“I agree. What happened to change your mind?”
She leaned back against the Charger’s hood, the bottom dropping out of her stomach. “The van. A van like the one chasing us caused an accident, then someone from that van jumped out and stole my purse and my medical claim info. I had to reschedule the abortion.”
“Then you canceled it.”
“Obviously.”
“Was it the same van as today?” Drake asked quietly.
“Different color, same model,” she whispered.
“And when did you meet Genet?”
“Earlier today. I went to a law firm specializing in adoptions. He’s supposedly representing several couples who want to adopt my baby.”
“Did you agree to go forward with the adoption?”
“I told them I’d think about it. I didn’t like Genet.”
“You have excellent instincts. That must have made him angry.”
“It did. I’ve no idea why, since they’re supposedly go-betweens. They didn’t have a personal investment.”
“The adoption lawyer identity was a front. They have a personal interest in your baby. They want it for themselves.”
“Fuck that.”
“I agree,” he said again.
She stared out over the lake. How did one absorb or comprehend this kind of surreal thing? She’d just wrapped her mind around being raped and having a baby. She didn’t need mad scientists with thugs. Or to be talking to someone who killed a man and shrugged it off.
“You still sound crazy.”
“But you believe me.”
“I don’t know about that part. But I’m not afraid of you.”
“That’s encouraging. Why not?”
She stared at him. “You saved my life.” She smiled. “And you have a cool car.”
“You trust me because of the car?”
“And you dance well.”
“You like me because of the dancing and the car?”
“What can I say, I’m shallow.”
He smiled at her. Not like earlier, when he was darkly amused. This was genuine approval. And, again, familiar. Very familiar. Maybe he was someone she’d met as a kid? They had moved a lot while she was growing up.
“I’ll play along. So assuming I’ve been implanted with some sort of super sperm, why? What’s so special about my baby?”
“It’ll be far easier to show you. I want to take you to a safe place. It’s only about thirty-five minutes from here.”
“What’s there that will convince me?”
“Not something. Someone. He can show you why the DNA of the sperm that helped create your baby was genetically altered and how your child could be special, but in a good way. But you have to see it to believe it.”
She looked down at the gun she’d put on the hood. “It’s loaded?”
“Yes. You can keep it for as long as you want.”
He’d saved her life or, at least, from a kidnapping. She owed him hearing him out. Maybe.
She sighed. “You were right in the bar when you confronted me about the father of the baby. I don’t remember the night I became pregnant. I remember closing Bar & Grill by myself and then waking up groggy on the floor the next morning. Tammy found me. She told me I needed to go to the ER. I didn’t. I should have. If they’d run a rape kit, they would have found out I was pregnant and I’d have taken a morning-after pill. Instead, I took a home test about a month later when I missed my period.”
“I’m sorry. That’s a horrible way to become a parent.”
“It didn’t sink in at first.”
His gaze kept darting toward the road, still on alert for their pursuers. “Why didn’t you report your assault to the police?”
“The whole night’s a complete blank. Bar owner passes out in her place, wakes up pregnant. Sounds like someone got drunk and did something they shouldn’t have. Not much of a story for the cops.”
“You weren’t drunk.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence. No, I wasn’t drunk. I rarely drink.”
“What made you decide to keep the child?”
“That wasn’t the plan, like I said.”
“What changed your mind?” He asked in the same polite tone that she’d used.
“Circumstance, though maybe it wasn’t circumstance after all.” She gave the full details of the accident at the Ledgewood Circle, including rescuing the family in the minivan, how her purse had been stolen and how the van had driven off and disappeared.
“Nothing since then?”
“Not until I met with Genet and turned him down.”
“And less than half a day later, he tries to grab you.” Philip shook his head. “Right after he’d blown up Orion Systems too.”
“What? Blown up what?”
“Sorry, I forgot you didn’t know.”
He explained about the lab he said had gene-gineered the sperm that had been used in her artificial insemination, how he’d seen Genet leaving as he arrived, and how a bomb had destroyed the facility just this morning.
“That part of the story seems made up too.”
“You can Google it. You’ll find something on the fire this morning.”
“It doesn’t mean it happened the way you said it did.”
He shrugged. “Feel free to check.”
She didn’t like the sound of that. It meant he thought she’d find exactly what he said.
“In my bar, you told me someone had already died today. You meant the lab assistant.”
Drake nodded. “It seems like Genet is getting rid of all the evidence of this experiment. But I convinced the doctor who’d performed your procedure to give me your name and address and came straight here. I thought Genet might make a move today.”
He stared at her, as if the attack proved his whole story.
“How did Genet know I was considering abortion or adoption? How did he manage to set up our meeting?”
“They were watching you from the beginning. You said they dropped you back at the bar that first night. It’s certain they also left behind surveillance devices.”
“My home is bugged?” She stomped her feet. “Fuck. That’s why you didn’t want to talk at Bar & Grill?”
“Yes.”
“But someone at the clinic recommended Genet as an attorney for adoptions. That was legit.”
“He probably paid them off.”
“Shit.” She frowned. “This doesn’t get any less crazy.”
“I know I’m bad at telling the truth, Del. And because this particular truth is more unbelievable than a good lie, I’m even worse at it. I thought about creating a cover story to get you to safety. But you’ve been used and hurt enough.”
“You believe this.”
“Don’t you?”
“I believe that guy’s gun was real. I believe the blood on your face was real. I believe the dead man is real. I believe my baby is real. And I believe my rape happened. The rest? I’m reserving judgment.”
Only if what Drake was saying was true, she hadn’t been traditionally raped. In a way, this was worse. She put her hand over her stomach.
The sunlight was suddenly too bright. She squinted, losing focus, and braced her hands on her knees for balance.
“Is this my baby at all, or some experiment? What the hell did these scientists do to the sperm?”
“I don’t—” He looked away. “I don’t have an answer for you.”
“I…I’m carrying…a…?” She turned around and leaned on the car’s hood, trying to breathe normally.
“You are carrying a child.” He patted her back, as if lost as to what else to do. “Your child. And I’m going to make certain no one ever takes it from you.”
“Not ‘it’. Him.”
“Your baby is a boy?”
She nodded. “I saw his fingers and toes,” she whispered. “I saw his head. I heard my son’s heartbeat.” He was her son now, however he had gotten inside her.
She slid to the ground and put her
hands to her knees. The scent of burnt rubber from the tires still lingered. Drake sat down next to her.
“This is sick. The whole story is sick, sick.”
He nodded.
“I don’t care how I ended up with this kid. He’s mine.”
It had taken her a while to come around to this decision, but she had, and she’d be damned if she’d let go of her son. “I will destroy whoever wants to take my son from me.”
“That’s my job,” Drake said.
She stood and studied the midnight-blue paint on the Charger. Smooth, no drips that she could see. A beautiful job. It also handled perfectly. She wondered if Drake’s competence extended to protecting. He’d done all right so far.
“So who was the sperm donor? Does he know about this? And why was his DNA so valuable?” she asked. “What’s the point of the genetic engineering thingee?”
“I don’t know yet. But if you come with me as I asked, you will get answers.” He stood. “It’s time to get moving. They’ll eventually narrow the search down to this area.”
He reached under the front passenger wheel well and pulled out a small box. He flicked it open to reveal a key.
“You had a spare key all this time.”
“I like to be prepared.”
And he’d answered her questions instead of overpowering her. Drake had a lot of patience for a crazy person.
She had carved out a nice, quiet life. She had friends, she had a routine, she had peace. Until the morning she’d woken up on her barroom floor, pregnant. She had sensed that morning that her life was irrevocably changed.
Now she knew it was.
Above her, the tree fluttered in the wind. Somewhere far away, a hawk flew overhead, screaming. Dragonflies buzzed in the swampy wetland under the bridge. Numb, she stared at her hands, opening and closing them into fists, over and over. Her son could do that already, open and close his hands.
Drake looked up in the sky, at the hawk. “You have to come with me now.”
“You mean go with you to hide.”
“Genet and his people are crazier than I am, which puts them in a class by themselves and makes them unpredictable. The only solution is to make sure you’re protected while I go take them out.”
“You sound like a complete loon, Drake.”
“If I’m going to be a bird, make it a hawk.” Above, the hawk cried again. He looked up, shading the light out with his hand. “Beautiful, isn’t he?”
“Could be a ‘she’. Protecting her own. Hunting for those who would bother her nest.”
“Making her very dangerous.” He nodded. “Point made. Let’s go.”
The phone in her coat pocket rang. She’d forgotten it was there.
She pulled it out. “It’s Tammy,” she said to Drake.
She answered the call and found herself talking to a nearly hysterical woman. Tammy had sent her son home soon after Del left. Mike had found her Ford Focus on the road, the driver’s side door open. He’d freaked and run back down the road to tell his mother.
“I’m okay, Tammy. Yes, I’ll be right there. Yeah, it was bad but I’m okay, the baby’s okay. Hey, you didn’t happen to see anyone or anything around my car? No? Never mind. I. Will. Be. Right. There.”
After she hung up, she glared at Drake. “What happened to the dead man?”
“They probably scooped up his body before chasing you. No sense leaving evidence in the middle of the road.”
“There’s got to be blood on the road.”
“No one will notice. The surface is dark.”
She sighed. “I guess you’re right.”
“You shouldn’t go back to the bar. They’ll pick up your trail there again.”
“I’m not just going to run off.” Disappear without a trace, then start over. She’d done that five or six times before her parents were murdered. “I’m going home and talking to Tammy.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
“You’re not going to argue any longer?”
“They tried to grab you when they thought you were alone. I doubt they’ll come after you at the Bar & Grill. Your visit might give them time to regroup and come after you again when we leave, since they’ll know where you’re starting from, but I’m not going to force you to come with me.” He grinned. “I don’t do that anymore.”
“Drake, you’re about as reassuring as a drunk driving home after closing.”
He grinned again. She shook her head.
He opened the passenger door for her. “We should take a different route back to avoid crossing the van’s path. You’ll have to give me directions.”
“What the hell will I tell Tammy when I get there? They’ll never believe this insane story. I don’t believe this insane story.”
“You’ll think of something.” He started the Charger. “While you’re deciding whether to trust me or not, please remember I let you drive my car.”
She smiled.
Chapter Nine
Philip followed Del’s directions but otherwise said nothing. Why speak when he kept putting his foot in his mouth? He should’ve made up a believable story instead of telling her the truth. The mobster idea she had thrown at him was a good one. Too bad he hadn’t thought of it.
He even had a fake but authentic-looking FBI badge in the trunk. He could have showed her that. He could have claimed Genet was a front for a mob business or something.
He should have adopted a role. He could have sold that better. At least he hadn’t completely fumbled it. She had agreed to go with him. The sooner he could get Del to Alec, the better. Alec’s gift was impossible to deny. But he had to get her to the Institute first, and there was no guarantee she’d keep her word.
He could insist Alec come out here. But he didn’t like the idea of Alec exposing himself to a situation where armed gunmen were already involved. Alec could take on an army, but Philip had no idea how big this conspiracy went or how many people Genet had at his command. He hated fighting unknowns. Right now, he and Del were the only ones in danger. That was enough.
Hell, he had no idea who Genet was, except he knew enough to take over Orion after Lansing’s death, and he’d fooled Dr. Cheshire. That meant Genet had influence, information and money. If he found out from where, Philip could track him.
Dr. Cheshire was a good place to start. The man knew more than he was telling.
Philip glanced over at his newly acquired charge. Del’s eyes were closed.
He should have checked her for bruises or injuries. Sometimes you got hit during a fight, didn’t feel it, and it turned out worse than expected. He doubted Del would strip and let him look, however. She’d think he had ulterior motives.
Which, he admitted, he did.
He would love to see her naked. Not, not just see her. Touch her. Tumble her into the nearest bed. Or on top of a table in her bar. Or right here in the car. He was sure it wouldn’t be the first time someone had sex in this car. If it happened now, with his body still jazzed from the pain, it would be perfect.
Good thing his pants were loose-fitting and his jacket went past his waist, or Del would realize exactly what he wanted. His erection could be simply a result of adrenaline from the chase. Or it could have been the charge he got from healing the gash in his head that had spilled blood down his face.
Del might not have much to do with his lust.
Like hell she didn’t.
Any woman who stayed calm during a kidnapping, came back to rescue him and handled his car so it turned on a dime, that was someone worth lusting after. To say nothing of how pretty she was, with her long brown hair, dark eyes and a lithe body made just a little bit soft by the pregnancy.
The photo hadn’t done her justice. Though he wondered if he’d have reacted to her the same if he’d not been in pain. He’d still have wanted her. But would he still be as rock hard as he was now? Unlikely. He needed that extra boost.
All the more reason to banish his lust for her.
“Do you feel all right?�
�� he asked.
She nodded. “Turn right at the next road and that will take us over to Bar & Grill.”
He did as she ordered.
He wanted to trust her. But one gigantic loose end bothered him.
Why would Lansing choose her for his “experiment”? It was, Philip decided, possible that Del was one of Lansing’s descendants. It would be just like the old bastard to have kept track of his family tree from the family he’d had over one hundred and fifty years ago. Lansing might even have believed they still belonged to him. That was the attitude his blood father had displayed toward Philip, despite having absolutely nothing to do with him save at the moment of conception.
If Lansing would use his bastard son, why wouldn’t he use someone who was less closely related? It was either that or believe Del was involved in this twisted plot and not telling him the truth. If so, she was a good actress, which meant she was damn dangerous.
Philip sighed inwardly. He would have to investigate Del Sefton’s past. She wouldn’t like that at all. So he wouldn’t tell her that he was doing it. “The Charger shifted perfectly. You’re a good mechanic.”
He didn’t know why she’d broken her silence—he was just glad she had. “Thanks.”
Her compliment only increased his desire to pull the car off the road and kiss her. She’s pregnant, he thought. She’s been raped, he thought. And, for all he knew, the child she carried was created from his sperm.
The unknowing mother of his son.
Not an ideal situation in which to give in to lust.
“I know you must be worried about your bar being short-handed while you’re with me,” Philip said. “I could send someone to cover your shifts.”
“And just how long will I be with you at this safe place?”
He winced. “You wouldn’t be with me, exactly. You’d be at Phoenix Institute, a facility in north Jersey that specializes in military training and education. They have the best security I know. Once you’re safe, I can investigate Genet.”
“And how long will that take?”
“A few months, maybe. I hope to have the mess cleaned up before your son is born. Then you can go back to your life.”
Phoenix Legacy Page 8