Secure Desire Page 27

  He dialed Kieran. “Did you see the prelim?”

  “Yeah, what do you think?”

  “I need to take care of something for Hunt. Grab Martin and Mia. By the time I’m done, we can meet in the home office,” Ian said with purpose.

  “See you in a bit,” Kieran responded with caution.

  “Explain why you don’t want to do this, Cassie,” Hunter said.

  She nibbled on her knuckle. “I just can’t fight anymore. It’s too hard.”

  “We all want to help you. I know it’s not the most comfortable thing, and I know we haven’t hit upon the right formula. I can’t help but think you’re out of sorts. That’s understandable; who wouldn’t be with all you went through and are going through?

  “Honey, your body still has a lot of healing to do. You need the calories. Refusing will only make you sicker,” Pete urged.

  “You all care, I know that. It’s not your fault. I just want to be.”

  When Ian opened the door, Cassie scooted up the bed at his stern expression. He turned up his palm, trying to ease her fear. “Can we talk about this together? Hunt, can you give us a few minutes?”

  Ian squatted in front of her. “Sweetheart, talk to me.” He took her hands in his. “I will still kiss you with your feeding tube. You are beautiful no matter what.”

  “I can’t do this anymore, Ian. It’s too much. I want the hurting to stop.”

  Ian’s mind raced, searching for the right response. “I don’t understand everything you’re going through. I want your hurting to stop too. Give me a month. I know your memory is coming back, and it scares you. Let me be here for you. Let your medical team help you. I’ll sit in with you and Stephanie if you’d like.”

  “I’m so tired, Ian,” Cassie whispered.

  “Please, sweetheart? One month? But if you can’t, I am not abandoning you.”

  Cassie limped to the window. After a few tense moments, she agreed to the month. And with some conditions, she decided to let Stephanie meet with Hunter and Ian.

  Ian held her as Pete replaced her feeding tube. “Rest a little, and I’ll be back." Telling her the preliminary blood results that implicated another party was out of the question at the moment.

  Martin and Kieran sat with Mia Donnelly in the office. “The partial DNA results are in. Neither Ames nor Bynum fathered the baby,” Martin said.

  Mia blew out a long breath. “That means another attacker.”

  “Or, if this was an insemination attempt, an unrelated donor.” Kieran sagged in his seat. “Mia, Martin, I need you both to spend some time with Cassie. She’s getting more mobile, and Ian isn’t going to be able to keep her cooped up much longer. Andy and I both think she’s sitting on something. We need to gain her confidence and push her a little. I think Ian’s too close.”

  “I spoke with him about it. Have you told him that too?” Martin asked.

  "In a way," Kieran said. Martin whistled.

  The door opened, and Ian joined them. “Told me what?”

  “Just shooting the breeze. No worries, big brother.”

  “Cassie let Pete replace the feeding tube, but the rehab is taking more from her than she has. Hunt says Cassie is anemic and wasting away—barely ninety-three pounds. She throws up most of every meal, and to top it off, she's refusing pain meds. She told my dad she remembers some, but I think it’s more than that. Luke Paulsen told me he’s been speaking to Mark Devereaux. It looks like he’s also a leak.”

  “Isn’t he the COO of her company—and her dad’s friend and executor?” Mia asked.

  “I don’t think there’s enough glue to hold her together if that’s true.” Martin shook his head.

  Ian’s eyes laser focused. “Bynum and Ames drugged and assaulted her. Blood typing on the baby shows the baby’s daddy was either AB negative or A negative. I dread telling Cassie. She told me more about her time with Garett. The bastard emotionally battered her—and with the hostess’s statement, we know he lied. If he lied, his folks lied too. This whole thing starts at the Whitman home. We need to return there.”

  Kieran scratched his chin. “How do you want to handle it?”

  “I’m going to let Ruiz and Blake do the initial questioning of Baby Whitman. Lying to the police is a crime. Then we’ll follow up. We also need to speak to his wife,” Ian said.

  “In other words, make everyone so miserable, he’ll come forward. Someone is working very hard to tie up loose ends. Bynum’s autopsy showed he died from a highly potent form of heroin. He was a longtime user. My guess, someone gave him a hot shot. I don’t think he would make that kind of mistake. Also, I think someone cleaned up the scene. Police didn’t find his cell. It’s likely at the bottom of the Potomac. And again, the Russian connection. Why would a gallery owner’s goons be after her? I’ll also rush that file on Mark Devereaux.” Martin configured a plan.

  Kieran tilted his head. “You just said it, Ian—she’s remembering. I need to speak with Cassie. Now, I don’t want to argue…”

  “She’s starting to trust me. She granted permission for Hunter and me to speak to her therapist. I have to put the rest on you. I got her to give me a month to feel better before she gives up. If I push her, I’m afraid she will.” Ian stared at his feet.

  “All right, we wait on the final DNA. I’ll talk with Cassie. Bro, I know this is hard for you.” Kieran placed a hand on Ian’s knee.

  Mia opened her bag and held up a flash drive. “Linc gave me this: photos from Kentucky and transcripts of interviews with the Ames family. I read them all. I listened to every recording, checking inflection. I don’t think they had any involvement. In fact, I think they’re devastated.” Mia pulled out one more folder. “Amy was able to repair this.”

  The folder contained the photograph of Cassie and her family. His eyes fogged. “Thank you. The noose is tightening, but the question is still why.” Ian ran a hand through his hair.

  “We have time—as long as they don’t get word we are looking,” Kieran said.

  “I don’t know about time if they know she’s here. The hit is still out on Cassie. This damn incoming storm is shutting down half the country. Once it passes, we’re moving her.”

  “I agree.” Kieran started writing notes. “We need to go through every background again. Look for any connection to the Russian gallery. I want blood types on everyone too.”

  “We will find the tie if there is any. Everything comes back to the table to form an executable plan,” Martin advised.

  Ian sighed. “I need to make some changes in our leadership configuration. Mia, I’d like you to step in as the lead in the command center.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Cassie is getting stronger. There’s a big pot of money available to any taker to see her dead. As much as I want to, I realize I can’t keep her locked up. I never felt like this about a woman before. I would like you to become her permanent security chief, Martin. Losing her is not an idea I can live with. I’m too close to see the big picture.”

  Martin closed his eyes and nodded. “Thank you for trusting me like this. You are my family. I promise I’ll protect her with my life.”

  “You already have. Once you finish your preliminary plan, make an appointment with Hunt. I want him to check you out. You can’t hide that limp.”

  Martin laughed. “For someone off his game, you see quite fit.”

  After a trial feeding, Hunter returned to check on Cassie. “Good afternoon to my favorite ladies.”

  Lillian laughed. “Flattery will get you nowhere, Dr. Montgomery.”

  “Cassie, how does your stomach feel?”

  “It wasn’t bad this time.”

  “Very good. Big doings today. You’re going to try a nice slow walk on the treadmill. We’ll see how winded you get.”

  “How about three steps—and I cut my losses?”

  “Not a chance.”

  Hunter and Lillian walked her outside to a wheelchair, then whisked her up the path to the main house. Cassie was
captivated by the estate’s beauty. She felt her first urge to sketch in six years.

  Pete met them at the door and helped Cassie down to the basement gym. With assistance, she was able to walk down—one careful step at a time. She surveyed the state-of-the-art equipment and the far wall covered with Leroy Neiman art. Her chest fluttered at the stunning colors of the sports paintings.

  She blinked rapidly as glimpses of another painting dueled with them in her head. Her eyes darted around the room, expecting to see it. More memories weighed her down as doubts clouded her mind. How can I let myself love him? Cassie covered her mouth to muffle the thoughts she feared would escape.

  When Lillian said, “My son is in love with you,” Hunter and Pete froze.

  Cassie moved toward the mats to stretch, pretending not to hear. I know I didn’t say that aloud.

  “You heard me, Cassie. No ulterior motives—other than you hold his heart in your hands. He has a lot to lose too. He’s petrified to lose you.” Lillian’s stare pinned her in place.

  Pete sat across from her. “Ready?” Cassie reached for him with shaky hands. His grasp was secure as he helped her stretch. “Believe in yourself.”

  Noah joined the workout to support her and encouraged her on the treadmill. “Keep going, Cass.”

  “I’m gonna beat you, No-no!” She laughed at the childhood nickname she called him.

  Cassie sipped from a bottle of water. Her first try on the treadmill winded her, but she dug in. She managed a quarter mile on flat terrain.

  Ian focused on one of the camera feeds running on his desktop monitor. Pride and worry washed over him witnessing the pain and determination etched across Cassie’s brow. He loved her and wanted to take her pain away forever. But could he help her?

  Ian joined the group with a massive bouquet of bright yellow sunflowers. Cassie pulled away when he tried to kiss her. “Ew. I’m icky.”

  Dressed in a handsome gray silk suit, he scooped up her sweaty body and kissed her. “You’re never icky to me.” He nuzzled her hair.

  “Get a room,” Noah called, and Cassie pushed out of Ian’s arms.

  “Sweetheart, I have a meeting, but I’d like to have your company for a meal and a movie tonight.”

  Cassie placed the bouquet on the floor, flattened her hands on his chest, and adjusted his tie. “I’d like that.”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Ian felt uneasy as his eyes searched the faces around them inside a small café near Stephanie Rogers’ office. The location was her choosing.

  “Stephanie, thanks for meeting with us this afternoon. We’ll try to keep it as short as we can so you can get out of here before the storm hits,” Ian said.

  Outside the skies were dark and ominous, the air thick and warm. Stephanie said, “Rain or no rain, I’m glad we’re meeting. Under normal circumstances, I’d never do this, but with releases from all involved as well as Cassie’s permission and her condition, I have no choice. Ian, as you said when you called me, she’s withdrawing. Hunter, if she refused the feeding tube, I was going to bring in a psychiatrist.”

  “I only want her to heal and be happy, with or without me,” Ian said.

  “She’s trying to trust you, Ian. Trust is exceptionally hard for her. And she doesn’t like asking for help.”

  “I told her I wouldn’t leave her side even if she refused.”

  “Those were smart words. They imply you’re staying around, even through the bad. Cassie is afraid and unsure. Even with me, her behavior has changed. She’s censoring herself.”

  They went over Cassie’s history from the time she returned from Coronado through the present.

  Ian asked, “What can we do for her now?”

  “I wonder if you noticed she’s surrounded by men—the Paulsens, the group she works with, and now her medical staff and security. She has no fear of them. They’re all protective and, for lack of a better description, asexual. Cassie has never had a true male partner—the one partner she had was horrific. She is very naïve about relationships,” Stephanie said.

  “What can I do?” Ian pressed again.

  “Before I give you my opinion, Dr. Montgomery, does she have any physical limitations?”

  “They’re relative—weakness and stamina. Long term, I think she will recover.”

  “And sexually?” Stephanie asked.

  “This isn’t my field of expertise, but it won’t be the injuries that stop her. I think with a patient partner, she can work through any issue.”

  Ian was having an out-of-body experience. Patient partner? He was going to be her only partner—and he would do whatever it took to help her feel whole.

  “Her emotions are a harder fix. Her mind is powerful,” Stephanie said.

  They discussed Garett and his parents and the rules. “In all the sessions we discussed their relationship, she never once said she loved him.

  “If your choice is to deliver a romantic relationship, you cannot ever behave like a father figure or brother. It’s obvious you want to protect her; look at everything you’re doing for her. Cassie wants a partner, though she's not sure what it entails. Ian, you strike me as the type who would like to toss her over your shoulder and lock her away in a tower. That would doom any possible relationship.”

  “To answer your doubts, I’m in it forever—if she’ll have me. I’m aware of how afraid she is, and I love her.”

  “Women who are raped find it very hard to trust men. In Cassie’s case, she was told she was raped. Each instance she remembers is like she’s being raped for the first time. Rape recovery is difficult, and in a woman who has no baseline for intimacy, it’s worse. If you were any man in a relationship, I would tell you to be empathetic—I’m so sorry this happened to you. And I would tell you to try not to explore and solve the problem.”

  “Empathetic, yes. But problem-solving…too late—damn it. What do I do now?” Ian was frustrated.

  “The positive is, she knows you’re looking into things. If you find things out, you have to tell her. And more importantly, listen to her.”

  “What do I do about a physical relationship? I don’t want her to feel pressured.”

  “Listen to her cues.” Stephanie reached in her bag. “Let’s sum things up: Garett betrayed her trust and scarred her. I think she’s hiding memories because it’s too painful to cope. I think her instincts told her something, and she disregarded it. I think she’s falling in love with you. I think she remembers the first attack, even with the drug levels listed in her medical records.”

  Ian and Hunter both stared at her. “Sorry to interrupt, but do you have her records?” Hunter asked.

  “Yes, Cassie gave them to me,” Stephanie said.

  Hunter said, “We need a copy. Please finish what you were saying.”

  “When she decides to open up, and what will trigger that, I don’t know, but when it happens—”

  Ian stopped Stephanie. “We will support her the best we can and call you. Thanks, Stephanie. I will have someone meet you at your office when the storm clears to pick up those records. You better get on the road before the weather hits the fan.” Ian helped her on with her rain jacket before the three parted company. He couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.

  Jason pulled away from the curb. “Mr. Chase, I have pictures of all the staff and patrons present. I forwarded them for analysis.”

  Ian leaned back. “Thank you, Jason.”

  Monte had been following Stephanie Rogers for days. He pulled out the earbud. The device he planted under the coffee shop counter paid off.

  "She’s at the Chase estate in McLean. I heard them talking. She’s having flashbacks. The therapist said she thinks she’s gonna remember everything. I told you what her records said; that dumb doctor didn’t give her enough medication to make her forget. They spent a lot of time talking about Garett and his momma. They think they screwed with her head. The therapist thinks she’s in love with Ian Chase, and he’s in love with her. That’s good for us�
��love makes you stupid.

  “The medical doc said she’s still healing. She won’t be able to fight too hard. You better make a fast decision. If you chose to do this, it’s a big job. At his worst, Chase will have multiple layers of security. I’ll scope it out now. The storm will be the perfect cover; it’s supposed to be bad for two days.”

  “Do it any way you can—Cassiopeia has to die,” a female voice replied.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Cassie rested, reading a book on a chaise lounge on the pool house patio. Kieran and Tucker joined her. “Hey, Tuck. What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be off.”

  “It’s Pete and Jamie’s turn. I’m covering them with Lil for the next forty-eight—and you’re so easy now.” Tucker handed her a glass of lemonade and sat in a chair.

  “I know I keep saying it, but I asked Hunt to explain things. He told me about what you did at the hospital. Thank you doesn’t seem to be enough.”

  “Darlin’, you sitting here is my thanks. Pete and I were talking about you last night. You’re our first real patient. I mean, we’re ER guys. We see patients for, at most, hours, but thanks to Kieran, we were given the privilege to care for you. We watched you go from death to here. You’re very special to us.” Tucker took her hand.

  “Thank you.” Cassie’s eyes moistened as she looked at both of them. “Is everything okay, Kieran?”

  “Everything’s fine, honey.”

  “Every time I see you, someone wants answers.”

  “I was feeling the same way, Cassie. I just wanted to take some time to get to know you—time without questions. If you feel uneasy, and Ian isn’t around, you can always come to Monique or me.”

  Cassie gave him her rehearsed smile. “Thank you, Kieran. Like I said to Tuck, thanks doesn’t seem to be enough.”

  “It’s more than enough. What are you reading?”

  “Ian bought it for me. Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo in Detroit.” Cassie closed the book and placed it beside her. “You’re worried I’m going to hurt Ian.” She cocked her head.