“Good-bye, Mr. Tanner. And good luck.”
He didn’t have time to worry about whether he’d hurt the nurse’s feelings. Something didn’t feel right about Miriam’s death, Sidra needed him, and all he could think about was getting to her. He dressed quickly, deciding against wearing the bloodstained shirt, which he threw into the garbage can, and hurried outside.
The river was easy enough to see from the hospital, and he moved toward it, ending up on a concrete walk that ran beside it. He asked a passing jogger for directions to the hotel and then walked as fast as he could toward it, ignoring the mixture of curious and appreciative glances he received from the people walking along the path.
He called Teddy’s cell phone on his way through the lobby, then took the elevator to the floor Teddy told him. The room was at the end of the hall, and he jogged toward it, cringing at the small jolts of pain the movement caused.
Teddy opened the door before he knocked. He gripped Levi’s hand firmly in greeting and gave him a pat on the back.
“I’ll be in my room,” he said before slipping out the door, leaving Levi alone with Sidra.
He took a step closer and looked down at her while she slept. Her face wasn’t as badly bruised as it had appeared last night, but her eyes were puffy and red-rimmed, with dark shadows beneath them. Tear stains tracked her cheeks, and he wished he had been there to hold her as she cried. He hated to wake her, hated to start her day with the news he had to share. Maybe it would be better just to let her sleep for a while. He removed his pants and climbed into bed beside her, smiling as she turned toward him. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead, and she sighed contentedly as she snuggled to him.
“Don’t let me hurt you,” she mumbled against his chest.
“You won’t.”
She grew silent and still once more, and he hoped she had fallen back to sleep.
“Did you see the news?” she asked quietly.
“Yes.”
“I think he killed her.”
He was surprised by her quiet confession. He had expected her to balk at the suggestion.
“Why do you think that?”
“I don’t know. I just don’t trust him.”
“Yeah, me neither.”
“I don’t want to leave this bed.”
“We don’t have to yet. We both need sleep so we can think with a clear head.”
“I don’t want to sleep, either.”
He chuckled and rubbed his cheek against the top of her hair, inhaling the sweet feminine scent of her shampoo.
“Sorry, sweetheart, but they doped me up on enough painkillers last night that I don’t think anything else is going to happen right now.”
“Mmmm.” She kissed his chest. “I’m not getting out of this bed until it does.”
“Deal,” he murmured, sleep already claiming him.
****
Sidra came awake slowly, luxuriating in the feel of Levi’s warm, hard body next to her. She ran a foot down his leg, letting it move across the top of his toes before bringing it back upward.
He turned and wrapped an arm around her waist, his face in her hair. She felt his mouth turn up into a teasing smile.
“Again?” His voice was low and sexy against her ear, and she shivered with desire when his breath tickled her skin.
At some point in the afternoon, they had made slow, easy love to each other, giving and taking, asking and receiving, until they had fallen back asleep, satisfied, content, and more than a little dazed.
“I’m starving.” She flopped to her stomach and propped her chin on her hands.
“For me?” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.
“For food,” she said with a grin. “And you. Food first, though, or I might just keel over from hunger right in the middle of it.”
“Mmm, we can’t have that,” he said, lifting up on his elbow and kissing her shoulder and back. “You smell good.”
“Not as good as a steak would smell right now.”
He chuckled and sat up on the edge of the bed. “Fine, I’ll feed you before I do anything else to you.”
“Good idea.” She jumped out of bed and pulled the gown over her head.
“Sidra,” he called softly. “You know we’re going to have to talk about Miriam eventually.”
She swallowed back the denial. Of course they would have to face it, but she couldn’t right now. She was afraid of what it all meant, and for just a little while longer she needed to pretend it meant nothing.
“I know, but I can’t right now.” She bit her lip, holding it for a moment before adding, “I just need a little while longer to pretend things can be normal, Levi. Then we’ll talk.”
Worry furrowed his brow, but he nodded, and she breathed a sigh of relief.
“I’ll give you ’til tomorrow morning, Sid. Then it’s back to reality.”
****
As soon as she was in the shower, he dialed Teddy’s room.
“Hey, Ted, are you up for supper? We’re going to head downstairs to the restaurant when we’re dressed.”
“Is Sidra okay?”
“She seems fine, but she doesn’t want to talk about it. I promised her a reprieve until morning.”
“It’s been a hell of a few days,” Teddy agreed. “I think we could all use a few more hours to recover.”
“We’ll meet you downstairs.”
Teddy was silent for a long minute before he cleared his throat. “Levi, what are you planning on doing here? I mean, Sidra’s different from the girls you usually see.”
“Is this the ‘what are your intentions toward my daughter’ talk?” Levi chuckled in disbelief. Could his younger brother really be about to lecture him on treating Sidra right? “This coming from the guy who reeled her in and lied to her for the last four years.”
“That’s not the same, and you know it. I was protecting her. You could easily destroy her.”
He could hear the worry in Teddy’s voice, and he grew serious himself.
“I’m not going to hurt her, Ted. If she’ll have me, I intend to marry her.”
Teddy breathed a loud sigh of relief.
“Thank God. I’d hate to have to kick your ass.”
“I’d hate to see you try.”
“Yeah, whatever. See ya.”
Levi hung up the phone and sauntered to the bathroom. Sidra stuck her head out from behind the shower curtain, her gaze running appreciatively over his naked body. When she reached his eyes, she smiled and crooked a finger in his direction.
“Call Teddy back and tell him we’ll be late,” she said as he joined her.
“No way,” he teased as he nuzzled her neck. “I can’t have you passing out from hunger.”
“Then you’d better work fast.” She giggled as he yanked her up against him and did exactly what she suggested.
****
“Could we have a table across the room?” Levi asked the waitress as she led them toward a booth beside the glowing Christmas tree.
“Of course, sir,” she said, a puzzled look on her smiling face.
“No,” Sidra said. “Let’s sit near the tree.”
“Are you sure?” Levi asked.
“Yes, I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
She walked confidently toward the table, even taking a moment to study the tree before having a seat.
“You did great,” he said after the waitress left with their drink order.
“Maybe finding a reason for my recurrent fears during the holidays helped ease them.”
They made small talk while they waited for their food, discussing things that were as far removed as possible from Medelia and all that had happened in the last few days.
Levi watched Sidra’s face, noting the worry that crept in during lulls in the conversation, and the way her eyes darted to the door now and then. She wasn’t any more convinced she was out of danger than he and Teddy were. He wanted to ask her why, but he had promised her tonight, and he would give it to her.
“Do you think we should go to Gabriel?” she asked. “I mean, he is alone here, and if he didn’t kill Miriam, someone did, and he must be in horrible pain.”
“We aren’t going anywhere tonight,” he told her. “But if it will make you feel better, Teddy can call and check on him after we eat.”
Teddy’s cell phone rang just as they were leaving the restaurant.
“Yes, I know him. Yes, we’ll be there in a few minutes.” Before he hung up, he added, “Hey, man, can you make sure he stays right there? Thanks.”
“Who was it?”
“It was the bartender at a bar out by the airport. Seems old Gabe’s had a few too many, and he’s causing quite a ruckus. My number was the only number from Florida in his phone, so they called me.”
****
“Spill, Sid. What’s got you so antsy tonight?”
Sidra knew with one glance there was no use denying it.
“I thought I had a reprieve.”
“Yeah, well, Gabriel ruined that for you.”
“I’m nervous it isn’t over yet. I know Vincente’s dead, and I know he tried to kidnap me, but he didn’t intend to kill me. Well, at least not until after we were married. So who did intend to?”
“I have the same feeling,” Levi admitted. “I mean, the guy at the bus stop hasn’t been seen yet. He could have been working for Vincente, but he could have just as easily been working for someone else. The car that tried to run you down and the guys shooting at you were all trying to do more than scare or abduct you.”
“So you don’t think I’m out of danger?”
“No,” Levi and Teddy answered at the same time.
They turned onto the road to the airport, surprised to find a traffic jam at this time of night.
“There must be an accident,” Levi said. “I can see flashing lights up ahead.”
They crept along, braking every few feet. Each stop caused Sidra’s anxiety to grow. Something horrible had happened. Finally, when they were nearly there, Teddy’s phone rang again.
“Shit,” he moaned into the phone. “Yeah, thanks for letting us know.”
“It’s Gabriel, isn’t it?” Sidra asked, but she knew. Whoever had killed Miriam had come back for him.
“Yeah. Sid, I’m sorry. He’s dead. The bartender said he left his cell phone on the counter and wandered outside. The man went out to try to catch him, but it was too late. A passing car hit Gabriel as he left the parking lot. The car didn’t stop, but the witnesses say it was a long, black sedan.”
“Damn it!” Levi pulled into the turning lane and did a u-turn in the opposite direction.
“Where are you going?” Sidra cried.
“We’re going to Gulfview, where I know how to hide you and who’s friend and foe.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Home sweet home,” Levi announced as they turned onto his parents’ street.
Sidra looked longingly at the Lawrence house as they passed it. Had it really been only three nights ago that she and Levi had stood just outside it as he asked her if she would consider living there with him? So much had happened in that time. The whole week had been a whirlwind, and she felt as if she had been tossed about and beaten by the storm.
She turned her attention to Levi’s profile, and her heart swelled with love. She would never be able to live without him, but she had no idea what the next few days or even months held.
They drove up to the Tanner house, and Levi groaned when the broken window and charred wood of the breakfast nook came into sight. Just as she saw the red sports car in the carport to the side of the house, another groan escaped him.
“Mom and Dad are back.”
He’d no sooner said it than his mom flew out the front door, barely waiting for him to come to a stop before she was pulling Teddy’s door open.
“Oh, thank God, you’re all okay!” she cried, throwing her arms around Teddy and then Sidra, who was climbing out of the back seat. Finally, she hurried around the back of the car and threw her arms around Levi. She hugged him as if she might never let him go, before promptly bursting into tears.
“Mom, it’s all right. We’re all fine. I’m sorry about the house.”
“The house? I don’t give a fig about the house. I was so worried about you and Teddy, and, oh, Sidra, I’m so glad you’re fine. We saw everything on the news last night—the shootout at the airport, and that poor woman being killed, and now they’re saying her husband was killed too. We came right home, but when I saw the kitchen, I was so frightened something horrible had happened.”
“Which I told her didn’t make any sense when we had just seen Teddy and Sidra on television last night,” her husband chimed in.
“But they said someone had been shot and taken to the hospital.” She took a shuddering breath. “I just can’t go through having one of my children being hurt like that again.”
“I was shot, Mom, but it’s no big deal,” Levi assured her. “It was a small, clean wound, and I’m just a little sore today. It hasn’t slowed me down at all.”
“I’m so sorry I caused you so much worry, Mrs. Tanner,” Sidra said, moving to stand beside Levi.
His mom hugged her again. “Is what the news said true? Were you really kidnapped as a child? Are you really a princess?”
“Yes, but I barely remember any of it. Even my parents.” Her voice broke, and with a murmur of sympathy, Betty Tanner pulled her back into a warm embrace.
****
“Do you think you’ll be home for Christmas?” Betty asked as Sidra helped her put the finishing touches on supper.
“I’m not even sure I know where home is anymore,” Sidra answered candidly.
Betty tilted her head to look at her, a knowing smile on her face.
“I think you know exactly where home is.” She chuckled. “If you’re not here with him for Christmas, I hope to see you by the New Year.”
Sidra blushed. “Am I that obvious?”
“Not just you. He’s got it bad himself. I can’t remember him ever being so crazy about someone.” She lowered her voice. “You know, he’s planning to put a bid in on the Lawrence place. Claims it’s perfect for a princess. Teddy will tease him unmercifully for that.”
“But he’s right,” Sidra said. “It is the stuff fairy tales and little girls’ dreams are made of. It is perfectly perfect.”
“And close by, so my next batch of grandchildren can be properly spoiled.”
Warmth rushed up Sidra’s neck and burned in her face.
“Do you really think that’s what he wants?”
“Yes. But first he wants you safe and settled. So go to Medelia and sort this mess out. When I think about what your poor mother suffered all those years, I feel so sorry for her. To think you were abducted and killed! I can’t even imagine how horrible that must have been.”
“I grew up thinking I was abandoned by my parents. It’s never been easy for me to believe anyone loved or wanted me.” She sighed. “Until Teddy found me. He and Levi didn’t just hire me, they took me in and made me part of their little world. They accepted me and loved me. And both of them risked their lives for me.”
“That’s what families do.” She patted Sidra’s back as she passed her on the way to the refrigerator. “I think you just might have saved Levi’s life, too. Thank you for being there for him the last few months. I’ve been so worried about him, but knowing you were there made it easier.”
“I wouldn’t have left him.”
Teddy came through the door, his eyes shooting between them.
“Is this one of those chick-flick moments? Where all the women in the audience are crying and all the men are wondering what the hell’s going on?”
“No, you goof, this is the moment when you tell your dad dinner is ready,” Betty said, and Sidra burst out laughing.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Dawn had barely lightened the sky when Sidra opened her eyes. A cold front had swooped in overnight, and she shivered as she snugg
led closer to Levi’s body. He lay on his side, facing her, and she laid a hand on his face, letting it move slowly down his neck and over the contours of his chest and arms.
His low hum of pleasure was followed by a soft snore, and she smiled to herself before slipping from the bed and tiptoeing down the hall to the playroom. She had gone to sleep there, but Levi had retrieved her later, carrying her down the hall and depositing her in his bed, as if he were the hero in one of the romance novels she loved so much. Although his parents seemed like realistic people, she didn’t feel comfortable with them finding her in bed with their son, and she prayed no one witnessed her guilty retreat.
Longing for some cool, fresh air, she pulled on a pair of jeans, a sweatshirt, and sneakers. She scribbled a hasty note telling Levi she had gone for a walk and placed it on the kitchen counter where he would see it. Then she let herself out of the house and headed down the road toward town.
The only thing open at this hour was a convenience store and a small café next door. Before she could talk herself out of it, she marched into the café and sat at the counter.
“What’s it going to be, sweetie?” the short, plump waitress asked.
“Coffee, please, no sugar, and just a touch of cream. And a jelly donut.”
“Aren’t you Levi Tanner’s girl?” asked the woman—Val according to her laminated nametag.
“Yes.” The answer felt so good she laughed out loud. She was Levi’s girl. “I’m Sidra Martin.”
“I saw you on the news. Is it true you’re a princess?”
“I think so, yes.”
“So who were the man and woman who came to town looking for you? Some relation? They were as hoity-toity as they come.”
“Yes, Miriam and I were cousins.”
“What about the other guy? He had dinner with them just the other night. When was it? Oh, I know, it was the night of the home tours. I remember him saying something about Sidra going on the tour when I was taking an order from the table next to them.” She smiled sheepishly. “You can’t help but listen when people like that come in. It just seems like they lead such exciting lives, you hate to miss anything. And with that accent, who could resist hanging on his every word?”
Sidra was thankful when the doorbell tinkled and a large group of construction workers piled inside the café. While she drank her coffee and ate her donut, she tried to think about what it meant that Miriam and Gabriel had eaten dinner with Vincente Mateo. After a few minutes, she knew she wouldn’t reach any conclusions amidst the growing din of customers in the café. She stood to go, but before she did, she motioned for Val. She had to confirm one thing that niggled at the back of her mind.
Broken Ties Page 17