Love & Redemption

by Chantel Rhondeau

  The room phone rang just as Gavin reached the door. Despite himself, he turned to see what was going on. Shelley had been waiting on some blood tests. Gavin didn’t know what they were checking for, but she had seemed worried all day.

  She picked up the phone. “Hello?...Yes, this is Shelley.” If anything, her face grew paler as she listened to the person on the other line. “I understand. Yes, thank you for calling.” She replaced the receiver and leaned back in the bed, closing her eyes.

  “Who was that?” Carlie asked, scooting to the edge of her chair.

  “Just the nurse from the hospital.” A bright smile crossed Shelley’s face, but it didn’t look natural to Gavin. “My blood work’s all fine.”

  Carlie settled back slightly. “Well, that’s good news.”

  “Yep. Looks like I can head back to Sayle with you guys.” Shelley glanced over, her big blue eyes meeting his.

  Even sick and pale, she was so beautiful. How could he think of breaking things off?

  She lifted her chin slightly. “Goodnight, Gavin. Take care of yourself out there at your new job.”

  He knew a dismissal when he heard one. Shelley’s anger was obvious, and everyone in the room sensed it. They all stared at him with varying degrees of hostility. He let himself forget that these were Shelley’s friends and family, not his. When push came to shove and they realized what he intended to do, everyone turned on him.

  He wondered if he could even count on the job with Nick at this rate. Not that the job mattered too much. He had an even bigger worry. How could he live his life without the woman he loved?

  “Wait, Shelley.” Gavin took a step toward her bed. “I think maybe you and I should talk. Let me explain wh—”

  “I trusted you, although I really knew better. I never lost my faith, even when Paul offered proof you were screwing Jenessa.” Shelley reached down and rubbed her stomach, a look of pain crossing her face.

  “I never did anything with Jenessa.” Gavin hadn’t even known that was a possible concern. “We need to talk. Let me—”

  “I already figured out what you plan to say,” she interrupted. “I don’t want to hear the actual words from you.”

  He glanced around the room at her friends all listening in. “Please, everyone, give us a few minutes.”

  Shelley wiped moisture off her cheek and turned to Carlie. “Make him leave. I can’t bear to speak with him.”

  Carlie nodded. “Nick?”

  Nick grabbed his elbow and steered him to the door. “Don’t make this any harder on her. She’s been through enough.”

  What else could he do? It would only hurt her more to explain why he wasn’t right for her. He should just make a clean break and let her hate him. It would be easier for her, and that was all that mattered.

  ***

  Carlie shooed everyone from the room once Gavin left, even convincing Janet to go to the hotel’s restaurant and order dinner directly to save on room service fees. Everyone seemed to know Carlie and Shelley needed some alone time, and they all left in a hurry.

  “What a piece of dog poop.” Carlie folded her arms and sat beside Shelley on the bed. “How could he be so cold?”

  In spite of her emotional turmoil, Shelley grinned. “I’ve always loved how graphic your language gets when you’re angry.”

  “Oh, stop.” Carlie stuck her tongue out. “You know what I mean.”

  “That Gavin’s an asshole? Yeah, I understand.” Shelley bit back another wave of nausea. “And I’m totally screwed now, because he obviously doesn’t want me. Everyone could tell. Nothing like being dumped publicly.” She stared at her hands, not wanting to meet Carlie’s eyes. “Also, I’m pregnant.”

  “What?” A huge smile broke across Carlie’s face and she threw her arms around Shelley’s shoulders. “But that’s great news.”

  Maybe for her. She’d always wanted to be a mom, but couldn’t have children. For Shelley, she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. Having Emma call her mommy had been nice in a way. At least a kid would love her unconditionally and never leave...under normal circumstances. Well, at least until the teenage years.

  “I’m shocked and terrified,” Shelley admitted.

  Carlie waved that concern aside. “Everything will be fine. Nick and I will help you. It is Gavin’s though, right?”

  It was sad that even her best friend had to ask, but Shelley tried not to get upset. “Of course it is. We made love when we were trapped at the subway. The nurse says my hormone levels are low still and might not show up on a urine test, but the blood proves it. I’m preggers.”

  Carlie clapped her hands. “I’m going to be an aunt. Not every only child can say that.” Her grin was as big as Shelley’s should be.

  She tried to feel happy, it just wouldn’t come. “This is a secret, okay? I’m not telling Gavin.”

  “You’re not telling...” Carlie paused, the judgmental look on her face clearing after a few seconds. She nodded. “No. From what Nick told me earlier, and the way Gavin acted just now, he’s choosing a different path than a life with you. I’m so sorry.”

  It should be the happiest day of her life. Instead, all she felt was depressed. “Can you keep Gavin away from me until we leave? Maybe Nick can send him on an assignment tonight or something. I don’t want to hear his messy breakup speech. I can’t handle it right now.” She let out a bitter laugh. “I might even vomit on him with my morning sickness. I can only handle so much.”

  Carlie took her hands and squeezed them. “Don’t worry. You aren’t alone. We’re going to help you through this.” Carlie kissed her cheek. “You’re my family. We’ll be okay. I’ll go talk to Nick.”

  Shelley knew Carlie would tell Nick about the baby, but that was okay. He knew how to keep his mouth shut.

  As she watched Carlie leave the room, Shelley rubbed her belly. She wondered how long it took to start showing. Probably quite a while. “Looks like it’s just you and me, baby. I hope I’m a good enough mother.”

  Chapter Forty-One

  A knock sounded on Gavin’s hotel room door. “Now what?”

  He didn’t want to face any of them. What should have been a private conversation between him and Shelley turned into a public spectacle. No one said anything, but they all knew. Their relationship was over.

  It was probably against the rules to ignore whoever was at the door, even if he wanted to. Looking out the peephole, he saw Jenessa bouncing impatiently in the hallway. He turned the lock and pulled it open. “Do you need something?”

  She pushed past him without invitation and walked to his bed, plopping onto the end of it. “Shut the door. I need your help.”

  Doing what she said, Gavin then sat across from her in the rolling desk chair. “My help with what?”

  “I just got a call from my director at FBI headquarters.” She folded her arms tightly across her chest. “He’s been trying to contact me all afternoon.”

  “What happened?”

  “They had someone come in today to take the bag of diamonds to a more secure location. I guess the thought was too many people knew where they were, and Paul could attack at some point and steal them.”

  “That’s smart thinking,” Gavin agreed. “So why are you so freaked out?”

  Jenessa blinked rapidly and swiped at her wet cheeks. “I thought he was falling in love with me. He fooled me.”

  With a sigh, Gavin stood and walked to the bed, putting his arm around her shoulders. “What did Dan do?”

  “The diamonds were fakes.” She looked up, wiping away more tears. “There’s no chance that they were fake all along and Dan didn’t do anything wrong, is there?”

  Gavin shook his head. He inspected those diamonds himself, and he knew the real deal when he saw them. “He must have switched them.”

  “I was afraid of that,” she said. “D.C. assumed Dan came back here, and we all thought he stayed in D.C. No one has heard from him since the last time he called me. A week ago.”

  At le
ast they knew who the double agent was. While he felt sorry for Jenessa, he was already heartbroken himself and didn’t have much sorrow to spare. “Looks like all our effort was wasted. S.A.T.O. got the diamonds. What a joke.” It was hard to contain his bitterness. They’d failed in their main goal. If what Paul told Shelley was true, S.A.T.O. didn’t yet have all the technology perfected to turn the diamonds into something to really threaten the United States, but Gavin knew it was only a matter of time. “Damn it!”

  “Damn it is right,” she agreed. “And Nick’s going to kill me for saying we could trust Dan. What can I do?”

  Gavin shrugged. “You have to tell him the truth.”

  “Will you go with me? I’m scared.”

  Facing Nick again so soon when his boss was upset with him didn’t rank high on Gavin’s list of things he wanted to do. Then again, they all thought Dan was trustworthy...Nick included. Jenessa had helped Gavin a lot in discovering the files to save Shelley’s life. He owed it to her to help out now.

  “Let me get my shoes on.”

  ***

  Nick folded his arms across his massive chest, his dark eyes boring into both Gavin and Jenessa. He hadn’t even said anything yet, and Gavin felt about two inches tall. They failed.

  Carlie was already back to Nick’s room. Even though Shelley described her as the mildest mannered person alive, the daggers in Carlie’s disapproving gaze were sharp enough to kill. She definitely wasn’t happy about him breaking up with her best friend.

  “I’m sorry, sir.” Jenessa bowed her head to stare at the floor. “I was too wrapped up in my new romance with Dan, and didn’t notice the warning signs. He’s the one who brought me the diamonds from the precinct after the explosion. I thought I could trust him. And I was convinced he loved me.” The last sentence came out choked up, and Carlie crossed the room to hug the younger woman.

  “A lot of men are dogs,” Carlie said, still glaring Gavin’s direction. “Seems we’re all learning that lesson today.”

  Gavin sighed. “I should go talk to Shelley. None of you understand what’s going on here.”

  Nick shook his head. “That’s the least of our concerns. Paul told Shelley what he’s working on, and I believe he was honest. At the very least, he has the knowledge to turn the diamonds into some sort of laser weapon.”

  “Yes,” Gavin agreed. “They’re working on worse things, too.”

  “The two of you need to head to FBI headquarters and track Dan down before he hands the diamonds over.”

  Gavin shook his head. “With all due respect, sir, I have things to take care of here.”

  Carlie put her hand on her hip, the long sleeves of her shirt not quite disguising the bandages still on her hand. “Shelley doesn’t need to hear it from you. It was obvious to everyone in that room what you decided.” Her lips tightened at the corners. “She deserves better than you.”

  There was not much to say to that. She did deserve better. He turned to Jenessa. “Let’s go, Jen. Maybe if we get an early lead on him, we can stop this. At least I can do something right.”

  ***

  Shelley did her best to eat the food Janet brought back to the room, not wanting to have to explain her lack of appetite. Janet would be thrilled to learn Shelley was pregnant, but eventually she’d have to admit to her mom that she was pregnant and single. That could be a touchy conversation. Janet must already suspect something was wrong. It was clear earlier that Gavin planned to leave her.

  “Of course, dear, your father sends his love. He just had so much going on right now, he couldn’t make the trip.” This was the fourth time Janet made mention of that since arriving.

  “Mom, it’s okay. I’ll never be real close with Dad and didn’t expect to see him.” She wondered if her own child would ever have a relationship with its father. “I’m just happy you came.”

  “You are?” Janet’s blue eyes opened wide. “Gavin called me, but I wondered if I’d be intruding. I know you’re still upset about the past, and I don’t blame you. I should have stood up for you and protected you.”

  Shelley blinked in shock. “Wow.”

  Janet sighed and reached over to tuck a strand of hair behind Shelley’s ear. “I never stopped loving you or wishing I had handled Tony’s death differently.”

  “I love you, too, and I’ve never stopped missing Tony.”

  Janet leaned back and smiled. “But we have Gavin now and everything will be well. We can work on being a family again.”

  It looked like, despite her witnessing the breakup, Janet was convinced everything would work out. It was on the tip of Shelley’s tongue to tell her the truth when someone knocked on the door.

  Shelley put her finger to her lips, signaling her mom to be quiet as she opened the drawer on the dresser beside her bed, withdrawing the gun issued to her by the FBI as she left the hospital. Using one crutch to stabilize herself, she went to the doorway.

  Another knock vibrated through the room as Shelley stuck her eye to the peephole. She puffed out the breath she’d been holding, relieved. “It’s okay, Mom.” Shelley tucked the gun into the band of her pants and hopped back, opening the door as she went.

  “What do you need?” she asked.

  Ken Travers spread his hands wide. “Your help.”

  Shelley did her best to hold back her disgust. “If it involves coming into my room, I’m calling your wife.”

  “Someone already did.” He glowered at the edge of the doorframe, looking as though it were responsible for this problem in his life. “I think it was Brent.”

  “Well, well, well.” Shelley couldn’t stop her gleeful laugh. “And was the dear old wife as understanding about your needs as you said she was?”

  He planted a fist on his hip and narrowed his eyes. “She’s leaving me.”

  Shelley wanted to tell him he was the last person in the world she’d do anything to help. She would have, if it wasn’t for Emma. “What do you want me to do? I can’t change her mind, nor would I want to. You deserve to be left. You deserve to have your balls chopped off.”

  “Shelley!” her mom’s shocked voice said from behind her.

  Shelley rolled her eyes at Ken. “Mom likes to think I’m a proper lady.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Sorry, Mom.”

  “I know you hate me,” Ken said, “but I don’t have anyone else to turn to. My family is all gone. I tried to pawn her off on an old aunt of mine, but she said no. If you don’t say yes, I’m sending her to a foster home.”

  Shelley tried to stop the bump of happiness that erupted in her stomach. Did he mean what she thought he did? “Emma? Do you want me...?” Besides Gavin’s strange behavior, Shelley had thought of little else since saying goodbye to her. She wanted to be Emma’s mom.

  “She continually cries out for her mommy. She’s driving me to drink. I can’t handle her. She’s just a reminder that my sister’s gone. Besides, I’ve never really had too much to do with her. She barely knows me.”

  “And so you thought leaving her with a perfect stranger was a good idea?” It wasn’t that Shelley didn’t want Emma, but she didn’t understand why Ken thought to even ask.

  “You aren’t a stranger. When I told Emma her mommy was in heaven, she got all upset and said Gavin saved her mommy from the bad man. That’s when I realized she meant you, not Kelley.”

  Shelley shook her head. “I tried to discourage her from calling me that, but something Rose said convinced her I was her new mom. I didn’t have the heart to be forceful in my denial. She was scared and needed someone.”

  “Well, she needs someone now, too. I can’t do it. I have my own problems.”

  Deciding not to mention she had her own problems as well, Shelley nodded. Whatever complications Emma might bring into her life, she loved that little girl. “What are we talking about here? Am I just watching her until you get your shit together?”

  “No.” Ken pulled an envelope from his inside jacket pocket. “I put a rush on the papers. Emma is legally min
e now, and if you want her, I’ll sign over all rights. You’ll be her legal guardian and can move forward with adoption.”

  It was a crazy plan, one that made Shelley deliriously happy. “Yes!” She threw her free arm around Ken’s neck, kissing his cheek while teetering on her crutch. “If she wants to come with me, I’ll take her.”

  “Oh, she wants to.” Ken flipped out his cell phone and typed a message. “Terry has her down in the car, but will bring her up now. Let’s get this paperwork filled out.”

  Shelley rushed him into the room, quickly reading over the documents and signing the copies Ken planned to file with the courthouse.

  A few seconds later, an older woman entered, Emma trailing behind her.

  Ken pointed to the woman, “My wife, Terry. Terry this is Agent Shelley Hart, Emma’s new mom.”

  Terry turned away from Ken and looked at Shelley. “I won’t be his wife long. I hope you’re good to the girl.” With that, she left the room.

  Shelley couldn’t really blame her. She didn’t want to be in a room with Ken Travers any longer than she had to either. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Shelley beckoned to Emma. “Come here, sweetling. I’ve missed you.”

  Emma chewed on her fingernail, looking uncertain. She turned to Ken. “Do I get to stay with Mommy, Uncle Ken?”

  At his nod, Emma launched herself across the room and barreled into Shelley’s waiting arms. “I missed you!”

  With a laugh and crying happy tears, Shelley squeezed her close. “I missed you too. Want to meet your grandma?”

  “Sure.” Emma kissed her cheek. “After that, can we get pizza?”

  Chapter Forty-Two

  It had been a month since Gavin last saw Shelley. The trail to find Agent Dan Worth wasn’t a long one. Realizing Paul wouldn’t have kidnapped Emma and devised an elaborate plot to get Shelley if he already had access to the diamonds, Jenessa and Gavin started wondering what else Dan could do with them.

  They had caught up to him outside of Boston. He wasn’t the complete traitor they all thought, though he would spend quite a few years in prison. He planned to sell the diamonds on the underground market, but didn’t realize his perspective buyers where Gavin and Jenessa, waiting to arrest him. While Dan admitted to helping Paul in the beginning, when he realized what S.A.T.O. would do with the jewels, he decided not to hand them over.