Sweet Jayne (29 page)

“Good girl,” he says with a chuckle as he shoves himself back into his pants. “Now try on the red one.”

I rise to my feet and try not to shudder. When I get a glimpse of myself in the mirror, though, I do shiver. I look like shit. My hair is a mess and sticks up everywhere. The black mascara I’d put on earlier has streaked down my cheeks. And blood-tinged saliva dribbles down my chin. How long can this go on? Kasper’s working on answers but not quick enough. I need out of this hell soon. Because one day I won’t survive his constant brutalization.

“Hurry. We haven’t got all day.”

I nod as he unlocks the door and swings it open to step out. When my eyes meet with the horrified almost purple ones of a pretty blonde, panic skitters through me. She can’t see me like this. Nobody can.

“Chief Baldwin?” she questions, her eyes still assessing me.

His shoulders tense and he flashes me a wicked glare before turning on his charm. “Well if it isn’t my favorite lieutenant’s girl, Amethyst. Are you picking up a cocktail dress for the party tonight?”

“Already got one. Just picking up shoes to match,” she says with a nod but then turns to speak to me. “Are you okay? I’m Amethyst, but you can call me Ames. Are you Nadia Jayne?”

My eyes widen and Logan gives me a warning glare. One that says,
fix this shit or I’ll kill you with my bare hands when we get home.

I swipe away my tears and give her a wobbly smile. “I’m fine. I’ve gained some weight recently and nothing looks right on me. Just had a bit of a meltdown is all. So glad to meet you, though.”

Ames shakes my hand and gives me a gentle smile. “I saw an elegant black wrap dress they were putting on a mannequin just now. It would look great on you. Chief, you should go grab her that one. It wraps around the middle and hides any imperfections by the way it cinches at the waist. Not that you have to worry about that or anything. You’ve got a banging figure but you might feel more confident in that one verses one of the form fitting ones.”

Logan remains completely still but I give him a quick nod. With my eyes, I promise him I won’t betray him. When he’s satisfied, he stalks off. Ames wastes no time.

“You’re bleeding,” she murmurs and pulls me in for a quick hug. “Did that asshole hurt you?”

I shake my head in vehemence. “No.”

Our eyes meet and she frowns. “You’re lying.”

“Just go, please.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispers. “I didn’t mean to pry. You just look like you were dragged around by your hair. I tend to stick my nose in other people’s business. Here, I’ll give you my number.”

She scrounges around in her purse until she locates a slip of paper and a pen. Quickly, she jots down the info and then shoves the paper into my palm. “Just hide this. If you need me, call me. We’ll chat more at the party. I’ll be moving here soon and I’d love to have lunch with you or something.”

I fist the number and nod. “Maybe so. Thank you.”

“Thanks for what?” Logan questions with a cold bite to his voice. He hands me the dress on the hanger and I reach for it with a shaking hand.

“She invited me to have lunch one day soon,” I tell him quickly.

He glances between us. Ames smiles innocently at him. I thank God she can pick up on Logan’s tense mood and doesn’t try to intrude anymore.

“Hmm,” he mutters. “Perhaps that will be okay.”

“We’ll step out but I want to see what it looks like,” Ames says with giddiness that I know she’s falsifying for my benefit. She even claps her hands together in excitement. Ames is disarming Logan and I’m thankful.

When they step out, I overhear her chatting his ear off about minerals of all things. He grunts his responses. Logan is normally a lot more charismatic but he’s still pissed about our exchange and then her finding us. I know I’ll be paying for this later.

Once I get the dress on, I decide it actually is the best looking one. It also has long-sleeves which should make Logan happy.

“What do you think?”

Logan’s eyes sweep over me quickly and with mild interest. But Ames jumps up and down on her heels. “That one! Right, Chief? It’s stunning and accentuates your sexy little body. I love it. You totally should get that one!”

“I like it,” he agrees with a tight smile. “Now, let’s go. We’re running out of time and you still need to get ready.”

Ames hugs me again and even gives Logan a quick side hug before bouncing back out into the store to look for shoes to match her dress. As Logan takes the dress to the cashier, Amethyst and I meet each other’s gaze. Her face is serious and she gives me a nod. I don’t need to hear her words because I can feel them.

I’m on your side.

And I know all about that fucker.

Logan squeezes my hand as we approach a group of people. It isn’t an affectionate, loving squeeze. It’s a warning. And boy do I heed it. I flash him a knowing smile before turning my attention to the people we’re about to greet. Ames looks stunning in a fitted red-sequined cocktail dress. Beside her, I can see Kasper cleans up well wearing a tuxedo. His expression is serious and guarded. When our eyes lock, he frowns. Ames leans over and whispers something to him that makes him relax.

“Well, if it isn’t Chief Logan Baldwin and his stunning bride to be,” a robust man with rosy cheeks and a white mustache booms. “I’m Mayor Dunaway but you can call me Lee. Please, also meet my wife, Melena.”

Melena, a round-faced and white-haired woman, flits over to me and hugs me. “Darling, you’re absolutely stunning. I can see you turning all of the heads at this party. Are you Mexican, honey?”

I smile and shake my head. “I’m from Argentina but Colorado is my home now.”

We make small talk, all the while with Logan’s palm on my lower back. He’s keeping me close and also displaying to everyone around us who I belong to. Kasper’s attention remains on us until Ames drags him off for a dance. As soon as the song comes on, an ache in my chest forms.

“Ain’t That a Kick in the Head” by Dean Martin.

A song that reminds me of
him
.

“I believe this is our song,” a deep voice rumbles from behind me. Butterflies explode to life in my stomach and I can’t help the smile that forms on my lips. “Logan, I’d like to dance with Nadia for bit. You should ask Melena to dance.”

He doesn’t give Logan a chance to answer before he clasps my hand and hauls me away. My heart is thundering in my chest with worry about how this will upset Logan, but I refuse to look at him. Surely I can steal one moment with Donovan. We’re safe here around all these people.

Once we reach the dance floor, Donovan wraps me in his arms and hugs me to him. His scent drowns away my sadness and stress. For a moment, I remember the good times.

“This is my favorite song,” he says with a chuckle.

“But it’s not classic seventies rock,” I say with a gasp of faux shock.

His eyes twinkle. “I’m not always so predictable. My mother actually used to sing this song when she’d bake. I associate that song with good things in my life. Mom and homemade chocolate chip cookies and two greedy little boys.”

We’re both naked and wrapped around each other but for some reason, I want to dance. I want him to associate this song with me too. I want to be a part of the good things. “Dance with me, greedy little boy,” I tease as I sit up on my knees.

His eyes twinkle and he gives me a lopsided grin. Donovan’s boyish grins, such a far cry from the serious businessman he has to be most days, are my favorite. I want to bottle them up and keep them all to myself. Which, essentially I do, because our relationship has remained our little secret at this point and he only ever smiles like that for me.

“Try to keep up,” he says smugly.

I swat at him but he’s already dragging me out of the bed and onto the floor. He slides his palms down my bare back and clutches onto my ass. With his warm body pressed against mine as we sway to the music, I sigh happily. Life couldn’t be more perfect.

“When did you know you first loved me?”

He stiffens in my arms but doesn’t reply. When I lift up, his blue eyes are sad. Ashamed almost.

“Donovan,” I mutter and lean forward to kiss him. “What’s wrong?”

His lips meet mine and he kisses me deeply. When our mouths reluctantly pull away from each other, he regards me with a glimmer of fear in his eyes. “What if I had a secret so awful…so terrible…that you would hate me if you knew?”

Donovan’s a good man. I could never hate him no matter what sort of skeletons are hanging in his closet.

“You’re my other half, Donovan. Nothing could tear me away from you. Nothing. Whatever it is, we can work through it. I promise.”

He leans his forehead against mine. “We better sit down.”

The song has ended and I feel like whatever happiness we had is threatened by what he’s about to say. But I vowed to him I’d listen. And I will. We’ve come too far to let anything get in the way now.

He helps me into the bed and we slip under the covers. His lips rain kisses down all over my face before I realize he’s stalling.

“Tell me.”

“I never slept with your mother. Not once. The only times I even kissed her were for your benefit.”

I shake my head. “What are you even talking about? She was your wife. Of course you slept with her. But I don’t want to think about it. It’s in the past.”

“I
didn’t
sleep with her.” His voice is harsh and resolute. It only confuses me further. With a sigh, he says what’s plaguing him. “Look, I didn’t meet your mother by chance.”

“Okay…”

“Don’t be upset,” he grumbles, “Jesus.”

I swallow and will the tears away. “Go on.”

“Long before I went to Argentina, I’d been lonely. So fucking lonely. In an effort to find someone, I went on an online dating website and created a profile. Since I knew I’d be traveling to Argentina for a couple of months on business, I looked at potential people from the area I’d be staying at.”

I smile. “Mamá never mentioned she was doing the online dating thing. Nothing to be ashamed of, Donovan. The whole world is online now.”

He gives me a peck on my cheek. “Baby, it isn’t that simple. The woman on the profile was beautiful. Fucking stunning as hell. I’d never seen anyone that beautiful before. As soon as I saw her picture, I knew I’d marry her.”

Jealousy twists through me like a knife but I give him a tight smile so he’ll continue.

“Through the site, we messaged back and forth. She was brilliant and wanted to go to America to further her career. The woman wanted to travel the world. To later settle and have children. I wanted to be that man for her.”

I swallow and nod. “So it wasn’t Mamá? Who did you date before her then?”

His eyes close. Frustration passes over his features and he clenches his jaw. “Nadia, baby, the pictures were all of you. The profile was you. Your name, the town you lived in, your interests. The only thing that wasn’t you was the age. It said you were in your twenties.”

My blood turns to ice in my veins. “What? I don’t understand. I never had an online dating profile. You mean to say someone stole my identity?”

“Your mother to be exact.”

When I try to get up, his hands find my wrists and he pins me to the bed.

“Listen first and then you can get up. I need you to hear me out,” he says softly. “I fell for you. Over the internet. We flirted and talked futures. We laughed. We spent hours together. And then, it was time for me to come see you. I was so fucking thrilled, Nadia. My life finally meant something.”

Betrayal surges through me. Why in the fuck would my mother do this to me?

“As I was getting ready to meet you at the hotel, a woman let herself into my room. She looked like you but older. When I said your name, she stopped me,” he says, clenching his eyes closed. “Your mother explained to me she had pretended to be you.”