Built to Last (14 page)

“I’m never going to let anyone hurt you ever again.” From the look in his eyes, she knew he meant it. “Your sister is here too. She was talking to the officers about what they are doing here to catch Griffin. How did you get away from him?”

She looked up into his eyes, tears continuing to slip down her face. Her bottom lip trembled. She dropped her head into her hands. “I…” she began to sob. She couldn’t tell him how she had seduced Griffin to distract him so she could get away. She didn’t want to put that image in his head nor did she want to relive it.

“Never mind,” he said kissing the top of her head and holding her close. “Forget I asked.”

They stood and walked out to Del. “Are you ready to give your full statement?” the policewoman asked.

“Can’t that wait until tomorrow?” her sister interjected.

“It’s better if it’s done while it’s still fresh in her mind,” the woman answered, “After we are done, you can take her home.”

“Yes, I can give my statement. It’s okay.” She squeezed Del’s hand, and looked at Cade giving him a brave smile. She followed the officer to a different room.

“What did that animal do to my sister?” Del interrogated Cade. She had seen the bruises around Noelle’s neck and wrists.

“She didn’t want to tell me Del. But she managed to escape him.”

Del could see the anger in Cade’s eyes and understood it as she felt it too. They waited as patiently as they could while her statement was taken and then the three of them returned to the airport to take the helicopter home. It had cost a small fortune to get the pilot to fly up in the middle of the night but it was worth every penny. Cade took her back to his place, so she wouldn’t be alone. He tucked her into his bed and simply watched her for the rest of the night.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Noelle awoke the next morning with a start. She still didn’t recognize her surroundings and feared that Griffin had found her again. She sat up in a hurry looking around with wide eyes.

“Whoa, whoa, love, it’s okay. I promise,” Cade reassured her, taking her hand in his own and stroking his thumb along the back until she began to relax.

“I’m sorry Cade,” she whispered, leaning back into the headboard of his bed. It had been so late and she hadn’t wanted to be alone so she agreed to let him take her to his house.

“You have nothing to be sorry for love. You have been through a lot in the last couple of days.”

There was that word again. He had called her his love several times since the police station. She wasn’t even sure he knew he was saying it. Every time he did, her heart skipped. He was being so gentle and kind to her. It didn’t change things for her, especially after what she’d had to do to get away from Griffin. She was not ready to be in a relationship with anyone until she got her life back together. It was time that she told him so, despite the fact that even now after everything; the stroking of his thumb on the back of her hand was sending an ever-tightening curl of desire into his gut.

“Cade, we need to talk,” she began, wincing at her own words because she knew that any conversation starting with those words never seemed to end well.

“You don’t need to tell me what happened if you don’t want to Noelle. I don’t need to know. I’m just glad you are safe.”

She climbed out of bed, putting her own clothes back on as she thought about how she was going to say this.

“Cade, please know that I think you are wonderful. You are handsome and funny. You make me feel like I am the only woman in the room when I am with you. But I am not in a place where I can be in a relationship, especially right now. I need a friend, a good friend, someone who understands that I need space to figure out who I am again, and get through what has happened to me. I am still grieving my mother. I am a temp with no prospects of a real job. For all I know, I no longer have the one out at Whittaker Hall after getting the police involved. I am at a monumental crossroads in my life and it’s not fair of me to keep you guessing about how I feel about you. Under different circumstances Cade, I could really fall for someone like you.”

She hadn’t been able to look at him the entire time she was talking. Now she did hoping that he would understand. He knelt by the side of the bed taking her hands in his own again.

“I do understand Noelle, and I have no expectations of you. I am here when you need me.” He kissed the back of her hand. His heart felt like she had just ripped it from his chest but after everything she had been through, he did understand her reluctance to trust herself or anyone else with her life. He had already decided that he would do everything in his power to show her how much he loved her. He would be her friend and guardian for now because that is what she needed. He knew that more would come and he was ready to wait as long as it took.

***

On the corner, just down from Cade’s home, Griffin Andersen was plotting revenge. Revenge on the man that stole the heart of the woman he wanted and revenge on the woman who had rebuked him and turned him into a wanted criminal.

He had worked hard to get Noelle back into his life. When he had heard her mother had passed away he knew immediately why things had never worked out with any other woman in his life. He still held feelings for Noelle from their college days together. So, he decided he would bring her back into his life. He had nearly run into her in town the week of the funeral, but it wasn’t a good time. She had been with her sister, and he needed to get her alone. When he had seen her again, he found her to be even more beautiful than he had remembered.

He also needed money to make a life for the two of them. His constant travelling had left him with a large nest egg, but he was not quite there on the purchase price of the piece of property he had his eye on. A couple more months of work and then he could buy it outright and only have to take jobs in the city until he wanted to retire. There were several companies throughout the Salt Lake area, but none of them needed a marble mason, so he made sure one did. He had approached Kelly before his trip to Florida, and made sure the man had very good reasons to stay there. After all, women looking for American husbands were not that hard to find, and less hard to bribe.

Once Kelly was out of the way, he let it be known to others in his trade that he was looking for work. The rest took care of itself. Once he was working for Harden Construction, everything would line up just as he planned. Only he hadn’t expected that his boss would also be chasing his girl. He had been watching Noelle every day getting to know her routines and what she liked. She wasn’t that different from the girl he knew in college, though she partied less. So, when he caught her going out on a date with none other than Cade Harden, his blood began to boil. He had to get in there and let her know he was alive, around and interested again.

Cade had made it easy. He had asked for a few hands to help with a charity move and gave the address. Griffin had immediately volunteered recognizing the address. She had been pleased to see him, even given him her number, and asked him to call her right in front of Cade.

Every time he thought he was getting ahead with her, Cade was blocking his way. Now it was time to get rid of the problem. Noelle would then get to see how wrong she had been to choose Cade over him.

Griffin had been waiting there all night. He had watched them come home and seethed knowing that they were in that house alone together; that Cade was sleeping with Noelle after she had turned on him. She was such a cunning little bitch. In any other circumstance, it might have turned him on to her even more.

He slumped down in the car seat as he saw the door open and the two of them come out. They both climbed into Cade’s truck and took off. Griffin watched them go. He would deal with them later. Now, he had work to do. He stepped out of the car and walked up to the house. He looked around before trying the doorknob. It didn’t take more than a few minutes to pick the lock and he was inside. All he had to do was wait.

***

Cade had dropped her back off at Whittaker Hall. She needed her cell phone and purse and a change of clothes. She had given him a kiss on the cheek and thanked him for everything before turning him loose to deal with his job. Once again, he was short a mason.

She took the long way around to her room, avoiding the kitchen and the mess she knew she would find there. Her room looked the same, other than the closet, which had hangers on the floor. No doubt, the ones that had been holding the clothing she was wearing now. She quickly changed and grabbed her purse and her car charger for her cell phone, which she knew, was in the kitchen. She walked in the room and found it as she remembered it. Other than the oven was shut off, and the food inside was a two days old and cold, it looked just as it had.

Noelle grabbed her phone from the counter and walked back out of the kitchen. She would deal with it all later. She walked out to the garage and climbed into her car, plugging in her phone and dialing the phone number for the temp agency. Time for life to move forward again.

“Cindy, it’s Noelle.”

“Noelle, I’m glad to hear you are all right! Mrs. Whittaker called to let us know that the police had called her.”

Noelle sighed, she was sure Mrs. Whittaker had not been happy about it either. “Cindy, I was just calling to let you know that I was available again and that I can have my things out of Whittaker Hall by tomorrow.”

“Now why are you doing that? It took Mrs. Whittaker three months to find someone’s resume she liked. She only called because she was concerned for your well-being and suggested that we up the time frame on hiring of the other staff, so that you would no longer be out so far from the city on your own.”

Noelle didn’t know what to say. She had only talked to the woman a couple of times on the phone since she had started working out at the Hall. She got kidnapped from the house, managed to escape, but had police on the property, and yet still the woman trusted her enough to continue as business as usual.

“Are you still there?” Cindy asked.

“I am. I guess I’m just surprised is all. We could start looking at candidates this afternoon if you like. I presume you will be sending them out to me once Mrs. Whittaker has narrowed down the resumes?”

“Precisely, b
ut we will start on Monday. You have had a lot on your plate this week. I’ll call you later to set up a schedule of interview times.”

Next was a trip to the clinic to have blood work done and whatever other samples the police needed to take. They had said something about testing for the drug Griffin had used on her. She started up her car and pulled out of the garage headed back into the city.

***

Cade couldn’t stop thinking about Noelle, with all of her injuries as he drove to his office building. His anger just seemed to keep growing. He stormed into his office already brewing up a plan for revenge in his head. He took the notes from his secretary with the messages he needed to return and the list of appointments he had for the day. It was too long. He tossed the list on his desk, walked to his partner’s door, and knocked.

“Steve, you got a minute?”

“Cade, of course come in and have a seat man.”

“Steve, I’m going to need the next couple of weeks away. I have some personal things going on and I can’t focus on work now. Do you mind cleaning up on the Plaza site? We are going to need yet another mason to finish the job. I’ll leave you a list of possibilities.”

“Can I ask what this is about?” Steven looked annoyed by having extra work set on his shoulders. However, he knew Cade well enough to know, that man never took time off work. Harden Construction was his pride and joy.

“It’s a really long story, and I’ll tell you just not today. I have some loose ends to tie up. I’ll have my cell, if you need me.”

Cade stood and walked back out of the office. The only thing he had on his mind now, was finding out where Griffin Andersen was, and taking care of the problem.

***

“Miss Fuchs?” The doctor at the clinic re-entered the room. She hadn’t expected as thorough as an exam as she had received. Urine test, blood test, physical, and they took a chunk of hair as well. She looked up at the doctor wondering what else could possibly be needed from her today. She was feeling increasingly tired and all she wanted to do was go home to her bed and sleep. She was to check in with the police station as well before that could happen. Then there was the mess at the Hall to clean up.

“Are we done?”

“Just about there. How long were you held captive?”

“Three days.”

“Well, then that certainly makes this good news. The early results of the tests show that your system is clear of any drugs. You said that you had been drugged twice? Once at the beginning of the month and then again four days ago.”

“Yes.”

“Are you certain that you were not raped?”

“Yes. What is the good news you are talking about?”

“You are pregnant Miss Fuchs. Since you did not report it, when you came in, I must presume that you have not missed a period yet. Is that correct?”

“Pregnant?” shock wiped everything else from her mind. “But… how is that possible?”

The doctor smiled at her sympathetically. “I take it this was not something you had been trying for with your boyfriend? And you used protection?”

Noelle nodded at the doctor, her heart was trying to jump from her chest, and her hand had instinctively found its way to her abdomen, even though there was no way she could feel the child growing there. She thought back over the two nights she had spent with Cade during the blizzard. Each time they had made love, he had been wearing a condom. Except…

“Oh God…" she groaned. The hot tub had been spontaneous, and beautiful… and stupid, and careless…

“I am writing you a couple of prescriptions. One is for prenatal vitamins that you need to start taking daily, and the other is for an antibiotic to stave off an infection that might be in your system from going without treating this wound properly. We need to you come back in a week to check on that head wound. I suggest you make an appointment with your OB-GYN to start you prenatal checkups. You can get dressed I will leave the rest of these instructions at the desk for you to pick up on your way out.”

“Thank you Doctor,” Noelle answered reflexively. Inside her head was awash of images of her dreams going up in smoke. She pulled her clothes on, and was out in the parking lot without realizing that she had moved. She stared out the windshield at the brick wall of the clinic. She was going to be a mother. She had taken care of her own mother for the last six years. She did it gladly but now her life was supposed to be her own. A baby… how was she going to take care of a baby? She didn’t even have a real job, and no degree to get a real job. Fear froze her in place for a long time, as the news settled into her brain. She had to call Del. Del would know what she was going to do. Right now, she needed a dose of big sister advice. She pulled her cell out of her purse, and dialed the number.