Letting Go (24 page)

***

Jonas bit back tears as he fled to the truck. As he turned the engine over and put the truck in gear, he stared at the house. From the moment she had stepped off that bus, she was a different person. Her eyes were bright and clear with no trace of fear or confusion in them. Casey Wilkes had finally found herself. Jonas smiled and pressed down the gas pedal and drove out of the driveway. As he made the short drive into town, his thoughts drifted to the future. He would go to art school someday, of that he had no doubt. But he had to see Casey through this one last battle. He wondered if she wasn’t getting in over her head. Although she was ten times stronger than she had been when all this started, Jonas knew better than to underestimate her parents.

Casey’s admission of Elliot’s sexual abuse and the birth of her son had been a complete shock to him. He had never guessed how deep her secrets ran. Clearly, the most important thing to her now was making sure her son was well protected. But Elliot and Caroline had money, influence and experience. Casey needed something in her favor. Jonas wracked his brain for the answer but nothing came. As he turned down Main Street, his eyes caught on a familiar figure. Peter Caulfield was filling up his Lexus at the same gas station that Jonas was headed for. As he pulled the rickety truck up behind the Senator’s sleek black car, an idea raced through his brain. Instinct told him it would probably work but would Casey ever forgive him for it? He sat for several seconds in silent contemplation, and then got out of the truck.

“Jonas, how are you?” asked Peter as he replaced the pump.

“Good sir.”

“How’s Casey?”

“Um, she’s good – she’s back in town.”

Peter eyed him closely and then nodded. “I know. I saw the paper.”

Jonas gave him a startled look. “What?”

“I was actually on my way out to see her but I didn’t have quite enough gas for the trip.”

“You were?”

Peter laughed at Jonas’s high-pitched voice. “I figure she could use some advice from her old man. What do you think?”

Jonas shook his head, unsure of what he was hearing. “Are you telling me you know who she is?”

“I believe so. I was hoping she’d confirm it for me but it looks like you just did that for her.”

“How?” Jonas croaked.

“It’s not every day that a man like Devlin Prescott gets arrested. It’s also not every day that you forget a woman as inherently evil and duplicitous as Caroline Carver. After I read that article, everything just kind of fell into place. Casey’s age, her meeting with Devlin a couple of months ago. I wanted to stop by a couple of days ago but I figured Casey still had some unfinished business she had to deal with.”

“You sent her the newspaper article,” Jonas breathed.

He nodded. “I figured she could use a little push in the right direction.” Peter hesitated and then said, “How is she?”

“I think she needs your help. She just doesn’t know it yet.”

***

Casey was finishing the last of the instructions for Dr. Jackson when she heard the bell go off in the front lobby. She glanced at her watch and realized it was too soon for Jonas to be back. Writing down the last notation from the card on the cat cage in front of her, Casey hurried to the front room. As she opened the door, she said, “I’m sorry, we’re closed.”

A man stood just inside the doorway, his back to her. At first her heart leaped when she thought it was Devlin but then she realized his build wasn’t quite right. “Sir, I’m sorry, but we’re closed,” she said again as she moved farther into the room. When he finally turned around, a scream caught in her throat and she dropped the clipboard.

Mateo Santero studied his prey with dark eyes. His long coat swished lightly over the material of his black pants as he moved closer to her. She took several steps back but came up hard against the wall.

“How are you Casey?”

His menacing voice bounced off her as she glanced around the room. He was in the line of the front door and he’d be on her instantly if she tried to make it through the swing door to the back. As he closed the distance between them, she forced her body to relax as her mind raced. She had to get him out of here before Jonas got back.

Mateo ran his hand down the length of her cheek. “I’ve missed you,” he said as his fingertip drifted down the column of her throat and finally stopped between her breasts.

“How did you find me?” she asked, her voice surprisingly strong.

“Well, now, that’s a funny story. You see, after you and that piece of shit fag ran out on me, I had to weigh my options. Your departure cost me a lot of money. All I had that was worth anything was the little video we made but the company I sold it to ripped me off – they made a hundred times more on it than what they paid.”

Casey closed her eyes as the truth hit her. “You gave my parents the video.”

“Sold it to them actually. Your stepfather seemed to want it pretty bad and he paid a pretty penny for it too. Funny thing is he was disappointed to learn that you had only made the one video.

“How did you find them?”

Mateo laughed. “They found me sweetheart.” He ran the tip of his finger back up her chest as he spoke and then stopped on the pulse point in her neck.

“My name was on your arrest record since I posted your bond. Daddy reached out to me a couple of weeks ago and I told him how much fun you had making that video. And then this morning he calls me up again and asks me if I’m interested in seeing you again. The information didn’t cost me a thing – hell, I’m surprised the son of a bitch didn’t offer to pay my way up here.” Mateo let out a laugh as he ran his fingers over her hair. “You’re even more beautiful now,” he murmured as his eyes traveled up and down her frame.

A cold silence fell across the room as he stared at her for a long time before finally moving away from her. He went around the counter and found what he was looking for. As he yanked the telephone cord out of the wall, he said, “Where’s my little friend Jonas?”

“He left this morning.”

“Don’t lie to me Casey. You were never good at it.”

“I’m not lying. We figured you’d be on to us so I sent him on ahead of me. I was just leaving instructions for my replacement,” she said as she indicated the clipboard on the floor.

“Where is he headed?”

“I’m not sure.” Her answer was received with a resounding smack across her cheek.

“Where?” screamed Mateo.

“Miami – we were supposed to meet at the bus station in Miami on Friday. The information’s on there.” She motioned to the clipboard and when Mateo reached for it she kicked him hard in the groin and ran for the main door.

***

Devlin fidgeted behind the wheel of the rental car as he made his way down the open highway. He still hadn’t been able to figure out what he was going to say to Casey when he saw her but whatever it was, he realized it would never be enough. She had risked everything to keep him out of prison and it had worked. He had blamed her for keeping her secret to protect herself but he had been wrong about her once again. She had been protecting everyone around her including her own son. By ensuring Isabel’s future, she had jeopardized her own life as well as Jonas’s and had exposed the existence of her son to the two people that she feared most.

Devlin had spent countless hours berating himself for not recognizing the possibility that Casey had been sexually abused. He’d even had the gall to lecture her on knowing nothing about being a parent even though she had made the ultimate sacrifice in giving up her son so that he could have a better life. If it took every cent in his bank account, he would make sure that Elliot and Caroline would never get their hands on Casey’s child. He only hoped that she would accept his help.

His thoughts drifted back to the morning after they’d made love. It had felt so right to wake up with her in his arms. He’d always enjoyed sex but when he had watched Casey come apart in his arms that first time it became something else entirely. His physical need had been unlike anything he had ever experienced but when he’d been inside her and she’d clung to him it was like something that he hadn’t known had been missing was returned to him. He wasn’t even sure when he had started falling in love with her but knew the moment he had joined his body with hers that he wouldn’t be able to give her up. Even after that terrible video and stunning admission he had agonized over letting her go. Knowing what she had been through had cut him to the bone and the fact that she had kept it from him had killed something inside him but even as he had walked away from her he knew he would find his way back to her someday. But he had also known his future was up in the air since he had already made the decision to hide Isabel the second he left that courtroom. It had taken only twenty minutes to get his parents and the children on a flight out of the country. It had been a backup plan that he had hoped he wouldn’t need but was glad he had planned for.

He’d been processed out of the system just a few hours ago and had already made arrangements for his parents to start the long journey home. But he wanted, no, needed Casey there when he watched both his children step off that plane.

Devlin finally reached the shelter’s driveway and pulled in and came to a stop. Devlin got out of the car and made his way to the front door. He ignored the closed sign in the window and opened the door. The shelter was surprisingly quiet. The buzzer indicated his presence as he moved into the room and then went in back to check the other rooms. When he found no one, he left the shelter and made his way to the house.

As he neared the porch stairs, he glanced over his shoulders to the paddock. He didn’t see the horse anywhere in the paddock. He was about to step on the first porch stair when he remembered the horse’s dedication to Casey. If she was in the house, the horse would have been standing in the corner of the paddock, his eyes on the front door. Devlin turned around and made his way towards the barn. When he entered the dark building, he saw what he was looking for. The door to the horse’s stall was open.

“Casey?” he called as he walked down the short aisle. He didn’t hear a response, only the horse’s soft snort. “Casey, it’s Devlin,” he called again. When he reached the door of the stall, he saw her legs. The horse’s big head was blocking the rest of her body though. “Casey?” As the horse turned to look at him, Devlin was finally able to make out Casey’s form. She was slouched against the stall wall, her head off to one side. Assuming she was asleep, Devlin took a step into the stall but stopped when he saw that the half door on the other side of the stall had been kicked off its hinges.

Icy fear gripped him as he shouted her name and rushed into the stall. The horse, who had been standing so protectively over her, moved back several steps as if sensing Devlin was there to help. When Devlin reached her side, he saw the blood. The lower part of her shirt was stained bright red and a pool of blood had gathered next to her in the straw. “Oh God,” he yelled in shock. “Casey, can you hear me?” He saw her head move slightly. Reaching into his pocket he fumbled for his cell phone and dialed 911. He pressed his free hand over the wound as he shouted into the phone, “I need an ambulance at the Ashland Animal Shelter off route 13. I’m not sure - it looks like she’s been stabbed. Hurry!” He threw the phone away, ripped off his coat, covered her with it and picked her up in his arms.

Devlin raced out of the stall. “Come on Casey, talk to me!” He didn’t even notice as the large horse followed him out of the stall and into the front yard. As he made his way towards his car, he saw Jonas running towards him. Behind him was Peter Caulfield. As they neared him, Devlin dropped to the ground.

“What happened?” yelled Jonas as he reached their side. When he saw Devlin peel back the coat to expose the bloodied shirt, Jonas cried, “Oh Jesus, Casey! Casey, can you hear me?”

“Jonas, cradle her head. We have to stop the bleeding.” Jonas didn’t move. “Jonas, now!” Devlin shouted. The boy scurried to her head and carefully pulled it up into the comfort of his lap.

Peter fell to his knees on her other side and immediately pulled off his light jacket. “Did you call the paramedics?” he asked.

“They’re on the way,” Devlin said as he ripped her shirt open to expose the gaping wound in her stomach. Peter pressed the jacket over the bleeding wound. Devlin took Casey’s hand and leaned over her.

“Casey, open your eyes honey. It’s Devlin.”

Her eyes flickered briefly and then she let out a strangled cough. A spurt of blood trickled down her mouth as she managed to force her eyes open. “Devlin?”

“Yeah, honey, it’s me. I’m here. Jonas and your dad are here too,” he said gently. She looked above her head and saw Jonas looking down at her, tears streaming down his face.

“Hey girl,” Jonas managed to choke out.

“Hi.” Her eyes turned to find Peter’s. “You’re here,” was all she managed.

“Of course. I couldn’t let my girl run off without a fight now could I?” he said gently as he ran his free hand down her face.

“But how?”

“Jonas here thought you could use your old dad’s advice.”

Casey looked up at Jonas and smiled. “You told him?”

“I was going to but he already knew. Meet the mystery sender of the newspaper article.” She smiled and Jonas leaned down to kiss her forehead.