Pelican Pointe Boxed Set Books 1 - 3 (A Pelican Pointe Novel)

by Vickie McKeehan

  “Fine. I’m worried about the woman I…care about. Don’t try to put this on me. That man tried to rape you.”

  She shuddered and closed her eyes, remembering that ski mask, how his breath had smelled like stale cigarettes, how he’d held the knife to her throat with fingers that bore little prison tattoos across his knuckles. “The guy who wants me dead sent him. The man who wants me dead is a very bad man, Ethan.”

  “Why? Why does he want you dead? Do the cops know about him?”

  “The feds, and yeah, they know.”

  “Feds? This isn’t a witness protection situation then, is it? You took off on your own.”

  She wanted to crawl out of bed, move away from him, but couldn’t get her legs to move. “Do you know when you enter the witness protection program you have to give up all contact with your family, leave them behind for good as if they didn’t exist. You can’t contact them, Ethan. Ever. This way, my way, I at least get to call them every now and then.”

  Dread moved over him. Ethan took a calming breath. “Hayden, please tell me you use a pay phone to make those calls.” But he knew. How many times had he seen her take out her mobile phone? “If you still call your sister and mother, those calls can be tracked.”

  “No. I use a prepaid cell.”

  He shook his head. “Listen to me, they can still be triangulated, they have to know your carrier, but that’s easy enough to find out. There are only a dozen or so. If you know the right carrier…” Without finishing, he watched the fear snake into her eyes.

  “Oh. My. God. That’s why they’ve been hanging around Sydney’s house!”

  “Who’s Sydney? Start at the beginning,” Ethan demanded.

  She took him through all of it, from the time she’d left Chicago, her detour through the Midwest, where she had changed her name to when she ended up on the side of the road in Pelican Pointe.

  By the time she finished he was pacing up and down in front of the double French doors, the warm afterglow of sex as cold as the freezer section in Murphy’s Market. He’d thrown on a pair of jeans but kept looking at her with what she could only think of as the three D’s—disgust, disappointment, and despair.

  Why didn’t he say something?

  After a few minutes of stony silence, he finally blurted out, “Jeremy Dochenko, I remember that son of a bitch. He stole millions from his investors. They arrested him, but the judge set bail and he took off, skipped the country.”

  “Uh, Ethan, it was more like billions. As his very naïve accountant I can attest to a fairly accurate amount of just how much he bilked from his clients.”

  “Billions?”

  “The guy’s a sleaze and a killer. He had Saul Raymond murdered.”

  “Wait a minute, you left that part out.”

  She was about to go into a detailed account about how her co-worker had ended up with a bullet to the back of his head when he held up a hand.

  “Never mind, I need a computer.”

  “What’re you going to do?”

  “I’m Googling this stuff,” he explained as he grabbed a shirt and left the room as if he needed to get as far away from her as space allowed.

  A fairly decent researcher when it came to the Internet, Ethan had made a pot of coffee and sat at the little desk in the corner of the kitchen, tapping out search after search on the keyboard of Jordan’s desktop computer.

  Over the past six weeks he’d imagined quite a bit about Hayden Ryan’s past. Nothing could have prepared him for finding out she’d been associated, worked for, and knew the sleazebag, Jeremy Dochenko, personally.

  Website after website confirmed that Emile Reed had been the government’s key witness. He’d found photos taken of a blonde Emile as she’d left Dochenko Investments surrounded by reporters and cameras after the man’s initial arrest by the feds had essentially put an end to his investment firm. The place hadn’t opened its doors for business again after that.

  He discovered photos of her that went back to her college days at the University of Chicago. At one time, the press had dug up everything they could find about her, going back to her high school graduation and plastered every piece of that knowledge all over the Web. The fact that the case and Emile Reed had been so prominently reported on for the past nine months, it was a wonder someone hadn’t recognized her.

  He learned that without her, the feds had to rely on the complaints of all Dochenko’s individual investors, the ones he’d ripped off. According to one news source, the case had stalled because the government literally had to pore over thousands and thousands of documents to ready themselves for a trial.

  There was just one problem. Dochenko, the sleazebag, and Emile Reed, the witness, had both fallen off the face of the earth.

  Ethan put his head in his hands. His eyes burned. Emily Reed. E-R. That explained all the E-R flashes he’d been getting. They’d been driving him nuts ever since that night in the rain on the side of the road.

  Just then he looked up to see Hayden staring at him from the doorway as if she were afraid to walk into the room.

  “Is there anything you want to ask me about…about what you found out online?”

  He held out his hand. “Come here, baby. It’ll be all right. You must have been scared to death.”

  The minute she sat down in his lap and started to cry, Ethan broke. “It’s okay. I’m not mad. I understand why you left. Think of it this way, if you hadn’t left, if you hadn’t gone on the run, this entire mess wouldn’t have somehow brought you to me.”

  “Ethan, I’m so sorry. Nick was right, I should’ve told you. But I was afraid―for a variety of reasons.” He didn’t bother asking what those reasons were. She stared into his eyes. “What happens now?”

  He’d thought about that. But for now, he evaded her question. “Since we’ve pretty much kicked open this door, honesty from here on out. Deal?”

  “Of course.”

  “Tell me something, if you just up and left the way you did, am I to understand you weren’t in a relationship? You don’t have a husband out there somewhere I should know about, or a boyfriend you’ve pined over these past months, do you?” The information on the Internet hadn’t mentioned either one but he had to know.

  For the first time in an hour, she laughed. “No. No husband. No boyfriend.”

  “What’s wrong with the men in Chicago?”

  “It was me. I realize now I might have been a little too work-driven, never taking the time for myself, not really doing anything that made me happy. I forgot how to be happy, Ethan. That is, until you.” There she’d said it. Put it out there on the table for discussion. “I didn’t tell you because I was afraid of losing you.”

  But instead of a verbal response, Ethan lowered his head, took her mouth. “Let’s go back to bed, Hayden. I’m suddenly feeling very tired.”

  Three hours later, Ethan was still having difficulty sleeping. Once or twice, he’d glanced over at Hayden curled up beside him in bed. Realization had hit him in the kitchen. He was in love with a woman who couldn’t have been in a more dangerous spot if she’d written herself a role in a Lifetime movie of the week. For the first time in his life he’d taken the fall and now he had to figure out how best to get her out of this Dochenko mess.

  After several more minutes, he got up, pulled on a pair of jeans and grabbed a blanket, wrapping it around his shoulders. As quietly as he could, he opened the double doors to the balcony and headed outside where he could pace and think and breathe.

  Barefoot, he didn’t even notice the cold air as he walked up and down the landing. When movement caught his eye, he looked down at a shadowy figure below in the courtyard. His first instinct was to run back inside and grab his .45 from the closet. But then, he recognized Scott Phillips, who lifted a hand in greeting as if he were on sentry duty, patrolling the grounds.

  Leaning over the railing, Ethan lifted an arm in welcome. Oddly, Scott’s presence gave way to a sense that he somehow knew the danger Hayden faced and was
on her side.

  Ethan stared up at the full moon hanging low over the glistening water of the cove. Dochenko was out there somewhere, or rather his paid lackeys. The man wouldn’t get his hands dirty, wouldn’t bother coming after her on his own. But he would hire people to do it.

  They were after the woman he loved. Of that he was certain.

  Now the question was, what did he intend to do about it?

  Chapter 17 Book 2

  For the first few hours the next morning, Ethan and Hayden were too busy taking care of a rambunctious, energetic two-year-old to openly discuss Emile Reed.

  The pair soon found out if you kept Hutton busy enough during breakfast, then afterwards, helped her with putting together enough puzzles, put on her favorite dance music, it kept her mind off asking about mommy and daddy every five minutes.

  It was almost ten o’clock when Ethan’s cell phone rang. He’d already decided that if it was an official police call, he planned on taking both Hayden and Hutton with him. For the next two days, until Nick and Jordan returned to the B & B, he didn’t intend to let Hayden out of his sight.

  He stepped outside the back door to take the call.

  But the phone call was from his father with a problem of his own. “Haku, kwop. Ethan, there’s a woman down in San Diego who has been missing since Friday. Her family wants me to come down there today to see what I can get about her disappearance.”

  “Haku, kʰoko. What do you want me to do?”

  “Yesterday your mother hurt her back. I took her to the emergency room, they gave her a shot for the pain. She’s been a little loopy ever since. I’m not leaving her alone unless I know you’ll check up on her this afternoon and tonight, maybe even tomorrow morning depending on how she’s getting around.”

  “What about Brent?”

  “Brent has to drive to Sacramento for a law enforcement conference that starts tomorrow. In fact, he’s already left. I promise to try and be back by Monday afternoon.”

  For as long as Ethan could remember, his family had been all important to him. “Go ahead and take off for San Diego, Dad. I’ll see that Mom is taken care of.”

  Official call or not, knowing about Dochenko, Ethan wasn’t leaving Promise Cove without Hayden and Hutton coming with him. For one, Nick and Jordan were out of town and had left their daughter in Hayden’s care. He would talk to Nick the minute he got a chance, bring him up to speed on the situation. But until then, Hutton was his and Hayden’s responsibility. And both of their safety was first and foremost to him.

  Now that he knew her history, she couldn’t live in fear day after day wondering when the bad guys would show up on her doorstep and put an end to her existence. Somehow, he needed to buy time over the next two days because he needed to think how best to move forward. Whether they wanted to or not, at some point, they had to come up with a way to deal with Dochenko’s henchmen. If that meant going to the feds then so be it.

  And his mother might be able to help him out in that department. Especially, if he handled it right. At least for the next two days anyway.

  The closer Ethan got to the home where he’d grown up, the edgier he became. Knowing Hayden wasn’t Lindeen Cody’s favorite person at the moment, he pondered how best to pull this off. He looked over in the passenger seat of the Mini at Hayden, glanced back in the rearview mirror at Hutton sitting in her car seat in the back, playing with the doll she’d brought, and decided there were worst ways to spend a Sunday afternoon.

  “How’d your mother hurt her back anyway?” Hayden asked, genuinely interested.

  “I forgot to ask. She’s always been active though, could be any number of ways. Maybe she tried picking up a heavy box, or maybe she was babysitting one of the neighbor kids, strained her back picking one up.”

  Turns out, Lindeen Cody wasn’t the least bit interested in discussing how exactly she’d pulled the muscle in her back. Even though she couldn’t get out of bed, after taking Percocet just fifteen minutes earlier, she was delighted to see her son. At least she had been until realizing he’d brought that woman with him.

  But that woman stood at the foot of her bed holding an adorable little two-year-old girl on her hip. Eyeing the diminutive towhead, Lindeen got misty-eyed. “Since I have no grandchildren of my own, thanks to my two selfish sons who refuse to cooperate in that department, I have to latch onto any kids that come my way. Pathetic, isn’t it? I have to make do with neighborhood children, but neighbor kids aren’t the same thing as having my own, now are they?”

  She sent Ethan a disgusted look before going on, “Wouldn’t you think as many times as I’ve set this one up with absolutely delightful, young women over the years that just once he could oblige me and find a first-grade teacher attractive enough to marry her, give me a few grandkids in the process?”

  “And how many times have I told you to stop fixing me up,” Ethan admonished. “You’re making Hayden uncomfortable by saying that kind of stuff.” His mother might be outspoken, but drugs or not, she had no right to say such things in front of Hayden, especially since he knew how his mother felt.

  Hayden listened to the byplay between mother and son. Understanding dawned on her then. Mrs. Cody didn’t find her the least bit suitable for her youngest son. That’s why she and Markus had kept their distance at the birthday party.

  For some reason, Hayden found that incredibly awkward and funny. Recognizing she was in a position to have a little fun at Ethan’s expense because his mother was obviously on a slew of painkillers, her eyes twinkled with amusement. “Now I ask you, what kind of man wouldn’t be attracted to a first grade teacher? Who in their right mind wouldn’t want to fall in love and settle down with someone like that who so obviously adores children? Plus, a woman like that has devoted her entire life to educating them. Why, they should have at least six, don’t you think?”

  Sensing an ally, Lindeen was a little too far gone on the meds to realize the joke. “Exactly. See, a sensible woman knows a good match when she sees it.” Giving her full attention to the little girl now, Lindeen asked, “Who is this little angel anyway?”

  “This is Hutton; she’s Nick and Jordan’s little girl. You know the couple who own the Promise Cove B & B out near the cliffs.” Hayden went on to explain, “I’m watching her for a couple of days while they take a break. Did you know they never even got to go on a honeymoon before they had to open up last spring? They’ve been swamped out there ever since. And now that Jordan’s pregnant if they don’t take some time off now, who knows when the opportunity will come up again?”

  Picking up on the one bit of new information she hadn’t known, Lindeen zeroed in. “Jordan’s pregnant. Isn’t that wonderful?” She eyed Ethan. “Everyone’s getting married, having babies these days, except my own two sons. Brent’s given up on women and Ethan—” her voice trailed off as she realized she’d wandered a little too close to quicksand.

  “I had no idea you were so deprived,” Ethan teased his mother. “Nor did I suspect you were so obsessed over having grandchildren.”

  “Lord knows I’ve dropped enough hints over the years. My oldest is knocking close to forty and this one here isn’t getting any younger. Short of hitting you and Brent over the head with a brick, neither of you obviously took the hint.” But one more glance at the stubborn look on her son’s face had Lindeen reluctantly deciding to abandon the subject of grandchildren. “There’s some beef stew in the refrigerator, enough for everyone to have some for lunch.”

  “Are you hungry, Mrs. Cody? I’d be happy to heat the stew up for you, if Ethan will keep an eye on Hutton that is, while I’m in the kitchen. You’re such a good cook. If it’s half as good as your lasagna, I bet it’s delicious.”

  “You liked my lasagna?”

  Ethan watched his mother’s set jaw relax a little at the praise and had to admire Hayden’s tenacity. She seemed determine to get on his mother’s good side with that chatty demeanor he recognized. The same one she reserved for a few of her harder-to-ple
ase customers at the Diner.

  If anyone could win over his mother, it was Hayden.

  “I loved your lasagna! I’m trying to learn to cook. Francine Foley and Jordan have been giving me pointers. And I’ve been practicing on Ethan.”

  Lindeen caved a little when she learned Francine was acting as the woman’s mentor. Francine had always been such a good judge of character. She looked up at Hayden and suggested, “You might as well sit down, no sense standing there holding that baby.”

  “Tell you what, you stay here and entertain my mom, I’ll go take care of lunch,” Ethan offered. He shot a glance at his mother who seemed to realize she’d taken the bait and was now neatly boxed in by her own son.

  Hayden took a seat in the chair at the side of the bed. The baby wanted to get down and walk around and explore the new surroundings. “Hutton, why don’t you show Mrs. Cody how old you are? We’ve been working on this. She isn’t even two yet. And still—”

  As if on cue, Hutton held up two little fingers. And then two more on the other hand.

  Once Lindeen went into a detailed conversation with Hutton, praising her for being such a smart girl, her harsh veneer seemed to soften, even Hayden noticed the difference. By the time Lindeen drifted off to sleep, whether it was the meds putting her in such a mellow mood or not, she seemed to have accepted the fact that Hayden was now part of her son’s life, albeit temporarily.

  That afternoon from his mother’s house Ethan placed a call to Nick to explain why they weren’t spending the night at the cove. “We locked up the B & B. We’ll be back there tomorrow afternoon when my dad gets home. Hutton’s fine. But I should also tell you Hayden finally told me about her past. And I think you might want to have her stay at my place until we get this mess sorted out.” He listed the details of Emile Reed’s background to Nick.

  “Jeremy Dochenko? My God. If even half of what I’ve read about him is true, she has reason to be scared. Everyone knows he has connections to some really bad people. That man’s heartless.”