Authors: Christy Reece
“Skylar wanted to call her, but I’d like for you to be the one to tell her. She needs it done quickly and unemotionally. Tell her before you land. If any paparazzi are waiting for her, she needs to be prepared.”
“Will do. You know what this means, don’t you?”
“Yeah, whoever is doing this knows her schedule, knows she’s coming back today. Have Justin and Riley come up with anything more?”
“Not yet.”
“Keep me in the loop.”
“Will do.”
“Let Kacie know we’re here for her and will leave no stone unturned until we find this bastard.”
Brennan ended the call and then leaned back against the doorframe. He’d told McCall that this wouldn’t destroy her, and while he believed those words, Brennan also knew that it would crack open the fragile self-assurance she’d only recently gained.
McCall had been right about delivering the news quickly and unemotionally. She needed to see this as a small setback. A bump in the road, nothing more. Hell yeah, it was a damn big bump, but he believed in her. She would weather this storm, too.
He glanced at his watch. He had about an hour to tell her, allow her to adjust to the news, and then buoy her back up before the plane landed.
Feeling as though he’d aged a decade in a matter of minutes, Brennan pushed away from the wall. Best get started.
A soft, delicious kiss on her lips woke her. Kacie blinked her eyes open and looked up into the greenest, most beautiful eyes in the universe. Brennan was on his knees, leaning over her. She felt like Sleeping Beauty gazing up at the charming, handsome prince.
Smiling, she said softly, “Now that’s the best way to wake up. Far better than an alarm clock.”
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, it was heavenly.” She looked around. “Are we already home?”
“Not yet…still have about an hour to go.”
She frowned, not only surprised that he’d woken her but also by the seriousness of his tone. “What’s wrong?”
Instead of answering, he rose to his feet and then scooped her up in his arms. Sitting back down on the sofa, he just held her for a few minutes.
She told herself he was just being romantic. But warning bells were clanging in her head, telling her to pay attention. She was no princess, and her life was most definitely not a fairy tale.
“Talk to me, Brennan.”
“McCall called. There’s been a new development.”
A new development sounded so innocuous, almost boring. She knew better. New developments, especially these days, meant something horrendous. Fearing the worst, she whispered, “Another murder?”
“No…nothing like that.”
Thank God for that, but it had to be bad, or he would’ve already blurted out what had happened. Holding herself still, she braced herself.
“A video appeared online… McCall’s already had it taken down, but it was out there for a few minutes.”
Her heart thudded like a wild thing against her chest. “A video? Of—” She couldn’t say it, couldn’t think it.
“One Harrington had made.”
She shot straight up in his arms, her mind whirling with horror. “No…no, no, no, no…”
“Kacie, listen to me. It’s gone. They’ve taken it down. And they’ll find out who uploaded it. It’ll lead us to the creep who’s doing this.”
She threw herself out of his arms, unable to sit still, unable to think rationally. “Oh, well, why didn’t you say that up-front?” Bitter sarcasm and tears were all she had left. “That makes it all better. Maybe when we find him, we can thank him for putting it up there and making it so easy for us.”
She looked around like a cornered animal looking for escape. A sob built in her chest, and she wanted to let it out, wanted to scream, to cry. Instead, only a small whimper came from her.
Brennan wrapped his arms around her, trapping her against him, and she fought him. She didn’t want him to see her like this, didn’t want his compassion and his kindness. She was furious, and she wanted to take that fury out on anything and everything.
“Let. Me. Go.”
He wouldn’t budge, wouldn’t let her go. She jerked, tried to escape. He held tight.
“Dammit, let me go.”
“No, no way in hell.”
Dragging her back to the couch, Brennan kept his arms around her torso, confining her. When she tried to stand up, he solved that problem by wrapping one of his legs around both of hers.
She felt powerless, helpless… So very close to the way she’d felt during her time with Harrington.
He leaned his forehead against the side of her head, growled into her ear, “I’m not going to let you shut me out, Kacie. You’ve got so much courage, so much strength. You will fight this with everything within you, and I’ll be right here beside you.” He shook her slightly. “Understand? We’re in this together.”
She held herself stiff for several more seconds, grinding her teeth and glaring at the wall of the plane. And then she wilted. Collapsing against him, she buried her face against his chest and let herself give in to the sobs tearing through her body.
Brennan held her, spoke softly, encouragingly. He told her again how strong and brave she was, how proud he was of her, how she had triumphed, and how she would again.
Several minutes later, feeling drained and empty but much calmer, she lifted her head and asked hoarsely, “What now?
“We don’t know yet who, if anyone, saw it. McCall’s people monitor the Internet twenty-four/seven. They caught it a few minutes after it showed up and managed to delete it immediately.”
“Noah thinks they can track it down somehow. That’s good, then.” She closed her eyes, leaned against his shoulder again, suddenly too tired to think. “When will this be over?”
“I don’t know, baby, but soon. We’ll make it happen, soon. I promise.”
It was there between them, but neither mentioned the fact that when it was over, Brennan would be gone, out of her life forever.
If this nightmare never ended, it would destroy her life.
But if it did end, Brennan would be gone, and it would break her heart.
Either way, she lost.
Chapter Thirty
New York City
The bitch was coming back today. And she would pay…pay…pay!
She danced around the small room, so delighted with her work she couldn’t sit still. She had everything ready, everything in place. One click of a button, and the whole world would know Kacie Dane’s real name. They’d know what a slut she was. Little Miss Innocence with her golden-blond looks and simpering smile, acting like she was something special …something better.
She was a dirty slut whore who had seduced and taken advantage of an old, mentally frail man. But did anyone know that? Of course not. That information got buried beneath the avalanche of shit. Made it appear that William Harrington was at fault. But she knew the truth, knew what no one else wanted to admit.
It was time to expose that truth to the world. Time to reveal the guilty party. Time to punish the wicked for her sins.
One click, just one click, and every news outlet in the world would see Kacie Dane for what she really was.
Brennan hustled Kacie into the lobby of her apartment building. He wanted to get her upstairs as soon as possible. Who knew what this freak hounding her would try to do next?
As usual, Kacie had other ideas.
She stopped at the security desk. “Hi, Vincent. How’s everything going? Were you able to get off work to watch your grandson play in his baseball game?”
“Sure did, Miss Dane. It was a sight. Little bugger got a home run and made it to second base twice.”
“That’s great!” She presented a wrapped gift. “This is just a little something I picked up while I was away. Hope you like it.”
“Why thank you, but you didn’t have to do that.” He winked at her and then Brennan. “The wife already thinks I have a crush on you.”
Kacie laughed. “Have her come talk to me, and I’ll set her straight. I’ll tell her how you’re always bragging on her.”
“I might just do that.” He held up the gift. “Thanks again, and welcome back.”
Acting as if she hadn’t a care in the world, Kacie thanked him and then headed to the elevator. The instant the doors closed, her smile disappeared, and the haunted look returned to her eyes.
“Why do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Give gifts, smiles, when I know it’s the last thing you feel like doing?”
“It takes very little effort to be kind.”
Yet another reason he found this woman both enchanting and fascinating.
Brennan opened the door to her apartment, stepped inside and handled the security panel on the wall.
Kacie closed the door, then stood behind him, her arms wrapped around herself. “I hate not feeling safe in my own home.”
“The new locks and security system should make you feel safer. With no one but you and me having door keys or the security code, there’s no way in hell anyone could come in now.”
“I know you’re right. I just…I’m not sure I’ll ever feel safe again.”
His arms went around her again. “You will, Kacie. It’ll just take time.”
She nodded against his shoulder and then pulled away. “I’m going to take a quick shower and then make some hot tea.”
“You shower, I’ll make the tea.”
“Have I told you lately how much I appreciate you? Thank you for being here.”
Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he said, “No thanks needed. Want me to bring your tea up to your room?”
“Thank you. That would be wonderful.”
Weariness was revealed in every step as Kacie went up the stairs. Brennan watched her, felt impotent and helpless…useless. He could spout meaningless platitudes, hand out hugs and kisses, give her smiles of reassurance, but that didn’t make any of this shit go away.
Cursing his frustration, Brennan went to the kitchen to make the tea. Hell, at least it was something productive.
Setting the kettle on the stove, he was about to turn the stove light on when he heard her scream.
Nausea clogged Kacie’s throat. She wanted to throw up but had no place to go. They were everywhere.
He
was everywhere.
A thundering sound behind her and then the door crashed open. She turned to see Brennan, gun in his hand, searching for the threat. But there was no one here except for the traumatized, horrified woman standing in the middle of her bedroom and staring at walls covered in photographs of Harrington raping her.
Brennan’s arms came around her, and she pushed him away. No, she didn’t need sympathy or comfort, didn’t need him telling her everything would be okay. She wanted this stopped. Right. Fucking. Now.
As if accepting that his comfort wasn’t what she needed, Brennan went around the room, staring at the photographs. A small voice inside her said she should be ashamed, mortified that he was looking at the most horrific moments of her life. She was tired of the shame…the degradation was not hers. It belonged to that pervert Harrington and the sick freak torturing her for some unknown reason.
Brennan turned to look at her, and in the back of her mind, the thought came that she should be terrified. She’d never seen such fury in a person’s eyes before.
He took out his cellphone, punched a button, and then held it to his ear. “Did you give your security code to anyone else, Kacie? Any friends, employees? Anyone?”
“No. No one but you, me, and the security company knows the code.”
“Then how— Justin, you and Riley need to get over here. We’ve got a—”
Kacie couldn’t believe Brennan could get any angrier, but whatever Justin said made his face harder than ever.
“Right. I’ll see you soon.”
Brennan dropped the phone back into his pocket and then rubbed his forehead.
“What?” Kacie snapped. “Did another video surface?”
“No. But McCall gave Justin the IP location for where the video was uploaded.”
“And?”
“It came from your apartment, Kacie. From your computer.”
“No…that’s not possible—”
“Whoever has access to your apartment would have access to your laptop.”
She turned away from him and closed her eyes. Was nothing she had safe anymore? How many more ways could she be violated?
“Let’s look around the apartment and then I’m getting you out of here.”
She took a breath, then his hand, and they began their search.
An hour later they sat at the kitchen table, holding hands and drinking hot, sweet tea. Justin and Riley had arrived a few moments ago, and if they thought it strange that he and Kacie were holding hands, they were wise enough not to mention it.
Brennan didn’t know if he’d ever be able to let her go. Her scream had awakened a fear inside him, similar to the fear that he’d felt when his son was taken.