by LR Potter
She bristled at the command. “Message received, thanks,” she said before she closed and relocked the door. She felt bad immediately. This wasn’t Alex’s fault or even Rush’s. If she wasn’t here and Blake was sick, she’d want to know about him also. Moving to the house extension, she dialed his cellphone.
“Trinity! Thank God. What’s going on? Is everything okay? Alex said Blake was crying uncontrollably. Do you need me to come home?”
Taking a deep breath, she said, “No, everything is fine. We were sleeping and his knocking woke Blake up. That’s it,” she said as calmly as she could. She really didn’t like to be tattled on by Alex.
“What was my grandfather doing at the house again today?”
She hesitated. “Can we discuss that when you get home?”
There was huge pause. “Will you still be there?”
She paused a beat as well. “Yes.”
“Okay. Are you sure everything is all right?” he asked again.
She hesitated again, but didn’t want to have this discussion over the phone. “Yes,” she finally answered.
This time there was a pause on his end as he undoubtedly tried to decipher her mood. “Okay, good. Listen, I need a favor from you tomorrow if possible. I’m expecting a package and I need to have the contents scanned to me. Can you do that? It will be brought to the house.” Blake, tired of being ignored, let out another wail. “Listen, baby, it sounds like you’ve got your hands full. I’ll call again tomorrow. If you need me, please call at any time. I always have my cellphone with me. I love you. Talk to you soon. Miss you, baby,” he said before hanging up.
It wasn’t until she put the receiver down that she realized she hadn’t told him his package had already arrived. Lifting Blake to her, she nursed him until he settled back down. Unlocking her door, she retrieved his medicine from the refrigerator and gave it to him. Before too long, his little eyes closed and he drifted back off to sleep.
She studied his little face and shocking mop of dark hair. He looked so much like his father. But she could see some of her features in his face as well. She hated the thought that he was in pain. She pressed her lips against his forehead, happy to discover his temperature seemed normal.
Rush stood in his hotel room with one hand pressed against the window frame and a drink in the other as he stared out over the blue waters of the ocean. Something was going on with Trinity. He didn’t know what it was, but something definitely happened in the time he’d left. He knew it had to do with his grandfather. Damn it! She was supposed to be here with him. He heaved a huge sigh. He felt he’d done nothing but chase after her since he’d seen her in the French restaurant. And while she’d promised him she was done with running, he had the feeling she was thinking about it again.
Slipping his cellphone from his pocket, he scrolled through his preferences. The phone on the other end rang twice.
“Masters.”
Scrubbing a hand over his face, he said, “Alex, I need you to keep a close eye on Trinity. As you know from past experience she won’t like it, but something’s up. I can’t have her taking any chances right now, not with her father’s case heating up the way it has.”
“I’m on it,” Alex replied.
“Alex, I’m trusting you to keep my family safe.”
“I know. I’ll do my best. Do you want me to look into your grandfather’s actions?”
Rush inhaled deeply. “No, I’ll deal with him when I get home. Just ensure Trinity stays within your sights.”
“Will do,” Alex said easily.
~*~
Trinity woke after getting a full night’s sleep. The poor baby must have been exhausted. She moved to his room quickly, her body begging to nurse him after so many hours of not doing so. She picked him up and nestled his little body against her own and kissed his head. After changing him, she sat in the padded rocker and nursed him.
She was just fastening him into his swing when her cellphone chirped. Warmth filled her when she saw Rush’s name on the screen. No matter what, she loved him. She refused to believe he’d callously throw his son aside. “Hi,” she answered softly.
“Hi,” he said. His voice filled with tenderness and a touch of uncertainty. “How are you?”
“Missing you,” she replied.
“As you should,” a smile evident in his voice. “How’s my boy this morning?”
“He slept all night. I think he’s feeling better. I think he misses his daddy,” she said.
“I know I’m missing him… and you.”
“How are things going there?” she asked.
“The negotiations are difficult. I may need to stay through Sunday… maybe even Monday. I’ll have to let you know.”
“Oh.” Her one word filled with sad regret.
“I know. I’ll try to hurry it along, I promise,” he said.
“Before I forget to tell you, your package arrived yesterday. Where do you want me to email it to?”
“It came yesterday?” he asked.
“Yes, in the afternoon via Fed Ex,” she replied.
“Huh. That was quick. I wasn’t expecting it until today. I’ll text you the email address. Well, I’ve got to go. I just wanted to see how you and Blake were. Call if you need me… at anytime. I love you, Trinity.”
“As you should,” she replied with a laugh, throwing his words back at him. “Talk to you soon.”
In under a minute, her phone chirped again notifying her of an incoming text message… Rush’s email address.
As soon as Trinity finished her breakfast and spent time with Blake, she put him down in his crib for a nap. Moving to Rush’s office, she found Alex Masters sitting at a makeshift desk set up for his use. He was typing something on a laptop when she entered.
“Good morning,” she offered to him.
“Ms. Grace,” he replied.
“Alex, I’m sorry about yesterday. I was frustrated, but not at you. I shouldn’t have taken it out on you, and again call me Trinity,” she said as she rubbed her hands against the sides of her leg.
“No problem. Mr. Drayton was just concerned,” he replied.
“I know, he can be just as overprotective as my father – maybe more so,” she said.
“Both had good reasons,” he replied as he completed his email and powered down his laptop, closing the lid with a snap.
“Alex…,” she waited until he lifted his eyes to hers. “I wanted to thank you for sending me that information about my father. I’m not sure why you helped me, but I’m glad you did. Otherwise, I might not have ever known what was going on.”
He gave her a small nod of his blond head. He rose and started to the door, but halted a few feet shy of it and turned back to her. “I once knew another woman whose father was a manipulative bastard… I wasn’t able to save her – I vowed never to allow that to happen again if I could help it. Let me know if you need anything, Trinity.” With those words, he exited the room.
She thought about his words as she turned towards the desk. She really knew nothing about Alex. She assumed he’d been in the military because of his bearing, but not really even that. She didn’t know if he was married or had a family. It seemed odd as he obviously knew so much about her and her family, as well as Rush.
With a shake of her head, she moved around Rush’s desk and picked up the purple and orange Fed Ex package. Turning it over, she tugged the tab across the top and slid out a manila folder. She turned to pull Rush’s huge winged-back leather office chair closer to the desk and sat down. Placing the folder on the desktop, she flipped the folder open and her eyes were immediately drawn to the yellow sticky note affixed to the first page of the document.
Trinity, Just thought you should know the truth…
She had to blink several times before the words made sense to her. Quickly, she turned the Fed Ex envelope over, it had been addressed to her, she hadn’t paid it any attention. Apprehension clawed at her stomach. Did she really want to know the truth? It had never served
her well in the past. Feeling slightly sick, she returned to the packet. Peeling the sticky note from the paper, she read the single sentence on the page and her fear intensified.
Rush, I know you told me you were not interested in this anymore, but since you paid for the information, I thought you should have it.
With hands that trembled, she slowly folded the paper over to expose the second page. Across the top of the page in type-set were the words: Diablo Investigations, 3420 San Juan Blvd., El Paso, Texas. (915)746-9862. She shook her head in puzzlement. What could possibly be in El Paso that would be of interest to her? Moving her eyes further down the page, what she read caused her whole body to go cold. Her hands began to tremble so much she could barely hold the paper.
Mr. Drayton:
Per your instructions, an investigation into the subject known as Amanda Bowing Grace has revealed the following. The subject relocated to Texas from Georgia about ten years ago. According to copies of legal documents obtained; specifically, driver’s license, social security card, and birth certificate, she now is referred to as Ameila LaBose. For undetermined reasons, the subject moves from one hotel complex to another, approximately every thirty to thirty-one days. Except for rare occasions, it appears she checks in on the first day of the month and checks out on the last day. As of the date of this letter, she is residing at the Rio Grande Vista Lodge, Suite Twelve B. According to their records, she’s been in residence since July first.
Per your instructions, the subject has not been approached. If you would like more photographs, we will gladly provide them to you. The subject doesn’t appear to work, but money doesn’t seem to be an issue for her. Please advise us if we can be of any further assistance to you.
Sincerely,
Marc Sanchez
Amanda Bowing Grace? Her mother? Alive in Texas? How could that be? No. It couldn’t be her mother. There was no way she was alive. She’d gone to her funeral. Although, she’d never technically seen her body. Her mind began to go in circles. Could her mother be alive? Why would she let her believe she was dead?
Falling back against the chair, she raised a shaky hand to her mouth. Could it be possible? Thousands of emotions flitted through her. Happiness, joy, elation, which then tilted towards disbelief, hurt, despair, and anguish. Would her mother really have moved on and never once try to contact her? Why? If indeed it was her mother, why would she have run out on them? Her father, she understood. Who wouldn’t have left him for masterminding their kidnapping?
And Rush knew… or at least suspected… yet he never told her. He knew how much her mother meant to her. Even if it wasn’t true, why wouldn’t he mention it to her? Then she remembered the note. What did it mean, I know you told me you were not interested in this anymore. Why wouldn’t he be interested in it? Why wouldn’t he do all he could to find her, ensure it was her, then let Trinity know? Could he be that callous? That heartless? Did he think he was protecting her in a weird way?
Tears sprang into her eyes at the thought that her mother might be alive. She’d missed her so much. Leaning forward, she placed her elbows on the desk and laid her face in her hands. How could she ever find out for sure? What kind of life was it when there wasn’t even one person you could trust explicitly?
As she scrubbed her hands over her face, her elbow rubbed painfully against something underneath the sheet of paper she’d just read. Flipping the paper over, on the backside she found a clipped photograph. Her breath caught in her throat… it was her mother! Her chest heaved in its attempt to gather oxygen into its depths.
With shaky hands, she picked it up and studied the slightly blurry photograph. There were obvious differences from what she remembered as a child ten years ago. Her mother’s once-long hair was now cut into a sleek, dark bob, but the curve of her face was the same. With a finger that shook, she traced the line of the face she’d been dreaming about for years… yearning for, for years. She shook her head. Could this be real? If so, what did it mean? Was her mother really living in El Paso?
As her thoughts swirled, an idea began to take root. Reaching forward, she grabbed the telephone on the desk and pulled it towards her. Picking up the letterhead, she dialed the number at the top. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled deeply to calm her nerves.
“Hello,” a deep, masculine voice said in a light Spanish accent.
“Umm. Hi, this is Nora, Rush Drayton’s assistant,” she began. “I’m calling about a package.”
“Mr. Drayton received it, didn’t he?”
Bile rose in her throat, but she swallowed hard, resisting the violent urge to vomit. It was true! With a voice that shook, she asked, “Is this Marc Sanchez?”
“Yeah,” he answered abruptly.
“Mr. Sanchez, can you tell me anything about the information you sent?”
Silence filled the line. Finally, in icy, clipped tones, he replied, “If Mr. Drayton has any questions about the package, please have him call me directly.”
Before she was able to open her mouth to reply, he’d slammed the phone down. It didn’t matter, she’d gotten the information she needed. Rush had found out somehow that her mother was alive and had looked into it, then for reasons of his own, had dismissed it. Why would he do that? She wondered how long ago he’d gotten his original package. She fell back in the chair as another thought crossed her mind. Who’d sent the package to her? What did she do now? Whatever she was going to do had to be done quickly if she wanted to find her mother. Right now she somewhat knew where her mother was; the Rio Grande Vista Lodge. If the information held true and her mother had moved in on July first, looking at the desk calendar, Trinity figured she had four or five days to find her there… unless she had moved early.
A tap at the door made her jump. Covering the papers with its envelope, she answered, “Yes?”
The door opened and Alex stuck his head in. “Trinity, the baby is beginning to fuss.”
Oh, my God! She thought. She’d forgotten all about Blake in all of this. What was wrong with her? “Thanks, Alex.” Moving quickly, she stuffed the papers back into the Fed Ex envelope and left the office. As she passed Alex, her lips formed a grim line. Alex… how was she going to get past him? She didn’t want Rush to know what she was up to because he’d first deny it and then he’d try to stop her. She meant to do this… right after she confronted her father for the truth.
Chapter Nine
Once she’d collected Blake from his swing, she settled into the padded rocking chair in his room to feed him. As she gazed at his exquisitely face, love washed over her. She never knew she could feel this way. She swallowed hard and tears sprang into her eyes. Hadn’t her mother ever loved her this way? How could she cast her aside? Was there something wrong with her? Had her father known all along? She frowned as another thought crossed her mind; was her mother hiding from him? If so, why? While her father might be immoral, he wouldn’t hurt anyone.
After placing Blake in his crib and covering him with a light blanket, she went to find Anna. She was in the kitchen stirring a pot of red sauce.
“Anna, would you mind watching the baby for a couple of hours? He’s asleep right now.”
“Of course,” she replied.
“Do you know where Alex is?” Trinity asked.
“I believe he is in the gym.”
Moving swiftly down the stairs to the gym, her mind couldn’t help but drift back to the last time she’d been down here. Rush had made love to her so sweetly. She shook the images away. She was so hurt and angry at him. Betrayal… another betrayal… was a tough pill to swallow.
When she stepped into the gym, she looked around until she spotted Alex lying on a weight bench, pressing a huge amount of weights away from his chest. He was dressed in only a pair of shorts. His muscular chest and arms glistened in sweat as he exerted himself. The usual light blonde of his hair appeared dark, coated in sweat. The sharp angles of his face were drawn into lines of extreme concentration. Her eyes drifted over his chest and arms in abj
ect appreciation. She noticed several scars littering his upper torso and again realized just how much she didn’t know about this man.
She stood patiently until he finished his reps. Once he put the weights on the stand and sat up, it was then he noticed her. “Trinity? Was there something you needed?”
“I need to go to the courthouse to see my father. If you’d like, I can have Radcliff drive me.”
“No. Give me fifteen minutes and I’ll be ready. I’ll drive you myself,” came his quick response.
With a nod of her head, she went back upstairs and finished dressing. Because she knew her father wouldn’t approve, she dressed in jeans and a sweater, and left her hair loose. Picking up the Fed Ex envelope, she grabbed her purse, stopped to press her lips against the head of her precious son’s, and headed out into the living room to wait on Alex.
As promised, he was ready in under fifteen minutes. They drove in silence. She contemplated her meeting with her father. If he’d known her mother was alive, she’d never forgive him. What he’d done to their family was bad enough, but keeping her mother from her was something altogether different.
Alex followed her into the courthouse. Briefly, she wondered what his feelings were about her going to see her father. She owed Alex for what he’d provided to her. When she entered her father’s outer chambers, it was to find the ever-present Ms. Callie, her father’s secretary, at her desk.
She rose and clasped her hands when she spotted Trinity. “Trinity, how wonderful to see you. Congratulations on your engagement and baby. I saw your picture in the paper. I’m so happy for you.”
Trinity smiled wanly, not sure whether she was still engaged or not. “Thank you, Ms. Callie. Is my father in?”
“He is. Go right on in. He’ll be so excited to see you.”
Trinity doubted he’d be excited, but just gave her another smile and nodded her thanks. She turned to look at Alex. He gave her a small nod and planted himself firmly beside the closed door of the office with his hands folded in front of him like some sort of sentinel guard. She smiled briefly at the thought. Her smile faded, however, as she took in a deep breath before placing her hand on the slanted handles of her father’s office.