Chance Encounter

by Christy Reece

  Kacie sat on the sofa.

  Brennan was surprised at her acquiescence. He had expected an argument. Though he could see she wasn’t totally onboard about owning a gun or learning how to use one, he admired her willingness to consider. She didn’t seem to be an impulsive person, in speech or action. He’d noticed she sometimes paused a second or two before responding to a question. Had this carefulness to react always been a part of her personality? He had a strong feeling that it hadn’t. She had learned the hard way that impulsive behavior could lead to disastrous results.

  She picked up a steel-toothed comb and grinned. “Okay, so I’ll mesmerize my opponent by combing my long, golden locks and then go in for the kill.”

  He couldn’t resist looking at those long, golden locks. She had gorgeous, silky-looking hair that fell well past her shoulders in thick waves. He gave himself a mental shake. Hell, maybe she was right about being able to mesmerize her opponent.

  “Not exactly but almost.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He took her fingers and pressed them against the steel edges of the teeth. “Feel how sharp these are? You could do some damage to a guy’s face or throat.” He took the comb from her and lightly ran it down his face and across his neck. “Enough for you to get away.”

  She shivered slightly, and he saw that her amusement had been swallowed by memories. She was remembering her abduction.

  “Stay with me, Kacie. That was then…this is now.”

  She nodded. “Okay. So…what else?” She reached down and picked up a small curling iron. “I’m seeing a theme here.”

  “You may not carry a purse large enough for that, but if you do, it could do some serious damage to an eye or a throat. Even a groin, if you’ve got a good angle.”

  “I’ve got a couple of good-sized purses I can start using.”

  He nodded. “My wife had a closet full, some of them as large as my suitcase.”

  “Your wife?”

  Hell, when was the last time he’d mentioned Vanessa in such a casual way? There was something about Kacie Dane that made him let his guard down. He didn’t like the feeling.

  “Former wife. Remember…she’s dead.”

  Cold, harsh words, but he couldn’t have said them any differently. He had learned to forgive Vanessa her infidelity, knowing a good part of that had been his fault. He’d been a self-absorbed asshole, and she’d turned to someone else to get what she needed. He hadn’t and didn’t believe he could ever forgive her for the other, though. She had ended up taking the easy way out. Even though he’d hated her for what she’d done to their son, he also despised the way she’d handled the aftermath.

  Bottom line, they’d both been selfish morons who hadn’t appreciated the gift of their son. Cody had paid the ultimate price for his parents’ lack of strength and character.

  “I’m sorry.”

  He gave a nod of acknowledgment for her sympathy and then went on to explain the other items on the table. A pen in the eye or throat. Small can of aerosol hair spray to temporarily blind an attacker. Manicure scissors and a nail file to stab.

  He held up the hair spray. “Spray this in a guy’s face, and he won’t be seeing anything until he can wash his eyes out.”

  “I see you’ve got pepper spray and mace, too.”

  “Yes. The more you have, the better your chances of being able to immediately find at least one or two things that can help you.”

  “So how does a former NFL football player become an LCR operative?”

  He was surprised she hadn’t asked the question before, although they’d barely had time to talk since he arrived.

  The doorbell rang, and he figured that explanation would have to wait a little longer.

  She stood. “That’s probably Skylar and Gabe. I think they’re bringing takeout from the Italian restaurant at the corner.”

  Only, it wasn’t Skylar and Gabe. And from the dread on Kacie’s face, it was the last person she wanted to see.

  Chapter Eleven

  And her day just became infinitely less pleasant. With a frustrated sigh of disgust, Kacie opened the door. Once this visit was over, she planned to have a long, stern talk with front-desk security about who was allowed up to her apartment without her being notified first. This person most definitely was not on that exclusive list.

  “Hello, Mother.”

  Sonia floated in on a wave of Chanel No. 5 and acted as if she belonged there. Her confident stride halted for a moment when she spotted Brennan. Light hazel eyes glinted with speculation. “Now I know why I haven’t heard from you. Keeping secrets from your mama?”

  Kacie closed the door and resisted an eye roll. She hadn’t seen the woman in almost a year and had talked to her on the phone only a couple of times. Her mother knew full well the reasons for the lack of contact. They could barely be in the same room with each other for more than five minutes without Kacie wanting to either toss her mother out the door or throw up from the stress. Or both.

  “Mother, this is Brennan Sinclair. He’s a…friend.”

  “I’ll just bet he is,” Sonia practically purred.

  Kacie suppressed a shudder. There was something exceedingly icky about seeing her mother come on to this man—especially when, for all she knew, he could be her daughter’s boyfriend.

  “Brennan, this is Sonia Carson Musgrave. My mother.”

  Sonia’s eyes roamed up and down Brennan with embarrassing salaciousness. “You look familiar. Are you a model?”

  “No, ma’am, I’m not.”

  Kacie swallowed a nervous giggle at Brennan’s respectful answer, knowing her mother would hate it. In Sonia’s book, being called ma’am was tantamount to being called old lady.

  “You must call me Sonia. Everyone does.”

  “All right, ma’am. Thank you.”

  Sonia’s eyes narrowed briefly in irritation before she turned her attention to Kacie. “Friends of yours visited me this afternoon. Honestly, Kacie. It was so rude of you to send them. They questioned me as if I were a common criminal. I didn’t appreciate it at all.”

  “That wasn’t my intent, Mother. I’ve had a few unsettling things happen lately—some threatening messages—and we wanted to—”

  “I know what you wanted. You wanted to intimidate me. Well, it won’t work, young lady. I know what you’re up to.”

  Completely flummoxed, Kacie asked, “And that would be?”

  “You think if I’m frightened, I won’t ask for more money. Well, you’re wrong. It’s the least you can do for all the things you put me through when you were a teenager. Then after you went away with that man, I had to put up with all sorts of questions. Then after you came back…all that nasty media coverage.”

  It was pointless to remind her mother that she hadn’t gone away with William Harrington, or that Sonia was the one who had called a press conference and told the world that Kendra Carson was one of Harrington’s victims. Kacie’s privacy had been violated mostly due to her mother’s need for attention.

  “I’ve given you money for almost three years. Your new husband is very wealthy, and I’m sure he—”

  “You leave him out of this.” She drew herself up and pointed a long, thin finger at Kacie. “You owe me, young lady. Three years of money is not nearly enough for what I’ve had to put up with from you.”

  Yet another reason why she wouldn’t see her mother unless she absolutely was forced to. Sonia blamed her for everything. Not once had she held her and tried to console her after she’d been found. Not once had she told her how happy she was that Kacie had survived. Not once had she told her she was proud of her for what she had achieved.

  And not once had Kacie been able to defend herself. Since her rescue five years ago, her one act of rebellion against her mother had been last month when she’d cut off funds. It didn’t look as though she would be defending herself now either. She opened her mouth to speak, and nothing came out.

  Where’s your backbone, Kacie?


  Brennan did not have the same problem.

  “Your daughter just told you she’s dealing with some threats, and all you can do is harass her for money that you clearly don’t need?” He walked slowly toward her, causing Sonia to stumble backward against the apartment door, where she froze, eyes wide with shock.

  “What kind of mother is so obsessed with her own selfish wants that she can’t be bothered to give a crap about her daughter’s safety?”

  Sonia’s mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air. She stuttered, “You can’t t-talk t-to m-me like that. Do you know who I’m married to?”

  “About the unluckiest bastard on the planet, I’d say.”

  “Kendra, are you going to just let him talk to your mother like that?”

  Fascinated didn’t even come close to what Kacie was feeling. Other than Skylar, no one had ever stuck up for her like that. It was a testament to how very shaken her mother was that she’d referred to her as Kendra. Having friends and acquaintances believe her daughter existed in a vegetative state in a private hospital suited Sonia quite well.

  However, it didn’t mean that Sonia wouldn’t do her best to blackmail her daughter for money if she thought she could get away with it.

  She glared at Kacie. “Well, don’t just stand there. Tell him he can’t talk to me like that.”

  Instead of replying, Kacie took her mother’s arm to pull her away from the door so she could open it. “I don’t think we have anything more to say to each other. Please leave.”

  “You ungrateful little bitch.” She cast a wrathful glare at Kacie and then a fearful one at Brennan, as if she thought he might come after her.

  Kacie closed the door in her mother’s face and then turned to the man who’d defended her. She wasn’t quite sure what to say.

  Brennan flashed a slightly embarrassed grin. “My mail-order degree in the art of diplomacy should be arriving any day now.”

  Brennan strapped on his ankle holster and slid in his .38 Colt Cobra. Kacie had emailed her agenda to him, and though the rest of the week looked busy, she planned to stay inside today. Didn’t matter, though. He rarely went anywhere without at least one weapon. Even inside the apartment, he planned to be prepared.

  Last night, after Sonia had left, he had gone to the lobby to have a talk with building security. Kacie had halfheartedly suggested that she go down, too, but fortunately, Skylar and Gabe had shown up before Brennan had to tell her she didn’t look as though she could handle a conversation with an infant. Her eyes had held an empty helplessness that said she had reached her limit.

  Skylar had taken one look at her and herded her up to her bedroom. Brennan had suggested Gabe accompany him to discuss who should and shouldn’t be on Kacie’s approved-visitors list.

  They’d learned that though building security was tight, Kacie’s list of approved visitors was appallingly long. With Gabe’s help, they’d whittled the list down considerably. Brennan had no qualms about doing so. He wasn’t denying Kacie visitors, but she damn well would get a warning before someone like Sonia showed up on her doorstep again.

  The security guards on duty had been different from the ones he’d seen earlier. Vincent Deavors was a grandfatherly older man who spent a good ten minutes talking about his grandkids. The other guard, Billy Barton, looked barely old enough to have a driver’s license and blushed every time they mentioned Kacie’s name. Both the men, however, appeared to take their jobs seriously.

  After he and Gabe returned to Kacie’s apartment, he had noted a definite improvement in Kacie’s demeanor. Skylar was good for her.

  He had been surprised that his comments to Sonia hadn’t come up in dinner conversation but was glad they hadn’t. Telling the woman off had not been his finest moment. He actually hadn’t intended to butt in, but when he’d seen Kacie’s face, nothing could have stopped him. She’d looked crushed, defeated. He had held back—maybe not as long as he should have—waiting for Kacie to defend herself. Instead, she’d stood there as if planning to take whatever abuse her mother doled out.

  Considering his own horrendous failure at parenthood, it was laughable that he could criticize another parent. However, for her mother to know what Kacie had endured, to see her not only overcome those things but triumph, and not be proud of her was inconceivable. Hell, he’d known her for only twenty-four hours, and he was in awe of her courage and grit.

  The sound of her walking downstairs brought him back to where he needed to be.

  Do the job, Sinclair.

  He left his room and went downstairs. Hearing her in the kitchen, he headed that way and felt the punch to his gut and then below. He knew she hadn’t slept well last night. He’d gotten up a couple of times to check on her, and she’d had the light on in her bedroom, the television on low volume. Yet now she looked as if she’d just come from the spa. Wearing a white skirt that showed off her beautiful legs and a sleeveless yellow sweater, Kacie Dane was the girl next door personified. Fresh, lovely, and innocent.

  “Good morning.” She flashed him a smile that one prominent magazine had referred to as pure sunshine. “Sorry I wasn’t up to offer you breakfast or coffee this morning. I overslept.”

  “No problem. I got my own coffee and even managed a couple of eggs.”

  “I’m surprised I had anything in the fridge for you to cook.”

  “Actually, you didn’t. I had some things delivered this morning.”

  “Oh gosh. I’m so sorry. I’m a terrible hostess.”

  “I’m not a guest, and you’re not my hostess.”

  Her smile dimmed for a moment as she registered and dealt with that fact.

  “You’re right.” She gave a small shrug. “This is all new to me. I don’t exactly know how to deal with a twenty-four-hour bodyguard, much less all the other stuff that’s happening.”

  “There’s nothing you need to do about me. I’m here to protect you. I can get my own coffee and meals. When we’re out for a meal, unless it’s a business thing, I’ll pick up the tab to maintain the illusion that we’re dating.”

  “Okay. That helps. I emailed my weekly agenda to you. Did you see it yet? It’s a little lighter than usual.”

  He barely refrained from grimacing at that news. Other than today, she had multiple appointments every day this week. “Any way you can arrange for those meetings to take place here, in your apartment?”

  “I guess. Maybe some of them.” She nodded after a moment’s thought. “Yes, I can do that.”

  “What’s a busy week look like for you?”

  “If I’m on location, I stay in a hotel close to the shoot. Depending on the job, I can be tied up from a couple of hours up to twelve.”

  “Any projects coming up?”

  “I’m due in Barbados in a couple of weeks for a shoot at a new resort that’s opening.”

  “If I’m still around then, are they going to be able to deal with an overprotective, hands-on boyfriend?”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem. I’m working with another model, David Stallings. He always brings along one of his girlfriends.”

  It wouldn’t be an ideal situation. He wouldn’t be close to her while they were taking the photographs, but at least he’d be close enough to watch out for her.

  “I wanted to thank you for yesterday. I didn’t get the chance…” White teeth chewed at her bottom lip as she struggled with her words. “My mother is…difficult.”

  “I’d say that’s an understatement.”

  She snickered and then sobered immediately as shadows clouded her eyes. “We never had a good relationship, even before…it happened. After…well, it just got worse.”

  “Seems like a mother would be proud of what you’ve accomplished. What you’ve overcome.”

  The tremble of her lip told him he’d hit his target with bull’s-eye accuracy.

  As if aware of what she’d given away, she took a shaky breath and straightened her spine. “Anyway, thank you for speaking up for me. No one other than Skylar h
as ever done that.”

  “You ever do it for yourself?”

  Color heated her cheeks. “I can defend myself against anyone, verbal or otherwise. It’s just, with my mom…”

  “Your mother is a horse of a different color.”

  That got a giggle from her, delightful and carefree. His heart lightened as he realized he enjoyed making her smile. But he also wanted an answer.

  “You’re a strong woman, that’s obvious. So why wouldn’t you stand up for yourself with your mother?”

  “It’s complicated.”

  Yeah, he knew all about complications. Who was he to question her method of handling parents? He hadn’t exactly done a stellar job with his own. His parents, however, had been polar opposites to Sonia Carson Musgrave.

  “Justin and Riley should be checking in within a few days. We’ll see what they’ve been able to uncover, then go from there.”

  “You think they might have some leads? The list of people who know the truth isn’t long.”

  “Probably not yet. If they had, one of them would’ve already called. I did hear from McCall this morning. The IP address came from one of those coffee houses here in the city that provides limited computer time for their patrons. Hundreds use their computers daily…so there’s no way to determine who sent the email.”

  She shivered and wrapped her arms around her waist. “I was afraid of that.”

  “McCall also double-checked the people who helped with the cover-up...and your name change. He’s certain the culprit’s not on that end.”

  “So it’s definitely someone here, in New York.” She shook her head, her eyes dimming. “Maybe we’re exaggerating the threat. It’s not like anything major has happened.”

  Denial was a normal human reaction but also dangerous. Hiring six kids to knock her down and scare the hell out of her wasn’t minor. And that might be just the beginning.

  “And our job is to make sure nothing major happens. I’ll keep you safe, Kacie. Trust me.”