“This isn’t a good idea,” she mumbled.
“No. It’s not.” But neither of them moved.
“We have so much to work out between us, and
this
can’t get in the way,” Gabrielle said, trying again.
He didn’t question what
this
was, and that meant he was feeling the attraction, too.
“Maybe it’ll go away,” she added.
He made a sound deep within his chest to let her know he didn’t buy that. Neither did she. But just because there was an attraction, it didn’t mean they had to act on it.
Gabrielle forced herself away from him. It wasn’t as good an idea as she thought it would be. Again, Houston and she were face-to-face. And very close. So close that she could see all those swirls of blue in his eyes. Close enough for her to take in his scent. The man was drop-dead hot, and those looks and that smell pulled her right in.
“When the sheriff gets here, I’ll tell him about my father’s involvement with Salvador Franks,” Houston explained. “I want a thorough investigation into what happened at the Cryogen Clinic. If there was a cover-up, or if my father bribed someone, I want that all out in the open. Because what he did to you was wrong. He should have come clean about the baby you were carrying, and he shouldn’t have followed you the way he did.”
That stunned her almost as much as the ill-timed attraction. “Your father could go to jail,” she reminded him.
Because they were so close, she saw that realization register in his eyes. Not surprise, but pain. “I know, but I can’t let him get away with this.”
Gabrielle studied his face to make sure he wasn’t giving her lip service. He wasn’t. A deeply troubled face stared back at her.
Oh, this wasn’t good. Attraction and now empathy. It
was a volatile mix, especially when combined with the dangerous situation they’d gone through together.
Gabrielle stood and made a vague motion toward the door. “Uh, you should go.”
“Yeah,” he readily agreed, “I should.” Houston glanced at Lucas again. “For the next hour or so, I’ll be in my office, at the end of the hall and to the right. And if I’m not there, I’ll probably be in my bedroom. It’s just door next to yours.”
“Next door,” she repeated. That was a little too close for comfort, but then the entire estate suddenly didn’t seem big enough for both of them.
“When Lucas wakes up, I’d like to know,” he said. “I’d like to hold him again.”
Gabrielle managed a nod, though part of her wanted to say no. She cursed this miserable attraction and the danger. Both were tearing down barriers that were better left in place.
“Is there anything you need?” he asked.
She didn’t need him to hold her again, but it had certainly felt good. Too good. And that’s why it couldn’t happen again.
It did, though.
Sort of. Houston didn’t pull her back to him, but he did touch her arm, and rubbed gently.
There was a knock, and Houston and she flew apart as if they’d been caught doing something they shouldn’t have been doing. Which wasn’t far from the truth.
Gabrielle looked in the doorway, and there stood Dale, Houston’s ranch foreman. The man seemed surprised, probably because of the arm touching he’d just witnessed.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Dale said, “but we got a problem.” He was holding a piece of paper between his thumb and forefinger as if it were a fragile piece of crystal.
“Are Salvador Franks and the sheriff here yet?” Houston asked.
“No, but I’m expecting them any minute. Our unexpected visitor is her brother, Jay,” Dale said to Houston.
Both Houston and she froze.
“He just arrived at the ranch,” Dale explained. “And he wants to see Gabrielle.”
“Jay’s at the ranch?” Gabrielle questioned.
“Yeah. I had him wait in the sitting room. When the sheriff gets here, he’s taking Salvador Franks to the back den. I didn’t know if you wanted all of them in the same room or not.”
Gabrielle shook her head. “How did Jay even know I was here?”
Dale’s mouth tightened. “He wouldn’t say.”
“Maybe not to you.” Houston started for the door. “But he’ll sure as hell tell me.”
Dale stepped in front of him. “There’s more.” He handed Houston the paper he’d brought with him. “The security specialist was finally able to get an ID on the two men in that black car.”
Houston looked at what Dale had given him and cursed. He wadded up the paper and stormed out of the room.
Houston had thought this day couldn’t possibly get any more complicated, but it apparently had.
He started for the stairs, but then realized Gabrielle was right behind him. He knew for a fact he didn’t want her at this meeting with her brother, but he doubted he could stop her. Besides, she had a right to be there.
Especially after what Houston had just learned.
He crushed the paper in his fist into an even tighter ball, and considered ripping it to pieces. It wouldn’t help. It damn sure wouldn’t undo things, but it might soothe his temper before he faced Jay Markham.
“Wait for me,” Gabrielle insisted.
She knocked on the nanny’s door, and the moment Lily Rose answered, Gabrielle handed her the baby. “I need you to watch Lucas. My brother’s here. And something’s apparently wrong.”
There was no
apparently
to it. Something
was
wrong. And Houston was about to make whatever it was right, even if he had to beat the truth out of Jay.
“Wait up here,” Houston instructed Dale. “Make sure Lucas stays safe.”
Not that Houston expected a break-in, or for Jay to
try to storm upstairs and kidnap the baby. He’d activated the house’s security system, but with all the coming and going, it wasn’t foolproof.
Gabrielle caught up with him at the bottom of the stairs. “What did Dale give you?” she asked.
Houston was about to tell her, if he could get his teeth unclenched, that is, but he looked through the arched doorway of the nearby sitting room and saw Jay standing there, watching them.
Jay hadn’t changed much since he’d worked at the ranch. He still had the beefy build and shaggy blond hair that was an almost identical color to his sister’s. He had a genetic copy of her eyes, as well.
But that’s where the similarities ended.
Gabrielle was nothing like her brother. Houston knew that now. And he didn’t think his change of heart had anything to do with the fact that she’d given birth to his son.
“Houston Sadler,” Jay spat out, like profanity.
“Jay Markham.” Houston returned the tone, and he tossed the wadded up paper onto the foyer table. “What are you doing here?”
Jay looked past Houston and at Gabrielle. Even though he didn’t say her name, the profanity was still there in his expression.
“I’m here to see my sister,” Jay said. He aimed a glare at Gabrielle.
Houston had several questions for her brother, but he went with the first on his list. “How did you know she was here?”
He turned that glare on Houston. “A friend of a friend told me.”
“That’s not a good enough answer. Someone tried to hurt Gabrielle today. Call me testy, but I want to know the identity of this friend of a friend.”
Jay’s glare softened a bit, and he looked at Gabrielle as if he wanted her to verify what Houston had just said.
She nodded. “Someone tried to run us off the road. And then that someone went to your apartment.”
Jay had already opened his mouth when Gabrielle finished the first sentence. But the second sentence had his eyes widening. He volleyed glances between Houston and her and then cursed.
“You don’t think I had anything to do with trying to hurt you, do you?” Jay demanded.
“I don’t know,” Gabrielle said.
“I believe you did,” Houston disagreed. “So who told you that she was here?”
Jay made more of those volleying glances, and his breathing sped up. He groaned and leaned against the doorway.
“A couple of days ago, I got a visit from someone I owe money. I couldn’t make the payment he wanted, so he said I could work off part of the loan if I gave him some information.” Jay looked at Gabrielle. “He wanted to know where you were.”
Gabrielle’s hand flew to her chest, and she covered her heart with her palm. “Who is this man?”
“I didn’t tell him anything,” Jay said, avoiding her question. “Because I didn’t know where you were. Then, this afternoon, he calls again and says you’re out here at the Sadler ranch. I didn’t believe him. I thought this was the last place on earth you’d go.” The glare returned.
“Obviously I was wrong. What? Are you sleeping with Houston Sadler now?”
Houston heard Gabrielle’s low sound of outrage, but he didn’t know how. It was hard to hear anything over the sudden pounding in his ears.
He grabbed on to Jay and slammed him against the wall. “Who told you Gabrielle was here?”
Jay grimaced, but he kept his eyes narrowed and defiant. “I only know him as Lanny.”
“Lanny,”
Houston repeated. He glanced back at Gabrielle. “Otherwise known as Harlan Cordell. The man in the black car, who stopped at Jay’s apartment.”
“What?” Gabrielle’s voice was more breath than sound, and she walked toward them, with her gaze fastened on her brother. “Harlan Cordell told you where I was?”
“If that’s his real name, yeah, he’s the one who told me. Why? And after you answer that little question, sis, you can tell me why you’re here with the likes of him.” Jay fought to get out of his Houston’s grip. But Houston just slammed him harder against the wall.
Gabrielle came closer, until she was shoulder-to-shoulder with Houston, and she got right in her brother’s face. “The cops believe Harlan Cordell was an accomplice of the men who took me and the other women hostage last month at the maternity hospital. But they don’t have enough proof to arrest him.”
Houston studied Jay’s reaction. He seemed to be genuinely surprised at that revelation, but Houston figured it could all be an act. He didn’t trust anyone who would abuse an animal and talk to his sister the way Jay just had.
“What exactly did Cordell say about Gabrielle?” Houston demanded.
“He wanted me to call her and arrange a meeting. Lanny said it was important, that she might be in some kind of trouble. Trouble that he could fix for her.”
“And in turn, he could fix the loan for you.” Houston cursed again. “Didn’t you get suspicious about a loan shark wanting to help your sister?”
“No. Lanny seems like a man with connections, and I thought maybe Gabrielle and he were friends or something. I thought she wouldn’t mind helping me out a little. All she’d have to do is meet with Lanny, and it would save my butt, along with a lot of money.”
“He’s definitely not a friend, and I’m not meeting with him,” Gabrielle mumbled. She groaned and pushed her hair away from her face. “How did Harlan Cordell even know I was here at the ranch?”
Jay shook his head. “I don’t know. That’s the truth!” he practically shouted, when Houston gave him another slam against the wall.
Houston released the grip he had on him, but he stayed close. “Here’s what you’re going to do,” Houston started. “You’ll contact Cordell and find out what he wants with Gabrielle.”
Jay looked ready to defy that order, but then he glanced at Gabrielle. Maybe, just maybe, there was enough brotherly concern for him to do the right thing. “Okay.”
“You’ll call me when you hear from Cordell,” Houston continued. “But you won’t come back here to the ranch. If you do, I’ll have you arrested for trespassing. Understand?”
“Yeah. I understand.” His teeth came together, and he aimed another of those venomous looks at Houston. “I also understand that Gabrielle is stupid to come to you for help.”
Houston was about to latch on to the man again, but Gabrielle beat him to it. She grabbed Jay by the arm. “You might be my kid brother, but I’m fed up with this conversation. You’re leaving now.”
Jay froze and stared at her as if stunned that she would side with Houston on this. Probably because Gabrielle had spent a lifetime defending him. “You’re choosing Houston Sadler over me?”
“For the time being, yes.” The grip she had on Jay melted away. “As far as I can tell, Houston isn’t trying to set me up in a meeting with a man who might want me dead.”
“No, but he might be trying to do far worse.”
Houston wanted to know what Jay meant by that, but he heard the footsteps. Greta, one of the maids, was making her way up the east corridor toward them.
“Sheriff Whitley just arrived,” Greta let him know. “He’s in the den, and he has a guest with him.”
That guest was Salvador Franks, yet someone else who might have some pieces to this puzzle. Houston figured Jay had more pieces, as well, but he doubted he’d get the truth out of him. Right now, the safest thing he could do for Gabrielle and Lucas was to get Jay off the ranch.
Houston grabbed on to Jay again and led him to the front door. Jay didn’t exactly put up a fight about leaving, but he did look back at Gabrielle.
“Rethink this,” Jay warned her. “Don’t cast your lot with the Sadlers.”
“You haven’t given me any reason to cast my lot with you,” she fired back.
Though Gabrielle sounded convinced about that, Houston still saw the pain her eyes. This break with her brother was costing her big-time. Even though Jay couldn’t be trusted, that didn’t mean she didn’t still love him. This had to be hell for her.
Jay threw off Houston’s grip when he went onto the porch, but he spun around to face Gabrielle again. “You need to speak to Lanny, or as you call him, Harlan Cordell. I’m sure he has some very interesting information that you need to hear.”
Gabrielle folded her arms over her chest. “What do you mean?”
Jay didn’t answer right away. Then he glanced at Houston and flashed an oily smile. The man didn’t say another word until he reached his car.
“Sis, you really want to know how Cordell knew you were here at the ranch?” He didn’t wait for her to confirm that. “Just ask Houston’s father. I’m sure he can tell you all about it.”
G
ABRIELLE STARTED TO GO
after her brother, but Houston stopped her.
“He’s lying,” Houston told her. “Jay just wants to get a rise out of you.”
It had worked. But in addition to making her even angrier, her brother also given her yet another reason to be concerned.
“I don’t want Jay trying to pull you into the car with him,” Houston added.
That stopped her. Because it was indeed something Jay might do. If he truly thought she was making a mistake by being here at the ranch, he might try to take her against her will. If that happened, Lucas would be left behind. She wasn’t leaving her baby for any reason, especially not for her brother’s suspicions.
“What if he’s not lying about your father?” she asked, as Houston led her back inside. She looked over her shoulder as Jay drove away.
“Then we’ll deal with it.” Houston stopped in the foyer and relocked the door. He also set the security system from a small panel on the wall.
Gabrielle shook her head and tried again. “Could your father have really been the one to tell Harlan Cordell I was here?”
Houston looked as if he wanted to deny that, but he, too, shook his head. “Just as you want to trust Jay, I want to trust my dad. But I can’t. That’s why he’s not here right now. And that’s why I don’t want him here until we can figure out what’s going on.”
He caught on to her shoulders and made eye contact. “We’re on the same side here, Gabrielle.”
They were. How ironic. Twenty-four hours ago, they’d been old enemies, and now Houston was the only person who had as much to lose as she did.
Lucas was their bond. For now.
Soon, hopefully very soon, the danger would be resolved. Cordell and anyone who’d assisted him would be behind bars, and then Houston and she could go onto the next battle: custody of Lucas.
“Why don’t you skip this meeting with Salvador Franks?” Houston suggested. “You must be exhausted.”
She was, and it wouldn’t be long before she would need to feed Lucas again. Still, she wanted to hear what the head of the Cryogen Clinic had to say about what had happened to her.
“I’m going with you,” she insisted.
Houston stared at her as if he might put up an argument, but he nodded and slipped his arm around her waist. They made their way down the corridor together. Apparently, the sheriff and his visitor had come in through the rear door, because the den was the last room at the east end of the estate.
Gabrielle saw Sheriff Whitley standing in front of the massive fireplace that took up a good one-third of the wall. His guest had thick black hair and a moustache, and he was seated on a burgundy leather sofa. He had a briefcase clutched in his right hand.
Salvador Franks, no doubt.
Gabrielle thought she might recognize him, but she didn’t. When she’d filled out an application for a donor embryo, she’d dealt with the intake counselor, and then the doctor, who’d actually performed the procedure.
“Sheriff,” Houston said his greeting with a nod. Then he turned his attention to Salvador, who got to his feet.
Unlike her brother, there was no defiance in Salvador’s nearly black eyes or his posture. Every muscle in his body seemed to be tensed, and there was perspiration above his upper lip.
“Ms. Markham,” he said to her. He put his brief
case aside and shook hands with Houston. “Mr. Sadler. Sheriff Whitley said you had some questions for me.”
Houston motioned for her to sit on the matching sofa that was directly across from their visitor, and Gabrielle did. After the encounter with her brother, she didn’t feel too steady on her feet.
“I suppose I should start by asking if I need to call my attorney,” Salvador said.
She glanced at Houston, and he shook his head. “We only want answers,” Gabrielle explained. “However, if there are charges brought against the Cryogen Clinic or some member of your staff, you have my word that I won’t use anything you say here against you.”
Salvador stared at her, obviously considering that. “All right. What do you want to know?”
“Tell us what happened when Gabrielle came to Cryogen,” Houston said.
Salvador sat down. He nodded, swallowed hard and then nodded again. “About eleven months ago, Ms. Markham completed the application and had a routine exam. She was approved. Unfortunately, during the actual in vitro procedure, there was a mix-up. She was given the wrong embryo.”
“One that belonged to my late wife and me,” Houston reminded him.
The man bobbed his head. “It was a clerical mixup. The intake counselor put the wrong code on Ms. Markham’s medical chart.”