“What?” Talia’s green eyes widen. “How did you come up with that?”
“Isabel is a variation of Elisabeth. Also…because it’s true.” I quickly explain the voicemail Mina left me. “Mina truly believes her mother would never hurt her, but after everything the woman has done, down to faking her own death, I don’t trust her. I’m going over to make sure everything goes smoothly. Mina doesn’t want her family to know about Isabel, but her safety is my utmost concern. There’s yet another layer of danger she’s unaware of. I know we couldn’t find Mina on any of the tapes around the hotel, but my car showed up. And I think that it’s possible the team that took Regan out might be looking for my car that Mina drove to the park.”
Talia’s brow furrows with worry. “Is that why you’ve been driving a different car?”
“Yes, someone took a shot at me the other night. I originally thought it had something to do with my past, but I just got confirmation that isn’t the case. And since the one lead I had about the shooter went cold, I would like backup to cover the bases. I know Mina will want to tell Sebastian about Isabel herself, so could you ask Theo to head over just as a precaution?” When she nods, I continue, “Once I leave, please have Elijah ping the traffic cams near Central Park to look for my car. I disabled the GPS, so that’ll be the only way to locate it. I need to know where to start looking for Mina. I think she may have turned off her phone.”
“Where do you want Theo to meet you?”
“Once Elijah finds my other car on the camera feeds, give Theo that location. He can stake out that car and look for anyone who seems interested in it. My vehicle is all the shooter had to go on before. My tag isn’t tied to my house, so he must’ve looked for my car via street cams. He has no other way to trace me. I’ll make sure Mina doesn’t go anywhere near the vehicle. She’ll ride with me. When we get back and Mina’s safe, finding this anonymous shooter will be my next priority.”
Talia nods her agreement. “Sebastian won’t like not being called in on this, Den.”
“It’s not optimal, I know, but I’m honoring Mina’s wishes while doing my best to keep her safe. If Sebastian came, he might recognize Isabel, and you know how well that would go over.”
“I do.” Talia briefly grimaces, then tilts her head. “You really care for Mina, don’t you?”
I hold her questioning gaze, an unspoken truth passing between us. “I don’t want her mother to hurt her all over again.”
“We’ll debrief later.” She grips my arm before I turn away. “You’re right to not trust Isabel, especially now that we know Regan left behind a message. There’s a reason she decided to tell Mina the truth after all this time.”
On the outskirts of Central Park, I shut off my engine and start walking through the crowded street at a fast pace. The smell of exhaust fills my senses and car horns blare as I check the text Theo sent.
Stuck in traffic. Be there soon.
When I turn down the street where Elijah said my car should be parked, a bloke with a bleached buzz cut is using his body to block people’s view, while another bloke in a hoodie pockets a tool, then quickly opens the passenger door on the car Mina drove.
The car appears to be empty, but what if Mina’s in it and I just can’t see her? Fury rises as my worry amps. “Hey,” I yell and start running toward them. When the hooded one turns around, his gaze narrows with murderous intent, and he barks something to his friend.
I glare at them and increase my speed, but the second they both pull guns from their jackets, I barely have time to dive behind another car on the street before a barrage of bullets hammer the vehicle. The ping, ping, pings absent of loud gunfire are oddly more disturbing.
Yanking my gun from its holster, I call Theo. “I’ve got two firing at me with silencers. Possible professionals. I’m pinned down. Call Sebastian and the police.”
“On it! I’m just pulling up and see them. Others must have already alerted nearby police.”
Sure enough, the blare of approaching sirens ends the gunfire. I chance a look over the car’s hood to see the two shooters running in the opposite direction. Jumping up, I tuck my gun away and take off after them. No fucking chance are they getting away!
The bastards are fast and already have a good start ahead of me. When Theo steps out from behind a parked van and stiff-arms the blond one, I grunt my approval as the bastard goes down. The guy tries his best to recover, but Theo hammers him in the chest with his meaty fist twice, then nods that he’s got him, so I zoom past, not breaking my stride. Hitting the pavement hard, I dig in and focus on the dark-haired one, his hoodie now flying behind him.
The second shooter reaches a busy crossroad. He tries to step out, but blaring horns and cars weaving in and out of lanes force him to stop. He turns down the street and I pivot to follow, knowing his goal is to get across when he can.
I push myself harder to reach the punk before he can turn.
The instant there’s a break in the traffic at the next light, he starts to bolt, but I reach out and grab hold of his hood, yanking hard.
When he lands on his side, sucking wind, I don’t give him a chance to catch his breath. “Who sent you after me?” I roll him over and slam my fist against his jaw, getting right in his face. “You’re going to tell me every single name!”
He moans in pain and tries to pull away, so I haul him off the ground by his hood until he hacks for air. “Names!” When he nods, I grunt my satisfaction, then lower him to the ground, winding my fist in his hood to assure his cooperation. Never underestimate a man with a family to protect.
Chapter Twenty
Mina
Once I leave my message for Den, I get out of the car and immediately wind my way through the crowds of people on the sidewalk before heading for the spot my mother used to take me in Central Park. Despite the cooler weather, I’m sweating underneath my coat. My heart races as I walk at a brisk pace, my gaze scanning the busy park. Everyone is watching the water, staring at the ducks. Ah, I remember now, there’s a colorful Mandarin duck that has decided to grace the park with his presence yet again this year. Frustrated at the crowds, I peer past the people until I spot Josi’s blond curls as she throws a piece of bread to the ducks. Exhaling a sob of relief, I run toward her.
The moment I reach her side, I quickly swoop her up into my arms. “I’m here, Josi sweetie!”
“Want down, Mama,” she says on a frown and lifts the bag of breadcrumbs up. “Ducks!”
“Put her down, Mina. Let her have fun,” my mom’s voice calls from behind me.
Turning with Josi in my arms, I narrow my gaze on my mother, who’s sitting on the bench farther away than I would be from Josi. “You should be closer with her around water!”
Josi squirms against me, craning her neck to see the quacking ducks behind me. “Down, Mama!”
Sighing, I set my daughter down, then zip her jacket all the way up against the cold air. “Remember what I said about staying back from water, Josi? Don’t get anywhere near the ducks. Understand?”
She looks at me solemnly and nods. “Water bad.”
When I nod, she smiles, her face lighting up. “Ducks good?”
“Only if you stay back from them,” I say, giving her a half smile. “You can throw the food. Otherwise, if they get too close, they might nip at your fingers.”
Her green eyes widen slightly and she jerks her little hand behind her back, shaking her head. “No, nip-nip!”
“That’s right. So listen to your mom. I’ll be right over there on the bench watching you, okay?”
As I approach my mom, I keep looking back at Josi. Mom smiles, like she’s meeting a friend, not like she just took my child from daycare without my permission.
Thankful that Josi is distracted, I curl my hands into fists and walk straight up to my mom. “Don’t you ever, and I mean ever, take my child from her daycare again!”
My mother frowns behind her sunglasses. “Sit down and keep your voice low, Mina. You’re m
aking a scene.”
“I will not sit down,” I say in a lower tone, narrowing my gaze on her. “This isn’t shock talking. I can’t forgive what you did in the past to Sebastian and his mother, and I sure as hell don’t forgive what you’ve done to our family, to me, by faking your death. You wanted a new life? It’ll be one without any of your family. The only reason I’m keeping your secret is because I don’t want to break Dad’s heart, but if you try to see me or my child again in any capacity, I will call the police and have you arrested.”
Mom presses her lips together briefly, then sighs. “We both know you’ll do nothing of the sort, Mina.” Gesturing toward my daughter hopping up and down as she tosses several bread pieces to the ducks, she continues, “Josi’s having a blast. Take a seat. There’s a reason I’m here and why I picked Josi up. You’re in danger.”
“What are you talking about?” Heart racing, I instinctively glance around as I sit down.
Mom sets her purse on her lap, fiddling with the designer emblem. “It all would’ve worked out if Regan hadn’t grown tiresome. I was biding my time until I thought you could handle seeing me, hoping that tea would help you to remain calm when I finally approached you—”
“Oh my God, you’re the one who gave me that drugged tea?” I stare at her with disbelief.
“Of course I did. I bought some of Laura’s special blend teas and added top dollar ingredients to help relax you, then wrapped them in a special bow.”
“Those peppermint ribbons were the perfect way to get me to not only accept the gifts, but to use them,” I snap, getting angrier by the moment. “Did you know that those special ingredients also cause hallucinations?”
Surprise registers in my mother’s gaze. “I was assured it’s perfectly safe. Just something to relax you.”
“It gave me nightmares, Mom!” I say, swinging my gaze back to Josi briefly. “Awful, burned-in-my-retinas imagery. I thought I was losing my mind.”
“That wasn’t the intent, Mina.” A twinge of regret flickers across her face before she sighs. “But we’re talking about how Regan screwed everything up.”
I’m suddenly worried what she means by that. At this point, I wouldn’t put anything past my mother. I hardly know this person. “What happened?”
“Regan wanted me to share more money with her.” She shrugs. “I disagreed.”
I shake my head. “What do you mean she wanted you to share more money with her? Regan’s the one who stole all the money.”
Mom snorts. “Who do you think she stole it for?”
I keep an eye on the crowd stepping forward to get a better look at the Mandarin duck floating by in the water. I don’t want them to get too close to Josi. “According to Sebastian, Regan stole money over a period of time. With my sign-in! And you condoned this?”
“Don’t look so surprised, Mina. Regan was only in it for herself.” Mom curls her lip in disgust, but keeps her voice low as people stroll by behind our bench. “She wanted a much larger chunk of the pie and thought she could blackmail me by threatening to reveal my existence. I couldn’t allow her to do that.”
More people pass; everyone’s getting in their steps, yet I’m sitting here, my heart pounding like I’m running a marathon. My lungs feel like they’re closing, so I take shallow breaths to try and calm my heart. “What did you do, Mom?”
“I protected the Blake family name, of course.” She finally glances my way, her expression matter-of-fact. “Like I always have.”
I can’t believe she doesn’t see that she’s the cause of all of this. She’s so delusional, but I have to know exactly what my mother is capable of. “Did you hurt Regan?”
“Mama, Mama,” Josi calls out in her sweet voice as she throws her tiny body against me. “See the ducks!” She’s so excited and out of breath, her green eyes full of innocence. I pull her into a tight hug and kiss the curls on top of her head. “I see them, Josi-Bean. You can feed them for just a bit longer. Remember, stay back and where I can see you.”
She beams, then runs off once more. The bag of bread bits dangling from her hand.
“Regan threatened the family name.” Mom’s stares after Josi, her gaze locked on her granddaughter. “I couldn’t have that.”
I think back to Talia’s comment about Regan’s choice to kill herself by stabbing. She’d said it was an odd choice and such a painful way to die…as if she were punishing herself. Talia’s analysis makes even more sense now. “You killed Regan in that hotel room and hired a cleanup team to get rid of her, didn’t you?”
Mom looks at me, her ice-blue eyes unfazed by my accusation. “You had no reason to trust Regan. Not after what she did to the family. I wish you hadn’t gone to that hotel.” She exhales, her gaze regretful. “The team I hired did their job, but they also fiercely protect any threats to their business. A potential witness is seen as a threat.”
“But I didn’t see anyone,” I say, shaking my head. “I can’t possibly be a threat to them.”
“Regan placed a phone call to you right before she died. These people have traffic footage of your car approaching the hotel just before they made it there. The fact you can place Regan in the hotel and not in a burning car where the police found her, makes you a threat. They have ample leverage on me, so they don’t see me as one. I’ve tried to call them off, but they’ve already been paid and won’t be deterred from their path.”
My gaze swivels to my daughter, worry for Josi’s safety rushing to the front of my mind. “I can’t believe this is happening. That you put us all at risk like this…and for what? Money?”
“For the Blake name to endure, Mina. If you haven’t learned anything else from me, know this…I have always done everything I have to protect this family. Even from myself.” As I bring my attention back to her, Mom tilts her head, giving me an intense look. “You have to leave with me today. These people aren’t to be trifled with. They work in the shadows and are very thorough in cleaning up loose ends. If you had just stayed away from Regan, you could’ve gone on living your life here. Now, you don’t have a choice.”
“Is this seat taken?” a woman in a slouchy beanie cap says at the same time she plops down on the other side of Mom.
“Do you mind?” Mom says in a cold tone. “We’re having a private conversation.”
“Oh, but I do mind.” Sliding fully against my mom’s side, she clamps an arm around her shoulders and holds her in place.
Worried by this strange woman accosting us, I try to pull my mom free of her hold, but she grips Mom’s shoulder harder. “I wouldn’t.” She tsks and briefly drops her gaze to the sharp knife she has jammed against my mother’s side.
The moment I realize our attacker is Simone, an involuntary gasp escapes. I stare at her in shock and recognition. She’s the same woman who bumped me in the street across from Laura’s store. She looks so different from the Simone I remember at Talia’s baby shower. With short, red pixie hair poking out of the hat, pale skin, kohl-lined eyes, and a nose ring, I hardly recognize her. But changing her looks can’t cover up her psycho mind. I jerk a fearful gaze to Josi, hoping the ducks continue to entertain her.
“As selfish as you are, I knew you couldn’t stay away from your granddaughter. It was only a matter of time before I found you,” the escaped convict sneers at my mom. “All you had to do was make sure Talia and Sebastian got into the right limo that night. I thought we were of like minds, but instead, you fucked up my plans with your own agenda.”
“Let me go!” Mom hisses and tries to break free. “You’re not going to do anything in public for God’s sake.”
Simone pinches Mom’s shoulder painfully and adopts a cold smile. “I was willing to bide my time in prison. Sitting on useful information that I knew could come in handy one day worked for me, but the moment you tried to have me killed in my cell, well, I just couldn’t let that slide.” Jamming the knife deep into my mother’s side, she leans in and exhales an eerie, satisfied laugh in her ear. “Looks like that new fac
e didn’t help you after all, did it, Isabel?”
I cover my mouth, holding back my scream. The last thing I want is to alert Josi that something is wrong. I don’t want my child to run over and see this nightmare happening. Simone smugly twists the knife in my mom’s side several times, while I beg her to stop, tears of helplessness blurring my vision.
“You’re welcome, Mina.” Pulling the knife free, she casually wipes the blade clean on my mother’s coat, before flipping it closed with one hand. “I just did what you couldn’t. She would always drag you down. Tell Talia that prison gave me a new perspective. I plan to do whatever it takes to protect our family. No matter the cost.”
As my mother slumps against the bench and moans through the pain, I reach around and put pressure on her wound, trying to keep her from bleeding out. Dismissing my mother like a bug she just squished under her shoe, Simone slides her attention to my child. “I suggest you quietly get up and take Josi away from here before chaos ensues. She doesn’t need to see this.”
Simone stands and walks away at a leisurely pace, disappearing into the crowd. Keeping an eye on Josi, I do my best to apply pressure to my mom’s gushing wound, while pulling my phone from my purse. “Hold on, Mom,” I whisper, but she has already lost consciousness. When my screen doesn’t light up, I realize I must’ve turned my phone off by accident earlier. I try to turn it on with one hand, but the phone slips from my fingers, hitting the pavement.
Tears rain down my cheeks as I release my mother to retrieve my phone as quickly as I can. Applying pressure to her side once more, I power up my phone with sticky, blood-soaked fingers and dial Den’s number. Just as I look up to check on Josi, Den picks my baby girl up in his protective embrace.
When she points toward us on the bench, then turns in his arms to stare at the ducks, rambling and smiling, Den’s golden gaze locks with mine. He quickly shifts her into one arm so she’s facing the ducks, then lifts his phone to his ear to answer my call. “I’ve got her, Mina. Are you okay?”
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