As they entered, Kristine was putting something into her purse that looked like an envelope.
“Is that my medical records?” I asked.
“What? No. Yes. I’ll show them to you later.”
I stared up at the ceiling as Wendy donned gloves, instructed me where to place my feet and legs, and began her exam. It didn’t hurt as much as it was uncomfortable. Obviously, I wasn’t a virgin, but having this woman look at me and place things into me was different and invasive. She pushed from within and without.
“Is that tender?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“How many sexual partners have you had?”
I looked up at Kristine. The answer was one, but if I said one, wouldn’t they expect me to know his information?
“I’m going to assume that means you’re unsure of the number.”
My stomach dropped at her theory. I wanted to scream that it was one, only one, and he’s my husband. Before I could, I sucked in a breath, wincing as she placed something new inside me and scraped. “Ouch.”
“We’re checking for STDs.”
The two women continued talking, but I wasn’t listening. I only wanted to know the result of the pregnancy test, and it seemed as though she was saying it was positive. I didn’t care about her assumptions. All I wanted to do is leave and get back to Patrick.
“Beautiful girl,” I heard Wendy say. “At this point I’d estimate her to be fifteen weeks into this pregnancy. Assuming she’s clean, the baby alone will be sought after. Adding her could net quite a bounty.”
I heard their words, but they weren’t making sense.
“I’m pregnant?” I asked again for clarification.
Wendy stood and removed her gloves. “Yes. The last step is the interview with Dr. Miller.”
“Interview? I didn’t understand. And fifteen weeks? How could I be that far along?”
Kristine’s hand came to my shoulder. “Don’t you understand? That’s great news. You’re past your first trimester.”
“But shouldn’t I be showing?”
She looked at my exposed stomach and legs. “I’d say you are.”
My hands went to my stomach. She was right. It wasn’t much. I’d attributed it to the food at the mission, but there was a bump.
“You change back into that new dress,” Kristine said, “and then you can meet with him.”
“Why?”
Wendy nodded as she stepped from the room.
“Why am I being interviewed?” I asked again.
“All very normal protocol. I mean, Dr. Miller only takes on so many pro-bono cases. This is a great opportunity for you and your baby—prenatal vitamins and a healthy pregnancy. You want that, don’t you?”
“Yes, I guess. I just wish Patrick were here.”
“You change into the dress and knock when you’re done.”
Though my heart was racing, I agreed, the whole time wishing to be back at the mission, wishing I’d told Patrick the truth.
Once I was dressed again, I did as Kristine said and knocked on the door.
When it opened, Wendy scanned me up and down. “I think you will work out well.”
I looked up and down the hallway. “Where is Kristine?”
“Not to worry. Please follow me.”
Worry was an understatement as I walked on the unfamiliar high heels along the quiet hallway. When she stopped at one of the last doors, she inserted a key and opened the door. “Dr. Miller will be along shortly.”
The door opened wider and my steps stalled as my heartbeat tripled in time.
“What is this?”
The room within was decorated like a cheap motel room. Basically, there was a bed and a chair. No windows. How high were we? I couldn’t remember.
“I think I need to speak to Kristine.”
“Step inside, Miss Tate. Learn to behave and the future is full of endless possibilities for you and your baby. Assuming Dr. Miller approves, your rewards and punishments are at my discretion as long as you’re here. I suggest you accept that.”
“Wait, no, I need to get back to my husband.”
Her lips curled upward. “Girls like you don’t have husbands.” She nodded to my hand. “No wedding ring and an untold number of partners. The fact that I don’t see any obvious disease is a positive. Enter the room, Miss Tate.”
I peered back the way we’d come. The hallway was empty.
“Don’t make me repeat myself again,” she said.
When I stepped in, the door behind me shut. The clicking of the lock echoed against the plain walls.
What was happening?
What had I done?
I paced back and forth, wishing there was a bathroom or anything attached. There wasn’t. The room was a box consisting of four walls and one door. The only light was overhead, and I didn’t see a switch. Avoiding the bed, I sat on the chair and then stood. I paced and then sat. There was no sense of time.
Did Patrick know I was missing?
My breathing caught as I turned within the chair toward the sound of the opening door.
My beating heart thumped in my ears, echoing, as an older man entered. He wasn’t dressed like a doctor. He wasn’t wearing a lab coat or carrying a stethoscope but instead wore a nice suit. His black loafers were covered in water droplets as if he’d recently been outside.
After locking the door, he placed a key in the pocket of his trousers. My nose scrunched as he came closer, preceded by the strong odor of cologne and cigars.
“Stand up and turn around.”
“I really think there’s been some mistake. I don’t belong here.”
Immediately, my chin was in his painful grasp. “You were not given permission to speak. Take off the dress, the hose, all of it and turn around.”
Tears came to my eyes. “Please.”
The strike came out of nowhere. I didn’t anticipate the blow to my cheek or what would happen next.
How could I?
Madeline
Present day
“Too late?” I repeated as I stood and reached for the clothes we’d discarded to the floor. “What do you mean? Why didn’t you tell me?”
With my mind now on Ruby, the lost opportunity for sex was quickly forgotten.
Could it be possible that by not having sex, I somehow felt closer to Patrick than if he had done as he threatened?
I truly wasn’t certain. This was uncharted territory for me, the idea of someone wanting me for more than pussy.
Patrick too reached for his trousers and secured them in place. He straightened his shirt and one by one placed his long arms into the sleeves. Instead of replacing the cufflinks, after leaving the top button undone, he rolled each sleeve to just below his elbows, and tucked the length of the tails into his trousers before latching the belt.
From my little bit of recent exposure to this man, it seemed dress trousers, no tie, and rolled-up sleeves was about the extent of his casual wear.
Why were men’s forearms incredibly sexy?
When our eyes met, my cheeks warmed. Still standing in my panties and bra, I’d been enjoying the show too much to continue dressing. “Um, I probably should dress.”
“I’m not complaining, but you’re not leaving this dressing room unless you’re covered.” He took a step toward me and pulled me close. “I don’t want even a chance that anyone else sees what belongs to me.”
I lowered my forehead to his broad shoulder, wishing that what he said could be true.
He pulled me out to arm’s length. “I meant it about those clouds.”
“Patrick, when I do tell you won’t—”
“Stop.”
“But—”
“Maddie, we have choices to make in our life. My choice is between spending the rest of mine upset that we missed out on seventeen years, or I can spend the rest of my life moving forward with my wife and daughter. You aren’t the only one who has done things that don’t make for a good story time. I’d rather look forw
ard. What about you?”
I nodded. “You make it sound easy.”
“No, it’s fucking hard. For this to work we’re going to go against some insurmountable odds.” His cheeks rose as a grin came to his lips. “But I figure having one of the best gamblers on my side is a good thing for beating the odds. Are you on my side?”
“I want to be.”
“Good, because we’ll be better as a team. We always were.”
“Right now my biggest concern is my...our daughter.”
He cupped my behind and squeezed. “Then cover this sexy ass so I can concentrate.”
With a stupid, giddy grin trying to curl my lips, I pulled the sweater over my head. After stepping into the slacks, I sat on the edge of the settee to don the socks and boots. Once I was done, I looked up to Patrick’s adoring blue gaze. “I want you to trust me, Patrick. Of all the things I’m not proud of, sacrificing for Ruby isn’t one of them. Losing you is.”
He offered his hand. “I want to trust you and vice versa.”
It was such an effortless move—Patrick offering me his hand to stand—and yet as I placed my palm in his, it felt like more. There was something invigorating at the dichotomy in size, how his fingers easily wrapped around my entire hand. His actions didn’t feel threatening, as if he would overpower me. Electrifying was a better description. When we connected it was as if bursts of energy sparked, igniting a flame, not only in my core, but in my heart.
Except for Ruby, I’d closed off that organ for so long. Patrick’s presence was like an AED to a dying heart. With the simplest of moves, he generated resuscitating shocks, bringing it back to life.
Inhaling, with my hand in his, I stood and said, “Tell me everything you know. What happened back in Ann Arbor?”
“I told you. Ivanov’s men were ready to take us out. They would have riddled the plane with bullets. I’m not sure you could have negotiated surrender.”
My head shook as the reality sank in. “He’s really done with me.” I sighed. “I suppose I knew there’d come a day. I always hoped it would be after I had Ruby away. I imagined university abroad.”
“She isn’t in Ann Arbor, not at Westbrook.”
“Of course she is. Her next break isn’t until—”
Patrick stood taller, stopping my words. “I’m telling you, not debating. She isn’t there.”
“You’re wrong,” I said as my deepest fear threatened to come true.
“When did you last talk to her?”
“Thursday, before going to Chicago.”
“Are you sure?”
I tried to think back. I planned to call her before I left and then... “No, it was Wednesday. I remember it was Wednesday afternoon. Her classes were done for the day. Andros told me to call her then, saying I’d be too busy on Thursday.”
There was a knock on the door. I looked to Patrick.
“I left strict orders not to be disturbed,” he said as he walked to the door and opened it inward.
Millie was on the other side.
“I said we were not to be disturbed.”
“Excuse me, Mr. Kelly, Ms. Miller. I apologize for the intrusion; however, Marianne just called and requested that you both be seat-belted.”
Patrick inhaled, looking back at me.
“We’re approaching our destination,” Millie went on, “and Marianne said to expect turbulence. If you’ll both reenter the main cabin, I’ll be happy to bring you anything you need—a drink or something to eat?”
I saw the way Patrick’s back straightened and neck grew taut with each of her offers. Patrick may be able to see me in a way others couldn’t. I saw him too. Walking to the door, I stopped beside him. “Thank you, Millie. If we need to be seat-belted, you do too.”
A smile came to her lips. “Thank you, Ms. Miller. I don’t mind. It’s my job.”
I turned to Patrick with a tilt of my head. “We can continue this out there. It’s better to be safe.”
“Thank you, Millie,” Patrick said. “Listen to Ms. Miller. She’s right; we should all be secure if there’s turbulence.”
When Millie walked away, Patrick turned and reached for my hands. “You know, I’m usually the voice of reason.”
“Apparently, now you’re in shambles.”
“I’m preoccupied, that’s for sure.”
I shrugged. “I’m partially responsible. Besides, I have a soft spot for people, especially women who do their job or try to help and are rebuked for it.” Too many instances with Andros came to mind. I wouldn’t have dared do with Andros what I just did. Instead, I did my best to support his staff when he wasn’t around.
“I wasn’t rebuking her,” Patrick replied.
This wasn’t the time for that discussion. “I want to know about Ruby. You’re scaring me with the information that she’s not at school. Let’s sit out there.”
Together we walked back to the main cabin. While we’d been in the dressing room, the day had begun to dawn and the sky to lighten. Taking the seat by the window facing the closed partition, I leaned against the leather and fastened the seat belt. To my surprise, instead of sitting across from me, Patrick took the seat to my side and squeezed my hand. “I don’t blame you for being scared. I was too.
“Ruby was checked out of the academy on Wednesday night at around seven o’clock.”
My head shook. “Only Andros or I can check her out. We were both in Detroit.”
“And you know that for sure?”
My chest grew heavy. “I know where I was. He was there too. I saw him earlier in the day. I guess...” I tried to recall. “...Patrick, I have—I had—my own apartment within the compound. I did my best to stay out of his and others’ way. If I were being honest, unless I was instructed otherwise, I kept to myself. I spent Wednesday night packing for the tournament. After my call with Ruby, I was notified that I’d be eating in my apartment, which was fine by me. It meant that Andros was preoccupied with something else. I read for a while before falling asleep.” My neck straightened as I thought about my answer. “I don’t know where he was—I assumed.”
“So after he told you to call Ruby, you didn’t see him again until...?” Patrick asked.
“Until he arrived in Chicago on Friday in the early afternoon.”
“You said it wasn’t a long drive to the academy from where you lived.”
“No, less than an hour.”
“According to the academy’s computer system, Ruby Miller was not only checked out but removed from Westbrook Preparatory Academy indefinitely. The notes said that she was transferring schools.”
Letting go of Patrick’s hand, I ran my palm over the top of my slacks, up and down, the friction helped me think. “Oh, please no.” I looked out the window. The sky above was blue as the early sun’s rays cast pinks across the clouds below.
Gone?
Where was she?
Was she alone?
“She must be frightened.” And then I thought of something. “You said that your people hacked into the academy’s files,” I said, trying to make sense of what was happening. “That wasn’t supposed to be possible.”
“I have some incredibly talented people on my side.”
“Do you know where she transferred? I mean, they would have wanted her records.”
“There was no information.”
“Oh my God. My daughter.”
“I told you my people are talented. Using a series of satellite images, they were able to follow Ivanov’s motorcade.”
I inhaled. Andros was paranoid. He always had been. He rarely traveled alone. “Where?”
“He took her to his plane.”
I fought off the images vying for space in my head. “Where did the plane go?”
“It landed at a private airport outside Corpus Christi.”
I fought against the seat belt to stand. “I know where he took her. He has a retreat on the north end of Padre Island. It’s well protected. He goes there off and on during the winter. Maybe he tol
d her it was a surprise vacation.”
“I don’t know what he told her. Would he leave her there alone?”
“Yes. But she wouldn’t be alone. She only is at school because we thought...At the island house there’s staff that stays there year-round. They know her and I’m sure she has Oleg.”
Patrick sat back. “Who is that?”
“He’s…I guess you would say…her bodyguard.” A smile came to my lips. “He’s big and scary-looking and she loves him. He’s been around since she was a baby. And the others at the retreat know her too.”
“We need to know exactly where the compound is. Now that it’s daylight we can search satellites.”
“I remember it was the north end, away from all the people.”
“Tell me about the security.”
“Walls surrounding the property except to the east. The beach is restricted, but Andros didn’t want his view obstructed.”
“We should be able to find it.”
I let out a long breath. “At least she’s safe there.”
“Are you sure?”
“If Andros isn’t there, she’s in good hands.”
“According to my men, Ivanov left Chicago after we didn’t land in Ann Arbor.”
My stomach twisted. “He’s on his way to her.”
“He already landed in Dallas.”
My nose scrunched. “That doesn’t make sense.
“I agree. Why stop there? Why not fly closer to the island?” Patrick asked. “I’m confident that Ivanov believed you’d go back to Ann Arbor for Ruby. He heard you tell me that she’s my daughter. You were wearing the bracelet. Even with my people distracting him in Chicago, his making the assumption that you’d get to Ann Arbor as quickly as possible made sense. The reason he wasn’t in a hurry to leave Chicago was because he knew you wouldn’t find Ruby. He’d already moved her while you were preparing for the tournament. There’s no way for him to know we followed him to Texas.”
“What would I have done without you?”
“Maddie, I don’t know how Ivanov knew you’d receive help from the Sparrows, but I believe he did. I believe this is all part of his bigger plan.”
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