Kitabı oxu: «The Baby Protectors»

ONE

Shelby Adair cruised down I-90, trying to drum up some enthusiasm for the evening ahead. No matter how she pitched it, she couldn’t find many bright spots in the prospect of spending two or three hours with her self-absorbed sister.

But Mia’s company wasn’t the reason she’d scheduled the dinner date. She was an aunt. And she was going to be a good one.

She cast a glance over her shoulder and moved into the far-left lane. Soon she’d cross Lake Washington and join the other vehicles that made up Seattle’s rush-hour traffic. But during the late afternoon, coming in wasn’t as bad as going out. Barring the unexpected, she should arrive at Mia’s apartment complex in thirty minutes.

She was seeing her sister twice in one month. That was a record. But she’d had a valid reason for avoiding contact. Between caring for their dying aunt and keeping the diner afloat, she’d had a full plate. Dealing with Mia’s theatrics would have sent her over the edge.

Now that her aunt was gone, she had no excuse. Besides, she did want to connect with her fifteen-month-old niece. And with her dysfunctional childhood nine years behind her, she might have a shot at developing a relationship with one of her siblings.

It wouldn’t happen with her older sister. Lauren had escaped at eighteen, moved to the other side of the country and never looked back. She hadn’t even responded to Shelby’s voice mails and Facebook messages about their aunt. She hadn’t come to the funeral, either.

Ten minutes later, brake lights lit up the road, and Shelby slowed to a crawl. This was one reason she was glad she’d left Seattle for the sleepy, picturesque town of North Bend. It was only thirty miles away but had always felt like a small chunk of paradise.

She finally exited the interstate and negotiated her Lincoln Town Car through a series of turns. Mia’s apartment complex was ahead on the right. Red and blue lights strobed through trees still bare from winter.

As she moved closer, the muscles drew tight across her shoulders. Two Seattle police cruisers and a crime-scene unit sat in front of the building that housed Mia’s apartment.

Her sister’s words echoed in her thoughts, fragments of a conversation they’d had after the funeral. Mia had said there was something going on at the club where she worked, that if she stumbled across exactly what it was, her life would be in danger. Shelby hadn’t taken her seriously at the time.

She still didn’t. Mia was the ultimate drama queen, the proverbial “girl who cried wolf.” Anything for attention. She’d been crafting fantastic stories since she was old enough to talk.

Shelby stopped in a visitor parking space and killed the engine. When she reached for the door handle, the lights strobing in her side mirror sent tension through her again.

She tried to shake it off. This was a three-story apartment complex. There were more than thirty units in Mia’s building alone. The probability that the police vehicles had anything to do with Mia or little Chloe was low.

She stepped into the chilly March air as a Toyota Prius approached. When it passed, her gaze locked onto the back and stuck. Large black letters stretched across the white rear bumper—Medical Examiner. Parked three spaces down was a white van with the same designation.

Her breath hitched and something dark settled over her. The presence of the medical examiner meant one thing.

Someone was dead.

While the Prius parked, she sprinted toward the building, heart pounding in her chest. It couldn’t be Mia. What her sister had said at Aunt Bea’s funeral was an attention-getting ploy, just like all the other times. Having grown up with Mia, Shelby had her number. Letting the tales get to her was never a good idea.

She bypassed the elevator and ran up the steps, taking them two at a time. She’d never been to her sister’s apartment, but Mia had given her the number—312.

When Shelby burst into the third-floor hallway, a vise clamped down on her chest. Two apartments away, the door was ajar. A woman stood in front of the opening, soothing a crying child in her arms. Tears had left streaks in the woman’s makeup. She wasn’t familiar. The child was.

Where was Mia? Why was Chloe being held by a crying stranger?

Shelby rushed forward, then skidded to a stop. The gold numbers affixed to the metal door put to death the irrational hope that the apartment belonged to someone else. The woman shifted Chloe to her other hip, and Shelby peered around her.

Beyond the entry, a crime-scene tech was kneeling with her back to the door. Next to her, a red smear marked the beige tiles.

Shelby’s stomach did a free fall, and her knees threatened to buckle. Maybe that wasn’t Mia’s blood on the floor. A friend lived with her and helped care for Chloe. Addy, if she remembered correctly.

She shifted her gaze to the woman and spoke over the little girl’s cries. “I’m Shelby, Mia’s sister. What’s going on?”

The woman’s gaze met hers. “It’s Mia.”

“What’s Mia? What happened?”

“She’s gone.”

“Gone where?”

The woman squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. “Gone.”

Shelby’s mind spun, searching all the possible interpretations of “gone.” Mia could be gone on an errand. But that wouldn’t explain the woman’s tears. Maybe Mia had decided she couldn’t cope with the pressures of motherhood and disappeared, deserting her little girl.

That was the explanation Shelby clung to, because the most obvious one was unthinkable. Her twenty-one-year-old sister couldn’t be dead.

“I went to the store.” The woman’s tone was flat. “I took Chloe with me, so Mia could take a nap. When I got back, Mia was...” A shudder shook her shoulders. “She was on the floor in front of the couch. Someone had slit her throat.”

“Is she...?” The final word wouldn’t come out.

At the woman’s nod, Shelby collapsed against the doorjamb and sank to the floor. Mia was dead. Shelby had finally decided to mend their relationship, but it was too late.

And Chloe was orphaned. Her playboy daddy wouldn’t step up. Based on what Mia had said after the funeral, the guy was worthless.

So it all fell on Shelby. The realization knocked the last of the wind from her.

She was no stranger to responsibility. Through her adolescent and teen years, she’d pretty much raised Mia. They hadn’t been orphans, at least not in the traditional sense. But with a father who worked long hours, an older sister who took off the moment she became an adult and a mother who had years earlier retreated to her room and withdrawn from life, managing the Adair household became Shelby’s responsibility.

At eighteen, she’d traded one mantle for another, taking care of Aunt Bea through grueling rounds of chemo and radiation while keeping the diner afloat. At twenty-five, she’d done it again when the cancer returned. That stint had lasted two years, ending with her aunt’s death two weeks ago.

But this was different. She had no clue how to raise a child. The way Mia had turned out was proof.

She pushed herself to her feet and straightened her shoulders. She hadn’t known how to run a diner, either, but she’d figured it out.

She held out her hands, palms up. “Come to Aunt Shelby, sweetie.”

Chloe wrapped her arms more tightly around the woman’s neck. When Shelby tried to take her, the child released an ear-piercing wail.

“She’s not used to you.” The woman’s tone seemed to hold a note of accusation. Or maybe that was Shelby’s own guilt.

“I’ve been...” What, busy? Too busy to be a part of her niece’s life when she lived forty-five minutes away?

The woman rubbed Chloe’s back in slow circles, whispering soothing words. The screams quieted to gut-wrenching sobs.

Shelby crossed her arms. “Are you Chloe’s babysitter?”

“Nanny.” She extended her right hand. “Addy Sorenson.”

Shelby shook the woman’s hand. Addy wasn’t what she’d pictured. Nannies didn’t normally wear skin-hugging jeans and sweaters with plunging necklines. Add the brilliant blue eyes and the thick mane of hair flowing down her back like black silk, and she couldn’t be further from the stereotypical image of a nanny.

Of course, Mia hadn’t gotten her from a nanny-for-hire ad. Right after Chloe was born, Shelby had visited Mia in the hospital. Mia had planned to go back to her bartender job at the club and had arranged child care—a former coworker named Addy. She’d had a hysterectomy and never returned to work. Apparently, the woman loved children so much she agreed to provide full-time care for little more than room and board. So Mia had gotten a live-in nanny on a day-care budget.

Shelby didn’t know what Addy’s job at the club had been. It didn’t matter. If she’d been caring for Chloe the past fifteen months, she had to know what she was doing. Having her around would also provide some stability in the little girl’s life.

A short distance away, the elevator dinged and two men stepped off. One was a couple of decades older than her and was carrying a black case—he was likely from the medical examiner’s office. The occupant of the white van was apparently inside already. The man nodded at her and Addy, then disappeared into the apartment.

When the other one approached, Chloe twisted and reached for him. “Wyan.”

Wyan?

Addy altered her grip to better hold the now squirming child. “Ryan.” Her tone was tight. Maybe there was some history between them.

As soon as he took Chloe from her, the child’s arms went around his neck and she pressed her face against his throat. “Wyan.” The cries faded to shuddering breaths.

Ryan. Shelby frowned. Chloe’s father’s name was Randall. So who was Ryan? And why was the little girl clinging to him when she wouldn’t let Shelby touch her?

Shelby studied the man holding her niece. He was younger than the one who’d just stepped into the apartment, probably in his mid-to-late thirties. He obviously didn’t spend all his time behind a desk. His black T-shirt stretched taut across a well-defined chest, and as he held Chloe in his arms, his pose showed off impressive biceps. Clean-shaven with a buzz cut, he had the air of a military guy. Or maybe a cop.

He leveled serious brown eyes on Addy. “What’s going on?”

“Mia’s dead.”

His jaw dropped. “What? How?”

“Murdered. Throat slashed.”

The blood drained from his face and he sagged against the wall. His arms tightened around the child he held. “Has a decision been made about Chloe?”

“Not yet. The cops just took my statement. They told me not to go anywhere.”

He swallowed hard, his throat working with the action. “If they’ll allow it, she can come home with me until I can get legal custody.”

“Whoa, wait a minute.” Shelby held up both hands, trying to stop the runaway train she was trapped on. She’d just lost her sister. She wasn’t about to let a stranger walk away with her niece. “Who are you?”

His gaze swept her face. “I’m her uncle.”

The pieces were falling into place, but she didn’t like where they were landing. “Randall’s brother.”

A tightness flitted across his features, but was gone so quickly, she might have imagined it. He nodded then returned his attention to Addy. “It’ll be a while before they let us inside. I’ll go buy whatever Chloe might need for the next day or two.”

Shelby dropped her hands, curling them into fists. Randall wasn’t just Chloe’s good-for-nothing daddy. He also managed his father’s club, where Mia had worked. She’d said something shady was going on there, something that had made her fear for her life. Whatever Ryan’s involvement in his family’s businesses, Shelby wasn’t about to send Chloe home with him.

“I know what Mia would want.” Though soft, Addy’s words jarred her. “I was there when Chloe was born. I’m her godmother. Mia intended for me to raise her if anything happened.”

Shelby frowned. “A godmother isn’t a legal guardian.”

The handsome stranger lifted a brow. “And you are?”

“Shelby Adair. I’m Chloe’s aunt, Mia’s sister.”

“Ah.” His tone seemed to hold a lot of meaning. What was he getting at?

He nodded. “I can see the resemblance.”

She narrowed her eyes. He was trying to soften her so she’d let him take Chloe. But she was no pushover. And she wasn’t swayed by empty flattery.

Mia was beautiful. Shelby had heard it all her life—Lauren was the smart one and Mia was the pretty one. Apparently, Shelby was neither.

That was okay. What she lacked in beauty and brains, she’d always made up for in ambition. And determination.

She planted her hands on her hips. “Chloe’s going home with me.”

If Ryan McConnell thought otherwise, he was in for a fight.

* * *

Ryan tamped down the annoyance building inside him. As soon as the Navy had assigned him to Naval Base Kitsap, across the bay from his hometown of Seattle, he’d started prodding his brother to do the right thing. Mia had been six months pregnant then.

By the time Chloe was born, he’d given up. His younger brother never dealt with the consequences of his actions, so Ryan had resolved to be a fixture in his niece’s life from day one.

That was more than he could say for the woman in front of him.

“You’re Chloe’s aunt. Where do you live?”

“North Bend.”

“That close. As often as I’m here, our paths should have crossed.”

The determination on her face seemed to waver. He knew exactly who Shelby was. Mia had told him about her siblings, both of whom had pretty much severed ties with their younger sister. Now that Mia was gone, one of those sisters was on her doorstep, ready to take away his niece. Not in this lifetime.

He pressed a kiss to the top of Chloe’s head. “Let’s be frank. When was the last time you saw your niece?”

She lifted her chin. “Two weeks ago.”

“Your aunt’s funeral.” Mia had told him about that, too. “Before that?”

She looked away briefly, then jerked her gaze back to his. Keeping her eyes fixed on him seemed to require some effort. “That’s irrelevant.”

“I’d say it’s quite relevant. Chloe just lost her mother.” She might have even witnessed the murder.

He glanced at Addy, but she was staring past him, down the hall. The muscles in the side of her face tensed. She probably felt the same way about Chloe’s absentee aunt as he did. She brushed past him and mumbled, “Excuse me,” then stalked down the hall. At the end, she pulled open the door to the stairs and let it swing closed behind her.

Since he had Chloe, she was probably taking advantage of her first opportunity to be alone. She had to be reeling. He certainly was.

When he drew his gaze back to Shelby, she stood with her arms crossed. The determination was back full force. “Chloe needs care and love. Those are things I can provide.”

“She needs to be surrounded by people she knows, not taken away by a virtual stranger.”

She pursed her lips. At first glance, she was a toned-down, natural version of Mia. They had the same slope to their jaws and the same high cheekbones. Shelby’s shoulder-length hair was the same deep auburn shade as her sister’s, at least when Mia wasn’t wearing one of the multitude of wigs that were part of her showgirl persona.

But the similarities ended there. First was the age spread. Mia had said there were six-year spans between the three sisters. As the middle child, Shelby would be twenty-seven.

Next was their makeup. Mia dolled herself up almost as much for a trip to the grocery store as a shift at the club. If Shelby was wearing cosmetics at all, they were understated.

The biggest difference was in their eyes. Though the same golden green as Mia’s, Shelby’s held seriousness in their depths, even wisdom, as if her life experience exceeded her age. As if she’d been forced to grow up too quickly.

He sighed. “Why are you here?”

“Mia and Chloe and I had dinner plans.”

He lifted an eyebrow. He was supposed to believe that? “Dinner plans. Tonight.”

“Yes.”

“Why? You’ve hardly said boo to Mia since you left home.”

She narrowed her eyes. “My relationship with my sister isn’t the issue. All that matters is doing what’s best for her little girl.”

At least they agreed on something. “And that’s staying with me.”

She heaved a sigh. “Since we’re being frank, let me lay it out. I own a diner. I live in a small town where neighbors still say ‘hi’ to one another. My living quarters are upstairs from where I work. I can pop in anytime to check on Chloe. I’ll hire a good babysitter—preferably Addy, if she’s willing.”

Yeah, she’d be willing. She was crazy about Chloe. And Chloe was just as attached to her. Regardless of how Addy felt about him, her presence was good for Chloe. So Ryan would make sure she stayed on once he got custody. And he was going to get custody, whatever it took.

Shelby continued, “I’m not wealthy, but I can provide a good, wholesome environment. Besides the love I’ll give her, she’ll have the influences of my aunt’s church and our friends.”

“I can provide the same thing.” He’d even consider church attendance for Chloe’s sake.

Shelby lifted one arched brow. “Your family owns a bunch of gentlemen’s clubs. That’s hardly the environment for a little girl to grow up in.”

He clenched his teeth. The woman was judging him for his father’s activities after she’d had nothing to do with Chloe because she was too busy or too snooty or just plain didn’t care.

When he spoke, ice edged his tone. “I’m not my family.” At least not his father’s side. Instead, he’d been closer to his mother, especially after his parents divorced when he was seven. At age twelve, he’d found a father figure through his best friend. A recently retired military man, Kyle’s dad had adored his wife and made his children the center of his life. Ryan’s ideals had been on an increasingly separate path from his father’s ever since.

A detective holding a small notepad approached from inside the apartment. He glanced at them both, then focused on Ryan. “What is your relationship with Mia Adair?”

“I’m the baby’s uncle. My brother is the father.” At the detective’s request, he provided his contact information.

“How often did you see Mia?”

“Three or four times a week.”

“Where?”

“Here. I’d pick up Chloe and take her to the park and places.” He’d call Mia and let her know he was on the way. She was always fine with it. Except today she hadn’t answered. Since he’d already been in Seattle on another errand, he figured he’d give it a shot.

“Have you and Ms. Adair ever dated?”

“We’ve never been more than friends.” If not for Chloe, she wouldn’t have even been that. She was too shallow to be someone with whom he’d seek out a friendship.

“Do you know of anyone who would want to hurt her?”

“No. I didn’t think she had enemies. She seemed to get along with everybody.”

At the end of the hall, the elevator dinged and the doors opened. Addy stepped off and approached. The detective gave her a brief glance, then continued his questions. Once finished, he turned to Shelby.

“What about you? What is your relationship with Ms. Adair?”

“Her sister.”

While he jotted her name, address and phone number in his pad, Ryan smoothed Chloe’s curls, so soft against his palm. She lifted her eyes to his. They were green with gold flecks, just like her mother’s. Like her aunt’s, too.

“Are you aware of anyone who’d have wanted to hurt her?”

Ryan watched Shelby’s gaze shift to him before going back to the detective. Uneasiness brushed the edges of his mind.

“Yes.”

“Who?”

“The people who own and manage the club where she worked.”

Ryan’s jaw dropped. “Come on.” The objection slipped out before he could stop it. The woman would resort to anything to get Chloe.

The detective shot him a warning glance. “What club is that?”

“The Satin Cabaret.”

“Why do you believe her employers would want to hurt her?”

“She told me there was something shady going on at the club. She’d seen or heard something. She said if she stumbled on what it was, her life would be in danger.”

“When did she tell you this?”

“Two weeks ago.”

“Did she say what she’d seen or heard?”

“No.”

“Could she have been talking about patrons rather than the owners?”

“Possibly, but that wasn’t the impression I got. Since she said something shady was going on at the club, I assume it’s something the owners are involved in. Or know about, anyway.”

He finished his notes, then looked up. “Anything else you can tell me?”

“Not that I remember.”

“Call if you think of anything.” He handed each of them a card with a case number. “Will one of you be taking the child, or shall I call DSHS?”

Shelby jumped in. “I’m taking her.” She looked at Addy. “Will you continue as Chloe’s nanny?”

Addy nodded. “I go wherever Chloe goes.”

“Good.” Shelby returned her attention to the detective. “I’ll file the necessary paperwork to make it legal. Based on what Mia told me, Chloe’s daddy is out of the picture. I’m expecting him to sign away his parental rights.”

Ryan held up a hand. “With all due respect, even though Ms. Adair is Chloe’s aunt, Chloe has seen her only a handful of times. She needs to be with people she knows, people who love her.”

Fire lit Shelby’s eyes. He wasn’t accusing her of not loving Chloe. But based on the glare he was getting, that was how she’d taken it. “His brother manages the club where my sister worked. His father owns it. These are the people my sister was afraid of.”

“According to you.”

Addy frowned. “Mia told me the same thing.”

“That has nothing to do with me.” Ryan struggled to keep his voice level. “I’m almost finished with twenty years in the Navy. I’ve never been involved in my family’s business.”

Shelby spread her arms, palms up. “We don’t even know that Randall McConnell’s name is on Chloe’s birth certificate. According to Mia, they’ve never been in a committed relationship.”

The detective closed his pad. “Until the courts can sort it out, it makes sense for the child to go with the deceased’s sister.”

Ryan sagged against the hallway wall. How was this happening? After he’d spent countless hours bonding with his niece, how could Chloe’s absentee aunt walk in and lay claim to her?

He’d let it go tonight. He’d lost the initial battle, but not the war. Shelby had said she was filing the necessary paperwork. He would, too. He’d fight her every step of the way.

His brother wasn’t going to be any help. The idiot had gotten himself arrested a week ago. It wasn’t the first time. He’d been able to beat the other charges or accept pleas for reduced sentences. Ryan had warned him—one more time and they’d put him under the jail. Randall hadn’t listened. This time he’d sold heroin to an undercover cop. He probably wouldn’t see freedom for the next fifteen years. Or longer.

This weekend, Ryan would visit and tell him about Mia. There wouldn’t be tears. Men didn’t cry, especially McConnell men. At least, that was what he and Randall had been taught from a young age. Over the past twenty years, Ryan had learned his father was wrong. Sometimes men did cry, even McConnell men.

He turned to Shelby. “Can we exchange phone numbers?” He kept the irritation from his tone. Alienating her further wouldn’t do them any good. “I’d like to stay in touch with my niece. I’ll also try to answer any questions you might have.”

After some hesitation, she removed her phone from her purse. “Give me your number.”

As he rattled off the digits, her thumbs flew over her screen. Moments later, his phone buzzed with an incoming text. Time to hand over his niece. He buried his face in her curly copper-colored hair. The faint scent of her shampoo, a combination of strawberries and bananas, wrapped around him. He kissed her again, then tried to untangle her arms from his neck. She tightened her hold.

“Sweetie, you need to go with Aunt Shelby.” The words tasted bitter. Shelby didn’t deserve that title.

Chloe’s eyes filled with tears. “No. Wyan.”

He injected false cheer into his voice. “Uncle Ryan will see you soon.” It was a promise he hoped he could keep.

Chloe began to cry in earnest. As he transferred her into Shelby’s waiting arms, the cries became full-blown wails.

His eyes met Shelby’s. Then he turned and strode toward the elevator. Chloe’s cries followed him, each one shredding his heart.

When he stepped outside, the lingering remnants of daylight had faded to night. He slid into his Equinox and let his head fall back against the seat. In a few minutes, a stranger would walk away with his niece. She’d never be what Chloe needed. When she couldn’t even be bothered to make an occasional visit, how would she make the sacrifices needed to raise an emotionally healthy child?

She wouldn’t.

He heaved a sigh. He should head back to his apartment, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave. Maybe he wanted to catch one more glimpse of his niece before Shelby took her away. Or if he sat there long enough, maybe he’d somehow make sense of the whole messed-up situation.

Addy walked from the building carrying Chloe. Shelby followed behind. She’d already passed off her parenting responsibility. He wasn’t surprised.

They walked to Addy’s Camaro, where Addy fastened Chloe into her car seat in the back. After a short exchange, Shelby walked toward her own vehicle. Her head was down, her shoulders slumped. Sadness wrapped around her like a cloak.

An unwelcome sense of compassion stirred inside him. He wanted to hate her, to view her as the enemy. But that picture wasn’t right. Because upstairs, in that final moment before he’d turned away, her eyes hadn’t held triumph. They’d held pain.

He reached for his keys, which were hanging in the ignition. Behind him, a vehicle roared down the short road that ran past the apartment complex. Someone was blowing right through the posted 25-mile-per-hour speed limit. As he turned the key, Shelby cast a sudden glance back at Addy. His own engine rumbled to life, blending with the roar of the other one. But there was something else, too—a pop, the sharp crack of a vehicle backfiring.

Or a gunshot.

A short distance away, Shelby dove between two cars. Ryan sprang from his vehicle at the same time Addy slipped into the Camaro and slammed the door behind her.

Now he had no doubt. What he’d heard was a gunshot. Had it come from the vehicle that had just sped past?

He dialed 911, then ran toward Addy’s car. First, he’d see to his niece’s safety. Then he’d check on Shelby. The dispatcher came on as he reached the Camaro. Addy was twisted sideways, her upper body lying over the console. Chloe was watching him from her car seat, apparently oblivious.

He spoke into the phone as he swung open the driver door. “There was a shot fired. A drive-by.” That was his assumption, anyway. Addy straightened, her eyes wide, and he lifted a brow at her. She nodded.

“What kind of vehicle?” He repeated to Addy the question he’d been asked.

“Four-door. Older. I don’t know what kind. It’s too dark.”

Shelby approached and stopped to stand next to him. He didn’t take time to acknowledge her presence.

“Color?”

“Dark. Maybe. It’s hard to tell.”

After he relayed the information to the dispatcher, he looked at Shelby. “Did you see anything?”

She shook her head. “I heard the engine rev, but when Addy screamed that someone had a gun, I dove for cover.”

He confirmed their location, then ended the call. The authorities investigating Mia’s murder were still there. So were the people from the medical examiner’s office. But other units would arrive shortly. In the meantime, everyone in the area would be alerted to be on the lookout for an older four-door...something. He heaved a sigh. They didn’t have much to go on.

Shelby crossed her arms in front of her, then ran her hands up and down her jacket sleeves. The temperature had dropped since the sun went down. A shudder ripped through her. “Why?”

Addy lifted one shoulder, then let it fall. “Whoever killed Mia probably thinks you know something.”

“But I don’t.”

“I know that. But they apparently don’t, because when I saw the arm come out the window, that gun was pointed at you.”

The last of the color drained from her face, and she started to teeter sideways.

Ryan grabbed her arm to steady her. “Whoa, easy.”

She tilted her head back, locking those gold-green eyes on him. The vulnerability he saw there punched him in the gut.

She’d neglected her niece, ignored her sister and fought him for Chloe.

But there was no way he’d leave her at the mercy of a ruthless killer.