by Virna DePaul
She chastised herself as she got off the elevator. She was not staying at the penthouse one more night. She was going home.
She had a vacation to plan.
Chapter 22
“Dad, can I come home yet?”
Branden had Alex on speakerphone and Lee was in the room, as well.
“Dread’s still not talking?” Branden asked, ignoring Alex’s joke. Branden’s friend Ernest in Interpol had discovered the bonds in the picture had indeed been stolen. Dread and Surfer were in custody. Davies was still at large.
“No, and I doubt that Davies is stupid enough to still be hanging around.”
“He’s been untouchable for as long as I’ve known him, but his luck can’t possibly hold out forever. He’ll slip up enough to get caught eventually.”
“So that’s a yes, I can come home? I’ll be good, I promise. I miss my mother…”
Lee laughed and said, “Mom told me she was relieved that you were finally gone. She’s getting tired of taking care of a twenty-six-year-old infant.”
“That sounds more like she was talking about you,” Alex snapped back.
“Okay, I hate to break up this love fest between brothers,” Branden said, keeping his laughter to himself, “but I have a lot to get done today. Come home, Alex. Lee will have a list of things for you to do when you get back.”
“Thanks, boss. Hey, Lee, guess which finger I’m holding up.”
Branden disconnected the call with a shake of his head. He looked back at Lee and said, “Tell me what you found out about the latest emails and that video Cara received.”
After Cara had shown him the emails and videos, then told him she was going on vacation before handing in her resignation, it had taken everything Branden had to walk out of her office instead of doing what he really wanted to do—throw her over his shoulder and lock her in his apartment. Chain her to his bed. Chain her to him.
The only thing that had stopped him was how thoroughly freaked out she’d been. And how furious he was at whoever was playing games with them.
How furious he was at himself.
He’d fucking promised to protect Cara, and instead he’d allowed someone to get close while they’d been dancing and endanger her yet again. As she’d pointed out before, she seemed to be the most vulnerable when she was with him, and as such, maybe if she went away for a while, she’d be off the madman’s radar long enough for Branden to figure out what the hell was going on. That was the only reason he’d arranged for her things to be packed and left her that note. He’d also arranged for Dexter Howe—a member of his security team and a former cop who was a tough-looking son of a bitch with deadly hand-to-hand skills, as well as sniper training—to watch over her, just in case. So far, Howe had spotted no threats to Cara.
“I checked interior security video,” Lee said. “You were right. Someone went through the company computers to send those emails. Either that, or we’re dealing with a freaking ghost or the Invisible Man, because the cameras picked up nothing.”
“What else?”
“Cara’s the only one who’s received the video so far.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Deena created a portal so we can view everything that comes in to Dubois servers when she’s not around. I can do that here or remotely. And that video hasn’t shown up.”
“Not anywhere?”
“No. She also set up auto-monitoring for Web mentions of your name, photos, things like that. The Deets thing is permanently gone and the HotnSaucey clip is, too. There’s absolutely nothing new out there.”
“At least there’s that.” It was also a double-edged sword. Because it confirmed that whoever had made that video was focusing all his insanity on Cara.
Suddenly, keeping away from her didn’t seem the wisest course.
The thought of losing her…
God, when was he going to catch a break here?
“What about the DNA test? Any word yet from the lab Gaunt recommended?”
“Not yet. He told me he was going to rush it, but it would probably be the end of the week at best.”
“What about the background on Rafe Sampson?”
“That’s a little more interesting,” Lee told him. “He was raised in Scarsdale and both of his parents were in the home until he was four. At that time, he got into an accident and he lost a lot of blood. As it turned out, his “father,” or at least the man who was on the birth certificate, didn’t have the right blood type. There was no way that his mother and stand-in-father’s combined blood types could have created his. Daddy left the nest not long after. When little Rafe was a teenager, he tracked his dad down. Apparently, Mom hadn’t told him that she was the one who broke up the marriage. She’d let him believe it was Dad. Dad was more than happy to tell him that he wasn’t his father. You were right about Sampson reminding you about Davis. His biological father was a man named Carl, who his mother worked for when she first got married.”
“So Davies is his father. I guess the DNA test will just confirm that. Do you know if he ever contacted him?”
“Rafe finished high school, and then moved on to Columbia on a full-ride scholarship. The summer of his senior year was when the scandal happened with Davies and Cara’s father. It’s possible that the press from that alerted him to where Davies was and who he was with at the time.”
“My mother,” Branden said.
“Do you want me to go get him and bring him in for a talk?”
“Not yet. All I can really do is accuse him of photographing me. We need more than that. I want to bring the bastard and his bastard of a father down. But right now, I need you to do something even more important for me, Lee. It involves Cara Michal.”
When Cara got to her own apartment, she called Iris.
“Hey, are you working tonight?” she asked.
“Just got off. How’s your big, strong, protective man doing? God, the way he laid that guy flat was so darn sexy.”
“Violence isn’t supposed to be sexy.”
“Oh come on, Cara. You can be so uptight sometimes. It’s not about the violence. That blowhard needed to be popped in the mouth and Branden took care of it. That means something. Men don’t do that for women unless they care a lot about them.”
“Well, things are over between us.”
“Wait…what?”
“You heard me. And I’m taking a few weeks off work.”
“You’re taking time off? What the hell is going on?”
“I just…I need some time away.” She thought about telling Iris about the emails and the newest video, but somehow she couldn’t muster the energy.
“You’re running,” Iris said flatly.
“What?”
“I saw how you looked at Branden yesterday, Cara. And I saw how he looked at you. There’s something crazy strong between you and that’s freaked you out. You’re running scared.”
“Maybe I am,” she cried. “What I feel for Branden isn’t healthy, Iris. He makes me forget common sense, for God’s sake.”
“That’s what passion and love is supposed to do.”
“I’m not in love with him,” she said flatly.
Iris’s silence said loud and clear that she didn’t believe her.
“I’m not, Iris. But…” She hesitated, then said, “But I could see myself falling in love with him. And that’s crazy. He doesn’t represent the real world.”
“Fuck the real world,” Iris snapped. “What has the real world gotten you besides losing your father and having to take on responsibility for your mother and brother? You deserve more than that, Cara, and if Branden’s willing to give that to you—”
“He’s not. He had his housekeeper pack up my things and he approved my vacation, Iris.”
“That makes no sense.”
But it did, Cara thought. Sure, he’d said he wanted her gone to keep her safe, and he’d said that things weren’t over between them, but Cara wasn’t a fool. After he’d left her office with De
ena, he’d obviously come to the conclusion that her leaving was for the best. Why else would he have written that note? He sure as hell hadn’t come after her.
“It makes perfect sense, Iris,” she said quietly. “Now, can we stop talking about Mr. Branden Duke and focus on the first vacation I’m going to be taking in years? I’m sitting here with the laptop open, staring at deals for vacations. I don’t want to go out of state, in case something happens with Mom or Glenn, so I was thinking about Niagara Falls. I’ve lived in New York my entire life and I’ve never been up there.”
Iris didn’t speak for a while, and Cara knew she was struggling with dropping the subject of Branden. Cara gave that to her, thankful when Iris finally said, “That sounds like fun. I’m jealous.”
“I’d love to take you with me. Think of all the fun we’d have.”
“Yes, but I just started a new job. I’d have a blast and come home unemployed. You’ll have to just have fun for me. Send me lots of pictures and I’ll live vicariously.”
“I will,” she said. “I’m going to book my flight and try to leave by Wednesday if I can. I’ll go see Mom and Glenn tomorrow and make sure all is well there.”
“Have them call me if they need anything. I would be happy to check in on them, too,” Iris told her. “Have your vacation, Cara. You take care of everyone else; go take care of yourself for a change.”
Her friend’s support bolstered Cara in a way nothing else could. “Thanks, Iris. I love you.”
“I love you more,” Iris said before hanging up.
Cara booked the flight, got herself a hotel room, and then went to bed. She would get up early tomorrow and go visit Glenn and her mom, then spend Tuesday night at her apartment before catching her flight first thing Wednesday morning.
In his Long Island mansion, Branden prowled the room in which he’d first set eyes on Cara. His skin was itching with the need to call her. With the need to command her to come to him and forget going on vacation by herself.
He could only imagine how she’d react to that.
Despite his frustration, he smiled.
She had to be the most exasperating woman he’d ever met. She was also the strongest, softest, sexiest, smartest… He could go on and on, and he could even use different letters of the alphabet. The problem was, he didn’t know what to do about it.
She seemed scared by the fact she threw caution to the wind around him, but the truth was he felt the same way about her. He’d never let his desires rule him to the point that he’d gotten involved with one of his employees. And he’d never, ever called a woman he was seeing “his.” Nor had he ever seen himself staying with one woman, but whenever he closed his eyes and thought about his future, he saw Cara by his side. The idea of spending the rest of his life with Cara filled him with joy.
What the hell was up with that?
A text from Jeannette caught him off guard. Big sis Deena says your balls are gone. Some woman has them. Do tell!
Before he could respond, another text came through. This time from his middle sister, Rachel. Cynic no more? Is love smacking you upside the head like a cold fish? Welcome to the real world, Big Bro!
Branden rolled his eyes. Deena shouldn’t have talked out of school, but the sisters had always been close. She never would have divulged information about work, but apparently had no problem informing their sisters he was seeing someone.
Two more texts flashed through, one from Bethany and the other from Leslie. The one from Bethany asked him to please invite his new girlfriend to the opening of her play, and the one from Leslie asked if she could be a bridesmaid.
Holy hell, what had Deena said in her texts to their sisters?
He’d always been deliriously happy in his bachelorhood. He liked being completely in charge of his own life. He wasn’t looking for a partner. He needed women, sure, for sex and companionship, but anything beyond that reminded him too much of his mother’s fruitless search for love.
He and Cara were only meant to be temporary, but the thought of her quitting and permanently walking away from made him want to punch someone again.
Suddenly his thoughts became clear. He’d focus on figuring out who was gunning for them and protecting her from any further harm. He’d figure out his confusing feelings for Cara. But he wanted Cara close by while he did so.
He picked up his phone and dialed a number. “Hey, Lee, what do you have for me?”
“Cara Michal used her credit card to book a flight to Buffalo that leaves on Wednesday morning at nine a.m.” Lee gave him the flight information and Branden wrote it down. “Then she used it to book a room at the Falls Resort, also in Buffalo. You want me to keep Howe on her?”
“Keep him on her until she gets on the plane. I’ll take over from there.”
“Figured that might be the case.”
“Thanks, Lee. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
“No problem, boss.”
Branden hung up and then he made another call. This one was to a travel agent that he used for all of his travel needs. She always took his calls no matter what time of day or night it was. He paid her handsomely for it.
“Hi, Branden.”
“Hi, Greta, I need a favor.” He told her what date, airport, and flight number he wanted to be on.”
Greta laughed. “That’s very specific,” she said.
“Can you do it?”
“Of course I can,” she said.
“One other thing, can you upgrade seat S11 to first class?”
“Absolutely. Where are you staying?”
He gave her the name of the hotel and thanked her again. He hung up knowing how pissed Cara was going to be when she saw him on that flight.
He’d just have to make sure she got over it.
Chapter 23
Tuesday morning, Cara dressed and ate yogurt while standing by her living room window, looking absently at the ongoing construction across the street. The entire building was shrouded in black netting by now, the scaffold barely visible between it and the building’s walls.
They could be adding a new facade. It was the quickest way to revamp an older building and turn it around for sale or rental. But the constant din told her otherwise—maybe it was being gutted and turned into lofts. Cara wasn’t actually sure if it was originally office or residential space. The building had just been there, solid as a mountain, rather nondescript with not much in the way of architectural ornamentation.
Her phone, which was on the kitchen table next to her laptop, buzzed with an incoming text. After finalizing her vacation plans, Cara had stayed offline. She was too afraid the video of her and Branden would pop up everywhere, or that she’d discover another version, one that its creator had done more with, gotten really down and dirty, turned her into a flaming whore for his own delectation.
She didn’t actually need the laptop that much. She had her smartphone to read and send email. When it buzzed again, she put her yogurt cup down and picked it up. It was vibrating with a text from Iris marked Urgent. Cara tapped the little screen.
Sox had six!
The kittens. She was glad she’d delivered the scarf thing ahead of time. She responded. Great. Bet she’s glad it’s over. How cute are they?
Another vibration. Unbelievably cute. All different colors. Mama doing well. Iris attached a snapshot of the plump little fur balls lined up at the milk bar.
Awwww.
Iris texted back. I spell it awwwesome. K, gotta go. Cute neighbor Fred’s here.
Ah. Cute neighbor guy had a name now—Fred.
Cara would have liked to see the kittens but didn’t want to be a third wheel. Besides, she had a lot to do already what with visiting Glenn and her mom.
She set the phone down. She’d already arranged to rent a car, and when she walked to pick it up, the autumn weather had arrived in earnest. Dry leaves were beginning to fall from the sidewalk trees, whipped down the street and up into the air by the wind.
She stopped to see Glenn
first. He was happy to see her, and they played Scrabble for a couple of hours. She didn’t tell him she was going away, just that she’d see him soon. If he needed her, she’d be able to get to him and she didn’t want him to worry or get upset.
After visiting Glenn, she drove to her mom’s.
“It’s good to see you, honey. Come on in. The place is a mess. Sorry.”
It always was. A sign of depression, probably, but Cara had long ago given up on trying to get her mother into counseling or on an antidepressant. Cara cleared off a seat next to the one her mother always used at the cluttered dining room table.
“Maybe you can help me. I got this budget book.” It had been left open on the table. Her mother sat and smoothed the mostly blank pages before she picked up a pen from a desk organizer engraved with her married name, Janine Finch.
“Nice.” Cara saw no reason to point out that similar books could be found under the heaps of stuff with no more than a page or two filled in before they were abandoned.
Her mom took the rubber band off a wad of unopened household bills. “First I have to sort these out so I can begin to track expenses.”
That was a step in the right direction, a new one for her mother. Cara sucked it up and took on the task without criticizing. “Okay. Done.”
Janine gave her a wan smile. “Not yet. There’s more where those came from.” She nudged a plastic crate out from under the tablecloth, crammed with more papers, more unopened bills, outdated flyers, and junk mail.
Cara allowed herself an inward sigh. She was here, she would help. But the atmosphere of defeat and depression she always felt in her mother’s house seemed heavier and more oppressive today. The autumn wind rattled the closed windows. She wanted to fling them open and let the chilly wind blow away the dust that had long since settled over the clutter everywhere. But she stayed put and kept working.
