Breathless (Seven Brides Seven Brothers Pelican Bay Book 1)

by Belle Calhoune

  Cadence had gotten under his skin in a serious way. His heart was supposed to be off limits, but he feared he was wearing it on his sleeve at the moment. Cadence had the power to break through all of his defenses and make him feel things he hadn’t felt since she’d been his lady. And it scared him to death.

  **

  Cadence had barely plopped her head on the pillow and drifted off to the land of slumber when she heard a heavy knocking at the guest bedroom door.

  “Cadence, we have to head to the airport in forty-five minutes or so.” The low rumble of Parker’s voice caused her to sit up straight in bed. Logan! They were going to be flying to California to find him. Please, Lord. Let this journey not be in vain. I’ll do whatever it takes to get my son back!

  She scrambled from the bed and went to the bathroom that adjoined the guest bedroom. After taking a quick shower and brushing her teeth, Cadence felt ready to roll. She wasn’t going to worry about wearing yesterday’s clothes. Once they landed in California she could pick up a few things to tide her over. She didn’t much care about her appearance at the moment.

  A car service picked them up at Parker’s house and took them to the airport. The flight to California was a little under five hours. Cadence surprised herself by falling asleep in her window seat. Parker and Jason talked in low voices as she drifted off to sleep. Jason nudged her awake when the plane landed. A car was waiting for them at the rental agency—a sleek, dark-colored SUV with plenty of room inside.

  Parker got behind the wheel as the GPS directed them past palm trees and large expanses of green land. Everything outside her window was incredibly picturesque. If the situation hadn’t been so dire, Cadence would have enjoyed the lovely vistas of Sonoma. It was one of the most breathtaking places she’d ever seen.

  After about fifteen minutes, Parker pulled up to a salmon colored condominium complex guarded by a closed gate. Parker rolled down his window and punched some numbers into the pad, Cadence could see a glistening pool in the background surrounded by palm trees.

  “We’re going to stay here until we locate Mason and Logan,” Parker explained. “A buddy of mine owns it and he said we can use it as long as we need to.” He quirked his mouth. “Hopefully, just for a couple of days.”

  Cadence nodded. She knew Parker was trying to make her feel reassured about the situation. As soon as the plane landed at the airport, Cadence had felt a strong sense that her son was nearby. Call it a hunch or a mother’s intuition, but she’d felt it deep down in her bones. She just needed to get to him so she could hold her son in her arms and never let him go.

  Once they entered the building, Parker reached under the welcome mat and picked up a gold key. He let them in to the condo, which was fully furnished and as clean as a whistle. Cadence had the impression it had been unoccupied for some time. She felt a deep sense of gratitude toward Parker’s friend. It was one less thing they had to worry about in this stressful situation. Although it was difficult at the moment, Cadence always tried to count her blessings. In a situation like this, they were hard to find.

  Suddenly, Parker’s cell phone began to buzz insistently. He grabbed his phone and answered in a curt voice. “Parker here. Talk to me, Rizz.”

  Parker began to pace the length of the room. His long legs looked powerful encased in the dark jeans he was wearing. She couldn’t help but notice how buff he looked. His physique was muscled and rugged. The sight of him walking side by side with Jason at the airport had made quite a few heads turn. Both of them were gorgeous, but the two of them together was a double whammy. She tried not to feel jealous thinking about other women admiring Parker, but she was failing miserably.

  Cadence could only hear a few words of Parker’s conversation. His expression was tense. After a few minutes, he hung up. Cadence could see the focused expression etched on his face.

  “What’s going on?” Jason asked.

  “He’s at the house here in Sonoma,” Parker announced.

  “How do you know that?” Cadence asked.

  “We have contacts in the area,” Jason explained. “PI friends who live in California. They’ve been staking out the family property.”

  Parker ran a hand over his face. “We coordinate our efforts whenever we can help one another out. Jason and I called in a few favors.”

  “That’s smart,” Cadence said. “What’s next? Did they see Logan?”

  Parker grimaced. “No Logan sighting as of yet. But that doesn’t mean we should wait to go after Mason.”

  “You can’t antagonize him,” Cadence cautioned, biting her finger nail. “He can be very volatile. We have to tread carefully so the situation doesn’t escalate.”

  “We’re going to tread carefully, Cadence.” Parker locked gazes with her. “I promise you, we’re not going to do anything to jeopardize Logan.”

  Cadence bit her lip. She trusted both Parker and Jason to handle things professionally, but her stomach was a bundle of nerves.

  Jason and Parker exchanged a loaded glance.

  “What is it? What aren’t you saying?” she pressed.

  “Do you know if he owns any weapons?” Parker asked.

  Cadence felt her heart thump wildly in her chest. “I-I think he does. I’ve never seen any, but I know he has a permit to carry a weapon.”

  “Thanks. It’s best we know that information before we head over to the compound,” Parker explained.

  “Oh, dear Lord,” Cadence said. “Please be careful, Parker. I hate to think you and Jason will be in danger.”

  “We’ve got this,” Parker said, his voice sounding sure and strong. “This isn’t our first encounter with someone like Mason.”

  For some reason, Cadence didn’t feel reassured. Now she had to worry about Parker and Jason’s safety in addition to Logan’s well-being. She prayed this nightmare would soon be coming to an end. Truthfully, she didn’t know how much longer she could go on without being reunited with her son.

  A buzzing sound coming from her phone drew her attention away from Parker. Cadence frowned at the display. She had no idea who was calling her because the number wasn’t showing up. Although she was tempted to ignore it, instinct told her to pick up the call.

  “Hello.”

  The line crackled. “I see you’ve made your way to Sonoma.”

  Cadence froze. Mason’s deep baritone voice was unmistakable. “Where’s Logan?” she asked, her voice quivering.

  “He’s with me of course,” Mason said. “Would you like to say hello?”

  Cadence couldn’t even muster an answer. Adrenaline rushed through her veins. Her head begun to pound mercilessly.

  “Yes, please. I want to hear his voice,” she begged, shutting her eyes as hot tears squeezed past her lids.

  “Mama,” a little voice cried out. Cadence let out a cry as Logan’s voice washed over her.

  “Logan,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “Sweetheart,” she crooned.

  “Cadence. Is he on the phone?” Parker asked in a low voice.

  She nodded at Parker. It felt as if a giant hand was inside her chest squeezing her heart.

  “Mama. Come. I’m sad,” Logan said in a shaky voice.

  “I’m coming, baby. I’m coming,” she said in a soothing tone. Logan sounded so unhappy. She hated Mason for doing this to her child. “Logan. Baby. Are you still there?”

  There were a few seconds of silence on the line.

  “He really misses you,” Mason said in a gleeful tone. “He’s been crying out for you. Over and over again.”

  Cadence let out a moan. “How could you do this?” she asked in a raised voice. “You’ve barely had anything to do with my son ever since the day he was born. You’ve only done this to hurt me.”

  “You gave me no choice, Cadence. I always told you if you ever left me, I’d find a way to make you pay,” Mason said in a hollow-sounding voice.

  “What do you want from me? Do you want me to come back? Just let me see Logan. I’ll do anything.” She was b
egging now, pleading for a chance to see her son again. Mason’s tone was alarming. Although she’d always known he was dangerous, he was now sounding unhinged. Vindictive.

  “What I want is to see you suffer, Cadence.”

  She let out a brittle laugh. “You’ve already achieved that goal, Mason. The last three years have been full of torment.”

  “How much do you love Logan?”

  “You know the answer to that. He’s my life.”

  “So you won’t mind offering yourself up in Logan’s place?”

  Cadence didn’t even hesitate. As a mother she would go to the ends of the earth for her child. And she knew Mason well enough to know his end game. He was trying to torture her. “No, I’d do anything for him. You know that.”

  “Good. You and your boyfriend can meet me at Stillwater Cove Park by the covered bridge. Tomorrow at noon. We can do the exchange then.”

  “Wait! Why not today? I want to see Logan now,” she cried out, letting out a scream of frustration when the line went dead.

  “What did he say?” Parker asked. Both he and Jason were standing in front of her, their faces showing their deep concern.

  “He wants us to meet up with him tomorrow. And he wants to give Logan back,” she said in a halting voice.

  Parker and Jason shared an uneasy glance.

  “Sounds way too easy,” Jason said. “Why would he fold so quickly after all of this?”

  “Right,” Parker said with a nod. “He took Logan without the permission of his custodial parent and flew him out of state.” He scratched his jaw. “Doesn’t sound like somebody who wants to play nice.”

  “I don’t know,” she said with a light shrug. She was telling the truth. She didn’t have any idea of what exactly Mason was thinking or his grand plan. But she knew how she intended to proceed once they spotted him with Logan. She planned to give herself up for the safety of Logan.

  “Did he ask for anything in exchange for Logan?” Parker asked, his dark brows furrowed.

  “No,” Cadence answered without skipping a beat. “He wants us to meet him at Stillwater Cover Park at noon by the covered bridge. Considering everything he could have asked for, I’m very grateful.”

  “You know better than to trust a word he says,” Parker cautioned. “This could be some sort of trap. We’re going to have to proceed very carefully.”

  Jason frowned. “Are we sure about not contacting the police?” he asked. “There are laws against kidnapping.”

  “Mason isn’t kidnapping since he’s acknowledged as being Logan’s father. We were married at the time Logan was born. And even though I’m the custodial parent he does have visitation rights.” Cadence saw Parker wince and she instantly regretting pouring salt on his wounds. “And I don’t want to go that route if I don’t have to.” She bit her lip as fear rushed through her. “I don’t want to see what Mason might do if he feels desperate.”

  Parker nodded. “You know him better than we do. We don’t want to trigger him.”

  “It’s a chance to get Logan back,” Jason said. “We have to cross all our t’s so the hand off will be precise.”

  As Parker and Jason began to hash out the details, Cadence withdrew into her own thoughts. Cadence couldn’t tell Parker and Jason that Mason wanted her in exchange for Logan. If she did, they would insist that she stay behind when they went to meet up with Mason and Logan at Stillwater Cove Park. And there was no way Cadence could let that happen. She’d messed everything up in her life up till this point. The decisions she’d made had been well-meaning but poorly thought out and foolish. In her own humble way, she’d tried to save everyone but herself. In the end, she’d fed the monster instead of vanquishing him. And now, she would do the one thing she knew in her heart God would want her to do. Save her child. God had given her a purpose when He had chosen her to be Logan’s mother.

  Dear Lord. Continue to watch over Logan. And please keep Parker and Jason safe from harm tomorrow. From the day Logan came into this world I vowed to protect and watch over him. This is my penance for the past. For not telling Parker the truth about Logan. I’m at peace with my decision, Lord, to exchange myself for my baby. No matter what happens.

  “Love comes with a lot of sacrifice. It’s the most unselfish way to show love.”

  Jude Donahue

  Chapter Six

  The following morning, Parker was up by dawn. After taking a hot shower he made his way down to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee to start the day off right. While the coffee brewed, Parker stepped outside to the patio and stared at the gorgeous orange sun bursting over the horizon. Despite the horrible circumstances that had brought them to Sonoma, Parker could still appreciate the beautiful California landscape.

  He turned around at the sound of light footsteps behind him. Cadence—looking radiant in a simple white shift dress—stood in the entryway, her striking face creased with worry.

  Last night he’d taken her to a local clothing store so she could pick up some basic clothing items. Leave it to Cadence to look like a million bucks despite the fact that he knew she was a nervous wreck.

  “Morning,” she said. “The smell of coffee led me downstairs.”

  “Good morning,” he said, somehow managing to drag his eyes away from her. “You’re up early. I was hoping you would sleep in, Cadence. You need the rest.”

  “I slept a little bit last night, but I kept thinking about Logan.” She drew in a deep breath. “I can’t help but feel scared for him.”

  Parker stepped toward her, easily swallowing up the distance between them. “Instead of being scared, I’m asking you to continue to be strong.”

  She let out a hollow sounding laugh. “I’m not sure I’ve been very strong.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Parker asked, letting out a disbelieving sound. “You’ve been amazing. After everything you’ve been through—you drove all the way to Pelican Bay to ask for my help. After the way things were left between us, that was an incredibly brave move. I know what it cost you to come to me. Give yourself some credit, Cadence. You’re a fighter.”

  A look of surprise crossed her face. “I can’t believe it. I am a little bit of a warrior, aren’t I?”

  He sent her a smile of encouragement. “Yes, you are. And one of these days I’m going to tell our son all about it. He needs to know how you fought for him.”

  “Oh, Parker. I should have fought sooner. I should have pushed past the fear and taken action. For so long I was sleepwalking through my life.” Her jaw hardened. “I’ll never be in that position again. Not ever.”

  “No you won’t. I can see the conviction etched on your face. I can hear it in your voice.”

  “I have to admit, I’m scared about today,” Cadence confessed. Her blue eyes flickered with emotion. Suddenly, all Parker wanted to do was to reassure her, to let Cadence know it was going to be all right. His mind flashed back to all the times he’d managed to soothe her worries after she’d stepped out on a limb of faith and found employment after her father lost a huge chunk of his income. Cadence had grown as a woman due to that situation. She’d transformed from a spoiled young lady dependent on her family to one who worked for a living and understood the value of a dollar. She had bloomed like a rose.

  “There’s no shame in being frightened. It shows you’re human. You care about Logan more than your own life. It’s obvious.” The thought of his son made Parker’s heart constrict. He didn’t even know him—just the idea of him—yet he loved him still. He couldn’t compare the love he felt for his son to what Cadence felt for Logan. She’d carried him in her womb and nurtured him ever since the day she’d discovered she was pregnant. As a mother she’d fed and clothed him, rocked him to sleep at night, soothed him after bad dreams and prayed for his safety and health. He had just discovered the existence of his son. As soon as they could develop a relationship, Parker felt certain that love for his son would grow by leaps and bounds. Being a father was already shaping up to be an epic experience.


  “Our son makes it very easy to love him. He’s smart and kind and his giggle is just about the best sound in the world.” She looked down for a moment, as if catching her breath. “He really is the only thing that has kept me going for the past three years.”

  He reached out and swept his palm across her cheek. “It kills me to know you were so miserable.” He let out a hollow-sounding laugh. “All this time I thought you were happy and married to the man of your dreams.”

  Cadence locked gazes with him. For a moment he thought he saw something lurking in the depths of her eyes that startled him. Seconds later it had disappeared, replaced by a sadness that threatened to break him. “No, Parker. Not even close.”

  The sound of a throat clearing drew both their attention away from each other. Jason stood on the patio with a sheepish expression stamped on his face. “Sorry to interrupt, but I’m about to make some blueberry pancakes. I just need to know how many you guys want.”

  Cadence grinned. “I haven’t been eating much in the past few days, but those sound delicious. I guess Caleb isn’t the only Donahue who knows how to cook.”

  “Ha!” Parker cried out. “Don’t compliment him too soon. You have to taste the pancakes before you heap praise on this guy.” Parker wrinkled his nose. “They might taste like sludge.”

  “Hey! Easy there, or you won’t be getting any pancakes,” Jason teased. “You know I can give Caleb a run for his money.”

  Parker walked toward his brother and patted him on the shoulder. “That’s what I love about you, Jason. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, you remain overly confident.”

  “Not confident. Just convinced of my greatness,” Jason said, showcasing a pearly smile.

  Cadence watched with a grin on her face as they continued to go back and forth.

  It was nice that they could be lighthearted for a few moments. It broke up a lot of the tension and nerves. He was happy to see Cadence in a more relaxed mood. Before long they would be heading out to meet up with Mason at Stillwater Cove Park. If he was being honest with himself, Parker would admit to being more nervous than he’d ever been on assignment. This wasn’t any ordinary case. His son’s well-being hung in the balance. Parker had dealt with unhinged individuals many times in his professional life. He knew the signs well. Mason Price fell into the category of an unbalanced sociopath. All bets were off as to how he would play his cards in their upcoming encounter.