by Lara Jones
“After—” Isabel coughed. “After the funeral he somehow got Tommy and me to stay at his house. I was so devastated I almost couldn’t function. After about a week, I decided I needed to get Tommy back to our house. He refused to let us go. At first, I thought he was being protective until I woke up later that night to find Allister naked beside my bed.”
Clay looked at Royce, furious.
“I screamed, and it woke up Tommy in the next room. He ran into mine, crying. Allister thankfully had grabbed his robe and left before Tommy ran in the connecting doors. I packed up our clothes and called a taxi. We never got the taxi because he canceled it. Several months went by where my only thoughts were to keep Tommy safe and not get raped. I’m still surprised I was able to keep that monster away from me for so long.” She stopped and gathered herself.
“I found out later Mora was tearing apart the city trying to find us. He had placed us in a home on the outskirts of the city so no one could find us. His thought was I would finally give up and give in to him and his demands, both sexual and signing documents I refused to.” Isabel took a few breaths and shook her head. It almost sounded like a movie the way her life had turned out.
“I overheard him talking to someone on the phone. He was tired of waiting for me, and some deal was going to happen sooner than expected and needed the funds from Evan’s estate. He talked about using Tommy against me because he wasn’t able to break me any other way. I finally talked to a man Allister had assigned to see to our needs. After hearing what I told him I’d heard, he left the door unlocked to the room they had us in and told me when and the way to run.”
A tear silently rolled down her cheek. “God, I will never forget the terror of that night. Before we even made it off the property, Allister stopped us, taking Tommy from me, and a couple of his men then took me to a mental hospital.”
“How in the hell was he able to get you committed?” Clay gritted out.
“Allister was a well-known businessman in the city. He told them about my husband and that I had a breakdown and was about to hurt my son. They believed him. It didn’t help that I was so distraught from having Tommy taken from me, screaming. I was there for three damn weeks. No one listened to my pleas. They shot me up with drugs if I got too excited or showed anger. I’ve never felt so helpless in my life.”
Both men stayed silent but were aware of the waves of rage pulsing from their bodies.
“Every time he came to see me, he told me when I was ready to take my place beside him”—she laughed with disgust—“I could come home. I remember getting petrified when he became more and more desperate as the days progressed.” Isabel swallowed the bile that slid up her throat at the thought of that man touching her.
“What happened to Tommy?” Clay asked, fury evident in his voice. “And where was your family in all of this? You’ve never mentioned them.”
“Because I have no siblings and my parents are gone. As for Tommy, he thankfully gave him to a friend of mine, Mora. I was incredibly relieved because I trusted her to protect him, but also extremely guilty. She had so much already she had to deal with, but she never faltered or resented helping me.” She pressed a hand to her mouth to prevent the cry from spilling.
“I’ve never gotten to hold her and cry with her. Haven’t told her how thankful I am for her, and how much I love her. All the time and my energy since the accident was to survive, then run and protect Tommy.
“Thankfully, Allister doesn’t like kids at all, so it was my biggest worry that he’d hurt him or kill him. When he came to the hospital to see me the next day, I told him if he touched one hair on Tommy’s head, I’d never forgive him and then there would be no chance to get me. I pretended that being with him was something I was considering. He told me he would give him to Mora and that he didn’t want anything to do with his brother’s bastard, but he’d use him later to control me if he had to.”
Isabel turned back to them. “The look in his eyes that day will forever haunt me. I think that’s when I knew…I knew he’d killed Evan, Mora’s husband, and her son.” She slid her hands up and down her thighs.
Royce stood but didn’t take a step toward her when she flinched. “What happened? How did you get away?”
“Mora and her family. Her dad is a judge and signed a release for me, and her brother came and got me. He’s a cop, and he pretended to arrest me on child abuse charges. Mora was waiting for me outside of town. She had Tommy, some clothes for us, a burner phone, a car, and a lot of money. Derek said to get out of town. He thought Allister would be picked up later that day. He thought at the time that it was safer because he didn’t trust anyone at that moment, not even in his own department. Derek gave me the address of a friend who owns a motel three hour away, and the guy was waiting for me. Mora wanted me to call to keep me up to date that day about Allister. She would tell me when it was safe to come home. One day turned into two, and two into a week and then months.”
A tear slid down her cheek. “We thought we would only be gone a few days, a week at the most. We underestimated him. It’s been close to three months we’ve been running. At the very beginning, Derek wanted to put us in protective custody but wanted to test to make sure we’d be safe. Twice he had it planned, and both times, men showed up thinking Isabel was there. They injured the cops ‘watching me and Tommy,’ and one even got killed.
“As much as he was against the idea, Derek agreed it was probably safer to run with Tommy. He couldn’t guarantee he could guard us. Mora had given me twenty thousand dollars cash, and thankfully we were able to use that to live on the whole time. I didn’t worry about that aspect of running because I had so much money until it started running low. I pulled into this town the same day I realized how bad our situation was.”
Isabel wiped her tears. “He’s gotten close a few times, and I know if he catches us, he’ll imprison us, and I’m terrified no one will able to find us then.”
“Why is it taking so long for the authorities to charge him?” Royce gritted his teeth. The urge to kill this man was overwhelming.
“He’s got more connections, in more places than we ever dreamed. And all the evidence is circumstantial. They can’t tie anything directly to him yet.” Isabel rubbed her fingers against her forehead. “The reason I didn’t want you two involved was because three people have been hurt or killed. One was a cop, and the other was the guy at Allister’s estate who tried to help me. They were murdered.” Her voice broke. “And now Mora.” Isabel’s voice broke. “My closest friend was in an accident yesterday and is in the hospital. We know it was Allister. We just don’t know how. We thought she was safe because of her brother the cop and her dad being a federal judge. The worst part of this is, the day I lost my husband, she lost her husband and son, in the same accident. She has lost so much and done so much for Tommy and me. She never stopped fighting for us, and it almost got her killed.” Muted anguish filled her tone.
Her hands came up when Royce took a step toward her, and she shook her head. “Wait.”
Royce kept his voice low, slow, and cajoling. “All right, honey, tell us the rest. So, you guys think the money was the primary reason he’d taken these chances?”
“From what I’ve been told over the last three months, the officials who are investigating this case have no evidence of this yet, but I think it has to do with the estate their parents left them. Allister is the executor, but I think he’s using the money to do something illegal. Evan thought something was going on and started to ask questions which might have got him killed.
“Now Allister wants me close for one reason only. If he has me under his control, he can use the inheritance Evan left us, which is half of everything. All he would have to do is get me to sign papers. And if I didn’t, I’m sure he’d do something to make me. He’s evil and will do anything, even kill a child to get what he wants. We know he has far more connections and influence than we first thought. Allister wants it all, and he might just get away with it.”
<
br /> Royce could see how pale Isabel was with the fear that ate at her daily. It had taken a toll on her, both physically and mentally. “How do you know this? Are you keeping in touch with someone? Who is investigating?”
An expression crossed her face quickly that could only be described as despair and hopelessness. “Supposedly the police are investigating, but nothing is getting done. Someone is stonewalling it. So, Derek brought in the FBI, and they’ve taken the case, and it’s taking a long time too. Allister is good at hiding everything he’s done so far. It got Derek fired, but he didn’t care.
“Mora and I set up times for me to call her every week to check in and get the latest update. The last time I called, her brother answered and told me about the accident.”
“Is Mora going to be okay?”
Isabel blinked back the tears burning her eyelids. “Her brother says she is.”
“When are you supposed to check in next? I have some questions I’d like answered.”
Isabel teeth sunk into her lower lip and she shook her head slowly. “I’m not.”
Royce and Clay looked at each other then back at her. Clay stood but froze when she stiffened. “Why? What happened?”
Isabel flung her arms out to the side of her body. “The recent accident that just happened to her.”
“So, you’re not going to keep in touch with the only person that can give you updates?” Royce’s teeth snapped together when she nodded. “How are you supposed to know when they finally have him in custody and it’s safe for you and Tommy?”
Isabel shrugged. “I thought I’d check into a library and see if I could find something in the newspapers.”
Clay’s hand lifted and rubbed the back of his neck. “You still have her number?”
“No. We were using burner phones so it couldn’t be traced easily, and we switched them out every other week or so. The one I just had I broke apart.”
“When?”
Isabel’s gaze jerked to Royce. “When what?”
“When did this thing with Mora happen?”
“Last night.”
The brothers shared another look. “That’s why you didn’t get any sleep?”
Isabel paused and then nodded.
A chill like no other raced down Royce’s back. What if she had needed them? That was her only way to protect them, and she broke it apart. No one was around at night. The owners of the café lived three miles away. Even if she screamed at the top of her lungs, no one would have heard her.
Clay’s heart twisted as the tears slid down her face. He walked to her, ignoring her attempt to keep space between them, and cupped her shoulders. “Look at me, Isabel,” he continued when he had her attention. “You are not alone.” He shook her slightly when she tried to pull away and shook her head. “No, you need to listen to us. Quit shaking your head. You are not alone. Together we will get this settled and in the meantime, keep you and Tommy safe.”
“But—”
Royce slid an arm around her waist from behind, letting the warmth of his chest on her back calm her. “There are no buts. This is going to end now one way or another,” he whispered close to her ear.
Clay speared his fingers through her hair, cupping her head before he lifted it toward him. He lowered his head but kept his eyes open to see her expression. Once, twice, he placed soft kisses around her mouth before sealing his lips with hers, pushing his tongue in, and delving deep and tasting her. He released her only to have Royce grip her hair and tilt her head back and to the side for his mouth.
Royce ate hungrily at her mouth as his hand made slow circles on her quivering stomach. He lifted his head and waited for her to focus her gaze on him. “Let’s go start supper before this gets out of control because as much as we want you right now, we know you’re not ready for what we need from you.”
Isabel nodded her head and straightened, pulling away from them before walking silently into the kitchen.
Both men watched her go. “All we know is the name Mora, she has a brother Derek, and her dad’s a judge. She won’t give us any more information we could use to find them, not even where she’s from. We need to get that phone. Maybe there’s a way for Dylan to get Mora’s number off it so we can get in touch with her.” Clay spoke quietly and kept his gaze on the kitchen. “It’s worth a try. You go in and help her while I call Dylan.”
Royce nodded. “Maybe that new investigator Dylan has could help. He’s some computer tech guy, isn’t he?”
“God, I hope so. We need all the help we can get.”
A simple supper of pork chops, potatoes, and green beans was made and eaten mostly in silence. Both men watched as Isabel picked at her food and mostly pushed it around on her plate.
Isabel sighed and put her fork down, clearly giving up on eating.
Clay frowned, stood, and lifted his plate, Isabel’s, and his brother’s before taking them to the sink. “No, you don’t, honey. Royce and I will do the dishes you go sit down and rest.”
“That’s ridiculous. First of all, aren’t I the housekeeper for you guys?” Her hands went to her hips. “Second, I feel just fine.” A burst of heated arousal ran through her, and she inhaled sharply when Royce took a menacing step toward her.
“Isabel, you’re going to do as you’re told, or we’ll take your refusal to listen to us as a plea for us to lay you down on a bed and let us get to know your body the way we crave to. Is that what you want, honey? Are you ready for that?” He almost moaned at the heat that sparked in her eyes before a frown settled between her brows. Royce’s lips twitched when he took a threatening step toward her, and she turned and fled.
Royce made sure Isabel was on the couch in the living room before turning to his brother. “What did Dylan say?”
Clay handed Royce a washed plate. “Not much. He said he would discreetly look into it without raising any red flags. He told me to keep Isabel here until he called. He’s going to get into her apartment and garbage to find the pieces of the phone. This guy is pretty good about getting information even when they’re in pieces.” He put away the plate and reached for another one Clay handed him to dry.
“I guess there’s not much we can do right now but keep them safe.” Clay drained the water before wiping his hands on a towel. “Now we have to go in and tell that woman we took her car.”
Royce wiped his hands on the towel. “We’re going to have a fight on our hands.”
Both men walked into the living room and sat on either side of her on the couch. Clay looked at his brother’s worried face over her head, before focusing on her.
“Isabel, we had your car towed.”
Clay rolled his eyes and then glared at Royce. He could have softened it a bit. Clay shook his head. He knew his brother was never one to beat around the bush about anything.
A long moment went by when she couldn’t seem to catch her breath. She jerked up. Anger and fear were fighting for dominance in her mind. Isabel stood, hitting away their hands when they tried to stop her. She walked to the window and turned abruptly.
Both men cringed at the wrath that was displayed on her face.
Isabel swallowed back the hysteria that was climbing her throat and fighting to be let out. “Who in the hell do you think you are?” Her arms hung at her side, and her little fists were clenched. She started to pace in front of the fireplace. Isabel smacked his hand away when Royce reached for her when she passed. “God damn you! Don’t you even think of touching me right now!”
She knew she made a mistake when both men’s jaws tensed, they stood, and an arrogant rigidity of dominance crept over their faces. She held her arms out to stop them when they advanced on her. Isabel knew it was a mistake to try to run on the first step she took, but couldn’t help her fight-or-flight response to their threatening personas. She grunted when a muscled arm caught her midriff and lifted her off her feet.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Clay whispered against her ear.
“Put me down, Clay. I’m so p
issed at you guys right now.” Her fingers dug into his forearm as she tried to pry it away. Her gaze jerked up when Royce stepped up, crowding her against Clay’s chest.
Royce’s hand reached to cup her chin, tipping her head back. He made sure her focus was on him. “Enough!”
His voice heavy with authority not only made her stop struggling but also lit a fire in her which only made her madder.
Clay rubbed his cheek against the top of her head and kept his arm banded around her. “You’re not without a vehicle. We have a truck you can borrow until we get you a new car.”
“No, absolutely not. I want my car back.”
Royce’s lips landed on hers, effectively shutting her up. The kiss grew steadily.
Isabel jerked her head backward, bouncing it against Clay’s chest. “Wait. I have things in my car I need. Please just let me go. I need the car back. It was just fine. I just traded it for another car before I came here. I don’t know why you two—” A bark of laughter stopped her.
“You’re shitting me, right? That car was falling apart and was a death trap.” Royce pinched her chin when she tried to respond. “Can you honestly tell us you felt safe driving that car?”
“I think the ca—”
Royce shook his head. “Know this, sweetheart, if you lie to us, and we’ll definitely know, we’ll turn your ass a sweet cherry red.”
He nodded when she stayed silent. “Now tell us. Did you feel safe?”
There was a paused before she seemed to deflate. Isabel lowered and shook her head.
Clay lifted her to press his nose into her neck, inhaling her scent. “It’s time to stop running.”
The hands that had been pushing him away started unconsciously stroking his forearms.
They waited for a response. “Well?” Royce asked.
“I know you’re right.” Tears burned her eyes before rolling down her face. “I’m afraid.”
Royce’s hand slid around the side of her neck, and he used his thumb to tilt her head. “Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing is going to hurt you or Tommy ever again.”
