When Fates Collide

by Isabelle Richards

  “Gavin, you look ill. You’re white as a ghost!”

  “George, there is an emergency in DC. I have to leave right this moment. You need to handle the rest of the trip. There’s only today and tomorrow morning left. I’m sure you can manage it. Make apologies for me. Just tell everyone I had a family emergency.”

  I let go of him and stagger toward the elevator, when he grabs my arm. “What’s going on? I know I don’t have to tell you how important these last meetings are. Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”

  “No, mate. It can’t. I just spoke to the FBI. My girlfriend has been kidnapped.” I hear myself say the words, but they don’t feel real.

  “That’s horrible. Yes, man, you need to go. How can I help? ”

  “Just take care of things here. I can’t think of anything else at the moment. I just received the news a few moments ago. I’m still in a bit of shock, I think.”

  “O,” George calls over his shoulder. “Get over here!”

  Olivia Phillips, or O as we call her, is a junior executive. I’ve known her my whole life. Our mothers were best friends, and we grew up together. She’s the closest thing I have to a sibling. When Lily had said she couldn’t join me on the trip, I invited O to join the group. She’s still working her way up in the company, so coming on this trip was a great opportunity for her to expand her horizons. O’s background is more on the tech side of things, but I know she’s wanted to learn the business side as well. She’s been filling the role of my assistant on this trip, but we’ve ended up fighting the whole time. I’ve been such a wreck that I’ve been fighting with everyone.

  She storms over, looking at her watch. “Why haven’t we left yet? We should have been at the meeting site ten minutes ago. What’s the hold up? You’re giving the presentation, Gavin. We shouldn’t be late.”

  “George is going to do it for me. I have to go. There’s an emergency in the US. I must get there.”

  Nav walks over and hands me a print out. “The next commercial flight doesn’t leave until one in the morning, sir. But there’s a chartered jet that is leaving in an hour and a half.”

  “Wonderful. I’ll be on that one then. Thank you, Nav.” I pull a pen from my suit pocket and scribble down a phone number. “Can you call this number and ask for Special Agent in Charge Sullivan? Please give him the flight information and tell him to have someone pick me up at the airport.” I turn to George and say, “I’m going to pack. Go to the meeting. You have all my notes for the speech.” As I head to the elevators, I hear someone in heels running up behind me.

  “Gavin, what are you doing? You can’t leave,” O insists.

  “Yes, O, I can and I will. Now go to the meeting and make my apologies for me.” I step into the elevator, hoping she’ll leave it at that.

  Surprisingly, she steps in as well and keeps at me. “You can’t be serious, Gavin. Really? You have a speech to give and the last round of meetings tomorrow. Surely your needy little plaything can wait two days to see you. That stupid American cow cannot be worth throwing hundreds of millions of pounds’ worth of business down the pan! You have employees to think about.”

  I point my finger in her face. “Don’t you dare question my loyalty to my employees or my company. And do not ever speak of Lily in that way again. O, I love you, but you are skating on thin ice. Now, piss off.”

  The elevator doors open, and O exits right alongside me. “Gavin, you need to stop and think about this for a moment. When Brooke disappeared, you dropped everything and ran after her while your staff held the company together. Last month, you flaked on a major meeting so you could stay in the US with your latest pet project. And now you are going to leave again? I’m questioning your loyalty. And your blasted sanity. I get that you need to be the hero. You need to ride in on your white horse and save the damsel in distress. Can’t she stay in peril for forty-eight hours longer so you can fulfill your goddamn responsibilities?”

  I slide the keycard into the lock and push the door open. I block the doorway, wanting her to leave me the hell alone. “She’s been kidnapped, O. By some very dangerous people. I need to be there.”

  She brushes past me. “Wire them the ransom and be done with it,” she spits. “The FBI can fly her here after they sort it out. You don’t need to be there.”

  I pull my luggage from the closet and toss it onto the bed. I throw my clothes haphazardly into the open cases. “You’re a coldhearted bitch, you know that? How do you live with yourself?”

  “You’re damn right I am, and I’m bloody proud of it. Now stop packing and go to the meeting.”

  I stop what I’m doing and stare at her. “Have you not heard a word that I’ve said? I’m leaving. Go do your job, get to the damn meeting, and get the hell out of my way.”

  She throws her hands up into the air and storms out, slamming the door behind her. Good riddance. I need to get to the airport as fast as possible, and I don’t need her slowing me down. I throw the rest of my things into my suitcases and take a car to the airport.

  The flight from Dubai to DC is sixteen long hours. I wish I could fall asleep, but my brain won’t stop thinking of all of the horrible things Lily could be going through. Not knowing what’s happening to her is agony.

  I’m seated next to a woman I’ve actually met a few times. She’s an actress or a model or something. I can’t really recall. She won’t stop talking though, and it’s driving me mad. I just want to sit and get a handle on the situation. I give fuck all about her or her job or whatever the hell she’s babbling about now. She’s flirting and giving me those Mile High Club eyes, and I want nothing to do with them.

  I order a scotch and tell the flight attendant to keep them coming. I don’t want to land in DC sozzeled, but if I don’t calm my nerves, I’ll never make it through the flight. Maybe after one or two, I’ll actually be able to nod off.

  Five scotches later, I finally pass out. Sleeping proves to be worse than staying awake though. My dreams are plagued with images of Lily in various scenes of danger. Each one is worse than the last. With each horrific scenario, I feel more and more horrible for not being there already, even though I know that when I get there, I’ll only feel helpless because there’ll be nothing for me to do but wait. Awake or asleep, it makes no difference. I torture myself for the duration of the flight.

  Thirty-Two

  Gavin

  As soon as I’m off the plane, I’m sprinting through the airport to baggage claim. When I get there, I find Meredith already waiting for me.

  “Hey there, Hot Stuff. What is it with you and girls that can’t stay out of trouble?”

  I give her a huge hug, in part because I’m thrilled to see her and in part because I really need it. “It’s so good to see you. I thought you were on assignment.”

  “I came back when I heard Lily was missing. I head out later today.”

  “Thank you for coming to get me. Mer, please tell me something. All I know is that she’s been kidnapped. No one would tell me anything else. I’m losing my mind. Please tell me what the hell is going on.”

  “You do know how hot you are when you beg, right?”

  “Mer…” I glare at her. How can she be so flippant? I know she’s a good agent, but shouldn’t she be taking this seriously? Bloody hell!

  “Sorry, just trying to insert a little humor. Come on. Let’s get your luggage. I’m sure you’ve got enough to clothe a small island country.”

  “Please just tell me something. Anything!”

  “Not here, Gavin. Let’s get your things, and we can discuss it in the car.”

  I want to tell her I’ll leave my luggage behind, but I know she’s testing me. If I’m calm, she’ll open up. If she thinks I’ll fall apart, she’ll be reserved and only tell me the bare minimum. I want to know everything, so I need to at least appear to keep it together. I collect my luggage, and we head to her car in silence.

  Once we’re on the motorway, she finally speaks. “She was found this morning in Manassas. She
wandered into a McDonalds and collapsed. I’m not sure of the extent, but she’d suffered significant trauma. When I left the hospital to get you, they were still running tests and working on her. You’ll know more when we get to the hospital. As far as I know, she hasn’t regained consciousness yet.”

  “How bad, Meredith?”

  “Bad, Gavin. It’s bad. They tortured her.”

  I can’t respond. There are no words to express the darkness that has overtaken me. Each time I’d let my imagination delve into the horrors she may have been enduring, I’d stopped myself, thinking it couldn’t be as awful as I feared. Hearing all this is my worst nightmare realized. I feel as though my soul has been ripped out.

  Mer touches my arm. “We’re looking for the bastards that did this, Gavin. We’ll find them. This’s what we do.” Meredith continues to talk, but I don’t hear another word.

  When we arrive at the hospital, Meredith stops me before we enter. “Look, Gavin, there is going to be a lot going on in there. Lily’ll be protected by guards at all times until we know more. I can’t say when you’ll be able to see her or for how long. But I can tell you that fighting the guards will only make things worse for you. So stay calm, do what you’re told, and don’t make this harder than it already is. She’s the number one priority right now. Not you or how you feel about her. Got it? Let everyone do their jobs, and this will go smoothly.”

  I nod and follow her through the maze of people. She’s required to show her badge at several stops along the way. The whole hospital is locked down like a fortress. I’m relieved that there’s so much security, but it also makes me aware that the danger they feel she is in is still lurking. The FBI wouldn’t allocate this amount of resources unless there were a serious threat.

  We make it through the labyrinth, and I spot Greene and Sully at the end of the hall, talking to a doctor. More than anything, I want to storm over and demand information, but I know that will only end up getting me pushed out of the inner circle. I wait as patiently as I can.

  I wish I could read lips. Greene looks over and makes eye contact. I give him a look, pleading for him to have mercy on me. He turns his back to me to speak to Sullivan. A moment later, Sully comes over. Not a good sign. Greene’s the soft one. He’s either sent Sully over to intimidate me or to put me in my place.

  He shakes my hand. “G, glad you made it. Wish it were under different circumstances. At least she’s alive though.”

  “Sul, please. I’ve been sitting on a plane for sixteen hours, imagining the most ghastly things. Tell me what you know.”

  “Hearing the details isn’t going to scrub those images from your mind. I can promise you that. No matter how much you hear, you weren’t there. You’ll never really know. You’ll always wonder. It isn’t going to be easy either way,” he warns.

  He shares the same information I’d received from Meredith earlier. The doctors are still running tests. They have no idea who took her. No leads. No ideas.

  “What are you doing to figure it out, Sully?” I ask him. “It seems like half the damn FBI is here just hanging around the hospital. Aren’t you supposed to look in every warehouse, farmhouse, doghouse and whatever other house you find? Are you or are you not the bloody FBI?”

  He looks around and nods. “We do need to get half of these dick wads out of here. Gavin, I know you are upset. Here’s the deal: you can be emotional or you can be a part of the team. You can’t be both. Well all care about her, so don’t think you’re the only one torn up inside about this. If you’re going to get pissed off and start yelling, then I have to treat you like a boyfriend and escort you to a babysitter. If you want to help and be part of the conversation, then calm down and focus.”

  I know he’s right. The situation isn’t his fault, and I know he’s good at what he does, but it’s hard to remember that at the moment.

  He whistles loudly to get everyone’s attention. “If you’ve been standing here with your dick in your hand for the last two hours, I suggest you get out of this hospital, get out on the street, and do some goddamn investigating. We need to get this guy, and we need to get him now. The longer we wait, the colder this case gets. If you can’t remember all the details of the case, watch the damn news, because the press is working harder on this case than you are. Get out there, and don’t come back until this guy is in cuffs. Now move!”

  As the agents scurry around, organizing their plans, I notice Max walking toward me. “You’re brave to show your face around here,” he says with open hostility.

  “Max, I’m here because I love Lily. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to you. Why don’t you explain why you’re so pissed off?”

  He keeps walking toward me, and I can’t tell if he’s about to punch me or emotionally collapse. He looks terrible, as if he hasn’t slept in days. He’s pale, and his eyes are swollen and red.

  He tightens his fists, and I firm my stance in case he takes a swing. “You went MIA, man,” Max yells at me. “You swooped in here and got her all caught up in your fairytale Prince Charming bullshit, and then you went poof. Gone. If she hadn’t been crying her eyes out about the damn tabloids, she wouldn’t be in here. This, my friend, is your fault.”

  “Max, I didn’t go anywhere. She sent me an email telling me she wanted a break and to give her space. I went out of my mind for three weeks trying to respect her decision,” I explain, straining to stay calm. My fists are clenched so tight that my fingernails dig into my skin, and it’s taking all I have to not lose it.

  “What the fuck are you talking about? Her email was hacked weeks ago. She hasn’t had access to it in ages.”

  I pull my iPad out of my bag and show him the email. “This is what the fuck I’m talking about Max,” I say through gritted teeth.

  Gavin,

  This is all becoming too much for me. Let’s use the time you’re gone as a clean break.

  Please don’t call or email. I need space and time to think. Contacting me will only push me away. Please respect my space.

  I’ll call you when I’m ready.

  Lily

  He reads the email and pushes the iPad back at me. “I don’t know what is going on, but that email is bullshit. There is no way she wrote that.”

  “Then who did? Do you honestly think the cartel hacked her email to break up with me? That’s mad! It has to be from her. I pushed her for more of a commitment and she couldn’t take it.”

  Sullivan storms over to us. “Hey, assholes! Did you forget this is a goddamn hospital? That girl is fighting for her life, and you two are screaming about a damn email? What the hell is wrong with you? Sit down and shut the hell up, or you’re both out of here. We don’t have the time or energy to referee the two of you. Now kiss and make up, or get the hell out.”

  We both obediently sit down, but the tension remains.

  “Now, if you ladies would like to know what we found out about the email, I’d be happy to tell you,” Sullivan continues.

  Max stands back up, yelling again. “Enough with the power trip, Sully. Stop being a prick and clue me in about what’s going on.” He shoves Sullivan.

  Sully walks away in a huff.

  “Max, you’re out of line,” I shout at him. “Control your bloody temper!” I chase after Sullivan. “I’m trying to wrap my head around all of this, mate. Nothing makes sense. Please, tell me what you know,” I plead.

  Sullivan sighs. “The IP address that her computer was hacked from is in London. We traced it back to your company’s server.” He pauses and gives me an appraising look. “But it’s not your personal IP address, so it clearly wasn’t you. At least, not you on your computer,” he growls.

  “You can’t really think it was me?”

  He glares at me for at least a minute, as if he is trying to decide. “I should, but I don’t. You’d better think long and hard about who in your company would want to fuck with your girlfriend.”

  I’m flummoxed. I can’t imagine how anyone at my company could be connected to Lil
y. Or why they would do something so stupid. What reason could someone from my company have to break Lily and me up? It doesn’t make any sense. Other than a select few, my employees don’t know anything about my personal life. There are a few diehard Covent Gardens fans who took Brooke’s death hard, but to do something like this? It’s barmy!

  I want to ask Sullivan more questions, but he’s called away by another agent. Still stunned, I sit down in the first chair I can find. A woman walks over and sits next to me.

  “You must be the Brit,” she says.

  I raise my eyebrows, a bit surprised by her abruptness.

  She holds out her hand. “Emily Harrington.”

  “Ah,” I remark. “The infamous Em. A pleasure to meet you. Although it feels improper using a word like pleasure right now.”

  “I hear you. Look, you’ve got to cut Max some slack. He’s taking this hard, and he’s coming off the rails. Whether we like it or not, we’re her only family, and we have to stick together to get her through this. All of us.”

  “I understand he’s gutted. I am too. I don’t fault him for it. I know he blames me. Hell, I blame me. I should’ve protected her. I should have been here or dragged her stubborn ass to England and kept her under lock and key until this mess got sorted. But I didn’t, and now she’s here. I get that he’s cross. But he knows more than he’s telling me, and that pisses me off. All I’ve wanted since I spoke to him yesterday is for someone to tell me what really happened. I’m in the dark, and it’s excruciating.”

  “He doesn’t blame you,” she explains. “He blames himself. He’s calm now. You should go talk to him. I’d tell you, but it isn’t my story to tell.”

  I walk over to Max, holding my hands up in truce.

  “She went out to the ATM, to get some cash for take-out,” Max says abruptly. He shakes his head. “That girl never has cash. She was all boohoo because of the damn tabloids and wanted some junk food from the neighborhood deli, but they don’t take credit, so she went to get some cash. This guy she knows was waiting for her and attacked her.”