In a voice so thick it was almost unrecognizable, she asked, “How did you keep him away from me for eight years? Have you had someone watching me the entire time?”
Looking at least twenty years older than he had when he first arrived, James shook his head. “After I sent the letter, I had Maddox watched for a while longer. When he left the country, I figured it was over with.” He shrugged. “Malcolm knew not to—”
“Malcolm? Oh God, he knew, too?”
“I’m sorry, baby. I did it—”
She held up a shaking hand, the pain in her voice almost more than Gabe could stand.
“If you tell me you did it for my own good one more time, I’m going to scream. You had no right to interfere in my life like that. What would have happened if I wanted to marry again? Would you have let me commit bigamy, just to protect yourself?”
“I worried about that every day.”
She snorted softly.
“Believe me, I did.” He held out his hand again. “Remember, baby, when I made you promise never to run off again like that and get married? I would have told you the truth … if you’d wanted to marry again. I wanted you to be happy … really I did. But you never seemed interested.” He swallowed hard. “I’ve lived with this for eight years, but I never—”
“And you had eight years to tell me the truth.”
“I’m so sorry.”
Though the grief and regret in the older man’s face seemed genuine, Gabe could find no sympathy for him. The man’s arrogance and snobbery had almost gotten his daughter killed and most certainly destroyed a marriage. Whether their marriage would have made it or not should have been theirs to decide. Not James’s.
Her body visibly trembling, Skye turned her back to her father. “Go away. Please, just go.”
Nodding sadly, Jeremiah headed to the elevator door. Before he reached it, he twisted around and said, “Maddox, I still don’t like you involved with my daughter, but I thank you from the bottom of my heart for saving her.”
He turned, pressed the button for the elevator, and disappeared before Gabe could come up with just one phrase that didn’t sound like a death threat. He didn’t have one. Never in all the years he’d been chasing after the scum of the earth had he wanted to kill as he did now.
When he saw Skye stumble, his priorities were quickly adjusted. He grabbed her before she fell to the floor. Sobs tore through her and the only thing he could do was hold her and curse everyone who’d hurt her, especially himself.
thirteen
Skylar woke filled with purpose. The last couple of days she’d done nothing but sleep, cry, and then sleep some more. When she’d collapsed after her father left, Gabe had been so kind and tender. And he’d wanted to stay with her. She’d refused. She needed the time alone. She’d mourned her husband’s death eight years ago. Now she needed to mourn her father’s betrayal and the empty years she’d endured. Years she could never reclaim.
Silly really, but as unrealistic as it had been, despite all the evidence that proved otherwise, she’d somehow hoped that her father had not had a hand in the awful lie of Gabe’s death. She’d held on to that hope, small though it was, until she saw his face. Guilt had been spread all over it.
After he left, she’d collapsed. She wasn’t proud of that. Actually hadn’t had that kind of meltdown since she thought Gabe had killed himself. But everything had been accumulating and her father’s confession had been the last straw.
Gabe had held her until she calmed down and then put her to bed. Before she’d fallen into a deep, dreamless sleep, she’d felt his lips on her forehead. She’d carried that memory into her sleep. He’d called each day to check on her. She’d assured him she was fine. And today, somehow, she knew she was. She felt energized and ready to do what needed to be done. Kendra was somewhere out there and she needed to do something to help find her.
After giving herself a full-body stretch to work out the remaining kinks and stiffness, Skylar strode to the bathroom. Since she’d gotten home, she couldn’t get enough showers. Even now, the thought of those men’s hands on her body caused her to feel grimy and unclean.
As hot water blasted down on her, Skylar soaped her body with her favorite lavender soap and reviewed how she might help find Kendra. She hadn’t asked but she assumed Gabe was still in the city. She didn’t hold out much hope that he would feel obligated to say goodbye when he left, but she knew he was still working Kendra’s case. Until he’d explored all avenues here, she figured he’d stay.
She stepped out of the shower and wrapped the towel around her body. Her mind on Gabe and the myriad of feelings he still stirred in her, she entered the bedroom and then stopped when she realized it was no longer empty. The man who occupied her thoughts now occupied her bedroom.
“How did you get in?”
He shrugged. “I know the doorman.” His eyes roamed all over her body. “I somehow always enter either too late or too early.”
“What do you mean?”
His eyes filled with a dangerous light. He said, “Seems every time I walk in, you’ve just gotten out of the shower and covered up.”
Her heart picked up a beat as the meaning of his words hit. If he’d come in sooner, she would have been nude. Did he still have feelings for her? Everything inside her screamed for that to be true.
She was just about to say something—what she had no idea, since all of a sudden her tongue seemed much too large for her mouth—when Gabe’s face went blank.
“Is that Benjamin?”
Still reeling from his earlier words, it took Skylar a few seconds to realize he’d seen the photograph she kept by her bedside of Benjamin Bradford. How was he to know that she kept it there for the cleaning people to see? Maintaining the illusion of their relationship was of great importance to both of them.
“Yes, that’s Ben … but he’s not—”
Gabe turned and stalked to the door. “Get some clothes on and come out. We need to talk.” He shut the door behind him.
She wanted to call him back, to explain, but stopped herself. What would be the point? Years ago, Gabe had allowed one phone call to end their marriage. Her father’s interference had been the impetus, but it had been Gabe’s decision to leave the island. He’d said he had tried to see her back then, and she believed him, but she couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn’t tried to see her in all these years since.
The letter he’d received had no doubt been the biggest reason. Her father’s cruelty in using what she’d told him in her grief was almost more than she could comprehend. It had been the lowest kind of blow.
And she couldn’t deny that it hurt that Gabe believed she could have been that cold and cruel. She had thought he knew her. She’d been wrong.
Skylar was a romantic at heart. If Gabe had loved her, really believed that their love was worth fighting for, he would have come after her. No matter if he had to fight her father and anyone else who got in the way to be with her. But one phone call and one letter had ended it.
Sighing, Skylar turned back to the bathroom and went about getting ready. What was done was done. The most important thing now was to find Kendra. Then she and Gabe could legally end a marriage that never should have happened to begin with. He could go back to his world and she would return to hers.
That’s the way he obviously wanted it. And, at some point, she planned to feel the same way.
Gabe paced back and forth as he waited for Skylar to emerge from the bedroom. In between chasing leads that led nowhere in their search for Kendra, he’d been struggling with all sorts of feelings. He hadn’t wanted to leave her after her collapse, but he’d seen the look on her face. She was on the edge. If he’d stayed … hell, if he had stayed, he would have tried making love to her and opened up a whole new set of problems. Problems neither of them needed.
But while he’d stayed away, he couldn’t shut down his memories. He’d successfully held them back for years, but like a dam had been let loose they flooded him. E
very tiny detail came into play as he thought about those days of bliss. Hot summer sun, soothing breezes, and Skye in his arms. No man could have asked more of heaven.
What would have happened if he hadn’t left the island? If he had just waited … or come to New York, gotten past her bodyguards and confronted her. Had he tried hard enough to see her?
After that damn letter, he’d been numb for months. Then he’d hired a discreet attorney and pursued a divorce. After a couple of years of sending divorce papers that were returned unsigned, he’d given up. But what would have happened if he hadn’t allowed his stupid insecurities full reign? If he had tried just one more time to see her?
Jeremiah James’s taunting words had done exactly what he’d set out to do—created a doubt that Skye’s love was real. That someone like Gabe, an awkward, dorky nobody from nowhere, West Virginia, could hold on to a woman like Skye. She was Skylar James, wealthy beyond his imaginings, known and revered by everyone.
The magazines and newspapers the man had thrown at him, showing exactly who Skylar James was, only added to those deep-seated insecurities he hadn’t known existed. Gabe had never been ashamed of his humble background. Had never really considered himself that different from anyone else. But Jeremiah James had planted seeds of doubt.
When the call came from the woman who sounded identical to Skye, ending their marriage, those seeds had sprouted and taken off like kudzu. Gabe had left the island before she could hurt him any more.
And Skye had almost died. He couldn’t get over that thought. She’d almost died because she’d been searching for him. Her love had been real … perhaps more so than his.
Those feelings he once had for her were reemerging and blending with newer ones. Especially after his conversation with Noah this morning. He and Skye had a hell of a lot to talk about.
Gabe had assumed her lifestyle of wealth and fame was the real Skye. And she hadn’t tried to defend herself. Why should she? He was the prick who’d assumed the worst without asking questions. Well, no more.
The door opened and Skye emerged. She looked rested. The color had returned to her face, the bruises were still there but healing, and damn it all to hell, she had on a sleeveless white shirt and skin-tight jeans that emphasized every sleek curve … and he wanted her. Dammit all to hell, he wanted her.
She flashed him a wary, tentative smile. Most likely because he probably looked like the gruffest, grumpiest man on the planet. He was married to this woman and couldn’t touch her … couldn’t make love to her. Whoever said you had to die before you experienced hell hadn’t walked in his shoes.
Apparently hoping to improve his mood, she headed for the kitchen. “I’ll make some coffee. Would you like breakfast?”
Gabe pulled his head out of his ass and followed her. “I made coffee when I first arrived. Might be too strong. I also ate some cereal you had in the pantry.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I haven’t opened the refrigerator since I got back. Was the milk okay?”
Gabe shrugged. “Ate it dry. It was fine.”
A full-fledged smile sprang to her lips and his heart gave a painful jerk. He remembered that smile.
“Why don’t I make us a real breakfast? We’ll think better and you can tell me what you’ve learned while I cook.”
“You cook?”
The smile froze on her face for barely a second, but she regrouped and said, “Yes, amazing what a fortune can do. I took cooking lessons.” She turned away from him and opened the refrigerator.
Hell, he’d hurt her feelings. But he couldn’t deny his surprise. She could afford a chef to cook every meal for her, but she chose to learn how to do it on her own. Just in the last few hours, he’d learned several important things about Skye, and now Gabe wanted to know everything. He didn’t care that it wasn’t wise, smart, or even the proper timing. Skylar James had just become his number one interest.
And then, after their talk, after they had said what they needed to say, he would do what he should have done eight years ago. He’d say goodbye to her face. And walk away … this time for good.
Skylar grimaced as the egg she’d just cracked almost slipped from her hand. He made her nervous. Those blue eyes that had mesmerized her from their first meeting watched her like a hawk as she prepared a simple meal of eggs Benedict. His surprise that she could cook had hurt, but she understood. Because she had money and could hire a cook, why bother to learn? The fact that she enjoyed doing things for herself probably never entered his head.
To keep her mind off him and on their main priority, she said, “You said you wanted to talk. Did Calvin give you any information on Kendra?”
Disgust tightened his face. “Other than the kid needing a change of underwear and giving us his promise to get right with the Lord, going to see him was worthless.”
Even though he hadn’t been able to shed any light on Kendra’s disappearance, she couldn’t help but be glad Calvin had received a good scare. Maybe it would do him some good.
“And you were right. He’s not bright enough to be involved, even on the most basic level. My guess is his money comes from drugs.”
Nodding her agreement, she watched as Gabe took a sip of the fresh coffee she’d made. Would he notice she’d remembered how he liked his coffee? Black with two teaspoons of sugar? He took several appreciative sips but didn’t mention it. She told herself it was stupid to be disappointed. She wasn’t looking for his approval or appreciation.
“Noah faxed some stuff over this morning. Cole and I reviewed it before I came over.”
Which reminded her that there was someone else in New York with him. Gabe’s presence had a tendency to reduce everything and everyone around her to the background. And as handsome and appealing as Cole Mathison was, he wasn’t Gabe.
“Where is Cole? Will he be here also?”
“No, he went back to Florida this morning.”
Before she could question him further, Gabe turned and went toward her office. “I’ll show you what we’ve got.”
By the time he returned, she’d set breakfast on the table. Since she knew she wouldn’t be able to eat once they started talking about Kendra, she allowed herself a few bites before she looked down at the papers Gabe slid toward her.
While she read through the information, she was comforted by the knowledge that Gabe was there with her. His quiet strength gave her hope. And from the looks of the reports, they were going to need all they could get.
She looked up at the grim-faced man across from her. “So Kendra could be in any one of these cities?” Her eyes dropped back to the papers in front of her. “My God, this spans the globe.”
“Whoever is in charge of this operation has been doing it for quite some time.”
“But how is it that they don’t get caught? Advertising on such a popular list should have caught someone’s attention before now.”
Gabe shook his head. “That’s not how they’re all nabbed. Looks as though he or they use several different methods.”
Skylar glanced down at the locations of the girls who’d disappeared. “And he’s getting them from all over the world … not just New York … not just the U.S.”
“No.” Gabe’s voice was grim. “Which means we have to find the bastard before we can find the missing girls.”
“What about the police? And the FBI? Aren’t they involved?”
“Yes and no. Every one of these girls has a history of running away. There’s only one girl who’s underage. The others are of legal consent. Most of them were either homeless or have no permanent address.”
“So no one really believes they’ve been abducted?”
“We do.”
“Why?”
“From what you’ve told us about Kendra, she wouldn’t have run away. The other girls fit her profile. No real family to believe they haven’t run away again. But each of them disappeared in a similar fashion.”
“Will you keep the police informed?”
“LCR has a go
od working relationship with New York authorities. We have a couple of contacts we can call on, but for now it’s LCR and a few civilians. Until we can do some digging, we’ll keep it below the radar.”
Skylar took another sip of coffee and said, “Okay, so what’s our plan?”
“I need more information on Kendra.”
“Like what?”
“Apparently you’re the only one who’s even aware she’s missing. I want to know how a young girl with her connections could disappear and you be the only one who gives a damn.”
“There are other people who care. They just believe she’s run away again.”
“They don’t care … not like you do.” He paused a second as if waiting for her to say something else. Then he said softly, “Tell me about your mentoring program, Skye.”
Gabe watched a myriad of emotions cross her face, wariness being the most obvious. Did she think he was going to make light of what she’d done with her life? He was still reeling from the information Noah had given him. To most of the world, Skylar James might well be a social butterfly with nothing more on her mind than the next party or fashion accessory, but Skye had a secret life. One that few knew about.
“It’s just something I got involved with a few years back.”
“Don’t minimize what you do, Skye. Mentoring high-risk teens is an admirable occupation. Why do you hide it?”
“Can you imagine what would happen if it was discovered? The press would follow me everywhere. Every time someone famous does something like that, people look for ulterior motives. They dig and dig until they come up with something that sounds even the slightest bit sleazy, and that’s what they focus on. Those kids don’t need that kind of attention. They need to feel safe. Not judged by society. Give reporters any kind of hint and they’d have a field day.”
“How do you keep it a secret? Your life is spread out on newspapers, magazines, and television for all the world to see.”
“The world sees what it wants to see. People see a beautiful, wealthy woman flaunting herself, seemingly enjoying all that her money has to offer, and they don’t look for secrets. I give them what they want and I get to have a life.”
No Chance Page 17