“I’ve got all day. I’m not going anywhere.”
Gigi twisted her fingers together so tightly the knuckles turned white. “I’m not sure I can tell you. I’ve never told anyone.”
“I’m not just anyone, babe. And maybe it’s time you told someone.” He took a stab in the dark, terrified of the answer. “Are you wanted for a crime? Because if you are I can help you. I won’t judge you, Gigi. You can tell me and I’ll do whatever I can.”
“Oh my God no.” Her astonishment was real and he breathed a silent sigh of relief. “I’m not wanted by the police. I’m wanted by a man.”
West leaned forward and captured her hands, holding them in his own. “What man? Who wants you?”
“Alan. Alan Morton. I can’t let him find me. I won’t let him.” Her voice had gone up and he had to slide his hands up her arms to her shoulders to keep her focus on him.
“Then we won’t let him. What does he want from you?”
West had been a cop for a damn long time and he’d heard enough statements from frightened women to be able to have an idea of what was coming next. A lump lodged in his throat making it hard to speak or breathe as she somehow found the courage to answer.
Gigi looked down at her worn tennis shoes before looking back up at him, real terror in those brown eyes.
“He wants me. And if he can’t have me, he wants me dead.”
Chapter Six
‡
Gigi had said the words aloud.
The first time she ever had to another living being. She hadn’t wanted to bring anyone else into the complete and total mess that was her life but West’s confrontation had changed everything. Stubborn and…so damn bossy he’d got in her face and clearly wasn’t leaving until he heard the entire story. For a moment she’d thought to lie but then there had been little point. He was on to her and being the detective that he was she doubted he’d give up before she bared her very soul.
“I think you’d better start from the beginning,” West released her hands and came to sit next to her on the couch, the coffee forgotten. “Who is Alan Morton?”
She could answer that question but it wasn’t the beginning of the story. “It all started long before I met Alan.”
“When did it start?”
She stood and walked over to the living room windows and stared sightlessly outside, barely aware of the sunny autumn day. When she’d woke this morning after only a few hours’ sleep the only thing she’d thought about was getting on the road and finding Zach. Now she was revealing secrets she’d planned to take to her grave.
“My mother had a drinking problem. A bad one. I don’t have too many memories of her sober actually. The few that I do were wonderful but those days were few and far between.”
She waited for his response. Revulsion? Pity? When he didn’t say anything she continued.
“My older brother Zachary took care of us. Made sure we ate what little food was in the house and got us up in the morning for school. He was a stickler for brushing our teeth and washing behind our ears.”
“We?” West prompted. “You have another brother or sister besides Zachary?”
“Aubrey. She’s two years younger than I am. Zachary was five years older. I still remember the last time I saw them. It was the day my mother wrapped the car around a tree and died. Social Services came to get us and put us in foster care. I never saw them again. I asked every day and my foster family always said ‘tomorrow.’ But it never happened. As soon as I turned eighteen I started looking for them.”
“Jesus, how old were you?” West came to stand behind her pulling her back against his strong frame. She couldn’t allow herself the luxury of being weak though. She jerked out of his arms and went to the coffee pot, pouring two mugs.
“Eight. It wasn’t like you’re thinking. The foster family I finally ended up with was actually pretty nice. I have no horror stories of neglect or abuse. They just weren’t my family and I was always aware of that. They’d had foster kids before me and they would have more when I left. They send Christmas cards though.”
At least they had before she’d disappeared out of Chicago. The Warner family were lovely people and they’d done their best with a house full of dysfunctional children who often acted out their troubled psyches, but it had been more of a group home than anything. Gigi had fond memories of Karen and Stan but she’d never made the mistake of thinking they were mom and dad.
“What about your father?”
Gigi shrugged. “What about him? I’ve never met him and at this point I don’t want to even if I knew where he was. My mother didn’t have any other family, at least none that I know of. I assume the state would have tried to send us to them if they existed.”
West’s hands were wrapped around the mug, the knuckles white. Clearly he hadn’t been exaggerating when he’d said he was at the end of his patience with her. But telling this story after so many years of keeping it hidden wasn’t exactly easy.
“So you left your foster family when you turned eighteen. Is that how you met this Alan guy?”
“I didn’t meet Alan for quite awhile. I was too busy trying to make ends meet. I worked every crappy job you can imagine from waitress, to hotel maid, to fast food clerk. They all sucked but they paid the bills. When I met Alan I was working nights as a cocktail waitress. He was there with some friends. I later found out they were his employees. He didn’t have many friends and certainly no close ones.”
“Employees? He ran a business?”
“A very successful business. He owns several nightclubs in the Chicago area.”
“Sounds…glamorous, I guess. So then what?”
“He was charming. He asked me out and he treated me really well. He took me to fancy restaurants and bought me presents. I was overwhelmed honestly. No one had ever treated me that way. He swept me off of my feet.”
Young, dumb, and impressionable, Gigi had fallen like a ton of bricks.
“But things changed?”
“I’d ignored all the red flags. He liked to choose my clothes and shoes. He wanted to know what my schedule was every day. He had to be in complete control at all times. I hadn’t had anyone in my life pay that much attention to me. I thought that meant he loved me. It was only later that I saw it for what it was. He used to call me ‘doll’ and that’s what he truly wanted. He wanted someone he could dress up and show off but then put back on a shelf for days or weeks at a time. He was constantly harping at me about my safety. He thought there was danger around every corner.”
West slammed the mug down on the counter and began to pace the tiny space. “Did he hurt you? Tell me the truth, Gigi.”
“Some hurts aren’t physical.”
The wounds that Alan had inflicted had been deeply psychological. It was only in the last two years that she’d been on her own that she could see him for what he was and what he’d done. He’d turned her into an emotional cripple dependent on his approval for every little thing.
“I’ll still kill the bastard,” West vowed, his hands curled into fists, his green eyes cold and flat. The man in front of her was a far cry from the playful, tender lover she’d seen up until now. This man was the soldier turned cop underneath, stripped raw of his every day civilized veneer.
“He isn’t worth your effort.” She gripped the mug between her hands, the heat penetrating her cold fingers. “Alan wanted to control me and for a long time I allowed it. I was virtually a prisoner in his home. I couldn’t leave unless he gave me permission. I was cut off from any friends. Anyone that could have pointed out what a fucked up relationship we had. For the longest time I thought it was normal.”
West stopped in front of her, his fingers brushing against her cheek to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. A gentle, caring gesture she’d never known until he’d come into her life.
“When did you figure out it wasn’t?”
Just thinking about that day still made her shudder. Her knees weak, she sat down at the small kit
chen table. The images still haunted her awake or asleep.
“Alan’s employees would come over from time to time. I think he liked showing off for them. The house. The cars. That sort of thing. Anyway, one of the young men Stephen was very sweet and he and I talked for a long time that Saturday afternoon.” She swallowed against the lump that had taken up residence in her throat. West must have felt her distress, placing his strong warm hands on her shoulders as if to give comfort. “When Alan found out he was furious. He had two of his employees hold Stephen while Alan punched him over and over until the man was covered in blood and he had to be carried out of the house. It was then I knew what Alan was capable of, and he wanted me to know. He made me stand there and watch a sick, twisted grin on his face when he was done. It was an unspoken threat and I took it seriously.”
West’s hands cupped her cheeks so she couldn’t look away. “It wasn’t your fault, babe. None of this is your fault.”
“I shouldn’t have been talking to him. I knew that Alan could be jealous. But it was just so nice talking to someone. I didn’t realize how much I missed it.”
Her voice shook and she blinked back the threatening tears. She was so damn sick of crying. It didn’t change anything and only made her feel like crap.
“It’s not your fault,” West repeated. “It’s this psycho Alan’s fault. This is all on him. So how did you get away?”
“It wasn’t easy. He made sure I didn’t have much money. But one day he accidentally left some cash on his desk at home. He got a call and had to leave quickly so I guess he forgot about it in his rush. It was only two thousand dollars but I didn’t hesitate. I shoved a few things in a backpack, grabbed the money, and ran to the nearest bus station. I took the first bus out of there which was headed to Kansas City. I’ve been looking over my shoulder every day since then.”
West sat on the other kitchen chair, shaking his head. “Son of a bitch. It must have taken guts to leave like that. But I just have one last question.”
“What’s that?”
West slammed his fist down on the table making her jump and the surface shake. “Why in the hell didn’t you tell me so I could help you? I’m a goddamn cop, babe. Why didn’t you trust me enough to help you?”
His face was red with anger, his body practically vibrating as he tried to keep it in check. He was royally pissed off and she was the reason. She didn’t blame him. He had a right to be and then some but it didn’t make it easy to admit why she hadn’t.
She buried her face in her hands but he wouldn’t allow her to get away with not looking him in the eye. Gently, he tugged her arms away, his fingers tilting up her chin. She had to face how her decisions had made him feel.
“I couldn’t trust anyone. Not after Alan. I’d trusted him in the beginning and it turned into a nightmare. When I left I decided that I wouldn’t ever do that again and I’ve stuck to that. I know that you’re different but somehow I still couldn’t do it. I just couldn’t. I don’t know why.”
She waited for his reaction and at first she didn’t think she was going to get one. After a few moments he jumped to his feet and walked to the window as if he didn’t trust himself near her.
“Gigi, I am so furious with you I don’t even have the words to express myself.”
The whole conversation had gone much better than she’d ever imagined. He hadn’t walked straight out of the door and he was still speaking to her.
But it didn’t change the facts. She had to leave. Telling West about her past didn’t change the future.
Nothing did.
Chapter Seven
‡
West forced himself to take a few deep breaths and count to ten. Livid with what he’d heard, he didn’t know whether to spank Gigi or hold her close, kissing away her doubts and fears. Before this was all over, he’d probably do both.
“I understand why you’re angry with me. I really do but I can’t begin to describe my life these last few years. I’m afraid all the time. Every single day. And that doesn’t set the stage for making great decisions.”
That hurt. Deeply.
“You were afraid when you were with me? I’d never let anything happen to you, babe. I can’t believe you don’t know that.”
“When I was with you I felt safe. Or as safe as I could be. But I couldn’t be with you twenty-four hours a day could I? It wasn’t your job to protect me anyway. That’s my responsibility.”
Things were about to change and his little Gigi didn’t seem to have a clue.
“How’s that working out for you?” He crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at the tiny woman who had disrupted his entire life. “Was this the plan? Run from town to town every few months for the rest of your life? And as for being with me twenty-four hours a day? Get used to it, babe, because you’re not going anywhere. You have me and I’m going to put every resource I have available to me to solve this problem once and for all.”
Gigi shook her head, her arms wrapped around her torso as if to ward off bodily injury. “I can’t let you do that. I saw what Alan did to Stephen. I won’t let him do that to you, or worse. That’s just another reason why I have to leave Tremont.”
She was cute when she was worried about him. “Do you think I give a rat’s ass what this Alan guy thinks he can do to me? I don’t think I’ll lose any sleep about whether I can take him. Besides I don’t plan to do this on my own.”
“I don’t want anyone else to get hurt,” she said, desperation in her voice.
West was losing his patience again and had to rein in his temper. He’d never realized how stubborn Gigi could be when she’d set her mind to something.
“I’m going to protect you. I’m going to find this Alan and get him off your back. And I’m going to help you find your brother and sister. None of this is up for negotiation or discussion. We did things your way for three months. Now we’re going to do it mine and see how things turn out.”
If an expression could be happy, relieved, and pissed off all at the same time that’s exactly how Gigi looked at the moment.
“You’re bossy. Really, really bossy. I didn’t realize that about you until today.”
That was as close to acceptance as he was going to get. It would have to do.
“Then you’ve been lucky. According to my brothers, sister, parents, and friends, I’m an ornery cuss who likes things my way as much as possible but then you and I were only doing the no strings relationship thing before. Oh, that’s changed too, by the way. This relationship comes with lots of strings and complications. People throughout history have managed to make it work so I expect we will too.”
“I can’t make you any promises,” she whispered, her gaze on the floor. “I don’t know if I’m capable of what you would call a regular relationship with love and a future. I might be too screwed up.”
He wanted to make sure she heard his words loud and clear so he knelt down again and looked into her watery eyes. She needed to believe in West down to her very bones.
“Then I’ll make a promise. I promise to protect you with my own life. You don’t ever have to be scared ever again. I will always be there for you.”
She pressed her face into his chest and he heard a small sob as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Now I’m scared for you.”
It might be one of the nicest things she’d ever said to him. Because it spoke volumes about the feelings she didn’t want to feel or talk about.
It gave him hope.
“Now tell me about the search for your siblings and what you’ve found. Then I’ll call Jason and see if his firm can give us a hand with this.”
* * *
“I appreciate your help, bro. Gigi’s been on the run way too long. We need to find this guy and fast. I’d be shocked if he’s your basic law abiding citizen,” West said, cradling his cell between his cheek and shoulder as he carried another of Gigi’s boxes into his house. He hadn’t taken no for an answer when he’d brought her home so he could keep an e
ye on her. She’d kicked up a fuss but he’d handled it fairly easily. She wanted to be with him, he could tell, but she kept believing she needed to be alone.
After her sleepless night, West had tucked her up in his bed and she’d been out in record time despite her protests that she wasn’t tired and didn’t need anyone to take care of her.
She needed it more than anyone he’d ever met. Clearly she’d been taking care of herself since she was a child and was used to it, and he respected the hell out of her for it. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t lean on him when the going was rough. It didn’t make her weak but it didn’t appear that she was convinced. She was going to fight him every step of the way. He’d have to be strong because eventually – and he didn’t know when – Gigi wasn’t going to be able to keep up this facade of having her life handled and under control.
“We shouldn’t have any trouble finding him and what he’s up to. I hate to ask this but how does Gigi know that Alan Morton is following her? Maybe when she left he gave up and moved on.”
If only that were the case.
“He had his henchman follow her to the bus station and she barely got away. They also found her when she was in Nashville although luckily she was able to outrun them by ducking into a busy mall and getting lost in a crowd. Turns out they found her when she took a regular job instead the cash under the table places she’d worked before and since. Morton is a tech geek so if her name goes through a computer somewhere…he’ll find her.”
“He sounds like a sick bastard. I’m going to enjoy investigating this one. You’re probably right about him. If he’ll have a man beaten up for talking to a woman then crossing other legal boundaries probably isn’t a big deal.”
“That’s what we need to be concerned about. If this asshole is as arrogant as he sounds he won’t be thinking straight when it comes to Gigi.”
“Arrogance and stupidity often go hand in hand,” Jason chuckled. “He may be smart about business but that doesn’t mean he’s a genius when it comes to other subjects. If there’s something to find we’ll get him, don’t worry.”
Hiding From Danger (Danger Incorporated Book 2) Page 4
