Breathe (15 page)

“Okay, now the finale Uncle Daniel.” Both girls rushed over and grabbed my hands, dragging me to one end and rushing towards the other, sliding into Jamie and knocking us all down. And that is why they built a small area around the piano with soft pillow like material when they moved it into its separate room.

“Mommy, can we go play now?” I looked over and saw a tiny girl peeking around the brunette’s leg. She had beautiful grey eyes, and tight curls in her dark hair. She smiled shyly over at us, her eyes sparkling. Cora leaned down and smiled at the little girl and nodded.

“Of course. We have this room for an hour. Please, go play.” That was all she needed to hear. She ran over to the side, sat down and yanked her tiny shoes off before she jumped up and started stomping on the piano. An older boy stepped forward; he was blonde with dark brown, almost black eyes. He stood watching us for a few minutes but when Lily stepped away from her mom and took his hand, smiling down at him reassuringly he followed his sister’s example and threw his shoes off.

I stood up and walked over to Lily. “You going to make beautiful music as well, my pretty flower?” She grinned up at me with her mischievous grin, kicking her shoes off as she nodded.

“What is the fun in letting the kids have all the fun?” I laughed and grabbed her up in a big hug.

“That is exactly what I said.” I grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the piano. We all took turns running from one end and sliding to other end while the others hopped between notes like little bunnies. Soon we all ended up in a heap at one end again, falling over laughing. We all looked up to see Cora, Joey, Kathryn, and her friend looking down at us and smirking.

“That was all well and good, but let’s show you how it’s really done.” Kathryn smiled sweetly down on us as all four adults climbed up on the piano, standing there with only their socks on. I grinned widely when I saw Kathryn was wearing bright green socks with what looked like hot pink flamingoes dancing on them.

She nodded to the others with her and they all began a flawless version of Chopsticks. My mouth was hanging open and Lily reached over and pushed it closed.

“Momma, and Aunt Taylor always play that when they bring us here.” She turned back and watched her mom and her friend laughing with Cora and Joey. “I have to admit it is slightly better with four.” We watched as they all grabbed hands at the end and ran towards us. We scrambled out of the way just in time as they all slid towards us, landing in a heap where we had all been laying just a second ago. I reached down and helped Kathryn to her feet, pulling her close as I did. She gained her footing quickly, then stepped back, her smile leaving her face. I grabbed her hand and pulled her to the other side of the room, turning my back to the room, my size hiding her from the others behind us who, by the racket coming from the piano, had all started playing again.

“Kathryn, what’s going on?” She shook her head, wrapping her arms around her waist in a gesture I was quickly learning meant she didn’t want to have this conversation and she was protecting herself. I grabbed her chin and pushed it up so her eyes were forced to meet mine. “What’s. Going. On?”

She pulled away and walked to the purse she had left near the door. She pulled a manila envelope out of it and walked back towards me. She thrust it at my chest, then turned, grabbing Lily, her friend, the blonde haired boy, and the dark haired little girl. She hugged Cora and Joey goodbye as the others grabbed their shoes, and before I had made my legs move, they left, leaving me holding the manila envelope to my chest where she had thrown it.

(Kathryn)

I hurried Taylor and the kids out of the store, not wanting to wait around for Daniel to look through those pictures. I hugged Lily, Sasha, and Michael before turning them over to Nathaniel, Lily’s ex-marine bodyguard. Then I climbed in the SUV and waited for Taylor to say her goodbyes. Once she had climbed in and Josh had pulled out into New York traffic, I took a deep breath of relief. He hadn’t chased me.

“Okay crazy lady. What is going on?” I looked over to Taylor, who was looking at me with a concerned look.

“It’s a really long story. I have no idea even where to start.”

“First let’s start with that gorgeous specimen that we just left. He was eye fucking you and you walked away. Why and more importantly how?”

I laughed, and then launched into the entire story starting with the impromptu dinner we had shared in Paris the night the kids had signed with Cora. I included the pictures I had been getting the past month and a half and ended with me throwing the pictures at him and dragging them all away in my attempt to escape without actually saying anything to him.

By the time I was done recounting the entire story, Josh had parked the SUV near the spa we were getting ready to go in and Taylor’s grey eyes were huge.

“So he slept with you, left your bed and jumped into the arms of all these other women?”

I nodded.

“And someone is going around taking these pictures, and slipping them in your door without you having any idea who they are?”

Again I nodded, chewing on my bottom lip.

“What the hell Kathryn!”

This time I sighed. “I know. Trust me, I know.”

She turned, opening the SUV door and pulling me out with her. She put her arm through mine and hugged it. “Then I would say we are in desperate need of some Raphael and Maggie magic.” We giggled and stepped into the swanky posh spa. Immediately being swept into a private room for a mud bath, full body massages, followed by a mani/pedi, and haircut. Raphael, the sexy god of hair and his best friend Maggie handled us personally. Raphael as most sexy gods of hair are, was gay and absolutely fabulous in every way. He was a tall, dark Latino who wore his hair short and spiked, usually with a multitude of color on his tips. Maggie was a short, plump red head who was all about natural beauty. We were served mimosas and then straight champagne as we all gossiped and giggled. I felt all the stress I had been carrying around since Daniel left the second time finally fading away. It was so good to be home again. As Raphael was finishing up with my hair cut, or actual hair trim, he never cut more than an inch or so of my hair, declaring it a law in his establishment not to waste magnificence of which my hair clearly rated, my phone rang. I frowned. No one knew I was in town yet, except Taylor and Cora of course. I grabbed it out and looked at the caller id. Cora.

“Hello?”

“Kathryn Anne James what the fuck has been going on?!?”

I winced at the sound of not Cora but Joey’s voice yelling at me through the phone. I raised my eyes and met Raphael’s in the mirror. His eyebrows quirked up in question but I ducked my head down.

“Joey, I am about done at Magnifique Spa. Why don’t Taylor and I meet you all at your hotel in about 30 minutes.”

“Damn bloody straight. If you are even a minute late I will hunt your bloody ass down.” I stared down at the phone after he hung up and sighed.

“What did you think was going to happen Kathryn? They would see those pictures and just shrug it off?”             

“I am pretty sure I wasn’t really thinking it all the way through Taylor. I just wanted to get away.” I looked over and she smiled sympathetically. Maggie had made her already brunette hair some honey highlights and she looked amazing. Raphael finished with my hair quickly, then leaned down and kissed my cheek.

“Be careful baby girl. Not sure what has been going on but your eyes don’t have the snap they usually do and the conversation I just heard…” He shook his head in sympathy and concern. “Just be careful.”

I nodded and thanked him. Standing up, I grabbed him in a tight hug. “I will.”

“And you my gorgeous diva, keep her out of trouble.” He kissed Taylor on both cheeks and she giggled.

“I will do my best, Raphael as always.” We exited quickly and ran to where Josh was waiting with the SUV, I directed him to Cora and Joey’s hotel, telling him to hurry. I didn’t want to see Joey’s Irish temper unleashed on me. My hands were shaking as we walked through the front doors and towards the elevator.

“Kathryn, it is going to be okay. They are lovely people, and I could tell they love you very much.”

“I am not as worried about the Walker’s as I am the other one. Taylor as soon as he walks in a room, I melt. I haven’t felt like that with anyone since Sean.” Taylor looked at me, alarmed.

“Oh you are fucked Kathryn.”

I smirked at her. “Not for at least three months.”

She gasped and we both cracked up laughing. I was so glad Taylor was with me for this; I needed her to keep me off the edge.

We stepped off the elevator on the Walker’s floor, and ran right into Daniel who was pacing in front of it. He looked down at me, his blue eyes dark with fury. He grabbed my arm and dragged me down the hall. We stopped at a door, and before I realized it wasn’t the number Cora had given me, he had slammed it open and pushed me inside, with Taylor following quickly behind. Cora and Joey turned at the sound of the door slamming open and Cora ran over and grabbed me in a hug.

“Why didn’t you tell us you were getting these messages?”

I pulled away. “I didn’t want to worry anyone. I am used to taking care of these things myself. My security team is working on it and all three of us have someone watching us at all times.”

“Really? Where is your bodyguard right now?” Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Daniel opened it, and found himself looking down the barrel of a silenced berretta.

“Ms. James, you okay?”

I gaped at Josh standing in the open door. “Uh, yes, Josh I am good. Thank you.”

He nodded, still glaring at Daniel and holding the gun pointed to his head.

“You can wait outside, Josh, these are my friends. I am safe in this room.” He nodded, slowly lowering the gun back into his holster.

“I will be right outside Ms. James.” I nodded and stepped up to the door to shut it when Daniel didn’t move. I turned around and looked up at him, bursting out laughing at the incredulous look on his face.

“Um, my security was right behind me.” Daniel looked down and glared at me, growling low in his throat before turning and walking to the wet bar and pouring himself two fingers of whiskey and knocking it back.             

(Daniel)

My hands were still shaking from the double shock of those pictures and having a Beretta thrust in my face. I was going to need a couple more bottles of malt before the night was over.

“Kathryn and Taylor come in and sit down so we can discuss this. As adults.” I glared over at Joey who was standing across the room shooting me with eye darts. I just looked at him and raised an eyebrow. He shook his head and sat down next to Cora on one of the two loveseats. Kathryn and Taylor took the other one. I continued to stand by the whiskey.

“Kathryn, when did you get the first picture?”

“It was two days after Daniel left the second time. It had been pushed through the mail slot on the door. They come about one a week, sometimes more if he is more active.”

I turn my glare to the auburn haired woman sitting about ten feet from me. “What do you mean more active?”

She didn’t look at me when she answered. “With more than one woman, Daniel. The more women you are with, the more pictures I get.” Another surge of anger rushed through my veins so I closed my eyes and breathed deeply.

“And you contacted your security team right away?” She ducked and shook her head.

“No, it wasn’t until about the third week that I contacted them. We had one man with us while in Paris, but he was strictly there when I called him, not a hovering presence. When we went to events where it was more high profile we had him with us, but otherwise he hung out in a small apartment, enjoying Paris. We weren’t high profile in Paris and I like the kids to be able to just be kids whenever I can.”

“So you just thought hey some bloody whack job is sending me pics but I am just going to ignore it and it will go away? For two bloody weeks?”

She finally stood up, walked over to me until we were toe-to-toe and glared up at me. “There was no reason to believe that whoever sent me those fucking pictures meant any harm. Just wanted to make sure I was aware that the man who had fucked me was fucking someone else, everyone else.” She was talking with her hands, gesturing in a wide arc to symbolize the whole world.

I grabbed her shoulders and shook her slightly. I got right next to her face and growled.

“I haven’t fucked anyone since you, Kathryn.”

“Well I don’t fucking believe you, Daniel.” We stood glaring at each other for a long minute until Joey cleared his throat.

“Going at each other’s throats won’t solve this. Kathryn, I am assuming these are copies. Where are the originals?”

“At my house in the safe. I don’t want Lily or Tyler to know about them yet.” She spoke to Joey while still glaring up at me.

“Has your security team tried to lift prints or DNA from them?” She nodded, still glaring at me. I still had her shoulders in my hands and I squeezed them hard. She never flinched. “Do you mind if I have a friend of mine come look at them?”

“No, they can come by tomorrow. Are we done?”

“No we aren’t done, Kathryn. Why didn’t you tell us? Why didn’t you tell me?” My voice had softened by the time I was done asking that question.