sobs sounded through the line. “Mrs. W...Winter?”

  A chill skittered down Pamela’s back. “Chelsea? You promised never to call. You promised to disappear. We had a deal.”

  “And you promised me Christopher would never find me after I moved this time. That the baby would be safe. I never should have let you take her. I should have given them both to...” Her voice trailed off. “He’ll find out, and he’ll kill me.”

  Pamela gritted her teeth. Quietly she shut the door to the nursery and walked into her bedroom. She stared at the photograph of her husband, a picture to remind her of one truth. A truth it had taken her thirty years to understand. Mercy didn’t win. Only power won—and witnesses weren’t to be left behind.

  “You have to do something.” Chelsea sobbed. “He came here tonight. He...he wants me back. He wants babies with me. I can’t let that happen.”

  “Did you upset him?” Pamela asked, shifting her feet back and forth, her gaze snapping to the photo of her husband once again. “Why did you even let him in your house?”

  “I didn’t know he was back. I looked through the window, and he saw me. You could have warned me. You know how he can get. I had to... I let him...” Chelsea choked back another sob. “I didn’t dare risk him flying into one of his rages.”

  Pamela tapped her chin. She probably should have warned Christopher’s old girlfriend, but the woman had betrayed her, too. A sudden thought occurred to Pamela. She rose and peeked into the nursery. What if she told Christopher about the babies using Chelsea as a scapegoat? Yes. The plan might just work. If she played it smart, she could solve two problems with one small revelation. Chelsea’s call may have been the answer to her prayers.

  “Help me?” Chelsea said.

  Pamela drummed her fingers on the phone. She couldn’t reveal her intentions. She had to string Chelsea along. “What can I do? He doesn’t listen to me, either.” She let her voice shake, made herself sound vulnerable. She’d certainly borne the brunt of her husband’s and then Christopher’s anger. She had no intention of going through that again.

  “You know enough to put him behind bars. The cops will believe his mother. You can tell everyone about what he’s done. About his hunting trips. About the kid who went missing in the wash ten years ago. I want Christopher put away. I want the baby safe. I want to be free.”

  “You’re right.” Pamela took one last look at the sleeping child in the bed. “I know exactly what to do, Chelsea. You won’t have to worry anymore. I’ll take care of everything.”

  * * *

  RAVEN FLOATED ABOVE the vision: a long flowing white dress. A church. A handsome man at her side—but not Daniel. Oh, God, a man she didn’t know. A man with blond hair, too handsome to be real. She had to be dreaming. Rings were exchanged, then kisses.

  No. This was wrong. It couldn’t be a wedding. She shook her head, wanting the images to vanish. She wanted to stay warm and loved in Daniel’s arms, but those strange impressions felt real. Felt true.

  She cried out, devastated, even in sleep.

  “Raven, wake up. You’re having a nightmare. You’re okay, darlin’.” Daniel held her wrists, one leg thrown across her waist. “You’re with me.”

  Daniel’s calm voice shattered the images in thousands of pieces, but her heart wouldn’t stop pounding.

  Blinking against the glare of the morning light, Raven looked down at her nude body and then stared at her left hand. No ring. No tan lines revealing she’d even worn one. Yet she couldn’t shake the certainty in her soul that the dream was real.

  “I think I’m married,” she whispered.

  Daniel released her wrists, rolled off her and sat up. Tension emanated from his body. He tugged on his jeans and handed her a clean set of scrubs. “You’re basing this on your dream?”

  “It didn’t feel like a dream, more like a memory.” She quickly slipped into the clothes, hating that she couldn’t have stayed naked in his arms, with nothing between them. She’d felt so close to him, and now a chasm wider than the wash separated them.

  “We both knew this was a possibility,” Daniel said. “I never should have touched you last night. God, I knew better. I’m sorry.”

  The words hurt, even though she expected them. “How can I feel what I do for you if I’m...?”

  Her voice trailed off. She couldn’t meet his gaze. “God, this is all so crazy.” She rubbed her eyes with shaking hands. “I have to remember. I can’t go on like this.”

  “You may not like what we discover,” Daniel said. He raised his hand to her cheek, then dropped it before he touched her skin. “We should work on expanding some of your memories today.”

  “I know.” She bit her lip, longing for a connection with Daniel, even though she shouldn’t. “I watched you fight to control your memories. I have to fight to retrieve mine. For my baby. And for...myself.”

  “Okay, then.” Daniel gave her a tight smile.

  He opened Noah’s satchel and pulled out a laptop and a smaller bag. He set the items between them.

  “What’s all this?”

  “The CTC program I mentioned. I think it’s worth a try, but I have to warn you, it may not be easy.”

  Daniel reached into the bag. “Sit back against the cave wall and relax. I have a number of items. Hold them, smell them, use your five senses to see if they trigger any images, any impressions.” One by one he pulled out a baby’s rattle, a pink blanket, baby shampoo and several toys.

  She drew in a sharp breath. “My head is pounding already. Just looking at these toys makes my heart ache.”

  “Take it slow. You’re safe here. Close your eyes. Let your mind wander.”

  He handed her the rattle, and she clutched it tight.
>
  “Nothing.”

  “Try the shampoo. You had a reaction to the scent before,” he said.

  She did and her stomach heaved, her heart tripping in panic, but no new images appeared in her mind.

  For over an hour, Daniel took her through the CTC program. Finally, when an image flashed on the screen for the third time with nothing to show for it but a headache, Raven jumped to her feet. “This is ridiculous. Nothing’s coming back to me. I’m pushing and pushing, and my head is going to explode.”

  Her eyes burned with unshed tears.

  She whirled around and stared at the gray sky outside. “We’re wasting our time here. I’d rather sit in that clinic as bait, waiting until that maniac comes after me. He knows who I am. If we trap him, I have a chance of finding out, too.”

  She stalked out of the cave and walked to the edge of the wash. The suffocating loneliness of the desert settled over her. She wrapped her arms around her body, shaking. What if she never remembered? What if she never knew who she was or what happened to her baby? Could she live with that?

  No, it would kill her.

  She stared down into the wash, and a wave of despair, deep and dark, slammed against her.

  Storm clouds gathered over the western mountains. Thunder sounded and lightning flashed some distance away, but the ground began to rumble, a roar coming ever closer. She peered over the wash just as a huge wall of water raced down the rock ravine.

  Daniel ran out of the cave, the whip in his hand. “It’s a flash flood. Get back.”

  She whirled around, but water splashed over the rocks and debris, slamming into the earthen ledge where she stood. The ground behind her gave way. She dove toward a mesquite tree growing out of rock and grabbed hold of one of its branches. The bark cut into her hands but she held tight, panting.

  Frantic, she looked down at the swirling water. If she fell, she wouldn’t survive. “Daniel!”