Dangerous Flames (Mafia Hearts) (30 page)

Cold
air blowing in the continuously open door made goosebumps cover her
arms. She reached down for her sweatshirt but couldn’t feel it
inside her backpack. Gone. Just wonderful.

Footsteps
approached and she figured they would stop at the table next to hers.
When the person stopped at her table and then slid into the extra
seat, she wanted to cry. Had they found her? Maybe a cop? She’d
never been in trouble with the law but could they arrest her for
running away? She slowly slid her eyes up the length of the body in
front of her.

A
well-dressed woman sat across from her, wearing a giant friendly
smile. “Looks like you’re having a hard time.”

“
Why
do you think that?” The words came out in a whisper. She looked
around to make sure nobody else heard them. When nobody looked her
way, she turned her attention back to the woman.

“
My
name is Monique,” the woman said. “And I can tell by the
circles around the classified ads. So you need a job and an
apartment?”

Chelsea
slowly nodded. “It seems impossible. I just got here and
without a job I can’t get a place to live. I don’t have
credit cards so I can’t even get a hotel.”

“
Where’s
your family?”

Oh
no! “I don’t have any,” she mumbled.

“
Well
guess what?” The woman leaned toward her. With a lowered voice
she said, “I have a credit card and can help you. My husband
and I are on our way home from a vacation. Would you like to stay in
our hotel and then head to Portland with us?”

She
looked at the woman once more. The designer label on Monique’s
shirt was one she recognized but had never owned. The purse she had
sat down probably cost more than a month’s salary for Chelsea.
But should she trust them? What other choice did she have? Either
sleep on park benches or go with them. “Okay.”

“
One
condition first.”

She
nodded, knowing she’d do almost anything to get a shower and a
nice comfy bed to sleep in for the night.

“
Answer
one question for me.”

Chelsea
nodded again.

“
Are
you pregnant?”

Chelsea
jerked upright. How did Monique know? Could she see the pregnancy
already? “No, I—”

Monique
stood up from the chair. “Don’t lie to me or I won’t
help you.”

“
Fine.
I am, but how do you know?”

An
OBGYN card dropped on the table. “This had fallen on the floor
next to your backpack.”

Chelsea
got up from the table and followed Monique to the door.

Just
before going outside, Monique turned to her. “Are you keeping
the baby?”

Having
not made that decision yet, she gave Monique a shrug.

“
Once
you’re settled in with us, we’ll discuss your options.
How does that sound?”

Chelsea
smiled as she followed her out. Two tons of weight seemed to have
been lifted off her shoulders.

CHAPTER
1

Dear
Ms. Montgomery, Hello. I recently learned you gave birth to my child.
I wish to speak to you. Enclosed is my business card. Please contact
me before I alert my attorney in regards to this situation.

Jordan
Case

An
Oregon autumn breeze blew Chelsea’s hair up into her face. She
shoved it down while trying to keep her eyes focused on the paper
clutched in her hand. The neatly printed words mocked her. The urge
to cry built inside her but she wouldn’t allow herself the
relief. Wind from the incoming storm ruffled the paper and blew her
hair up once again. She chewed on her nail for a minute, caught
herself and dropped her hand back down to her lap.

Rain
pelted from the sky. Afraid it would smudge the ink, she shoved the
letter into her coat pocket. It didn’t matter if her hair was
now plastered against her head. She didn’t care that her coat
failed to keep the drops of water from slipping down through the
collar, soaking her blouse to her skin. The scent of the moldy leaves
made her cough. The letter connected her to Jordan, an important
connection she hadn’t known she’d missed. Until now.

Jordan
Case. His memory came swooping though her like a flooding river. She
remembered the way she’d run her fingers through his curls, or
when he’d kiss the tip of her nose. He’d made her feel so
special when he had carried her books for her, as though they had
been in another era. When he had been waiting to walk her home from
work at night, he’d grab her in a giant hug as though he hadn’t
seen her in a month. All this time, she’d tried not to care
about her past. But she did.

She
also cared about how Jordan had found her. What had been the point of
the letter? Ten years. Damn, it had been a long time. Why now? Why
pull her back? He should hate her and she would, if it were the other
way around. But no. Here he was, writing to her. Why couldn’t
he just leave her alone? She stood up from the park bench and walked
out of the park. How many other people knew where she lived? It
didn’t matter anymore. “I owe it to him,” she
whispered to herself while crossing the street.

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ABOUT
THE AUTHOR

Wendy
Ely is a contemporary romance author. She writes some romantic
suspense, really hot stories, and the wonderful happily-ever-after.
She lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her own real-life hero and her two
teenagers.

Wendy
loves to hear from readers. Email her at [email protected]