Caroline never napped for very long, and soon she would wake and begin looking for a meal. The room contained a mini-fridge, but it was empty. What did they expect her to feed the poor child? And how could she ask them, when she’d been warned not to make a sound?
Moving to the curtained window next to the door, she edged the heavy polyester fabric aside and looked across the nearly empty parking lot to the western horizon. It would be dark in an hour or so. Were they planning on keeping her here all night? She’d given up trying to get answers out of Paul. In the few minutes they’d spent together, she’d begged him for information.
“You’ll know when you need to know,” he’d said. “Meanwhile, keep your mouth shut, and you just might get through this in one piece.” He’d held Caroline on his lap, and when he tried to bounce her on his knee, her little face had crumpled and she’d begun to cry. He quickly thrust her away into Raine’s eager arms. “Keep the brat quiet, will you?”
“Why, Paul?” she said, trying to maintain her composure. “Why are you doing this? You don’t want to be a part of Caroline’s life any more than I want you to be. I don’t want anything from you, not your money, not your name, nothing. Why don’t you let me take Caroline and go home?”
His expression had seemed strained, but when he spoke, his voice was casual. “Out of my hands, babe. We’re all pawns in the game. It’s time you knew that.”
As she let the curtain drift back into place, she heard footsteps, then knuckles on wood. A key turned in the lock, and the door opened.
“You decent?” Lucas Russell stepped across the threshold, a large grocery bag in his arms, a package of disposable diapers dangling from his free hand.
Immediately one of the thugs closed the door after Lucas. She heard the key turn in the lock.
“More decent than you,” she snarled. “And keep your voice down. Caroline’s asleep.”
His blue eyes connected with hers. “Figured you and the kid would be getting hungry soon.” Setting the packages on the desk in the corner of the room, he reached in and pulled out a lidded Starbucks cup. Gesturing to her with it, he said, “Got you some coffee, too, and a turkey sandwich.”
“What about the baby?”
He nodded. “I bought a bottle and some powdered formula, but she’s got a few teeth, so I tossed in some bananas and cereal. There’s plastic spoons and bowls in the bag, too.” When she sent him a my, how thorough glare, he said, “I have a couple of kids. It’s been a few years, but I remember the drill.”
Raising her chin, she crossed her arms tightly under her breasts. “Thanks for the groceries. Now get the hell out.”
He shoved his hands in the back pockets of his jeans, and cut a look at the closed door. “I guess you’re pretty mad, Ms. Preston, but you have to understand—”
“Oh, I understand, all right,” she bit out, cutting him off. “Vaughn Corcoran dangled some money in front of your face, and you took it. I wouldn’t care, except your lapse in ethics is very bad news for me and my child. So unless you mean to rectify that, get the hell out of my sight.”
Flicking another quick look at the door, he stepped closer to her. Instantly she moved back, putting as much space between the two of them as the tiny room allowed.
On the bed, Caroline stirred, kicked her foot out from under the covers, then made a small sound in the back of her throat as she tugged on the pacifier in her mouth.
“The Corcorans are going to try and take my baby, aren’t they?” Raine said, stabbing Lucas with her harshest glare. “Isn’t that the plan?”
“I honestly don’t know. I don’t even know how they found out—”
“He’s rich, powerful. He can do it.” She paced away from him, then back again. “I’ll be lucky if I get monthly visitation rights, by the time he’s done smearing my reputation. I imagine he’ll drum up an endless line of witnesses who will eagerly confirm how I threw myself at Paul with the express purpose of getting pregnant so I could tap into the Corcoran fortune.”
A skeptical look came into his eyes, and he shot another quick look at the door. “You saying that’s how it happened?”
“I told you to get out, now go!”
On the bed, Caroline stirred again, and Raine grimaced, admonishing herself for raising her voice. “Leave,” she whispered harshly.
But Lucas didn’t budge; instead, he continued gazing at her with that intense stare he had, as though, if he waited long enough, she’d just cave in and tell him the whole sordid story.
She didn’t owe this kidnapping son of a bitch any explanations. He was free to make what ever assumptions about her he wanted; what in the hell did she care what he thought?
Lowering her arms to her sides, she paced away, then turned on her heel to glare at him.
Paul drugged and raped me! she wanted to scream. Fury bloomed inside her heart at how Georgie’s boyfriend had taken advantage of her. What he’d done was despicable, and the fact he’d gotten away with it, reprehensible.
For the last nineteen months, she’d wanted to shout the accusation from the rooftops, find a way to prosecute Paul, make him pay emotionally, the way she had paid when she’d awakened and discovered what he’d done. She wanted people to know, to understand she hadn’t done anything to bring this on. She had never attempted to seduce Paul Corcoran; in fact, just the opposite. The very sight of him intimidated her, and she’d always tried to make herself small and unobtrusive whenever he was around.
For a while, though, right after the assault, she had questioned herself. Had she done something to encourage him? But the answer was no. Paul was a rapist, a slimy, creepy opportunist. She had done nothing to invite his attentions, and the fact he’d gotten away with it ate at her insides like a cancer.
An odd sort of look came into Lucas’s eyes, a hardness that hadn’t been there before. He shifted his stance and continued to watch her in silence.
She took in a deep breath, trying to force herself to remain calm. It had happened so long ago, and she’d been unconscious—she had no memory of the actual assault.
“I—I was staying with Georgie in San Francisco when she met him,” she found herself saying. Oddly enough, just speaking the words out loud, telling someone, anyone what had happened, seemed to lighten her burden a little. “Paul was always making suggestive remarks to me, but I shrugged them off, thinking he was just being flirty. He’s like that.”
She crossed her arms over her stomach in a gesture of self-protection. “One day he came by to see Georgie, but she was working late. He asked if he could wait; I said sure. It was a warm evening, so I made iced tea. When I was in the bathroom, he put something in my drink. That’s all I remember.”
She turned away from Lucas then, shame and embarrassment burning her cheeks. Even so many months after the fact, the memory still had the power to anger and humiliate, as though it had happened just yesterday. “I really do think you should go now.”
Lucas came up behind her, and she felt the heat of his body against her back. “You reported the assault to the police.” Was that a question, or did he know?
“None of your damn business.” She whirled on him, smacking her fists against his chest. “I told you what you wanted to know. Now go away.”
His hands at his sides, he made no move to grab her or defend himself against her fists. Instead, his eyes focused hard on hers. She licked her lips and eased away from him, hugging herself protectively again.
At first she hadn’t realized anything had happened. She’d awakened in the morning in her own bed, she’d showered, and begun to realize something wasn’t right. She rethought the previous evening. When had Paul left? She didn’t remember going to bed, falling asleep. As awareness crept into her brain, she cried out in shock and horror.
Georgie had driven her to the ER, and even though there was evidence of sexual activity, there was no evidence of rape, no bruising, no trauma. The arrogant son of a bitch hadn’t even bothered to use a condom.
In spite o
f her lack of supporting evidence, she filed charges, and the police had talked to Paul. He admitted they’d had sex, but he insisted it was consensual.
Ha. What a joke. She’d never had consensual sex in her life. Intimacy was for other women; normal women. She’d shut that door a long time ago, too afraid to open it.
What ever Paul had put in her drink was out of her system by the time she’d gone to the hospital. As a result, she couldn’t prove a damn thing, and his father’s lawyers made it very clear she’d be a fool to try. They’d ruin her reputation, paint her as a whore who’d seduced her best friend’s boyfriend. Orphaned girl, bounced from one foster home to the next, troublemaker, promiscuous. By the time they were done with her, it was Raine who’d be in jail for date rape.
She didn’t care, but they’d threatened to ruin Georgie, too, and that, she couldn’t allow. So she’d dropped the charges, and closed her heart on men for good.
When she’d discovered six weeks after Paul’s assault that she was pregnant, she’d been beside herself with pain and confusion. She was pregnant…pregnant, for God’s sake! With Paul Corcoran’s bastard child! A child of rape…
But it had been that thought that changed everything.
She began to feel sympathy for the baby, her baby. A reluctant kind of joy began to build within her. She was going to have a child, something she thought would never happen for her. Her own baby to raise, to love, to smother with all the affection she’d been denied.
Suddenly it no longer mattered how she’d conceived this child, it only mattered that her womb was no longer empty.
After long conversations with Georgie, many tears, and a few visits to a therapist, Raine decided to keep the baby, raise her, create a loving family of her own. Paul would never have to know.
Somebody tapped on the door. Over his shoulder, Lucas said, “Butt out. The lady and I are getting to know each other.”
Outside, a man laughed and made a crude remark, then growled, “So don’t take all frigging night.”
Across the room, Caroline sat up, rubbing her eyes. She popped the pacifier from her mouth and flung it across the bed. “Ghat? Brf dem gha? Mom ma-ma-ma!” She grinned then, showing her four beautiful little teeth, as she began crawling toward Raine.
“She always wake up in a good mood?” Lucas asked.
“Yes,” Raine said softly. “Always.”
When Caroline reached the edge of the bed, she raised her chubby little arms and wiggled her fingers.
Bending, Raine lifted the baby, reveling in the weight of her child in her arms. Placing a kiss on the warm, damp cheek, she said, “Hungry?”
“Bfft!”
She turned to Lucas. “Go away now.”
He gave another hasty glance at the door, then stabbed her with a hard stare. “Drink the coffee. I had them make it extra strong. It’ll keep you awake, alert.”
“Why would I need—”
“Just do it.” Moving to the door, he rapped on it twice. The key turned in the lock. Putting his index finger against his lips, gave her a nod, opened the door, and left.
Chapter Seventeen
A mantra is a prayer recited aloud. To invoke peace and calm during times of great stress, repeat the Heart-Calming mantra: Gate gate para gate para sum gate bodhi swaha.
Georgiana Mundy’s Feng Shui for Lovers
Ethan ended his conversation with his brother, flicked his cell phone closed, and slid it into the pocket of his jeans, all the while keeping his eyes on Georgie.
She was exhausted…and beside herself with justified outrage. Her beautiful eyes were rimmed with red; stress and anger showed in the tight line of her mouth. Her skin was pale, shocky. Though she said not a word, accusation was clear to see on her face.
“It’s a six-hour drive north,” he said. “We’re both tired and hungry. I think we should have something to eat, then get some sleep. We can leave just before dawn and be home by noon.”
She raised her chin with exactly the air of defiance he’d expected. “I’m not tired. If you are, I can drive.”
“It’s not that, Georgie. You’re just as worn out as I am. We both need a few hours’ downtime—”
“Then I’ll take Raine’s car and go myself.”
“Go where?”
She blinked at him as though the answer were so obvious as to make his question insulting. “I—I, well, back to San Francisco. Paul and Vaughn live in an enormous mansion in Pacific Heights. I’ll go there, and—”
“And what?” he argued gently. “If you even get past the gates…there are gates, I assume? If you get anywhere near the front door, you’ll do what? Huff and Satisfaction and blow his house down?”
“But if he has Raine and Caroline in there—”
“Regardless, he’ll have you prosecuted for huffing and puffing without a license, and falsely accusing him of kidnapping.”
She raised her hands in the air in a gesture of helpless frustration. “Well, it’s better than just sitting here, watching the clock, wondering…”
Her words trailed off, lost some of their heat. She lowered her hands. She’d hit the argument wall, and they both knew it.
Closing the gap between them, he curled his fingers around her shoulders. “I know you’re worried. But the Corcorans would be fools to hurt either of them. I don’t know what they have planned, or why they took Raine and the kid, but no harm will come to them. I’m positive.”
“You were also positive Lucas Russell was going to protect them!”
“Guilty as charged,” he bit out. “And now I’m going to make it right. After I do, you never have to see me again. Deal?”
Her brows furrowed in a frown as she stared into his eyes.
“It’s hard to sit and do nothing, Georgie, but—”
“What ever.” She stiffened. “I’m going to call the police—”
“Not an option. The orders were, no cops, and no FBI. Besides, I can’t risk the authorities intervening and screwing things up.”
Her doubled fists slammed into his chest as she glared up at him, a warrior goddess ready to do battle to avenge the ones she loved. “You can’t risk it? A woman and a baby have been kidnapped! Somebody has to do something!”
He closed his hands over hers, holding them prisoner against his chest. She squirmed, but he tightened his grip.
“Somebody is doing something, Georgie. Bringing in the local cops won’t do any good since Corcoran and Lucas are long gone by now.”
“Then who—”
“My brother Nate is a detective with the SFPD. He’s going to do some checking, set up surveillance points, but keep it real low-key. Vaughn Corcoran is a very powerful man with political connections up the ying-yang. He’s bound to have some law enforcement types in his pocket. Nate’s doing all this on the QT, so word can’t trickle up.”
Her glittering eyes searched his. “Your brother? He’s a good detective?”
“He’s a great detective,” Ethan answered without hesitation. “He’ll come through for us.” Tilting his head, he said, “And if you ever tell him I said that, I’ll deny it.”
She blinked and looked a little taken aback. “You don’t like your brother?”
He shrugged, but didn’t let go of her hands, still fisted against his chest. “I like him enough to take a bullet for him.”
For a moment, her eyes flicked down to his side, then she met his gaze again. “Is that what happened?” she whispered. “You stepped in front of a bullet to save your brother?”
“Something like that,” he said. “Listen, it’s getting dark. I say we eat, sleep for a few hours, then hit the road about five.”
For a moment, she looked like she wanted to pursue the matter, but instead closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she said, “All right. I don’t like it, dammit, but all right.”
He released one of her hands to brush her hair away from her face. Tipping her chin up, he sought her eyes once more. “I’ve got to make a few calls, talk to a few people
who can help us. Could you make us something to eat? If you’re too tired, we can call for delivery.”
She shook her head. “I’m not hungry.”
“You need to eat, whether you feel like it or not. You need the fuel. By the time we get back to Marin—”
“Marin?” Her eyes narrowed on him and she backed out of his embrace. “Why Marin? I told you, the Corcorans live in Pacific Heights.”
He wasn’t sure how much to tell her. While he didn’t want to get her hopes up, he didn’t want to frighten her any more than she already was, either. Hell. After what he’d put her through, he owed her the truth.
“My gut tells me Lucas’s involvement in all this may not have been voluntary. I think he’s planning something to get Raine and the baby out of danger. If he makes a run for it, I think he’ll head for my house in Marin.”
A myriad of emotions crossed Georgie’s face, and he realized she’d begun to steel herself against what ever happened over the next few days. Watching her, he felt himself fall for her a little more, a little harder, a little more completely. She was tough and strong and smart.
But he’d fucked it up. Again. He’d finally gotten her to open up to him a little, trust him a little, and he’d blown it. No matter what his feelings for her were, she’d never return them, not now.
“If he does make a run for it,” she said softly, “when will you know?”
“All I can say is that Raine and the baby are safe. I know your level of confidence in me is just about gutter-height right now, but I’m asking you to trust me, Georgie, this one last time. Between what ever Lucas is planning and what my brother is doing, Raine and the baby will be returned to you, unharmed. I’ll stake my life on it.”
Lucas played a slow game of solitaire at the small table in the room he shared with Honcho Espinoza, one of Paul Corcoran’s two goons. Honcho’s cohort, Drool, was a head shorter than the gargantuan Hispanic, and sported an overbite so severe, his speech was virtually incomprehensible.
Satisfaction Page 17