Reunion On The Run. Amity Steffen

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ Ambrose for that.”

      “Jared’s business partner.”

      “You did do your research.”

      “As much as I had time for.” He cleared his throat and Claire braced herself. There was so much history between them. There were so many hurts, so many things left unsaid. If Alex had looked into her life at all, he had to know about Mia. “Beth mentioned you left your daughter with her.”

      She was sure she didn’t imagine the way his voice hitched ever so slightly on “daughter.” With clenched fists, she waited for a barrage of questions. Silence hung heavy and cloying in the cab of the Jeep for several long, drawn-out heartbeats.

      Minimal research would easily have uncovered that Mia was almost one by the time Claire and Jared had met. She was two by the time they’d married. She realized Alex wasn’t ready to discuss Mia yet. Neither was she.

      “I should let you know I sent a friend of mine to Beth’s house. Gretchen looks harmless, but the woman is lethal.”

      “‘Friend’?” Claire echoed. How close of a friend? Was Alex in a relationship? Had he found someone else to love after he’d told her his work had to come first? The thought sent a stab of pain through her heart. It wasn’t jealousy she felt, she assured herself, but rather the old hurt. The realization that she wasn’t enough for him.

      Had Gretchen gotten through to him in a way she hadn’t been able to?

      “Colleague.” He shot a look her way. “She’s a colleague, and I trust her to keep them safe.”

      “Right.” Claire fidgeted with the hem of her cardigan as worry began to niggle at her. “Beth lives in a gated community and her house has a top-notch security system. Do you think they could be in danger?”

      Leaving her daughter behind had been the hardest thing she’d ever done. She’d only been able to go through with it because she’d been so sure that Mia would be completely safe with Beth. Far safer than if Claire had taken Mia on the run with her.

      “Gretchen will check over Beth’s security system, make sure it’s up to par. I asked her to stay with Beth and her husband until this is over. I don’t think your sister will fight her on it. She sounded frazzled when we spoke.”

      “I thought Mia would be safe with Beth,” Claire admitted. “Wouldn’t it be foolish of Xavier to go after her? It would draw unwanted attention to him, to the situation. He’s framed me, wants me to look guilty. If something happened to Mia, it would be too suspicious. Do you think I was wrong? You never answered my question. Do you think they could be in danger?”

      “You’re probably right and Mia is probably safest with Beth,” he agreed. “If he were to go after Mia, if she were harmed in any way, it would bring the investigation to a whole new level. Given how reporters are covering this story, something like that would cause a media explosion. But I’ve seen desperate people go to desperate measures. I prefer to err on the side of caution.”

      Claire’s stomach clenched at the thought of anything happening to her daughter.

      “Thank you. I appreciate the extra protection for my family. I’m sure Beth will, too,” she said. Her sister was married to a cardiologist. Though Steven was brilliant, he was in the business of saving lives via complicated surgeries. Not protecting them by fending off gunmen.

      She missed Mia so much her heart ached with it. Prior to this ordeal, she’d never spent a night away from her. Beth had always been actively involved in Mia’s life. Claire knew Mia would be comfortable with Auntie Beth. Yet the child had to be confused. Claire didn’t want her daughter to feel abandoned. She knew all too well how much it hurt to be left behind.

      “Claire?”

      Her head snapped up.

      He motioned to a sign up ahead. “We’re here.”

      * * *

      Tourist season was over for the year. The small campground was nearly deserted. It was the perfect, indiscriminate place to stay. A Place in the Pines offered small, one-bedroom cabins in addition to its nearly empty campsites. The setting was rundown—or rustic—depending upon your perspective.

      Alex scanned the parking lot as he returned to the Jeep. He was confident they hadn’t been followed. He’d driven the back roads long enough to be sure they hadn’t had a tail. Claire had not seemed happy with the prospect of spending time with him. Yet she hadn’t argued, confirming just how afraid, how desperate, she was.

      After what he’d put her through years ago, he owed her and he was going to take care of her now, the way he should’ve done back then.

      His mind was still reeling, trying to come to terms with what he’d inadvertently uncovered earlier in the day. He had a child. Though the online article he’d read hadn’t mentioned him by name, he was sure of it. It stated that Claire had a three-year-old daughter from a previous relationship. It didn’t take a mathematician to figure that one out. The fact was driven home when the article stated that the girl’s father had been absent from her life.

      At the time, he thought he had good reason for leaving. Now he wasn’t so sure.

      Regret stabbed at him when he remembered how difficult he’d been. How withdrawn. He’d been plagued by nightmares, riddled with guilt over what had happened overseas. How could he ever make Claire understand that pushing himself, going to the extreme, had been the only way to quiet those feelings? It had worked, but only for a while. The guilt always came back with a vengeance. It wasn’t until after he’d found a connection with God a couple years ago that he’d been able to find peace within himself. It had taken being jumped in a dark, grungy alley and nearly losing his life to get to that place.

      Now he did his job for the right reason. He was no longer running from the past but living for every moment when he could reconnect a person with their loved ones. Sure, his job was still dangerous, but he was good at it. He was cautious now in a way he hadn’t been back then.

      He’d returned from breaking up a human trafficking ring just this morning. Now he wished he’d returned weeks ago. He could’ve been helping Claire all along. Helping her with what, exactly, he wasn’t sure yet. He was going to find out. She’d mentioned Xavier Ambrose a few times now.

      While reading about the murder of Jared Mitchell, Xavier’s name had come up several times. They were business partners who owned a successful hotel chain.

      The media suggested a volatile marriage between Claire and Jared. His gut instinct kicked in. Claire and volatile were not words that belonged in the same sentence. If their marriage was truly volatile, he had no doubt Jared was to blame.

      Alex felt a surge of anger. His mind took off with scenarios he didn’t want to think of. If Jared had hurt her...

      He pushed out a breath. If Jared had hurt her, he would face judgment with the Lord for that. There was nothing Alex could do. Especially not now that Jared was dead.

      He reached the Jeep and hopped inside.

      “Do we have a place to stay?”

      “We do.” He held up the key. Claire’s face was plastered on newspapers, the television, the internet. They both knew she had to stay out of sight as much as possible. СКАЧАТЬ