by Shelly Bell
There was only one way to find out.
Fix that card.
Not so easy. Not even for a computer geek like himself with a gift for programming.
Noticing the bottle of milk was now empty, Ryder plucked it out of Maddox’s mouth and like a pro (if he did say so himself), gently patted his back to burp him. Within ten seconds, his son let out a loud belch followed by a giggle.
“Good one,” Ryder told him, getting up from the couch. He dressed Maddox in his winter coat and hat, and then brought Maddox to his car seat, where he belted him in to get ready for their walk. Jane covered Maddox with a blanket.
A haggard-looking Dreama stumbled into the room coughing. Although she was wearing sweatpants and a hooded sweatshirt, her teeth chattered. “Oh. I thought you’d be at work,” she said to Jane. She gave Ryder a quick wave of her hand in acknowledgment and then turned back to Jane. “Do you have any cold medicine? I ran out,” she croaked.
“Yeah. It’s in my bathroom, underneath the sink,” Jane said, her brows knitted in concern. “You look terrible.”
Dreama blew her nose into a tissue. “I feel terrible. I think I have the flu. I’m calling into work and going back to bed.” She spun around, wobbling a bit before she put a hand out to the wall to steady herself.
Jane jumped into action and threw an arm around Dreama’s waist to help her to the bathroom. Was it wrong of him to worry Dreama would get Maddox sick?
Ryder crouched down by Maddox. “Maybe you and your mom should stay with me at my house until Dreama’s better.”
A short time later, a door closed and Jane returned to the family room.
“Should we be worried?” he asked her.
With her purse and the diaper bag slung over one arm, Jane frowned as she lifted Maddox’s carrier and they headed to the front door. “No, she’ll be fine.”
“I meant Maddox.” Did she really need all that stuff just to go down the block? Figuring it was the least he could do, he took the diaper bag from her. “She looked pretty sick. What if she does have the flu and Maddox gets it?” He dragged the stroller outside and hefted it down the stairs to the first floor.
Jane popped the car seat into the stroller and smiled as wide as the Grand Canyon. “He’ll be fine. I doubt she has the flu and even if she does, this isn’t the first time one of us has gotten sick since Maddox was born. We just have to keep the two of them separated for the next couple of days.”
“How long have you known Dreama?” he asked.
“A couple years.”
“You’re pretty close.”
Jane pushed the stroller along the sidewalk. “When I found out I was pregnant…I was scared. I couldn’t find you and it’s not as if I had family support. But Dreama was there for me every step of the way. I don’t know what I’d do without her.”
He walked side by side with her. “I’m glad you have her, but you don’t have to do it on your own anymore. I want us to be a family.”
She sucked in a breath. “Ryder—”
“I’m not saying we should get married tomorrow or anything,” he said. Although he wouldn’t complain if they did. “But I want to be there. For you. For Maddox.”
“I’d like that too. But we don’t have to rush it. Maddox and I aren’t going anywhere.” She turned her head to look at him. “Besides, we hardly know each other.”
He smiled at her, not hiding his smugness. “I think I know you pretty well.”
At her blush, he laughed.
Sure, he knew her sexually, but that wasn’t what he’d meant.
Giving a little chuckle, she shook her head. “You don’t know me as well as you think you do.” Her brows rose in amusement. “What’s my favorite color? Food? How do I take my coffee?”
“Those things are superficial.” He wrapped his hand around the handle of the stroller next to hers. “I know you’re a great mother and a loyal friend. You try to see the good in everyone. You’re driven. Smart. Kind. Beautiful. Sexy. Submissive.” He paused, lowering his voice. “Forgiving. And more than anything, you want a family to love.”
She stopped walking. Let out a huge breath. And reached up to cup his cheek. “Ryder.”
He nodded. “So yeah, I know you.”
She leaned up and kissed him lightly on the lips.
And that kiss meant more to him than all the ones that came before.
They headed down the street toward the community center, which was located only a couple of blocks away. The residential area where Jane lived was built up around a bunch of shops and restaurants, giving it a small-town feel despite its city location. He lived in a similar community, but he had a house with a yard…
And a playroom that was definitely not meant for Maddox.
“Have you thought of a way to read what’s on the SD card without infecting the computer?” she asked.
“There’s a couple of programs I’m familiar with that will help remove a virus from a memory card and recover lost data. But there’s something I’ve been trying to figure out. From what you’ve explained, Barbara used the SD card to download Evan’s files, right? But his computer was dead when you tried to read the card, which means the virus didn’t activate until that file was downloaded.”
She frowned. “You lost me.”
“I think Evan designed the virus himself.”
She pulled a set of plastic keys out of the diaper bag and shook them in front of a fussy Maddox. “Wait. You think Evan added the virus to his own computer?”
He nodded. “Barbara downloading the file onto the SD card activated the program that crashed his computer.”
“Then I transferred the virus to her computer when I tried to read the SD card. So now that we know how it got on there, do you know how to fix it?”
“I can try all the usual antivirus programs, but if I were Evan, I would’ve written my own. If that’s the case, the question is going to be where did he hide it?”
Arriving at the community center, Jane retrieved Maddox from his car seat and parked the stroller with a dozen others outside the front door.
Wearing a puffy brown coat and a hat that reminded Ryder of a giant blueberry, Maddox was oblivious to his new surroundings.
Jane’s eyes narrowed on the adjacent parking lot. “I think that’s Ian’s car over there.”
He turned his head and spotted a black Rolls-Royce. Not exactly the type of car one saw in this part of town. Ian Sinclair got out of the back of the car (of course he had a driver) and walked toward them.
What the hell was he doing here?
“Jane,” Sinclair said as he approached. “I thought that was you.”
Clear shock evident on her face, she went over to greet him. He kissed Jane on the cheek and awkwardly patted Maddox on top of his blueberry-hat-covered head. “I was just on the way to meet Ciara for lunch at a bistro near here when I saw you through the window and had my driver stop so I could say hello.”
“I thought she and Finn were still on their honeymoon,” Ryder said.
Sinclair smiled. “They came back early. Been in town for almost a week.” His curious gaze bounced between Ryder and Jane. “I wasn’t aware that the two of you were friends.”
“Do you have a problem with that?” Ryder asked, taking a step closer to Sinclair.
“I’m just surprised. You only met—what—a month ago? And here you are together, the three of you, like a little family.” He paused and rubbed his chin, looking at the three of them. “Then again, you are family, aren’t you?”
Ryder’s blood went cold.
Had Sinclair figured it out?
“Family?” Jane asked, a slight blush on her cheeks that Ryder hoped Sinclair would attribute to the cold air.
“Ryder’s your stepuncle now that Finn and Ciara are married.” Sinclair raised a brow, seemingly confused. “Why? What did you think I meant?”
If Sinclair was playing a game with them, this was the time to throw all the cards on the table. “Are you trying to insinua
te something?” Ryder asked. “If so, I’d rather you not waste our time and just say it.”
Jane’s jaw dropped. “Ryder—”
“It’s fine, Jane,” Sinclair said, waving his hand as if brushing away a pesky fly. “If you two are seeing each other, I’d like to know what exactly is your intention toward my granddaughter?”
Ryder huffed in annoyance. “What makes you think you have any right to ask that? For twenty-three years, you’ve ignored her, denied her the birthright she deserved, not caring about her feelings, and all of a sudden you’re interested in who she spends time with?”
“I have always cared about Jane,” Sinclair said. “If I’d had my way, I would’ve raised her as my own. But Ciara, she was…headstrong. Wild. Alcohol, drugs, promiscuity. She managed to stay sober once she learned she was pregnant, but I feared it wouldn’t last. I offered to hire full-time help to raise Jane so she could grow up in our home, but Ciara wouldn’t hear it.”
“Right,” Ryder said. “You cared about Jane so much you’ve had nothing to do with her in all these years.”
“Ciara threatened to”—Ian winced—“hurt Jane if I didn’t send her away. Giving her to my deceased wife’s sister was a compromise of sorts. Jane remained in our life, but Ciara didn’t have to see her if she didn’t want to. I’ve kept an eye out for her, even though she lived far away. Now that she’s finally home where she belongs, my love for her has only strengthened.”
Jane’s expression softened. Sinclair had all the right words, but Ryder didn’t believe his sincerity for a minute. Men like Sinclair, like Keane, didn’t love anyone but themselves.
“That’s a nice story,” Ryder said, not bothering to keep his doubt from his tone.
“It’s the truth. I don’t want to see Jane get hurt.” Sinclair angled his body toward Jane. “You need to understand there will be people out there who will try and use you for your connections. People who have an ulterior motive for becoming your”—he glanced at Ryder before looking back at Jane—“friend.”
Amusement played at Jane’s lips. “I’ll keep that in mind, Ian.”
Ryder fought the urge to roll his eyes. Couldn’t she see through Sinclair’s act? He didn’t care about Jane any more than Ciara did.
Sinclair beamed at Maddox. “Can I hold him? He’s getting so big.”
Jane nodded and transferred the baby into Sinclair’s arms. Two seconds later, Maddox burst into tears and wailed loud enough to be heard across town.
Apparently, Ryder wasn’t the only one who disliked Sinclair.
“He’s just tired,” Jane said apologetically, taking Maddox back. The baby instantly stopped crying.
“Why don’t you join your mother and me for lunch?” Ian asked Jane.
Ryder noticed Sinclair had not extended the invitation to him.
Jane’s eyes momentarily lit up. Then she glanced at Ryder. “That’s probably not a great idea,” Jane said. “I wanted to get Maddox’s photo with Santa and then Maddox really needs to go down for his nap. Routine and all. But thank you for asking.”
Sinclair flashed her a smile that reeked of insincerity. At least it did to Ryder. “You are always welcome, Jane. You’re part of the family. Never forget that.” He gave her a hug and thankfully retreated back to his car.
Did she regret turning down the lunch invitation? She shouldn’t.
“Your grandfather gives me the creeps,” he said, breaking the silence. And what the hell was he really doing in her neighborhood?
“Ryder,” she said in a chastising tone. “That’s mean.”
“Just saying how I feel. Even Maddox can’t stand him.” He crouched lower to talk to his son face-to-face. “Can you, buddy?” Maddox energetically punched his fists in the air and gave a slobbery grin. “He doesn’t seem tired now, does he?” Ryder pointed out to Jane. “He just didn’t want the scary old man to hold him.”
“Ian isn’t that bad.”
Yeah, well, pneumonia started out like an ordinary cold before it attacked the lungs and made it difficult to breathe.
The next half hour was spent in what Ryder could only describe as Christmas Hell. Whining children and impatient parents filled almost every inch of the community center as they waited in line for Santa. By the time they reached the front, Maddox was sound asleep.
But as Ryder looked at the photo of Maddox sprawled across Santa’s lap, he had to admit it had been worth it.
Not speaking, Ryder and Jane began their trek back to the apartment. Jane seemed lost in thought.
A few minutes later, they climbed the stairs of her building. A knot of unease formed in his neck when he saw Jane’s front door wide open.
He was certain Jane had locked it before they’d left.
It was probably nothing—maybe Dreama had opened it for some reason and had forgotten to close it—but he wasn’t going to take any chances with Jane’s and Maddox’s lives.
“Stay out here,” he ordered Jane. “I’ll go check things out.”
At Jane’s nod, he went inside, his body on full alert, not knowing what he’d find.
It didn’t take long to find out.
A bloodied Dreama was lying on her stomach in the hallway by the door, as if she’d been struck down trying to flee. Blood flowed freely down her legs…her arms…her head. A red-stained baseball bat was by her side.
Was she alive?
His own breath stalled in his chest and his hands shook like a junkie needing a fix. He dropped to his knees, Dreama’s blood soaking into the fabric of his jeans.
“Jane! We need an ambulance. Call 911!” he yelled.
Dreama was so still.
Too still.
Dread wedged like a rock in his throat.
Who the hell had done this to her?
He bent low to talk in her ear as he put two fingers over the pulse point of her neck. “Dreama? It’s Ryder. Don’t worry, Jane’s calling 911. We’re going to get you to a hospital. You’ll be fine.”
He wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince—Dreama or himself.
Especially because he couldn’t find a pulse.
TWENTY
Jane had never thought that sitting could be so exhausting. For eight hours, she’d just been sitting in the hospital waiting room’s hard orange chair. Couldn’t they at least make the chairs a bit more comfortable? There was a new product for McKay’s innovation division. She’d get right on it…as soon as she got the news Dreama was going to live.
As soon as Ryder had screamed for her to call 911, she’d known something terrible had happened to Dreama. Her mind had conjured up a dozen reasons Dreama might need an ambulance. Not one of them came close to reality. Holding Maddox close to her chest, Jane had cautiously stepped inside her apartment. What she’d seen would haunt her until her dying day.
Dreama broken and shattered like a china doll.
Her legs twisted and bent in the wrong direction.
Blood splattered all around her. On her. On the walls. On Ryder.
It was like a scene out of a horror movie.
Jane couldn’t help but wonder, if she hadn’t gone to the park with Ryder…
Could she have protected Dreama?
Or would that have been Jane lying lifeless on the bloody carpet?
What if Maddox had been there?
She shuddered to think about it.
The minutes that followed were a blur. As the paramedics worked on Dreama, the police checked the apartment to make sure the attacker was no longer there. Then the cops had asked Jane and Ryder a whole bunch of questions, one right after the other. She couldn’t even remember answering them. But one thing remained vivid. When the paramedics had taken Dreama away on a stretcher, Jane got a close look at her ravaged face.
She wasn’t embarrassed to admit she’d vomited right then and there.
Before Jane had recovered, Dreama was already in the ambulance and speeding to the nearest hospital.
The police had allowed Jane to change her clothes an
d pack a bag for her and Maddox. The apartment was officially a crime scene and off-limits for the time being.
Not that she wanted to stay there.
Somehow, Ryder had stayed calm throughout the ordeal, calling Tristan so that he could tell Isabella and notify Dreama’s parents. It hadn’t taken long before they’d shown up at the hospital, along with Dreama’s aunts and uncles and cousins. There were so many of them. Dreama had so many people who loved her. They practically filled up all the seats of the waiting room. All except Isabella.
She refused to sit.
Instead, she paced back and forth across the waiting room. Every once in a while, Tristan would stop her and hug her, whisper something in her ear. She’d nod, and while she’d resume her pacing, it was slower, her body more relaxed. Jane wondered what he said to calm her.
Jane hated that she was jealous. Not only because Isabella had someone who so obviously loved her or because she had an entire family there for support, but because she could feel. Isabella had cried and raged and at one point had even smiled. In fact, everyone in the room had been teary-eyed.
Not Jane.
To her, everyone else was running at super-speed while she was stuck in slow motion. She didn’t have the energy to do anything. Not even cry.
She was completely numb.
Thank God for Ryder. He hadn’t left her side for a second, sharing the responsibility of tending to Maddox, without caring who noticed. It just wasn’t important at the moment.
Nothing was important but Dreama.
It was just after eight p.m. when Dreama’s surgeon came into the room, wearing fresh scrubs and a blank expression. Everyone went silent as Dreama’s parents stood for the news.
A buzzing permeated her body, yanking her out of the uncomfortable numbness. Her pulse began to race as the fear she’d first experienced upon seeing Dreama after the attack returned with a vengeance. Jane’s heart physically hurt, like it was being squeezed in a vise, and she couldn’t catch her breath. Dark spots began clouding her vision and the room spun.
Was Dreama alive?
Ryder shifted Maddox on his lap and grabbed her hand. The simple touch grounded her, reminded her she wasn’t alone. The pain in her chest diminished and she found herself able to breathe again. As if he was her anchor in a storm, she gripped his hand tighter.
