Beautifully Broken (The Broken Series Book 2) (25 page)

After
the meeting, Kadyn touched base with Phil and Dan to update them on the developments.
Both men agreed to continue searching for information on Rafael and Michael
Garcia, but it was clear they were running out of places to look. All of the
dead ends were chipping away at his confidence, and for the first time in
months, Kadyn wondered if he would ever see Kri again.

*
* * * * *

A
week later, Kadyn took an afternoon off so he could drive into Senator
Rockefeller’s office to collect Kri’s things. Kri’s friend, Patrick, brought a
box of Kri’s belongings to the front office. Patrick shook Kadyn’s hand before
he leaned in for an awkward hug. He walked Kadyn back to meet with the senator
in his private office. Kadyn quickly updated the two men on the kidnapping investigation.

Senator
Rockefeller looked thoughtful as he studied Kadyn. “What can I do to help?”

Kadyn
shook his head. “I wish there was something you could do, but I honestly can’t
think of anything more we
can
do.”

Senator
Rockefeller scowled. “I’ll put some pressure on the federal agents. I want to
ensure they’re making this investigation a priority.”

Kadyn
nodded. “Thank you, sir. I’ll leave the name and number for the lead
investigator with Jamie.”

Senator
Rockefeller’s face softened as he rose from his chair. “One of Kristine’s bills
passed the Senate last month.” He smiled as he handed Kadyn an autographed copy
of the Congressional Record Statement introducing the bill. There was a picture
tucked in the bottom corner of the frame, a snapshot of Kri and the senator
standing together and smiling at the camera. At five foot seven inches, Kri was
hardly short, but the senator still managed to tower over her.

Kadyn
ran his hand over the words at the top of the framed document. “The Homeless
Health Improvement Act,” he murmured thoughtfully. “Is this the bill that funds
mobile medical services for the homeless?”

Senator
Rockefeller nodded. “Yes. This was the bill she was working on the night Justin
Morris took her. This was the second time the bill came up for a vote. After it
failed to pass the Senate last November, Kristine negotiated some rather
creative amendments with Republican leaders on both the House and Senate side.
It’s because of her efforts that the bill has now passed. I’m confident the
bill will pass the House with little to no changes.” The senator patted Kadyn
on the back. “It’s an incredible accomplishment from a remarkable young woman.
I’ve never seen a bill like this pass in such a short amount of time. Thanks to
Kri, hundreds of thousands of homeless people will soon have access to medical
services.”

Kadyn
shook his head. “Thank you, sir. I’ll make sure Kri knows, and I’ll give her
your gift as soon as she gets home.”

Senator
Rockefeller walked Kadyn and Patrick to Jamie’s desk. “Thank you, son. It’s a
tragedy how much pain and violence you and Kristine have endured during this
fellowship. My heart goes out to both of you. Please know that I am here to
help. You need only call.”

Kadyn
was still marveling at Kri’s accomplishment and Senator Rockefeller’s kindness
when he drove back home. He wondered if Kri was even aware her fellowship had
ended.

*
* * * * *

Kadyn
turned twenty-five three days later. He had no interest in celebrating his
birthday, but Cenia insisted on having a small gathering at her place. She
bribed Kadyn with homemade lasagna and chocolate cake. The party was subdued,
but it included nearly their entire circle of friends. The white elephant in
the room was the one friend who was missing.

The
conversation turned to Kri shortly after Cenia served the cake. “I’m worried
about how all of this is affecting you, Kadyn. I don’t even remember the last
time I saw you smile,” Cenia observed softly.

“What
is there to smile about?” Kadyn asked drily.

Mason
eyed his friend warily. “Kadyn, you need to accept the fact that we may never
find her. You can’t continue like this. Eventually, you are going to have to
start living your life again. Maybe it’s time you considered dating other women.”

Everyone
in the room fell silent.

Kadyn
stood glaring at Mason. “I don’t have any intention of dating other women,” he bit
back sharply. “Ever.”

Mason
rose from his chair. He began pacing in front of Kadyn. “You dated Kri for what...
nine months? Kadyn, she has been gone for over four months now. You are
twenty-five years old for Christ sake. How can you say that you’ll never date
anyone else? What if you never find her? What if she has fallen in love with
this guy and doesn’t want to be found? You need to stop and consider that Kri may
have already moved on. For crying out loud, the guy took her to a friggin’
coffee shop. She could have screamed for help. She could have tried to get
away. She didn’t. Why do you think that is?”

Cenia
tried to step between the two men, but she was too late. Kadyn slammed his fist
into Mason’s jaw and stalked out of the party. He left his furniture with Mason
and moved the rest of his belongings into Kri’s apartment the next day.

When
I woke the next morning, I discovered water table crackers, some candied ginger,
a tea pot, and matching cup on the nightstand next to me. A soft pink rose adorned
the small silver tray. I sat up slowly, hoping to avoid a repeat of the
previous morning. My stomach turned when I reached a forty-five degree angle.

As
soon as I lowered myself, the nausea went away. I suddenly realized there was a
very good reason why the tray of incredibly odd breakfast items was sitting
right next to me instead of on the coffee table by the couch. I reached over
and grabbed a couple of crackers. I scowled at the teapot, still perturbed by
my inability to drink coffee.

I
was relieved that Michael was gone. I needed some time alone to think. I
propped myself up on the pillows at a safe thirty degree angle and reluctantly
reached for the tea. Mint and lavender filled the air as I poured the fragrant
concoction into a delicate blue toile cup. I was surprised the tea smelled so
good. I held the cup in front of my lips as I contemplated whether I might truly
be pregnant.

Although
Michael seemed quite certain, I wasn’t entirely convinced. There had been a
point in my mid-twenties when I thought I might be pregnant because my period
was a week late. When I told my husband, he accused me of doing it on purpose.
He hated the idea of having kids and had made it clear he didn’t want children.
Ever. I wanted children, but I was terrified of having one with him, given his
violent temper. I would never forget how angry he was when I told him. He raced
down a narrow back road in his Fiat threatening to kill us both. He disconnected
my seatbelt and tried shoving me out the passenger door. It was one of those
days when I thought he might actually succeed in killing me.

A
subsequent doctor’s appointment revealed that I had some female problems that
would make it difficult, if not impossible, for me to conceive. My periods were
sporadic after that… that is until I discovered how to space my birth control pills
so I seldom ever had one.

I
hadn’t taken any birth control pills since arriving in Paris, and I hadn’t
thought twice about missing my period, since I hardly ever had one. While
having unprotected sex wasn’t a very intelligent move, I didn’t really think I
could get pregnant. I certainly hadn’t thought it could happen in two months’ time,
not when my doctors had warned me that it would be difficult to conceive.

If
I was pregnant, then there was no going back… not for me. Sadness washed over
me as I thought about raising a child without my mother to guide me through the
experience and without being able to share him with my family and friends. I
hadn’t considered it safe to bring a child into my previous relationship, but
what about now? While Michael had done a good job keeping me safe, how long
could that last with his connections? Would he be able to protect our child?

I
finished the cup of tea and reached for the candied ginger as I tried to sit
back up. My stomach was fine. A slow smile slid across my face.
See,
I
thought,
not pregnant.
I breathed a small sigh of relief and padded off
to the bathroom to shower and dress.

Michael
showed up just as I was heading into the hallway to track him down. I threw my
arms around his neck. “Hey, I’m feeling better! I really think it was just the
flu.”

Michael
gave me a curious look before smiling and kissing me on both cheeks. “
Bonjour,
ma chérie.
I’m happy you’re feeling better. Do you want me to order more
food for breakfast?”

I
planted a soft kiss on his lips. “
Non,
merci.
What you left on
the nightstand was fine. Actually, I think it helped.”

Michael
walked over to the nightstand. He grabbed the remaining crackers and candied ginger.
“Do you want coffee?” he asked tentatively.

My
stomach turned at the thought. “No, thank you. What are you doing? Are you done
with work?”

“It’s
Sunday,
mon coeur
. I thought I would take the day off. Are you up for a
drive?” Michael looked hopeful as he asked. In fact, he looked entirely too
hopeful.

I
wondered what he was up to. “Sure. I just need to grab a pashmina. Where are we
going?”

A
smile tugged at Michael’s lips. “
C'est
une surprise
.”

“I
knew you were up to something!” I laughed at the innocent look he tried to
paste on his face. “It’s a good thing you don’t play poker for a living!”

We
both laughed as we walked out to the car. Rafael and Jean followed us in a black
sedan. Michael sent a few text messages before wrapping his arms around me. I
curled into his warm chest and quickly drifted back to sleep.

He
kissed the top of my head. “
Mon coeur
, don’t you want to see your
surprise?”

“Hmm?”
I replied groggily. “We’re here already?”

Michael
laughed. “You have been asleep for over an hour! Sit up. I want to see if you
recognize where we are.”

I
raised my head from his chest and peered out the window. My eyes widened when I
recognized the view. I gasped. “Monet’s gardens?”

“
Oui,
ma chérie.
We are at Giverny.”

I
stared at Michael in awe before throwing my arms around his neck. “You
remembered!”

Michael
was beaming. “Of course. How could I forget?” He jerked his head toward the
window. “Let’s go walk around.”

I
couldn’t push him out of the car fast enough. A quaint cottage with crushed
pink brick walls and bright green shutters was sitting just off to our left. The
cottage was nestled in a flower bed boasting thousands of pink tulips. Tiny blue
flowers danced among the tulips, just below the buds. “It’s perfect,” I
breathed.

I
turned to look at Michael, who was leaning against the car watching me, but my
eyes snagged on the pond. Heavy willow trees kissed clusters of water lilies
all along the edge of the pond. A large Japanese bridge arched beautifully over
the water. “This looks
exactly
the same as the garden in his paintings,”
I exclaimed breathlessly.

I
couldn’t tear my eyes from the pond, so I motioned for Michael to join me.
Finally, he did. I glanced at him pleadingly before the garden won its bid for
my eyes. “Can we walk the grounds?”

Michael
took a step in front of me, temporarily blocking the view. He peered down at me
through watery eyes. “Of course,
mon coeur
. That is why we are here.” He
tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

I
coaxed my eyes from his so I could glance around. “But where is everybody? I
would think this place would be swarming with tourists.” I looked around again.
Aside from Rafael and Jean, who were hanging back by the car, I didn’t see a
single soul.

Michael
shrugged. “We came on a slow day?”

I
nudged his shoulder and smiled. “Nice try.”

Michael
twined his fingers with mine as we began to walk. We made our way toward the cottage,
where I ran my fingers over the finely crushed brick. I knelt down to smell the
pretty blue flowers that were licking at my feet. I decided to save the
Japanese bridge for last, so we walked through the grass to admire the willow
trees.

I
thought about how badly I had longed to touch the Monet painting I discovered in
Senator Rockefeller’s house. I was certain it was an original and restrained myself,
fearing the natural oils from my fingers would damage the beautiful artwork. I stared
in awe at the tree in front of me.
I can actually reach out and touch
Monet’s garden
.

I
held my hand out and ran it across the curtain of leaves. Oblivious to
everything else around me, I began weaving a pattern back and forth between the
delicate leaves. I closed my eyes as the leaves trickled over my face,
shoulders, and arms. When I opened my eyes, I found Michael standing on the
opposite side of the leaves. He was watching me with a soft smile on his face.
I grasped the branches dangling on either side of my face. Michael walked up to
the curtain of leaves and linked his fingers with mine through the other side.
The leaves were now nestled between our hands.