Rick led the way until they were out and there was enough room to walk mostly side by side. James swept the wooded area around them with an intense gaze before he greeted her with a smile. “Hey there, sweetheart. Welcome to the party. Let’s go get some grub, huh?” His words were friendly, but his posture stayed alert, tense.
“Yeah. I could eat.”
James led the way, and Cara gestured to the girl that they should follow. Cara stayed, tight to her side, but she wore a friendly smile. Rick followed, bringing up the rear. They made their way down the wooded slope in silence.
Near the bottom, when the greenery thinned a bit, James looked back over his shoulder, companionably. “We’ll call ahead to Walker Farms. I know a couple of women there who will be more than happy to put together lunch. Hell, maybe we can throw together a cookout this evening. I’ll spring for the—”
Addie stopped dead in her tracks and interrupted, “Where?”
James kept his voice quiet, friendly. “Walker Farms, Trent and his families’ horse farm. Big place, more than enough room for an army.”
“No.” Addie shook her head. “I’m not going there. No way.” She turned to Rick.
A rock in his belly plummeted to the ground when he saw the fear in her pale eyes. “Addie, honey. It’s the safest place. There are plenty of people to keep watch for strangers, and it’s gated with top of the line security. It’s the best place to stay until we’re certain Marcus is behind bars.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not going. And if you think I won’t fight you or find a way to sneak out, you’re crazy. I don’t want to be around a bunch of strangers.”
Rick softened his tone. “It’s only temporary. They have more than enough room for us there. You’ll have your own room next to Leigh.”
Her little chin jutted out, one hundred percent stubborn teenager. “No. I said I don’t want to be around a bunch of strangers. Take me to your place, or I’ll find a way out. I swear it.” Rick knew that look of determination. He saw it in his own eyes every damn morning. He didn’t know the first thing about teenage girls, but something told him he’d lose this battle.
Fuck. Me.
He bit back his urge to refuse. The last thing he wanted was to be cooped up with Leigh who would be anything but happy with him after he’d left her out of this. “Fine,” he sighed. We’ll go to my place. Cara will stay with us until someone can go and get Leigh.” Damn, but she would be pissed at him. It couldn’t be helped.
He’d kept one of his promises. He’d found Addie.
Leigh set a plate with a sandwich and fruit in front of her niece, then sat at the bar beside her. Little legs swung back and forth beneath the stool. “Awn’t you eating?” Kylie poked an orange slice as if she expected it to crawl off the plate.
In a rare example of poor table manners, Leigh propped her elbow on the counter and put her chin in her hand. “Don’t knock your feet against the cabinet.” The little legs slowed as her niece picked up the sandwich and peeked between the slices of bread.
“If I have to eat wunch, why don’t you have to?” Finally satisfied that her food was edible, Kylie took a bite.
“I’m an adult, and I’m finished growing.” Not to mention I’d likely vomit if I tried to eat.
Kylie swallowed her bite then washed it down with a drink. “That’s not fair.”
“Nope, but that’s just the way it is.” She’d tried so hard to be her usual upbeat self with Kylie, but her insides tangled in mess of worry, heartbreak, and anger. It took everything she had just to engage her niece.
“Can I have a cookie? Me and Sandy made some wast night.” Big, puppy dog eyes stared up, pleading.
Leigh ran a hand down one of the girl’s chocolate brown pigtails and lightly tugged. “Say Sandy and I. And it’s last, with an l. Last night.”
Kylie scrunched her nose. “That’s what I said.”
Leigh sighed. “We’ll see, if you eat your lunch.”
Kylie took another bite of her sandwich and poked another orange slice while she chewed.
Heavy footfalls entered the kitchen. Leigh assumed it was Harlan coming in to have lunch with Sandy. She absentmindedly watched her niece until Kylie beamed a smile in the door’s direction. “Daddy!” She threw her arms up in the air.
Joe walked straight to his daughter and picked her up. “Hey, pickle. How’s my girl?” He never shied away from showing her affection, but there was something a little more poignant in the way he held her close this time.
He’d come home early.
Unease boiled until Leigh had to choke back her panic. She waited, knowing Joe would tell her as soon as he was able. In less than thirty seconds that felt more like thirty minutes, he looked her directly in the eyes. “Go pack, get everything. You’re moving in with Rick. They found her.”
A bubble exploded deep inside, freeing all the emotions she’d kept in a stranglehold. If she’d been standing, she likely would have collapsed from the overwhelming release.
Yet, she couldn’t let them go just yet. She had too much pride to expose herself, even to two of the most important people in her life. She attempted to draw in a breath, made herself blink, and said the only word she could force out. “What?”
“Sis, they have Addie. Rick and Cara are taking her to his place. She’s fine and so is everyone else.”
“Aunt Wee? Awe you okay? You wook funny.”
Leigh swallowed and forced out some words, hoping they satisfied her niece. “Yeah, baby. I’m okay. Uh. I’m going to get my things.” She chanced a glance to her brother. The frown lines on his handsome features told her all she needed to know. She hadn’t hidden anything from them.
With each step she took, she came alive. Her brain fired to life with questions and plans. Only one thing mattered. They had Addie, and she was safe.
Chapter 12
When she and Joe arrived at the door, Rick answered through an intercom with a terse, “It’s open. We’re in the kitchen.”
With no idea what to expect, and feeling more awkward than she had at her first school dance over twenty years ago, Leigh walked into Rick’s monstrous home. Accustomed to disappointment and afraid of being crushed by some unforeseen catastrophe, she’d refused to hope.
They walked through the silent, imposing home until they stumbled onto a kitchen that would make any Southern hostess swoon with envy. A filthy Rick leaned against one counter, arms crossed over his broad, sweaty t-shirt. Addie sat on the opposite counter, next to a couple of crumpled fast food bags. If possible, she was even more grimy than Rick. She picked at a spot on her jeans, appearing to shut out the world.
Cara leaned one hip against Addie’s counter, just a few feet away from the girl, smiling. She greeted them brightly, seemingly oblivious to any tension between the scowling man and pouting teen. “Hey, guys. Come on in.” Leigh knew better. Cara was anything but oblivious.
Joe walked straight to the slightly less mission-worn Cara, wrapped an arm around her waist, and tucked her close. Addie continued to pick at the invisible spot on her jeans while Rick continued to glare.
Oh boy. They were clearly off to a rocky start. She couldn’t say that surprised her. She remembered the battles she’d waged against her parents when she’d been around that age. She couldn’t imagine what kind of conflict had taken place when teen drama pitted against the hardheaded Rick.
She stepped forward and adopted a friendliness that nearly matched Cara’s. “You’ve eaten? Good. We’ll have to get some groceries stocked.”
Cara went right along with her, as if there wasn’t anything remotely tense happening around them. “I’m going to run to the store and pick up a few things. Help me make a list?”
Rick broke his silence and moved, pulling out his wallet then a credit card. “Good idea. Here. Get enough food for two or three days. Anything beyond that, I’ll have delivered.”
Cara looked from Rick to Joe. “Drive me?”
“Sure. Sis, need to add anything?” He lo
oked reluctant to leave her, but he didn’t have much choice. She hadn’t missed that he hadn’t acknowledged Rick’s presence. At all.
“I’ll be fine. I have enough clothes for a few days. I’ll let you know if I think of anything else.” She walked over and kissed his cheek, then whispered into his ear. “Don’t worry about me, big brother.”
He looked down at her as if she’d asked him to fly to the moon. He shook his head and muttered a single word. “Never.”
Cara took one of his hands in hers and tugged him toward the kitchen’s exit. “Let’s go, big brother.” They left, leaving her with whatever drama Rick and Addie conjured in the short time they’d been together.
She’d briefly considered continuing the happy charade and forging onward as if everything was rainbows and sunshine. But that bandage approach would only get them so far. Ultimately, they would all be better off if they started honestly and built a solid foundation for whatever came their way.
“All right, you two. What’s going on?” Rick glared silently at the girl. If possible, Addie only slumped farther into herself, shutting them out.
Rick, a virtual granite statue, replied without even blinking. “She needs to shower.”
Surely there’s more to it than that? “She does.”
Addie finally spoke. “He called me filthy and said I stink.”
Leigh gave Rick an annoyed look then turned her back on him before speaking to Addie. “Well, sweetheart, you do need a shower. But he’s a man and has no tact whatsoever. They may be smart about a lot of things, but they can also be idiots. I’ve got my bathroom bag with me. You’re welcome to use my shampoo and soap.”
Addie looked up to Leigh, making her heart stutter. Pale blue-gray eyes filled with a wealth of shadows and pain met hers. It took everything in Leigh’s power to keep the tears at bay.
I can do this. One thing at a time.
“Where do we go?” she asked Rick.
He rubbed his hands over his face. She’d been so focused on Addie that she hadn’t given any thought to him. He had to have been awake all night, not to mention whatever they had to go through to find Addie.
“Take your pick. There are six bedrooms and each has its own bath. I had the housekeeper stock towels and linens, but she won’t be back until things are safer. Don’t leave the house. I wasn’t expecting to be living here just yet and need to run a check on the security system and figure out a few things.” He stood straighter. “You can have the run of the house. I know there’s not much furniture yet, but I’ll take care of that tomorrow. The TV and satellite dish work. Make yourselves at home.” He paused before repeating his earlier command. “Just don’t leave the house yet. Once I have everything in place, I’ll show you around the property.” He walked away without another word.
“All right, sweetheart. Let’s go explore this monstrous castle.” Addie kept her head down, but followed her through oak trimmed archways and wide hallways. With no idea where to go, Leigh chose a random hallway leading down one wing. The first two bedrooms they peeked into were enormous with high ceilings, gleaming dark hardwood floors and matching crown molding. They were gorgeous and utterly empty.
They continued down the hall. At the end, they came to an open door. There waited another large bedroom with attached sitting room. Complete with large windows and wallpaper that she suspected might be silk, it was picture perfect. It also sat waiting, barren and empty. Addie followed, barely sparing the opulence a glance. Their footsteps echoed as they returned the way they’d come.
“Does he really live here? It’s like an old haunted museum or something.” The girl continued to look at the floor, but Leigh took heart in her simple act of initiating conversation on her own.
“He does. But I don’t think he’s owned it very long. He was hurt almost a month ago, so he was in the hospital for a bit. Since then, we’ve been staying out at the Walkers’ horse farm for safety reasons, so he really hasn’t had time get furniture or anything like that.” They made it back to where they’d started their exploration. “Okay, I chose last time without much luck. You pick our path this time.”
Addie quirked her head then pointed to the hallway farthest from the one they’d just traveled. “How bad was he hurt?”
Leigh led the way. “Pretty badly.”
The girl spoke tentatively, as if she wasn’t sure if her next subject might be off limits. “Did he get shot? I heard a lot of gunfire the day the guy took you away.”
Leigh forgot that Addie had hidden in the woods and watched that day. Who knew what might have happened to her, if not for Addie’s bravery?
“He was. A bullet hit him in the upper leg. He’s come a long way, but it still gives him a little trouble now and then. Not that he’d admit it.” They stopped at the first door and she slowly opened it.
The room’s grandeur matched or, if possible, exceeded that of the first three they’d discovered. A new king size mattress lay on the floor in one corner. An unopened set of sheets and a single pillow sit atop it. On the floor beside it, a cell phone lay plugged into an outlet. The near empty room struck her as hollow and lonely.
The sound of running water registered and she quickly shut the door. “Well, I think this one is taken. Let’s check the last two.” Welling sadness made her words sound thick as she forced herself to move to the hall’s end. Something about the thought of Rick, when he did so much to take care of everyone else, living alone in such a beautiful, but empty home tugged at her emotions. He deserved so much more than a home filled with nothing but echoes.
Directly across from each other waited two more doors. Leigh shrugged and opened the closest. She stopped, mouth agape. A tall, four-poster bed in a lovely honey oak set in the middle of the enormous room. Matching furniture filled out the room. A pretty pale blue quilt covered the bed.
The same shade as Addie’s eyes. Dear god.
“Wow. This one’s pretty. What do you think? Do you want to take this one?” She walked through the room, as if they hadn’t just fallen down a rabbit hole. “I’ll turn on the shower to warm up the water.” The bathroom wasn’t any less luxurious than the rest of the house, but she got the water running before returning to the bedroom. She half expected to find the room empty.
Instead, she found Addie standing in front of a wide desk that faced the window. Next to the work surface was a tall stack of new, still in the box, art supplies. A mix of awe and fear glittered in her beautiful eyes.
The feeling that Leigh was embarking on what might be the most important part of her life whispered through her.
Please, don’t let me mess this up for her.
She stepped out of the path to the bathroom and closer to Addie. She wanted to crush the girl close and never let go. Every instinct she had screamed that was the wrong thing to do. “Go on in, and check the temperature. Look for washcloths and towels. I’ll be right back. I’ll go get you my shampoo and stuff.” She closed the door behind her and took a deep breath.
She retrieved her bags then returned to Addie’s room. Digging out what she thought the girl might like to use, she sat the items on the bathroom counter and smiled. “Here you go. Use as much as you need. I think I have some pajamas that you can wear until Cara gets back with a change of clothes.”
“Okay.” Leigh was relieved to see that while she still looked like she was headed to the gallows, she was at least cooperating.
“Well, then. I’ll leave you be while you shower. Take your time, okay? I showered this morning, so I’m good. I’m going to take the room directly across the hall. Don’t hesitate to come and get me if you need anything. Even if you just want to talk or hang out.” She waited just long enough to make sure her words registered in Addie’s shocked fog then Leigh shut the bedroom door on her way out.
Not giving a single thought to the room across the way, beyond its proximity to Addie and the escape that it offered, she walked in.
One step into the room, she stopped. The room was furnished much like
Addie’s and utterly gorgeous. Open and airy, filled with light and warmth, it was beautiful, comfortable, and her. The main difference? Her bed was a king with a white and a muted spring green quilt.
The same shade as my eyes. She set her things on the floor by the door and made her way to the bed. There she crashed face first into the soft bedding and let the tears fall. Months of stress, worry and hurt poured out of her and onto the pillow.
After waving goodnight to Noah, Rick closed the door to his room. He collapsed on his mattress and fired off one last order via text message.
Tonight – get some rest and spend time with your girls. Tomorrow, we’re shifting all focus to M.S.
He figured odds were fifty-fifty that Pete would listen. He’d probably help his wife put their girls to bed, spend a couple hours with her, and then get back to his computer. Rick couldn’t fault his team for their workaholic tendencies when that was one of the traits that brought them together in the first place.
He’d been awake for nearly a day and a half, but hadn’t been able to rest until he had all the security details ironed out. Noah had volunteered to take the first shift, and he’d arrived early. Rick had been grateful for the extra set of eyes, and they’d gone over the grounds and ensured the security system worked properly. Each night, one of his team would come and keep watch until Sutton was found. Even though he knew his system surpassed most banks, he wouldn’t be able to rest at night unless he knew a set of human eyes kept watch as well.
He and Noah discussed the possibility that Marcus might cut his losses and leave the country. They agreed that while that might seem like the best option for someone whose empire had been crushed, despite being wanted by multiple government agencies, Marcus would stick around.
Marcus wasn’t much more than a grown schoolyard bully, and Rick had just smashed his sandcastle. There was nothing Marcus hated more than losing, and Rick had destroyed his operation and fled with his new toy, Leigh—two punches in the gut that he wouldn’t be able to tolerate.
Finding Leigh: Dark Horse Inc. Book 3 Page 12