by Donna Grant
Just then, her phone rang. To her surprise, she saw Diane’s name. It had been a month since they had last spoken. Stella wondered if Diane could know that Stella was thinking about her daughter. She lifted her phone, debating whether to answer it when it suddenly stopped ringing.
Stella let out a relieved breath and set her cell back on the desk. Her gaze snagged on her planner that showed her appointments for the next week. She had some very wealthy people flying in to meet with her. It was one of the reasons she had set up in the middle of Texas because it was easy to get to Houston or Dallas to meet with those individuals. If she changed things now, they would take their business elsewhere because they’d be scared off. Not that she’d blame them. She wouldn’t agree to another meeting either if she were in their shoes.
That didn’t even take into consideration the client she was meeting in just a few hours. Chuck had yet to arrive with the newborn, but he would. He’d never let her down. The house she was in was far from others, but that wasn’t uncommon in this area. While most people kept to themselves, everyone noticed everything. It was one of the reasons she waited until the dead of night to leave the house to conduct her business.
Stella scratched her cheek near her eye, the pad of a finger brushing against a wrinkle. No matter how much money she had to buy products of all kinds, her body still aged. Granted, she looked younger than most women her age, but that’s not what she saw when she looked in the mirror.
She rolled her eyes and got out of her chair to walk the small house. She had more wealth than most, but she didn’t live lavishly. She couldn’t bring that kind of attention to herself when she rented homes. Though she did have a couple of houses around the world that she got away to whenever she could. And it was definitely time for a vacation. Maybe even one longer than just a couple of weeks. A month, perhaps. She was just getting so tired of it all. And she never thought she’d say that.
“I could hang it up now,” she told herself. “I haven’t been caught, and I have enough money to sustain me for three lifetimes, even spending lavishly. So, why am I still doing it?”
Because she was damn good at it. She might not be on the cover of Forbes magazine or hailed as being the richest woman in America, but there was no denying that she was successful. She had built a company out of nothing, one that gave people what they wanted while keeping ten individuals on payroll and paying them very, very handsomely. They followed her rules, and because they did, none of them had ever been caught.
Why would she give all of that up now?
“Because I’m getting older. And because, eventually, I’ll get caught.”
That was the real reason. Stella had been a prisoner in her own home before she ran away. She’d been free, even if she was starving and homeless at the time. That freedom was something she knew she’d never give up. Ever.
What if she did hang it up and close the business after these final deals? What then? She had employees that would need work. While she left the country and began a new life, they would look for new jobs, which meant that the odds of them working for one of her enemies were good. No matter how good Stella had been to them through the years, the fact that she’d put them out of work would be all they cared about. It wouldn’t be long before her old employees—and their new bosses—started talking.
If she thought she was looking over her shoulder now, it would only get worse if she left. Her enemies would use her retirement to frame her for not only her crimes but also theirs. And for all she knew, her employees would help them. She could either live free, or she could run. All the money in the world might keep her running for a long time, but eventually, she’d stop. At some point, she’d get tired. That meant she would only prolong the inevitable.
“There’s no retirement for me,” she said with a long sigh. “Ever.”
The sound of a car door shutting drew her attention. She walked out of the office toward the back where the sound had come from. As she opened the door, Chuck stood there holding a baby carrier.
“You asked, I delivered,” he said as he walked past her and put the carrier on the table.
Stella shut the door and walked to the table where she looked down at the newborn inside. “Everything go off without a hitch?”
“Always does. Even went by Doc’s so he could check out the little princess. She’s healthy and ready for her new family.”
Stella looked into Chuck’s face. They had been working together for years. She still remembered when there had been fewer lines on his skin and less gray in his hair. He stood tall, his body still on the slim side, though he didn’t have as much muscle as he used to. He never wore anything but jeans and collared pullovers, with Polo being his favorite brand.
“Thanks.”
His brown eyes narrowed on her. “You okay?”
“Just doing a lot of thinking.”
“It’s Marlee Frampton that’s causing the stress.” His lips were tight, a muscle jumping in his jaw.
Stella put her hand on his arm and smiled. They’d briefly been lovers, but both had realized it could interfere with their work, so they had mutually agreed to end things. Though as far as she knew, Chuck didn’t have anyone. Then again, neither did she. Maybe she’d been wrong. Perhaps she should’ve kept him as a lover.
“Stella?” he asked with a frown.
“Just a long day. That’s all. It has nothing to do with Marlee or anything else.”
He searched her face for a long moment before he gave a nod. Stella lowered her hand and turned back to the infant. She took the carrier and brought it into the back room, where two Hispanic women were seated. They had been in Stella’s employ for seven years, working as maids, cooks, and even nannies until the infants could get to their new families.
She handed the baby off to Maria, the older of the two women. “This one won’t be with us but for a few hours.”
Maria nodded. Her head of black hair was beginning to turn gray. Then she said, “I’ll take good care of her, señorita.”
Stella walked away, knowing that Maria would do just that. When Stella returned to the kitchen, Chuck was gone. She spun around and returned to her office to call the newborn’s new parents. It was going to be a very nice payday shortly.
Chapter 26
It didn’t matter how she looked at it, Marlee had screwed up. She’d made a rookie mistake, but now wasn’t the time to think about that. Once she discovered why she was in the area, she would go over every decision she’d made from the moment she heard those phone calls from the adoption agency, and could figure out how to keep from being duped again.
“You’re frowning.”
She jerked her gaze to Cooper to find him staring out the window as they drove. Jace was behind them in his truck. “I’m not.”
“You’re frowning,” he stated with a grin and briefly met her gaze. “That means you’re thinking about how you believe you messed up.”
“Because I did.”
Cooper sighed. “I know you think that, but the way you were duped wasn’t something you could’ve seen coming. And before you say that you should have, no one could’ve. No one.”
She looked out the windshield and shifted in her seat. “I’ve wasted so much time looking into the Harpers and everyone connected to them. That was time I should’ve spent finding the infant.”
“You thought you were doing just that. Look, if you want to beat yourself up about this, I can’t stop you. But you know you’ll be better if you focus on what we’re doing now.”
Marlee crossed her arms over her chest and cut him a look. “You’re right, I need to stop thinking about everything I’ve done and look at what needs to happen going forward.”
“That’s my girl.”
It was such an innocent saying, but it hit Marlee right in the chest. Her stomach clutched as if it were filled with butterflies trying to escape. She jerked her gaze away from Cooper and looked out the passenger window.
“We’re going to find whoever this is,
” Cooper said.
“I sure hope so. I’d hate to think this was another wild goose chase. I’m not sure I’d know what to do if that happened.”
Cooper chuckled. “I’m pretty sure you’d dust yourself off and find another piece of evidence.”
She smiled. She couldn’t help it. Then she looked at him. “Are you always so positive?”
“No,” he said with a shake of his head before he glanced at her. “But in this situation, I am. You’ve got solid evidence, and your past experience says a lot. Add that into what Jace and I have found, and we’re bound to succeed.”
“Where are we?”
“There are a lot of smaller ranches in the area. People even lease their land for others to put animals on if they don’t want to do it themselves. Since this location is the farthest away from town and the homes are separated by swaths of land, I think it’s our best bet to locate who you’re looking for.”
She looked at the passing scenery and large pastures filled with cattle and horses as well as some sheep. “It would’ve taken me forever to find this.”
“Not as long as you think it would’ve.”
“You sure have a high opinion of me.”
He lifted one shoulder before he slowed and turned off the road. “Like I said, your previous work says a lot.”
Marlee swallowed as her mind drifted to her sister and niece. “Excuse me,” she said and pulled out her phone to call her mom. There was no answer, so Marlee left a brief message. Then she called Pam.
“Hey there, Marlee,” Pam said as she answered.
Marlee smiled. “Hey. I tried to call Mom, but there wasn’t an answer. Is everything all right?”
“Oh, she’s fine. So is your daddy. He wanted to see her, so I drove him up to visit. The TV was on, and a nurse is helping her shower.”
Marlee glanced at Cooper to see him smiling at her. “I’m glad they’re doing fine. Can you hold the phone to Dad for a moment?”
“Sure. He’s doing good with his physical therapy, by the way. Still no words, but he keeps trying. He wrote down that he wanted to see your mom this morning. He didn’t want to wait around for me to figure out what he was saying,” Pam said with a laugh.
Marlee grinned. “I know they miss each other. Thank you for bringing him up there. I know it isn’t easy.”
“Honey, your parents are amazing, and so are you. Now, hold on and let me put the phone up to your daddy’s ear.” There was a brief pause, then Pam’s voice could be heard at a distance as she said, “Talk now.”
“Hi, Dad,” Marlee said, putting a smile on her face. “I’m glad you got out of the house and are there with Mom. Make sure she gets better because I’m going to be home soon.”
There was a grunt that almost sounded like a word, but Marlee couldn’t be sure.
“I love you, Dad. I know how stubborn you can be, so listen to Pam while Mom is away, okay?”
This time, Marlee was sure she heard him say, “Love you.”
“Did you hear that?” Pam asked through the phone. “He said ‘love you!’”
Marlee was smiling widely now. “I heard it.”
“All right. You get back to work and solve that case so you can come home.”
“I will. Thank you again.”
They hung up, and Marlee looked out the window.
“It must be hard for you,” Cooper said after a bit.
She nodded. “Some days more than others. Pam is a lifesaver. She’s expensive, but if I can’t be there to watch over my parents, I wanted someone who cared about them to do it. Pam is amazing.”
“Sounds like it. How are your parents?”
“After Dad had his stroke, it was tough. He’s had some smaller ones over the years, as well. It doesn’t matter that he can’t talk. My mother says enough for two people. But, honestly, they’ve never needed words. They sit in silence, holding hands and looking at each other every now and again, sharing smiles that hold a multitude of secrets. It’s as if that’s all they need. Each other.”
Cooper slowed as they approached a driveway. “Sounds like it. My parents were much the same way, but they talked. Sometimes, they would talk for hours at a time,” he said with a small chuckle. “Their topics would be all over the place, but they easily moved from one subject to the other. It was fascinating to watch them.”
“Your mom never remarried?”
Cooper turned onto the drive and slowly proceeded down the path for what seemed like a mile. “Never. She never dated, either. I tried to get her out there years ago, but she wanted nothing to do with it. She told me that no one would ever compare to my father, and it was pointless to waste her time as well as others’ to know what she already knew—that Dad was it for her. He was the love of her life.”
Marlee thought about that for a moment. “When I was a police officer, I saw a lot of people who swore they loved one another beat to a pulp or killed. It really colored my view of relationships, but then I saw my parents and realized that something real could be found. But I think it’s more difficult than most people realize.”
“I think you’re right. Not to mention that I don’t think many people even know what they want, yet they still marry. How can they do that if they don’t know what they want?”
“Or if they don’t like themselves,” Marlee added. “You can’t love someone else if you don’t love yourself. My parents told me and Macey that for as long as I can remember. I used to think it made perfect sense. Then I went out into the world and realized that people need that drilled into them because they don’t know it.”
Cooper stopped the vehicle and put it in park. He shut off the engine and met her gaze with his forest green eyes. “You’re right in every way. I think if people took the time to know themselves—their faults and strengths—they might be able to accept themselves as well as love themselves. Then they might determine what they want and need out of a relationship.”
“That sounds entirely too easy,” she said with a smile. “Plus, it makes sense.”
“Which means, few will do it.” They shared a laugh before he reached over and tugged on one of her curls. “I like you a lot, Marlee. I think you already know that, but I wanted to say it. I’m not helping out because I feel an obligation or because this involves my friends. I’d be right here with you regardless. Because I want to be with you.”
She covered his hand with hers. “I’m glad you’re here. Really glad. And if we’re saying things, I’ll tell you that I like you a lot, as well.”
Cooper’s mouth turned up in a sexy smile. His lips parted, but before he could talk, there was a knock on his window. When they looked, Jace stood there with one brow quirked.
“I think that means we need to get out,” Marlee said.
Cooper nodded. “That it does.”
As they exited, a blue Suburban pulled up. Marlee recognized it as belonging to Abby East.
“I asked Danny and Ryan for some help,” Cooper told her.
She flashed him a smile. “Smart thinking.”
The vehicle came to a stop behind Jace’s truck, and four doors opened. Clayton East slid from behind the wheel with Danny getting out of the passenger seat. Caleb and Brice got out of the back. They shut the doors and made their way to Marlee, Cooper, and Jace.
“I didn’t expect all of you,” Cooper said.
Caleb gave him a flat look. “After all these years, he still doesn’t know us.”
Clayton laughed and nodded to Marlee before he said, “When one of you has been in trouble, when have the others not shown up to help?”
“Never,” Danny stated from beside him, a wide smile on his face.
Jace crossed his arms over his chest. “Thanks for coming. Is Ryan held up?”
“Actually,” Danny said, “he’s doing a little surveillance of his own. Undercover, of course. We’ve both got teams who quickly put together a list of people who moved into the area going back two years.”
Something niggled at the back of Marlee
’s mind. She couldn’t figure out what it was, so she kept quiet. “How long is the list?”
“Not as short as I’d like,” Brice stated.
Clayton’s lips twisted. “It could be worse, but my concern is the length of time. Is two years long enough?”
“Long enough?” Caleb asked with a frown. “I think it’s too long.”
Marlee shoved her hair from her face as a breeze moved past her. “I probably would’ve gone back three years, but two is a good place to start.”
“Why?” Caleb asked.
Jace then said, “Based on what Cooper and I found earlier, these people find a spot and stay. As I told y’all in my call, this area is in the middle of the major cities. It’s prime hunting ground. Caleb could be right. They might have moved here recently, but my guess is that they’ve been here for a little while. At least a year, if not more.”
Caleb pushed his hat back on his head and nodded. “That makes sense. I’m guessing we need to get started.”
Danny slid a backpack Marlee hadn’t noticed before off his shoulder and pulled out a tablet. He turned it on. As the screen filled, she saw there were two sections. One was a list of people, when they moved into the area, and their location. The other was a map with dots indicating what Marlee guessed were the locations in question.
She listened as Danny explained what the sheriff’s office and the police department had put together in a joint effort. The list was significant, but it was also manageable with all of them splitting up to take sections one at a time.
Though this was her investigation, since the authorities had been called in—even as a favor for a friend—Marlee didn’t try to run point. To her amazement, Danny looked at her and gave her a nod. “Tell us where you want us.”
She was so surprised that she could only look at Cooper, who smiled at her. Marlee cleared her throat and pointed to the map. “I think the easiest thing would be to divide the areas up by locations so we’re not crossing paths and wasting time.”
“Agreed,” Clayton said. “What are we looking for?”
Marlee blew out a breath as she thought about all the times she had managed to locate a child—dead or alive. “Despite my decade of doing this, I’ve never caught anyone who was involved. I’ve no idea who these people are. From all my training as a cop and the classes I took at the FBI to help profile cases, my guess is that they’re flying under the radar. Meaning, they’ll look just like you and me. Ordinary people you’d never suspect would hurt anyone.”