Protecting Her Secret Son

by Regan Black

  “Can’t go wrong with comfort food,” he said, serving them both at the table.

  “So named for a reason,” she said. “Thanks.”

  There wasn’t any sparkling conversation while they ate, but she did eat, which mattered more to him. When she stood up to clear the table, he took over, handling the dishes while she went upstairs to dress for the concert.

  She came downstairs in the black dress and heels she’d stuffed into her suitcase earlier. The hem of the skirt stopped just above her knees and the fabric seemed to hug her from her shoulders to her trim waist before flaring out over her hips. Far better on her than it had been on the hanger. On a normal date, he’d offer a compliment. Tonight? He had no idea if she’d even hear him, much less find the words sincere.

  “You clean up nice,” she said.

  Clean jeans, dark blue dress shirt and loafers paled in comparison to her. “I’ll do better next time,” he said without thinking.

  Her lips curved in a ghost of smile and he felt as if he’d slayed a dragon for her.

  He timed it so they were the last to arrive at the club and the others would be distracted by the entertainment. It was all he could think of to make a challenging outing easier for her. The band up on stage had the crowd jumping to the throbbing beat as they navigated around the dance floor to find their group. Ed and his wife Toni were holding the hi-top table while Lou and Craig—both single—stood by, watching the women dancing in the crowd.

  He didn’t think an Oscar-winning actress could pull off the performance Shannon gave as she greeted everyone with her typical, friendly enthusiasm. Through some female miracle, she’d erased all signs of stress and tears from her face. Her smile wasn’t as bright, but that was the only clue he could see to the burden she was hiding from the others.

  “How is Aiden?” Toni asked, clearly concerned. “Ed told me there was an emergency.”

  “A mix-up over the phone,” Shannon replied. “I thought Aiden was hurt...” She paused, cleared her throat. “It was one of Rachel’s twins. He’s fine now. Didn’t mean to worry everyone,” she finished sheepishly.

  “Your mind just leaps to the worst-case scenario, doesn’t it?”

  “All the time,” Shannon said.

  Daniel bumped her knee with his under the table, lending her subtle support.

  “Ed says I’m a drama queen.” Toni beamed at her husband. “But those ‘come right now’ calls just grab your heart and don’t let go until you can see for yourself that your baby is okay.”

  Though Shannon’s smile wobbled, her voice was steady. “They really should put a warning label on kids, or at least cover it in the motherhood books.”

  Toni and Ed chuckled in agreement.

  Oscar-winning performance indeed. He ordered a pitcher of beer for the table when the waitress came by and turned the conversation to business for a few minutes, filling in Ed on the subfloor supply issue.

  Ed shook his head and asked Shannon to dance.

  She hopped up cheerfully, making it look like she was having a grand time.

  Daniel wanted to dance with her himself and decided he’d wait for a better day. She probably wanted a break from him, from his constant presence reminding her of the trouble. Until this morning, he didn’t know anything about her ex or his businesses. Tonight, he despised the man on principle for slamming into her day like a runaway truck.

  The band took a break and Grant wandered over to say hello as he made his rounds.

  “Mind if I steal you away for a professional assessment?” Grant asked. He smiled easily at the others as he explained. “We had a fight out back last night. Perils of running a nightclub. Your date can join us,” he added.

  Daniel ignored the odd look from Ed as they followed Grant back to his office. “Nicely done,” he said when they were safely behind the closed door.

  “Do you have any leads on Aiden?” Shannon laced her fingers together in her lap, her forehead lined with worry.

  Daniel wished he could soothe her, knew it was an impossible task until she was reunited with her son.

  “We don’t have a lead on Aiden’s location yet. People are working on the video. I’m told we shouldn’t expect much since they kept it short.”

  “You think the video was short on purpose?” Daniel asked.

  “It’s a definite theory. Shannon gets proof of life, anyone helping her gets little to nothing to go on. We haven’t ruled out much of anything.” Grant massaged his hand. “Yet.”

  “Why not?” Shannon’s entire body was stiff and he saw her fighting for control over the tears welling in her eyes. “I know Bradley’s behind this. Those were his words, if not his voice. Daniel told you that, right?”

  “He did,” Grant assured her. “My detective friend in organized crime is quietly shaking every tree to get a location on Stanwood or catch wind of a kidnapping order.”

  “He’s not in New York,” she insisted. “He may not be staying here in Philly, but he must be close. He wouldn’t have sent that kind of script through an email or text message.”

  “Good point,” Grant said. “Still, it’s possible he’s handling this remotely. I’ve listened to the call you recorded and watched the video. No one is discounting any possible scheme at this point, Shannon.” He turned to Daniel. “You’re all settled in at her place?”

  “We’re good there.” Daniel shrugged, not wanting to dwell on that subject. “What’s the next move?” He wanted to hear any and all ideas for resolving this swiftly.

  “Patience is the move. Follow your routine as closely as possible. We want the kidnappers to believe you’re cooperating while we work behind the scenes.”

  Shannon sucked in a breath, blinked rapidly.

  “You’ve got a team at your back, I promise.” Grant leaned against his desk. “Because we’re a team, I want your take on some other news. I learned Gary Loffler has made two visits to Philly in the past three months. Did he contact you at all?”

  “No.” Her eyebrows snapped together. “Gary escorted me out of the house the day I left. I haven’t spoken to him since the divorce was final. I still think he’d help us pin down Bradley if I called him. Told him...”

  They all knew how that sentence ended.

  “So he doesn’t know you had a son?” Grant asked.

  “I never told him,” Shannon whispered. “Even if he knew, Gary wouldn’t do this.”

  “Not even for his best friend, his best client?”

  “Gary was the only thing left of Bradley’s conscience. Assuming he had one to start with.”

  “Well, it’s one more avenue. Apparently, the organized crime and intelligence unit has been hearing rumors about a major deal brewing. Until your son was taken, no one had a clue about what, why or when anything would happen.

  “You have to see that to an outsider, taking Aiden implies you have something or know something that can impact the deal Stanwood is trying to make.”

  “I’m aware how it looks,” Shannon said. “Trust me, I’d happily give up any information on Bradley or his businesses to have Aiden back right this minute.”

  “The kidnappers believe you’re cooperating,” Daniel reminded her. “The police will catch a break soon.”

  “The demand for a routine makes me wonder if the kidnapper—”

  “Bradley,” Shannon interjected. “I know it doesn’t add up, but he is involved.”

  Grant tipped his head. “Bradley,” he echoed. “I wonder if he’s hoping that forcing you to maintain a routine gives him a window to search your place.”

  “He had plenty of time today while we were traipsing all over town,” Daniel pointed out. “She was at work when they took Aiden and they waited a couple hours to make contact.”

  “And yet.” Grant spread his hands. “Patience is what we hav
e to work with right now.”

  Shannon’s mouth thinned with worry. The temper and need to act burning in her eyes were at war with Grant’s persistent logic. “I’d hoped for more from this meeting,” she admitted.

  “I know.”

  “Do you have children?” Shannon asked.

  “Not been blessed in that way yet,” Grant replied. “Doesn’t mean I’m not one hundred percent committed to getting your son back home to you.”

  “I apologize.” She stood up to pace the small office, cracking her knuckles and worrying that wide lower lip. “The timing,” she muttered. “A deal? Did your detective in organized crime have any idea who Gary met with during his recent trips to Philly?”

  “He visited the Marburg Law offices. Our contacts there are making inquiries.”

  Daniel could practically see the gears turning in Shannon’s mind. “What are you thinking?”

  She shook her head. “Between Gary’s visits, the kidnapping and the rumors you’ve heard, the timing bothers me. When I left New York, Gary gave me his personal number. He told me to call if I had any trouble and I know he meant it as a friend, not a ploy for Bradley to keep tabs on me.” She pushed a hand through her short, sunny hair. “Bradley was happy to send me packing. I’d let him down. Without Gary...” Her voice trailed off. “Anyway, Gary was the only point of compassion when my marriage fell apart. He was an unexpected source of kindness.”

  “You were friends?” Daniel slid a glance at Grant, caught the speculation in his gaze.

  “After a fashion,” she murmured, clearly lost in the past. “I think we were both surprised to find a like-minded person within Bradley’s merciless sphere. When the honeymoon was over and I was searching for a way to stay afloat in my marriage, Gary and I had several conversations about pursuits Bradley might allow.”

  Daniel wondered what a younger Shannon had wanted when she’d found herself caught in an untenable marriage.

  “Such as?” Grant prompted.

  “Local chapters of national charities.” She rattled off three familiar program names. “Real estate.” The bitter laugh that followed prickled along his skin. Her lips tilted into a half smile full of irony. “Can you imagine the kickbacks Bradley might have pocketed if I’d done that?”

  Her ex had been a piece of work, and the way he’d manipulated her had taken a toll. Daniel wanted to meet him, if only to plant a fist into the jerk’s face. He marveled that she’d gotten out and made such a good life for herself and her son.

  The idea of her moving on, starting over again, lit his temper. Who was her ex that he thought he could get away with this kind of stunt? And what kind of monster would put a mother through this torture and turmoil? “Wherever they’re holding Aiden, we’ll find him. Right, Grant?”

  “Yes. There are ears and eyes everywhere, combing the city for clues.” Grant’s fingers tapped in a rapid-fire staccato on the desktop. “Which means you two should get back to your night out. Keep up appearances.”

  “Normal,” Shannon said, plastering a patently false and somewhat scary smile on her face.

  “Believe.” Daniel took her hand as they left the office.

  “What if he does a paternity test?” she asked, pulling Daniel back at the verge of the club. “I’ve been thinking about it all day.”

  The question startled him. On the other side of the wall, the crowd sang along with the band onstage. Daniel had to lean close to be heard without shouting. The tangy lemon scent of her shampoo tantalized his nose. With another woman—with Shannon amid other circumstances—he would have used the opportunity to steal a kiss.

  “Why would he do that?”

  “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’m just trying to figure out who’s after what here. Bradley or someone who knows him well wrote that script.”

  “Loffler, maybe?”

  She tipped her head side to side, chewing on her lip.

  “Would he find something unexpected?” Daniel asked.

  “Learning he’s a father would shock him.” Her nose wrinkled. “If he ordered the kidnapping to manipulate someone else, who knows what he’d do to Aiden if he realizes he’s holding his own son.”

  “You said he had no interest in fatherhood.”

  “He always has an interest in what can be used as leverage and useful tools,” she said, peering over his shoulder into the club. “He never had an interest in accommodating me.”

  “Relax,” he said, knowing it was an impossible request. “If he was here, Grant’s men would be all over him by now.”

  “Okay.”

  He gave her hand a squeeze to reclaim her attention. “Is there something you’re not sharing?”

  She shook her head. “No. I’m trying to rush things along and I’m only making myself crazy. You, too, probably. My mind is running like a hamster on a wheel. Bradley or whoever is behind this will make some kind of demand eventually.”

  As they finished out the evening with friends, Daniel’s mind raced as well. He kept mulling over her concerns about the timing and purpose behind Loffler’s visits to Philly. Could the lawyer have been checking on her, determining potential targets for his boss? Daniel couldn’t blame Shannon for wanting to leave what was a traumatic time in her life in the past, but he too sensed there was something bigger at play.

  Something about the kidnapping, the odd demands to keep a routine, reminded him of a fire breathing just under the edge of a door. Craving oxygen, without a vent, the fire would eventually attack, tossing everyone and everything aside.

  Why steal a kid he never wanted or pester a woman he’d been happy to boot out of his life?

  “You don’t have to stay over,” she said as he pulled to a stop behind her car in the narrow driveway. “It’s not routine.”

  “It is until your son is home,” he replied. “Grant expects me to stay close and keep you safe. You’ve never had to answer to him,” he added, hoping to lighten the mood. “He might be a little older, but there’s no doubt he could still take me down if he wanted to.”

  “What’s his story?” she asked as they walked to her front door.

  “Shot in the line of duty, partner died, and he had to retire for medical reasons. Bought the club and loves it. He just can’t seem to stop helping people.”

  They walked inside and she closed the door, leaned back against it. “He has a way about him,” she said.

  “Good or bad?”

  “Solid.” She shrugged out of her coat and dropped her keys into her purse and her purse on the end of the kitchen counter. “Reassuring. A lot like you, actually. Must be a first responder thing.”

  “Huh.” Feeling a little lost by the direction of the conversation, he rocked back on his heels. “Everything looks normal in here.” Part of him hoped for a decisive move from Aiden’s kidnappers while another part of him was relieved not to add any more drama to the rough day. “Do you mind if I clean up?”

  “Go ahead. I’ll get out linens for the couch.”

  “Great, thanks.”

  “And Daniel?”

  He glanced back, one foot on the first stair. Something inside him unraveled, yearning for the impossible when he saw the gratitude shining in her brown eyes. With reluctant determination, he hid the way everything about her gave his system a jolt of desire. If she knew that she’d starred in his fantasies for nearly a year, she’d lock him outside.

  “Thank you,” she said, breaking the silence. “I didn’t want your help.” Color rose in her cheeks. “I didn’t want anyone’s help. Thank you for being persistent despite my best efforts to push you away.”

  Flustered and embarrassed, he held his ground with a smile. “Must be a first responder thing.”

  He escaped the heavy moment, taking the stairs up to the bathroom and locking himself in. A cold shower was jus
t what he needed.

  Chapter 4

  Shannon’s mind and heart had been working overtime all through the night. She hadn’t slept more than a few minutes at a time, dozing between prayers that either her ex or the men who’d kidnapped her son would reach out again.

  Only more of the nothing, more horrible silence filled her mind. Dreadful images greeted her every time she jerked awake. Nothing. There hadn’t been a threatening text about her going out on a Saturday night, no new link to a new video that could confirm her son was still alive and well.

  Was he even still in town? Her stomach clenched. She’d seen Bradley’s resources in action, knew that almost twenty-four hours after stealing her son, he could have him stashed anywhere.

  She understood the logic Grant and Daniel kept emphasizing, that Aiden was leverage. His captors were more motivated to take care with him so she would cooperate. But they knew Bradley Stanwood by reputation, not the way she did. Logic was the first thing her ex dispensed with when it suited him.

  Awake, her hands hugging her son’s toy to her chest, her mind wrestled with what had pushed Bradley to have Aiden kidnapped. No logic there. Who else could know Bradley well enough to write the scripts the caller read from? And why bother with that kind of stunt? Until it made sense, she didn’t think the police would put much theory into her ex’s involvement.

  “Believe.” She said the word aloud, hearing Daniel’s voice in her head as she did.

  Wanting to bury herself under the covers and cry and wallow in her grief, she rolled out of bed, headed for the shower. Although she’d never thank her ex, maybe he was doing her a favor demanding normal, routine behavior. Wallowing wouldn’t bring her son home. Crying wouldn’t help her find any insight into why this was happening now.

  Sunday was a mandatory day off at Jennings Construction at Matthew Jennings’s insistence, and today she couldn’t be more grateful. She could use the time to research recent headlines in New York, maybe call Gary Loffler despite Grant’s advice against it. Dressed in soft leggings and a loose T-shirt, she finger-combed her short damp hair and headed downstairs to the kitchen for coffee and breakfast.