by Lee, Nadia
Driving toward Merry’s place, Daniel called 9-1-1 and gave them all the information he could about the possible break-in. Yes, the perps might be there. Yes, it’d be great if the police could catch them for questioning—even if Daniel secretly hoped the police would shoot the bastards.
Apparently, Dispatch was particularly helpful once they knew who the victim was. By the time Daniel reached Meredith’s townhouse, there were multiple police cruisers with lights flashing parked in front. Bundled in coats and jackets, neighbors had come out to watch the scene. This was probably the most exciting thing that had ever happened in their slice of suburban heaven.
“Oh my god,” Merry said when she saw him. She ran over and wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you.”
“For what?” he said gruffly, hugging her back. He ran his hands along her shoulders and arms, feeling for any swelling or signs of discomfort, but she pulled back a little.
“I’m fine, Daniel. I didn’t even get to see the bad guys. The cops think it happened earlier during the day and whoever it was took off before I got home.”
“What did they steal? You should call your insurance company.”
“Yes, that’s going to get taken care of soon. But I don’t know what’s missing yet. The most obvious thing seems to be my home office. I’m pretty sure they went through my papers.”
Daniel frowned. “Your papers?”
“Yes. They took a watch that I left on the vanity, but they didn’t search that hard in my bedroom, apparently. They missed my jewelry box—which is difficult to believe—or they just wanted whatever was in my office. But…” She pulled in a shuddering breath. “They took Eric’s baseball, which is so unfair. He got it signed by his favorite players over the years at playoffs and the World Series. He loves that thing, and I don’t know how we’re going to replace it, seeing how some of the players have retired and the ball holds special memories for him.”
“You can still get a signature from a retired player,” Daniel said comfortingly. But a nasty pit was beginning to form in his belly. Ernest had told him to watch his back because the St. Cecilia sabotage was most likely about him and Aylster Resorts. Were Merry and Eric collateral damage? Daniel was certain those assholes had stolen a few things to make it look like a burglary. “What was in the office?” he asked.
“Paperwork from TLD…” She thought. “Some private documents like passports and credit card bills. That’s about it.”
He tucked her hair behind an ear. “We’ll figure this out together,” he said calmly. He’d find out who was messing with him and destroy them. He didn’t mind if they wanted to hurt him. But going after Merry…that meant the kid gloves were coming off.
Maybe Ernest and Merry’s investigators were getting too close. Ernest had said it was probably Claude. Daniel couldn’t imagine his uncle doing this, though. Claude had always been the cool uncle, the kind every kid loved.
But don’t you think he was a little…too cool?
He brushed the thought aside. Compared to his father, everyone had been unbelievably cool.
Merry shook her head and pulled out her phone. “I should call Ethan and ask him if it’s okay for Eric to stay the night. I don’t want him coming back here until this is settled.”
“Go ahead.”
She made a face. “I’m going to hear about this from Gavin.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“You’ll see.”
* * *
Chewing her lower lip, Meredith debated briefly, then called Kerri. It was a coward’s way out, but she didn’t want to face Ethan’s outrage. Gavin’s would be bad enough.
“Hey, Meredith, what’s up?” came Kerri’s cheerful voice. Meredith could hear Bear barking in the background.
“Wow, he’s loud, isn’t he?” Meredith said, trying to delay the inevitable.
“Ethan’s cutting up some steak for him right now, and he just can’t stand the suspense. You know how that is.” Kerri chuckled. “If you want to come over for dinner, feel free. He made tons of food.”
“No, I can’t. Actually…um. I wanted to ask if you could let Eric sleep over. I know I didn’t pack an overnight bag, so you’ll have to grab a few things for him from the store.”
“That’s no problem. But…is everything okay? You sound a little strange.”
Meredith inhaled deeply. “We got broken into.”
“What!”
Before Kerri could fire off questions, Meredith said, “I’m fine. The police are here, and so is Daniel.”
“That’s a small relief.” Kerri paused. “Wait. Did you say Daniel?”
“Yes. So I’m fine. I just don’t want Eric to see this. You know.”
“Yes, I understand perfectly. Wow, that’s really awful. I’m so sorry, Meredith.”
“Well.” Meredith cleared her throat. “Sometimes things happen.”
“Of all the… You don’t deserve this.” Kerri huffed. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call. Do you want to come over? We have a guest suite.”
“Um… Thanks for the offer, but I don’t know yet. Can I call you if I need to?”
“Absolutely. Love you. Stay safe.” Kerri hung up.
Meredith let out a long sigh and leaned against Daniel. It was so sweet to have somebody who was silent and supportive. She needed that right now so she could regroup and think before her phone rang again.
Which it did in precisely one minute. It was Ethan.
“You got broken into?” Ethan said. No “hello, how are you” from her more mellow brother.
“Yes, but it’s okay. I’m fine, and the house is still standing.”
“Well, that’s something. Okay, I’ll be there in ten.”
“Ethan, don’t. The police are here and I’m fine. Just stay with Eric and Bear. I don’t want him to know about this until I can figure out what to tell him.”
“You’re being silly,” Ethan grumbled, but he was accepting it. “Okay, well, when are you coming over?”
“I…don’t know if I am yet.”
There was a surprised pause. “Isn’t your place a crime scene?”
“Um. Maybe. I don’t know.” She’d have to ask the nice officer who had spoken with her earlier. “But I have a place to stay in any case.”
“You do?”
“Yes. So please don’t worry.”
Going to Ethan’s place would involve an inquisition, and she just didn’t have the energy to deal with her brother. He could talk to her, but not right now.
She hung up and waited a few minutes. Sure enough, her phone rang again. Looking at the name, she girded her loins. This was going to be a bad one.
“Hi, Gavin.”
“Don’t you hi, Gavin me, Meredith! What the hell is going on? You swore that neighborhood was safe.”
“It is safe. You had Pattington vet the area to make sure.”
“Well, clearly, Pattington did a shitty job!”
She winced. Good god, her brother could overreact. She could just visualize the veins sticking out on his forehead and neck. “Then yell at him, Gavin.”
“I will after I’m done yelling at you. I told you to take a gated mansion. I told you you needed better security.” She could tell he was making an effort to control himself. “I’m hiring a team of bodyguards for you and Eric, right now.”
“Don’t do that. Nobody tried to hurt me.”
“Yet! If you’d been at the house when they were robbing it, you think they would’ve left you alone? They’re animals. Don’t you watch the news? Last week some punk shot an eighty-year-old woman in her home because he wanted some cash for meth. You have no idea what these lowlifes are capable of.”
“And you do?”
“How about Eric? You think they wouldn’t have hurt him so they could steal a TV?”
And just like that, Gavin hit her weakest spot. The possibility closed around her lungs like a fist, and she couldn’t breathe through the panic it induced. Eric had been away that day, b
ut normally he would’ve been home with Nancy or over at Zack’s. Finally she managed to say, “He has Bear.”
“Bear.” Gavin laughed. “The friendliest and least suspicious dog ever. If the burglars bring him a treat, he’ll probably wag his tail and roll over.”
Dull throbbing started at the base of her skull. “Can we talk about this later? I’ve had a long day.”
“There’s nothing to talk about. Consider it my early Christmas gift to you and Eric. And I’m also signing you up for a self-defense class.”
She gasped at his high-handedness. “I don’t need a self-defense course.”
“Yes, you do. It’s nothing too complicated. They teach you how to shoot. You can do that much, can’t you? Point and squeeze. Meanwhile, I’ll be putting together that security team. Until then, try not to get yourself killed.” Gavin hung up.
Her jaw slack, she glared at the phone.
“You look…upset,” Daniel said.
“That was Gavin. Over-the-top as usual.”
“How so?”
“Well, he yelled at me, of course. Then he threatened to sign me up for a shooting class and send over a team for my security. Probably made up of former SEALs or something,” she grumbled.
Daniel pursed his lips and nodded. “I like it. You can never be too safe.”
“Daniel!”
“Hey, if my sister were in your situation, I’d do the same.” A shadow crossed his eyes. “I would’ve done anything to keep her safe.”
Her outrage faded. “I know,” she whispered, squeezing his hand.
“And you’re just as precious,” Daniel said, then hesitated as if he wanted to say more. He finally shook his head. “You should let your family worry about you. That’s the least they can do to make themselves feel better about the situation. They love you.”
“I know that.” She drew in a shaky breath. “Do you mind if I crash at your place tonight? I told Ethan I already have a place to stay, and I don’t think going to my mom’s would be a good idea right now. She’s going to fuss. If she fusses, Barron will hover, and he’s worse than Gavin, from what I’ve heard. Plus—”
He put a finger over her lips. “You don’t have to explain.”
The scene around them faded into the background, the noise of the police scanners and the neighbors’ small talk becoming muted and distant. She gazed up at him, and had the craziest feeling that she’d be content to stand like this forever, so long as he was with her.
Chapter Twenty-One
Driving her home a little while later, Daniel wondered briefly why he’d said okay so easily. He’d stopped bringing women to his place after the train-wreck relationship with Rissa. He hadn’t been able to trust anybody enough to let them in that close.
But Merry… She was different. A small part of him knew she wouldn’t be like the women from his past who had never cared about him.
She wasn’t faking anything. Nobody would voluntarily choose to live in a humbler home than they needed to if that wasn’t what they truly felt comfortable with. And Merry cared so much about everyone. Sometimes he was convinced she really was an angel.
And angels could probably be trusted.
“You like Chinese?” he asked.
“Love it.” Despite the smile, tension and fatigue lined her eyes and mouth.
“I’m going to order some General Tso’s chicken and sweet and sour pork.”
“And some wonton soup and fried rice, please,” she said.
“Will do.” He called his favorite delivery place and parked his Maserati. He lived in a fairly new condo complex in Rosslyn. Aylster Resorts owned the penthouse, something his father had bought both as an investment and an executive apartment.
Merry didn’t say much as he let her in. The place was brightly painted in builder’s white, with dark furniture and hangings dotting the otherwise pristine colorlessness. The bookshelves held ceramic figurines from somewhere in the Orient—Daniel couldn’t remember exactly where, since he hadn’t decorated the place—and there was a spacious open kitchen that gleamed with stainless steel appliances. Polished, French-made copper pots and pans hung from hooks, and housekeeping had placed a fresh bouquet of daisies on the table.
“It’s a nice place,” Merry said. “Do you cook?”
“No.” He gestured at the cookware. “All that came with the place.”
“You had no say in the interior décor?”
He shrugged. “It was something my father bought and put under Aylster Resorts’ name.”
“Did your father cook?”
“Not really. He probably thought all that stuff looked good.” Daniel went to the kitchen and opened the wine cooler unit. “You want something to drink?”
“Sure. Anything white…or maybe a rosé?”
“I do have a bottle you might like.” He uncorked it and poured some into two glasses. “Let it breathe for a bit,” he said as the intercom rang. “That’s probably the Chinese guy.”
Sure enough, it was the delivery man. Daniel handed over a few crisp bills, telling the guy to keep the change. Then he came over and spread the bounty on the dinner table.
“That looks so good,” Merry said. Her stomach grumbled. “Ugh. Sorry. It always does that when I don’t eat on time.”
Daniel laughed. “That’s what it’s supposed to do.”
She dumped some chicken and pork onto her plate. “Well, the whole neighborhood doesn’t need to hear it.”
“I like it.” He took some as well. “I think it’s refreshing how honest your body is about what it wants.”
“You mean my gluttony.” She started eating.
“You look cute when you eat,” Daniel said. The chicken was perfectly spicy and tangy. “You have this strange combination of…open greed and joy. I have to admit it’s intriguing. Never thought I’d see you get greedy about anything.”
“Oh my gosh, do you know how many older brothers I have? Meals were like gladiator events or something. They still eat a lot, but when we were younger it was like sitting down with a bunch of starving mammoths. If I wasn’t careful, they’d take stuff from my plate and shove it into their own mouths. It was awful. In fact, that’s probably why I’m so short—adolescent malnourishment.”
Daniel chuckled. “Didn’t your mother make enough for everyone?”
“She thought she made enough, but it was never enough. It was like monkey see, monkey eat.”
“Monkeys, huh?”
“Monkeys, teenage boys…pretty much the same thing. And it’s worse when they’re your older brothers. You can’t even shame them. Thankfully Ethan was away a lot of the time.”
“Really?”
“He attended a boarding school. His own choice. I guess he wanted to experience independence early. Or maybe he got tired of dealing with Jacob. He was terrible back then too.” Merry made a face. “Sorry. Shouldn’t have said that.”
“Why not? Isn’t it the truth?”
“Yes, but I try not to speak ill of the guy who got disowned. He’s been punished.”
Not enough, from what Daniel could see. “Will you forgive him if he ever reforms?”
“How do you ‘reform’ yourself from bigamy? Last we heard, he’s set up a place in Ohio with his real wife.” She wrinkled her nose. “Mom will never forgive him for that, or for leaving the company in a bad place. And I don’t blame her. I’m not too thrilled with him myself.”
“Does he know he’s been disowned?”
“It’s no secret. He never even asked to be back in the family fold, so I guess he’s all right with it.” Merry shrugged. “Maybe he really loves that Vegas stripper. Who knows?”
It was amazing how easily she spoke of love, like it was such an obvious conclusion. Daniel thought there might be other explanations. Maybe Jacob was just a spineless coward who couldn’t own his mistakes. It was a lot easier to run and let others clean up his mess.
Merry put down her chopsticks. Her plate was empty except for a pool of rich sauces. “Th
at was great. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Sorry I called you like that and imposed myself.”
“I’m not.” He moved closer and pulled her small feet onto his lap. Her shiny black boots looked sexy with little silver hearts dangling around the ankles. And they reminded him of Halloween night, even though they looked nothing like her Wonder Woman boots. He unzipped the soft, supple leather and dropped her shoes on the carpeted floor. Her throat worked, and she watched his hand on her delicately shaped feet.
Daniel had never cared that much about women’s feet. They were what they were, and any female had more interesting parts for him to explore. But Merry’s intrigued him. They were pale and narrow, with the toenails painted festive orange and dark burgundy. The bones looked too delicate to carry the weight of her whole body. His thumb fit right in at the arch of her foot, and he pressed it gently. Her toes curled.
“Are you ticklish?” he asked.
“A little.”
“Are you ticklish now?”
She shook her head.
“Good.” He studied her feet and pressed his thumb against various points. Reflexologists swore the entire body was connected to the feet. So you could theoretically manipulate the body through them.
As he worked on her feet, she bit her lower lip. A low moan rumbled deep in her throat, and her eyes narrowed to glittering dark slits. A deep flush rose up to her face, and she gripped the side of her seat cushion. Her response stirred something in him, and he wanted nothing more than to kiss her right now.
Except he didn’t want to stop massaging her feet.
“Relax,” he said.
She laughed shakily. “I don’t know if I can.”
He cocked an eyebrow.
“You’re driving me crazy.”
“That was the point.” He winked.
“Are you trying to distract me with sex?”
“Is it working?”