Deadly Secrets Read Free

out of here—”
    Her words tripped and rattled in his mind, broke his heart and made him wonder what the hell he’d been waiting for for the last few months. Did he even know this person? Nothing made sense.
    “When . . .” He took another deep breath.
    “Please,” she begged. “Please, help me. You’ll keep her safe.”
    His daughter? Hell yes he would.
    He opened his mouth, pissed, confused, and knew the words hot on his tongue were probably not the ones he needed to say. Instead he closed his eyes, took another deep breath and another and counted very slowly to ten. A hundred would probably be better but he didn’t have the patience for a hundred.
    “Ella. Are you at home?”
    “What? What has that—”
    “Yes or no. That’s really all I can handle right now.”
    A beat of silence. “Yes. I’m at home.”
    “Good, stay there and don’t move until I get there.” He took another deep breath as he bit down. “Then you and I, dear wife, are going to have one long conversation about many things.”
    “You’re coming?” she asked quietly. “You’re really coming?” Again her voice broke on the end and he heard her swallow.
    “God, what kind of—” She was pregnant. Pregnant. The word kept rattling in his brain. Pregnant. He probably shouldn’t yell at her. Probably, but damn it.
    Very carefully he said, “Ella, I’m heading to the airport now.” He checked his watch, calculated the time difference. “I’ll be there in about five hours, probably less. I need to call the airport and have them fuel up the jet. I’ll be landing in Taos and I’ll call you.”
    “I can come pick you up.”
    He nodded. “Okay. Now, is there anyone you can call to stay with you until I get there?” She was scared. Terrified, to be honest, he could tell that much. He raked a trembling hand through his hair.
    He heard something in the background.
    “Someone’s here,” she told him suddenly.
    He frowned.
    He heard her sigh. “Oh, it’s just a friend. I’ll see if she can stay. Or I’ll go stay with my neighbors the Richardsons after she leaves. Then you’ll be here and it’ll be okay.”
    A friend. He set his briefcase in the elevator and then tossed his duffle bag inside. He bit down. “Mrs. Kinncaid . . .” He shook his head. They’d get into that all later after he made certain she was safe. “Stay put. I’ll be there soon.”
     
    * * *
     
    New Mexico, October, the present
     
    Can’t die . . . can’t die . . .
    The lights. Too bright. Too dim. Everything in contrast. Where was she? She blinked and tried to focus.
    The street blurred before her. She saw the dark river of asphalt. The tall, wavering streetlights. Flickers of lights zoomed to and fro farther down the way.
    Where was she?
    She stopped, the road cold beneath her bare feet. Her foot hurt. Her ankle hurt.
    She raised her hands and saw there was blood on them. Blood and scabs on her mangled wrists. Her shoulders hurt. Her head throbbed. Hell, her whole body seemed to pulse with pain, almost distant and dull, but not quite enough.
    The cold wind blew against her legs and she looked down. Something shimmered, dark and glossy, along the bottoms of her legs. Why couldn’t she think?
    Something important.
    She put her hands on her stomach.
    Important . . .
    And remembered.
    Her stomach.
    The baby. The baby . . . Her baby.
    The bump was different. Smaller, softer. She pressed her abdomen with her bloody hand splayed on her stomach.
    No. No. No.
    Images, disjointed and fractured, jumped in her brain.
    A baby crying.
    Red hair.
    A room. A room where she’d been tied down.
    They’d taken her baby. Taken it. Taken her sweet little girl.
    No. No. No.
    She stood there, shaking from cold, from shock. Ice in her veins.
    “Ma’am?”
    Bright. Too bright. Bright, bright lights.
    “Ma’am?”
    Slowly, she turned and blinked.
    “Baby. My baby,” she whispered.
    Someone walked toward her, the image dark against the bright lights. A hand reached