Secret Date

by Victoria Pinder

  “Yes.” A sorority sister meant they looked after each other and Caro obviously took that seriously.

  Galen nodded. “Good, because she brought you a suitcase full to bring with you to New Orleans.”

  Natalie couldn’t help but laugh.

  They entered the house and Galen picked up his keys and asked the staff if the car was packed. Once they confirmed, he turned toward her and guided her to the door. “I had no idea you knew Caro either. It’s a small world.”

  Galen led her toward the outdoor garage with marble columns that housed his SUV. “So you don’t follow us in the press?”

  Her face heated and she opened her own door before Galen did. He quickly took the driver’s seat and Natalie ignored her racing heart. “I mean, I glance at the magazines by the checkout counter, but Caro and Luke must be the low-key members of your family saga because I’ve never seen them on the cover.”

  “And me?” He turned the engine on and backed up.

  True. Most of the Morgan news she read had nothing to do with Galen. She only knew him from work. He backed down his driveway and she buckled her seatbelt. “Okay, you too. It’s hard to imagine you are related to Matthew Morgan the movie star and Axel Morgan the rock god.”

  Galen pressed his lips together and looked like he might get sick. As he turned onto the main road, he said, “Don’t call my little brother a god ever.”

  A bubble of laughter escaped her throat and she patted his hand. “Okay, fair enough.”

  He winked at her and they drove to a small airport. He parked his car in a hangar and she saw the gold circle Morgan logo on the planes. He hopped out of his seat and she waited for him to open her door, because he liked being a gentleman, and took his hand. “This is your jet?”

  He guided her toward the one with the open door and stairwell. “It’s one of the family fleet. Mitch convinced us if we funded our own fleet it was a better deal than just buying a single plane.”

  They climbed the stairs together. “And you have at least a dozen planes not being used at the moment.”

  Galen shrugged. “We take one when we need to go somewhere.”

  Inside the jet was a beige sofa area and a wooden dining table. “I bet there is money to be made in offering people private flights.”

  He motioned toward the couches and she scooted onto one. “I’m sure there is, but right now I’m not interested in that. I’m looking forward to getting you to my house in New Orleans.”

  Her first trip with Galen. She squeezed his wrist and relaxed. “And you promised lunch and dinner with no ex-girlfriends.”

  Galen traced her knee. “Jennifer was not a girlfriend. She was a one-time thing. As far as I’m concerned, you’re my girlfriend.”

  Wow. Her heart leapt. Galen was the only man she wanted, and they’d already agreed to sleep only with each other. She took a deep breath to agree, but her phone rang.

  No one ever called her, so she found it in her pocketbook and her eyebrows lifted. “My building security is calling me.”

  “Answer it.” Galen stood. “I’ll get us a snack.”

  “Hello?” A security guard talked but all she could do was repeat his words, which didn’t compute. “What do you mean there was a break-in last night?” Her gaze met Galen’s as the security guard explained to her that the police were on their way. She swallowed. “I can’t meet the police right now. I’m about to go out of town.”

  Galen reached for her hand and quietly said, “We can go to your apartment together and leave for New Orleans later today.”

  Good. She wouldn’t enjoy herself if this didn’t get cleaned up fast. “Okay. I’ll be there within the hour.”

  He immediately guided her out of the plane without further question. The sun beat down on them on their way toward his car and Galen squeezed her hand. “Natalie, I need you to move in with me until we sort this out.”

  What was the point in arguing? At least there she’d feel safe. “All right. I don’t know what to think—let’s just see if anything was stolen.”

  Whoever had broken in wouldn’t find much of value, but it was still her stuff. Her mind raced. What if she’d been home? What kind of trouble would she have faced? Thankfully she’d been with Galen. He held open his car door for her. In being with him, she’d been kept out of danger.

  Natalie’s heart raced a mile a minute. She held Galen’s hand like it was a life preserver as she opened her front door.

  The police were inside taking photos of her place like this was a crime scene and not her apartment.

  She took a step inside but felt her heels brush against sharp glass. She looked down and realized that the photographs on her wall were smashed and the pictures missing from the frames. She knelt down and picked up the blue wooden frame that used to have the Orlando family photo inside. “My pictures!”

  Galen hunkered down beside her and pointed to the next one, the black frame of the Christmas photo. “That was you with your parents.”

  She covered her lips, overwhelmed. Galen helped her stand as tears formed in her eyes. “Why would someone steal my photographs?”

  The officer with the detective jacket walked over to them. “What else is missing, ma’am?”

  Right. She’d cry later. Luckily Galen’s presence kept her calm. She walked over to her kitchen counter and pressed her lips together as she gazed into the living area. “My laptop is gone, but they left my television?”

  “It is an older model,” Galen said like that answered the question of why it hadn’t been stolen.

  “Galen, come with me…” Thieves wanted every penny though, didn’t they? She kept the doubt to herself and walked into her bedroom. She immediately spotted one of her drawers on the floor missing some of her panties. She felt cold and turned toward Galen who followed her. “Oh my goodness, my underwear drawer?”

  The detective came in with a pad and paper in his hand. “Did you have anything else in your underwear drawer?”

  Oh. Perhaps they were just looking for things. She supposed people stuffed jewelry or something with their underwear, but she shook her head. “No, just my underwear.”

  The detective didn’t blink. She took that as a good sign as he asked, “What about cash, credit cards, bank account information.”

  Perhaps people kept checks or something with underwear. That must be it. However her dad had installed a safe box in the closet wall.

  Natalie pushed her clothes to the side, and noticed the door looked unbroken. She tried it and then started putting her pin in. “Let me check. My safe is still locked, officer.” Natalie pulled out all her paperwork and showed Galen and the detective. “All my accounts are here, though I don’t know what’s saved on the laptop. They probably have the electronic record if they get into my online store accounts and those passwords are saved.”

  Galen immediately said, “We can use my computer to change all of them for you once you finish telling the police what’s missing.”

  Thankfully he was here. Her heart calmed as she went through her jewelry box. “Some of my jewelry. I didn’t have much, but I had a few pieces of gold, including my college ring.” She put the jewelry box back. Where was her work black skirt? A few of her loose blouses weren’t on their hangers. She turned toward the detective and Galen. “Some work clothes.”

  The detective wrote her items down. “Where were you last night?”

  Galen answered, “We went bowling and spent the night at my place, officer.”

  The detective nodded and stared right at her. “I suggest you lock up here. This burglary seems far more personal and less a random act.”

  She couldn’t breathe or move. Her heart stopped, and her skin froze. Personal? She glanced at Galen and tried to remember she was fine. It took her a second to pull herself together but she finally nodded. “I’ll be careful.”

  Galen then said, “Sir, my brother-in-law, Rafe Soliz, was on the force until recently and he heads Morgan security. Can he be in touch while I keep Natal
ie with me?”

  “Of course.” The detective added, “Soliz was one of the best detectives I ever knew. He trained me.”

  Caro’s brother married a Morgan? Natalie hadn’t known they had so many people in common. She took Galen’s hand. “Rafe is a cop?”

  His eyes widened slightly. “You know him?”

  She’d lived in the same house as Caro in college until that last year. She shrugged. “He came to visit his sister sometimes. I feel like with you I’m getting part of my old self back, which is weird—in a good way.”

  He walked her out and they waited for the officers to pass them in the hall. She then locked the door and glanced at her hall with the palm tree paintings. The complex looked the same, but inside her place was a disaster.

  Galen guided her toward the elevator. “What do you want to do now? I can get a service in here to clean up the broken glass.”

  One less thing to worry about. “Okay, and then let’s fly to New Orleans. I was looking forward to that lunch and I don’t want to brood about any of this.”

  The empty elevator opened for them and they proceeded inside. She didn’t look behind her as Galen asked, “You’re sure?”

  She turned and faced him and the door. Who had been in her apartment? “Yes. Hopefully the police catch whoever did this while we’re gone, and we don’t have to worry when we get back.”

  He pressed the button down to the first floor to leave. “We can fly back any time you think you need to be here.”

  The doors closed, and they went down. “Sounds perfect, though I’m getting hungry.”

  As the doors opened and he guided her out, Galen said, “I’ll have anything you want delivered to the plane.”

  Right now, the pampering from Galen was great. They walked out arm-in-arm and she focused on the bright side of her life. “You sound like an amazing prince when you say things like that. All I really want at the moment is an egg sandwich or crackers and cheese. When we get to New Orleans, I’m looking forward to trying your favorite cuisine.”

  “Done.” He picked up his phone to order. A moment later he put the phone down and opened the car door. She hopped in and they took back off for the flight.

  “I’m excited to get away. I’ve never done this,” she said when they made it to the highway.

  He winked. “I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”

  If she and Galen truly fell in love, she’d live in a fairy tale. But for now, she needed to be practical and smart and not let the extra things Galen could do blind her.

  Neither said anything, but her gaze sharpened, and goosebumps grew on her arms as they drove onto the private airport tarmac. She turned toward Galen. “Is that smoke?”

  “Hold on a minute.” Someone in a blue vest ran toward the SUV and Galen slowed to a stop, rolling down his window. “Is the crew safe?”

  The man held his chest like he needed to catch his breath from running. “Yes. We’re all accounted for, but your plane fuel is still on fire. You have to clear the area.”

  Galen nodded and rolled the window up, turning his car around as his phone beeped with a dozen messages coming in. He glanced at a message, and she noticed the name Rafe Soliz. As they left the gate, he pressed on the gas and put the phone on the bench between them. “Natalie, we need to get you to my house, now.”

  Her blood chilled and her skin felt cold. She hugged her waist to get herself in order and narrowed her gaze. “Why?”

  Galen glanced in the rearview mirror, then the side mirrors. “The food delivery I ordered for you had a bomb in the package.”

  Her lips chattered but she didn’t have time to fall apart. She pressed her hand to her heart and tried to rationalize. The hangar smoked behind them. She turned around in her seat and asked, “I’m so glad the crew is okay.”

  Galen headed toward the highway. “Yes, we were lucky, but I think you’re being targeted.”

  Her heart began to race. None of this made any sense. She had no money, no possessions, nothing except her family. She swallowed and dug out her cell phone. “Me? Why? I need to check on my parents.”

  Galen brushed his hand on her arm and said quietly, “Call them but don’t let them know anything is wrong. We’ll clear security with Rafe and head over to see them.”

  Whoever was after her couldn’t go to the hospital. Her parents were focused on her mother beating cancer. They didn’t need to worry about her. Her hands shook while she waited, but finally she heard her dad’s hello. She immediately held her phone to her ear. “Mom. Dad.”

  Her mother said, “I thought you were leaving town, sweetie.”

  No. She couldn’t tell them. The words bubbled in her throat but wouldn’t come out. Galen switched lanes, his manner calm and determined. She swallowed and then finally said, “Galen and I had a change of plans—hey, I want to bring him to the hospital to meet you today or tomorrow.”

  “That sounds wonderful sweetheart,” her mother said. “See you soon.”

  If anyone truly wanted to get to her, her parents were the only people she had that she cared about—until Galen. She hung up the phone after goodbyes. “They seem fine.”

  He turned off the highway and headed back to his house, but instead of saying anything, he picked up his phone and sent a quick message. He then put the phone down and said, “I texted Rafe to send security to the hospital, just in case.”

  First her house. Now the plane. She slumped in the seat as he drove onto his property. “I don’t understand any of this. Why me?”

  He hopped out of the SUV and walked around. Perhaps she needed to be at the police station and not leave there until the person was caught. Galen opened her door and held his hand out for her. “I don’t know either, but don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe. My house has every security measure known to man.”

  “I trust you Galen.” She accepted his hand. Right now, Galen was her hero. If he kept her parents and her safe until the police sorted this out, she’d do anything for him. He deserved every happiness.

  Galen held Natalie delicately by her wrist as they entered his house, then l he locked the door behind him. He placed his other hand on her lower back and guided her into his living room.

  The fire in his hangar seared in his mind. He swallowed and thanked God that Natalie was safe and here with him. Near the couch he said, “Let’s get you settled.”

  She tugged her wrist back and shook her head though she sat on the edge of the white cushion. “I’m not an invalid, Galen.”

  “I’m worried about you.” He stopped at a side table, grabbed a pen and paper, and took the seat next to her.

  She shifted and relaxed on the couch, dropping her shoulders and hugging her knee—the hem of the green dress rising to just above it. “Thank you for letting me stay. I’m really lost as to who would do this. Why?”

  He put the paper on the table in front of them and pulled it closer to him, so he could easily write. “Let’s go through things. We know about the accident at the doctor’s office.”

  She dropped her leg and stared at the pen and paper. “Are you making a list of mishaps?”

  “It seemed a logical place to start.”

  Natalie kicked her flats off and sat straighter. “Good idea, but I thought your brother was dealing with lawsuits and stuff like that. I don’t think doctors hire hitmen.”

  He wrote the doctor’s office and staff on the paper as he shrugged. “One never knows, so let’s write down any possibility we can think of.”

  She bit her lower lip but then released it. “All right—it just seems unlikely to me.”

  His entire body felt numb except for the parts of him that touched her. He ignored the sensation of his skin and focused on protecting her. “What seems likely to you?”

  Natalie spoke fast. “Rocco.”

  The man had sent roses and showed up after ten years. It made sense to investigate further. He wrote it down. “Rocco’s last name?”

  “Dubois.” He added the last name. Natalie
rubbed her forehead as if the stress of the day had given her a headache. “He showed up a few days ago out of the blue and acted like he wanted to apologize. Then he sent the flowers. I had security block him from my building, but he still waited for me in the lobby at least twice afterwards. I told him to leave me alone.”

  Her story left him cold on the inside. He had no idea Rocco had been to see her that many times, though the flowers had made him jealous. He tapped his pen to the paper searching for something to say, but he settled on moving forward. “We’ll have Rafe check out the security footage from your building and find out if he returned any time you don’t know about. What’s the backstory there?”

  Natalie’s blue eyes rounded. “We dated for a few months my senior year of college. Nothing that serious honestly, but he cheated on me with my best friend Maria. I hadn’t seen him since and then suddenly he showed up at my door to apologize.”

  Galen made a star. “Maria, what’s her last name?”

  Her gaze narrowed. “Hernandez. Why?”

  He wrote her full name down and UM next to it. “She might be a person of interest to find out more about Rocco.”

  A smile grew on her face and she gently bumped his shoulder with hers. “This is helping me relax.”

  At least here, he could protect her. He brushed a blonde wave off her forehead glad to have a mission. “So will lunch. My chef is pretty good at French cuisine.”

  She tilted her head, and he kissed her, remembering that she was hungry. He called to the kitchen and spoke in French, then done, he put his cell phone on the table.

  She smiled at him. “What did you order just now?”

  For once he had the surprise element. He brushed his hand on her thigh. “It was my choice today, so you’ll just have to wait. Let’s get back to list-making. Anyone else come to mind?”

  She stared at his profile. “Dating you was new.”

  He flinched but otherwise didn’t move. “You think I had anything to do with this?”