“He threatened her with an unseen weapon when she refused to go with him.” Guy’s tone implied the weapon was nonexistent and the perp was truly an amateur. “She’s the daughter of Ambassador Singer. And by the look of her file, this is not her first attempted kidnapping. Poor kid.”
“Kid?” Rob didn’t hide his disapproval. If she was a kid in danger because of her mom’s career, she should have been better protected. “She’s a child model?”
“No. She’s twenty-three. However, Madison grew up in the glare of the media, her mother is very vocal on many topics that likely upset some nasty, lowlife scum.” Guy leafed through some papers. “She has several foiled kidnapping attempts under her belt and one successful kidnapping.”
“Successful. Someone actually snatched her when she was a child?” Rob asked as he put the ingredients he’d used to make pancakes away. He would have put Guy on speakerphone if the boys weren’t in earshot.
“She was thirteen. Snatched from outside her boarding school by a couple of men and taken to a secluded farmhouse in the mountains. There was a ransom demand, it doesn’t say if her mom was willing to pay. All the file says is that Madison escaped and trekked to the nearest town, arriving with torn-up feet and cuts and bruises to her body.”
“And the people who took her?” Rob asked.
“Never found. Madison managed to lead the police to the place she’d been held, but the farmhouse was empty. No sign of her kidnappers.” Guy sighed.
“Were the police certain she hadn’t set the whole thing up? A cry for help?” Rob closed the fridge and took hold of the phone, swapping it to his other ear. “Was there a witness to the latest attempt?”
“No witnesses,” Guy confirmed.
“Do you think she’s making this up? Perhaps she wants some attention, this time from the media. It would boost her career.” Rob turned around and surveyed the kitchen. Since Ray and the kids had moved in, his house had taken on a new life, it had come alive. The sounds of children talking and laughing, despite their sadness at the loss of their father, had made his house a home.
“No, I don’t. And her mother thinks there is a real threat. Ambassador Singer is the one hiring us.” Guy paused. “Honestly, I get the feeling Madison would rather just get on with her life and not let this affect her. But her mother isn’t letting it go.”
“Pushy parents, a kidnapping attempt or two. I have to wonder how that leaves a person.” Rob glanced back at the table where his two nephews, Jon and Frank, were finishing up. “I have to go. I’ll be with you in an hour.”
“Great, I have you booked on a flight at two.” Guy ended the call and Rob began a mental list of everything he needed to do before he left. First on that list was break the news to Ray that she would be alone for a few days.
“We’re finished,” Frank held up his sticky fingers. “Can I leave the table and go wash my hands?”
“Sure, why don’t you both go and wash up and then play while I talk to your mom.” Rob saw the uncertainty pass across Jon’s face.
“Was that news about Dad?” Jon asked.
“No.” This was the part that always broke Rob’s heart. Ray’s husband was missing in action, presumed dead. His vehicle had been blown up by an IED, there were no survivors found. It was thought everyone in the vehicle was dead. Rob had seen the photographs of the incident; it would be a miracle if anyone had survived. Yet he’d always held onto a small sliver of hope that his brother-in-law, Colm, had somehow sensed the explosion and shifted before it happened and flown away. He’d requested to see the body camera footage of the explosion, but he’d been denied. There was little else he could do now, except care for his sister and her sons. “The call was about a job. I have to go away for a couple of days.”
Two disappointed faces looked back at him. “We’ll miss you.” Jon got straight off his chair and came to Rob, hugging him tightly.
“I’m going to miss you, too, bud. But you and Frank will be okay. Guy said if there is anything you need just to call him. And Flint and Jenna have invited you to a playdate. Your mom can take you this afternoon.” He hunkered down, meeting the two boys at eye level. “I’ll be back before you know it. And when I do get back, we’ll go exploring the mountain together. Okay?”
“With Mommy?” Frank asked.
“Yeah. it’ll do her good to get back on the mountain and feel the wind in her face and the sun on her back.” Ray wasn’t the only one who could do with a good run on the mountains. With the arrival of Ray and the boys, Rob had been too busy with work and chores to go for the kind of long run that allowed him to unwind. “Now, go wash your hands. I’ll come say goodbye before I leave.”
He watched them run to the stairs and listened with a smile on his face as they chattered away about toys and games. It was good to hear those sounds, hear them excited again. When they’d first arrived, the grief had been too much for them, but slowly, the periods between the grief had become longer, and their moods lifted. If only he could say the same about Ray.
“Hi.” He found Ray in the garden, her face tilted toward the sun, a cold cup of coffee in one hand, Colm’s dog tags in the other.
“Morning.” Ray turned her head slowly toward him. “I lost track of time.” Her eyes slowly focused on him. “I should make the boys their breakfast.”
“Don’t worry, I fed them.” He sat down beside her on the wooden bench he’d made last year with Colm’s help. They’d hauled the downed tree from the forest, prepared the timber by hand and spent a couple of days sawing and sanding until they stood back together and admired their creation. A stab of pain pierced his heart. He missed Colm more than he would ever be able to express. Not because he didn’t have the words, but because he couldn’t allow himself to fall apart, too.
“You’re leaving.” She gave a sad smile. Every smile that crossed Ray’s lips was sad these days.
“How did you know?” Rob asked as he leaned back against the wooden seat and stretched his legs out in front of him. He was going to miss this view of the mountains while he was away. he always did.
“You have this expression you wear when you come to tell me you’re going.” She leaned against him and he lifted his arm, hugging her close. “It’s like you’re scared I might break.”
“And will you?” Rob asked gently.
She swallowed hard, swallowing down her emotions that she fought to control every minute of every day. “No. I owe it to the children to keep it together, to keep going. Colm would have words to say if I let them down.” Her voice broke as she added, “Let him down.”
“You lost your mate, Ray. Give yourself time.” He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “We’ll get through this.”
“I don’t want to get through it,” she admitted. “I want him here with me. Every time I close my eyes I hope to wake up and find this was all a bad dream. But it’s not a nightmare I’ll ever wake up from. So I need to find a way to go on.”
She pulled away from him and sat up straight, Rob reached for her hand. “You’re not alone. No one expects you to do this alone.”
“I know.” She smiled. Sad where she once used to be happy. A name had never fit a person more aptly than Ray suited his sister. She was like a ray of sunshine; from the moment she was born, if his parents were to be believed. Everyone around her felt the warmth of her love, the warmth of her smile. She would do anything for anyone. Her love knew no bounds. Which was why it was hard to watch her heart being torn in two.
“So you’ll be okay.” He squeezed her hand. “I know you will be.”
“I will. I can function. I’m getting good at it.” Ray stood up and threw the cold contents of her cup onto the lawn. “The boys only have one parent left. I need to make sure I make up for that.”
Rob stood by his sister’s side, wishing he could make this better for her. But nothing would ever replace her mate. He knew it, she knew it. “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. You are hurting still.”
“You go get r
eady. I’ll take a shower and then do something with the kids.” She kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Rob. For taking us in. I could have gone to Mom and Dad’s, but I don’t think I could have watched them fall apart with me.”
“You’re welcome. You’d do the same for me.” He knew how tough the news that Colm was dead had hit his parents. It was hard watching your child go through what Ray was going through. Ray had come to him to spare them any more pain. Always thinking of others even when her life fell apart, that was Ray. “They understand why you came here.”
She nodded. “I’ll give them a call tonight.”
“Hey, remember the kids have a playdate over at Jenna and Flint’s. I’ll leave my truck, so you’re not stranded here while I’m gone.” He fished his keys out of his pocket and took off his house key, handing the rest to Ray. “Don’t crash her while I’m gone.”
“Her? You really still think of your vehicles as people? Does she have a name?” Ray teased, a flash of her old self appearing momentarily.
“Sonia. Her name is Sonia.” He smirked and shook his head. “She’s the only woman in my life, so she gets a name.”
“You’re joking, right?” Ray asked as she followed him inside.
His shoulders shook as he turned and saw the look of horror on his sister’s face. “You never did learn to tell when I was joking.” He wagged his finger at her, and she grabbed hold of it and tried to bend it back.
“Are you and Uncle Rob fighting?” Frank asked, looking at them upside down from upstairs.
“Just playing.” Rob hugged Ray. “Siblings are never too old to play with each other.”
“You mean tease each other,” Ray retorted.
“Maybe that’s what I meant.” He winked at her and she thumped him on the shoulder.
“Ouch, you hit hard for a girl.” He rubbed his shoulder with an offended expression on his face. “And that’s not a good example to your children.”
“Go get packed before I box your ears.” Ray held her fists up, ready to fight.
“I love you, sis.” Rob hugged her briefly, before pulling away and running up the stairs two at a time. It was good to hear Ray laughing, but if he told her that, reality would soon sink back in. If only he could pull her out of her melancholy mood, but he had no idea how that was even possible. The loss of your mate was the worst thing in the world, and she would never fully get over it.
Perhaps if they’d had a body to bury, she might have come to terms with Colm’s death, but no body meant no real closure. They’d held a remembrance service for Colm, but it wasn’t the same. Rob pulled out his backpack and began to pack. A couple of days alone with the children might help Ray take a step back into the light. She’d have to make herself function normally for the kids.
Ten minutes later, Rob was showered and downstairs grabbing a last cup of coffee before he left for the offices of Bear Creek Protectors. Ray and the children were in the garden, they were weeding the border, ready to plant a tree in memory of Colm. Rob watched them, a sadness deep in his heart. A sadness he kept hidden from his sister and her children. He’d forced himself to be the rock they could all cling to, but it killed him to see them like this.
Draining his cup, he washed it and set it on the drainer, before going outside to say his goodbyes. They’d be all right without him.
Ray is strong, his bear said firmly.
I know, but she’s hurting, and I just want to take away her pain, Rob replied. Was he wishing for the impossible? Perhaps, but it didn’t stop him from hoping that Colm had somehow survived the blast.
But if so, where was he? Why hadn’t he come home?
He pushed those thoughts out of his head. It was okay to hope but thinking his brother-in-law had survived the bomb blast was crazy. It wouldn’t help any of them for Ray and the children to live in false hope.
They had to get on with their lives with the knowledge that Colm was never coming home.
Chapter Three – Madison
“Mom, I’m fine. Honestly, I don’t need a bodyguard.” Madison had been insisting the same thing for the last half an hour. For the last half an hour, her mom had not been listening. Some things never changed no matter how old you were.
“I have contacted Bear Creek Protectors, they come highly recommended—and they are sending someone to you today.” This new bombshell hit Madison hard. When she’d called her mom earlier to tell her about the attempted abduction, her mom had been busy and the conversation brief. However, in the hours between that conversation and this, Ambassador Connie Singer had made arrangements without consulting her daughter.
“Mom, I appreciate what you are trying to do…”
“I’m trying to keep you safe,” her mom interrupted.
“I’m old enough to take care of myself and arrange protection if I need it.” Madison closed her eyes, just as her mom closed her ears.
“If it wasn’t for me, you would not be in this predicament,” Mrs. Singer insisted. “So you will let me do this for you.”
“For how long, Mom? There is always going to be a threat. I’ve lived with it my whole life. And now this is my life and I don’t want it ruined by a bodyguard tailing me twenty-four-seven.” This was an argument she wasn’t going to win. One reason Mrs. Singer was so good at her job was that she knew exactly how to get what she wanted, even if it meant walking over someone else’s plans and squashing them into the ground with the heel of her shoe.
“For as long as it takes.” Her mom let out a long sigh. “I knew this would happen when you agreed to be the face of that clothing line. It thrust you into the public eye and made you a target.”
“So this is my fault?” Madison’s voice rose in pitch, sounding like a petulant child, not the grown-up woman who knew her own mind and knew how to take care of herself.
“There are countless careers you could have followed. Why you had to decide to be a model is beyond me.” And there it was, the root of the current problem between Madison and her mom.
“I’m sorry I’ve disappointed you, Mom. And you might not believe me, but I am making a difference. Sure, it might not be world peace or the end of famine, but I make a difference to every little girl out there who thinks she’s not good enough because she isn’t stick thin or she’s too short, too tall…” She took a breath. “This is my life.”
Mrs. Singer sighed once more, a deep resigned sigh. “You are the only person I know who does not bow under the pressure I exert.” Was that a hint of admiration in her mom’s voice?
“I need to live my life on my terms, Mom.” Madison gave a short laugh. “You know, I have learned from the best.”
“You have.” There was a pause before her mom continued, “You’re wrong. I am proud of you. I see so many women, downtrodden for one reason or another. Some with no hope, no way to change their future.”
“That’s why I have to carry on with this campaign. What if the kidnapping attempt had nothing to do with me being your daughter? What if it was someone who didn’t agree with me being the new face of Holly and Jones? I can’t walk away from this.” Her unwavering firm tone reminded Madison of her mother. They were more similar than either mother or daughter would care to admit.
“I know. So here is where we compromise.” Mrs. Singer was about to pitch her idea. Perhaps this was where this conversation was going to end all along and she’d simply led Madison down the right path to the destination she had always intended. A good haggler always starts out with his highest or lowest price to give room to maneuver. Diplomats were no different.
Madison had learned that trick at a very early age. “Mom, this isn’t about compromise, this is about me living my own life on my own terms,” Madison said firmly.
“The bodyguard I hired is already on a plane, he’ll be landing at the airport in an hour. I’m asking you to allow him to protect you for the next week or two. If nothing happens, then I will back off.” Mrs. Singer made it sound so reasonable.
“Why is this a compromise?” Madi
son asked. “It sounds as if you are getting what you wanted all along.”
“That’s not true,” Mrs. Singer insisted. “What I really wanted was for him to come and pick you up and bring you home. I can protect you better here at the house.”
“The house.” To Madison, the home she grew up in was more like a prison, with high walls, a security gate and security guards patrolling the grounds at all times. The only thing, well, person she liked at her mother’s house was Joe, her mom’s personal bodyguard who had been more of a parent to Madison than either her mom or dad.
“Yes. I thought we could spend some quality time together.” For most children, that would sound wonderful, but spending time with her mom wasn’t the mother-daughter bonding session Mrs. Singer implied.
“I have a couple of jobs I can’t back out of,” Madison insisted. “So I’ll accept your offer of a bodyguard as long as he shadows me and does not interfere in my life.”
“Deal.” Mrs. Singer hesitated before she asked, “If you don’t want to come to the house, could I come to town and visit you in the next couple of days?”
“Why?” Madison asked before she could stop herself.
“There are a couple of things I feel we need to discuss. And I’d prefer to discuss them face to face.” A sadness tinged her mom’s voice, leaving Madison with no other option than to say yes.
“Of course.” Madison agreed, knowing her mother would be too caught up in work and forget all about her daughter now that the threat had passed.
“I’ll let you know as soon as I know. I have a meeting this afternoon. If it goes well, I should have a couple of days off. If not, well…you know how it is.”
“I do.” Madison was about to end the call when she said, “I’m proud of you, Mom, and the work you do.”
“Are you?” Mrs. Singer sounded surprised.
“Yes, I am. You are an inspiration to me and other women.” She hoped she sounded sincere. Talking to her mom, being open and honest with her, was alien to Madison. They had never been close, which was a pity, but neither woman seemed to know how to make the first step to change that.
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