Hide and Seek

by Velvet Vaughn

  “Do you live close?”

  Kendall pointed. “Just through the trees. If not for our security fence and Dante’s, it’d be a short walk.”

  “And we live right over there.” Jade pointed in another direction. “We’re all neighbors.”

  The women brought plants and flowers and assorted house-warming gifts. Jade handed her a bottle of very expensive champagne and told her it was for her and Dante to celebrate the return of their children.

  A sense of longing overcame Taylor. These women had readily accepted her into their group, even though she was…she didn’t know what she was to Dante. Friends, maybe. Lovers, definitely. More than that? She wanted more…she wanted a lifetime with him. He was everything she’d ever dreamed of and more. But they’d only known each other a week, thrown together by unimaginable circumstances. Not to mention the fact that he was still in love with his dead wife.

  “How’s Grace doing?” Jade asked, dragging her from her musings.

  “Remarkably well. We’ve talked and texted several times already. I just wish I could be with her right now.”

  Jade squeezed her hand and gave her a sympathetic look. “At least you know she’s safe.”

  “These guys are the best of the best. They’ll catch Sweeney soon,” Kendall said with certainty.

  “I hope so.”

  “I’m not saying that because I’m biased.” Kendall withdrew a file, placed it on the table and slapped both hands on top. “I mean, I am prejudiced of course, but their reputation is well-earned.” She opened the folder and faced Taylor. “I hope you don’t mind, but I wanted to pick your lawyer brain.”

  Taylor’s eyes widened. “Sure.”

  “I was a television reporter in my former life. I don’t miss it like I thought I would,” she admitted. “But I do miss the business. I took some production and directing courses in college and enjoyed them, so I thought I’d give it a try. I pitched an idea for a competition cooking show to CuisineTV and they’re interested.”

  “Wow, that’s awesome,” Taylor said. “Congratulations.”

  Kendall smiled. “Thanks. We don’t have the concept completely nailed down yet but the pilot will be filmed here and we’ve signed up a host for the show.” She made a sweeping gesture at Jade. “Tah-da. Oscar winner Juliet LaRue.” Jade mock-waved like a beauty queen.

  Taylor’s eyes widened as she glanced between the two women. “How exciting. I’m so happy for you both. I know it’ll be a huge success.”

  “I hope so,” Kendall smiled. “I’ve been working with a law firm and I know it’s probably not your area of expertise, and I know you are busy penning the next bestselling legal thriller…I’m one of your biggest fans, by the way.”

  “Me, too,” Jade cut in.

  “But I’d love for you to look over the contract, maybe consider becoming our legal advisor.”

  Taylor’s back hit the chair as she stared speechless at the two women. She finally found her voice. “It’s an amazing opportunity. I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say yes,” they exclaimed in unison.

  Taylor laughed. “Yes. I’d love to.”

  Kendall and Jade jumped up and hugged her, their excitement rubbing off on her. She poured them each a glass of wine and they discussed the initial pitch and made plans to go over details after Taylor had a chance to scan the documents.

  “Okay, enough work for now.” Kendall whipped out a magazine and Jade rolled her eyes dramatically. “What?”

  “Are you showing off the dress again?”

  “I can’t help it,” Kendall flashed a huge grin. She licked her finger and flipped the pages, nodding when she found what she was looking for. She spun the book around and tapped the image. “What do you think?”

  Taylor’s mouth dropped open. “It’s the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen.”

  “I know, right?” Kendall smiled dreamily as she stared at the gown. “I placed the order today.”

  “When are you getting married?” Taylor asked.

  “Today if I have any say about it,” a deep voice drawled.

  Kendall gasped and dove for the book, covering it with her body. She narrowly missed knocking over her wine glass. “You can’t see the dress before the wedding. It’s bad luck.”

  Dorian rolled his eyes and yanked on her shirt to tug her into his arms.

  “Taylor, hide the magazine,” she managed between kisses.

  Taylor smiled as she flicked the book closed, her gaze drifting to Dante. He was watching her intently. She couldn’t read the expression in his eyes. Desire? Wanting?

  “Good grief, get a room,” Sawyer complained as he came into the room.

  Dorian released Kendall and she dropped to her seat with a satisfied smile.

  Taylor’s cell rang and all joking stopped abruptly. She checked the display. “Blocked.” She met Dorian’s eyes. He nodded.

  She took a deep breath and pressed the speaker. “Hello?”

  “Aw, did I run you from your home, Ms. Assistant State Prosecutor? Get scared? Afraid the big, bad, boogeyman was coming for you?”

  “You don’t scare me at all, Sweeney.”

  “Hmm, your sharp little claws grew back, didn’t they, Taylor? Have you resigned yourself to the fact that your daughter belongs with her biological father? That’s good. I’ll make sure Grace knows you don’t love her anymore.”

  “This is getting old. Either let me talk to my daughter right now or stop calling me.”

  “Aw, Taylor, you’re asking me to quit you? I can’t. You’re my drug of choice. Your pain and suffering are a narcotic and I would just wither and die without my daily hit.”

  “Tell me where my daughter is.”

  “I don’t think so. But I am feeling magnanimous. You know what…how about I throw you a bone? I’ll tell you where you can find your sister.”

  Her breath caught in her throat. She was mad at Cassie but she didn’t wish her harm. “Did you…kill her?” She couldn’t keep the tremor from her voice.

  “Well, you better go see for yourself.” He rattled off an address and hung up.

  Taylor covered her mouth with her hands. “That’s my house.”

  #

  Taylor sat in the back seat of Dorian’s SUV gripping Dante’s hand so hard she had to be cutting off his circulation but he didn’t complain. Sawyer rode shotgun, barking orders on his cell. They tried to convince her to stay behind with Jade and Kendall but she wouldn’t hear of it. It was her house and her sister and if they didn’t take her along, she’d drive herself. Dante shook his head with resignation and mumbled that he didn’t doubt her.

  Sawyer disconnected and turned in his seat. “You realize we could be walking right into Sweeney’s trap.”

  “The cops should be arriving with lights and sirens blazing,” Dorian pointed out. “He’d be a fool to try anything surrounded by so many law enforcement personnel.”

  “He’s no fool,” she murmured.

  Dorian turned down her street and they were met with a dozen police vehicles surrounding her home. The glare of red and blue lights bounced off the windows in the neighborhood, illuminating the area in a kaleidoscope of color. Cops were positioned behind open doors with their weapons pointed at the house. An ambulance was parked at the edge of the driveway, the paramedics waiting for any potential victims. Several of her neighbors stood outside watching with open fascination. Taylor had the feeling she wouldn’t be invited to the next block party. In fact, she might not even be welcomed back when this was over. She’d turned their quiet community into a three-ring circus. First camera crews parked on the streets at all hours. Now SWAT.

  “You don’t leave my side for any reason,” Dante demanded. He’d made her don a Kevlar vest before they piled in the SUV. “Promise?”

  She nodded. “Promise.”

  Sawyer flashed his ID and they were allowed through the cordoned-off perimeter to park. Dorian opened her door and shielded her with his body. Dante slid out behind her. T
hey kept her sandwiched between them as they headed for the knot of personnel gathered on the sidewalk. A man stepped forward dressed in camouflage military fatigues covered with a Ballistic vest labeled “Police.” He wore a helmet over a fire-retardant balaclava that was pulled down so he could speak. A belt loaded with flash bangs, stingers and tear gas wrapped around his waist and Sig Sauers were attached to each leg. A Benelli M4 mounted with a laser and tactical flashlight was strapped over his shoulder. “Joe Baldwin. I’m in charge of the Special Weapons and Tactics team.” He nodded at a group of men dressed in similar garb. “We go in first and clear the house.” It wasn’t a question.

  “Possible female victim,” Sawyer told him. “She could be in distress.”

  Baldwin nodded and Taylor handed him the keys. He tugged his mask in place and motioned to his men. They moved forward in well-practiced formation. One man unlocked the door as the others stood poised with their weapons drawn and shields up. “SWAT,” they yelled as they funneled into her house. Moments later, several shouts of “clear” were heard.

  Joe appeared in the door and motioned to the paramedics. “House is clear but we’ve got a victim.”

  Taylor cried out and dashed forward, breaking Dante’s grip on her arm. He cursed and followed on her heels. Joe stepped aside to allow them to pass. “Upstairs,” he instructed.

  Taylor bounded for the steps, tripping in her haste. Dante steadied her and urged her forward. SWAT personnel were standing outside the door to her bedroom. Taylor hurried inside and sucked in a breath.

  Cassie was lying motionless on her bed, her arms crossed in a classic death pose. Her skin was pale, her lips blue. Blood stained the front of her white dress. Taylor glanced at the man standing over her. “Is she…”

  “She’s still got a pulse, but it’s faint.”

  “Make room,” the paramedics ordered as they rushed into the room and opened their gear. Dante urged her off to the side to give the medics room to operate. They checked her vital signs, ripped open packages and stuck her with needles.

  “What’s wrong with her?” she asked, her voice shaky.

  One of the medics lifted Cassie’s arm with a glove-covered hand. “She’s got a cut on her wrist, but it’s not fatal.”

  “Looks like she’s been poisoned,” the female paramedic guessed.

  Soon they had her transferred to a gurney and were wheeling her downstairs to the waiting ambulance.

  “I-I need to go with her.”

  Dante grabbed her arm before she could follow. “Taylor, wait.”

  He indicated the mirror above her dresser. Written in blood…Cassie’s blood…was the message: I’m coming for you.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  “I’m coming for you. Those are the exact words he said to me in the courtroom,” Taylor told Dante as they trailed the ambulance to the hospital. Dorian and Sawyer stayed at her house to process the scene, look for any clues to Sweeney’s whereabouts. “He promised me he’d get even.” She glanced out the window, not even seeing the passing scenery. “She went back to him, didn’t she? Even after she was arrested and facing prison time, she ran back to him as soon as she could.” She turned to Dante. “She lied. She said she didn’t know how to get in touch with him but she obviously did.”

  Dante picked up her hand and laced their fingers together. “I’m sorry, Taylor.”

  She sighed and looked out the window again. “I have to call my parents…in case she doesn’t make it…”

  “I’ve already contacted them,” he told her gently. “They’re heading back now.”

  “But Grace, Kai…they can’t be here. Sweeney…”

  “My parents are dropping them at the nearest airport. I’ve arranged for a car to pick them up and bring them to the hospital. Grace and Kai will stay with my folks.”

  Tears welled in her eyes. He’d done all of that for her. “Thank you.”

  He squeezed her hand as they pulled up to the Emergency Room. As soon as he parked, she jumped out and met him in front of the SUV. They dodged an orderly pushing a man in a wheelchair as they entered. The room was packed, very few empty chairs were scattered about. Taylor approached the nurse on duty and asked about her sister. They were led to another smaller room to wait.

  Time passed in slow motion. Dante made some calls. They had found no sign of Sweeney at her home. No one saw him or her sister enter or leave. She’d changed the code to her alarm but it didn’t matter…the lines to the system had been cut. There were no prints from the blood on the mirror. He was smart enough to use gloves. They didn’t bother printing her house since she’d had so many people in and out the last week.

  A doctor stopped by to give an update. “Your sister is listed in critical condition. We’ve pumped her stomach and drawn blood for tests, but without knowing what was used to poison her, we can’t administer an antidote. Her pupils are contracted, her blood pressure is dropping, and she’s having trouble breathing on her own, which suggests a narcotic was probably used. She’s lapsed into a coma.”

  “What are her chances?”

  “Hard to say,” he evaded.

  “Can I see her?”

  “Just for a minute,” he allowed. She hugged Dante and followed the doctor down the sterile hallway. Antiseptic smells mingled with the stale scent of urine and industrial cleaner. Doctors were paged over a loudspeaker and phones rang as they passed the nurse’s station and entered Cassie’s ICU room. Beeping and blinking machines surrounded the bed where her sister was lying motionless with wires and tubes attached to her frail body. The doctor checked numbers and scribbled them onto a chart. “No change. I’ll give you a minute alone with her.”

  Taylor picked up Cassie’s hand, careful not to dislodge any of the tubes. She was shocked at how cold it was. “I forgive you,” she whispered. “What you did was cruel and indefensible, but you’re my sister.” She took a deep breath. “I love you.” She could’ve sworn Cassie gently squeezed but it was probably wishful thinking.

  After a few minutes, a nurse came in and escorted her back to the waiting room. Dante opened his arms and she stepped into his embrace. “I’m mad at her and I hate what she did, but she’s my sister.” Her voice broke on the last word. He held her tight and rubbed his hands up and down her back, offering comfort. How many times in the last week had she relied on him for support? He never let her down.

  Her parents arrived two hours later, looking frantic and disheveled. She hugged them both and relayed the latest update from the doctor, which was no change. Her dad spoke to the duty nurse and they were allowed to visit Cassie for a few minutes. When they came back out, tears streaked both of their faces.

  “I’m so mad at her for what she did,” her mom sniffed. “But I look at her on that bed and she’s so pale and lifeless. All I can see is the little five-year-old girl who loved to play with her little sister and dress her up like a doll…” her mother broke down and sobbed into her hands. Her dad gathered her close and murmured comforting words to her. When she calmed down, she grasped Taylor’s hand. “It’s late. Your father and I will stay here tonight. Go home and rest. We’ll call you if there’s any change.”

  #

  Saturday

  Dante dropped Taylor off at his house the next morning after they visited the hospital. He needed to stop by the COBRA Securities compound and said it might take an hour or two. Sawyer was already at work in Dante’s home office, pouring over every detail of her friends’ lives. So far, no red flags, which gave Taylor hope that they weren’t involved with Sweeney.

  She tossed her purse to the counter and padded to the couch, falling into the soft cushions. There was no change in Cassie’s condition. She wasn’t breathing on her own and she showed no signs of waking up from the coma. Taylor tried to talk her parents into going home to rest but they refused. She didn’t push…she wouldn’t leave Grace’s side, either.

  Her phone rang and she automatically glanced at the screen. Gina. “I’ve got it, Nancy,” she called out. �
��Hi, Gina.”

  “Taylor!” Gina’s panicked voice cut through the phone. “He’s back. Oh my God. He’s going to kill me!”

  “Gina, slow down. Where are you?”

  “I’m at my house but I just had a message from Mitch. He said he blamed me for putting him in prison and he was going to come after me.”

  Taylor shot to her feet and grabbed her purse. “Call the police.”

  “I did. They’re on their way. But I need you, Taylor.”

  “I’m coming and I’ll bring backup with me.” She disconnected and texted Dante, letting him know where she was going. She promised to stay inside but her best friend needed her. She hurried to the office. Sawyer was on the phone but when he saw the look on her face, he quickly ended the call.

  “My best friend is in grave danger,” she blurted out. “I need to get to her right now…her life is on the line.”

  Sawyer scrambled to his feet and grabbed his keys.

  “I’ll call the police,” Nancy offered.”

  “They’re already on their way. I’m just afraid they won’t get there in time.”

  “Do you want me to call Dante and let him know?”

  “Thanks, Nancy, but I already did.”

  “Be careful,” Nancy called out as they raced for Sawyer’s rental car. She jumped inside when he popped the locks. He slid inside and cranked the engine. She gave him directions as worry gnawed at her. Mitch was crazy. He’d put Gina in the hospital many times before. It wouldn’t take much to push him over the edge and kill her. So much for him “finding Jesus” in prison.

  At her advice, Sawyer slowed to a crawl as he navigated the dirt lane leading to Gina’s secluded house. They didn’t want to alert Mitch and possibly have him do something rash in case he was already inside. Gina’s home sat far off the road with no neighbors in sight. The police would have trouble locating it. Taylor had urged her to move somewhere more populated, but this land had been in her family for decades and she refused to leave. It was a plus for Mitch—he could beat her for hours with no one around to hear her cries.