Secure Desire Page 26

  "Some other tidbits? I know you prefer tea over coffee. Your favorite snack is gelato. I know you have a passion for high heels. Your favorite scent is honeysuckle. I know you love art—even pig art. You crinkle your nose when you’re thinking. Christian calls you ‘bunny’ because you used to have big ponytails that looked like bunny ears. You are a capable, brave woman, the strongest woman I ever met. I know I want to spend my life getting to learn everything about you and making you happy. When you are well enough, I want to take you to my bed and love you like you deserve to be loved.” Ian placed another gentle kiss against her cheek.

  Cassie trembled. “I’m … I don’t know what I want.”

  Ian cursed himself. He said the one thing he knew would scare her. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to scare you. I will never pressure you, Cassie. If you want, I’ll work with you and Stephanie. I never want you to be afraid of me.”

  She gave him a tiny teary nod. He touched her mouth in a sweet kiss.

  “Forgive me?” As he nibbled and tasted her lips, the tension left her body. This time, she was not out of breath because of her illness.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Kieran sat with Andy Blake at the main house. “I thought this was Ian’s show.”

  “He’s with Cassie. I’m not saying he isn’t involved, but I’m gonna handle the nuts and bolts.”

  The detective topped off his coffee. “He’s that far gone? If he hurts her, he has Javi and me to answer to.”

  “That’s after the Paulsens, my folks, my wife, and at least half the employees of Chase Group. I say half because the satellite locations haven’t heard too much about her yet. Let’s go.”

  Despite the early hour, the sun beat down. Steam rose above the dampened plant life from a predawn shower. “It’s a sauna now, and it’s only seven-thirty. Seems you’ve upped the security. Ian told us about the Russian issue. Any more word on what’s going on?” Andy spotted an armed man on the path weaving around the estate, assisting another man installing a sensor.

  “We think we found one leak. The chief of radiology, Vera Liukin, was the common denominator for the MRIs. We’re looking for her. Ian also has a gut feeling about Mark Devereaux. He’s been talking to Luke since Cassie was hurt and plans to speak to Luke after breakfast.”

  “Devereaux has known her since she was a baby. If he’s involved, it will kill her.”

  “I know. We’re looking for proof. I want to see how your talk goes. I’m going to try to push a little—if she’ll let me in. Ian is scheduled for a can’t-miss conference call this afternoon.”

  “That’s a gutsy plan. Ian will rip you apart if you upset her.” Andy stopped walking.

  “If it helps her, it’s a chance worth taking.”

  Despite the heat and the impending heavy conversation, Cassie wanted to stay outside. When Ian teased her with a strawberry, her sweet laughter floated through the air.

  “That’s a lovely sound. She looks awfully thin,” Andy said.

  “My mom says she’s not able to keep down enough calories. They’re planning to try the feeding tube again, but I think she’s going to give them a hard time.”

  “Great. If that isn’t stressful enough, I’m not going to make things any easier.” Andy kicked a rock.

  Even knowing he was coming, panic struck Cassie the second Kieran and Andy came into view. “He’s on your side, Cassie. Kieran and I aren’t going to leave you,” Ian said.

  “Hi, Cassie. How are you feeling? You look beautiful today.” Andy sat across from her, and Kieran sat on her other side.

  “Thank you, Andy. I’m stronger every day.” When her legs shook, Ian placed a calming hand on hers.

  “I would like to talk with you for a few minutes. Do you know Robert Bynum Jr.?”

  Her muscles bunched. “Ian told me he’s dead. Robby and Garett were friends. They grew up together.”

  “And the senator and his wife?”

  “Garett’s dad does work for Senator Bynum.” She rotated her palm to hold on tighter to Ian. “I met Betty at their house a couple of times. She and Adrienne Whitman are old friends. Betty was the only person I met the whole time I was with Garett who could shut her up. I was a fan.

  “The senator was never around, and when he was, he stayed in the distance. I met him for the first time at the dinner. That night...he said...he met me before. I guess he saw me at the Whitmans’ house. Betty seemed upset when he said it.” She crinkled her nose; her body shuddered, and she seemed to disappear from the discussion. Kieran raised a brow at his brother, and Ian blinked in acknowledgment.

  Cassie returned to the conversation, “Garett’s dad always bragged about their friendship. The puff your chest out and roar type of stuff.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “‘The senator voted this way because of me. The senator told him off because of me. I have the senator’s ear.’ A big blowhard. Garett hated when his father would get on one of these ‘We’re gonna be the president’ jags. Like it was a package deal,” Cassie groaned, and Ian drew small circles on her back with his free hand. “Ian told me he thinks I was never at La Luna, which means Garett lied.”

  “I think so too. I also believe Robby Bynum was your other attacker. We conferred with the state police, and they were able to confirm that his usual brand of smokes was Kretek clove cigarettes, and there was a bottle of Clive Christian cologne in his bag. You were right.

  “We were lucky. Pages saves tapes for three months. Robby was there the same time you and Sophie were, wearing black jeans, Vans, and a striped T-shirt.” Andy handed her a grainy picture.

  “He looks terrible. I wouldn’t recognize him, but I’ll never forget that smell.” Cassie turned white. “If that’s true...that means everything else is true?” she gasped.

  Andy placed a law school graduation picture and a recent photo of Sebastian Ames in front of her. Cassie fingered them. In the old picture, he had a full beard and mustache and was also about twenty-five pounds heavier than he was at the time of his death. “Oh, God, he was in Robby and Garett’s bar review class.” Gulping hard, Cassie continued, “I remember him now. I remember…” She covered her mouth with her hand. “When I was in the bathroom with him, he thought I ignored him on purpose. I was there to pick up Garett a few times. He joined a whole bunch of us at Houseman’s for drinks. I never spoke to him, but it wasn’t because of him—it was because of Garett. He didn’t like it if I talked to anyone but him.

  “Sebastian spent most of the time trying to pick up girls. Oh, God. Was that why they wanted to hurt me? Was it my fault those other girls died? Did Garett know what they did?” Her words came out in a labored pant.

  “Sweetheart, put your head down.” Ian eased her head between her knees, murmured soft words, and rubbed her back.

  Andy Blake’s eyes filled with alarm, and Pete moved to her side. He dampened a napkin, placing it against her neck as he crouched in front of her. “Deep, slow breaths.”

  Andy watched Cassie struggle. He whispered, “Kieran, she knows more than she’s saying. She’s remembering—you see her face.”

  Shakes took over her body as her mind flashed like a camera: a floral bed, Robby forcing himself on her, Sebastian sticking a needle in her arm. “Oh God—it was them.” She flailed her arms as more vivid snapshots of that night bombarded her. Cassie tried to flee, but her legs were rubber and her lips tinged blue with exertion.

  Pete’s color reddened, and he lifted his chin in Ian’s direction. “Okay, Detective. We’re done for now.” Ian scooped Cassie into his arms and, with Pete, rushed her to her room.

  Ian backed up to let his mom and Pete perform an assessment. Her blood pressure had fallen dangerously low, and she was hyperventilating. “I’m fine. I need a few minutes to catch my breath,” she protested.

  “You’re not fine, Cassie; you have no reserves. Every stressor sets you back. You’re only ninety-two pounds,” Pete worried.

  Cassie caught her own gaunt appeara
nce in the mirror. “Leave me alone. I hate the feeding tube. It nauseates me.”

  Pete’s lips formed a hard line. “We can try a homemade recipe. It’s just until you gain back some of what you lost. Your body needs the energy.”

  Ian and Lillian pleaded their case too. When her heart rate started to rise to a dangerous level, Lillian grabbed Ian. “Come with me.” Pete ended the discussion and stayed with Cassie, hoping she would settle down before he needed to drug her.

  Declan entered the pool house as Ian was coming down the stairs. The older man embraced his son. “I’m here to see my future daughter-in-law. I enjoyed our walk. I was hoping she would want to do it again.”

  “We aren’t engaged, Dad. We only had one real date,” he sounded upset.

  “Ask her out. Son, look at this place. Take her here on a date. No doctor stuff, just spend time together.” Ian looked a million miles away. “What’s wrong?”

  “She’s so frail. Detective Blake questioned her again, and I think she had a flashback—the fright in her eyes. She remembered Bynum was the second attacker, but again, why? Bynum grew up with Whitman. She was Whitman’s fiancée.”

  They walked into the kitchen, and Lillian poured three cups of coffee. “We’ll keep trying to get more calories into her. It’s slow going. I'll make sure Stephanie and Hunt are notified about the flashbacks. Maybe Cassie will bring them up with you.”

  “Are you getting anywhere on anything else?” Declan pulled up a stool.

  “Yes. Just not fast enough. The DNA can’t come back any sooner. The more we look at it, the more convoluted it becomes. Dad, what do you know about Mark Devereaux and EAF?”

  Declan pulled on his chin. “You remember, Lil. It was ‘poor little rich girl loses family.’ Rachel Paulsen and Devereaux were the public faces for the media.”

  “Remember the speculation about whether the stock value would drop? He was a little too haughty for me. I also remember that horrible picture of Christian and Caleb shoving media away from a little girl in agony, with tears pouring down her cheeks as they carried her off a medevac plane.”

  Ian looked at his parents in disbelief. “Who leaked her location?”

  Declan sipped from the mug. “What’s your gut tell you?”

  “I think her ex and his family are neck-deep. If the press ambushed that arrival, it makes me think, more than ever, Devereaux is involved. Did my people speak with you?”

  “Smart kids. Dr. Liukin has some legal wiggle room. She put an order through the system. I checked the time, and it was after Martin crashed. If she had a hand in the accident, she didn’t make contact through the system. Have you checked her call log? You need to know who she called after the second order,” Declan said.

  “There’s nothing in her logs. She probably has a burner phone. We’re trying to get eyes on her, but she hasn’t been back to work since the bombing. We can’t find her.

  “They think Cassie knows something that’s worth killing her over. I also think she remembers what happened to her. When it’s time to execute a plan, we have one shot at them. Cassie needs us to do this by the book.”

  Lillian wrapped an arm around her son’s shoulders. “She’s safe here. You have the time to find the answers.”

  “I hope you’re right, Mom. There’s an awful lot of money out there trying to prove you otherwise.”

  Declan Chase knocked on her door. “Hi, Cassie.”

  “Admiral Chase,” Cassie said from her bed.

  His dimples showed as he smiled. “Declan. I thought we put that to rest.” He handed her a mug of her favorite tea.

  “Thank you, Declan.”

  “I came to see my walking partner.”

  “Sorry, sir. I’m confined to quarters.” She looked up at the IV.

  “Well, then, we will have to take an imaginary walk. Cassie, I want you to know all of us will help you get your answers. No matter what happens between you and my son, you are family. Lil tells me you’re still having doubts about whether you deserve the effort. I thought we cleared that up too?”

  “I’m trying. Talking with Detective Blake brought all the worries back.”

  “And memories?”

  “Some. My body is a billboard advertising disgusting things. What man would want to be with me?”

  He scratched his brow. “Well, if you put it that way, anyone who is scarred should be exiled, never to be heard from again.” He sat close. “Did Ian tell you a little about me?”

  Cassie nodded. “Just a bit.”

  “I work with military victims of sexual assault. I can tell you that a lot of those women, in particular those higher in rank, feel responsible, dirty and unworthy. They are conflicted to lead, afraid to pursue healthy relationships. I’ll tell you what I tell them: if you don’t try, you’ll miss the party. There are plenty of people willing to help you get there. As far as Ian goes, my son wants you just the way you are. His eyes are wide open.

  “You were not responsible for this, and you did not deserve it. You’re a giving and generous woman. Treat yourself with the same kindness that you would anyone going through a trauma. It’s okay to feel. If you ever took a boat ride, you know you can go up and down.”

  “Thank you, Declan.”

  “You are quite welcome. Cassie, one more thing: don’t hold on to the secrets. You’ve spent too much time in the darkness.” He looked up to see Pete in the doorway. “Now, those medical folks are getting antsy. Get some rest, young lady.”

  “You taught your son well, sir.”

  Cassie knew she couldn’t move forward until she put her past behind her. That meant she needed to end this.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Hunter passed Ian on the path between the houses. “I think I’m gonna need your help.”

  “What do you need?”

  Hunter reversed course. Once inside, they sat at the kitchen table. “First, let me see your arm. San Diego called.” Ian tore the bandage off. “Looks good. You can leave it open to air as long as you don’t roll in the mud.”

  “Okay?” Ian said flatly.

  “Are you taking the meds?”

  “Yes, sir, Dr. Montgomery,” Ian said, sarcasm filling his tone.

  “Damn, I was hoping to have to shoot you in the ass with some antibiotics.”

  Ian tossed a peach at him. “Now what do you need help for?”

  “I have Cassie’s latest bloodwork. Her body is starving. She’s trying to eat enough on her own, but she can’t keep up.”

  Ian ground his teeth. “What does she need? What do we have to do?”

  Hunter tilted his head. “It’s not ‘we.’ It’s all her. I did a scan of her belly. It’s not anatomical. She needs to let us put the feeding tube back in.”

  “What’s the issue?”

  “She’s refusing. I even gave her a choice of four types.”

  “Why? I’ll meet you in her room in thirty minutes. If you have to, sedate her and put it in.”

  “Did you hear yourself? She’s an adult. You want me to assault her? This isn’t a command decision where you can punish her for insubordination.”

  “Hunt, don’t even say it. You’re right. I wasn’t thinking—I’m not thinking. I can’t lose her. Why is she so opposed to it?” Ian sounded distraught.

  “It’s uncomfortable. The feeding nauseates her and causes other discomforts. She’s refusing pain meds too. It’s a control thing. I think she believes she deserves to suffer. I’m going to call Stephanie for some generic advice.”

  “Can we at least fix the first part of the problem?”

  “Feedings are trial and error, but we need the tube in place to see what works. Your mom, who, by the way, is a terrific nurse, had Ellen mix up a homemade batch that should be better tolerated. We have nutrition and tubing. We can even bypass the stomach. All we need is a cooperative patient.”

  “Give me half an hour. I’ll meet you in Cassie’s room.”

  While waiting for Luke to join him, he found the picture of C
assie coming off the air ambulance at sixteen. The image was shocking with its raw emotion. She lay on a stretcher, her face contorted in pain, Christian and Caleb pushing back at reporters, and Mark Devereaux, wearing sunglasses, walking behind in a calm manner.

  “Luke, there’s no other way to say this, but what did you tell Devereaux about Cassie?” Ian asked even before Luke sat.

  “What do you mean? I told him Cassie was conscious—and I hoped he would come to see her soon. I called him from the hospital after the attack and update him every few days. I guess he’s one of those people who can’t be around illness.”

  “He knows Cassie is here?” Ian raised his brow.

  Luke gritted his teeth, not needing more to draw the picture. “Son of a bitch. I’ll kill him with my bare hands. Jesus, I didn’t think.”

  “Why would you go there? If I’m right, he’s been doing this for a long time.” Ian showed Luke the news picture.

  “What a horror. We thought we’d covered every base to ensure her privacy—even used an alias. The media swarmed her.”

  “I suspect he outed her then—and now. Write down the dates and times you spoke to him—and, if you can, what you discussed. We can touch base when you’re finished.”

  “If he’s involved in this, I want him underground.” Anger erupted in an aura.

  Alone, Ian fired up his computer. The report on the screen stared up at him: “Cassiopeia Ellis: blood type O negative. Baby boy Ellis: blood type A negative. Sebastian Ames: blood type O positive. Robert Bynum Jr.: blood type O positive.” He focused on the blinking cursor. Neither man could be William’s father. The father was a man with either A negative or AB negative blood.