Two days later, the jet “Jack Jones” chartered touched down at a private airport located just north of Memphis. Rain fell so hard I couldn’t see a hundred feet beyond the runway.
The pilot taxied the craft into the hangar where Ella and I would disembark.
I’d sent Nathan and Carol back to San Francisco via a commercial flight. Both had been pouty about the decision, but they understood this was something Ella and I needed to handle on our own.
Ella and I had forged a loose plan in regard to how we’d deal with Blaine. We’d compromised by having her call Blaine and set up a meeting for just the two of them on neutral ground at the Memphis Peabody.
In reality, he’d be meeting me.
Ella would be safe at another hotel.
I would calmly and rationally inquire how much cash it would take to make him welcome a divorce. Garrett had, of course, already taken this route, but I had to try dealing with the bastard myself. I had to see my opponent face-to-face, to search out his weaknesses, then use them against him. The fact that Ella had trembled during a brief call to the bastard steeled my determination to keep her out of this whole transaction. Every man had a price. I’d simply find Blaine’s.
If that failed, Garrett and I had explored another route. If it panned out the way I hoped, by tomorrow afternoon, Jack Jones’s charter would be headed home with this ordeal behind us.
To further ensure no additional surprises, what Ella didn’t know was that I’d hired a virtual SWAT team of guns-for-hire. They’d been instructed to be potentially lethal ghosts. This time, I wasn’t taking chances. This time, I was in control.
“Ready?” I asked Ella while the copilot opened the door and lowered the stairs.
She nodded. She’d slept most of the flight, resting her head on my lap. Her long, dark hair looked adorably mussed—like my sleepy kitten who’d made her first appearance way back in Rose Springs. “But I still don’t see why you think it’s a bad idea for me to go with you. Wouldn’t we make a stronger case together?”
“No. Drop it.” I’d tried making my tone as gentle as possible, but what didn’t she get about the fact that I wasn’t playing? I’d had enough of this bastard’s games and if it took every last dime of my fortune, Ella would be mine. I didn’t want to acknowledge just how far I was willing to go to possess her, but honestly? I’d take this battle as far as needed. I didn’t want to believe myself capable of killing, but if pushed…
“I don’t like this side of you.” I helped her down the stairs. Even inside the hangar, the smell of dank, saturated earth prevailed. “You’re scaring me.”
I scared myself. But facing a life without her scared me even more.
The charter company had procured a car, and twenty minutes later, I steeled my hands on the wheel, cutting the vehicle through rain while Ella stared out the window.
“What are you thinking about?” I asked.
“Us.” She drew a heart in the window’s fog.
I eased my fingers between hers. “This will all be behind us soon. We can plan our wedding, then—”
“Something small.”
“Whatever you want.”
“What I want is to marry you right now.” She raised our conjoined hands, kissing the back of mine. “I don’t understand how Blaine got so much power—how I allowed myself to give him my own personal power. It’s disgusting.”
“Correction—what he did is disgusting. Cut yourself some slack. The fact that you not only escaped him, but started your life over from scratch, is amazing. I’m in awe.” Now I was kissing the back of her hand, and wishing I could do more to reassure her that everything would be okay—even if that reassurance could be a lie. Garrett had dug up some potentially hugely damaging intel on Blaine, but until Owen worked magic on his end, it was all theory and conjecture. If Blaine stumbled into my trap, we’d be home free. If not, Ella and I were both in for an ugly legal battle.
We talked a little more about not just her time at the clinic, but our future, and then the steady drum of rain on the roof and the windshield wipers’ flip-flop rhythm lulled her to sleep.
I envied her ability to check out—even for a short while.
Darkness blanketed rolling forested hills.
The deeper into the night I drove, the more my stomach churned.
I fished in my pocket for my trusty roll of TUMS and chewed four.
In a game of chicken, I wouldn’t flinch. In the fight to win Ella, I was incapable of backing down. But where did that leave me? How much might I stand to lose? Not just the woman I loved, but my freedom—in essence, my life.
To ensure none of that happened, I’d go hard.
I didn’t understand our bond. Why even try? It was what it was. Ella grounded me. Gave me a reason to exist beyond making money. She reminded me that there was so much more to life than deals. When I thought she might have been pregnant, the anticipation of having to wait for the doctor had damn near killed me. The only downside to being on that yacht had been the lack of drugstores available for buying a simple pregnancy test. To hear she wasn’t carrying our child had struck me as both a blessing and a curse. No matter how much I wanted her pregnant, deep down, I knew we weren’t ready.
Resigned to that unfortunate reality, my only choice was to take whatever steps I deemed necessary to guarantee that when she did carry our son or daughter, we were ready. The next time she held life inside her, I vowed there would be no fear—only joy.
Another ten minutes and I’d reached our unremarkable destination: a roadside Marriott located a safe distance from Memphis—and an even safer one from the small town of Foley, which was the seat of Blaine’s power.
Rain still fell when I pulled under the portico.
Ella stirred. “Are we there?”
“Yeah. Sit tight while I check in.”
Within fifteen minutes of hauling our few bags to the room, she’d returned to dreamland.
Again, I was left envying her ability to sleep. I’d forgotten my Ambien. I suppose I could have gone out for OTC drugs or a fifth of something, but what was the point? Come morning, the same issues would still fog my mind.
“Sweetie?”
“Yes?” I asked my sleepy-eyed kitten.
“Could you please turn off that light?” She nodded to the bedside lamp.
“Sure.” I turned out all the lights, stripped down to my boxers, then crawled beneath the covers alongside her.
When we’d first met, she hadn’t been able to sleep with the lights off. Now, she couldn’t sleep with them on.
What else about her had changed? Could I be accused of having an overinflated ego if I claimed credit for at least part of what now made her smile? Or the way she’d started pairing fancy heels with her faded thrift-store jeans? She had an innate sense of style that had drawn me to her—even back in her Wal-Mart vest days. I couldn’t wait to see her—and more deeply know her—when the divorce was behind us and our marriage blossomed before us. The birth of our first child and our fiftieth anniversary.
We had so much to look forward to.
The only thing standing in our way was tomorrow.
—
“Please take me with you,” Ella pleaded over our lackluster freebie, late-morning hotel breakfast of rubbery scrambled eggs and bacon. “Seeing you without me is only going to set him off.”
“Good.” I downed the last of my black coffee, then popped a couple TUMS. “Lord knows he pissed me off by barging into my house and dragging you off to a fucking loony bin.”
She cringed at my language, then pointed toward the toddler-aged twin boys and their parents who’d set up camp two tables over.
“Sorry.” I leaned in closer. “But I’m not exactly concerned about Blaine’s feelings. Besides, he’s not likely to start anything in The Peabody’s lobby. It would be in seriously poor taste to upset the ducks.” I summoned a seemingly carefree grin and added a wink.
She drew in her lower lip. “Don’t be too sure.”
&n
bsp; Her warning stayed with me on the return trip to our room. I made her promise not to leave until I personally escorted her outside and into our car. She didn’t know the businessmen seated on either side of us during our meal had in actuality been those ex-SEALs I’d told Garrett to hire after my first encounter with Ella’s soon-to-be ex. Garrett and his research team had played a pivotal role in digging up the dirt that could potentially smother Blaine. If this theory of ours panned out, the pompous ass would deflate like a popped balloon.
Clear of our room, I spoke into the minuscule mic the team lead had outfitted me with while Ella was in the shower. “She’s all yours.”
Hunter and Bryce emerged from Room 307. They wore painter’s coveralls and carried brushes and gallon-sized cans. I’d earlier alerted the general manger with a fat wad of bills that his third-floor hall was being renovated. Apparently, the amount had been sufficient that he’d asked no questions, and I sure as hell hadn’t offered answers.
I’d be fooling myself if I thought for one second Blaine would be an equally easy sale, but it had been my experience that when faced with enough zeroes—or, as in his case, other negative reinforcement—even supposed hard-asses tended to crumble.
26
Ella
“Mom?” I almost whispered into the room phone mere moments after Liam had left our room. My hands shook so hard that I could barely hold the receiver.
“Ella? Is that really you?” Her tears broke what little remained of my once full heart. “Are you okay? Where are you? Since you ran away from the clinic, we’ve all been so worried.”
“That’s why I’m calling. I want you to know the truth.”
“Wh-what? Honey, your doctor says you’re in danger and need help. Where are you? Daddy and I will be there right away.” In the background, she called out to my father. Back to me, she implored, “Tell me where you are, sweetheart. Please, let us help.”
“Mom, I want to see you—to try making this right. With my mind clear, I need to explain my side of this mess. But to do that, I need you and Dad to help me confront Blaine. Liam’s on his way to meet with him alone, but that scares me. I think a confrontation with Blaine will go better if you, me and Dad are the ones who try reasoning with him. Faced with all three of us, he has to settle this amicably. Will you help?”
“Of course. Anything. Is this Liam the man all the newspapers say you’ve been carrying on with?”
“Don’t make what we share sound sordid. Liam’s a wonderful man. He treats me like a princess. I’m lucky to have found him.”
“Your doctor told us you escaped with a kitchen employee—John Smith. But that’s not true, is it?” I was unprepared for her animosity. For the first time since devising this plan to circumvent Liam’s wish for me to steer clear of Blaine, I wondered if he might have been right.
“All you need to know is that Liam’s not the enemy. Blaine is. Please, Mom, help me confront him. I have to end this chapter of my life so I can start new—we can all start new. Isn’t that what you want?”
She sighed. “Of course. I only want what’s best for you. Your father already has the keys to the car. Are you close?”
My lungs burned as if I’d been fathoms deep and had just now breached the surface to drag in greedy gulps of air. Could I really go through with this? Did I tell her I was only twenty minutes down I-40 from their home—what used to be my home?
I closed my eyes, remembering their visits to the clinic.
I’d learned to look forward to them, to the memories they’d shared. They’d transported me to a time before knowing Blaine had existed. Mom always brought pictures and I vaguely recall sitting in the dayroom, inspecting grainy images of myself at birthday parties and high school graduation and vacations, feeling as if Blaine had been a snake and swallowed Ella whole. At the clinic, I hadn’t recognized this new girl. This post-Blaine concoction. I’d risen from primordial goo, and now here I stood, terrified of facing my own parents for fear of what they’d do.
I had to talk to my parents—really open up—then, they’d finally believe I had all along told the truth. Even better, if they’d agree to support me in court, to testify that my husband truly was a monster, then Liam wouldn’t ever need to see Blaine. Liam would be safe.
But to guarantee his safety, I needed to take this very big risk.
The knot in my stomach whispered, Stay in the room, just like Liam told you. Hang up the phone, and forget not just this woman, but every shred of your former life.
“Sweetheart…are you still there? Tell me where you are, sweetie. Mommy will make everything okay.”
The back of my throat ached. My eyes stung.
“Sweetie? Please…”
“I’m—I’m at the Schuster Marriott—just off of I-40. Know where that is?”
“Of course.” She masked the phone, then released a muted shriek before calling for my father. “We’ll be right there.”
“Good. I’ll wait for you in the lobby. And you and Dad will take me to meet with Blaine?”
“Of course, sweetheart. Anything you want. Would you like Daddy to set up a meeting with him, or will you call him yourself?”
I steeled my nerve. “I’ll call.”
“Wonderful. Daddy and I will leave just as soon as we’re off the phone.” She hung up.
Before my courage dissolved like salt in water, I dialed Blaine’s cell. He’d had the same number for years.
He answered on the second ring. “Judge Patton.”
My tongue felt glued to the roof of my mouth.
“Ella?”
“Y-yes,” I somehow said. “There’s been a change in plans. My parents want to talk with you, too. Would you meet all of us in Schuster? There’s a Red Lobster off I-40. Mom and Dad are already on their way to get me, and then we’ll go straight there.”
Blaine was silent for too long. He’d never liked change, but to protect Liam, this was unavoidable. “What about him—your significant other?”
“He won’t be there.” I gripped the phone so tightly that my hand turned numb. My pulse raced as if I’d run for miles. “Liam’s at The Peabody, waiting for you, but this doesn’t concern him, does it?”
“No, my beauty.” The smile in his voice twisted my stomach. “It certainly doesn’t. I’m looking forward to seeing you soon.”
I hung up the phone.
Massaged my aching hand.
Was I doing the right thing? Or being stupid for not following Liam’s plan? Only time would tell. For now, I had to believe that whatever move kept Liam safe was not only the right solution, but the only solution.
27
Liam
I popped a few more TUMS before entering the famed historic hotel.
I’d been here before—several times, actually, for business. Carol and I had gotten a kick out of watching the ducks parade down their red carpet. This time, neither the waddling creatures nor families lining up to view them brought solace. If anything, greater apprehension rose. I hadn’t considered how crowded the lobby would be in anticipation of the ducks’ eleven o’clock arrival. Surely, even Blaine wouldn’t be dark enough to try anything involving weapons around children and animals?
For a man purportedly obsessed with maintaining his gentlemanly image, even though I’d arranged for discreet backup, I wasn’t worried for me, but Ella—for the potential fallout should Blaine call my bluff and play hardball. I prayed the son of a bitch would just calmly, rationally state a number it would take to make him vanish from Ella’s life and prosper elsewhere.
If he didn’t?
I hardened my jaw and straightened my tie. That’s why God made SEALs.
I’d settled onto a sofa located a reasonable distance from the crowd, but still affording me an unobstructed view of anyone who approached, when my radio squawked in my ear. “Alpha reporting Kitten has left the basket. I repeat—Kitten has left the basket.”
Wait—what?
I raised my sleeve, ignoring the squinty-eyed stares of
a passing elderly couple. “What do you mean, Ella’s gone? Where did she go? Did you go after her?”
“At 1047, Kitten exited the basket to infill a 2013 Cadillac ATS, Tennessee plate ALPHA-CHARLIE-SEVEN—”
“Cut the military shit. Who else was in the car?”
“Two Caucasians—male and female. Approximate age six-zero or higher.”
Her parents? “Did Ella look afraid?”
“Negative.”
“Where are you now?”
“In pursuit, traveling east on Cherry Mill Road.”
Shit.
What the hell was Ella doing? “Any sign of Blaine?”
“Negative. Bravo?”
“That would be a negative on primary target.”
All this talk in code brought on a headache. “Whichever team is trailing Ella, don’t let her out of sight.”
“Roger that. Alpha out.”
“Bravo out.”
While all around me kids leapt and clapped and cheered for the waddling ducks, I struggled for air. Why the fuck would Ella leave our room? Especially for a visit with her estranged parents. It made no sense.
Thirty minutes passed with still no sign of Blaine. And then:
“Alpha reporting Kitten and unidentified man and woman entering a Red Lobster eating establishment.”
“Bravo reporting still no visual on primary target.”
Liam reported imminent cardiac arrest. I didn’t like this—at all.
Ella had been adamant about meeting Blaine herself. Would she have gone behind my back to set up a second meeting with him and her parents?
“Alpha reporting primary target approaching Red Lobster. Repeat—hard visual on primary target approach. Primary target accompanied by three Foley municipal police cruisers and six uniformed officers.”
Even though I was already on my feet, charging through the crowd, I couldn’t move fast enough. My feet felt leaden and my motions gangly.
While I’d arrived at the hotel in my rental vehicle, on my exit, a team member waited at the curb, ushering me into the rear seat of a black SUV. I assumed the guys knew where we were going, so I took the downtime of our travel to regroup.
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