Chapter 51
Daniel clapped his brother on the back, thanking him for his help. Liam had found something to release the handcuffs for Kate. Daniel hugged her close again. Gerard informed them that he had made arrangements for them to leave the ship early the following morning. Tomorrow they’d get Kate off the ship safely, but it would be a logistical nightmare. Right now, Daniel needed to see if she had any injuries.
“I don’t know who the men are,” Kate repeated, but she crossed her leg under her chair. She squeezed Daniel’s hand, but he had the distinct impression she kept something to herself. “The man you have is Harry. He worked for my father. I don’t remember his last name or his partner’s name, but my father is dead. Someone else must be paying them now.” She laughed dryly. “I thought I was free of Dad. I don’t want to die because of him.”
“We’re working on an exit strategy, Kate,” Liam said. “Don’t run off.”
Daniel stayed next to her. She swallowed, but hadn’t gazed at him.
“I’ll stay and listen.”
Daniel had the distinct impression she might not listen to him. He’d say ‘sorry’ until she did.
He stared at the back of her neck and scratched his. She had an ugly bruise. “Did someone hit you from behind, Kate?”
“I’m Kate now?” She turned her head and stared at Daniel.
He licked his lips. “Katie.”
“Don’t.” Her eyes questioned his and his stomach quaked. His fingers ached to hold her hand again. She nodded at him. “Yes, I think they did, again. I was unconscious for a while. First, I was in the casino. Next, I woke up in that room, and now my head is splitting.”
“I’ll call the medical center,” the security guard answered.
“I’m a doctor. I’ll look her over,” Daniel answered, “if Katie allows it.”
“Katie? Kate. Make up your mind.” She paused. “Okay. I’d appreciate it, Daniel.”
Daniel hoped she’d forgive him. Kate deserved to be safe, and if she allowed it, he’d help her. In time, he’d tell her he loved her.
Chapter 52
“Put your head back and keep your eyes open,” Daniel told Kate, then he used his hands to motion for her to lie down.
She stared into Daniel’s sympathetic eyes. He had the doctor-who-cared stare down. Being back in their room made her lips ache for a kiss. He was so different from any other man she’d ever met. Why did Stephanie ruin everything? He checked the back of her head, then she turned to stare into his sexy, brown eyes again.
“Sit up. I need to check your eyes.”
She had checked his already, and her lips tingled for that kiss now. She chewed her lower lip but followed his instructions. He turned on a flashlight. “If the light hurts in any way, let me know, Katie.”
She gulped. “I don’t want to go—”
The light sent a pain through her eye sockets. She blinked, and he turned the light off. “Put your head forward, so I can check the muscles in your neck and see if there is any bruises on your head.”
Again she followed directions, and stared at the floor. The pain in her eyes dissipated, but then Daniel traced her arm with his hand. Heat grew inside her, and then he touched the base of her head. She let out a huge ‘yelp.’ “Daniel, stop.”
“This hurts?”
No, but she refused to answer that his touch turned her on, and now she craved his kiss. She shook her head. “I’m fine.”
He pushed at her muscle again, but this time it hurt. “Oww. Stop.”
“They hit you in the same spot more than once.” He sat back in his chair. “I’d like to get you x-rayed when we get back. I’d do it now, but the ship’s is being repaired. We need to fly you out to get to the nearest hospital.”
“I’m okay.” Just don’t push on the sore spots.” Change the topic. She sighed. “I’m worried my sister is in league with the men.”
“Kate, I’m sorry.” Daniel took her hands in his, and her skin electrified. “Your sister. She’s complicated. Do you really think she’d kill you over the necklace?”
“No.” She gazed at the ceiling. Wait. Maybe. Was Daniel right? His I’m sorry reverberated in her heart but she realized she wasn’t mad at him. Not really. Once again, Stephanie interfered with her life.
Daniel motioned for her to look at him, again so he’d finish his exam. She followed his orders. “You might be right about that necklace. She’d destroy anything in my life that made me happy, but murder is different. And I can’t imagine an expensive necklace being enough reason. It has to be more than that.”
Daniel kept both of his hands on his sides and froze. “Katie, I made that stupid promise before I met you. The second I met you, I’ve thought only of you and making you happy.”
“Still, you should have told me.” She swallowed, and the steam inside her dissipated.
“Katie, I intended to, but remember, you wanted me to wait until tomorrow, after the wedding.” His voice cracked a bit, and her eyes threatened to water.
She sniffled, as she lost the steel in her spine. She leaned into him.
“I was falling for you.”
He nodded, and his hand squeezed hers. “I was too, falling. I don’t know what’s happening, but I’d never hurt you.”
Could he love her? Love? She swallowed back that question. “Don’t. Daniel, I don’t have many people to depend on, and I need you right now. But I don’t know about this.”
She blinked back tears, but her cheeks grew wet anyway. She wished she could forget he’d lied to her. All men lied, at least to her. But Daniel wasn’t like all men. For one, he’d actually apologized for hurting her. She coughed to cover up a sob. “Please don’t ask for more than I can give. I’ll have no one else.”
“I’ll give you all the time you need,” Daniel said in a whisper, but then his voice evened out. “And until we get an x-ray of your head, I’m recommending you stay up. You might have a concussion, possible internal bleeding. If you get dizzy, tell me.”
If he’d told her before the wedding, she’d have admitted she’d fallen in love with him. Now her chest was cold. Had it all been an illusion? Or was her emotion genuine? Did she really love him?
“Wait. I should have started with this first.”
She gazed into his eyes and tilted her head. “What?”
“Now that we’re alone, I wanted to say again that I’m sorry.”
A shiver coursed through her body, and then she turned her head away. She gulped to stop the heat that pulsed in her body, that begged her to take him to bed right now.
Chapter 53
Kate sat up, but her knees bounced in the chair. Daniel sat on the patio with her, but his chair was far away. Her fingers tapped against the plastic chair and finally she stood up to go back inside.
She stepped over him and opened the door to their room. She ought to let go, but she had no time for romance. She went to the closet and found her bag. The truth was she wasn’t angry, more numb at the moment. And her head hurt.
Kate repacked her bag from the mess of her clothes on the floor. Daniel stayed on the balcony, with his phone to his ear. He must have called his brothers. She threw her stuff into the bag, not bothering to fold anything.
Done. She gazed out toward the balcony and sighed.
He’d saved her from hell, and the best way to repay him would be to keep him out of any more danger.
If she kissed and made up, he’d stay and be in danger. If his brother hadn’t taken custody of what had been in the safe deposit box, the men might have killed her. Daniel entered the room, his wide shoulders angled to get in, but his chin a bit low. Her chest tightened. She had caused him pain.
“Kate, let’s go.” Daniel closed the balcony door behind him. “Liam is outside, and we need to discuss how to get you through customs and keep you safe.”
She reached out her hand, but then curled her hand to her side. “You rock. And, Daniel, I’m not mad at you. Please don’t look at me like that.”
She sighed. “We can’t kiss and make up right now. There is too much going on.”
His head tilted, and his dimples appeared. “Relax, Katie. One day at a time.” He put his hand on her back.
She nodded, but her back shivered with jolts of awareness. She sucked in her lower lip, stayed quiet, and found a pair of his flip-flops. “If you can arrange for Stephanie to join us for a short chat, I want to speak to her.”
“First, defense logistics,” Daniel warned her, “then we move to the offense, and uncover the mystery on who did what to whom, sweetheart.”
She closed her eyes. Daniel had a hold on her heart, though she’d never tell him that. If she kissed him, like her lips ached to do, then she might not be able to protect him. “Sounds good.”
He stopped and went back inside their room. “I’ll get you pain reliever, to keep the swelling down, just in case.”
Nothing hurt anymore. She was fine.
Later, when they arrived at the pizza café, Liam pointed them to seats. She followed directions, but at the last moment, Daniel kissed her hand. She hadn’t heard what he said for a second, but his voice caught up with her. “Thanks. Shall we start? How is everything I gave you?”
“No one has touched anything,” Liam said. “Walk me through what you’re thinking.”
“Stephanie demanded the necklace.” Kate inched closer to Daniel, and her fingers brushed against his. “Daniel heard her, if you don’t believe me.”
“I believe you,” Liam assured her.
Daniel’s hand covered hers, and she could breathe easier now. The agent was dirty blond and blued eyed but he paled in comparison next to his older brother with his dark hair and dark eyes. The family all had the same nose, chin, and build, though.
His brother said something, but she missed it. She tuned back in to hear him tell her, “The numbered accounts lead to various banks throughout the world.”
“I’m sorry.” She scratched her neck. “The necklace?”
Liam shrugged. “We’re unsure, but I’m following up on a lead.”
Gerard piped in. “When I get full access to the corporate documents of Sparrow, Inc., I can be sure. But from what I read so far I’d guess it’s related to your mother’s company and her will, not your father.”
Her mother had left her the necklace and the proof of ownership papers in her security box. “I don’t think my mother left more in her will for me except money and some stock options. I never heard of anything else, so I assumed my father had everything.”
“That’s public record. I’ll look that up, too.” Gerard shrugged. “But her name was a brand. I can’t imagine anyone as successful as her to not have a will.”
Kate nodded. She hadn’t thought about her mother or a will in years. She’d been a child.
“The guys who took Katie are more important to me right now,” Daniel said, and her mind sharpened back on topic. She squeezed his hand, and he kept talking. “The other two are still on the ship, and Katie is worried they’ll hurt her sister.”
“Yes,” Kate chimed. “They wanted the numbers. My sister has asked multiple times for the necklace. How would she even know what was in that security box?”
“Wait.” Daniel scratched his head. “She planned this entire trip to the Caymans for all of us. And she cancelled her wedding. Who owned that box?”
“I did. I told you before. There were two boxes,” Kate answered and stared at Daniel. “My mother owned that box. Dad owned the other one.” Stephanie must have talked to Dad. “Before Mom died, she gave me the key. I hoped something to free me from Dad waited inside, not a necklace.” What was Daniel thinking? She cleared her throat, and continued. “I think Stephanie knows what the necklace means. The man wants the numbered accounts.”
“Why did you suddenly need to go to the Caymans?” Liam asked and interrupted her thoughts. “What did you think was in there when Houlihan offered you a deal?”
Kate’s hand shook a bit, but she held Daniel’s for support. “Something to prove my father set me up. I know that sounds stupid now. Houlihan knew I had legal access to the house in order to take Dad’s key and get the files.” Kate swallowed. “I did what he asked, and the men must be after that.”
“If the necklace is proof of ownership of Sparrow, Inc., Stephanie wants control of the company.” Daniel squeezed her hand. “And the men want evidence that links someone else with her father. Would the men know about the deal with this Agent Houlihan?”
“Mom’s company?” Kate stared at both of them in shock. Daniel’s math had sent her entire body into a frenzy. It added up, but her mouth went dry. She licked her lips. “Mom started the Sparrow fashion empire. Dad funded the investment to go into clothes. It’s how they met. You think she left me the company?”
“Yeah, sweetheart.”
Her mouth dropped.
“But I don’t know how to run a company.”
“Who’s running it now?”
“Dad’s people. I’d need help.”
“Sean knows. He’ll help you,” Daniel said.
She couldn’t respond. She had no thoughts or words.
“But right now we need to figure out how the men know about her father’s box.”
“Security at my father’s house?” Kate guessed. “For Houlihan. He told me to walk in the house, and get the key. So I did. No one said anything, but if there were security cameras installed in the house that I didn’t know about, it’s understandable. I told Houlihan, but he had told me one problem at a time and not to worry.”
Daniel shook his head. “I am glad I found you.”
Her heart swelled in her chest. She was glad, too, but she kept that to herself. “Dad had questionable friends.”
“I’ll check it out,” Liam offered.
Kate nodded. “Stephanie would know about the company. After Mom died, I haven’t had much to do with the company. I was thirteen, and Stephanie seven. Dad ran everything. Later on, she wanted in, and Dad brought her to meetings.”
Daniel tilted his head. “So you never had a say in the company?”
She shook hers. “Not much, and if I said anything, my father was derisive of everything. I’d like to confront Stephanie over the necklace. I’d rather know she didn’t intend to kill me, but the thought won’t leave my brain.”
Daniel added, “Gerard intends to finish questioning her. The second she and Eric finish their arguing. He feels used.” Daniel crossed his legs and scooted closer. She sighed and nestled her knees next to his. “We can go join him, if you like in an hour.”
“Wait,” Liam told them both. “Tomorrow, getting through customs will be messy. There are too many open areas once we get off the ship until we get through. We’ll keep you between us like a football team. At customs, I’ve made arrangements to go to a private room. It’s the best I can do. Once we get through customs, we’ll have a more secure exit.”
“Thank you.” Kate’s legs brushed against Daniel’s and electricity intensified. She stood up to sever the connection. Daniel followed, and offered her his arm. She gulped, then headed for the door.
The others broke apart to go their separate ways, but first they all hugged each other goodbye. Were all families close?
They both cleared the shop, and she stared at his handsome profile. “I need to find out what’s happening before I, we . . . before . . . I can think about us.”
She gazed toward the floor, but her stomach released its butterflies. She’d said it. He held her around the waist, and that bubble of safety covered her again. Perhaps, a more open woman would throw her arms around him, and tell him she loved him. She gulped. Today wasn’t that day. Daniel stayed silent, and led her downstairs.
An hour later, on the floor below, she stood outside his brother Liam’s room. Daniel held her hand, but she rocked a bit near him.
Daniel knocked on the door. She squared her shoulders. If her father could betray her, she had to be
lieve her baby sister would, too. Why else have the wedding here? She should have put it together far sooner.
“Stephanie,” Daniel called, “it’s time to tell me why you decided to marry Eric.”
Stephanie opened the door and Kate’s warrior stance fell. Stephanie was a wet, crying mess. Kate gazed snapped to Gerard. “What did you say to my sister?”
“I won’t let you win, Kate,” Stephanie sobbed. “I’m going to run Sparrow and Company.”
Borrowing the Doctor (The Collins Brothers Book 2) Page 19
