But in the next instant, rage was back in place on Will’s visage. His attention snapped back to his daughter. “Gwen, come on, we’re leaving. We’ll go back to my estate where I know you’ll be safe.”
He turned on his heel. The guy had guards with him—men Chance had once supervised when he’d worked for the mogul. The guards inclined their heads toward Chance—a brief gesture of acknowledgement—then they closed in near Will.
But Gwen didn’t move.
It took Will a few moments to realize that she wasn’t following him.
When he did, Will glanced back, frowning. “Gwen?”
“Did Ethan come to you and tell you that I was in danger?”
Will’s lips parted in quick surprise. His eyelids flickered—a little jerk.
Sonofabitch—he had.
Gwen must have caught the telling movements because she nodded. “That’s when you started insisting that I needed all the bodyguards, right? You thought Ethan might be telling the truth…you thought someone might be after me.”
Will hurried to Gwen’s side. “Someone is after you!” He pointed to the interrogation room. “Ethan Barclay! The man obviously has psychotic issues—he’s fixated on you and—”
“You should have told me, immediately, what he said. Instead, you tried to manipulate me.” Her voice was so cold. So unlike Gwen’s normal warm tone. Her gaze flickered toward Chance. “You both did.”
He hated for her to look at him that way. His back teeth ground together as Chance said, “I just thought Barclay was a suspect. I didn’t realize he’d told your father someone else was after you.” That bit of information would have been helpful to know.
Will reached for Gwen’s hand. “Barclay is just trying to confuse you. There is no one else. He wants you to soften toward him. Hell, maybe he thinks you’ll drop the charges against him or something if you buy into his wild story. Doesn’t matter, though. The truth is…Ethan Barclay is the man behind the attacks. He’s—”
“When a black van tried to run me down tonight, Ethan was in jail.” She tugged her hand free of his.
“One of his flunkies!” Will instantly railed. “Someone he hired to make himself look innocent!”
Dev and Lex shared a long look.
“Maybe,” Gwen allowed. “Maybe not.” Then she walked past her father.
Will stood there a moment, looking lost. Strange, for him. But he rallied quickly and motioned for his guards to follow Gwen. “We’re going home,” he announced as his stare shifted back to Faith. And it did soften a bit. So the rumors about those two must be true. Interesting.
“Keep me updated on this case,” Will told Faith. “I want to know everything that happens with Ethan.”
She nodded.
“I’m not going home with you.” Gwen glanced over her shoulder. “I’m tired of being manipulated…” Her gaze swept over them all. Lingered on Chance. “…by everyone.”
Fuck.
“I’ll check in to a safe hotel. One with plenty of security cameras and a respectable staff. I’ll be more than protected for the night.” She straightened her shoulders. “Faith, you have my cell number. Just call if you need me.”
She was leaving them all.
“No!” Will snapped. “You need—”
Gwen’s smile was sad. “I know what I need, and it’s to be left alone. Before I seriously explode on you.” Her smile trembled, then vanished. “And I know what you need, too, Dad. You need to stop trying to control everyone and everything. Mom’s death wasn’t your fault. Even if you’d had a dozen guards on her…bad things still happen. You can’t protect everyone, not all of the time.”
Will backed up a step. “You—”
“She was robbed in broad daylight, Dad. Mugged and stabbed. And I was in the car. I saw it all.”
Will had backed up a bit more, but Chance found himself rushing toward Gwen. He knew the story about her mother, but there was such pain in Gwen’s voice. He just wanted to hold her and take that pain away.
But she stiffened when he approached, and Chance stilled.
“I saw that the world wasn’t always a good place when I was six. It’s filled with darkness and danger. But that darkness…it’s just part of life. You can’t remove it completely. It’s just not possible.” Her breath was ragged. “You can’t lock up the people you care about—”
“I just want to protect you,” her father rasped.
“You can’t lock them up,” she continued with a sad shake of her head, “because that’s no way to live.” Tears glistened in her eyes. “You can’t surround a person with guards every second and you can’t…you can’t buy lovers. You can’t control everything for them!” Her hand swiped over her cheek, wiping away a tear that had fallen. “No one can be safe every moment, and when you fill someone’s world with guards…it just makes them…it makes me feel like I’m suffocating.” Then she turned and headed for the door. She didn’t run. Just walked with slow and certain steps.
“Follow her,” Will ordered his guards.
When they rushed forward, Chance lifted his arm, barring their way. “Stay the fuck away from her.”
The men immediately stepped back.
“I gave you an order!” Will marched toward Chance. “I’m the one who pays them, and I’m—”
“You’re going to drive her away completely.” Chance lowered his voice. “She’ll leave you. She’ll leave me. For good. That’s not what either of us wants.”
Fear flickered in Will’s eyes. “I just want her safe.”
Because Gwen had been right, and Chance knew it. Will blamed himself for the death of Gwen’s mother. He’d been away on business. Denise had been out, shopping with Gwen. And when she’d died in the street, Will had been over two thousand miles away.
Dev—who’d been slumped against the wall on the right, avidly watching the scene—pushed up and sauntered down the hallway, following quietly in Gwen’s wake.
Lex just kept watching the action unfold.
“I’m going to ruin you,” Will said, the fear still in his eyes, but fury appearing now. “This is your fault. If anything happens to her—”
“Save your threats. I don’t give a shit about them.”
Will’s lips snapped together.
“The only thing I care about is Gwen. And I will not do anything to hurt her. No more secrets. No more lies. Not ever.” He’d do anything necessary to prove himself to Gwen. Because she mattered. Plain and simple.
Will’s heavy brows lowered as the older man seemed to consider him. “When did my daughter come to mean so much to you?”
From the minute I met her. But that was for him to tell Gwen. “Keep your guards back. Gwen told you what she wanted, and, from now on, the only thing I care about…is giving Gwen what she wants.”
“I care about keeping her safe! I care about finding the guy who nearly ran down my daughter! I care—”
Faith cleared her throat. “We’ve got patrols looking for the van now. We caught the vehicle on one of the traffic cams. Got the make and model, no tag, but we’re looking for the guy. Every cop in the city will be searching for the perp. He won’t get away.”
No, he wouldn’t.
Chance marched down the hallway. Gwen was long gone, and so was Dev.
“Are you going after my daughter?” Will called after him. “Are you going to protect her? Are you going—”
“I’m going to apologize to her, and then I’ll see what the fuck happens after that.” He didn’t have anything else to say, not to Will, anyway.
But he sure had plenty that he needed to tell Gwen.
* * *
Will’s hands were fisted at his sides. Gwen had left, and Chance had just basically told him to screw off. “James and Harvey,” he said to his guards, “I need you to—”
“I’d think carefully about that,” the blond-haired man to the right said. Lex. Lex Jensen. He knew the guy…Will had researched him as soon as he’d learned Lex and Devlin Shade were in bus
iness with Chance. Lex had served in the military with Chance, but after his tour had ended, Lex had kept working in the Middle East and in Russia as a mercenary. A lot of his past had been covered in secrecy, and even Will’s government contacts hadn’t been able to provide him with many details about the man.
Will’s gaze swept over the younger guy, sizing him up.
Lex gave him a wide grin. “I mean sure, if you want to piss off your daughter and ruin the last hope of a relationship that you have with her, go right ahead. But if you actually care about the woman…” His shoulders pushed away from the wall as he straightened. “Then maybe you should put some trust in Chance. Because I know for a fact, that man would give his life to protect Gwen.”
Will knew that, too. Actually, he’d counted on it. He’d known Gwen wouldn’t turn Chance away when he came calling…because Gwen cared about Chance.
And as for Chance…Will had known he was the perfect guard for her…because Chance more than cares for Gwen. The guy loves her…and he doesn’t even realize it.
Or maybe, Chance did. Maybe he’d finally wised up. Judging from the look that had been in Chance’s eyes, Will thought the guy had finally figured things out. Just in time.
“Will doesn’t trust easily,” Faith said as she approached them.
He nearly winced at her words, and Will couldn’t help but cast a guilty look her way. Dammit, in spite of the nightmare surrounding him, he still noticed that Faith looked beautiful.
She always did.
“He likes to use people,” Faith continued. “That’s sort of Will’s thing. His specialty.”
He did wince then.
“He uses them. He doesn’t trust them.”
So she was definitely still mad at him. Right. He made a mental note to send her more diamonds. But the diamonds hadn’t exactly worked in the past. Not with her. Faith had never given a flying shit about his money. She wanted something far more important from him.
She sauntered forward. Her hand was close to her holster. A little too close for his peace of mind.
“Isn’t that right?” Faith asked him. Her dark eyes gleamed with a hundred emotions. “Trust isn’t an option for you.”
As he stared at her, Will couldn’t speak.
“Maybe it should be,” Faith said. “Maybe you should trust Chance this one time. I saw the emotion in his eyes, just the same as you did. Do you really think he would do anything to put Gwen at risk?”
No, he didn’t. So he didn’t give the order for his men to rush after Gwen. He knew Chance would protect her from any threat. But he also knew…
Chance…you can hurt her. Gwen’s vulnerable to you.
If Chance screwed this up with Gwen, Will would make him pay.
Chapter Nine
Chance jumped out of the taxi and tossed his cash to the driver. He yanked up his collar and a soft plume of chilled air appeared above his mouth as he stared up at the gleaming lights of the hotel. Just blocks from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Gwen had chosen one of the swankest hotels in the city.
And one with top-notch security.
He headed for the entrance. Two doormen were there, their assessing gazes sweeping over him as he walked inside. Once in the lobby, he spied the security guard near the elevator. Chance glimpsed another guard watching near the check-in desk.
“You got here faster than I thought,” Dev murmured as he strolled to Chance’s side. “Someone was hauling ass, huh?”
Yeah, he had been. “Did Gwen see you tailing her?”
Dev stroked his chin. “Let’s see…before she boarded the elevator—the one that only takes you up to concierge level if you have the special key card for access—she did turn in my direction and flip me the bird.”
Chance’s brows rose. His lips twitched.
“So, yes, I’d say it’s safe to assume that Gwen caught sight of me.”
Chance ran a hand through his hair. “Did you get her room number?”
“1608. I figured you’d be requesting room 1610…the one right beside her.”
Damn straight, he would be.
“I didn’t see anyone else tailing us to the hotel. So either the guy is good, really good, or the APB that Faith put out on the van has him in hiding for the moment. I’ll stick around though,” Dev said, “and keep my eyes peeled. Extra protection can’t hurt, right?”
No, it sure couldn’t. Chance slapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks, man.”
Dev nodded. Then he tilted his head to the side as he studied Chance. “Lies can fucking destroy, man. Take it from me…with my screwed up past, I know full well the damage they can do.”
“I’m not going to mislead Gwen.” Not anymore. His gut was knotted now—he needed to see Gwen.
“Good.” Dev’s voice hardened. “Because I like her. And I like you. So I’d hate to have to kick your ass, but if you make that woman cry again, I just might do it. I hate the sight of a woman’s tears. Nothing worse in the world.” Then he turned away, whistled, and headed for the leather chairs near the crackling fire place.
* * *
“Seriously…what in the hell were you thinking?” Sophie Sarantos demanded as she marched into the interrogation room. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes shooting sparks, and her high heels tapped frantically on the floor. “I’m your lawyer. I told you to be quiet, I told you—”
“I didn’t talk to the cops,” Ethan said wearily. The handcuff was still around his wrist and annoying the shit out of him. “I talked to Gwen.”
Sophie sat down her leather bag. “Gwen?” Her eyes slammed shut. “Not Gwen Hawthorne…not the woman you’re accused of stalking.”
“Right. That woman. I told you that I needed to see Gwen.” He’d asked Sophie again and again to get him access to Gwen. “She had to know that I wasn’t the one trying to hurt her! She needed to know—”
“You had secret cameras placed in her house!” Sophie’s eyes flew open. Then her stare flooded with horror and she glanced toward the one-way mirror. “Doesn’t matter, they can’t use anything I say.” Her shoulders straightened. Sophie was a petite woman, barely skirting five feet two inches, and she normally wore three inch heels to give herself extra height. “What matters is what you say. That’s why, for the love of God, just keep your mouth shut.” Her heels clicked against the floor. “I am busting ass and pulling every string I have so that you don’t spend tonight in general lock-up.”
His laughter was rough. “Like I can’t handle that. Soph, you…of all people…know what it was like growing up.” Because Sophie Sarantos wasn’t just his lawyer. She was his friend. They’d been friends since they were kids. Growing up in the wrong part of town, desperately fighting to survive.
Sophie’s hands flattened on the table and she leaned forward. Her voice dropped as she said, “I owe you. More than I’ll ever be able to repay.”
Ethan shook his head.
“You paid for my college. For law school. You—”
“You’re one of the few friends I actually have, Sophie. One of the only ones who didn’t believe I’d hurt Jena.” And she was the one who’d helped him to get Marjorie out of the country. “You’ve repaid me a million times over.”
And that money he’d used to fund her education? Those days…it hadn’t come from any respectable business dealings. He’d skirted the law when he was younger, and, sometimes, it was hard to shake his past, no matter how hard he tried.
“I am your friend,” she whispered back to him. “So let me do my job and let me help you, okay? No more conversations with Gwen Hawthorne. No more talking with the cops or anyone…just me. This is a serious mess, Ethan. Whoever is stalking Gwen, hell, he’s made a life out of ruining you.”
Ruining my chance at happiness. He frowned. “The thing is…I never had a chance with her. I knew it, deep down. Knew she was hung up on Chance Valentine.”
Sympathy flashed across Sophie’s face. “Ethan…”
“I have to figure out who’s doing this. You were there back the
n, Soph, you knew Jena. Were there lovers before me? Anyone who wouldn’t let her go?”
She sighed. “She was always so hooked up on you…until the end. I can still remember how upset she was after that last fight with you…when she swore you were cheating on her. That you’d been seen with another woman.”
“I never cheated on her.” He shook his head. “That wasn’t fucking me.”
But…maybe someone had wanted Jena to think he’d betrayed her. The same person who’d killed Jena?
Sophie picked up her bag once more. “Try to keep it together, okay? I’ve got my firm’s investigator looking for clues, for any evidence that we can use. Just stay calm until I come back.”
Easier said than fucking done.
The door closed behind her. He turned his head. Stared into the mirror. Saw his pale face, his wild eyes.
Calm wasn’t exactly a concept for him right then. He stood, as far as the handcuff would let him…and he drove his left fist into that mirror.
The door immediately flew open. Sophie stared at him with horrified eyes. “That’s not staying calm!” Then she rushed forward. “Shit, you’re bleeding.” Her voice rose as she yelled, “We need some help in here!”
But he just stared into the fractured mirror. Stared at himself…
He wasn’t the monster, no matter what Gwen thought.
* * *
Chance stood in front of room 1608. He lifted his hand and knocked. He knew that Gwen would be able to see him through the peephole and she—
“Go away, Chance!” He heard her yell through the door.
Right. She’d definitely seen him. He flattened his hand against the door. “Please, Gwen, we need to talk.”
Silence. Then the distinct sounds of locks being turned. The door slowly opened and Gwen stood there, eyeing him suspiciously. “Did you just say the word ‘please’ to me?”
His head inclined toward her. “It is in my vocabulary.”
“I don’t remember hearing it before.” Her slight body blocked the doorway. His gaze slid over her and lingered on her red toenails. Her feet were bare—and so damn cute.
“I can say please…” His eyes lifted to her face. “I can also say that I’m sorry.”
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