by Morgan James
The low voices filtering through the com in my left ear faded to a muted din as I watched Victoria’s reaction. Phillips angled himself away and ambled toward the park exit where the chain-link fence opened onto the sidewalk beyond. One of the other officers, dressed in gym clothes and watching a basketball game next to the park, slowly made his way to the opposite exit, effectively blocking it.
Following the man’s apparent instructions, Victoria retrieved a nondescript white envelope from her purse and discreetly dropped it on the ground. Using her foot, she nudged it closer to him. He leaned over the stroller once again, fussing with the child inside. Fury welled up within me, and I was half a second from jumping to my feet, before Con’s voice stopped me cold.
“Hold position.”
Motherfucker. I closed my eyes and set the book on my lap. Tipping my head back, I drew in several deep breaths. I had to keep a cool head; God only knew what he would do if he got caught. I watched between lowered lids as the guy scooped the envelope off the ground, then, using the stroller as a shield, quickly opened it and counted the money inside. Apparently satisfied, he folded the envelope in half and stuck it in his back pocket as he stood. Victoria followed suit, and she fell into step beside him as he steered the stroller back onto the walkway. Outwardly they appeared like a normal couple out for a walk. But the truth was so much darker and more convoluted.
I watched as Victoria extracted the handle of the stroller from the man’s grasp and fell a couple steps behind him. The plan was for her to break off so she and Alexia would be out of danger if anything happened. Instead of following the man toward the exit, she headed toward the playground where kids’ happy cries pierced the air.
The man’s back was now to me, and I couldn’t stand it a moment longer. Throwing the book down, I jumped to my feet and hurriedly crossed the park toward Victoria. Relief flooded me as I drew level with the stroller and saw the big gray eyes peering up at me. Ripping the comm from my ear, I tossed it into the stroller as my hands went around Alexia’s body and lifted her to me. Her tiny arms wound around my neck, and I held her as tightly as I dared. I wanted to check every inch of her, make sure that she was okay, but right now at this very moment I just needed to hold her.
A scuffle broke out, and I turned to watch the suspect run toward the south exit. The undercover agents and policeman were in hot pursuit and had him contained in less than a minute. The other parents in the park pulled their own children close, shielding them as they watched the scene unfold.
Beside me, Victoria laid a hand on my arm and smiled gently up at me. “We should get her checked out, but she looks okay.”
I nodded over the lump in my throat. I couldn’t wait to tell Lydia, but I had sworn to the PD that I wouldn’t say anything until they’d had a chance to speak with the suspect. We still had no idea how many people were involved, and we hadn’t ruled out that someone close to her could be responsible. I didn’t want to put Lydia in danger without having all the facts.
One of the guys had evidently already radioed EMS, because an ambulance pulled up near the east entrance to the park, and we made our way in that direction. Curious stares followed us, but I ignored them all, my attention focused firmly on my daughter. Alexia had been unusually quiet, and I shifted her in my arms so I could examine her more thoroughly. She looked exhausted, the dark circles under her eyes prominent, as if she hadn’t slept at all while she’d been away from us. The sight broke my heart, and I promised in the future to do everything in my power to keep her safe. The only blessing in what had happened today was that she would never remember her ordeal.
I sat at the rear of the ambulance as they checked her vitals. She cried softly and turned her face into the crook of my neck as they poked and prodded at her. I spoke softly to her, rubbing her small back all the while, trying to soothe her. Two tiny hands latched on to my neck, sharp nails biting into the skin as she held on for dear life. She was probably terrified that she would be separated from me again, and my heart cracked. “It’s okay, baby girl. I’m not going anywhere. You’re safe now.”
Blake stepped up and slipped an arm around Victoria. He directed his words toward me. “They’re working on the guy right now.”
I prayed that he would roll on everyone responsible so we could wrap this up sooner rather than later. The medic finished up, and the three of us started back toward where the police had the suspect handcuffed on the sidewalk.
Though I couldn’t risk telling Lydia just yet, I knew my brother wouldn’t say anything. I snapped a selfie with Alexia tucked in close to my neck then texted it to Abel, unable to keep the smile off my face.
He’d said he wanted to know the second she was safe, so I didn’t waste any time letting him know. Only a few seconds after I sent the message, my phone rang. I slid my thumb across the screen to answer it. “Hey, brother.”
“Thank God,” he replied on a relieved sigh. “I’m glad she’s back.”
“Me, too. Are you still with Lydia?” I asked.
“No, we headed out about ten minutes ago.”
I couldn’t wait to get Alexia home and see my two girls together again. I knew the stress had been killing her. “Was she holding up okay?”
“As well as can be expected,” Abel replied. “I think having friends and family around helped to take her mind off it a little bit. Gwen was still there when I left.”
Thank God for that. She’d been a lifesaver through this whole ordeal, practically glued to Lydia’s side. I could breathe a little easier now, knowing that she wasn’t alone. “Thanks again for staying with her. It means a lot.”
“No problem, it was nothing. I—oh! Of course!” Abel said as if he’d just had a revelation.
“What?”
“I was just trying to remember how I knew Gwen. It’s been driving me crazy.”
My brows drew together. “How do you know her?”
“Seriously?” He laughed. “She had the biggest crush on you, remember? But it’s been so long since I’ve seen her, and she looks totally different with that short, dark hair.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Abel sounded confused. “I thought you were the one who got her the job at Lydia’s place. I can’t believe you don’t remember her. Guinevere from down the street.” He paused when I remained silent. “You know—Aaron’s little sister.”
I remembered who he was talking about. Aaron’s sister was several years younger, and she’d always tried to tag along, much to his chagrin. But Guinevere had long, curly red hair. Or she had the last time I’d seen her, though it’d been several years ago. Was that really the same girl? “I can’t believe she didn’t say anything,” I remarked. “And when the hell did she start going by Gwen?”
“I don’t know,” Abel replied. “I knew she looked familiar, I just couldn’t place her. Anyway, I’ll let you go. We’ll stop over later once you guys are settled.”
“Sounds good.” I thanked him, then hung up, turning my attention back to Alexia. My attention was splintered as Cole came jogging toward us, waving a hand in the air.
My brows drew together. “What’s up, man?”
His face was grim. “He’s asking for you.”
I couldn’t conceal my surprise as I strode over to where the PD had a young man seated on the sidewalk, Cole on my heels. Con shot me an unreadable look as I approached, and dread congealed in my gut. The boy they’d apprehended looked fearfully up at me, and the officer beside him urged him on. “This is him. Tell us what you know.”
He glanced between me and Alexia, his eyes filled with remorse. My arms tightened a fraction around my daughter’s body. Mostly to feel her securely against me, but also in part so I wouldn’t knock his teeth down his throat.
He shook his head. “I didn’t want to do it,” he whispered. “But she begged me. She said it would all be different once we got rid of her.”
Chills ran down my spine at his words. “A woman did this?”
&nb
sp; His expression turned hard, his tone bitter. “I would’ve done anything for her. I just wanted her to be happy, but it was never enough. It’s you she wants.”
Chapter Forty-Five
Lydia
I nervously paced the room, unable to sit still. I couldn’t help but wonder how everything was going. I raked my fingers through my hair, pulling on the ends. The pain shooting across my skull momentarily grounded me, detracting from the agony of not being able to do anything. I felt weak—absolutely helpless. I prayed to God that whatever plan Xander and his friends had in place worked. I felt like I was literally hanging on by a thread. Everyone tiptoed around me like they were walking on eggshells, as if the slightest noise would cause me to break.
It was killing me. I could feel it in the slow way that I moved, the sluggish way my brain reacted. Still, I couldn’t give up. I forced myself to move on, to keep going. Alexia was depending on me, and I refused to let her down. I’d only slept yesterday out of sheer necessity before my body shut down completely. I’d gotten maybe three to four hours of sleep over the past couple days, catching little naps here and there. The past two days had slowly begun to drain the life from me.
Jason had managed to convince me to catch some rest where I could. I wasn’t sure why, but I trusted him when he told me they were doing everything they could. All of the men at QSG seemed so competent, so sure of themselves. They came from various military and law enforcement backgrounds and were trained to handle any situation. It was reassuring, but I still couldn’t fully relax.
The men had insisted I not breathe a word to anyone about the sting the cops had set up today. If all went well—and I prayed it would—Alexia would be home soon. Con had gently explained that, until we knew who was responsible, we couldn’t risk tipping anyone off. So here I sat, waiting for a single word that my baby was okay.
Mind spinning, emotionally drained, I sank onto the couch and dropped my head into my hands.
I would do anything if someone would just bring her back to me. Every part of my body hurt. My shoulders ached from carrying the tension of the past three days. My eyes burned from sleepless nights and endless tears.
Gwen’s soft voice cut through the silence. “How are you holding up?”
Like shit. “Fine.”
She’d insisted on being here with me today, if for no other reason than to lend silent support. I could feel her staring intently at me, but I refused to meet her gaze.
“How about some tea?”
I exhaled heavily through my nose and managed a small nod. “That’d be nice, thanks.”
In my peripheral vision, I watched Gwen stand, her feet carrying her around the couch and into the kitchen. I heard her bustling around, heating the water to prepare the tea, but my mind was elsewhere. Each time I closed my eyes, I saw Alexia’s pitiful face, stained with tears.
I’d stared at the picture for hours over the past two days, hoping something would come to me. I felt like I was missing something, and it was driving me crazy. Suddenly, it seemed vitally important that I figure it out. Pulling the worn photo out of the pocket of my cardigan, I fingered the edges of the shiny photo paper that had begun to fray.
As always, my eyes were immediately drawn to Alexia’s face—huge gray eyes situated in her pale face, cheeks stained with tears. She didn’t appear to be dirty or hurt—just terribly, awfully scared. Tears burned the back of my eyes, and I bit my tongue, using the pain as a distraction to keep from breaking down.
How could anyone be so cold and callous as to hurt a baby girl? Men like this were evil. I would have understood a ransom. But the fact that no one had reached out was hugely unsettling. This was something that happened in other countries, to other people. This wasn’t supposed to happen in the States, surrounded by members of law-enforcement and military. I couldn’t begin to understand why this happened. I’d seen movies like this, read about it on the news. This was nothing but a business to the evil men controlling the darker parts of the world. My child was a transaction to line someone’s pockets. I might be called naïve for praying for the best, but I wasn’t stupid. If Alexia hadn’t been taken to be ransomed, there were few other options—none of them were good. I prayed right now that she was safe in someone’s home nearby instead of being transported across the border or even halfway across the world. Men were horrible, vile creatures.
As I looked at the photograph, something sparked in my mind. I stared at the hand gripping my daughter’s shoulder, the fingers lean and small. The nails were bitten down to the quick, lending them an unkempt, masculine appearance. The longer I stared at them, the more sense it made. A woman had done this.
I stared harder, desperately trying to make sense of this new information. I’d accused Xander of bringing trouble to our doorstep when he’d arrived out of the blue, and now shame assailed me. This was directed at me. Why, I wasn’t sure, but I couldn’t deny that someone had been targeting me specifically. The rock that’d been tossed through the window. The break-in at the salon. And now this. Someone wanted to hurt me, someone with a grudge—but who?
Caryn was evil, but always well-manicured. She had the money to hire someone, but I couldn’t see her stooping that low. She seemed to be the type of person to derive pleasure from verbally abusing others. I doubted she would let someone else take credit. Besides, to kidnap a child over a disagreement was a little extreme. I knew Megan was still unhappy that I’d fired her. Her words from that day came back to me. She’d insisted that someone was setting her up. Had she been right all along?
“Here you go.” Gwen moved in front of me and held out a mug of tea, steam curling into the air. I started to reach for the mug clasped in her hands and stopped dead. My gaze snagged on her hands, the nails jagged and torn.
Like a puzzle, all of the pieces suddenly clicked into place. Thoughts spun through my mind, recounting every moment: Gwen had closed with Megan most nights. She’d been at the salon the day the window was broken. She’d closed the shop the night of the break-in.
I dropped my hand back to my lap and lifted my gaze to hers. “Why?”
Gwen straightened, her shoulders pulling back tense and tight. “God, Lydia.” The words left her mouth in an exasperated rush, dripping with condescension. “Are you really that stupid?”
My typically mousy assistant was gone. In her place stood a hard, terse woman. Her lips curled into a sneer as she stared down at me. “Do you really not recognize me?”
The question caught me off guard, and I skimmed her features. I took in her short, sleek black hair, noticing for the first time how unnatural it looked against her pale skin. A sprinkling of freckles dusted across her nose, cleverly concealed by a thin layer of makeup. Why had I never noticed those before? I tried to focus on the shape of her face, the honey-brown of her eyes. A memory slowly began to take shape. The wedding. All of a sudden, it made sense. I met her two years ago when I was in Vegas for Rose’s bachelorette party. Except back then, Gwen had long red hair and freckles, and she’d been called Guinevere.
I kicked myself for not figuring it out sooner. She’d pleaded for a job, and I’d acquiesced just like she wanted. I even recalled with startling clarity why I never put two and two together—Brenda had taken care of all of the paperwork. She’d filed the application and run the background check on Gwen when we hired her.
Now I knew who Gwen really was. What I didn’t know was why she’d lied. “How could you do this?”
Gwen let out a mirthless laugh. “Did you really think no one would find out?” The coldness of her tone sent chills creeping up my spine.
“What do you mean?”
Gwen glared at me. “He never should have married you. You lied to everyone about what happened. You made everyone believe that you and Xander married after some whirlwind love affair. But it was no more than a one-night stand. Isn’t that right?”
My eyes widened in bewilderment. “How did you know that?”
Before she even answered, it hit me. She�
��d been in the lobby that morning when Xander and I had that awful fight.
She shook her head at me. “I heard everything. I couldn’t believe he’d ever love someone like you, someone who spread her legs for him like a common whore. I knew he was honorable, but I never dreamed he’d go that far—especially when he didn’t even know about the kid. I thought that once he found out you’d kept her from him, he’d be done with you for good. But no, not Xander,” she said bitterly. “He always has to do what’s right. God, do you know how good it felt to finally hear that he’d left you?” I cringed as Gwen threw the coffee mug against the wall, where it shattered with a crash. “Until I found out you lied about that, too, and you’re not really divorced,” she hissed.
I raised my hand in supplication. “I thought we were. I had no idea we were still married until Xander showed up.”
“Exactly,” Gwen snapped. “Then you threw yourself right back into his arms, knowing he would have to take you back.”
My mouth gaped open. I couldn’t believe she thought that. I was the one who kept pushing Xander away, not the other way around. “What is this really about?”
“It’s about him!” she screamed. “It’s always been about him.”
For a moment, I was stunned speechless. I had no idea she’d even known Xander before he showed up the other week. A horrible thought occurred to me. “Were you ever... together?”
Almost immediately, I dismissed it. If Xander knew Gwen, he’d have said something.
Anger creased her face. “Of course not. I could never get close to him with sluts like you hanging around. But it should’ve been me. I’ve loved him since I was five years old.”
