“Because of what happened with the car?”
“No,” he explained. “Because I blew it with you, and he is tired of me doing that. There’s more to the story though. I just can’t get him to tell me what it is.”
“You should go home and get some sleep,” Harlan suggested. “Or crash here on the couch.”
“I’m not giving up on the case,” Dallas replied quickly, trying to answer the question Harlan didn’t have enough courage to ask. Does this mean we can be together?
“You’re not?” she asked, an arrow plunging into her chest. “Even though he’s told you to?”
“He’ll have no choice but to see me once I get him a new trial. Or if I get him exonerated completely by proving Larry committed the murder. I’m not stopping.”
“Right,” Harlan said quietly. “Well, take care of yourself. Watch your back.”
“I’m glad to see you’re keeping your security team and not giving them trouble. It’s the right thing to do.” Dallas swallowed hard.
“I’ve made some important decisions,” she explained as he trudged toward the door, feet shuffling slowly. “I’ve figured out how to get some control back in my life and still stay safe.”
“I’m glad,” he nodded, knocking lightly on the door as not to startle the man on the other side. “I’m sorry again,” he apologized as he stepped outside.
“Stop being sorry,” she ordered. “Just sleep, feel better.”
“I hope Rylie calls,” he forced out. “I hope things work out for you.”
“Maybe you should start saving some of that hope for you, Dallas,” she suggested. “You count too.”
Chapter 28
It was right there in the local small circulation newspaper Harlan had picked up in the lobby of the girls’ dance school. The answer that Harlan had been waiting for was finally right in front of her. Now all it would take was the courage to actually put her plan into action. That was an entirely different challenge. It had taken a few days to work herself up to it, but today was the day.
“Mom,” she said, peeking her head into her mother’s darkened bedroom. “I need to ask you a favor.”
“Sure,” she said drowsily, sitting up slowly from beneath her comforter. “What time is it?”
“It’s really early. Five thirty in the morning. Krissy is at my house with the girls, and I need some help with something.”
“What could you need this early?” she asked, wiping the sleep from her eyes and reaching for her robe. “Is everything all right?”
“I need a diversion,” Harlan whispered. “I need to slip away from Horace, my security, for the morning. I won’t be long, but it’s important that I get some privacy. You can help me.”
“Oh Harlan,” her mother groaned, shaking her head. “Your brothers have been very clear. You made a commitment; you promised them your number one priority would be your safety.”
“I said I would do it for the girls. That’s exactly what this is about, so I’m technically keeping my promise.”
“You were always good at finding a way around the rules.”
“It’s only for about an hour, and I promise I’ll be safe.” That was a stretch. Her destination was the equivalent of walking into the lion’s den, but it had to be done. And it had to be done by her. That was the only way it would work.
“How in the world am I going to create a diversion?” Her mother was out of bed now and stepping into her slippers. “You give me too much credit. I’d make a terrible secret agent. You know my ears turn red when I lie.”
“I already have a plan. You remember the time you made those blueberry muffins?”
“And I nearly burned down the house?” she laughed, slapping her hand to her head at the memory. “I certainly would never win on a cooking show, that’s for sure.”
“Yes, all the batter flipped into the bottom of the oven when you dropped the muffin tin in. I think that would have people running your way this morning. Remember how much smoke it made?”
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing? I worry so much about you.” She glanced in the mirror and pinned up her hair the same way she did every morning. Creature of habit was far too gentle of a phrase for her mother. She was a slave to it.
“I’ve given this a lot of thought. It’s something I have to do. I’ve weighed out all my options, and if I ever want to walk around this world without some dude two steps behind me waiting to pounce on looming threats, I have to do this. I know this is a lot to ask, Mom. It’s not easy for you.”
“It might look from the outside that nothing is easy on me. That’s not true. You make my life wonderful. All of you do. I don’t know where I’d be without you.”
Harlan felt the lump in her throat double in size. She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t seriously considered grabbing her kids in the middle of the night and disappearing to some far-off place. There would be no obsessive habits of her mother to worry about. No threat of a gambling relapse from her father. Guards would be a distant memory, and her children would frolic joyfully. Did kids still frolic? In her imagination they did. Across a beach, out in a field, wherever they wanted. Now with her mother’s damp eyes staring at her expectantly, Harlan knew more than ever she couldn’t run from this. It would need to be faced head-on. Which meant they had some muffins to burn.
It took surprisingly long for her mother to make a perfect batter, considering she was about to dump it on the bottom of her stove. “You know messes like this kill me. I’m going to be thinking about the burned-on batter for a week. I’ll dream about it long after it’s cleaned up.”
“I know,” Harlan said, leaning in and kissing her on the cheek. “Which makes me appreciate this so much more. Are you ready?”
“Yes,” she grumbled and rolled her eyes. She was still not completely convinced she was doing the right thing. “Are you, Harlan?”
“I’ve got this,” she promised as she slipped out of the room and into the study by the front door. When the smoke began and everyone ran in to help, she’d be able to dash for her car.
It was a long shot, but miraculously it worked. When smoke reached the alarm and it started to blare every security member came in, anxious to help. Her mom moved out the back door and any man not attending to the smoking oven went with her to ensure she was all right. Harlan was not alarmed by her mother’s coughing. It gave Harlan just the window she needed to get away.
When her key turned in the ignition she felt a rush of excitement. She was on her way to something incredibly risky, but the reward would outweigh any threat of danger. Or at least that’s what she kept telling herself.
Chapter 29
The ice rink was cold and loud, the buzz of fans and cooling equipment adding an intrusive hum to everything. Children shouted and whistles blew; hockey sticks made a smacking noise against the ice.
Harlan took a seat at the top of the bleachers to the left of the rink and watched. She wasn’t in a rush. According to the newspaper article she’d read, the team would be playing back-to-back games. It was important for her to watch first. To asses if her gut had been right.
After the first period she had her answer. This was worth the risk. Moving down the cement stairs toward the group of parents standing at the boards, she knew she was ready.
“Marc?” she asked in a friendly tone, few heads turning her way. “I didn’t realize Donavan was playing today.”
“What . . .uh,” Marc Azeela stammered, instantly ushering her off to a quieter spot. When everyone else was out of ear shot, his face twisted in anger. “What the hell are you doing here? The deal was pretty clear. Stay the hell out of my way. I didn’t want to see or hear from any of your family, or we’d have problems.”
“I never agreed to that deal. I didn’t agree to much of anything that day.” Her chin was tipped up as she swallowed hard, his hand tight on her arm as he led her farther away from the rink.
“What kind of game are you playing?” he hissed.
“No game. I just came to talk to you. To ask you a favor, really. I read in the paper that your son had won the town championships and would be playing regional games here today. I wanted to watch you with him for a while and figure out what kind of father you were.”
“What is this?” he asked, an incensed bite in his voice.
“Are you the kind of dad that shouts at him when he misses the puck? Do you yank him off the ice and scream when he blows a play? But you don’t. You cheer him on. You had so much pride on your face when he scored that goal.”
“Listen lady, my patience is getting pretty thin. If you’re here to ask for your money back, I can stop you right there. Just because your dad is a gambling addict, it isn’t my problem. A debt is a debt.”
“I’m not here because of that. This isn’t about the money. I don’t want that back. I want my life back. The day you took me and my daughters, you changed us. They are different now than they were before that night. I’m a different mother than I was. Our lives were already upside down. My husband had left, and we were already in disarray.”
“You’re here for an apology? I’m in church every Sunday. I give my confession to the priest. I’m not looking for anywhere else to repent.”
“Not an apology,” she explained. “I think you have your reasons for doing what you do, even if I don’t agree with it. And I’m sure one of those reasons is down on that ice. Parents, we always want better for our kids than we had.”
“Your girls were sweet, I wasn’t trying to scare them. I tried to avoid that. Believe it or not I don’t make the rules in this world. There’s money to collect, and I have to get it. Nothing makes people pay faster than their love for their children.”
“I know that too,” she agreed. “It’s another reason I came here today. It’s why I hoped this would work.”
“What would work?” he asked nervously, looking around as though some master plan of hers was about to unfold.
“I am asking you to please give me your word that no matter what happens with my father—or the rest of my family or anyone else—my children will not be used as pawns ever again. I won’t ask you to extend that to me or anyone else, just them. I can’t parent them like this. You know the world is full of worries. I can’t walk around wondering if next week or next year they’ll be taken from me. I’m begging you please promise me this.”
“Why in the world would you believe a promise I make?” he scoffed.
“Because I don’t imagine a man who is as powerful and respected as you can make it this far without being true to his word.”
Marc was silent, staring over at his son as he took to the ice again. “Fine,” he agreed somewhat reluctantly. “Your girls are out of this. You don’t have to worry about them as far as me or my men are concerned. But you need to understand how badly this could have gone for you today, walking in here. The risk—”
She cut him off. “There is nothing I wouldn’t risk for my children. I can’t think of a single thing I wouldn’t do to make their lives better. Surely you understand that.”
“I do,” he said, diverting his eyes.
“Thank you,” she whispered as she turned to walk away, but he caught her arm again.
“I know things,” he threatened. “And I know you want to know them too.”
“What are you talking about?” Harlan asked, nervous again for the first time since she’d walked in.
“You want to know who killed Angus Durrah, right? Well, I know. Don’t act like you weren’t hoping this might come up too.”
Chapter 30
Dallas heard the knock on his door but he didn’t move. He’d been awake for nearly thirty hours and was now finally lying in his bed; nothing would get him up.
“Dallas, it’s Gabby. Open the door.” She banged again. “I know you’re in there. Your truck is outside.”
“Gabby?” he croaked, sliding back into his jeans and a T-shirt. It had been six months since he’d seen his ex-girlfriend, and their ending had such finality to it, he hadn’t expected to hear from her again. Pulling the heavy door open, he set his eyes on someone who looked just about as broken as he was. “What’s the matter?” he asked, stretching the ache out of his back and blinking the sleep out of his eyes.
“You look like shit,” she said, pushing her way into the apartment.
“No offense, but you kind of do too. It’s been a while. I wasn’t expecting to see you again. What’s wrong?” He probably would have offered her a seat, but she was already flopping down on the couch.
“We need to talk—” she started. He was too tired to talk and thought a preemptive strike would be best. Their relationship had been filled with hundreds of conversations that started that way.
“If Tim sent you to check on me you’d better not tell him a damn thing about me. He can’t have it both ways. He’s acting ridiculous, considering what’s at stake.”
“Tim didn’t send me,” she corrected. “As a matter of fact, if he knew I was here, he’d never forgive me.”
“What are you talking about?” Dallas asked, eyeing her suspiciously. Gabby was never one to cause trouble just for the fun of it. She was a passionate debater, always down for a good argument but only when it had a purpose. This seemed different, somehow more critical. They weren’t about to launch into their opinions on nuclear bombs or vaccines.
“Tell me if he’s out of options,” she begged, blinking away tears. “I heard about the car being burned. Was that his last chance? I know there are possibilities of other appeals and stuff, but can he really get out of there with just what they have today?”
Gabby and Tim had always gotten along well. Usually they spent their time together poking fun at all of Dallas’s quirks. She’d been as motivated as Dallas to get Tim free, but like everyone else, as their relationship dissolved, so did her involvement.
“I’m not giving up,” he stated, but she looked unfazed by his words. “I can get him out of there.”
“You can’t,” Gabby murmured. “But I can.”
“How can you free him?” Dallas mocked, positive he must have heard her wrong. Nothing about this was simple, and Gabby certainly didn’t have any kind of magic bullet to fix it.
“I’m his alibi for that night,” she said, dropping her head down and shaking her legs like a nervous tick.
“It doesn’t work that way, Gabby. I appreciate the fact that you’d be willing to do that for him, but the cops will be able to prove you weren’t there. There’re telephone records, cameras at whatever stores you walked into during that time, credit card statements. They won’t just take your word for it.”
Gabby waved a hand to quiet him, gathering what looked like all her strength to continue speaking. “I was with him that night, Dallas. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. My cell phone would ping the tower by his house. Because I was there. The pictures we took would have a time stamp and date. There would be enough to prove I’m telling the truth.”
“How could you pull all that off?” Dallas asked, still trying to understand. “Is this something you’ve been planning?”
“You’re not listening to me. This isn’t an elaborate plan. It’s the truth. Tim begged me not to say anything. He was so damn worried about betraying you that he would rather sit in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. I should have told you before, but I kept hoping justice would be served, and they’d realize Tim didn’t do it. But now, now I’m worried he’ll be in there forever if I don’t tell the truth.”
“I don’t understand,” Dallas stammered. “You were together that night? Like together?”
“Yes,” she admitted sheepishly, looking half relieved that he was finally starting to understand. “A few weeks earlier, you and I had a stupid fight about something, and I ran into Tim. We started talking, and he offered me a ride home. Everything just kind of snowballed from there. It’s something we both regret now, obviously. I understand if you hate me and hate him, but he can’t keep doing this. I had to tell someone.”
“He’s had an alibi this entire time? Something with hard proof where he was that night? There’s no way. No one would put themselves through that just to keep from hurting someone else. That doesn’t make sense.”
“I wouldn’t,” she said, half laughing. “You wouldn’t either. But Tim would. He’s loyal on a completely different level. There is nothing he wouldn’t do to protect the people he cares about. That includes my reputation and your feelings.”
“That’s why he was freaking out about me being happy, having a life. He thinks he robbed me of happiness?” Dallas looked at Gabby and chuckled in an awkward and humorless way. “I’m not trying to be a dick, but you and I were not in love. We were not going to ride off into the sunset.”
“I know that,” she sighed, nodding her agreement. “But Tim betrayed you. The photographs that would have been shown in court to prove where he was would embarrass me and hurt you. He can’t move past that. Prison is the cross he thinks he has to bear right now. He believes at some point the real facts about the murder will come out, and he can be freed without having to hurt you.”
“This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” Dallas announced, pacing around his small studio apartment, his fingers pinched to the bridge of his nose. “I’m going to kill him.”
“I was trying to respect what he wanted. I figured if he was willing to do this, who am I to take that from him? But that was only when I thought it would be a short time before he was out. Then you kept ruining your own life along the way, and it was driving him mad. He was trying to protect you from everything, and the one thing he couldn’t protect you from was yourself.”
“I’m going to get him exonerated, and then I’m going to kill him,” Dallas said, raking his hands over his head, trying to get the information to sink in.
“I’m sorry, Dallas,” she whispered as she headed for the door. “I’ll go on record, make a formal statement. Whatever has to happen. I’ve got the phone records and the pictures. I’ve been sick over this for a long time.”
Loyal Hearts (The Barrington Billionaires Book 4) Page 14