His to Claim

by Shelly Bell

  “I was afraid they wouldn’t believe me and that I’d lose you and Finn. I had the means to take care of it quietly. All I can say is that at the time, I thought I was doing what was best for my family. In the end…I lost you anyway.” Keane looked beaten down and old as he clamped a hand on Ryder’s shoulder. “I realize I wasn’t a good father and that I’ve done things in business that I’m not proud of, but I’ve changed. I have been trying for years to get you to see that. Finn has forgiven me. Maybe now that you know the truth, you can too?”

  “I don’t know,” Ryder said. “Even if Alma’s death was an accident, I’m not sure I can get over the dozens of other crimes you did commit. The night of Alma’s death, you told me I belonged to you. As if I was your property. You were always my father in name only. And I’m not sure I can ever forgive you for that.”

  Keane winced as if Ryder had inflicted physical pain with his words. “I’m sorry, son. I wish things could be different. But do believe me when I tell you this. I didn’t have anything to do with Jane’s break-in or those deaths. And I don’t believe it has anything to do with McKay Industries.”

  Ryder stared at his father.

  He didn’t know whether to believe him.

  “If everything you say is true, then tell me, why did you order someone to steal my designs?”

  Deep grooves were etched in Keane’s forehead. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Are you telling me it was a coincidence you got into the restaurant automation business?”

  “Well, no. I suppose it wasn’t a coincidence.” His father’s cheeks reddened. “I thought…I’d hoped that one day you would decide to come work for McKay. I created our restaurant automation division for you, Ryder. But I know nothing about your stolen designs.”

  If he wasn’t behind the theft, who was? And how did his code end up on that SD card?

  “Who did the designs for you?”

  Keane answered quickly. “Derek Gardner. He took credit for it all. The designs, the software, everything. I had no idea he’d stolen it from you.”

  Derek Gardner.

  Ryder’s neck prickled and his pulse increased. “Why does that name sound familiar?” It couldn’t be the same man. He stuck his hand into his pocket and brought out his wallet. “I think I still have it.” He flipped it open and rifled through the dozens of business cards he kept in there. “Here it is. A year ago, I met him at a conference on Mackinac Island. He wanted to talk to me about Novateur, but I blew him off. That’s the same night someone made a copy of my files.” His gaze fell on the name of the company Gardner had been working for. “When you hired him, had you known he worked for Sinclair?”

  “Derek made no mention of ever working for Ian Sinclair. Trust me, I make a point of never hiring any of his cast-offs,” Keane said with disdain.

  All this time, Ryder had been blaming the wrong monster.

  “I thought you had Finn marry Ciara in order to consolidate the two families?”

  His father shook his head. “I had nothing to do with Finn and Ciara. They didn’t marry because of me, but in spite of me. When they announced their engagement, Ian and I made a deal that we would stay out of one another’s way for the sake of our families. A truce of sorts.”

  Ryder couldn’t begin to comprehend what a truce meant between two corrupt businessmen. But he didn’t have the time to dissect the idea. Not when Jane was still in danger. “I think I need to pay a visit to Mr. Gardner. Can you access your work records from your computer and give me his address?”

  “Of course.” Keane moved swiftly, going to his desk and typing. A moment later, he wrote out an address on a sticky note and handed it to Ryder. “I’m coming with you.”

  “No,” Ryder said firmly. “Don’t confuse me coming here as some sort of an olive branch. My feelings about you haven’t changed. It doesn’t matter how many stories you spin, I’m still not convinced you didn’t have anything to do with what’s on the SD card.”

  His father’s lips parted as if he was about to speak, but he simply nodded. Ryder stormed out of the house.

  Why couldn’t he shake the feeling that time was running out?

  TWENTY-SIX

  Jane had never been to Ian’s house before. Sad but true. In the past, she’d dreamed of what it would be like inside, the warmth and the love that would fill its halls. But as she handed her coat to her grandfather and set Maddox in his carrier on the floor, she realized reality was nothing like her fantasy. No one could claim it wasn’t beautiful, with the Persian rugs and crystal chandeliers. Surprisingly, it was warm and homey, despite the enormous size of the house. But it didn’t feel like home to her. And she doubted it ever would.

  Still, she was grateful that Ian had extended the invitation. She was so tired, she could barely stand. “I really appreciate you helping me out today,” she told him as he greeted her.

  He folded her into his arms and hugged her tight. “That’s what your family is here for. With you and Maddox living nearby, there’s no reason we can’t all be a family.” Still embracing her, he held her tighter and brushed his hand from the crown of her head to her neck. “You’ve grown into a beautiful woman, Jane,” he whispered.

  Something about his hug seemed…off. It wasn’t his words, but the way he said them, with reverence. It made her uncomfortable.

  She pushed against him and stumbled backward. “Thank you.” She picked up Maddox’s carrier, hoping it might work as a barrier. “Where’s Ciara?”

  “Your mother wasn’t feeling well,” he answered casually. “One of her headaches. She took a couple pills and went to lie down.”

  Warning bells were ringing in her ears. In a half hour, her mother had suddenly come down with a headache? Ian had lied to her. She’d bet her entire bank account that her mother hadn’t wanted her here and the invitation had come solely from Ian.

  “Oh.” She searched his eyes for the truth, but his eyes were blank. Unreadable. “I thought she was going to watch Maddox for me so I could nap.”

  He nodded. “She will. But for now, why don’t you and Maddox come into the parlor and relax.” He plucked the carrier from her hands and strolled away, requiring Jane to follow. “It will give us a chance to catch up.”

  “Sure.” As if he’d given her a choice. How had she never noticed how odd Ian was? “My mother doesn’t really have a headache, does she? Is she even here?”

  Bringing her into the parlor, which reminded her of a Jane Austen novel, and closing the double doors, Ian smiled and slowly perused the length of her body. “You’ve grown into a beautiful woman, Jane.”

  She shivered with revulsion as her heart went into overdrive. Why was he standing in front of the doors? It was as if he was blocking her exit. “You said that already.”

  Perhaps coming here hadn’t been the wisest decision. She should take Maddox back from Ian and leave.

  Ian laughed. “I did, didn’t I? I’ve learned you can never tell a woman she’s beautiful too many times.” He set Maddox down by the door. “You’re built less like your mother and more like your grandmother. She had that same willowy figure, small breasts, and tiny waist.”

  “Excuse me?” Had he just commented on her breasts?

  She fought the urge to cross her arms over her chest.

  “Your mother hated having large breasts,” he said as if it was perfectly natural to discuss his daughter’s breast size with his granddaughter. “But I always told her she should be proud of them. They were a sign of her becoming a woman. They got so swollen when she was pregnant with you.” He paused to lick his lips.

  There was something wrong here, something she was missing. She would almost think Ian had lost his grip on reality, but at the same time, he appeared perfectly sane. Maybe she was just seeing a side of him he’d never revealed before. Well, she didn’t want to see this side. Ever.

  Thank God she’d told Ryder where to find her. She’d thought she would have heard from him by now. What if Keane had
done something to Ryder and Tristan, and she was stuck here, unable to help?

  “Maddox looks a lot like his father,” Ian said, jarring her out of her worries. “But I see me in him too. Don’t you?”

  She jolted as if he’d electrocuted her. He knew Ryder was Maddox’s father? “I suppose. Maybe I should—”

  The sound of the door’s lock being engaged was quiet, but to Jane, it was deafening.

  “Don’t be scared,” he said, stalking to her. “It’s time you know the truth. I just have a phone call to make, and then you and I will finally have the chance to get better acquainted.” He smiled, his teeth reminding her of a shark’s. “The way we should have years ago.”

  * * *

  Ryder slid into the passenger seat of the car and slammed the door. He plugged the address that Keane had given him into the car’s GPS. “I know who was responsible for breaking into my room at the conference. Name’s Derek Gardner. He wanted to meet with me, but I blew him off. At the time, he worked for one of Sinclair’s companies. But shortly after the conference, he left Sinclair to work for McKay, bringing our designs with him.”

  “Sinclair?” Tristan drove through the open gate of Keane’s property and turned onto the main road, following the GPS’s directions. “What about Keane?”

  “Keane claims he didn’t know Gardner had stolen the designs from me or that he’d worked for Sinclair.”

  Tristan scowled. “Do you believe him?”

  “I don’t know. It’s possible it’s all bullshit and he’s in on it with Sinclair.”

  “If Derek was working for Sinclair, why did he take the job at McKay?”

  “I’m not sure,” Ryder said. “If I had to guess, Derek needed someone who could figure out the missing code. Other than me, there aren’t many programmers of that caliber. But Evan obviously fit the bill.”

  “This has nothing to do with competing with Novateur, does it?”

  “I don’t think so,” Ryder said. “Sinclair builds weapons.”

  If Ian Sinclair got ahold of the finished software program that would make weapons autonomous, the world would become a lot more dangerous.

  “Why kill Evan?”

  “Either Evan was in on it…or he really did think he was working on restaurant automation software and when he solved the code, he figured out he’d been lied to. Before he died, he protected his computer with a virus and sent the antivirus program to Jane.”

  “So who killed him? And why kill Evan’s secretary?”

  “I don’t know.” Ryder bounced his leg up and down. A feeling of unease passed through him. “Hopefully Gardner can fill in the blanks.”

  A few minutes later, Tristan pulled up to a modest single-family home with blue siding and white trim. For a guy who had previously worked for Sinclair and now McKay, Derek didn’t appear to have a lot of money. After parking, they got out of the car and walked up the driveway, past a sedan with a smashed headlight.

  Hadn’t a car with one headlight followed him and Jane when they’d left the hospital the other night? It was possible it was a coincidence.

  But it was also possible Gardner had been tailing them.

  If Gardner was responsible for hurting Dreama, he was a dead man.

  “Ready to get this guy to talk?” Ryder asked Tristan as he knocked on the door. “Gardner? Open up.”

  “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather have the cops handle this?” Tristan asked from beside him.

  “Fuck the cops. We don’t have time for all their procedural bullshit. Desperate times call for desperate measures.” He knocked again and this time rang the doorbell. “Dreama’s fighting for her life in the hospital and two people in Jane’s department are dead and I’m not about to let Jane become the third.” Fuck it. The guy obviously wasn’t going to answer his door.

  Gardner had probably broken into Jane’s.

  It was only fair that Ryder return the favor.

  He put his hand on the doorknob, preparing to bust it if he had to, but surprise, surprise…it was unlocked. He turned it and pushed the door open.

  A stench of shit, piss, and rotten meat hit his nostrils.

  He and Tristan both covered their mouths and noses with their hands and proceeded to walk through the house. Everything seemed neat and orderly. Other than the strong foul stench, there were no signs that anything could be wrong.

  But Ryder’s gut was churning.

  The smell got stronger as they neared the back of the house.

  “What the hell is that stink?” Tristan asked through his hands.

  They stepped into what appeared to be Gardner’s family room. There, slumped over on the couch, was the man Ryder had met up on Mackinac Island. But for the missing part of his head, which was splattered all around him, and the blood on his abdomen, he looked the same as he had the year before.

  “I’m no doctor,” Ryder said, “but I’d bet anything the stench is coming from Gardner’s dead body.”

  Guess they weren’t going to get any information out of him.

  With the smell overpowering them, they immediately went outside for fresh air. There was nothing they could do for Gardner at that point.

  Had Keane ordered a hit to keep Gardner from talking, knowing Ryder was on his way to Gardner’s home? Or had someone else killed Gardner?

  Ryder wasn’t certain, but he did know that whoever had done it was after his software.

  His stomach churned and not just because of the dead body.

  Of the dozens of applications for his software, there was only one worth billions of dollars.

  Weapons.

  Gardner had worked for Sinclair Corp, an arms manufacturer. What if he’d continued working for it while he was employed at McKay?

  “I think it’s time we called the cops,” he said to Tristan as they got into the car. He pulled his iPhone from his pocket and saw he’d missed a message from Jane.

  No, no, no.

  His heart nearly exploded as he read the text.

  “Jane.” He immediately dialed her cell. “Come on,” he said frantically after two rings. “Pick up.”

  Tristan hit the gas. “What’s wrong?” Please, tell me you’re not at Sinclair’s yet. Tell me I got to you in time.

  “Ryder.” Her voice was panicked, but he had to warn her before it was too late.

  “Jane, you have to listen to me. Don’t go to Ian’s. It’s a trap. He’s behind everything.”

  “So good of you to call,” said Sinclair. “It appears we both have something the other wants. How about we make a trade.”

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  Jane sat on the couch and tried to calm a crying Maddox. For the last twenty minutes, her red-faced son had been kicking out his legs and punching his fists, almost as if he knew they were in danger. It was likely something minor like gas or cutting a tooth, but her best efforts refused to soothe him. He wouldn’t take a bottle, his diaper was clean and dry, and she couldn’t get him to burp. She was at her wit’s end.

  And so was Ian.

  “Make him stop fussing,” he demanded, bits of spittle flying from his mouth. “Or I’ll do it for you.”

  She didn’t doubt his words.

  Or the gun in his hand.

  “I’m trying,” she said calmly. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him.”

  All these years she’d dreamed of having a relationship with Ian. And apparently she wasn’t the only one. Although he hadn’t come right out and said it, she’d read between the lines.

  The man was a pedophile.

  He spoke of Ciara like she was his lover rather than his daughter. First, talking about her breasts and later referring to their relationship as “special.” There was nothing special about molesting a child. He’d been wistful when he’d lamented that he’d never gotten the chance to have the same special relationship with Jane.

  No wonder Ciara had sent her away.

  She’d done it to protect her.

  But where was she now? Had Ian done something to harm
her or was she truly upstairs sleeping?

  She had to get away from him before Ryder arrived.

  Because despite what Ian had said on the phone to him earlier, he had no intention of abiding by the terms of the exchange: the SD card for Jane and Maddox. Ian had made it clear to her he would never let her or Maddox go. Once Ryder delivered the software, Ian would kill him. “You don’t have to do this. Let me and Maddox go. We’re your family,” she pleaded.

  He brandished the gun at her. “Right now you’re bait. You’re not going anywhere until I get my fish.”

  She closed her eyes, refusing to let Ian see her cry. There had to be a way to get through to him. She couldn’t allow Ryder to walk into a trap.

  Ian hadn’t revealed what he planned to do with whatever was on that SD card. She still didn’t even know what was on it or whether Ryder had been able to open the file using her computer. But whatever it was, Ian was intent on getting it, no matter who he had to hurt.

  Including her and Maddox.

  The doors to the parlor flew open and Ciara strolled inside. As usual, her hair was perfectly coifed and her clothes didn’t have a single wrinkle. If Jane had to guess, she hadn’t been napping.

  Her gaze bounced between Ian and Ciara. Was it possible they were working together? Ciara didn’t seem fazed by the gun in Ian’s hands or the fact that it was pointed at Jane and Maddox.

  Jane’s stomach sank to the floor. “Hello, Mother. I take it your headache is gone.”

  Ciara ignored her as usual and spoke directly to Ian. “Is Ryder on his way with it?”

  “He should be here momentarily. Is everything ready upstairs?”

  She nodded as she smiled up at him. “Of course. I always do what you tell me, don’t I?”

  To think Jane had felt sorry for her mother. It didn’t matter what she’d gone through at the hands of her father; she had choices now and she was making the wrong ones. Didn’t Jane and Maddox mean anything to her?

  “How could you do this? To me? Your grandson? Your husband?” Jane asked.

  Having cried himself out, Maddox finally gave one final sob as his eyes closed and he thankfully fell asleep. Ciara’s gaze flickered over to them and fixed on Maddox. Automatically, Jane held him closer to her chest.