Trust (52 page)

“No.” I paused and looked down at my hands. “I . . . I wanted to ask you for a favor.”

“Anything. You know that.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to find the words to ask him what I needed.

“Anna?” Apparently I’d been quiet for too long. Jade looked worried, too.

“Will you . . .” I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and spat it out. “John wants to see me. Will you take me to see him?”

Silence met my request, and I opened my eyes to find both Cal and Jade staring back at me. Cal had a blank look on his face. “You want me to . . . to take you to the prison to see your dad?”

I nodded.

“Why?”

“He’s asked to see me, and . . .” It was difficult to put into words all the whys. “I want to hear what he has to say. I want to know why he did it. How he could.”

Cal sighed and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Wouldn’t you rather have Coleman take you?”

I shook my head. “He doesn’t want me to go.”

He snorted. “I can’t say I’m thrilled with the idea myself.”

“So you won’t take me?”

“I didn’t say that.” Cal let his head fall back against the headrest and gave me a sideways glance. “When did you want to go?”

Suddenly I felt nauseous. This was really going to happen. “I have to call Emma. She . . . she has to arrange it.”

He nodded. “Just let me know when. I’ll rearrange my schedule to take you.”

I think I nodded, but I wasn’t sure. My nerves were getting the better of me.

Cal must have realized I wasn’t completely myself. He and Jade rode up with me in the elevator as they always did, but they didn’t leave right away. I took the opportunity to call Emma. It was something to do. Also, I was afraid that if I waited, I would chicken out.

Emma promised to look into it, but she also reminded me that I still had a restraining order against my father. She doubted the prison would allow a meeting because of that, and if they did, it would take probably take months at best to make it happen.

I told her I understood, and she agreed to call me back as soon as possible. That turned out to be fifteen minutes later. The meeting was set up for next Wednesday at two in the afternoon. It wasn’t going to be at the prison, though—Emma had been right about the restraining order and their not allowing me to visit because of it. Instead, Emma had contacted Agent Marco, and the meeting was going to occur in his office. John would be brought to Agent Marco and custody transferred to him temporarily.

Emma confirmed that John would be restrained, and she, Agent Marco, and anyone else I wanted would be present. She didn’t want me to be alone with John. No one did. I thanked her and hung up the phone before relaying the information to Cal and Jade.

Jade walked over and hugged me. “It will be okay. I can come, too, if you want.”

“You have class.”

“I can skip it.”

It wasn’t that I didn’t want her there, but I needed to do this on my own. Cal would be there with me, yes, but while he would protect me if need be, I wouldn’t lean on him like I would Jade. That was the same reason I hadn’t asked Stephan to take me.

Stephan. I’d have to tell him, and I knew he wouldn’t be happy about it. He didn’t want me to go, but I had to. For some reason . . . I had to.

Chapter 43

Brianna

As expected, Stephan wasn’t happy that I’d decided to go see John. We
were sitting in his chair on Friday night when I told him. He got really quiet for a long time before murmuring a barely audible “okay.”

It wasn’t until the next day that he asked me when I would be going. He was going to make arrangements to take the day off so he could take me, but I explained that Cal had agreed to do it. Stephan didn’t like that either. “I would rather take you myself, Brianna.”

“Cal will keep me safe.”

He twisted his mouth in distaste. “I’m sure he will, but that’s not the point. Keeping you safe is my responsibility.”

We were lying in bed, enjoying a relaxing Saturday morning. His arm was around me, holding me securely to his side. I tucked my head into his neck and tried to explain. “I’m afraid . . .”

Stephan looked down at me, lifting my chin and making me meet his gaze. “What are you afraid of?”

“I’m afraid if you go with me that . . . that I’ll lean on you too much. That I won’t go through with it.”

He frowned. “You don’t
have
to go through with it. He deserves nothing from you.”

“I know.”

Sighing, he cradled my head back against his chest. “I want you to call me as soon as you leave Agent Marco’s office, and you are to come straight home once you’re finished.”

“Okay.”

“And you are to do exactly what Agent Marco and Emma instruct you to do.”

I nodded. “I will. I promise.”

Stephan combed his fingers through my hair. “I don’t want you touching him, Brianna. Not for any reason. I don’t trust him.”

A shiver ran through me. “I won’t, Sir.”

He took a deep breath and hugged me tight before kissing the top of my head. “I’m going to worry every minute you’re there.”

That was the last thing I wanted. I kissed his chest. His neck. Anywhere I could reach. “Tell me not to go, Sir, and I won’t.”

Before I knew what was happening, I was lying flat on my back with him poised over me. He looked down at me with a level of intensity in his eyes that had nothing to do with sexual desire even though I could feel his growing erection straining against my thigh. With one hand along the side of my head, gripping possessively, he brought our foreheads together. “As much as I want to do just that, I won’t. I won’t take that decision from you, Brianna. I won’t be like him.”

“You’re not.” Stephan was nothing like John or Ian. He always put me first. Always.

He skimmed his hand down my face to my neck until he reached my collar. A deep rumble erupted from his chest, and his mouth descended. He pressed his lips almost brutally against mine. I’d been kissed like this before, but not by Stephan. Memories began floating in my head, and I had to force my eyes open. Even then, the panic seemed to be rising faster than I could quell it.

Stephan must have sense my unease, because he pulled away, breathing hard. “I didn’t mean to do that. I’m sorry. It’s just . . .”

He shook his head and rolled over on to his back, taking me with him. I took deep breaths, trying to calm my racing heart.

“I scared you.”

I shook my head.

“I shouldn’t have kissed you like that. I let my emotions get the best of me.”

We spent the rest of the day lounging around the condo holding each other and talking about everything except John and my upcoming trip to see him. That night we had sex, but it was a complete departure from the aggressive kiss that morning. He kissed every inch of my skin before entering me, chanting over and over again that he loved me.

Wednesday arrived before either of us was ready for it. When Stephan left for work that morning, he hugged me longer than usual. I could tell he didn’t want to leave me, but eventually he did. My heart ached, and I wanted to ask him to stay with me. It was weak, but I needed him.

I spent the morning cleaning everything I could find to wash, dust, or vacuum. Usually cleaning helped to relax me, but it didn’t this time. As the day wore on, and the time for Cal to pick me up got closer and closer, I began to feel sick to my stomach.

My phone rang, and I rushed to dig it out of my pocket. It was Stephan. “Hi.”

“How are you doing?”

I wouldn’t lie to him. “I’m nervous. Scared.”

“Have you changed your mind?”

“No.” There was no conviction behind my voice, but it was the best I could do.

Stephan sighed, and I knew if he were here, I’d see the same frustration that had been on his face for the last four days. “What time is Ross coming to pick you up?”

I checked the clock. It was almost noon. “He said he’d be here about one thirty.”

“Have you eaten anything since I left this morning?”

“No.” I could feel his disappointment over the phone.

“Go make yourself a sandwich. I know you’re nervous, but you need to at least try to eat something.”

“Okay. I’ll try.”

“Once you’ve eaten, go take a shower, and try to relax a little. I want you to wear your favorite jeans, and the dark green sweater I bought you. No other jewelry besides your collar. Understand?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“You’ll do fine, Brianna. You’re strong—stronger than he is. Stronger than he will ever be.”

I sat back on the stool I’d been leaning on and let the tears fall. “Thank you, Sir.”

“Now, go eat. I’m only a phone call away if you need me.”

We said our good-byes, and I placed the phone back in my pocket before going into the kitchen and doing as I was told. I still wasn’t hungry, but I did feel a little better. Hearing his voice always had a calming effect on me.

Stephan took the decisions out of my hands by telling me exactly what to do and what to wear. If he hadn’t, I would have stressed myself out even more trying to decide what was best to wear given the circumstances and where I was going.

As it was, I came out of my bedroom right as the phone rang. It was Tom, letting me know Cal was here. I told Tom it was okay to let Cal come up and went to grab my purse and keys. Since I’d moved back in, Stephan had eased up on his insistence that I not be alone with Cal. He still didn’t like it, but he’d lifted the restriction. Stephan hadn’t, however, added Cal’s name to the list of approved guests—Cal still had to go to the front desk first and have them call up to the condo.

When I opened the door, Cal stood, his frame taking up most of the doorway, looking ready for battle. “Stephan isn’t here.”

He blinked. “I know. I talked to him about ten minutes ago.”

“You talked to Stephan?”

Cal chuckled. “Yes. I talked to Coleman.” He looked down at the purse in my hands. “Are you ready to go?”

A few minutes later, we were on our way to the FBI office. It was only about fifteen minutes from Stephan’s condo, but Cal wanted to make sure we had plenty of time in case we ran into any traffic. It was a good thing, too, because for some reason there seemed to be more cars downtown than usual, and we arrived at Agent Marco’s office with only five minutes to spare.

Cal parked the car in the parking garage directly across from the building. He stayed close to me as we exited the garage and crossed the street to the front of the FBI building. The sky was overcast, and it looked like it was going to start snowing again at any moment. I pulled the lapels of my coat closer together, although I wasn’t sure if that was more to keep out the cold or just to have something to do. My insides were churning.

He paused before we entered the building, and I glanced up to look at him, wondering if something was wrong. “Are you ready for this?”

I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out, so I nodded.

He extended his hand, offering it to me. I looked down at it, unmoving.

Cal, completely out of character, stood motionless as I contemplated if I wanted to take his offered hand or not.

Hesitantly, I reached out and slid my hand into his.

Emma was waiting for us when we entered. “You made it.”

“Sorry. We ran into some traffic.”

She nodded. “Are you ready, Anna?”

“I don’t . . . I don’t know.” It felt as if there were something lodged in my throat all of a sudden. “Is he here?”

“Yes. They brought him in a few minutes ago.”

Whatever was lodged in my throat seemed to grow. “Okay. I’m . . . I’m ready.”

Emma turned and led us down the hall to a set of elevators. When the doors opened, we all got in, and Emma pushed the button for the fourth floor.

No one said a word on the ride up, which was probably best.

When we arrived on the fourth floor, Emma led us down another long hallway before stopping abruptly and knocking on a closed door.

“Enter.” I recognized Agent Marco’s voice.

Emma opened the door, and we stepped into the room.

“Ms. Reeves.” Agent Marco nodded a somewhat gruff greeting. “Mr. Ross.”

Agent Marco extended his hand, and Cal took it. I kept my one hand clasped to Cal’s and the other balled into a fist at my side.

Emma, Cal, and Agent Marco conversed for a minute or two before he addressed me. “I have your father in a holding cell. If you’re ready, I thought we could use one of the interrogation rooms across the hall.”

I nodded, pressing my lips together. It was the best I could do at the moment.

“All righty, then.” Agent Marco rounded his desk and led us two doors down and across the hall to another room. It held a table and three chairs—two on one side, one on the other. “Wait here.”

Agent Marco left the room, and Cal guided me over to the two chairs on one side of the table, positioning himself so that he was closest to the door. Emma took up a position in the far corner.