"I know, and I love you. So, let's get this guy. You’re going to need my help into some insight on this whole damn mess. After I go make an appearance at my new job tomorrow,” with a quick glance at the clock, she said, “or rather, today, I’ll stop by the station and fill your team in on everything that happened. Maybe it’ll be of some help."
Ethan looked shocked, but Caleb now knew what Kara had resolved to do. She had resolved to exorcise some more demons by making what happened to her public. And he could understand her wanting to do it, but at the same time, he was concerned for her. She had gone through so much, and he was already fiercely protective of her. He would do everything in his power to help Ethan to protect her, but at what cost? The cost of another life?
"You're sure?" Ethan asked, and was met with a look that said it all and then some.
"I’ll be there at one. How does that work for the both of you?"
"If that’s what you want, that works for us," Caleb said, answering for the concerned and shocked Ethan.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I just … you’re different today than you were a month ago; hell, even a day ago. It’s the first time you haven’t flinched when I’ve touched you in…I don’t remember how long.”
Kara blushed, clearly embarrassed by the statement.
“Don’t be embarrassed. It’s understandable that you would struggle with the physical contact. It’s just...I don’t know...nice being able to hug you.” He hugged her again as if to emphasize his statement.
"If you both don't mind, I’m going to go up and get ready for the day. I have a lot to do. When you’re done, you can let yourselves out."
Both men looked at each other as if they were about to object but thought better of it. It wasn’t even dawn, and she was going to go get ready for the day. She was functioning on the bare minimum of sleep and had been for a decade. She knew her limitations, and she had an iron resolve. That, of course, didn’t stop him from voicing his opinion.
"Your front window is broken. I think one of us should stay with you until you’re ready to go to work. It’s not even four a.m., so you have a while until you need to leave.”
"Suit yourself, but I work at the hospital, so they’re open 24/7/365. I have someone coming to install an alarm system this morning; they should be here by eight. I guess I’ll have to see about a new door, too. But for now, I’m going to take a shower."
Both men, plus Cathy, watched her walk away. Cathy took her absence as a cue to step outside, sensing the two men needed to talk. Taking a deep breath, Caleb turned to meet the questioning eyes of his partner of six years.
"Montgomery, I don't think I need to say what I’m about to say."
"But you’re going to say it anyway," Caleb finished for him, preparing himself for Ethan to tell him to back off and leave his sister alone. The hell if he would leave her alone. What man could leave a woman like Kara Vanderbilt alone? He would if that was what she wanted, but he hoped that she wanted to explore what he was feeling and what he sensed she was feeling, too.
"Be careful with her. Don't hurt her. If you’re going to go the route I think you are, then treat her good. She isn’t just some skirt you can chase for a bit. She needs someone to help hold her up, even if she doesn’t know it. She’s been through enough."
Whoa! That was not what he was expecting to hear. And Caleb felt as if he was supposed to deny he was interested, but he just didn’t have it in him. It would be a bald-faced lie. Before Caleb could comment at all, Ethan had turned and walked outside to help Cathy, leaving Caleb to mull over his statement. He was giving him the green light if he was in it for Kara and in it for the long haul. Caleb knew he was in it for Kara and that he would not hurt her. The big question was whether he was capable of being in it for the long haul. His parents had been blessedly happy their whole marriage, and Caleb wanted that. Could he have that with Kara?
Before Caleb made it to the door, he knew the answer. Yes. Yes, he could have that with Kara; she just didn’t know it yet. He knew it sounded ridiculous because he had only known her for a matter of a day, but he also knew a good thing when he saw it. And Kara was a good thing. He wanted to explore his feelings and see where they went.
10
Kara felt marginally better after she got out of the shower. For a minute or two, while she was in the shower, she could forget everything that was happening. But once the water turned off, everything came crashing back. As she stood there, cops were downstairs collecting evidence. On top of that, there was a young woman who had been murdered and whose blood appeared to be on her hands.
The weight of everything was almost overpowering, but Kara was certain she could handle anything. After her parents’ betrayal, there wasn’t much that could surprise her in life. If anyone else knew what she knew, her parents would not be so revered. And over the last ten years, she had learned a lot about Stanley and Constance Vanderbilt. Much of it was learned to try to figure out why they had done what they had and not because she wanted to be involved with their lives. In fact, the more she found out, the more she knew she made the right decision regarding her relationship with them.
While the information gathered was valuable and worthy of pause, it was still no help in figuring out how her parents had turned into such deviant people. In the end, she knew she would never figure out what made them what they are. The important thing was to find out what role they had or didn’t have in her abduction. She was no closer today than she was ten years ago to finding any answers, but when she decided to move home, she hoped to solve the puzzle. She had figured out a long time ago that there was much more to the story of her abduction than met the eye.
In all honesty, she had hoped her move home would shake some people up and maybe someone would slip up. So far, it looked like her plan was working, and she hated herself for her desire to find answers. Maybe if she hadn’t desired revenge so badly, Andrea Vincent would not be dead. She kept telling herself she could not have known her move home would result in a young woman’s death. But it didn’t make it any easier.
Kara knew there would be repercussions to her return; she had just hoped it would be toward her alone. It appeared that was partly the case. It was just a matter of how much she could handle before she turned tail and ran away. She wasn’t on a suicide mission; she just couldn’t live anymore without answers. The closure she desired wasn’t there.
Down deep, she never really believed it was over, even when Ethan had told her Devon was dead. She just hoped that when she figured it all out, she could handle the truth and that it wouldn’t destroy Ethan. Because deep down Kara knew—she just knew—her parents were hiding something from her.
The question was, how many people would she allow to be hurt to get the answers she desired and to get the revenge she was cheated? The warnings in the back of her mind to stay away had drawn her home instead of keeping her away. She felt that this was her one chance to find out what she had spent every day for ten years trying to get answers for. Now it was too late to turn around. It was time to make a stand.
Kara took her time getting ready, telling herself it was because she wanted to make a good impression on the employees she would be supervising but knowing full well that it was more for the handsome detective that she should not be so attracted to. Kara could list at least a dozen reasons why she shouldn’t allow herself to be attracted to Detective Caleb Montgomery.
Namely, because she didn't want him to be caught in the cross fire of whoever was behind the mayhem that had suddenly become part of her life. The other reason being that she was certain she could never be the woman he would need, a woman who could be free and be intimate. And if she was alive when the dust settled, would he really be able to handle her baggage? She found herself hoping he would be up to the challenge. She found herself rooting for the tall, bronzed man she found standing in her entryway when she emerged an hour later.
"What are you still doing here? Did you draw the sh
ort straw for protection duty this morning?" She knew he would be there, but she didn’t want him to know she was anticipating it. Unfortunately, she went too far and realized her tone sounded sarcastic at best and venomous at worst.
She knew that because she wanted him to fight for her if she should push him away. Because no good could come of it, and she could not live with herself if something happened to him because of her.
When she tried to push past him, his hand reached out and grabbed her by the arm, carefully turning her to face him. Kara averted her eyes and stared at a spot just past him. Tenderly, he placed his forefinger and thumb on her chin and lifted her face until her eyes met his. And her resolve melted at the look in his eyes. One that told her that she was not going to get away with the game she was trying to play.
"You damn well know I didn’t get the short straw. I'm here because I want to be, because I am worried for you. I don't know what’s happening here between us. What I do know is even though I met you only a day ago, I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you."
"Don't you see that I feel the same way? I’m caught up in something very serious. Something I have no control over, something I didn’t ask to be part of. I can't allow anything to happen to you, and I can't be distracted with worry for you."
"You know what’s really funny?"
"What?" she asked, trying to look away.
"I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing this cop thing for a long time."
"Yeah, but..." The rebuttal she was forming was cut off when he dipped his head down and gently touched his lips to hers.
"No buts. I’m with you every step on this one. Ethan has accepted that, so it’s time for you to accept it. There comes a point in everyone’s life when it’s time to stop being so stubborn about doing things on your own," Caleb whispered. His mouth was so close to hers that she could feel his breath as he spoke.
"It's not that simple," she whispered back.
"It can be if you let it."
"I’m a mess. You know that, right?"
"Wouldn't have it any other way." He pulled back ever so slightly and looked deep into her eyes. "Here’s the deal: Ethan and I agreed on something while you were upstairs getting ready."
"And what might that be?" she asked with a quirked eyebrow.
"We decided that you are not to go anywhere without one of us until this is figured out. So, I am going to take you to your work, and when you’re ready to leave, you can give me a call. Ethan had some things he had to tie up at the station."
"Things?" she asked, not even bothering to argue with this incredibly stupid plan because she knew it would do no good.
"Namely, he has to convince our boss why he should be allowed to continue on the case."
"Why wouldn't he be allowed to?" She paused a mere second before it dawned on her. "Because of me? Right? Because somehow, I’m involved in all this, and the evidence could be considered tainted?"
"That and the emotional aspect of it all. If his head isn’t in the game, he could mess up. Bob was Andrea’s godfather. He’s taking this personal. And right about now, Ethan is trying to convince him that if he doesn’t touch any of the evidence, and if someone else is with him every step of the way, it’ll be fine. He just wants a cursory role in the investigation, for you. He knows if he’s at least in the loop, you’ll feel more comfortable."
"Do you think he’ll agree?"
"I hope so. It would be better for both ends if he does. Ethan won’t sit idly by, and Bob isn’t an idiot. He knows that Ethan will investigate on his own if he’s not involved. And Ethan is one damn good detective. Not having him on the case could be more of a hindrance than having him on the case."
"I hope he sees it the way you do. I don't want Ethan to get in any trouble over this whole chaotic mess."
"He can handle his own; I’m guessing he and you are pretty similar in that regard. So, are you ready to go to your work?"
"I guess as ready as I’ll ever be."
When they walked out her front door, she noticed an officer standing guard outside on her front porch. Confused why he was there, she turned to ask Caleb what he was doing, and before she could ask, he was giving her the answer she sought.
"Until the alarm company and locksmith show up, Officer Black will wait here. Once everything’s set up, he’s going to call me to let you know, and I’ll bring you back to get instructions on how to use the new alarm."
She nodded her appreciation at the officer and walked down the front steps. Caleb put his hand on her lower back as they walked to his car. She liked the feel of his hand on her back; it made her feel safe. She realized she liked having someone there to lean on. Realizing it and letting it happen were two different things though, and she wasn't sure she was capable of letting it happen.
Caleb wasn't sure where everything was headed, but he knew one thing for sure—he was just going to go with the flow. And right now, the flow had them headed to Kara's place of employment. On the ride there, he realized how very little he knew about her, but it didn't seem to bother him. He hoped that they would have time to tell each other their interests and hobbies.
Caleb knew now was not the time to learn that. There was a killer on the loose, and he had an agenda regarding Kara. An agenda that could end up harming her if she didn’t listen or if they didn’t find him in time. So, that meant Caleb had to stay focused, and hopefully, along the way, he would learn a thing or two about the woman sitting beside him.
The first thing he was about to learn was what she did for a living, but it appeared that Kara didn’t want to talk about anything at the moment. The only words she spoke were directions to him; she had locked herself up inside her head and had forgotten that she told him she worked at the hospital. It hadn’t occurred to her, in her current state, that all she had to do was tell him which hospital and he would know how to get there. Too much had been thrown at her, and she was starting to approach a critical overload. The woman certainly was a mystery.
Lost in his own thoughts, he didn’t process that they were at Mercy Hospital until they pulled in. It made sense she would work there; it was the closest hospital to her house. Which left him wondering what role she had at the hospital. Kara was smart enough to be a doctor, but at only 28 she would have to still be a resident. His aunt was a general surgeon, and she told him she’d been in school for eight years and then had five years of residency before she became an official doctor. One of the things he remembered her telling him was that not all fields of medicine required the same years of residency.
"I’ll give you a call when I’m done meeting some of my staff. I want to get a tour and such so it might be a while. You can probably figure on about noon. Then we can head over to your station, and I’ll tell my story."
"You know you don't have to do that. At least, you could just tell the CliffsNotes version."
"No. No, I think I have to.”
“You don’t owe anyone anything. The details aren’t necessary if it doesn’t pertain to the actual abduction or Devon himself.”
“Perhaps, but I think I need to do this. I’ve spent too much time hiding everything. You were right earlier."
"About?"
"Anyone worthwhile won't care about the details." With that statement ringing in his ears, she got out of the car.
Caleb watched until she was safely inside. He thought about what she said for a long moment before pulling away and into traffic. By the time he was on his way to the station, he had decided that her parting comment was a good sign. And for now, it would have to be enough, because he needed to focus on the task at hand. And the task at hand was keeping her alive and out of trouble. Which meant he better do his job and do it well.
When he got to the station, he was working on almost twenty-four hours with only a few hours’ sleep. While it would seem ridiculous that he was in bed at such an early hour, he had learned early in his career, that when a case like this broke, you needed to get sleep while you cou
ld. So, the night before he had only been in bed for a matter of two hours before he’d been called and told to come back in. That was when they’d found the letter, and the case was bumped up a notch on the priority list. As if it could have gotten any higher. And then came Kara’s frantic phone call.
It wasn’t every day that a senator’s daughter was murdered, and when that case was linked to the governor's daughter, it made it about as high priority as possible. Which worked just fine for him. It meant they’d get the resources they needed when all too often resources were cut to a bare minimum.
When Caleb got to his desk, Ethan was walking out of their boss’s office. He had a surly look on his face, which meant that the conversation didn’t go as well as they’d hoped for.
"So?"
"I'm pretty much benched on this one. I’m allowed to be in on the meetings and given all the details, and I can look for other cases that are connected, but that’s it. I think I only got that much because of my bloodline, and apparently, Senator Vincent and my father want an inside man. No investigating without explicit permission or I am out of the loop entirely. For now, he’s allowing me to look for other victims."
"Well, at least we got that much out of him. Did you find out anything new?"
"Only that we are supposed to get our asses in the conference room for a briefing. Did Kara get to the hospital okay?” One look at Caleb’s face had Ethan quickly adding, “Shit, sorry man, of course, you got her there safe and sound.”
Caleb blew it off; he knew the stress Ethan was under. Hell, he was under the same stress, but he wasn’t related to someone key to the case. His interest in Kara didn’t negate the fact that Ethan was her brother. It also didn’t negate the fact that Ethan was the only family that she could rely on. Ethan didn’t talk about his parents much, if at all. Therefore, it didn’t take much for Caleb to deduct that his relationship with them was strained, as well.
Both men knew that Captain Bob Wickman had made the only choice he could have under the circumstances. Caleb and Ethan were his two best detectives, and he clearly didn't want one sitting on the sidelines only able to listen and offer up his opinion. But if he allowed Ethan to be more involved, it could taint the case. And it didn't matter who his father was. If the media even got the slightest whiff of misconduct or inappropriate investigation techniques, they would all be fucked with a capital F.
In the Night (Darkness Falls Book 1) Page 8
