Ladd Fortune (27 page)

Oh, silly fool! Why had she broken her
promise to Malcolm? And now she stood face-to-face with Jeremiah on
her own!

Annie took charge. Gesturing for Lacy
to stay behind her, she walked toward him and demanded, “What are
you doing here, Jeremiah?”

“
Collecting what’s mine,” he
said snidely, then jogged downhill through wooded brush.

“
Nothing here belongs to
you,” Annie informed him.

Jeremiah cocked his head. “Aren’t you
all high and mighty these days?”

“
I’m relating the facts,
Jeremiah. Nothing more and nothing less.”

Lacy’s breathing grew shallow. She
didn’t like the mean-spirited look flashing in Jeremiah’s eyes. It
reminded her of the day she left him. He’d been so callous, so
awful, announcing that he wasn’t giving her any more money. His
days of supporting her were over.

She’d only been seventeen! She had no
savings, no experience. How did he expect her to go out on her own?
Jeremiah didn’t care. Just like that, no warning, no leeway, he’d
strolled through their front door and told her she was on her
own.

Jeremiah slanted a glance toward the
rocks behind them. “I see you know about the gold.” Annie didn’t
respond. Lacy kept mum. “Who else knows?”

“
Unfortunately you do,”
Annie returned evenly.

“
Watch your tongue, Annie,”
he said, jumping at her. Annie shrieked, causing him to laugh. “Not
so tough are you?”

A bomb went off in Lacy’s heart and she
hollered, “Shame on you, Jeremiah!” The man was infected with the
devil, that’s what he was—pure evil and she was leaving this
instant. She turned on her heel, but he grabbed her arm.

“
Where do you think you’re
going?”

“
Let me go!” she cried and
yanked her arm. His fingers dug into her skin like bear claws.
“You’re hurting me!”

“
I’m gonna do a whole lot
more, you walk away from me like that again.”

“
What do you want? I don’t
have anything for you.”

“
You never were a very
bright one, were you?”

Lacy took offense at the comment, but
worse, she was scared. Jeremiah had hurt her. He was acting crazy.
She could see Annie thought the same, her eyes hollowed by fear.
But surely Jeremiah wasn’t going to do anything serious to them.
Why would he?

“
Now, you two are going to
stand there while I collect a few chunks of my gold, and then
you’re going to walk out of here with me.”

“
For what purpose?” Annie
asked, anger firing her voice back to life.

“
Because I said so. And
after I’m finished here, you and I are going to have a little talk
about this paternity test you keep screeching about.”

Annie’s expression erupted into anger,
but she kept a lid on it.

“
That’s right,” he said,
serving up a nasty look. “You are going to back off that stupid
stunt of yours and accept the facts. I’m not paying for your
illegitimate kid.”

“
You have no say over what I
do or don’t do.”

“
Don’t I?” He pulled a
chisel from his back pocket and walked over to the rocks. Running a
hand over the gray surface, he located the strands of gold and
paused, gazing at Annie. “Let’s just hope for your sake you don’t
need the kind of convincing my friends specialize in.”

“
Jeremiah!” Lacy couldn’t
take this another instant. He was threatening her
sister!

Annie’s demeanor grew remote, colder
than the rain on a foggy winter day. Lacy’s pulse scattered as
Jeremiah began stabbing away at the stone. “What are you
doing?”

“
What does it look like I’m
doing?” he asked, whaling on the rock without pause. Chling.
Chling. The high-pitched sound echoed through the trees.

With each swing, Lacy raged. “You can’t
do that!”

“
Lacy.” Annie warned her off
with a quick shake of her head.

Lacy willed her sister to understand.
He’s stealing the gold! He’s taking it and there will be none left
for you and Casey!

Jeremiah kept digging until a nugget
fell away. Catching it he smiled, then held it up for them to see.
But in the dusky light, it didn’t look like anything but rock. Lacy
hoped it was. She hoped Jeremiah couldn’t see what he was doing and
all he’d succeeded in taking was rock. Stone. Worthless pebbles.
Shoving the piece into his front pocket Jeremiah continued chipping
away for what felt like an eternity.

Lacy felt helpless. Annie’s face had
emptied of emotion, her eyes lifeless as she watched him chip away
at her daughter’s inheritance. It wasn’t right, Lacy fumed. It
wasn’t right what Jeremiah was doing and someone should stop him.
Deep in her heart of hearts, Lacy knew that if Casey were entitled
to the gold, so was Jeremiah. But Jeremiah didn’t deserve it. He
didn’t deserve anything good because all he put out into the world
was bad. It was called karma and one of these days his would come
around and smack him on the backside.

Wait until Malcolm heard about
this—Jeremiah would get his due. Then it dawned on her. Malcolm.
Lacy’s spirits fell into her boots. Would he be mad she told Annie
about the gold? Of course he would.

Finally, Jeremiah straightened. He slid
the chisel back into his pocket and commanded, “Let’s
go.”

“
Go where?” Lacy
asked.

“
Out,” he
replied.

“
I don’t want to go anywhere
with you!”

He chuckled. “Aw, Lacy, why do you have
to go on and hurt my feelings like that? I thought we were
friends.”

“
You are no friend of
mine.”

“
Well, isn’t that too bad,
because I’ve decided to introduce you two ladies to a few friends
of mine.” Jeremiah targeted Annie and said, “Just to be sure we
understand each other.”

Annie silently urged Lacy to move. Go.
Walk. But it isn’t right, Lacy wanted to shout! They couldn’t give
in so easily. Who knew what Jeremiah had in mind. But with no man
to protect them, Lacy understood they were helpless. Victims. And
it angered her even more. “You’re gonna get what’s coming to you,
Jeremiah Ladd!”

With one last look at Jeremiah, at
Annie, Lacy reluctantly turned and headed for the main trail. Annie
hiked alongside her, a powerful strength emanating from her. She
was so brave, Lacy thought. Annie was strong and determined while
she on the other hand was unable to shake the feeling of a criminal
walking to the guillotine.

Chapter Twenty

Delaney sat rigid in the front seat as
Nick drove the last stretch home to Ladd Springs. From the
backseat, Malcolm could feel her turmoil. She was a woman of
action, yet she was bound to her seat, immobile. Nick had explained
to her that he and Malcolm were going out tonight, on business, and
she had to stay home. It wasn’t news Delaney wanted to hear. But
after a scuffle of debate, the matter had been settled. Nick and
Malcolm were going out, she was waiting at home.

Thoughts of Lacy came to mind. Visions
of her lips against his, her body beneath him brought visceral
pleasure. It turned out to be a good thing she cancelled on him for
this evening. Jeremiah was becoming a problem—a problem that needed
their immediate attention, putting killer curves and sex appeal on
hold. Actually, as much as he relished her body, it was Lacy’s
spirit of sunshine and innocence that appealed to him most. Hiking
up to the falls yesterday had been fun. It had been an easygoing,
spontaneous adventure of frivolous, free-spirited fun with a woman
who was the epitome of impulsive adventure. While they never made
it to the skinny-dipping, the mere fact it had been an option
tickled his fancy.

Malcolm sensed that Lacy was becoming
more to him than a passing fancy. Perhaps it was because he was
getting older, but he was tiring of the pretentious glamour and
superficiality of the dating scene in Los Angeles. He spent much of
his time in the company of beautiful women but never felt as if
they wanted him for him. It was the prestige of being with an
international businessman that appealed to them. The allure of his
money, his experience. Malcolm was over it. He was ready for down
to earth. He was ready for easy and fun.

Dare he say he was ready for
commitment?

Nick turned left, driving over the
bridge that was the entrance to Ladd Springs, but Malcolm’s
attention had been snagged by a white car parked near the
trailhead. “Who’s that?” he asked, as wood planks vibrated beneath
the vehicle as Nick’s tires rolled over the bridge.

“
Who’s what?” Delaney asked
absently.

“
That white car, over there
by the trail,” he said, his instincts jumping to life.

Delaney’s blonde hair whipped around
and she gasped. “What’s Annie doing in the forest?”

“
Annie?”

“
That’s Annie’s car,”
Delaney spelled out for him, her tone rising with irritation. “But
she has no business on the trail.” She turned in her seat and asked
Nick, “What do you think she’s up to?”

Nick shrugged. “Don’t know, but I’m
willing to find out.”

Malcolm had a bad feeling. Lacy knew
about the gold. Lacy cared about her sister’s hostility toward her.
Did she go back on her word and tell Annie? Nick parked the car,
and he and Malcolm leaped from the vehicle.

Delaney picked up the rear, but Nick
warned her off. “Stay here, Delaney. I don’t need the complication
of your quarrel with Annie.”

“
What?”

“
You heard me. Stay here. Go
up to the cabin. I’ll check in with you before I leave.”

Crossing the field, Malcolm noted the
setting sun. It would be dark soon. A woman alone in the forest at
night was a bad idea. He picked up his pace, forcing his jog into a
run. As they neared the car, Malcolm glimpsed a sight that tore his
heart in two. Lacy’s purse on the passenger seat. Chafed by her
possible deception, he prayed it was coincidence. Anger warred with
concern. If only he could believe in coincidence.

Nick ran the entire way, a fact that
suited Malcolm just fine. Heart pounding, legs taxed, he had no
interest in delaying the inevitable. If Lacy had gone behind his
back and shared the location of the gold with Annie he needed to
know—the sooner the better. He was having feelings for the woman
and to discover she didn’t deserve them was information better
gained now, despite the fact it would hurt. As they ran past Zack’s
Falls, the certainty that Lacy had broken her promise penetrated
like a stake to the heart. No woman lied to Malcolm Ward and
preserved his confidence.

No woman.

Malcolm pushed forward
against his labored breathing, catching a whip of branches as Nick
cleared them from his path. As they ran, they continually scanned
the forest, the rocks, and the ravine below. Hopefully they’d be at
the site within minutes. Thoughts whirred through Malcolm’s brain,
logical explanations as to why Lacy was here with her sister and
not the
cause
for
the trip. Maybe Annie discovered it on her own and Lacy tagged
along out of prurient curiosity. Maybe her sister asked her to come
as cover, so she could blame it on Lacy when Delaney came down on
her for trespassing. There were a million reasons Lacy could be
here with her sister that didn’t include deception. Only Malcolm
didn’t believe a single one.

Anticipation thudded in his chest as
they passed the rock where he kissed Lacy. Shooting a glance toward
the cluster of boulders, the gold vein, Malcolm saw nothing. No
one. Ahead of him Nick had stopped. “They’re not here.”

Malcolm hauled up next to his partner
and scanned the depths of the forest. Silhouettes moved eerily
through the trees, trunks black and massive, bushes still. Nothing
moved. There wasn’t a soul in sight. Crickets sawed to life in a
slew of noise around them. Misgiving clawed at him. He pulled the
cell phone from his pocket and dialed Lacy’s number. Nick watched
pensively as Malcolm waited through rings.

“
Voice mail.” He ended the
call and shoved the phone back into place. Raking a hand through
his hair, he glanced around the forest, willing her figure to
appear.

Where are you,
Lacy
?

With a hand to Malcolm’s shoulder, Nick
said quietly, “We’ll find her.”

Malcolm nodded but bit back his
response. She had been here. Her purse was in the car. Her phone
was probably in it. But why had she left it behind?

They had to find her. When they did,
what would he learn?

“
Back to Plan A,” Nick
said.

“
Yeah.” Plan A. Jeremiah
Ladd.

Jeremiah drove Lacy and Annie to his
motel. Sitting in the backseat, Lacy clutched her sister. To her
relief, Annie didn’t remove her claw-like grasp, simply held her
hand like it was the most normal thing in the world. As they drove,
neither woman said a word. They only stared—at Jeremiah, out the
window, toward the road ahead. They were headed into town. Jeremiah
didn’t say why or where they were going. Simply that they were
going for a ride.