by Brower, Dawn
Dani frowned. What would it take to get through to him? Maybe it would be enough to beg for time. She’d need it to process the bombshell he’d dropped on her.
“Think what you want. You don’t know who I am or what I’ve gone through any more than I know you. We might share some common DNA, but that doesn’t make a family.”
Sullivan sighed. “I will give you some time to consider everything. Before I go, I want you to know we love you. The person who stole you from us will pay for taking you away.”
She frowned. “You act as if you know who it was.”
A look came over his face; it sent shivers down her spine. “Oh, we’ve always known. We couldn’t prove it.”
“Who?”
She wanted to know who to destroy for ruining her life. She should have grown up with a loving family and no worries. Instead, she’d been tossed around as if she were garbage.
“I will tell you everything the next time I see you. I’ve already given you much to think about. Next time we meet, I’ll take you to meet our parents.”
Sullivan spun on his heels and exited her office.
“Don’t leave now.” She picked up a book on her desk and heaved it at him. He ducked out of the way and laughed as he kept walking.
“Ohhhhh.” He was so damn frustrating. Why did the Fates bless her with such an irritating brother? “The next time I see you, be prepared to explain everything to me, Sullivan Brady,” she shouted.
In the meantime, she’d do some of her own research. The answers she sought might be in the local paper. A trip to the local library suddenly took precedence on her schedule. Dani never could wait around for someone to do something she could do herself. So she was Daniella Brady. Time to learn some more about who she was and the family she descended from. With steely determination, she breezed out of her office with a new mission.
Chapter Fourteen
“You’re not going to believe the day I’ve had.” Dani rushed into Ren’s office and sat in front of his desk. “Poof!” She threw up her hands in demonstration. “My life has gone up in smoke. Obliterated in to nothingness.”
Ren frowned. What the hell happened? The day had started out well. He’d woken up with Dani in his arms. Even remembered to send her some flowers to remind her how much he loved her. This was not the reaction he’d expected from her when he saw her.
“I’m sure it isn’t as bad as you think.”
She shook her head. “Oh, I’m sure it is. In fact, I’d say it’s a bazillion times worse.” She rubbed her forehead with the tips of her fingers. “I have the worst headache.”
Ren loved her. He did. Sometimes, though, she made no sense and drove him crazy. “Why don’t you start at the beginning.” He was lost. It’d only been a few hours since he’d seen her last. What disaster could have arisen in such a short span of time. “Is it something to do with work?”
She glanced at him and smiled. “First, let me tell you I loved the flowers. They’re beautiful. Thank you for sending them to me.”
Good, at least one thing had gone right. He breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn’t upset with something he’d done at least. This was an entirely new problem. “I’m glad you liked them.” They were on a good path. The path they should have always been on. He’d go insane if they took a few steps back. “So tell me about your day.”
Dani closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Sullivan Brady stopped by unannounced.”
He tilted his head and studied her. Sullivan Brady was a good guy. Him stopping by to see her shouldn’t have been a bad thing. Still, Ren didn’t like it. What business would Sullivan have with Dani? None that he could think of. He’d have to speak to the man when he next had the chance. “What did he come to see you about?”
“It’s rather a long story.” She bit her lip. “I’m not sure how I feel about any of this.”
Ren leaned back in his chair and studied her. He took in all the little nuances. She fidgeted in her chair, and tapped on the arms with her fingers. Her cheek twitched every now and then. When it did, her fingers tapped faster in succession with it. Whatever Sullivan told her bothered her more than she wanted to say. He knew Dani, perhaps more than anyone did. Whatever news had been dropped on her must be intensely unnerving.
“If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to.” She would when she was ready. If he pushed, her stubborn streak would make her run instead of leaning on him. “But I think you might need someone to help you get through whatever’s bothering you. It’s why you’re here.”
“You’re right.” She nodded. “It’s putting a voice to it that’s making me pause.” Dani clenched the arm of the chair. Her knuckles turned white. “As I was growing up, I never thought much about my name. I’m Dani. Always have been. It didn’t ever occur to me to ask if or why Daniella Brosen was bestowed upon me. I think I assumed they somehow knew who I was but didn’t want to tell me.”
Where was she going with all of this? What did her name have to do with Sullivan Brady? One of Dani’s triggers was the feeling of abandonment she’d grown up with. So her nervous twitch made more sense to him with the little she’d told him. Her meeting with Sullivan to her lost family—a revelation flashed through his mind. He saw Dani differently. Was she? No it wasn’t possible. Was it?
“Dani?”
She rambled on. “I remember someone asking my name. Daniella was so hard to say. But they somehow understood. But my last name… I couldn’t remember it. The Brrrr came out.” Her gaze met his. “I was so little. They took what little information they knew and put me into foster care. Did they even check to see if my actual family missed me? Why was it all overlooked?”
“Oh, sweetheart.” He stood up and rounded the desk. Ren lifted her into his arms and held her. Her body shook harder as he held on tight. “Shh. I have you.”
“My life could have been so different. What am I supposed to do with all this information? I don’t know how to think of myself as someone’s beloved daughter. I want answers, and I intend to find out what happened. Sullivan claims he knows who is responsible, and he’s going to tell me all later. Whoever it was is going to pay for what they did to me.”
Ren ran his hand through her dark curls. He tried everything he could to soothe her. “Sometimes things happen for a reason. We don’t always understand what it is.” He stared into her eyes. “In time, maybe you will come to terms with it. I know how much you wanted to be a part of family. Now you have one. Don’t throw it away because you’re terrified of what it means.”
Her lips wobbled. A small tear slid down her cheek. Ren reached up and wiped it away. “What did I do to deserve you?” she asked. Dani wound her arms around him and hugged him tight. “This’s why I’m here. After Sullivan left, I went to do some research. I read everything I could about Ella Brady’s disappearance—my kidnapping—the more I read, the more it all made sense. Then I had a flash of memory. A kind woman asking me my name, she gave me a lollipop.”
“Do you think she’s the one that found you?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. Why don’t I remember my family?”
Ren didn’t know what to say to her. “You were two. Don’t be so hard on yourself.” His heart broke at the idea of a young Dani lost and alone. But he was also uneasy. If she’d never been taken, he might not have met her. It was wrong of him to go down that path, but he couldn’t help but be glad she’d been a part of his life. Even with the ten year separation. When he said sometimes things happen for a reason he’d meant it. Her kidnapping was a horrible thing, but it brought her to him. He couldn’t be sad about that happenstance. Dani was his entire world.
“You’re right.” She smiled. “You usually are. I’m glad I came to see you.”
Ren kissed her lightly. “Remember that when you’re ready to argue with me about something. Keep that mantra rolling through your mind. Ren’s right, give in and make things easy for both of us.”
She laughed. “I doubt I will remember that in the heat of th
e moment.”
“I had to try.” He lifted his hand and ran it through her curls. “What are you going to do now.”
“I suppose I will have to go see Sullivan.” She frowned. “Who’s by far the most irritating man I’ve ever met. That’s saying something.”
“I’ve always thought so.” Lana said as she entered Ren’s office. “At least you didn’t have to grow up with him. He was so mean.”
Dani’s smile faltered. Ren could almost guess what she was thinking. She should have grown up with him. Sullivan was her older brother. He leaned down and whispered I her ear, “Don’t go down that dark path.”
She nodded. “I have a meeting in an hour with Mr. Nettles. I’ll go see Sullivan later.” Dani hugged him again. “Will I see you this evening?”
“You can count on it.” He kissed her quick.
Dani turned to Lana. “How’s Matt doing?”
She rolled her eyes. “He’s almost as bad as Sullivan, but not quite. That Claire has a backbone of steel. I don’t envy her the task of dealing with him every day. I have to check in on him a few times a week.”
“He’s not happy at his progress. He wants to be healed and independent again.” Dani frowned. “I will stop in and see him soon and talk him off the ledge. Maybe it will make things easier for the two of you. We only want what’s best for him”
She nodded. “Good luck, you’re going to need it.”
“Don’t worry, I know how to handle him. You both have a good meeting. I have to go meet with a different beast.” Dani exited his office.
Ren watched her leave. He ached for her. She was a mess of emotions. When she met with Sullivan later she’d have a better handle on them. This was her meltdown. The safe place she could go to and let it all out. Ren was happy to be that person for her. He’d do anything for her.
“I don’t envy her that meeting,” Lana muttered.
“What?” Ren turned to her. “Which one? Sullivan or Mr. Nettles?”
“Both,” she replied. “But Nettles mostly. He’s evil.”
Ren glanced at her, startled. He didn’t know Dani’s client. She complained about him often. Said he was a cantankerous old bastard. “Why do you say that?”
“Because it’s the truth.” She shrugged. Then tilted her head to study him. “I forget sometimes you’re not from around here. I was privy to a lot of the details growing up because I lived with the Brady family. They were close to the Nettleses. Dani’s Mr. Nettles was the prodigal son. His father believed he could do no wrong. Until he fell off that pedestal and couldn’t climb back up.”
Ren didn’t like what he was hearing. He itched to go after Dani and make sure she’d be all right in the man’s company. He held in the urge because she would be okay. Nettles wouldn’t do anything to her outright. At least he hoped he wouldn’t.
“What did he do?”
“He was embezzling from the family company. His father caught him and cut him out of everything. Even went so far as to leave it to his goddaughter in his will.”
“I’m sure he wasn’t happy about that. If all that happened, how did he end up in control?” He had to have some pull if he ran the family business now. Dani mentioned it was a family owned corporation.
“The goddaughter went missing.”
He jerked his head up and met her gaze. “Went missing?”
Ren had a bad feeling. He knew the name she was going to say before it came out of her mouth.
“Ella Brady was kidnapped before Charleston Nettles died.”
Ren closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Tell me everything you know.”
She studied him. Something in his face must have told her how important the information was. Lana started talking. She filled him in on all the details she’d been privy to growing up in the Brady household. “Ella Brady is, or rather was, supposed to be the majority stockholder in Nettles Unlimited. Charleston Nettles was her godfather. He left her all of his shares in the company. They only went to his son, Anderson Nettles, in the event of her death, as long as her passing happened before Charleston died. Ella disappeared mere days before he took his last breath. He’d been sick for over a month. The doctors were baffled at what was causing his illness. It all appeared rather shady, especially after Ella disappeared. The Brady family believed Anderson somehow had a hand in it.”
It was everything he feared. Dani couldn’t meet with Anderson Nettles. He might not realize who she was, but it wouldn’t take long before he figured it out. The Brady family had found their long lost daughter. They’d want to announce it to the world. If she was to inherit the majority of the stock in Nettles Unlimited, he’d want to remove her from the equation. It would have to happen before she was accepted back into the family fold. Right now, she was merely Daniella Brosen. As Daniella Brady she held too much power and was a huge risk to Anderson Nettle’s bottom line.
“Thank you for telling me.” He grabbed his keys and turned to leave.
“Wait.” Lana stepped in front of him. “Why’s this important?”
“I don’t have time to explain it.”
She shook her head. “You can’t leave without telling me something. I broke a confidence by telling you some of that.”
He clenched his hands into fists. Ren didn’t have time for this. “Dani is Ella. That’s why she had to go meet Brady later. He came to see her earlier to talk about it, and she pushed him away.”
Her hand flew to her mouth. Shock filled her eyes. She shook her head. “Oh god. She can’t meet with that man. He will hurt her. Go to her now. I’ll call Sullivan.”
Ren rushed out the door. He had to get to Dani. She was his only concern. He didn’t care if Sullivan knew one way or the other. Sullivan Brady wasn’t Ren’s priority. Dani was and always would be.
Chapter Fifteen
Dani rushed into her office. She had a few things to do before the meeting with Anderson Nettles. The sooner it was over with, the better she’d feel. The money he brought to the firm was nice, but she couldn’t stand him. She’d never actually met him, only talked a few times with him on the phone, and had seen him leaving Matt’s office. She avoided him because of the awful conversations she’d had with him. When Matt agreed to take on his case and leave her out of it, she’d been relieved. Now she wanted the man out of all their lives. He made her feel icky, and she couldn’t explain why.
“Do I have any messages?”
“No,” her receptionist shook her head. “It’s been quiet since you left earlier.”
“Good. When Mr. Nettles arrives send him directly to my office. Then you can go ahead and leave for the day.”
Dani left Amy to her tasks and headed to her office. She snatched the Nettles file off her desk. She decided to make a clean break with him. That meant handing him the final bill and not expecting to see a dime from the old man. No doubt he’d refuse to pay on the grounds of her lack of a penis. She sat down and reviewed Matt’s notes. His chicken scratch was hard to decipher at the best of times. Claire usually typed up his notes to make it easier to do a quick read. Without him around and Claire picking up the slack in other areas, she’d not gotten to the file. She sighed and closed the folder. It didn’t matter. Mr. Nettles would no longer be their client after their meeting. Whatever Matt had planned could be sent to the shredder for all she cared.
“Mr. Nettles to see you,” Amy lead the man into her office. “If you don’t need anything, I’m going to head home now.”
“Have a good evening. I will see you in the morning,” she replied to Amy. “Please come in.” Dani stood up to greet Mr. Nettles. She gestured toward a chair in front of her desk. “Have a seat and we can get started.”
“I’ll stand, thank you. This won’t take long.”
Dani frowned. Fine, she was all for a short meeting. She had other things that she had to take care of. After this meeting she’d call Sullivan and actually listen to what he had to say. Mr. Nettles was a nuisance she’d like to put out of her mind.
; “All right,” Dani agreed. “We can make this short.” She walked over to the file on her desk and opened it again. She pulled out the final bill and headed back to Mr. Nettle’s side. “As of this moment, Price and Brosen can no longer represent you. Here’s your final bill.”
His face turned beet red. He took the document out of her hand and crunched it up into a ball. When he’d stomped it as much as he could between his hands he forcibly threw it in a nearby trash can. “Don’t think you can dismiss me so easily, missy. I know who you are.”
Dani took a step back. She’d thought him irritating, but harmless. With the evil sneer directed her way she had to reassess her opinion of him. What the fuck was going on? This was supposed to be a simple meeting to end their working relationship. She didn’t know him, and as far as she was concerned never wanted to.
“Mr. Nettles. I don’t know who you think I am or what I did to offend you, but this does conclude our business. I must insist you leave now.”
She hadn’t expected he’d pay the damn bill. Him throwing it in the trash hadn’t surprised her one iota. The anger spilling off of him was palpable. Did he hate women that much? He should go live in the Dark Ages. This was a modern world and women worked in it regularly. She wouldn’t apologize for having a brain and knowing how to use it.
“You don’t fool me. I know what game you’re playing.” He stalked forward. “It’s not going to work. We are settling this tonight.”
Dani took several steps back and swallowed the lump in her throat. Her heart raced in her chest and her hands shook. Why, oh why, did she have to meet with him in person? She could have ended their involvement over the phone. Mental note: never ever invite sketchy people into her office to be alone with her again.
“You’re right. This is settled. Forget about the bill. We will write it off as a loss.” She took another step back. “Let’s end this amicably.”