Irish Billionaire's Lost Daughter

by Nicki Jackson

  He smiled widely. “My name’s Myles Walsh, please take a seat, Miss. Johnson.”

  I heard a pop, and my ear ached sharply. “Excuse me?”

  “Please make yourself comfortable.”

  As if in slow motion, I watched as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a gun… a gleaming black one. I stifled a scream just as he jerked the black weapon to point it at me.

  An FBI badge.

  My jaw fell open. “You’re FBI?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you out of your mind? I thought I was about to be murdered.”

  He grimaced. “I’m sorry if we scared you, but we couldn’t risk anyone finding out about this meeting.”

  I clutched my chest, taking in deep sharp breaths to calm my thundering heart.

  “We’re really sorry, Miss Johnson. My agent goes overboard at times.”

  “No, no.” My mouth was parched. I shook in my high-heeled boots. Nervously, I ran a hand over my silk shirt.

  “Please sit down,” Myles insisted.

  I slid into the chair across from him. I was angry. Now that the fear had receded, I was angry. How dare these FBI agents terrify me like this? “I’d expected to be shot, you know?”

  Myles flinched. “I apologize.” His eyes narrowed at the man who had snuck into my car and threatened me all the way here. “I’ll speak to my agent about it. Believe me, he will be adequately chastised so that he doesn’t repeat that behavior.”

  “Does this mean he’ll be forcing his way into my car often? Is this going to become a regular occurrence?”

  Myles smiled. “Not if you follow directions well, and understand the gravity of what I’m about to discuss with you.”

  I lifted my chin and nodded, my heartbeat slowly drumming to a more normal pace. “What’s this about?”

  He leaned forward and his brows lifted. “Calum Lynch.”

  I stiffened, and forgot to breathe. My hands turned numb at the mention of that name. I twisted my fingers together, as my heart beat erratically fast. I grew lightheaded. “What about him?”

  Myles smiled. “I appreciate the fact that you’re not going to spin me around in circles. I’ll be honest, I half expected you to go through that whole thing about not knowing who he is and—”

  “What about him?” I snapped sharply, my eyes unblinking and wide.

  Myles sighed. “This case is sensitive. And I should mention, also highly confidential. We have reason to believe Calum Lynch is still alive.”

  My head spun in fitful circles.

  This can’t be happening.

  “That’s impossible,” I whispered. The heartbreak returned full force, ravaging my heart.

  Oh, how I’d loved that man.

  But I knew he was dead. “That’s impossible.” I repeated with more assurance.

  “Calum Lynch is under investigation for faking his own death to escape authorities. He’s essentially a fugitive.”

  That was too much.

  “But… why? What could he have possibly done to have to hide from authorities?”

  Myles pursed his lips. “I can’t reveal those details right now.”

  I shook my head and mirthless chuckle of incredulousness escaped my lips. “I knew Calum well. He was a good man. You’re mistaken if you think he was some criminal. And you’re mistaken if you think he’s still alive. I shouldn’t even be here.” I lifted my hands in the air, motioning toward the interior of the building. “Why are you involving me in this secret, oh-so-sensitive matter anyway?”

  “Because of this.” He pointed to something on the table next to him. A copy of Cosmopolitan, which I’d been reading that very morning. The one featuring my salon and interview. “This is why,” Myles said somberly. “Chances are, Calum would come across it and come out of hiding.”

  “Pfff.” I scoffed. “First off, I know for a fact that Calum is dead.” My eyelids burned with tears. This was torture. “Secondly, if he was going to come out of hiding for me, he’d have come a long time ago.”

  “Our investigators believe he assumed you were dead.”

  “Oh, god.” I pressed my temples. “I don’t understand.”

  “Look.” Myles leaned forward. “I know it sounds… a little crazy. I wish I could explain. But we can’t disclose further details on the matter. The only reason you’re here today, is because we believe Calum Lynch will contact you within the next few weeks. And when he does… ”

  “If he does… from beyond the fucking grave!” I was losing my mind. I didn’t want to talk about Calum. I never wanted to talk about him. It shredded me to bits.

  “When he does,” Myles repeated pointedly. “You are to contact me immediately.”

  “Fine.” I stood up. “I got it. Thank you. I need to get out of here.” When Myles didn’t move, I forced a smile. I knew Calum was dead and the discussion was for naught. “You have my full cooperation.” I took the card he handed me, and turned toward the door. I couldn’t walk out of there fast enough. Slamming the car door shut with unnecessary force, I drove in reverse out of the dreadful alley and turned toward home. I was in no mood to go out with my friends anymore. I just wanted to curl up in bed and think about Calum.

  And cry a little. Or a lot.

  At times, it was hard to believe I’d actually know him. That he had actually existed. That I had shared what I had shared with him.

  But as soon as I entered the house, the little face that looked so much like Calum’s—Zoe’s—shocked me into reality. Yes, Calum had been real. Yes, he was gone forever.

  Myles Walsh had no idea what he was talking about.

  Two hours later, Zoe was in bed and I lay on the sofa in a blue T-shirt and white shorts. I tapped the buttons on the remote mindlessly, focusing on nothing. My mind was buzzing with anxiety and fear. I relived the horrible moment I had escaped the warehouse, seconds before it burst into a giant cloud of flames. I’d screamed, knowing that Calum was in there.

  I’d loved him.

  So many questions had gone unanswered that day. But I’d had little time to dwell over them. My unborn baby had come first.

  My finger halted its relentless tapping on the remote as I heard a sound. Glasses clinking in the kitchen.

  I shot upright. My dad was in Montreal. The sitter, Sarah, had left fifteen minutes ago.

  My heart thumping, I slid my legs off the couch and listened close. Slowly, I lifted to my feet, pulling my shirt down to cover my bare midriff. I spotted my handbag near the front door. My feet bare, I tiptoed over to my bag and stuffed my hand through it. I found what I was looking for. My fingers tightened over the can of pepper spray. I pulled it out, and biting my lower lip, as I stealthily made my way to the kitchen.

  I was petrified, but I was also aware that I was overthinking and growing paranoid.

  The way I’d been heartlessly kidnapped by the FBI agent earlier in the evening was making me crazy.

  Telling myself it was nothing, and that I’d probably feel like a fool for overreacting when I found the kitchen empty, I placed one foot inside the kitchen. At the same time, I slapped my hand against the light switch, lurching backward.

  Bright light cascaded across the white marble floor and counters. I swallowed a scream, covering my mouth with my free hand.

  There he was.

  The ghost from my past.

  He sat casually on top of the kitchen counter.

  He didn’t say a word. His eyes were intense as he ogled my face. The silence stretched as his gaze drifted over my face, my body, down to my toes, and then back up. He was watching me as if I were a ghost, and I mirrored that same expression.

  It couldn’t be him. I was dreaming. Myles had gotten into my head.

  But this man was too real. And he was too achingly familiar.

  The fabric of his blue cotton shirt was snug over his muscled chest and arms. The thick coffee-brown hair, mussed up yet still perfectly styled. His face and arms were unusually tanned. His green eyes glinting against the gold
of his skin. The dark shadow of stubble over his jaw made him look rugged and rough.

  He was exactly like the Calum I had known when I was twenty years old. But totally unlike the sleek, sophisticated businessman I had met three years ago.

  His eyes dropped to the pepper spray, and the spell was broken.

  I dropped my hand to my sides, breathing hard and fast.

  I was in shock. I tried to speak but couldn’t.

  Finally, after what seemed like ages, the words fought their way past my lips in a hoarse whisper.

  “It’s really you.”

  Chapter 3

  Calum

  It is her.

  The last three years had been amazing to her. Her striking features had matured and become more tantalizing. Her cheekbones were angled, sharper than I remembered. Her large eyes dominated her face. Her full lips were bare. Makeup free, she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen in my life.

  Except she had turned pale after seeing me.

  I heard it then. Fast, approaching footsteps. Nina wasn’t alone!

  My eyes widened. I slipped off the marble counter just as someone appeared behind Nina. I froze.

  The little girl halted when she saw me and clung to Nina’s leg from behind, peering from beside Nina’s thigh. My brows snapped together and I stared back at her—stared back at what looked like… my face.

  My eyes locked with Nina’s. I was still reeling from seeing Nina for the first time in three years. Seeing her alive and well after I thought she was dead.

  And I was now faced with a bigger, more unexpected shock.

  Without a word, I questioned Nina.

  All this time. All this time… I had a child!

  “Let’s go back to bed, Zoe.” Nina turned to the little girl.

  “Nina!”

  Her eyes lifted to mine. There was no doubt that she was aware of what I was asking. The tender emotion in her eyes could only mean yes. Yes, Zoe was my child.

  Nina had answered my question. Even though she didn’t need to. It didn’t take a genius to figure that that little girl was mine. She had my green eyes, she had my coloring. She looked exactly like the baby pictures my mother had of me.

  I didn’t know what to do, so I stood there mutely. Just as Nina walked away, she looked over her shoulder.

  “Make yourself comfortable in the living room. I’ll put Zoe to bed and be right back.”

  Over Nina’s shoulder, Zoe’s little face watched me warily. Just before the two disappeared, she gave me a little smile.

  I smiled back instinctively and a novel sense of bliss blossomed in my heart. It exploded, making my extremities tingle with excitement. Three years, three years I’d spent in absolute misery. Holding myself accountable for the death of the woman I loved. I’d had no hope. I didn’t know where my life was going, except the fact that I was a very wealthy man, and that would continue to grow over the years. But now… suddenly, I had so much to look forward to.

  So much to live for.

  Nina was alive and I had a daughter.

  I scanned the apartment, almost emotional that I’d gotten this glimpse into the life of the woman I had loved. A spacious living room with a dining table next to the kitchen. The gray, white, and gold décor adding a touch of luxury. I was too wound up to sit still, so I stood next to the wall with picture frames.

  Nina had been happy. She’d had a reason to be. Within seconds, I saw the life she’d had for three years. The baby in her arms was mine. She had raised Zoe alone, as a single mom, for over two years.

  I spun around as Nina entered.

  “You can’t just sneak into my house like this. After three years?”

  I froze. That’s not what I’d expected her to say. “I thought… I thought you didn’t make it.”

  A strange, almost haunting expression crossed her beautiful eyes and she looked away.

  “I saw the magazine and then…Nina, I didn’t know. If I had, I wouldn’t have stayed away from you. And if I’d known about Zoe…”

  Naked, agonizing pain slashed across her expressive face.

  I wasn’t sure if I could reach for her, touch her, hold her. “She’s mine, isn’t she?”

  Nina swallowed, but refused to answer in the affirmative.

  “Oh god!” I clutched my head in both hands. “This is such a fucking mess. I came to keep you safe and now we have a child to worry about.”

  “You don’t have to worry about her, Calum.”

  Nina looked scared. Why was she scared?

  “Leave us alone. We’ll carry on living like we have for the years you’ve been in hiding. You go on and do whatever sordid things you’ve done in your life.”

  “I’ve left all of it behind.” I closed the distance between us but she stepped back so fast, as if I had electrocuted her with my touch.

  She stroked her arms where I’d almost touched her, her gaze on the carpet. “Don’t. Please don’t do this. Please, I don’t want Zoe to be part of this.”

  “But she is part of this, Nina.” I insisted urgently. “She’s my child. Your life was in danger anyway. Because of me. And now there’s Zoe, too.”

  “What?”

  I sighed. I couldn’t even look her in the eye. All I’d given her was trauma and hardships. “I’m sorry. But you need to come with me. It’s for your own safety.”

  “What does that even mean?”

  “Your life is in danger, Nina.”

  She scoffed. “No, it isn’t. you leave my house right now and we’ll be fine. Just don’t get in touch with me again. Whenever you’re near me everything goes wrong.” Tears glistened in her eyes.

  “I can’t leave you behind.”

  She scoffed. “You already did.”

  “I thought you had died.” I hissed. “I blamed myself. I believed I’d killed you.”

  She stiffened. “Well, you did try your best, didn’t you?”

  “Nina… ”

  “No, you lied to me. Then you disappeared off the face of the earth and left me to fend for myself.”

  I clutched her arm, pulling her closer. She didn’t fight me. My lips were inches from hers. “If I’d known you were alive, I’d have taken you with me. You and me could’ve been a family, with Zoe, somewhere far away from here.”

  Her brows shot together in incredulousness. “That’s supposed to tempt me? A life as a fugitive?”

  My heart sank. She was right. I was low balling her to an extreme. “Please come with me for Zoe’s safety.”

  “I can’t just up and leave. I have a life here.”

  “Just for a while. So, I can sort some loose ends. Make sure the two of you are safe.”

  She pulled free. “No, Calum. I’ve taken time off from work to spend time with my daughter.”

  “Our daughter.”

  She bit her lip as if fighting back a retort.

  “What? It’s not my fault, I didn’t know she existed. If I had, I’d have been with her.” I pointed to the walls of photos. “You know it kills me, that I’ve lost two years of her life that I’ll never get back.”

  “Whose fault is that?”

  I squeezed my eyes shut.

  “I’m not going anywhere with you. You were never honest with me. And I have so many questions, but I know that you’ll just avoid or bluff your way around them.”

  I reached for her hand and pulled it to my lips, even though there was plenty of resistance to keep it away. I could’ve laughed at the incredulousness of the moment. I’d found Nina alive, and was suddenly a father. And Nina was exactly the same stubborn, adorable, strong-willed woman I’d fallen in love with.

  “If you come with me, I’ll fix everything and make sure you’re safe to return home. Just give me one week. For Zoe, Nina. Please. In return, I’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

  She stared at me, apprehension and mistrust in her eyes. “Everything?”

  “Everything. I promise.”

  Chapter 4

  Nina

>   I was a ball of stress.

  I threw a pair of shoes into the open bag. The loud thud was followed by a clatter, as one of them missed the bag and slid across the marble floor.

  “What are you doing?” Calum asked, and chortled as I glared at him. The sound of his laugh, the way his green eyes crinkled at the corners, made my heart miss a beat. I bit the inside of my cheek to fight the answering smile.

  I was being a little ridiculous. Maybe. And Calum was justified in laughing at it. But I while half of me was on board with the idea of leaving with Calum on whatever fugitive-life-week he had planned for me and Zoe, the other half of me was yelling in confusion at what the hell was going on.

  An hour ago, I though the man I had loved like no other was dead. Now, he was here and looked drop-dead gorgeous. More than I had ever thought he could possibly have looked, and I was forced to play it cool. So, I vented my frustrations on the stuff I was packing.

  “I can’t believe you’re standing there laughing at me.”

  He pursed his lips to stop himself. “Sorry. I’m not laughing at you. It’s just, you’re so mad at stuff.”

  “No, I’m mad at you!”

  “Are you?” He sounded unconvinced.

  “Yes!” I snapped. Snatching up another pair of Zoe’s pajamas and stuffing them into the small suitcase. “I’m very mad at you.”

  He stopped when I looked up, my breath escaped in a rush. He was so close, his hands reached up to clutch the tops of my arms, and his head bent as his eyes leveled on mine. “Why are you mad at me, Nina?”

  What? What did he say?

  I was blank. I couldn’t make sense. I was so visibly aware of how close he was. The last time he had been this close, he’d knocked me up. The reminder of having him so deep in me, his mouth on mine, made me shiver in place. His lips were so chiseled and full and he smelled—oh god—so good. I turned my head away.

  “You were supposed to be dead.” I stammered in confusion.