Hot on Her Heels (13 page)

Talk about terrifying, she thought. All that responsibility, all at once. How had he done it?

“Did you have help?” she asked. “Other family?”

“No family. A few neighbors came in to do what they could. Jed had already thrown me out once. I wasn't going back to him.”

“He wouldn't have bothered,” she said, aching for the teenager forced to grow up too fast.

“We were lucky in some ways,” he said. “Her recovery was easy—she needed a little physical therapy, but nothing too intense. It was her brain that had been damaged. My first plan was to quit school and get a job.
My school counselor talked me into staying in school. She pointed out I would make a lot more money in the long-term, if I went to college.”

How had he known how to survive? Just the basics, like buying groceries, paying bills, cooking? Not to mention caring for a suddenly mentally disabled parent.

“What about social services?” she asked. “They didn't try to take you away from her?”

“No. I don't think anyone was willing to report what had happened. They all felt bad. She got disability payments,” he continued. “That covered the bills, but not her care. She couldn't stay by herself. I worked after school for a while, but that meant more time I needed to pay someone to be with her, so I got a night job as a janitor. I worked while she slept.”

She swore under her breath. “When did
you
sleep?”

“When I got older. I could only pay for someone to be around so many hours a day. We had great neighbors. They would look in on her. College was harder, because I was gone during the week. I could drive home on weekends to check on her and I did, but those years were tough.” He hesitated. “She went into a group home for a while. My last two years of college. She seemed to like it, so that was something.”

He didn't sound convinced.

“Garth, you can't blame yourself for that. You'd done more than most people. You took care of her when you were still supposed to be a kid. You were totally alone. You can't beat yourself up for that.”

“I don't. I blame Jed.”

“He deserves it.”

She'd known for a while why Garth wanted to destroy Jed, but listening to his story made the reasons more real and immediate. The money to save Kathy Duncan would have meant nothing to Jed. It was pocket change. He'd once cared about her enough to sleep with her and later set up a trust fund that should have taken care of her for the rest of her life. If tragedy hadn't struck. Now all their lives were different, because of one thoughtless act.

“Where does Kathy live now?”

“Around the corner from the pet store. I bought her a little house with a garden. She has someone stay with her when she's not at work. Her caretakers take shifts. They've been with her seven or eight years. It works.”

He'd solved the problems he could, she thought. The logistics. But there was nothing he could do to get his mom back. Not to the way she'd been.

They walked into the pet store. The teenager in front greeted them.

“We have new puppies,” she said with a grin. “Kathy's taking care of them.”

Garth nodded.

Was it always like this? Did he have a coded conversation every time he came in, finding out from people how his mother was doing? What happened on a bad day?

They headed for the rear of the store. Kathy sat beside a large pen watching three black Lab puppies
tumble and play. She looked up and beamed when she saw her company.

“Garth!” She scrambled to her feet, then took the latte he offered. “You came to see me.”

He kissed her cheek. “It's Saturday.”

She nodded, her eyes wide and happy. “You always come on Saturday.” She turned to Dana. “You're friends now. I knew you would be.”

Dana blinked and tried to smile.

Kathy was casually dressed in jeans and a bright pink polo shirt. A green smock with Titanville Pet Palace on the front covered her from shoulders to knees. She held her coffee in both hands, still smiling, as if her day couldn't get better.

“The puppies are nice,” Garth said. “Have you found homes for them yet?”

“Two,” Kathy said. “They'll be by later to pick them up.” She looked at Dana. “You'll need a dog, but not for a while. You're still not ready.”

Dana shifted in place. “I'm, um, not really a pet person.”

“You will be.”

There was a scary knowingness in Kathy's happy expression, as if she could see dimensions the rest of the world didn't even know existed. Determined not to be totally freaked out, Dana smiled back and shifted so Garth was between her and Kathy.

Kathy put her coffee on a shelf by the pen and took one of his hands in both of hers.

“You're not so sad today.” She released him, then returned her attention to Dana. “I've known Garth a long time.”

“I know. He loves you very much.”

Kathy's smile widened. “I'm lucky.”

“Yes, you are,” Garth said quietly, then kissed her cheek. “I'll be by to see you later this week,” he promised.

“Okay.”

Kathy dropped down by the puppies and spoke softly to them. Dana studied her for a moment, wondering if they were forgotten now, until the next time she saw one of them. Did Kathy remember or dream or long for something different? Or was she happy in her own world?

Garth had gone out of his way to give her a good life, but what had he given himself? What were
his
dreams and longings when it came to Kathy? That she could be herself? The parent he'd lost so many years ago?

“God, I hate this,” he muttered as they left. He tossed away his half-finished coffee. “Seeing her like that.”

“I was just thinking you've made her a lovely life.”

“I have money to spend on her, so I'm one of the lucky ones. I know that. But this isn't her. My mother was a vibrant, funny, smart woman who saw the ridiculousness in life. She loved to argue politics and read a book a day. She talked about wanting to travel. We
were supposed to go to Europe for the summer when I graduated high school. Every week we put twenty dollars into a special savings account. By the time I graduated, it would have been enough.”

His pain was a living creature breathing down the back of her neck. She didn't know what to say—how to help him feel better. Then she realized there would never be the right words. Telling him no one deserved this wouldn't make a difference at all.

Not knowing what else she could offer, she reached for his hand and laced her fingers between his.

He looked at her, his dark eyes clouded with hurt and anger. “You don't strike me as the hand-holding type.”

“I'm not. So I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention this to anyone.”

“I won't say a word.”

 

D
ANA GOT HOME A
lot earlier than she'd planned. After visiting Kathy, Garth had announced he needed to go into the office. She suspected he mostly needed some time alone to bury himself in work so he could forget…at least for a little while. He'd promised to call her later so they could go to dinner, but she wasn't holding her breath.

Her relationship with Garth was confusing at best and not easily defined. Distance between them wasn't a bad idea.

Dana parked her rental in her space, then walked
toward her apartment. She'd barely pushed the door open when every sense in her body went on alert. Without thinking, she shoved her hand into her purse and pulled out her handgun. The purse dropped to the floor and she kicked it out of the way. Then she stepped into the room.

Everything was exactly as she'd left it, with one very real exception. Jed Titan sat on her sofa, reading a magazine.

He glanced up at her, then showed her the front of the magazine.
“Time,”
he said. “Impressive. I'm glad you're keeping up with current events.” He looked from her face to the gun in her hands. “Are you planning on shooting me?”

“That depends on why you're here.”

J
ED TOSSED THE MAGAZINE
onto the coffee table, then pointed to the club chair opposite. “I'm here to talk, Dana,” he told her. “Alone. But if it makes you feel like you're in charge, you can continue to hold the gun.”

She walked to the chair and pulled it away from him, so she wouldn't be in reach, then sat down. She kept the gun on her lap. “Thanks, but I don't need your permission.”

“Still feisty, I see. Not a big surprise. People rarely change. I remember you when you were a little girl. Big eyes and ragged clothes. I never understood why you and Lexi became friends.”

Her clothes hadn't been ragged, but she knew he was simply making a point.

She kept her breathing steady, her body relaxed. She wanted to be on alert, but not hyper-vigilant. No need to wear herself out. Jed could be planning a long conversation.

Even as she watched him, she was aware of her surroundings. While she suspected he was alone, as he'd claimed, she didn't want to be caught unawares.

“There's a lot you don't understand,” she told him. “Like how to make a point. What was with the car chase? It was practically a cartoon. I would have expected better.”

“Don't worry,” he said calmly. “You'll get it.”

She gave him a faint smile. “Let me guess—you're here to warn me about something. I'm to do exactly what you say or there will be dire consequences. If only there was some movie music to fill out the moment.”

“I'm here to tell you to back off or you'll be sorry.”

Not a surprise, she thought. “And here I was hoping for more.”

“Look at you, Dana. Always the lost puppy, on the fringe of everything. Lexi was good to you, helping you fit in, making you feel like you belonged. Later Skye and Izzy joined her. But you'll never be one of them. You know that, right? They're sisters. You're just someone they know.”

He was good, she thought, doing her best not to react. If he'd talked about her lack of money, she would have been able to laugh him off. But talking about belonging was much smarter.

“I'm a big girl now,” she said easily. “I can take care of myself.”

“Keep telling yourself that. Maybe it will be true. How's Garth?”

She blinked. “I have no idea.”

“But you were with him earlier. I saw you in front of Kathy's pet store. Holding hands.” He gave her a knowing smile. “So romantic. It's really funny when
you think about it. All your life you've been trying to be equal with my girls and now you're dating my son. I should warn you, it didn't work with them and it won't work with him. You'll never be a Titan, Dana. You're not one of us. You know that. You try to pretend it doesn't matter, but we both know differently. After all, your father hit you for a reason.”

It took every ounce of control she had, but she was determined not to react. At the same time she sat there, completely still, a voice screamed in her head. What the hell? Had everyone in town known she was being beaten on a regular basis and no one had thought to ask a couple of questions or turn in her old man? Had everyone looked the other way?

Stupid question and she already knew the answer.

“You're trash, Dana,” Jed said, almost kindly. “In my day we would call someone like you poor white trash. My girls know that and so does Garth. I'm not saying he doesn't enjoy fucking you. You're athletic. I'm sure you can keep him happy in bed for a couple of months. But it's not going to last. I'm saying that with a full heart.”

He actually put his hand on his chest as he spoke, as if to convince her of his sincerity.

“I'm beyond touched,” she said dryly. “And officially bored with this conversation. Was there anything else?” She glanced at her watch. “Because otherwise, I need to get going.”

Jed rose. She did, as well, keeping distance between them and a firm hold on her gun.

“You'll back off,” he said flatly.

“Or I'll find a horse's head in my bed?”

“Nothing that abstract. I prefer to be more direct. If you don't back off, all of you, I'll start hurting the people you love most.”

Her mouth went dry. “You already tried that once.”

“Next time I won't leave anything to chance. Next time the consequences will be a lot more serious. Lexi or Izzy or Skye might not get out alive.”

 

“Y
OU OKAY?
” Garth asked.

Dana shook her head. She was sure she would never be okay again. “He was so cold,” she said, folding her arms over herself and doing her best not to shake. “So casual, the way he talked about hurting his own daughters. Who does that? He's become a monster. When did that happen?”

After Jed had left, Dana had checked the place to make sure no one else was there, then had driven to Garth's office.

He sat next to her on the sofa by the window and slowly rubbed her back. “Do you want me to get you something to calm you down? Tea? Something stronger?”

She glared at him. “I'm not hysterical. I don't need to be sedated.”

“I'm just offering.”

“Don't. We need to figure out a plan. We need to stop him.”

“We have a plan.”

“It's not working,” she snapped, then shook her head. “Sorry. I'm a little on edge.”

“I hadn't noticed.”

She managed a slight smile, then took a deep breath. “Okay. What are we going to do?”

“I'll let Mitch, Cruz and Nick know what happened and what Jed said.” He hesitated. “If I tell you something, you have to keep it to yourself.”

“What are we, in high school?”

“I'm serious.”

He looked serious. Determined and a little intimidating. Not that she would tell him that.

“Fine. I won't say anything.”

“The guys have hired bodyguards.”

He didn't say any more than that, but Dana could fill in the rest. She sprang to her feet, put her hands on her hips and glared at him.

“Are you serious?” she yelled. “My friends are being watched and they don't know it?”

He stood. “Protected. There's a difference and you know it. It's a precaution. Based on what Jed said, do you think it's such a bad idea?”

She opened her mouth then closed it. “No,” she grumbled, sinking back onto the sofa.

She bounced back to her feet, then poked him in the chest with her index finger. “You better not have anyone following me or I swear I'll disembowel you.”

“There's a visual.”

“I mean it, Garth.”

He sighed heavily. “I don't have anyone on you. With your professional training I knew you'd be better prepared. I'd like to have you protected…”

“And I'd like to win a megalottery. We all have unfulfilled dreams. You'll have to get over this one.”

“That's what I thought you'd say. But with Jed making overt threats, I want you to be really careful.”

The man had sent people to run her off the road and then had shown up in her house. She was going to be the poster child for careful.

If only the license plate numbers had helped, but as she'd suspected, they'd been stolen.

“I'm not the only one who has to watch herself,” she said. “Jed could just as easily come after you. That's the most direct road to success.”

“Are you worried about me?”

Garth put his hands on her waist and drew her against him. She didn't really want to go, but the second he touched her, she didn't seem to have much will to resist. There was something about the heat of his body or the strength of it. It made her want to melt. And she was not the melting kind.

She managed to push his hands off her waist and take a step back. “Worried is too strong a word. I know Izzy would be upset if something happened to you. She's determined to see you as one of the family.”

He pulled her close again and kissed her jaw. “What do you see me as?”

“Trouble,” she said, trying not to sound breathless. Which was really hard because tingles followed everywhere his mouth touched. Even as he kissed his way down her neck, she felt heat flaring in her breasts and between her legs.

He paused at the edge of her sweatshirt. For a second she thought about just ripping it off, but stopped herself. They were in Garth's office. While it might be Saturday, she'd seen several people around. Anyone could walk in. She wasn't the type who enjoyed being a show.

She managed to push away again, only this time she really, really didn't want to stop.

He cupped her face in his hands. “I'll be careful,” he promised.

“Good.”

“If you'll go to Skye's fund-raiser with me.”

The tingles died.

“What?”

“Skye is having a fund-raiser next weekend. It's an annual event. I promised I'd go and I want you there with me.”

“Why?” The question popped out before she could stop it.

“Because you're my girlfriend.”

His what?

She stared at him. Girlfriend? As in relationship?

Her mind went completely blank. She wasn't the relationship type. She was difficult and awkward and
the most she knew about getting fancy with makeup was to put on a second coat of mascara.

“I don't go to Skye's fund-raisers. It's not my thing.”

He dropped his hands to her shoulders and stared into her eyes. “It's not my thing, either, but I promised.”

“So you go.”

“I will. With you.”

She wanted to complain that she had nothing to wear, but he was a guy and he wouldn't get that. She wanted to tell him that events like that made her feel uncomfortable and out of place. Worse, she remembered what Jed had claimed. That she would never fit in. Never be an equal. Did her reaction to the invitation prove he was right?

Garth squeezed her shoulders, then released her. “It wasn't supposed to be that hard a question. If you don't want to go, it's fine.”

Pride battled with fear. Was she really going to let Jed get in her head and mess with her? “No. I'll go.”

“You could sound a little more enthused.”

She forced a smile. “I'll go. Thanks for asking.”

He kissed her. “You'll have fun. It's at Glory's Gate.”

“Since when? Skye doesn't live there anymore.”

Garth grinned. “He's renting out the house. Skye's paying a premium, but it's a good property for this kind of event.”

Glory's Gate. At least Dana knew her way around the place. It would be a lot easier than a fancy hotel.

He leaned close, his mouth barely touching her ear. “Just so we're clear—this is a date. I'll be driving.”

He expected her to laugh. The punch line was him driving. The “D” word was incidental. To him. To her it was the first step into a terrifying and unfamiliar world from which she might never find her way back.

“F-fine,” she whispered, knowing it was anything but.

 

“W
HAT WAS
I
THINKING?
” Dana demanded of Lexi three days later when they met up at an exclusive boutique Dana had never stepped in before. It was easier to focus on her panic about the coming fund-raiser than worry about what Jed might be planning for his daughters. Or try not to see the mysterious male shopper who was obviously—at least to Dana—Lexi's bodyguard. While she didn't like the idea of keeping secrets from her friends, she knew that protecting them came first. None of the Titan sisters would accept the idea of bodyguards. Better pissed at her than dead, she thought grimly, then pushed her conversation with Jed away. If she kept thinking about it, she was at risk of blurting out something she would immediately regret.

“You were thinking it would be fun to see Garth's world,” Lexi said soothingly. “Or your brain was momentarily toasted from something he was doing to the rest of you.”

“We were only kissing,” Dana said absently, staring at all the clothes around her, wishing there was a rack
marked Clothes Dana Wouldn't Rather Die Than Wear with a big sale sign on it.

“Interesting. If just his kissing can do that, I wonder what he can do when he puts his mind to it.”

“You have no idea,” Dana said.

Lexi patted her arm. “You'll be fine. Okay, the outfit. Skye's saying formal but not white tie, so that helps.”

Dana was sure it would if she actually knew the difference between white tie and black tie.

“I'm open to suggestions,” she said between gritted teeth.

The boutique was well-lit and screamed expensive. There weren't even tons of clothes on display. Just one of everything. Then a salesperson went off and got your size. Shopping in a place like this was the seventh level of hell for her. The only thing that kept her in place was the fear of embarrassing Garth. It should be embarrassing herself, but she didn't care what people thought of her. But Garth would have business associates at the event. Friends, maybe. He would take her, regardless of what she was wearing. He would never ask her to change clothes, but that didn't mean he would be thrilled if she showed up in jeans and a T-shirt.