With Regrets Adam

by Adam (lit)

A phone rang close by, and she looked around. There was one on the end table by the couch, and as it rang a second time, she saw the light flashing.

  So, who answers the phone? It kept ringing. Just as she was about to pick it up, Adam’s voice came through.

  “Kara, pick up the damned phone. You’re there because I know you can’t get out.”

  Such confidence. She felt like picking up the phone and slamming it down hard enough to crack his ear drums.

  “Kara isn’t here. Can I help you?” Her voice was calm when she wanted to scream at him.

  He laughed, and her hand tightened on the receiver. “Kara. Are you getting familiar with our suite?”

  Our.

  “It’s a nice enough place, but I prefer my own apartment.”

  “Apartment? Kara, the mansion Aaron settled you in would never be mistaken for an apartment.”

  “Where are you?”

  “At work. My advice is for you to get some sleep. We’ll have dinner when I get home, and then we’ll discuss our living arrangements.”

  “I want to go home. Now.”

  “You know the terms, Kara. As soon as you play fairly, give me the information I need to find Aaron, we can arrange for you to go home to your mansion. Excuse me. Your apartment. I’ll see you later.” The dial tone hummed.

  At work. Where? How far away?

  She jumped when someone knocked on the door.

  “Kara?” The deep, gravelly voice could only belong to Garth.

  When she didn’t answer, he knocked again. “Kara?”

  “Kara isn’t here. The damned door is locked, so come on in if you have a key.”

  It sounded like he chuckled, but she wasn’t sure. A key turned and the door swung open. Garth, a dominating figure larger than Adam, grinned at her, and then turned to the woman at his side.

  “This is Hana. Whatever you need, within her power, she’ll get for you.”

  “Hello, Hana. I’m Lyn.” She stepped forward and offered her hand.

  Hana’s dark eyes went over Lyn’s figure, and the look in them was so cold, she shivered. Hana’s arms were folded over her ample bosom, and she kept them there. Her sturdy figure was clad in a neat red warm up suit with a spotless red and white checked apron over it. Gray streaked hair was wound in a thick braid around her head. Small brown eyes studied Lyn.

  “I know you, Miss Kara. Adam says I look after you, and I will.” She turned on her heel and marched away.

  Lyn watched her go, eyebrows raised. “Friendly cuss, isn’t she?”

  “You remember Hana. She has been with Adam and Aaron since they were teenagers. She’s rather possessive.”

  Lyn’s dark blue eyes measured Garth from his wide shoulders to his size fourteen boots. He had laughing dark eyes, a tanned complexion, perhaps swarthy would describe it better, and strong white teeth that flashed when he smiled.

  “She can have both of them with my blessings. And no, I don’t remember Hana at all.” She stepped toward Garth. “Tell me how I ended up in this nightmare. I’m not Kara. She and I are half sisters. We had the same mother, different fathers. We were never close. Kara is the fair-haired child, always getting her way and not particular how she gets it. Never did any wrong as far as my mother was concerned. She’s a lovely woman, and as a child, learned to make use of that beauty.”

  Garth watched her, and for a moment, she thought there was doubt in his eyes. Then he put up both hands. “I haven’t seen you often, Kara, so I don’t actually know a lot about your family. Adam does. He’s not only my boss, he’s my best friend.” He shrugged. “Your best bet is to tell him how to get in touch with Aaron. Why are you so reluctant to tell him?”

  “Because I don’t know where Aaron is. I told Adam the truth. The last time I saw Aaron and Kara was a few weeks ago, and that was only for a couple of hours.” Her voice became bitter. “Evidently it was long enough for Kara to switch identities with me.”

  “That sounds rather superficial.” Garth watched her pace and regarded her with a brooding expression. “How are you going to prove what you’re saying?”

  “How would I know how to prove it? You are determined to believe I’m Kara, and since you’ve kidnapped me and I have no friends or co-workers to vouch for me, how the hell am I supposed to prove anything?” Her face burned with anger, her body stiff as she stalked to the sliding doors and stared out.

  She put her hand on the glass. “It’s snowing.” The mountains in the distance seemed to move behind a mist of white.

  “Yes, we’re supposed to get several inches.”

  She turned. “Where are we?”

  “New Mexico.”

  “How far from Albuquerque?”

  “About four or five hours.”

  “Why here?”

  “This is Adam’s retreat, where he comes when he doesn’t want to be bothered by business or relatives or enemies.” Garth put out his hand. “Come along. Let’s get some breakfast. Then you can get a shower and a nap before Adam gets home.”

  “Breakfast. Didn’t we just eat?”

  “That was about three hours ago and just a snack. As I recall, you didn’t eat much.” He motioned toward the suitcase he’d left earlier. “You have some clothing in there, but you’re welcome to use any of your things in the closet.”

  She laughed. “Certainly. I’ll wear the gown of gold lame for breakfast.”

  “Great. I’ll see you in the breakfast nook in.” He glanced at his watch. “Thirty minutes?”

  Resigned, she nodded. “Yes.”

  * * * *

  Lyn stood at the closet and looked at the vast array of fancy clothing. Did Kara ever dress in anything but finery? Shaking her head, she turned to the small valise Garth had brought into the room. In it she found a dark brown velour warm up suit, took it from the case and shook out the wrinkles. A beige silk turtleneck would go well underneath the top. From the looks of outside, it must be quite cold. Snow wasn’t thick, but the huge flakes flew horizontally in the wind. But it was comfortable inside. What would they do should the power go out? Oh, the fireplace. There were probably more than one in this vast square footage.

  A few minutes later, she left the shower and dressed, paying scant attention to her makeup or her hair. Her hair was short, just a little wavy, and easy to manage. She’d worn it long until her duties as a nurse changed her mind about having it cut. Since having it layered and shaped, it was easier to manage, only minutes instead of hours to make it look good, and it suited her. Kara, she recalled, still wore her golden brown hair below her shoulders and when she and Aaron came by, it had been high-lighted. Lyn had to admit it looked good, but she didn’t want to be bothered with weekly visits to a beauty salon to keep it looking that way.

  A glance at the radio clock told her it had been about twenty-eight minutes since Garth stood in the doorway. As if on cue, the key clicked in the lock, and the door opened.

  “Ready?” He looked her up and down, almost nodded in approval before he caught himself. He wasn’t supposed to approve of Kara. Somehow that name didn’t fit this woman, and Garth wasn’t sure why he felt that way. The boss was certain he was holding Aaron’s wife, so he must be sure. Still.

  Lyn stood in front of him. “Which way from here?”

  “Allow me.” He held out his bent arm, she blinked, but then put her hand on it and let him lead the way.

  They reached the kitchen with its generous array of cabinets, copper rings full of all sorts of kitchen ware that was so clean, they looked as though they’d never been used.

  Hana turned from the stove, frowned at Lyn after looking her over, and motioned for them to sit. The table in the spacious breakfast nook Garth led her to was a round pedestal, shining pecan with white lace mats at four places.

  “If you sit here, there’s a nice view outside,” Garth said.

  Hana sniffed as she placed a basket of hot rolls on the table. Butter and pots of jams were already in place.

  Lyn glanced through the wide ba
y window. Snow fell in a lazy swirl pattern. It was beautiful, and she watched for a few moments.

  “Yes, I’d like that,” she told Garth. “Is there a heavy snowfall predicted.”

  “Too much for you to try to escape and walk to town.” He passed the rolls to her.

  “I wasn’t planning to try it. Adam told me I cannot escape so why torture myself?”

  “Right.” He stared at her.

  She leaned back in her chair. “What is it? Is my mascara smeared?” It couldn’t be; she didn’t have any on.

  He shook his head. “Something about you,” he said.

  “What about me?”

  “Adam is on the phone, Garth.” Hana stood in the doorway, disapproval written all over her plain features.

  Lyn hadn’t heard the phone ring. Garth excused himself and left the room.

  “Eat. You might as well stop pouting and eat because you’ll need your strength.”

  “Why don’t you like me, Hana? I’ve never met you, and you can’t know anything about me to dislike, so what’s your problem?”

  “Hmph. Adam and Aaron are like my sons, and when one of them is mistreated, I don’t like it. You’re spoiled rotten, you treat Aaron like dirt, and he’s foolish enough to take you back. Now.”

  Lyn stood and braced her hands on the back of her chair. “Wait just a damned minute, Hana. I’m not Kara. I’m not spoiled. I had never seen Adam until he kidnapped me. I’ve met Aaron twice. Kara is my half sister. She.”

  “Adam is an intelligent, level-headed man. He worships his brother and has been half out of his mind because he hasn’t heard from him.” She sniffed, jutted her sharp chin out. “Tell him where you left Aaron and if he’s all right.” She lifted her shoulders and let them drop. “He won’t let you go until he gets the answer he needs.”

  Lyn stared at the woman, alternately madder than she’d ever been and feeling sorry for her. “Hana.”

  Hana whirled and strode from the room.

  “You getting on Hana’s bad side, Kara?” Garth came back into the room. “Not a great idea.”

  “I haven’t had a decent idea since I was kidnapped by unknown persons and taken to an unknown place for a very stupid, unknown reason.” Her temper became shorter by the minute. “And one more enemy isn’t going to hurt one way or the other.”

  Garth sat down and looked at her. “That was Adam. He’ll be home earlier than he’d planned. My advice to you is to tell him, right now, all you know about Aaron’s whereabouts, if he’s all right, where he was the last time you saw him.”

  Lyn moved around and dropped into the chair again. “I’m sorry, Garth. I’m Lyn, and I don’t know anything about Aaron, where he is, if he’s all right, if Kara’s with him, if she’s run away again.” She propped her head in open palms. “She was always good at running away to avoid problems or situations she didn’t like. And was always ready to accept a bribe of a new car or a few thousand dollars or a shopping spree to come home.”

  “I take it you and your sister didn’t get along.”

  “Half sister. Kara is younger than me by about 14 months. Her father was Kenneth Sands. I never knew who mine was.” And her mother had never cared one way or the other. She had long since let go of the hurt and loneliness she’d lived with most of her life. Now, Kara, with her never changing, destructive ways, was again making her life miserable.

  How could she convince these people she was Lyn Sands, not Kara Mabry?

  The plate of food in front of her was attractive, and she was certain it was good or Garth wouldn’t be attacking it as he was doing. On the other hand, as big as he was, he needed all the nourishment he could get.

  Adam had told her there was no way she could get out of the house, and with Garth always around, it wasn’t likely she could escape. Hana was probably as much a guard dog as Garth. She pushed her food around on the lovely China plate. Noritake, wasn’t it? Or perhaps Mikasa. She didn’t have a lot of experience with expensive dinnerware. Hers came from a department store.

  The meal was finished in silence. Lyn didn’t know any other comments to make, and Garth wasn’t exactly the talkative type. Pushing her chair back, Lyn rose.

  “Excuse me.” Without waiting for Garth’s comment, she left the room and made her way back to the suite assigned to her. She undressed, turned back the lacy white spread and slid between silk sheets.

  Silk sheets? Well, if you have to be kidnapped, there’s nothing like being confined in luxury. In moments, she was asleep and didn’t hear the key turn in the lock.

  Chapter Four

  Lyn stared at the unfamiliar ceiling, the skylight, the textured paint. Her hands slid over the heavy spread. The room was dim, and she wondered what time it was. She had been dreaming but it was too vague for her to remember it clearly. Didn’t matter. She always dreamed, sometimes about her mother, sometimes about patients she had worked with. Those she lost were the ones she dreamed about most often. It didn’t hurt to dream but helped her deal with the good and bad of her job.

  She wasn’t anywhere near her job.

  What was going on at Lovelace? She was already off for two weeks. Had Adam actually managed to get her cleared for two more weeks? How had Kara managed to get hired at Lovelace and Lyn not know about it? What happened if Aaron didn’t show up? Or the real Kara?

  A key turned in the lock, and she glanced toward the door as it opened. Adam came in. He was dressed in a business suit of dark gray, a lighter gray tie with tiny white stars, a starched white shirt. The black hair was damp from snow. He needed a shave.

  He walked to the bed and smiled down at her. “Have a good nap?”

  “Yes.” She watched him, unblinking. “Did you have a good day?”

  His jaw tightened, he opened his mouth, shook his head and turned away. “Dinner will be in an hour. Meet me in the great room for a glass of wine.” He went through the door he’d left open and she heard a door close across the hallway.

  Almost amused, she said aloud, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll escape while you’re naked and under the shower?” Probably not as Garth and Hana were on guard. Adam naked under the shower. Now there was something to think about. Maybe drool over.

  Listen, Lyn, you’re getting daft over this situation. You’re evidently in no danger other than shacking up with your sister’s brother-in-law.

  Sliding from beneath the covers, Lyn wandered over to the giant sized walk-in closet filled with Kara’s designer clothing. Did they dress for dinner? Casual? Formal? Well, what the hell? There wasn’t a lot of choice as far as she could tell. She picked a midnight blue velour pantsuit, the jacket trimmed in pale blue sequins. There was a pale blue chemise with lace insert that might or might not hide her breasts. Dressed, she went into the dressing room to get a full-length view of herself. Not bad. In fact, really a gorgeous outfit that went well with her light hair and fair complexion.

  There was a jewelry case with an assortment of items. Diamonds, sapphires, citrines, rubies. She didn’t know if they were real. Didn’t matter. She lifted a pair of sapphire earrings that dangled halfway to her shoulders. The pantsuit didn’t actually need a necklace, so she didn’t bother looking for one. When the door opened and Adam came through, she turned to look at him.

  “I thought I was to meet you in the great room.”

  “You’re late.” He scowled and glanced at his watch.

  “Sorry.” She wasn’t. Her watch was still in her handbag, and she didn’t give a damn what time it was. If she wasn’t allowed to go anywhere, then, as far as she was concerned, she didn’t have a time schedule. “I’m ready now.”

  He stood aside to let her pass through the door, and she heard him inhale, then exhale. “You look lovely.”

  “Thank the borrowed finery.” She strode down the hall without waiting for him.

  He caught up with her at the door to the great room, placed his hand on her back and guided her to the deep wine leather couch.

  “Aaron tells me you like burgundy or me
rlot. I have an excellent merlot.”

  “Kara might like red wines. I prefer Chardonnay or a rich Chablis.”

  He laughed. “I have both, but wouldn’t you rather drink what you’re accustomed to rather than risk drinking a white wine you don’t like?”

  “I prefer Chardonnay. If you have none, then I’ll have water, please.”

  Adam continued to watch her as he poured two glasses of an expensive brand of merlot. “You might as well stop with the pretense, Kara. I want to know where Aaron is. He disappeared without letting me know where he was only once before, and that was when our parents died. He was upset and wanted to be alone. Does he have a reason to be upset now? Tell me where he is, and you can leave, go anywhere you want to. I’m sure Aaron has his finances fixed so you’ll be taken care of if you don’t go too wild on the credit cards.”

  “I don’t know where Aaron is. Aaron has never in any way paid for anything I bought. If he wants to be alone, fine. My question then would be: Where is Kara? You don’t seem worried about her.”

  “Because I’m looking at her as I speak.”

  It was like talking to a stone wall. The uselessness of her arguing hit her solidly and nausea threatened. The truth wasn’t getting her anywhere. Adam was beyond listening to any of her arguments, whether they were fact or not. Where did she go from here? Nowhere. Adam wasn’t letting her out of his sight, and her protests didn’t get past his cold eyes.

  “Drink this. You’ll feel better.”

  Lyn looked at the glass he held toward her and then up into his face. No expression except for the ice in the gray eyes, and the tight line made by nicely formed lips pressed together.

  “I don’t like red wine, Adam.”

  “Fine. I guess I drink alone then.” He placed the glass on the table in front of her, turned and walked to the fireplace.

  In a bar as well-stocked as Adam’s was, Lyn was certain there would be an expensive and popular Chardonnay. She didn’t care enough about it to argue so didn’t respond to his comment.

  “Look, Kara.” Adam leaned against the mantel. He turned the delicate wine goblet in both hands and watched her. “If it’s more money you want, I’ll give you enough to let you live in Europe in the manner to which you’ve become accustomed. Just this once, once and for all, leave Aaron, divorce him, make the break final, but do it before you drive the poor man mad and he does something both of you will be sorry for.”