“How are you getting back?”
“I have my own ride, a fact I made very clear when you kidnapped me a week and a half ago.”
“Then who the fuck is driving my car?”
“A friend.” Keiran fully stepped from the room and shut the door behind him. I could tell by the angry vein that he was pissed. “You do know that you just locked yourself out, right? Lake probably won’t let you back in since you won’t let her out to play.”
“What friend?” he asked, ignoring my taunts.
“A simple one.”
“Di?”
“Why would you think it’s Di?”
“Do you think I’m stupid? How do you think I found you?”
“That’s bullshit.” My mind was racing even after denying it. Had Di betrayed me?
“She wasn’t too careful the last couple of times she came to Six Forks. On her last trip as your spy, I spotted her. She gave me your address only if I promised not to kill you.”
That explained the hysteria when I disappeared. She wasn’t worried. She felt guilty.
“What does it take for a little loyalty,” I mumbled.
“You tell me.”
We glared at each other for long moments, neither one of us willing to fold. It was the elevator opening and the sound of Kennedy’s excited chatter that forced us to end the silent duel.
“Keenan!” She freed herself from Jesse and ran to me as fast as her short legs would let her.
I stooped down to eagerly accept her hug. “Good morning, princess. How are you?”
“Fine. Thank you. Where’s mama?”
“She’s waiting for you right now to come and play. Will you come with me so I can take you to her?”
She nodded and looked up at Keiran. “Uncle, can I go?”
Behind her, I glared at him feeling jealous rage. My fists clenched at the smug look on his face before he answered. “Sure, kiddo. Be sure to tell your mother to call me.”
He sent me a warning glance, which I chose to ignore. After gathering our bags from the room we never used, I put the resort in my taillights.
My plan worked without so much as a hiccup and the only remorse I felt was for having to lie to Kennedy. I had no intentions of letting her mother near her anytime soon.
Not until after I punish her thoroughly.
*
I let Di know picking up Kennedy was successful, and after dropping off Keith, we met at a mini mansion across the city from my apartment. I was still surprised at how easy it was despite Keiran’s subtle threat. I knew they would eventually search out Sheldon, so I implemented the second part of my plan.
“And who is this little darling,” Di cooed.
“Hi,” Kennedy greeted shyly. She then wrapped her arms around my leg and ducked her head. I was humbled by the knowledge that she trusted me to keep her safe.
“Are you going to be okay here?”
“Why wouldn’t I? I’m a big girl,” Di replied flippantly.
“Because I know what this place did to you.” I convinced her to let me use her father’s house where she lived for most of her life and where her father had pimped her out to his various business partners. It was also where we had found the safe full of money that had totaled up to about eight million. We split the money and never returned. “Can I trust you?”
“Do you have a choice?” she joked. The smile on her lips died at my unmoving expression.
“I’ll be back tonight and when I do, we need to talk.”
For a few heartbeats, she stared at me with confusion and then awareness. “He told you.” I didn’t reply and didn’t give her a chance to explain because I walked away.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
SHELDON
THE SOUND OF the lock and the door opening alerted me to Keenan’s presence. I had given up on trying to escape and had begrudgingly thrown myself on his bed where I stayed until he returned.
I was mourning the loss of Kennedy. I had only just gotten her back only to be taken from her in return.
“I need to get back to her,” I said after the silence had stretched for too long.
“She’s in good hands.”
“She’ll be better in mine.”
“You’ll get her back when I think you deserve her.”
“Excuse me?” I was out of his bed and in his face faster than I could breathe my next breath. “I am her mother. She needs me.”
“A fact you forgot when you chose to protect your boyfriend over our child.”
“Eric had nothing to do with her abduction.”
A cloud of hatred wafted around us. His eyes changed from impassive to furious as quickly as if someone had pushed a button. His hands were in my hair, tugging me down until I knelt at his feet, but I refused to cower before him. I glared up at him with equal hate.
I didn’t see the knife, but I felt it at my throat. “If you say his name in my fucking presence again, I will end you.”