Cal whipped his head around to find Lana standing in the doorway. Dammit, she needed to quit doing that.
There she stood, hair damp and wavy around her shoulders, nearly touching her waist. She wore a snug, white long-sleeved shirt—definitely not one of his—and gray leggings. With her makeup immaculate, the sharp blue of her eyes popped, and her skin was smooth and pale. Whatever fatigue had been there this morning was long gone.
His cock grew an inch.
Cal got to his feet, approached Lana, and took her hand. “We have something for you to look at. We’re not sure it’s Will Anderson, but we found a social media account that could be his.” She lowered herself into Cal’s chair and he handed her the phone.
Her brow furrowed, studying the screen. Cal stared at her profile, praying for a sign of recognition. Her teeth came out to nip the corner of her lip, and she brought the phone an inch closer to her face.
“I know him,” she said. Her finger tapped the screen, and Cal leaned forward. His eyebrows rose.
“Are you sure? Because, judging by the other pictures, this is Will Anderson.” He pointed to the other man in the picture.
Lana adamantly shook her head and met Cal’s gaze. Her eyes sparked with excitement. “No, I’ve never seen him before. But this is Shawn Lawson, my dad’s manager.” She brought her focus back to the screen. “It must be an older picture. His hair is shorter, and he has a beard now. But it’s definitely him.”
“Sonofabitch,” Ethan hissed. “This has to be the connection.”
Lana nodded wildly. She straightened in her seat. “I still don’t see what Shawn could have to do with this, but if that’s Will Anderson, it’s too much of a coincidence.”
Cal pinched his chin between his thumb and forefinger. “We need an address for one of them.”
Silence hung in the air.
“I might be able to help with that,” Lana said. Cal shifted his gaze to Ethan and Nate, who shrugged at him.
“How, babe?”
“Well, it would involve me calling a friend, Casey, my coworker. She’s my dad’s receptionist. She’d be able to get me that information.”
Cal grunted. “No way. If you call, and Shawn or Will gets wind that—”
Lana wheeled on him. “That what? That I’m alive? I think they’ve figured that out. She’s a good friend. She wouldn’t breathe a word to anyone if I ask her not to.”
Ethan folded his arms across his chest. “I can look into Shawn Lawson and see what I can find. It’s hard to be certain, but my bet is that they’re related. Let me research a bit, and if I can’t find anything, Lana should make that call.”
Cal closed his hands into fists at his sides. Dammit, he didn’t want Lana sticking her neck out. But if it meant bringing all of this to an end, it might be worth it. He took Lana’s hand in his again and pulled her from the chair. “Let’s go talk in private.”
“Yeah, but we don’t have time for the kind of talking you have in mind,” Nate called. Cal ushered Lana out of the kitchen and turned to shoot Nate the finger.
Ethan roared, “Take your time,” then to Nate he said in a scolding tone, “Don’t be a cock-blocker.”
“What are they talking about?” Lana glanced at him over her shoulder as they passed through the living room to the guest room.
“Ignore those idiots,” he said. Ethan and Nate were harmless, but it drove Cal nuts to have them notice her. Yet another reason he ached to be alone with her, to avoid their smart-ass remarks. His gaze traced the gentle curve of her back as they entered the room, and his fingers itched to run through the dark strands of her hair. He shut the door and pulled her into his arms. She circled her hands around his neck. A warm smile touched her lips, igniting a fire in the vibrant blues of her eyes. He took her mouth in his, savoring her sweet taste. She nipped his lip. Her hands curled at his nape. He lifted her in his arms, and her legs swung easily around his waist. Her mouth opened hungrily.
Every urge in his body told him to lay her down on the bed and get her naked. Not yet. And not with his bozo friends waiting on them.
He sat on the edge of the bed and eased his mouth from hers. “I like this.” He trailed his fingertip over her cheek. Damn, he loved that she’d gotten done up. “Did you do this for me?” He smoothed his hands down her back and filled his palms with her perfectly round ass.
She giggled. “Maybe. It’s nice to dress normal.”
“Mmm. I liked your look at the cabin too.”
She smiled, her fingers twisted in the material of his shirt. “What did you need to talk to me about?”
The excitement left his body. “Tanner.”
Her eyebrows rose. “What about him?”
“When were you planning on telling me about the rape charges? Or the murder case?”
She gasped and her body stiffened in his arms. The color drained from her cheeks.
His jaw locked.
She knew.
Chapter 16
Her breath hitched. Icy fingers raced over her body. She tried to swallow, but her tongue turned to sandpaper. Rape? Murder? She leaned back in Cal’s arms and narrowed her eyes at him. It couldn’t be. “Tanner? Are you sure?”
He frowned. Doubt clouded his face. “You didn’t know?”
“Of course not!” She scrambled off his lap and ran a hand through her hair. She zeroed in on him. “Tell me what you know.”
He stayed seated on the edge of the bed, his face dark. “Nate got the information from his guys at the FBI. When Tanner was a minor, he was charged with rape. In college, a young woman was murdered, Andrea Reid—”
Her stomach leapt into her throat. “Andrea?” She croaked. No. Oh, God no.
Cal nodded, his eyes never leaving her face. “You knew her?”
The blood drained from her face the way water drained from a sink when the plug was pulled. She tried to regulate her thumping pulse.
“I didn’t know her. But I heard what happened to her.” She paced the bedroom. Her mind raced. All this time…how had she not known?
“What happened to her?”
Nausea coiled her stomach in knots. Andrea’s death had shaken their community. Even though she didn’t know her personally, the attack had hit close to home. Fear had struck her and her friends…everyone. “She was drugged at a frat party.” It took every effort she had to speak over the lump in her chest. “She was raped and died of a drug overdose.” Memories of the young woman flooded her mind. Her face, her eyes…a blow hit Lana to the solar plexus.
Her stomach lurched. She doubled over on a gag and raced for the bathroom.
Cal was right behind her. He scooped her hair out of the way, his hand on her back. She crouched down and struggled on a deep breath.
“Are you alright?” His voice was heavy with concern.
Her mouth swarmed with saliva. She swallowed once, twice. Her eyes closed. She wouldn’t throw up in front of him. She wiped her eyes where tears had leaked out. She took another shuddering breath, nodded, and straightened away from the toilet. Her eyes locked on Cal’s. “Did you happen to see her picture?”
His mouth dipped at the corner. “Andrea’s? No, why?”
“Look it up.”
He pulled his phone from his back pocket and sat on the edge of the tub. She sat on the floor against the wall. The room spun. She inhaled through her nose and blew out through her mouth.
“Holy fuck,” he rasped. More curses fell from his lips. “She’s your damn twin.” He turned the phone for her to see. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. “The comparison is unreal.”
The resemblance had meant nothing to her before. And it had never dawned on her before that Andrea’s attack could have been because of her.
Cal got to his feet and extended a hand. She placed her fingers in his palm, and he pulled her up. He guided her back to th
e bedroom and sat her on the bed.
“I’m going to get you some water. I’ll be right back.”
She closed her eyes and dropped her face into her hands. Could Tanner be behind all of this? Had he raped and murdered Andrea because she looked like her? A tremor rippled through her. Every touch, every snide or salacious smile from Tanner flashed through her mind. She’d been stupid to think the incident after the charity ball had been just an honest mistake.
Cal returned with a glass of water in hand and a hard glint to his green eyes. He passed her the glass and sat beside her. She took a long sip, letting the cool liquid coat the dryness in her throat. He took it from her when she finished and set it on the nightstand.
His fingers circled her arm, then trailed down to her hand, grasping it. “You okay?”
She swallowed. Her eyes met his. She wanted to say yes, to push everything away, and be tough. But she couldn’t. A young woman was dead because of her. Tears burned her eyes and fell from her lashes.
“Christ.” He pulled her against the wall of his chest and held her. His hand cupped the back of her head; the other stroked slowly up and down her back.
She inhaled his scent. A hint of woodsy cologne mixed with the faint smell of coffee tickled her nose. His five o’clock shadow was now twenty-four hours old. The thick bristles moved against her temple as he pressed a kiss to her hair.
She exhaled deeply, letting her body melt against his. Her cheek nestled against his chest, and his arms enveloped her. Never had she felt so protected, so cared for. She was falling for Cal. He was a solid presence in a world of turmoil. She couldn’t bring herself to think about what would have happened had he not “kidnapped” her. Her hands clutched the material of his shirt at his waist, steadying her.
“You never knew about the rape charges and him being a person of interest in Andrea’s murder?”
“God, no. I would have told you—”
He nodded. “I know, babe.” He smoothed his hand up her arm. “I just can’t let that attack go. It’s too coincidental. I think he may be obsessed with you, or—”
She shook her head. “If he was so infatuated with me, why would he hire someone to kill me?”
“Why would he kill Andrea?”
“But did he?” She rubbed her forehead where a dull throb started. “I mean, if he was a person of interest, why did they not pursue him further? Maybe the evidence didn’t add up—”
Cal shook his head. “The more likely scenario is that someone paid a lot of money to wipe his name clean.”
Her mouth fell open. Her heart slowed.
“Did your dad know about Tanner’s assault on you?”
She wet her lips and shook her head. “No. Grace handled it, and he apologized. My dad would have overreacted.”
“Overreacted?” Cal’s voice raised an octave.
“He would have made a big deal of it, and it would have been hard on everyone, including me. If Tanner hadn’t apologized, I would have told Dad.”
Cal’s jaw worked. “Was Tanner living at the house when this happened?”
“No, he hasn’t lived there in years.”
“So, he drove there in search of you? That’s serious intent.”
Worded like that, it didn’t sound good. Had Tanner just stumbled from the main house over to hers drunk, it would have been more conceivable that he’d gone there without the intention of sleeping with her. But driving to her house from where he lived downtown…that was a different story.
“How did Grace take it?”
Lana tucked her hair behind her ears and sat back on the bed. Cal remained standing. “She was angry. Not at me, at him.”
“So she believed you?”
“Yes, she believed me.”
“Doesn’t that strike you as strange? I mean, most mothers would defend their children to hell and back.”
Her hands twisted in her lap. “Grace is hard on Tanner. She keeps close tabs on him. I don’t believe she thought he would hurt me, but he had upset me and she didn’t like that.”
Cal stroked his jaw with his thumb and forefinger. “Where’s Tanner’s dad?”
She frowned. “He lives in Paris. Tanner doesn’t see him often.”
“I’d like to look into him. What’s his name?” His eyes sharpened on her.
She frowned at him. What in the world would Tanner’s dad have to do with this? She’d never even met him. “Marcel Theroux.”
He nodded. His face darkened, and his eyes were distant. G.I. Joe mode had kicked in. She was learning to notice the subtle ways he changed when he moved from military Cal to regular Cal. A shiver of excitement raced over her. Both sides of him intrigued her. He was dark and dangerous one moment, then teasing and charming the next.
His hand went to the small of her back. “Are you hungry?”
Her stomach rumbled. “Starving.”
He grinned. “Let’s go eat.” He took her hand, and they left the room. Rufus met them in the kitchen with a stuffed toy. She stopped to greet him, welcoming his wet kisses. She missed having a dog. She’d had one growing up, but Lady had died when Lana was a teenager. One day when she had her own place, she would get another dog.
“That was quick. Dude, your reflexes must be slipping.”
Cal grabbed Rufus’s toy and chucked it at Nate. He tried to dodge it, but it hit him square in the face. Lana stifled a laugh, Ethan roared, and Rufus charged after the toy, tail wagging.
“What do you have for lunch?” Cal opened Nate’s fridge and began rummaging.
“I just had a sandwich. There’s some focaccia bread on the counter and turkey meat in the fridge.” Ethan nodded to the plate in front of him.
Nate scowled at Ethan. “There goes my lunch for the week.”
Cal was already taking everything out and fixing their food.
“Cal, maybe we should go pick up something. I don’t want to eat Nate’s lunch meat.”
Cal shook his head in response at the same time Nate spoke, “Don’t worry, there’s plenty. I was messing with him.”
Ethan offered her a seat at the table. “I keep running into dead ends for an address on either Will or Shawn. Think you can give your friend a call?”
Lana shifted her gaze to Cal. His shoulders stiffened, and he lifted his gaze from the sandwiches he was making. His eyes connected with hers, and a dark shadow crossed his green orbs, but he gave her one slight nod. He wasn’t happy about it, but he was as eager as she was to put this behind them.
Lana smiled at Ethan. “Absolutely. Do you have a phone I can use?”
Cal crossed the room and set one on the table in front of her. “Use this one. It’s encrypted. Be sure to tell her not to breathe a word of your contacting her to anyone. And avoid having her call you back. Stay on the line until you get the information.”
She nodded, picked up the phone, and made her way to the bedroom. A tiny ball of unease wound deep inside her stomach. Everyone thought she was missing; it was a lot to ask Casey to keep quiet. She dialed her number and sat on the bed. The phone rang in her ear, and Lana chewed the tip of her thumb.
“Vanderpoel Homes, this is Casey speaking. How can I help you?”
Lana’s pulse kicked up a notch. “Case, it’s Lana—”
Casey’s sharp intake of breath pierced her ear. Lana cringed. “Don’t freak out, okay? I need your help, but I need you to promise you won’t tell a soul that you’ve heard from me. Not even my father.” A stab of pain shot through her chest. The words burned her tongue, and shame filled her heart. To imply that it wasn’t safe for her father to know she was okay ate at her.
“My life depends on it, Case.”
Casey cleared her throat. “You can trust me,” she said softly. “I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
“Thanks. I’ll explain more later, but I need you to get an addr
ess for me…an employee’s. I know that’s a breach of confidentiality, but—”
“What’s the name?”
“Shawn Lawson.” Her voice shook on the words. Silence vibrated through the phone, and Lana closed her eyes. As her dad’s manager, Shawn was a very prominent employee. Under any other circumstances, giving out his information would be cause for an immediate dismissal.
The heavy tap of Casey’s purposeful typing sounded in the background. “Do you have a pen?”
Lana leaned for the nightstand drawer and pulled out a pad of paper and pen. “Go,” she said. Casey rattled off a phone number and an address. Lana jotted it down, thanked her, and hung up.
Yes!
It wasn’t definitive, but it was a solid lead. Satisfaction rippled through her as she made her way back to the kitchen and slapped the paper on the table in front of Cal. He read the address and got to his feet.
“You’re incredible.” He caught the back of her neck and brushed his lips over her mouth. She laughed and let him pull her into his lap.
He waved the paper in the air. “Here’s our next stop, boys.”
Ethan and Nate applauded, and warmth spread through her.
“Did Cal tell you about last night?” Ethan asked.
Her eyebrows rose, and her stomach flipped over as she looked back and forth between the two men. “No, what happened?”
Cal chomped on a carrot stick from the plate in front of her, but tension creased the corners of his eyes. She picked up the sandwich and nibbled, keeping her face passive.
“Tell me. I can take it.”
Cal lifted his shoulder and pressed his back into the chair, allowing her to read his face better. Her eyes lingered on the muscles that strained the material of his shirt.
Focus, Lana. “Well?”
“Let’s just say that Stamos is going to need some physical therapy,” Cal informed her, as a grin spread from ear to ear, crinkling his laugh lines.
Nate snorted. “He shot him in the shoulder.”
Lana clapped her hand over her mouth. Her stomach coiled into knots at the image of such violence. But at the same time, she realized, this was a man who had helped plan her murder. She met Cal’s steady gaze. He was watching her carefully, waiting for her reaction.
Abducted Page 13
