Forever Alexa (Book Four In The Bodyguards Of L.A. County Series)

by Beauman, Cate

  “I have my own princess dress. Auntie Ab made it for Christmas.” Olivia grinned—her father’s grin.

  Alexa winced as Sarah’s gaze flew from her daughter to Ethan. She glanced at her wristwatch. They would stay and play with Kylee for a little while and be gone before Jack ever knew she was here.

  Jackson’s plane touched down with a sway and rush of breaks. He gathered his carry-on as the jet taxied down the runway. They were early—only five minutes—but it beat the hell out of being late. He wanted home, his own bed, but more than that he looked forward to making good on an idea that struck him thirty minutes before landing. Evelyn was going to love it.

  An hour later, after hurrying through the airport and stopping off to pick up ‘the surprise,’ he sped along Ten West, checking his messages.

  “Jackson, it’s Ethan. Give me a call as soon as you can. It’s important.”

  He wanted to ignore Ethan for twenty-four hours and forget the demands of the job for one night while he spent a quiet evening alone with Evelyn, but if Ethan said it was important, it was important. Jackson dialed Ethan’s direct line as the small fur ball in his lap yipped. He scratched the eight-week-old golden retriever/lab mix between the ears. “We’re almost there.”

  “Cooke.”

  “It’s Jackson. What’s up?”

  “You home?”

  “On my way.” He merged on Highway One.

  “Can you stop by the house first?”

  “Not really. I have something for Evelyn.”

  “There’s a woman there with Sarah. Her daughter’s playing with Kylee. She came to the office looking for you. Said it was an emergency. I think she’s in some sort of trouble.”

  A woman with a kid? “Who the hell is she? I don’t know a woman with a kid. What’s her name?”

  “She was pretty close-mouthed. I’ve been in meetings since she and Sarah left. I haven’t had a chance to call and check in. Her daughter introduced herself as Olivia.”

  “Olivia… Olivia…” He racked his brain trying to place a woman with a daughter named Olivia. “It’s not ringing any bells, man.”

  “Jackson, Olivia looks just like… Why don’t you drop by real quick? The lady was hell bent on leaving. You might’ve already missed her, but like I said, she’s in trouble.”

  Jackson let loose a sigh. “I’ll stop in. Thanks, man.”

  “Take a couple days. I downloaded your reports on the Appalachia Project—very thorough. We’ll meet at nine Tuesday morning.”

  “Sounds good.” Jackson hung up. “Son of a bitch.” It was tempting to assume the mystery lady had already gone on her way, but curiosity got the better of him. A woman with a daughter named Olivia? He had no idea.

  Minutes later, Jackson pulled through Ethan’s gate and waited for the wrought iron to close behind him before he continued down the drive. He rolled to a stop behind Sarah’s sedan, and his new pup sat up in the passenger seat, tongue lolling. “Let’s go solve a mystery,” Jackson said in an excellent imitation of Scooby Doo. The puppy yapped and licked Jackson’s chin. Grinning, he scooped the dog up and got out. “You liked that, huh?” The pup yipped again. “Damn, you’re cute. Evelyn’s going to melt when she gets a look at you. You’re major brownie points, man, but not if I’m late.” Jackson punched his home number in to his phone and started toward the door.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Ev. I’m in town but I’m running a little behind.”

  “Okay. When do you think you’ll be here?”

  “I’m making a quick stop by Ethan’s. I’m thinking half an hour, maybe forty-five minutes at the latest.”

  “Hurry, gorgeous. I’m waiting,” she purred.

  “Give me twenty, Ev.” He hung up, eager to get this impromptu visit over with, and rang the bell. Moments later, Sarah answered.

  “Hi, Jackson.” Sarah smiled. “Who do you have there?”

  “This is Mutt. I picked him up from the SPCA. He’s a surprise for Evelyn.”

  “Oh, well he’s a sweetheart.”

  Bear and Reece, Ethan and Sarah’s golden mastiffs, rushed to the door, sniffing the air.

  “Hey, boys!” He extended his hand, giving the huge, well-trained dogs the customary rub behind the ears. He’d spent plenty of time with Bear and Reece on more than one assignment. “Do you guys smell fresh meat?” Jackson grinned. “Let the socializing begin.” He held Mutt down for Bear and Reece to sniff. Mutt began to tremble as big black noses investigated every inch of him. Mutt let out a frightened yip and peed in Jackson’s hand. “Well, son of a bitch.”

  Sarah burst out laughing. “Come on in, Jackson. Let’s get you cleaned up. I’ll take Mutt.” She grabbed Mutt from Jackson’s one arm hold. “Boys, go out and play,” she pointed outside, and the dogs ran off like a shot.

  With the commotion over, Jackson stepped inside and glanced at his watch. “Sarah, what’s going on? Ethan called and said some woman stopped by the office looking for me—now she’s here?”

  “Yes, she’s on the couch.”

  “Hold on.” He walked into the bathroom and scrubbed his hands, rinsed, and wiped them on the towel. “Better.” He flashed her a grin before they started down the hall. “Who is she? Ethan said—” Jackson peeked in the living room, trying to catch a glimpse, and stopped dead. He couldn’t believe his eyes. “Alex,” he muttered in disbelief. Alex was here, asleep on Ethan and Sarah’s couch. He looked at Sarah. “Alex is here.”

  “Yes, she is. She’s in trouble, Jackson. She needs help.”

  He walked further into the room, still in shock.

  “Jackson, are you okay?”

  “I don’t… I’m not...” He shook his head as he stared at Alex. She was no longer just beautiful. The years had turned her amazing looks into something striking. Her cheekbones were more defined, and her lashes went on for miles. He’d forgotten how impossibly long they were. And her hair, it was different, still straight and shiny black, just longer. He stepped closer, desperately wanting to touch and run his hands through her silky locks the way he used to. The rest of her body was as glorious as he remembered—willowy and perfect in her form-fitting clothes. In a matter of seconds, four years vanished.

  “Should I—should I wake her up?” He asked, shaken, unsure of what to do as the woman he’d loved for most of his adult life lay before him, restful in sleep.

  “You might want to. She planned to leave a couple of hours ago, but I didn’t have the heart to wake her. She was just holding herself together at the office. She’s exhausted and on edge. We didn’t have much of a chance to talk. I went to get us some iced tea and sandwiches; when I came back, she was asleep. I’m not exactly sure what’s going on, but I know her daughter’s absolutely adorable. She’s a smart little thing.”

  He crouched down next to Alex and breathed her in. She smelled the same, like vanilla and flowers.

  “Mutt and I will go check on the girls. They’re going to love him.”

  “Yeah, okay.” He barely heard Sarah as he reached out, hesitating before brushing his fingers against Alex’s soft, warm cheek. Never ever did he think he would do this again. “Alex,” he whispered.

  When she didn’t respond, he swept the black tresses from her forehead and caressed his knuckles against her temple, taking her in, afraid he would wake up and she would be gone. “Alex,” he repeated, and her lashes fluttered open. He stared into sleepy, dark blue eyes—eyes he knew as well as his own. He’d never been able to forget them.

  “Jack.” She brought her hand to his cheek, resting her palm against his skin as she smiled. “Jack.”

  Was this really happening? “You’re here.”

  “Mmm.”

  He pressed his hand to hers and laced their fingers together, savoring the feel of her. He’d lived without her fo
r so long. He smiled back. “Alex, what are you doing here?”

  The dreamy look vanished from her gaze as she blinked and shot up to sitting position, yanking her hand from his. “Jack.” She scurried up from the couch and stood. “What are you doing here? Where am I? Where’s Livy? Abby.” She rushed to the doorway in a panic. “Livy?”

  She was three steps into the hall before he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. “Alex, you’re still half asleep. Take a deep breath. Your daughter’s okay. Sarah’s taking care of her. Everything’s fine.”

  She tugged herself free and glanced at her watch as she sat down on the edge of a chair, jamming her fingers through her hair. “Everything’s not fine. It’s 1:45. I’m almost out of time.”

  “Almost out of time for what?”

  “They took Abby. Someone took Abby.”

  He hurried forward and crouched in front of her. “Who took Abby?”

  She shrugged and rested her face in her hands. “I don’t know who they are. They want a quarter of a million dollars in just a few hours or they’re going to kill her, then they’re coming to take my Livy.” Her voice broke.

  “Good Christ, Alex. Did you contact the police?”

  “I did initially when I watched a couple of men drag my sister away at the rest stop, but not when they called demanding money two days ago.”

  “So, you got a ransom call Friday night?”

  “Yes, although I guess it was technically very early Saturday morning.” She spoke fairly calmly while she clasped her fingers together until her knuckles whitened.

  He took her cold hand in his, wanting to comfort her. “What exactly did they say?”

  “They told me if I talk to the cops or media, they’ll kill Abby. I wanted to call the detective, but I didn’t dare. I’m supposed to leave the money in my savings account. They said they would take it from there.”

  “What’s our exact timeframe here?”

  “They said the deadline was Monday. Two a.m.”

  “Okay. Let me make some calls.” He stood, ready to get to work. They didn’t have much time.

  “It was Monday,” she repeated. “Now I have until eight o’clock Eastern time tonight. They saw me dodging news cameras and docked me six hours as punishment.” She sniffled, and a tear raced down her cheek. “They also said they would take Livy next. I don’t know what to do.”

  Jackson rubbed his thumb and finger over his eyebrows as he stared at the floor. How the hell was he supposed to fix this in two hours? He remembered pretty little Abby. She’d always been so free and fun, much more relaxed than Alex, but she’d also had far less to worry about than her big sister. “Do you have the detective’s number?”

  “Yes, of course. His card is in my purse.” She hurried over to the suitcase and child safety seat in the corner of the room and yanked up her bag, then pulled out the business card and flip phone. “The kidnapper has been calling me on this. They must’ve put it in my purse when they took Abby. The battery’s running low.” She handed off the cell with trembling fingers. “I should’ve called Detective Canon.” She walked to the enormous picture windows facing the mighty Pacific. “I’ve been so scared—frantic. I didn’t know what to do. There was no one to ask, no one to…” She shook her head. “Abby’s going to die because I didn’t do what I should have. My sister’s going to die, and they’re going to take my baby.”

  He stepped up behind her and placed his hands on her rigid, slender shoulders. “Everything’s going to be okay, Alex. Let me make some calls.” It more than likely wasn’t going to be all right. They’d probably already killed Abby, or certainly would, but how could he tell her that? One step at a time. “Why don’t you go find Sarah. The playroom’s down the hall. I’ll see what I can do to get this figured out.”

  She nodded and turned. “Okay. But I need the phone back. I have to keep it with me. They might call.”

  Shrieks of laughter echoed from down the hall. Suddenly Mutt ran into the room, tail tucked between his legs, as two bullets with blonde hair followed.

  “Mutt, come here,” Kylee giggled.

  The girl with darker blond hair, shorter than Kylee and wearing a striped pink top and jean shorts, crouched down and peeked under the couch. “We just want to pet you, cute little puppy!”

  Jackson got on his hands and knees in an attempt to rescue his dog. “Let’s get him out of there. Out you go, Mutt. You can come with me.” He pulled his trembling dog out from under the furniture and clutched the pup close to his chest. “There you go.”

  He smiled as the little blonde tilted her head up, grinning. His smile fell away as he stared.

  “Mutt is cute. I like him very much,” she said as she petted him. Her soft fingers touched Jackson’s with each stroke. “He’s just a baby. We have to be gentle,” she went on.

  This was Alex’s daughter, Olivia. Olivia had his eyebrows and eyes, his mouth, his short nose that turned up at the tip just a touch, his hair color for God’s sake.

  “Alex?” He glanced from his tiny mirror image to her mother.

  Alex’s eyes filled as they met his.

  Heart pounding, reeling from utter shock, he rushed to his feet. “Alex?”

  Sarah stepped in the silent room. “Girls, let’s take Mutt to the kitchen. We’ll have a snack and get him a drink of water.”

  The girls clasped hands and ran off, making as much noise as they had when they entered the room. Sarah took Mutt from Jackson as he stared at Alex, the woman he’d yearned for, the mother of his child. “She’s mine.”

  Alex said nothing as she tore her gaze from his and looked at the floor.

  “She’s mine,” he snapped as embers of anger sparked to life.

  She nodded. “Yes. Olivia’s your daughter.”

  Although he’d seen her for himself, hearing Alex’s confirmation was another jolt, adding to the flames of resentment. “How could you do this? How could you keep her from me?” He bit off each word.

  She looked up as tears ran down her cheeks. “You broke things off before I found out. If I was too much of a complication in your life... I didn’t think you’d want her.”

  “I didn’t want you, Alex.” He spewed out a venomous lie. “I didn’t want you. How old is she? How old is my daughter?”

  “Three and a half. She was born on your birthday.”

  He turned away as grief mixed with furry. He’d had a daughter for three-and-a-half years—and yearned for her mother the entire time. They could’ve been a family. He could’ve had everything he’d ever wanted. Now they were both here in this house, but it felt like they were still miles apart. The ironic injustice knocked him back another step.

  His cellphone rang. He glanced at the readout. Evelyn. He closed his eyes and reached for his phone. “Hey, Ev.”

  “Is everything okay? Where are you?”

  “I’m still at Sarah and Ethan’s.”

  “I thought you said twenty minutes.”

  “I know I did. Ev, I’ve run in to a few...issues. I won’t be home for a while yet.” He watched Alex turn to the window.

  “Do you want me to come over? You sound upset.”

  Dear God, that was exactly what he didn’t need. “No. I’ll be home later. I’ll explain everything then. I’ve gotta go.”

  “Okay. I love you.”

  “You too.” He shoved his phone away.

  Alex whirled around, rushed forward, and snatched the detective’s business card from his grip. “Go home, Jack.” She grabbed her luggage and started toward the hall. “Your ‘issues’ just cleared up.”

  He snagged her arm and yanked her back. “What are you doing? Where are you going?”

  “This was a mistake.” She moved her shoulder, attempting to free herself. “I shouldn’t have come to Los Angeles. Let me
go.”

  He tightened his grip, realizing he couldn’t do as she asked. Now that she was here, he didn’t know how he would let her go again. “Not yet.”

  “I don’t have time for this. My sister needs help. I need to get out of here.”

  “So, what, I’m just supposed to let you walk away? That’s my daughter laughing down the hall.”

  “I assure you no one knows that more than I do. I won’t keep her from you, Jack, but I have bigger problems to deal with right now.” She tried to pull free again. “I have to get to the airport.”

  A rush of panic surged through his veins. He was losing her again. “Like hell. You said they threatened to take Olivia. You’re not thinking clearly.”

  Heat replaced the weariness in her eyes, and she took a step closer. “Don’t you dare, Jack. Don’t you dare insinuate that I would ever put my daughter in danger. I’ve been taking care of Livy all by myself since the beginning. We’ve done just fine so far.”

  And didn’t that burn his ass? They would and could go on without him, as they had all along. Well, not anymore. “Where’re you going to go?”

  “I don’t know yet. We’ll probably travel for a while until the detective assures me it’s safe to go back to Maryland.”

  “Come to my house,” he blurted out. “I want you and Olivia to come to my house. Let me get to know my daughter while this mess gets straightened out. It could be months before it’s safe. I’ll help you with Abby. Give me a chance to be with Olivia.” He desperately wanted to sit with that tiny little girl again and pet the puppy while she smiled at him.

  “I don’t think your wife will approve.”

  “Wife? I don’t have a…” Evelyn. He kept forgetting about Evelyn. “Evelyn is my girlfriend.”

  “I can’t imagine she’ll be thrilled to have your college ex and long-lost daughter under her roof.”