Embracing Danger

by Olivia Jaymes

He wasn’t getting it. “So is my dad. But I’m A positive. I always assumed my mother was too. I mean…she has to be, right?”

  Her fingers clutched the report as a horrible truth took root in her brain. She stared down at the paper, willing the typewritten words to change but they stayed stubbornly the same.

  “One of them isn’t my parent,” she whispered, the bile rising in her throat. She was getting damn tired of finding out secrets in the worst way. Apparently everyone had been lying to her about everything. At this point, what was the truth?

  Shane scraped a hand down his face before grabbing onto her hand. “You’re the picture of your mother. Everyone can see the resemblance.”

  A cold numbness was beginning to spread through her body and she welcomed it wholeheartedly. She needed to step away from her emotions to be able to deal with this revelation.

  “Then Ben Cavendish isn’t my father.”

  Jumping up from his chair, Shane rubbed the back of his neck as he paced the small space.

  “You look like your father a little bit too. Maybe the coroner made a mistake, baby girl.”

  She picked up another piece of paper. “The blood type is on two different reports, not just the autopsy. The crime scene unit also typed the blood as O positive. I didn’t catch it until I saw the autopsy though. It’s not a mistake, but I might be.”

  “Don’t say that.” His hands rested on her shoulders, trying to reassure her. “Maybe you have your father’s blood type wrong.”

  If only.

  “I don’t. He used to donate blood quite a bit and there is a plaque on his office wall. O positive.”

  Arden’s nerveless fingers picked up the photo of David Hollis. “Do I look like him? Is he my father? My real father?”

  Shane sat down next to her, scooting his chair close so he could pull her into his arms. “I don’t know, honey. But this just tells me that it’s more important than ever to not only find your father—we also need to find your uncle too.”

  She dropped the picture onto the table, her hands trembling too much to hold on. “It tells us something more. It tells us that whether David is my father or not…my dad had a more powerful motive than money to kill my mother.”

  Nothing was ever going to be the same.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  ‡

  Shane slid the keycard into the slot and then pushed open the hotel room door, the aroma of cleaning products hitting his nostrils. When they’d returned to Indianapolis, Jason had called with David Hollis’s whereabouts. He was currently residing in an apartment in an expensive part of Chicago.

  It wasn’t lost on Shane that the last time he’d talked to Wyatt the man thought that Ben was also here in the Windy City. He didn’t believe in coincidences.

  Quickly hitting the road, Shane and Arden had managed to make it to Chicago before midnight. After getting some much needed rest, they’d go see her uncle tomorrow. She had more than a few questions for the man.

  Arden had been quiet most of the drive from Indianapolis to Chicago and Shane had let her be. She needed a chance to deal with everything she’d learned without him pushing her or trying to make things better.

  The fact was…things were pretty terrible. Awful. Screwed. She’d been blindsided today and all he could do was be there for her. He knew her well and eventually she would come to him and tell him what she needed. Until then he would stay close and show her how much he loved her.

  He tossed their bags on the king-sized bed and then went over to the window to pull the heavy curtains shut. “You can go ahead and use the bathroom if you want. I need to make a few calls.”

  Instead of heading into the bathroom, Arden sat down on the bed, her fingers fiddling with the bedspread. Shane wished he could fix the blank expression on her face. Her rug of security had been pulled out from under her and it would take time to get her footing again.

  “Does Jason know?”

  “He doesn’t need to know. No one does. This is your secret to tell, not mine.”

  Her lips turned up at the corners. “I’m stuck between being glad I’m finally finding out the truth about my life and horrified, wishing that I was still living in ignorant bliss. I wonder how my dad – I mean, Ben – was able to keep this a secret for so long. I never would have guessed in a million years.”

  Sitting down next to her, he lifted her up and placed her back down on his lap, his arms holding her close. Rubbing up and down her spine, he tried his best to sooth her ravaged emotions. “Let’s face it, honey—Ben played most of life close to his vest, both personal and business. We only saw what he wanted us to see, but I will say this because I believe it. Ben Cavendish loves you. I can see it when he looks at you or talks about you. There’s more to being a father than biology.”

  Resting her head on his shoulder, he heard her sigh heavily, her breath warm on his neck.

  “I know and I think you’re right. But his love has been the obsessive kind. He’s always wanted to control my life as much as I would allow it.”

  “I know that all too well,” Shane agreed. “I think that has more to do with Ben’s personality than him not being your true father. I bet he would have been like that either way.”

  Her entire body was shaking and he tightened his hold on her, rocking her back and forth, waiting for the tears that didn’t come. It was as if she was cried out or completely numb and it worried the hell out of Shane. When she did start feeling again it wasn’t going to be a pretty thing.

  “I’m scared.”

  He pushed back a stray strand of hair behind her ear, rubbing the silky tresses between his thumb and finger. “What are you scared of? What can I do to make it better?”

  “I’m scared of what else I don’t know. What lies around the corner and is it going to jump out at me like one of those creepy jack-in-the-boxes when I was a kid? I think I’ve had just about as many surprises as I can take.”

  Shane didn’t see that she was going to get a reprieve. Even if David Hollis didn’t have any bombshells to share, when the killer was finally unmasked that would surely be a shock to her heart even if she already suspected her father.

  “You’re a strong woman and I know you’ll be able to survive this. If I haven’t told you, I’m so proud of how you’ve dealt with everything so far. You amaze me.” He pressed soft baby kisses to the top of her head. “I love you, just remember that. You’re not alone anymore.”

  If Shane had his way, she’d never be alone again.

  “I love you too and I’m so grateful you’re here.” She lifted her head and brushed her lips against his, caressing his unshaven jaw with her fingertips. “Do you think he did it?”

  He’d thought about little else on the drive to Chicago. He had no doubt that Ben was capable of killing if he needed to, but had he lashed out at someone he loved, taking his daughter’s mother? That was extreme even for Cavendish. He’d doted on Arden, but then perhaps it had been out of guilt.

  “I don’t know. He had motive but that doesn’t mean he did it. They can’t prove that he came back early from his business trip. It’s just Destin’s theory because, frankly, he doesn’t have any proof pointing any other direction. We need to talk to your uncle and your father. Conveniently, I think they’re both here in the city.”

  “Are you going to call Wyatt?”

  Shane stood, lifting Arden and setting her on her feet. He gave her a light smack on the bottom and pushed her toward the bathroom. “Just as soon as you get in that bathtub. Have a good long soak and then I’ll pour us some wine from the minibar.”

  She pulled her pajamas and toothbrush from her suitcase. “After the day I’ve had, make it a whiskey.”

  He watched as she disappeared into the bathroom and then came the sound of water filling the tub. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he pressed a few buttons, anxious to find out the latest.

  “Wyatt? It’s Shane. Have you located Ben? Things have taken a turn and we really need to find him right away.”

>   * * *

  The police cars and ambulance out front of David Hollis’s apartment building in the tony Lincoln Park area of Chicago weren’t a positive sign. Arden’s uncle wasn’t the only tenant but with the luck they’d been having, these emergency responders weren’t there by mistake.

  Arden grabbed onto Shane’s hand. “This doesn’t look good.”

  “There are other tenants in the building. It could be for any one of them. It’s probably just a coincidence.”

  Shane almost sounded convincing.

  “What floor does he live on again?”

  He’d told her once but she was naturally rattled about the entire situation. “The top floor. Apartment 302.”

  Sidestepping the vehicles parked at the curb, they crossed into the sumptuous building foyer complete with marble floors and chandelier hanging from the tin-tiled ceiling. Shane pressed the button for the elevator and wrapped an arm around Arden’s shoulders. She’d managed to get some sleep last night and was looking much better this morning. She’d told him over breakfast that she still felt numb inside and Shane couldn’t argue that was probably for the best. There was time later to cry, scream, and generally fall apart.

  The elevator dinged and the doors slid open revealing a man on a stretcher, two EMTs, and two other men, one in a cop uniform. One look told him the worst and he heard Arden’s gasp of shock as her uncle was rolled toward the ambulance.

  Her knees must have given out because she seemed to fall slack against him and he propped her up, even as he reached out to the two men trailing the stretcher.

  “Excuse me. Is that David Hollis? What happened?”

  The taller man in a suit whirled around with a scowl on his face, and stepped forward, clearly trying to intimidate. “Who are you?”

  Shane didn’t back down, holding the man’s gaze easily. “I’m Shane Anderson and this is Arden Cavendish. She’s Davis Hollis’s niece. We came to Chicago to visit him.”

  The man seemed to relax a little but there was still tension in his jaw. “I’m Detective O’Leary and I’m afraid I can’t give any details. If you actually are Mr. Hollis’s next of kin you can see him at the hospital. They’re taking him to the University of Chicago Medical Center. Now if you will excuse me, I have work to do.”

  With that the detective strode out of the building leaving Shane and Arden standing there by themselves.

  “Should we head to the hospital?” Arden asked, her face pale again as she tried to grapple with the latest blow. Life was being very cruel to the woman he loved and it was his job to get her through this.

  “I guess we should. Are you going to be okay, princess?”

  She looked up at him, her expression blank, which scared him a little. He’d be watching her closely today. “This numbness is coming in handy. I don’t really feel anything, to be honest. It’s like my entire body is encased in ice but I can hear myself breathe and every beat of my heart. It’s weird and kind of scary. What happens when it goes away?”

  Bad things.

  “We get a fifth of Jack Daniels and sit on the dock by the lake. Or we go for a ride on the bike for miles and never come back. We do whatever the hell you want for as long as you want. It’s all about you right now.”

  “This isn’t fair to you,” he heard her murmur under her breath as they exited the building.

  “Life isn’t fair. Now let’s get a taxi and go see your uncle. In the meantime, I’ll call Jason and see if he has any connections in the Chicago Police Department. I don’t think that detective will be sharing any details of what happened here anytime in the near future.”

  “Can this get any worse?”

  Shane stopped in his tracks and yanked her into his arms, burying his face in her blonde curls. “Do not challenge the universe like that. Are you a glutton for punishment?”

  Because things could indeed get worse. Much, much worse.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

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  Every hospital in the world smelled the same. Alcohol. Disinfectant. And illness.

  In her thirty-five short years, Arden had spent way too much time in hospitals. While the care she’d received from doctors and nurses had been nothing short of amazing it didn’t mean she enjoyed hanging out in the place where they kept the sick people.

  Arden shifted on the uncomfortable sofa in the waiting room. Shane had managed to convince the doctor that she truly was related to David Hollis and consequently they’d promised to update her on his condition. They seemed to be relieved that there was someone that cared about his health.

  “You okay?”

  “No. No, I’m not okay. I hate hospitals. Too many bad memories and they’re starting to eat away at the numbness. I’m not sure I want the luxury of emotions at a time like this. It’s easier to feel nothing.”

  “Easier but not necessarily better. I’m not a huge fan of hospitals either. I spent a week in one less than a year ago.”

  Whipping her head around at the flash of pain that poked at her chest, she placed a hand on his muscled thigh to brace herself. “Why were you in the hospital?”

  A smile played around his lips. “Got shot.”

  Her heart stuttered in her chest at his words. “Shot? You were shot? Why? How? What the hell, Shane?”

  “Didn’t you notice the scar on my stomach?”

  Actually she had, but somehow it hadn’t registered that it might be anything bad. She’d assumed it had been something routine and non-threatening. Like a hernia.

  “I did but it didn’t occur to me that you’d been shot. You were shot? Holy crap, how did I not know that?”

  “You were in New York. And yes, I was shot in the abdomen in a shootout at a gas station. Some bad guys were trying to kidnap my cousin’s girlfriend and take her to her crazy ex-stalker boyfriend. I guess you could say I took one for the team. Anyway, they airlifted my ass to Salt Lake City and I had surgery and was in the hospital there for about a week.”

  His tone was so casual he might have been describing taking out the garbage.

  Raising a hand to her forehead to try and make the room stop spinning, Arden thought she might either faint or throw up. Maybe both.

  “A shootout? Shane Anderson, why were you somewhere people were shooting at each other? You’re a wealthy businessman. The most dangerous thing you should be doing is three martini lunches.”

  He patted her hand comfortingly. “I was helping out West. We were trying to protect his girlfriend and things went awry. Trust me when I say that normally my life isn’t near that exciting.”

  “I hope not. We just found each other again. I don’t want to lose you.”

  “I told you before I’m not going anywhere.”

  A short, graying man in green scrubs came through a set of swinging doors and headed straight for them. “Are you family to David Hollis?”

  Arden jumped to her feet. “I’m his niece. Can you tell me if he’s going to be all right?”

  The doctor rubbed the back of his neck and winced. “Your uncle is in very serious condition. He was shot in the chest and has been taken into surgery. You may want to go home as it could take six to eight hours before you hear anything. We can call you when he’s out of recovery and in a regular room.”

  There was no way she was leaving. “Thank you but I think we’ll stay.”

  “Suit yourself. If you do leave to eat or anything, just give your cell number to the nurse’s station so they can get in touch with you.”

  The doctor turned to leave but Arden still had questions. “Wait, how did this happen?”

  “That I don’t know. You’ll have to ask the police. We weren’t given any details.”

  Shane stood and pulled his phone from his pocket as the doctor disappeared behind the swinging doors. “I’ll call Jason and see if he has had any luck finding out some details. If not, maybe we can bribe a journalist or something. That worked last time.”

  “Last time? When you were helping West?”

  “No,
when I was helping Travis find a killer. His fiancée was suspected of the crime so we needed to find the real murderer.”

  Arden stared at Shane, realizing they had been apart for a long time. “What the hell have you been doing the last fifteen years? It’s like you’re James Bond. Can I expect this behavior in the future? Do I need to buy you a bulletproof vest for Christmas?”

  Shane winked and grinned, showing off that dimple in his cheek. “Baby, James Bond has nothing on me. Now what are we going to do for the next eight hours?”

  Worry.

  * * *

  They ate lunch at the restaurant across from the hospital. It was ordinary burgers, fries, and several varieties of chicken sandwiches but by noon Arden had been starved. They could have served all you can eat gruel and she would have scarfed it down gratefully.

  “You’re doing great, Arden. I’m really proud of you.”

  As much as she loved this man – and she did love him – the cheerleading was beginning to get on her nerves. He was walking around her as if on eggshells waiting for her to either explode or perhaps simply melt into a puddle. She wasn’t a grenade with the pin pulled and she didn’t want to be treated like she was.

  “Thank you,” she said through gritted teeth. “But I wish you wouldn’t keep saying that.”

  His brows pulled together and his smile vanished. “I’m sorry. It bothers you?”

  She didn’t want to hurt his feelings because he’d put up with all her bullshit on this trip and so many other things she couldn’t even begin to list. He had the patience of Job and she’d meant it earlier when she’d said it wasn’t fair. He was doing all the giving and she all the taking. She couldn’t expect him not to get damn tired of it eventually. Maybe she should be pussyfooting around waiting for him to explode.

  “It bothers me,” she replied, knowing she had to be honest. Not wanting to hurt each other was how they got in trouble last time. “I know we’re both waiting for my meltdown but I feel a little like an animal in the zoo. You’re observing me hoping that when the shit hits the fan it won’t be too bad.”