When she lifted her face, her eyes were red with unshed tears. “Raine’s all I have. I’ve always protected her, or tried to. But when it came to…when Paul…I failed her, Ethan. I failed. It’s my fault she’s in this mess.”
He shot her a hard glance. “It is not your fault, Georgie. You didn’t fail. You couldn’t know what kind of man Corcoran was, what he was capable of. He’s a bastard who victimized both of you to one degree or another.”
“Oh, sure,” she shot back. “What do you know about failure? What do you know about somebody putting their trust in you, believing in you, and then you let them down, betray that trust, fail, and they get hurt? You’ve probably never done anything that—”
“Stop it!” he shouted, his fingers tightening around the wheel in a death grip. “You don’t know a thing about me, Georgie. Not a thing. Everybody screws up. Everybody!”
She stared over at him, her eyes wide, her lips pressed tightly together. He should say something, put her mind at ease that he wasn’t shouting at her, but at himself. He wanted to tell her just how badly a man could screw up, how badly he had. Instead, he locked his jaw and kept his eyes on the road. If he opened his mouth, it would all come pouring out. Six years ago, he’d sworn to himself he’d never reveal to anyone what happened. Not anyone.
The department had shut the file and sealed it. It was only his superiors’ respect for his so-called stellar record that had kept the truth from coming out. In the end, it didn’t matter. Just like Lucas, he had resigned the force in disgrace. It was why he’d decided to give Lucas a break. Cathy would have wanted him to.
He wouldn’t give himself a break, though. Never himself.
What had he been thinking, making love to Georgie? Ultimately, he could never have her. It was insane. His attraction for her had painted pastel hues over a past so dark, the ugliness was bound to seep through. If he was a gentleman, he’d simply break it off with her. Today. Now. Right now.
“I’m sorry, Ethan,” she said quietly. “I didn’t mean to imply—”
“Forget it,” he bit out. “Look, I’ve got to make a couple of phone calls. Why don’t you try and get some sleep? We’ll be there in another hour or so. I’ll wake you when we hit town.”
Before she could say anything, he pulled his cell from his pocket and punched the autodial. Putting the phone to his ear, he shut Georgie out, leaving her to deal with his raw emotions and silence any way she could.
It wasn’t right, but he might as well begin shutting her out now. Because when all was said and done, it was for her own damn good.
Chapter Fifteen
Want a man who’s a little dangerous? Look for a guy who’s tall and rugged, with strong eyebrows and a prominent brow bone. He has a well-defined jaw, slightly indented temples, and a square hairline. This signals a man of action, an entrepreneur, a pioneer, an athlete. But watch out! Along with being intelligent and disciplined, he can be irritable, frustrated, impulsive, impatient, judgmental, pushy, rebellious, and angry!
Georgiana Mundy’s Feng Shui for Lovers
Raine huddled inside the closet behind a big scratchy coat, the one she’d seen The Woman wear on windy days. The coarse fibers itched the backs of her little arms, but she’d scooted as far into the corner as she could get. If The Man or The Woman opened the door, they wouldn’t see her, and maybe would go look for her someplace else.
Wrapping her arms around her thin body, she tried to control the shaking. Her teeth chattered, too, except for the ones in front that were missing. She always shook when she hid in the closet. It was so dark, and it smelled bad, too, like The People. Next to her, the new girl was crying softly.
“It’s okay,” she whispered into the girl’s ear. “They’ll be super drunk soon and go to sleep, then we can go out.”
The new girl sniffed. In the deep shadows of the small space, Raine saw her wipe her eyes. “A-at my old place, they were nice.”
Raine shook her head. Keeping her voice quiet, she said, “They’re not nice here. What’s your name?”
“Georgie Mundy. I’m eight.”
“I’m Raine Preston. I’m seven. You need to whisper or they’ll hear. They’ll forget about us and go to sleep. It always happens that way.”
Or not. The last time Raine had hidden in the closet, the yelling had gone on and on, but she’d stayed put, too terrified to show herself. She’d hidden there so long, she’d wet her pants. When The People found out, they put her back in the closet for a whole day.
“When we get out,” Georgie whispered, “we should call the social worker. I don’t think they’re supposed to do this kind of stuff to us.”
“I tried to do that once, but I don’t know her phone number.” And by the time the social worker had visited on her regular rounds, the bruises were gone.
On the other side of the door, The People were having another really bad fight. Accusations, slurred words, a slap, another. Something hit the wall near the closet door and shattered.
Raine felt Georgie lean closer. “He said fucking,” she whispered. “He’s not supposed to say stuff like that.”
“Do you know what it means?”
“Yeah. Do you?”
“Y-yeah.”
Raine’s stomach began to ache, and the saliva in her mouth turned sour. Bile rose in her throat while cold sweat made its way down her spine. She crossed her arms over her stomach and hugged herself, squeezing her knees tightly together.
“When they fight,” she warned Georgie, “you always need to hide until it’s over. But not in the bedroom. Okay? Stay real far away from the bedroom.”
Georgie was silent for a moment. Then, “Raine, you need to tell the social—”
“No, don’t tell anybody!” she begged. “The Man said that they’d put me in a worse place if I told. I don’t want to go to a worse place!”
In the dark, she felt Georgie’s warm hand reach for her own. Her fingers curled around Raine’s and squeezed. “I’m older than you, and stronger. From now on, I’ll watch out for you, Raine. Nobody will ever hurt you again. I promise.”
Raine nodded. “And I promise I’ll watch out for you, too, Georgie. Forever and ever and ever…”
“…ever gonna wake up, Raine? Hey, babe. Up and at ’em.”
Raine slowly moved through the dream, the memory. Was she awake or asleep? What time was it?
She kept her eyes closed and tried to remember.
A man had come to her house…he’d walked in the door, then something had happened. She’d been looking at him, then hell had broken loose.
Other men had crowded in the door behind him. Other men, including—
Her eyes flew open as panic seized her heart like a tight fist. Bright light stabbed her pupils, forcing her to shut her eyes again.
“Ah, there you are. Hey, babe. Didn’t realize that little tap on the jaw would put you out for so long. Come on, wake up for me. Let’s see that beautiful smile.”
No. No. Not him. No!
Her heart began to slam in steady rapid beats against her ribs. Slowly, she lifted her lids and blinked a few times until her eyes became accustomed to the light behind him. Her eyes burned, but her gaze never wavered.
He sat sprawled in a chair facing her, one arm under Caroline’s bottom as he held the baby to him, her blond head resting on his shoulder, her chubby little arms limp in sleep.
Fury boiled up inside her, searing her throat. She wanted to fling her body at him, claw his eyes out, kick him in his goddamned balls, but she didn’t, not while he held her baby.
“Paul.” She pushed herself into a sitting position. Her head felt heavy, her brain muzzy. She wanted to rub her jaw, but instead she reached toward Caroline. In a dead-calm tone, she said, “Give me back my baby.”
The handsome bastard grinned in that charming way he had. His blond hair was slightly tousled, his jaw fashionably unshaven. Anyone looking at him would have thought he was a model ready for a shoot.
If she had a gun, she’
d be happy to oblige.
Paul tilted his head. “Don’t you mean our baby, sweet thing? Why didn’t you tell me I was a daddy?”
As Ethan pulled into the driveway behind Raine’s car, Georgie flung her door open and began running up the flagstone pathway to the house. He stepped out of his side and caught her as she tried to move past him.
“Wait,” he ordered, his grip on her arm firm as he tugged her close in to his body. “Is that Taurus hers?”
She spared a quick glance at the sedan, the back door on the passenger side standing slightly open. “Yes,” she said breathlessly.
His laser-sharp stare flashed up the driveway, then out to the street. “I don’t see Lucas’s car.” Reaching inside the Mercedes, he pulled a handgun from the door panel.
“Maybe they went to the store,” she mumbled, unable to take her eyes off the weapon.
“Maybe.” His gaze darted around again, up the driveway once more, to the rooftops, across the street. “Stay here, Georgie.”
He moved quickly to the Taurus; in a moment, he was back by her side. “Backseat’s filled with grocery bags. No keys in the ignition.”
“What about the car seat?”
“The what?”
“The car seat, you know, for the baby.” She felt her heart tumble around inside her rib cage. “She’s not here,” she whispered, her nerves riding thin and high on a razor-sharp precipice. “She knew we were coming, so why did they leave? Where would your agent have taken her?”
Before Ethan could make a grab for Georgie again, she rushed past him, taking the flagstone steps two at a time. Just as she reached the front door, his arm wrapped around her waist, yanking her back hard against his chest.
“Me first,” he growled into her ear. “You get behind me, and stay there. Understood?”
She nodded, and he released her. The gun in his right hand, he curled the fingers of his left hand around the knob. He turned it, and the door opened.
It should be locked, Georgie thought. Why isn’t it locked? Raine always, always, always keeps the door locked. And the groceries…why are they still in the car…?
Her stomach pitched and she felt as though she might be sick. But when Ethan pushed the door open and stepped through the threshold, she put her open hand on his back and followed right behind.
The house was a disaster, turned upside down, as though someone had either been searching for something or had torn the place apart in a rage.
Georgie’s hands flew to her face and she covered her open mouth, stifling a gasp.
She stood frozen in the threshold as Ethan moved through the house, the kitchen, the hallway. He opened the three bedroom doors one by one, then moved into the bathroom.
As though in a trance, Georgie drifted toward the nursery. She and Raine had painted the walls blue, with rainbows arcing across the sky, through Satisfactiony clouds, and around the sun. A unicorn frolicked on a hilltop, yellow ducks waddled in a row just above the baseboards. Butterflies fluttered by, and silvery stars peeked out from behind a crescent moon in the darkened upper corner. Over the crib, little sailboats dangled and spun from a mobile, like a fleet of pink and blue Flying Dutchmen. The scent of baby powder and lanolin filled the room, making her heart ache.
She curled her fingers over the railing and looked down into the empty crib. A moment later, she heard Ethan’s footsteps halt a few feet behind her. Not knowing what to say, where to begin, she turned to face him.
He stood in the threshold staring at her, his eyes glittering with a ferocity she didn’t know a man could possess, and she couldn’t help thinking if this were the Old West, Lucas Russell was a dead man.
Lucas Russell was a dead man. Whether he’d sold out to Corcoran or simply failed to protect Raine Preston and her baby, it didn’t really matter. Ethan had trusted the son of a bitch.
He had to get control of his anger, rid himself of the gnawing worry that ate away at his guts. Right now he needed to think, needed a clear head, and all the reason he could muster.
If Lucas had betrayed him, had he had accomplices? Were there other of Paladin’s agents who’d sold out? And if so, who could Ethan trust? He couldn’t go after Lucas alone. He needed backup, but from where?
It took every ounce of courage he had to meet Georgie’s accusing stare. Only hours ago, she’d talked to him about the cost of failure, of promises made, promises broken. And now he stood facing her, knowing he was responsible for the pain and fear she was suffering.
“I’ll fix it, Georgie,” he said. “What ever’s gone wrong, I can fix it.”
She shook her head as angry tears formed in her eyes. “I trusted you,” she rasped, her voice nearly too clogged with emotion to be coherent. “You said he was okay. You said he’d take care of them, keep them safe!”
He raised his hand, palm up, an unspoken gesture that begged her to listen. “I’m sorry. I’ll—”
“You’ll what? You don’t even know where they’ve gone! I trusted you, believed in you…I…I can’t believe I was so naïve and stupid to think—”
The bleep of Ethan’s cell phone cut her off. Yanking it from his pocket, he checked the readout, then pressed the button. Through clenched teeth, he bit out, “Where the fuck are you, Lucas?”
“Hey, boss,” Lucas said, his tone light, almost jovial. “Sorry about cutting out like that, but I was under orders from my new employer, and it would have gotten really messy if I was still there when you showed up.”
“Do you have any idea what I’m going to do to you if any harm comes to the woman or the kid?” The threat was nothing more than a low growl.
Georgie’s eyes blazed as she rushed toward him, making a grab for the phone. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he held her at bay, trying not to hurt her.
“Let me handle this, Georgie,” he whispered harshly. To Lucas, he said, “When I get my hands on you, I’m going to wring your frigging neck.”
In his ear, Lucas laughed. “Listen, I can’t talk long. I just wanted to let you know that Paul says you can give it up now. He says to tell you no cops, and no Feds, or the woman and the kid disappear permanently. Oh, and I’m resigning from Paladin, effective, like, yesterday.”
There were voices in the background, then a man’s deep laughter. But nothing Ethan heard gave any indication of Lucas’s location.
“Who’s behind this—that little prick Paul, or his father?”
Georgie stilled, her eyes wide and locked on Ethan’s.
“Yes, yes, I’d love to chat, too,” Lucas said, “but I’ve delivered the message, so we’re done here.”
“I’m going to track you down, asshole,” Ethan snarled. “And when I get my hands on you—”
“Well, I tell ya, Ethan,” Lucas interrupted, “if I were you, I’d find some cozy spot and just hole up for a while. Get a little rest. Let the old nerves settle down. Trust me, Ethan. Trust me, by morning you should feel a whole lot better.”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “What in the hell are you talking about? Lucas? Lucas? Shit.”
The line was silent.
Georgie squirmed and Ethan released her. “Is Raine okay? They haven’t hurt her? What about Caroline?”
Ethan clenched the phone in his hand for a moment, thinking, working it through. “Paul must have shown up here with some help. Unless I miss my guess, they’re escorting Raine and the baby to San Francisco, to Vaughn Corcoran.”
He looked down at Georgie. Her face was pale, her eyes huge. In their depths, he saw fear and hope, and fury.
“You have to get them back!” she snapped, her voice high and shaky. “You said you trusted your agent, and I trusted you. And now Raine and Caroline are gone. Get them back, Ethan!”
“He won’t hurt them, Georgie.”
“How do you know that?” she cried. “Why did he take them? What does he want with them? This doesn’t make any sense!”
Running her fingers through her hair, she looked down at the floor for a moment, then back up at him. S
he licked her lips, put her hands on his chest, curling her fingers into the fabric of his shirt.
“Get them back, Ethan. You promised, you swore. I trusted you!” Her eyes shone with unshed tears as she gazed up at him. “They’re my family. They’re all I have. You have no idea what Vaughn and Paul are capable of!”
His eyes never leaving Georgie’s, he thumbed the autodial on his cell phone and pressed it to his ear. A moment later, the call rang through. “Yeah,” he said, forcing out the words he knew he had to say. “It’s me. Just listen. I’m in Santa Barbara. Paladin’s been compromised and I don’t have time to sort it out right now. I, uh…I need your help. You’re the only one I know I can trust—”
“I’m in. Tell me what you need.”
Lowering his eyes, and his voice, he said, “Thanks, Nate. Here’s what I want you to do.”
Chapter Sixteen
Exposed beams in your home are bad news. The worst are those above your bed. They depress both your romance and your health by creating unseen pressures on you—physically, mentally, and emotionally. To cure this problem, hang two special feng shui flutes at forty-five-degree angles, placing one at each end of the beam. Flutes have powerfully uplifting effects and aid in relieving pressures imposed by the bad bed beam.
Georgiana Mundy’s Feng Shui for Lovers
Raine paced the dingy motel room, trying to keep her frayed nerves from unraveling completely. Paul’s two goons had taken out the phone and locked her in, warning her that if she made any noise, they’d come and take Caroline away, too.
If she’d been alone, she’d bust out a window and make a run for it, but she had the baby to consider. Fleeing a bunch of thugs with a ten-month-old in your arms wouldn’t get you very far.
She went to the double bed where Caroline lay sleeping, blankets tucked around her so she wouldn’t roll onto the floor. Her silky blond hair, so much like her father’s—damn the man—curled softly against her flushed cheek. She was a beautiful baby, a fact that no doubt fed Paul’s already inflated ego.
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