Runaway Heiress
Page 17
Catching her thoughts going down a path she preferred to avoid, she cut them off. She wouldn’t think about a life with Jasper and how that made her feel all panicky inside. She withheld her trust for a good reason. She didn’t know Jasper that well. Trusting him too soon would be foolish. He was nothing like Darien, though.
And the baby...
Sadie rolled her head to look at her mother. Her mother did the same.
“What is it?” her mother asked.
Sadie had to tell her. She wouldn’t have another chance until it was safe to start freely talking to her.
“I’m pregnant,” she said.
Ana Sophia’s mouth formed a deep O. Then she sat up, her hand slipped from Sadie’s. “For real?”
Sadie swung her legs over the edge of the chair. “Yes.”
When her mother’s delighted face smoothed into concern, Sadie realized she must not appear happy.
“It happened too soon?” her mother asked.
Sadie nodded.
“Well, he seems like a nice man.”
“Yes, seems.”
“Surely you don’t think he’ll end up like Darien.”
“That’s just it. I don’t know and not knowing scares me.”
“Don’t be afraid, Sadie. There’s something—”
“Excuse me, madam.”
At the interruption, Sadie turned to see one of her mother’s servants dressed in formal attire. Her mother hadn’t lost her taste for that.
“Matias is in the foyer, asking to see...” He glanced at Sadie, flummoxed.
“Sadie,” Sadie said.
“Y-yes.”
“I don’t want to see him.”
“Maybe you should,” her mother said. “Don’t deny like I did for so many years. Confront him. Tell him how you feel. If he doesn’t acknowledge that, then you can rest easy knowing you did all you could.”
“Is that what you did?”
“Yes. I wasted too many years trying to fix him. I thought my love for him would change him make him more concerned about me and you than...money.”
If Ana Sophia had truly confronted Matias, then it hadn’t changed his selfish way. He’d chosen his corporation, his money, over his wife.
“How did he know I was here?” Sadie asked.
Her mother looked away.
“You told him?”
“Before you get upset, try to put yourself in my shoes. As a mother. I don’t want you to live the rest of your life with...negative thoughts that might hinder you, keep you from finding happiness.”
“Mother!”
“I know you don’t want to talk to him, but you need to. Don’t wait as long as I did, sweetheart.” She nodded to the servant.
Sadie glanced back at the two men Jasper had left with her. They moved to block the servant’s path.
“Just talk to him,” her mother said. “Show him all you’ve become without him.”
Would she still be running from her father if she didn’t talk to him? She didn’t have to say anything she didn’t wish to say. She didn’t have to allow him to control her anymore. Funny, how even after five years he could still induce fear and that inexplicable need to constantly please him. Yes, or endure the wrath of his temper and distain.
She stood from the recliner and faced the two bodyguards. “It’s all right.”
They moved aside and the servant vanished inside.
Sadie walked to the stone railing that resembled that of a turret in a castle. She and her mother shared that taste in architecture.
Ana Sophia remained on her chair, sipping tea and taking in the view.
Sadie’s heart palpitated in anticipation of facing her father, the great Matias Loredo. Dressed in a dark gray suit that must have cost thousands with a smooth blue tie, his dark beady eyes didn’t seem as penetrating as she remembered and his short black hair had a few gray strands now. She heard him step out onto the patio but didn’t turn. She waited for him to appear beside her. He didn’t say anything at first and she wondered if for once in his life he took time to choose his words carefully.
“Catalina,” he said at last.
Then Sadie faced him, feeling her confidence burgeon. She had nothing to fear from this man. “My name is Sadie now.”
“Yes, I heard you changed your name.” A flicker of displeasure crossed his expression, the slight hardening of his eyes and tightening of his mouth. “Your mother wouldn’t tell me what it was. She didn’t want me to find you.”
She didn’t offer any more.
“It’s what led to our divorce.”
“Just that? My escaping you did all that?”
His brow lowered at her tone. She’d never spoken to him this way.
“I thought it was Darien you escaped. The murders...”
“That was part of it.” Did he really not realize how his tyranny had ruined her?
“I gave you everything.”
“That’s what Darien said when I tried to leave him the first time.”
“You ran the Toronto office. You could have taken over for me when I retire.”
He bewildered her. “That was your dream, not mine. I’m living my dream now, and you’ll never take that away from me. I’ll never be your puppet again.”
“Pup...” He seemed genuinely shocked. “I never treated you that way. I didn’t micromanage. You made the Toronto office a success all on your own.”
“You never told me that before now. The only time you communicated to me was when I wasn’t doing things your way, or when you had something disparaging to say about your workers. I got so tired of watching you look down on them. You made me sick.”
“Most people don’t put their full effort forward unless they’re pushed.”
“There are other ways to push than make them feel puny. It’s called encouragement. Incentive. Positive reinforcement. Things you’re incapable of showing because you don’t care about anyone other than yourself.”
“Now that’s enough.” His temper finally flared. “I gave you every advantage. You should be thankful.”
She expected her blunt, insensitive talk to work that way. She couldn’t believe she was standing here saying all she’d thought of him. It felt freeing.
“The only thing I’m thankful for when it comes to you is that you never found me.”
“Good God, what prompted all this hatefulness in you?”
“Your hatefulness.”
“I have no hatred toward you. You’re my daughter.”
“No, your hatefulness toward everyone else, anyone you saw as beneath you.”
She watched him take several seconds to think that over, reflect on where she drew her accusations.
“I’m your daughter. The title is what got me where I was in your kingdom. Not love you had for me.”
“That’s pure nonsense. I love you.”
She scoffed.
“I’m a leader. An entrepreneur. People like me don’t cater to weaker sentimentality.”
“You don’t have to be a tyrant to make people do what you want.” She sighed. She was wasting her breath. He’d never change. “The only reason I agreed to see you is to tell you why I left. I have. I don’t care how you see it or if you disagree. I’ve told you and now I’m finished talking to you.”
“You ungrateful dissident. I should have you cut out of my will for this!”
“Go ahead. I make enough money on my own. I don’t need you.” She walked toward the two guards who still waited by the door.
Her father caught up. He took her arm and stopped her, a little roughly. “What are you doing? Are you living off the interest on the money I gave you?”
“I used it to start up a homeless shelter and program,” she said.
“I receive donations. I don’t make what I made at Loredo, but it’s enough. I don’t need money to feel successful and fulfilled. I’m not like you that way. I actually care about other people. So I guess that’s what made me do it. Seeing you not care made me care.”
A look of outrage consumed his face, his skin turning a shade of red. “I came here today to talk to you and find out how to get you back to work at Loredo. Your mother told me about the man who’s helping you resolve the murders. I wanted to offer my help.”
She didn’t need his help. Didn’t he see that?
“I’ll never go back to Loredo and do what you dictate,” she said. “I have a new life. My own life. I’m happy. Nothing you say or offer will make me give that up.”
“So that’s it. You’re just going to walk away and never see your father again.”
She considered him a moment, not sure that is what she intended. She hadn’t thought that far into the future. She’d only wanted to be free of Darien once and for all. Escaping her father had been a bonus.
“I might consider it if you can genuinely be happy for me and my own choices. I can’t tell you what to do with your company but I’d ask that you at least think about how you treat other people.”
“You can’t talk to me this way!” he roared. “I’m your father!” He gave her arm a jerk. “You will come back. I’ll see to it that you come to your senses. You’re a Loredo. You belong here with me!”
Her mother stood up from her chair as soon as Matias jerked Sadie.
The bodyguards appeared beside Sadie, one of them putting his hand on the gun holster on the side of his hip, the other folding his massive arms.
Matias looked from one to the other, taking notice of the gun, and then back to her.
“I’m speaking the truth. It’s long past the time someone did,” Sadie said. “And I will not come back.” Unless she came to see her mother, but she didn’t tell her father that.
Jasper appeared in the doorway, a breath of fresh air. The sight of him tickled her heart. The degree of joy startled her, although she gladly welcomed the feeling.
The guards and Matias turned to see him.
Jasper walked to Sadie, his gaze pinned on Matias and the guards as he came to stand beside her. He put his arm around Sadie. “Is everything all right?”
“Who are you?” Matias asked, noticing the way Jasper touched Sadie.
Ana Sophia appeared to Sadie’s other side. “Jasper Roesch. He’s from the investigative agency Sadie hired to get Darien off her back.”
“You’ve taken up with a mere private investigator?” Matias sounded and looked appalled.
Of course, he’d consider any man not in an equal position as him inferior.
“He’s much better than the one you lined up for her,” Sadie’s mother said.
Sadie shot a look her way. What was she saying?
“I’m sorry, Sadie. I was going to tell you, but he showed up before I could.”
“What...?”
“He arranged for you to meet Darien.”
Recalling how Darien had appeared when they’d first met, it made sense. Her father must have told him she’d be at that restaurant.
“How did you know Darien Jafari?” Jasper asked.
“He belonged to the same gentlemen’s club.”
“Were you aware of the full nature of his business?”
“Spacecraft type parts. Quite impressive.”
“Were you also impressed with his drug dealing?” Jasper asked.
Matias’s head moved back as though stunned. “I had a hard time believing he put a hand to my daughter, but drugs?” He shook his head. “Darien was a successful businessman. Are you sure you aren’t mistaken?”
“Quite sure. He’s also making illegal sales to prohibited countries,” Jasper said.
“Why am I not surprised?” Sadie turned a deliberately reproachful look toward her father.
Chapter 13
Sadie didn’t want to stop hugging her mother.
“It won’t be as long this time,” Ana Sophia comforted her.
Sadie took solace in that and leaned back, looking into her mother’s dark eyes. Sadie hoped she’d be as lovely at her age.
With her hands on Sadie’s upper arms, Ana Sophia moved away and then dropped her hands. “Call me when you can.”
“I will.” She stepped back, bumping into Jasper, who put his hand on her hip.
“Take care of my daughter,” Ana Sophia said to him.
“I will.” His deep, raspy voice sounded certain.
Her mother smiled fondly and Sadie would carry that image with her until she could see her again. With tears burning her eyes, she got into the sleek black sedan Jasper had arranged for them. The two guards would stay near her mother’s house to be sure no one had seen Sadie.
Jasper kept her close when they reached the private airport, first checking their surroundings as they got out of the car. He looked back at the terminal building door.
“Do you see something?” She looked back and saw nothing that stood out.
“Come on. Let’s hurry.”
Someone was here. No one had waited for them outside her mother’s house and no one had followed them, but somehow they’d learned she and Jasper planned to fly out of the private airport. They’d waited here for them.
Jasper looked back inside the small airport terminal. They hurried through the meager security and went outside onto the tarmac. As soon as they did, gunshots rang out inside the terminal. The few people inside screamed and Sadie saw them run for cover through the window.
Taking her hand, Jasper hauled her behind the wheel of a parked small plane, the one next to theirs. No sooner had they taken cover, bullets hit the plane and the other side of the wheel.
Drawing his gun, Jasper moved to get a look at the shooter and fired.
Sadie didn’t see a clear path to their plane. It was beside this one but they would have to run out in the open to get there. But from the plane, the pilot began shooting back, as well. He stood just inside the open doorway with a high-powered rifle. Sadie should have expected that Jasper would plan ahead.
“He’ll cover us.”
“What?” He wanted her to make a run for it?
The shooter was inside the terminal door. Was there one or more? She heard more gunshots inside. He wasn’t alone. There was more than one shooter.
“I’ll cover you, too.” Jasper faced her. “We have to get out of here.”
“They’re going to shoot at us.”
“Not if we keep shooting at them.”
The shooters joined together and fired at the pilot and then her and Jasper. Sadie ducked low behind the wheel. Did they mean to kill them both or just Jasper? Darien must have decided to just take her out instead of continuing to toy with her.
“What did you say to him when you were there?” she asked.
“Apparently, enough to bother him.”
A man like Jasper could do that rather easily. His heroism was hard to hide or go up against.
He fired twice more, silencing the other shooters. “Now. Let’s go!” He grabbed her hand and pulled her after him.
The pilot saw them and rained a shower of bullets at the shooters. Jasper fired with him. They made it to the stairs at the plane. Jasper pushed her to go first, turning to fire some more. She reached the top and saw Jasper duck as the shooters fired while the pilot took hold of Sadie and pulled her into the plane.
Bullets pinged against the plane.
“We have to go. Now.” The pilot ran for the cockpit of the small jet.
Jasper took care of the steps and d
oor. Then he peered through a window as the plane began to move. Sadie saw through her own window the shooters had run out onto the tarmac and continued shooting. But the pilot had the plane up to a decent speed and shortly thereafter the bullets stopped. Out of range.
Taking a seat before the plane took off, Sadie let her head fall back while she caught her breath. Jasper took the seat beside her, one of four on the plane. Their things had been brought ahead of them and Jasper leaned over to retrieve something from his laptop case.
Lowering a table tray in front of him, he put down a folder and opened it. “Steven gave me these when I was in Toronto.”
Sadie examined some photos and had to move closer to be sure what she was looking at.
“I’ve already seen them.”
Taking the photos from Jasper, she began to go through them. As she came to those of a wall with a collage of photos of her, she slowed. Some of them had writing in black marker with horrible words about her. The room must be somewhere in the castle-like home he’d built for her, but she’d never seen it. There were no windows so she assumed it was in the basement. A secret room?
She looked at Jasper.
“Yeah. Certifiable.”
“Nuts,” she said aloud.
“I think he had more plans for you than he was able to pull off. Just killing you doesn’t seem like enough to satisfy this kind of craziness.”
“No, it doesn’t. He killed Bernie because he found out I cared about him.”
“And when you went to DAI, he knew his toying had to stop. Then he just wanted you dead.”
“But he still toyed. The dead animal?”
“Yes, but now he’s desperate. He’s afraid he’ll get caught. A shoot-out at a private airport isn’t exactly subtle. He’s more dangerous than ever.”
She thought of the innocent people at the airport who may have gotten killed. There hadn’t been many at this hour, thankfully. She could only hope they had all gotten out of the way when the shooting had begun. The men hadn’t come for them. All they would have wanted was to get past security to reach the tarmac.
Darien must realize what kind of man Sadie had protecting her. He’d stepped up his tactics...or stepped them down, operating like a terrorist.