Split Decisions: A Southern Romantic-Suspense Novel - Charlotte - Book Two

by Carmen DeSousa

  He knew when someone was lying to him. His training as a detective was one reason, but he’d always been adept at discerning motives. And though he’d had his doubts over many things over the past few days, it was clear that she’d been telling the truth when she explained what was happening. Or, at least she thought she was telling the truth. So, was his wife crazy? Had she gone insane?

  He searched again for the scar he’d seen a hundred times in the last thirteen years, but found nothing. No scar on her forehead and nothing under her ear.

  Caycee stirred on the bed; it’d been hours. He’d had to call and cancel the valet service. He walked over to the side of the bed where he’d laid her. Collapsing in the chair across from her, he waited, not sure what to do. He hadn’t been able to wake her after she’d fallen. It was as if someone had drugged her. Maybe she was as overcome by the circumstances as he was.

  “Jordan?” Her voice was raspy as if she hadn’t drunk water for days.

  “I’m here.”

  “What happened?” She was still groggy, and her eyes were glassy as if she were drunk.

  “You fainted, I think, unless you got drunk when I wasn’t lookin’.” He repressed a chuckle; there was nothing even remotely funny. He’d just imagined Jaynee getting drunk. She’d only drunk a few times during their marriage, and every time she’d become extremely amorous.

  If it wasn’t so bad for her to drink, he might have encouraged her to drink more often. He, on the other hand, never drank and if he did, it was only a sip. He also became amorous, but could also get feisty. If he wasn’t with Jaynee, there was no telling what mess he could get himself into—fighting, that is. Even drunk, he’d never wanted another woman.

  The last time he’d drunk an excessive amount of alcohol was when he thought she might have been having an affair. He’d almost gotten into a fight with his best friend, found himself in a precarious situation with his secretary, and then had told Jaynee to leave when he’d returned home, if that was what she wanted.

  Luckily, it hadn’t been what she wanted. She’d taken him into her arms unexpectedly and made love to him. That same night, she’d mistakenly shot herself, after his brother-in-law had attacked her. And he’d always wondered, what would have happened if he hadn’t been drinking… No…he’d never gotten drunk again.

  Caycee hadn’t responded to his getting drunk comment. Of course, she still looked as though she weren’t awake.

  He didn’t have time for this though…he needed to know what she’d heard on the phone. “What did the woman say?”

  Struggling to sit upright, she appeared confused for a moment, but recovered quickly. She turned toward him, a strange mixture of emotion on her face. “She said that Ben left…with Jaynee, with me, I mean.”

  Jordan’s face got hot, and his mouth suddenly went dry. “Impossible,” he mumbled, shaking his head in disbelief, his eyes filling. He shook it off. “There’s no way she would ever leave me—” His voice broke as he fought to control the waves of emotion battering against each other. He was confused, hurt, and angry all at the same time. He bit his lip as he grabbed Caycee squarely by the shoulders. “You’re wrong!” he screamed. Once again, the shock burned through his system.

  “You’re hurting me, Jordan!” she winced in pain again.

  Her admission sparked something in him; he retracted his hands. “Caycee, I barely touched you.”

  Her face was disturbed again. “Every time you’ve touched me in anger, it has hurt.”

  Jordan stared at her in disbelief. As calmly as he could, he pictured Jaynee in his head, not Caycee, and reached toward her again. This time he gently laid his hand on the side of her neck. The feelings that washed through him were wonderful.

  Caycee peered up at him, her eyes burning with intensity. “Can you feel that? It’s warm. It doesn’t hurt. You’re thinking of her, aren’t you?”

  He nodded. “What does it mean?”

  “It means you’re right.” Caycee closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath. He stared at her. Her eyelids snapped open. “Jaynee loves you. I love you. We are one, Jordan. When you touch me, somehow we are one. I think I’m feeling what she’s feeling. I think she was in pain. She was sick last night, and I felt it.”

  “So, she didn’t leave with this Ben guy willingly?”

  “Of course not…”

  “We need to find him, track him down.” He felt frantic, where to begin? Where did he start looking? If he were at home, he’d have the FBI’s help; they’d worked right next to him in Charlotte. He’d worked many cases with them. But how could he explain that Jaynee was missing when she was standing next to him.

  If they still considered her a missing person, they would have already checked her I.D., would see that she’d flown from Charlotte to New York. He couldn’t go to the police.

  “Get dressed,” he ordered. “I need coffee, and then we’re going to pay your friend’s wife a visit. We need to find out where he’s been the last few days. Maybe he was stupid enough to use a credit card.”

  Caycee bit her lip, shaking her head. “Ben isn’t stupid. If he had really been trying to kidnap me, he wouldn’t have made mistakes, but, Jordan, I swear to you… Ben would never hurt me; Ben couldn’t hurt anyone. The man has stayed with that ridiculous wife of his for twenty years. She practically abuses him, doesn’t love him. I can’t imagine why she wouldn’t have left him years ago.”

  Jordan rolled his eyes. She was as naïve as Jaynee was; everyone was good in her eyes. What neither of them understood was that most kidnappings and murders were done out of passion. Parents would even take their own children hostage to get what they wanted. It was irrational to think that anyone would fight for someone who didn’t want or love them. But then he wondered what lengths he would go to get Jaynee’s attention if she ever decided to leave him.

  He could never just let her leave without knowing why, what he’d done wrong. However, he’d let her leave if that’s what she wanted. He would never force her to stay with him if she didn’t love him, but he would have to hear it from her personally before he ever believed it again. He would never assume she didn’t want him, didn’t need him…didn’t love him. She would have to tell him to his face before he ever gave up on his wife.

  Jordan tucked his Glock 23 into his custom-made in-pants holster and wore a large shirt to conceal it further. Unfortunately, New York wasn’t a reciprocal state. His CCW permit was worthless here. If he were caught carrying, he’d be hauled off to jail, no questions asked. But, it was a chance he was willing to take.

  He held open the hotel door for Caycee to pass, careful not to touch her. He didn’t want to feel the warmth of emotion as if he were touching his wife; he would have to wait until he held her in his arms again.

  ***

  Caycee sat in the chair Jordan held out for her in the hotel restaurant. At least he wasn’t treating her like a pariah anymore.

  Jordan ordered an egg sandwich and black coffee. She’d opted for her standard breakfast of a muffin and coffee. Jordan just shook his head and made a face.

  “What? Did I do something wrong?” she asked.

  “It’s just so difficult to wrap my mind around this. Is that what you always order for breakfast?”

  She couldn’t stop the small smile from forming. “I prefer my homemade ones, of course. I was surprised that Jaynee still ate the same thing. It’s weird, isn’t it?”

  Jordan let out a burst of air with a short, forced chuckle. “Extremely… Weird doesn’t even begin to cover this. You really are the same, aren’t you?”

  She nodded and shrugged, her lips turning up a fraction again in a confused smile.

  “So tell me again, I didn’t really understand when you tried to explain to me last night. How and when did this happen?” He kept his face composed, but his eyes were wary as if he really didn’t want an answer to his question.

  “The best we can figure is that after you proposed… Jaynee said, Yes, and I said, Can I have a mom
ent? You quickly offered to me that it was okay…that you would fly down from North Carolina every weekend to be with me until I was ready. You dropped me off at my house to change. I told you I wanted to speak with my grandmother and asked you to pick me up later. I went into my house, packed a few things…evidently a favorite dress of Jaynee’s. Remember the white one I’d worn the day we went to Tarpon Springs?”

  Jordan nodded, his cheek pulling up slightly. “I’d always wondered why she never wore that again. I just assumed the movers missed a box.”

  “Yeah…Jaynee already yelled at me about that. Anyway, I called a taxi and left for the airport. Meanwhile, according to Jaynee, you were making arrangements for a wedding and honeymoon in Vegas.”

  “Caycee… Jaynee did say, Can I have a moment? But then she’d come out and said, Yes. But why wouldn’t I remember any of the rest that you said happened. I was at her house… I talked to her grandmother outside while she packed. Is there another Jordan running around somewhere?” He laughed without humor; evidently, the discussion of make-believe was wearing on him.

  “I don’t know…a different reality? Maybe I just thought that was what happened. I don’t know… All I know is that I remember everything that Jaynee remembers about our life…until you proposed. Then…I became Caycee Jayne. I’d always hated that my mother added the extra E. So had my father. That’s why he’d called me C.J.” She realized she was rambling about the inconsequential, so she picked up her coffee to allow a break in the conversation.

  Jordan leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. “Tell me why… Not that it matters, but obviously some part of Jaynee didn’t love me enough to marry me.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong, Jordan. I never stopped loving you. I was simply scared. I’d been taken advantage of and abused my entire life. I was afraid you would hurt me also.” She stopped. Sucking in a breath, she attempted to control her feelings. “Turns out it was the largest mistake of my life. I’m glad that one part of me—the best part of me— had enough sense to accept your proposal.”

  Jordan turned his eyes away, looking out the window. “Now she’s gone. Jaynee is the best part of me, too. We have to find her.”

  He reached his hand across the table, but didn’t touch her. “May I?” Caycee nodded, and he closed his eyes. She closed her eyes too, concentrating on Jaynee. The blinding light pierced her again. She felt Jordan’s hand tighten on hers. Jaynee wasn’t in pain now, but she was scared. She longed for Jordan to embrace her entirely.

  She wasn’t sure if it was her thoughts or Jaynee’s that she felt, though. She opened her eyes to see Jordan gazing into hers. His eyes filled again, but he blinked them clear.

  He pushed back away from the table and stood with one fluid motion. “I have to get the car… I’ll be right back.”

  The connection broke, and a sinking, nauseated feeling swept through her stomach. She felt weak.

  Jordan returned only minutes later. He reached out his hand, but then quickly retracted it.

  Caycee understood. She walked ahead of him, waiting silently as the valet brought the car around. When they were safely inside, she turned to him. “Where are we going?”

  “Ben’s house. We’re going to talk with his wife.”

  “Oh…” Caycee glanced at her phone, then back at Jordan. “She probably won’t be very receptive. I don’t think she likes me.”

  “I can’t imagine why she would.” His voice had a hard edge as it had last night. Again, he reached toward her, but then ripping his hand away, he gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. “I’m sorry, that was rude. I have no right to judge. I don’t know what happened in your world. I just know how adamantly Jaynee despises women who come on to married men. I guess your mother—” Caycee nodded in assent. “And then—never mind.”

  Her eyebrows knitted together. “And then, what? You can’t bring up something and just let it go…especially like this.”

  “It’s nothing. I’ve never cheated—” He sighed. “Well, not technically.” She knew he was referring to the two of them. “But one woman came on to me, and then there are others who make sly comments. It irritates Jaynee to death. Sometimes, I think she’ll attack them right there in church. She’s pretty feisty.”

  “I’ll bet!” Her words were a little too bold. Jordan turned to her, obviously recognizing her reaction. She was jealous, too, she realized. She jumped back to his previous words to cover her reaction. “Jordan, you know how it felt when you touched me?”

  Jordan winced, embarrassed, she thought. “Yes…”

  “I think it was the same way when we were in bed…” His forehead creased, and he bit his lip to conceal his reaction. “I think that’s why I couldn’t resist you. I’d actually believed I was your wife; it felt like I was your wife.”

  “But you’re not!” he snapped.

  She closed her eyes, shaking her head. “I know that, Jordan. I’m not trying to make myself feel better. But I don’t want you to feel guilty. You didn’t cheat on your wife! And that’s all I’m going to say about this, so just cut it out, okay?”

  Jordan offered no response, and then there was a brief moment of silence before her phone chimed. She recognized the number at once; it was Ben’s cell number.

  She grabbed Jordan’s arm. “It’s Ben.”

  “Answer it on speaker,” Jordan commanded, slowing the car’s acceleration.

  “But…I didn’t give him this number. I didn’t leave a message when I called.”

  “You unblocked it last night, remember? Or maybe it’s Jaynee? Answer it!” he barked.

  Caycee did as instructed. “Hello?” she said.

  The voice on the other end muttered something, but she couldn’t make it out. It didn’t sound like Jaynee or Ben. Caycee didn’t recognize it, but it sounded like a woman. The voice was low and raspy, as if she’d been screaming or crying or was trying to disguise her voice. “I have something you want, Caycee,” the voice mumbled more clearly, though still barely intelligible. Caycee’s eyes widened instantly, her breath quickened as the reality of the situation hit her. Ben hadn’t taken Jaynee; Sheila had, along with Ben, it seemed, and it was her fault. Everything was her fault.

  Jordan pulled off the road, motioning for her to stay calm by pressing his hands down in front of her. He laid his hand lightly against her cheek, whispering, “Be cool. Don’t upset her.” He’d recognized the situation immediately.

  “I have your sister and Ben. Only I don’t want her, I want you, and you want Ben, so here’s your chance. I’ll let her go…if you come in her place. If I see or hear any police involvement, I’ll kill them both. He was going to leave me for you anyway. Unlike last time, I couldn’t even get him to sleep with me. Either way, my life is over, so I really don’t care what happens. But if you can convince him you don’t love him, that you never loved him…then I’ll let you go.”

  Again, Sheila’s low and determined voice surprised her. She’d always seemed so cool, as if she’d never cared about Ben. Why all of a sudden would she care? Money? Caycee wondered. Well, she could have whatever she wanted. She could have Ben, her bank account, whatever she wanted as long as Jaynee was okay. “Where do you want to meet?”

  “Your favorite restaurant; that way everyone will know you aren’t really missing.”

  “When?”

  “Usual time. As I said, I want everyone to see that you’re okay. But I assure you. If I see anyone suspicious, any police…they’ll both starve. I’ll never disclose where they are, and the police will never find them. They’ll die a slow, painful death.” With her last remark, she disconnected the call.

  Jordan sighed when the line disconnected. “That was a woman? I bet you never thought she had that reaction in her either.”

  Caycee shook her head. She was certain Jordan could see the apprehension in her eyes.

  His eyes were intense. “There has to be another way, Caycee, you can’t go with her. She won’t let you go once she has you.”r />
  “There’s no other way, Jordan, you heard her…”

  He thought for a moment. “You can meet her, act like you’re going with her, and then I can take her down at the car.”

  “No!” she almost shouted. “She’ll kill them. She said she’d never talk.”

  “Oh…she’ll talk.” An eerie coldness filled his eyes, and for a moment, she believed him.

  “No…she won’t, and this is my fault. I’ll go and make sure she releases Jaynee.”

  Jordan shook his head. “Caycee, you have to listen to me. She won’t let you or Jaynee go. She can’t. She can’t leave any witnesses. And then, I’ll lose both of you.” Caycee glanced up immediately, searching his eyes. He held up his hand. “If I lose you, I lose her. I won’t know where she’s taken you.”

  “I’m going, Jordan. You can’t stop me.”

  He released a long breath, obviously realizing there was no other way. This was their only chance to find Jaynee. “I won’t let you out of my sight…I promise.” His face had set with determination and something else she thought, for a brief second, she saw passion in his eyes. He wasn’t trying to hold back his feelings now. He’d finally come to realize they were the same; she could see it in his gaze. He blinked, looking as if he were trying to control his emotions. This was a better plan; he could watch from a distance and follow her. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

  “Thank you, Jordan. I’m counting on that.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  (Jaynee)

  Jaynee woke after sleeping for what felt like a couple of hours. What else was there to do but sleep?

  Of course, nightmares had terrorized her sleep since she’d woken up here the first time. And for some reason, her living hell seemed easier to deal with than her past, since she couldn’t change it. Nothing would bring back her father, and yet, she still tried to alter the past within her dreams. But this time, she woke up to a feeling of warmth and comfort, the way she felt when Jordan held her.