Daniel (6 page)

“I’m not going to do anything of the kind.”
He shook her. “Think. I’m not going to give anyone to that bastard. He’s not
going to get Benny or you. But you need my help. You can’t take on a man like
him and expect to come out the victor.”

Brave words. She jerked from him and
went to her car. When he didn’t come with her, she turned back before getting
in her car, wondering if he was going to get in and let her take him back to
his car.

“You don’t trust me. I don’t think getting
in a car with you right now is smart.” She started to speak, but he lifted his
hand to stop her. “I’ll expect you to be at the Foundation offices on Monday.
If that’s the only way I can keep an eye on you, so be it. Eight o’clock on
Monday, and ask for Kasey or Kylie Hunter. They’ll expect you.”

“You have to see that I’m right. If you
know about Carver, then you know what sort of man he is. He’ll hurt you like…I
can’t let him harm anyone, and he’ll not get my son.”

“You’re wrong. And we both know it. If
you have any knowledge of what he is capable of, you know that, as well. He
won’t stop until he gets whatever it is he’s told you, and if you don’t know
that, you’re more naive that I thought.”

She drove home on auto-pilot. Things
were just fine until she…who was this guy, anyway? What rights did he have to
barge into her life and treat her as if she hadn’t been dealing with this all
along without his interference? She parked in the garage and went to the house.
She was so tired of this stress and wondered what it would be like to just let
someone else help her with it. She shuddered at that thought. That wasn’t going
to happen in any lifetime she knew of.

Benny was putting together a salad when
she walked in. She wasn’t hungry really, but she helped him, anyway. Neither of
them said anything as she put burgers on the grill and set some potatoes in the
microwave to heat. He was staring at her when she looked up from putting their
plates together.

“You should know that when you’re upset
I can see it on your face. I read about that one time. You should never play
poker.” She nodded at his observation and had to look down so he couldn’t see
her tears. “What happened today with the lunch thingy? Did she fire you?”

“It doesn’t work that way. She works for
me. And no, I didn’t fire her.” She looked up at him and tried to smile. “Benny,
if I’m screwing up with this, you’d tell me, wouldn’t you?”

He looked at her with his blank face. He
was good at it and would probably play poker very well. He got up from the
table and came to her and hugged her. It was all she could do not to break
down.

“You took me when you didn’t have to.
You probably saved me from being on the streets like I wanted and being killed
in ten minutes. You have kept me safe and all that.” He stepped back before she
was ready and smiled up at her. “Let me have the name of the bastard that made
you cry and I’ll beat him up for you.”

She decided it was when he flexed his
small muscles at her that got her. She gave him another quick hug and then
brought the burgers in to the table. He was on his second one when she thought
about what had happened at Mr. Hunter’s office and decided to give him a
watered-down version of what had happened.

“I’m going to be doing a piece for that
man you liked. That Mr. Hunter contacted my agent and asked for me. It will go
a long way for your college fund.” He grinned around his burger at her. “You
will be pleased to know that he thinks you’re okay, too.”

“He wants to meet me? Cool. I can’t I
know, but it’s nice that he remembers me.” He finished off four of the five
burgers, then her potato. She was slicing up the cake he’d baked while she’d
been gone when he brought up school.

“I have to turn in an art project by the
end of term. Do you think you could help me with something? I don’t want to do
a pottery piece. That’s been enough for me for a while. I was thinking of
something like a drawing.”

She told him she’d help and they worked
on ideas after they cleaned up the kitchen. She was turning on the dishwasher
when she realized he didn’t have any male adults to talk to and wondered if she
should talk to the school. Then dismissed the idea as silly. She knew he had
male teachers, and she paid enough at the private school for someone to be
there for him.

After he went to bed, she went out to
the kiln again. A few more days and she’d have it done. After she worked on it until
she couldn’t do anything else, she went into the studio and started weighing up
clay balls to throw the Hunter piece. The sooner she got it finished and in his
building the sooner he would have to leave them alone. She put her fingers over
her mouth where he’d kissed her and sighed. She had a feeling he wasn’t going
to go away anytime soon no matter how quickly she got the piece finished.

Chapter
6

Daniel was in his office at ten on
Monday morning when his mother came in. She looked happy, but he didn’t trust
that smile for all the money in the world. She was up to something, and he knew
it. He picked up the file he’d been going to give her and started on it.

“There are two investments that the
corporation should look into. I got word of them over the weekend.” When he’d
been able to think of something other than O’Reilly and her mouth, that was. “I
think it would be something for you to get into.”

“I met her this morning.” He cocked a
brow at her. “The potter. She came by the Foundation when I was there with
Kylie. My goodness, she’s a pretty little thing, isn’t she? And she looked so gorgeous
in that little skirt that I immediately thought of Kasey in one like it. I want
to go shopping soon.”

He put down the file. The thought of
O’Reilly in a skirt nearly had him groan. She looked so good in a pair of jeans,
he was nearly salivating to see what she’d looked like in a skirt. He looked at
his mom and tried to think why she’d come to see him when she’d spoken to—

“Did she…was she nasty to you? If she
was, so help me I’ll wring her pretty little neck. She can be mad at me all she
wants, but she will not take it out on my family.” He knew he’d said too much
when she raised both brows at him. “Don’t, Mom.”

“Don’t what? Don’t wonder how a woman
like her would piss you off. And yes, she’s pissed at you. I love you, son, and
I just thought…I’ll call her and cancel. It’s just not worth it. I won’t have
someone around who might cause you grief on something so dear to our hearts.” He
shook his head. “It matters to me about this art foundation, but never as much
as you do to me.”

He closed his eyes, trying to figure out
how to explain. He thought if he told her the truth, he’d be in more hot water than
if he lied. He knew that lying never got anyone anywhere.

“I kissed her. And before you jump to a conclusion
that involves a wedding cake and invitations, she doesn’t like me…and not
because of…that. She feels as if I’m interfering in her life, and she
doesn’t…there’s a problem, one that I want to help her with. And she won’t
allow it.”

“And that’s going to stop you how? You
like her?” He nodded. “Well, how much do you…a child. I think I heard someone
say she had a child. Is that what this is all about? You are not going to pursue
her because of a child?”

“No. Well, I…sort of. I don’t care for
getting involved with women with children.” He sighed. “I
won’t
get
involved with women with kids. They can get you where you can’t simply break it
off. And besides, I don’t know this kid other than a few minutes with him. And
I won’t if she has anything to do with it. There’s a problem. Huge problem, and
she won’t let me get close to either of them for fear of someone finding him.”

He knew he’d told her too much. He did
trust his mom and he needed someone to talk to. The more he thought about
O’Reilly, the more he…he wanted more than a one-nighter with her.

“If it helps you at all, I’ve spoken to
Doyle. And your brothers. They think that she is running from this man who
killed her sister. Are you afraid he’ll…well, come after you if you’re involved
with her?”

“No,” he nearly shouted. He took a deep
calming breath. “No. I’m not worried about that at all. I’m not getting
‘involved’ with anyone, especially not her. And Doyle had no right to go to you
with this. This is between her and me.”

“If you believe that everything that
affects you doesn’t affect the rest of us, then you’re not my son. We are a
family, and we stick together. If someone messes with someone in this family,
even if she is someone you just want to have a bout of sex with, then it
affects all of us.” She sat up straighter in the chair. “Is that all she is to
you? If she is, then I have to agree with her. Keep away. No amount of sex is
good enough to get you hurt.”

She had a point, but he was afraid it
was too late for that. There was something about O’Reilly that…. “She drives me
insane. I can’t seem to stop thinking about her, and she doesn’t want a thing
to do with me. Then there is Benny. He seemed like a good kid. I didn’t get to
talk to him much, but…do you remember that kid I used to bring over all the
time when I was a kid?”

His mom nodded. “Gilbert Shane. Nice
boy. Terrified of his shadow most of the time. He was also….” She looked up at
him sharply. “You think someone hurt him?”

“I don’t know. And I doubt if it’s
sexual. It’s more…like I said, I didn’t talk to him much, but she’s hiding him
for a reason. I’ve read up on this Carver person, and I believe he’s capable of
all sort of heinous things, but sexually abusing a boy? I don’t know.”

His mom stood. “I’ll invite her to the
house. She’ll be to dinner on Sunday, as will you. I don’t care if…I will have
the boy there, too. And if there is anything we can do to help him, then we’ll
do it regardless of what she wants. I can move mountains, and one little girl
is not going to give me any problems.”

After she left his office, he smiled. He
wasn’t too sure, but he thought maybe his mom might have a better time moving a
mountain than O’Reilly. She was tougher than she might think.

~~~

“No thanks. I have to get home.” It was
Friday and Reilly was exhausted. She hadn’t been sleeping well, and she’d burned
her back the day before, messing with the kiln again. She tried not to wince every
time she moved, but Benny had been having more nightmares, and he was keeping
her awake with worry.

“It’s just dinner, for heaven’s sake. Come
to dinner on Sunday and we’ll talk about the progress of all the students
you’ll start with on Monday.” Kylie wasn’t whiny. She was simply annoying, and
she’d been asking the same thing every day since Monday. “My family wants to
meet you.”

“I’m pretty sure I’ve met them all this
week. It’s been a big parade here since I started. Now if you don’t mind, I
have to go home. I have things to do if I’m going to be here next week.” Reilly
knew it was an idle threat. She’d been enjoying herself helping put the
finishing touches on the project there. She’d even enjoyed talking to the woman
teaching the art end of the school.

“You might as well give it up, Kylie
love, she won’t come because of me.” She turned to see Mr. Hunter there. Daniel
was the only one she’d not seen two hundred times in the past five days. And
their mother had been by the most.

“I don’t give two shits about you, so
get over yourself. I have things to do, and spending time with the rich and
famous isn’t high on my list.” Plus, he looked too good standing there leaning
against the doorjamb in another suit. She wondered if he had anything but suits,
and decided she wasn’t going to care.

He moved into the room she and Kylie had
been in and closed the door. He moved to her slowly, and she had to really restrain
herself from taking steps backwards to get away from him. He was just too sure
of himself, and she wasn’t thrilled about the way he made her feel.

“My family hasn’t mentioned it, but they
are aware of your son.” His voice was low, but she knew that Kylie had heard
him. She was nodding. “They don’t, however, know what he is to you really.”

This was a whisper, the barest movement
of his mouth. But she heard him. She did take a step back now and bumped into
the wall. The cry that spilled from her lips was sharp, and she came forward
and into his chest before she could think to sidestep from him. He had her
turned and shirt up before she could breathe through the pain and tell him to
leave her alone.

“Christ, what did you do? Kylie, go and
get the nurse, will you?” To her he said to stand still. “What did you do, back
into a fire? This looks infected.”

“I’m fine.” She wasn’t, and she was
pretty sure he knew it, too. “I’m fine and just want to go home. Let me go.”

“If I have to bend you over my knee to
make sure you know how much I want you to mind right now, so help me I will. When
did you do this?” She told him Monday, and he cursed again. “Were you, I don’t
know, going to see anyone about this before you died of some horrible
infection?”

“I don’t know how many times I have to
tell you that I’m fine before you start to understand
I’m fine
.” She had
shouted the last two words, but she was pretty sure they’d lost their effect
when she sobbed, too.

He walked around to face her, holding
her tightly in his hands. “Don’t cry, baby. The nurse is going to have a look
at it. And if she says you’re fine, I’ll believe her.”

Reilly wanted to point out that she
would know more about herself than a nurse would, but only nodded. She was
hurting…and badly. She felt cool hands at her back and someone speaking low to
her. She couldn’t understand the words, but the soothing-ness of them helped
the pain.

“O’Reilly, look at me.” She hadn’t
realized that she’d closed her eyes and swayed a little when she opened them. The
pain was nearly overwhelming her now. “Where is Benny? Is he home or somewhere
else?”

“He’s…why?” She couldn’t think. The
nurse was saying something about infection and antibiotics. Her body started to
tremble and she could feel something trickle down her back. “What is that?”

“You burst a blister when you hit the
wall. She said that you’re lucky to be standing. I’m going to have to go and
get Benny. You’re not going to be able to go home. You’re going to the
hospital.”

“
No
,” she screamed in panic. “He’s
got to be safe. He’ll know what to do if I can’t come home. But I am. The
hospital will…he will be terrified if I take him there. His mother…I have to go
to him. Mr. Hunter, please just let me go.”

He rested his head against hers, and she
felt a small pinch in her arm. “I can’t, love. I’m going to give you your phone
and you tell him to come with me. The nurse has given you something for the
pain, and we’ll take care of you. I will go and get him and bring him to my
house. I swear to you he’ll be as safe as he would be with you.”

She felt herself slipping and knew it
was only a matter of time before she was out. Did she trust this man? It seemed
she had no choice. She took her cell phone and pressed the only number
programmed in it. He answered on the first ring.

“It’s Mom. I’m sending Mr. Hunter to get
you. He’ll know the word. You understand?” She could hear his harsh intake of
breath before he spoke.

“Are you hurt?” She told him yes, her
back. “I’ll come with him. I’ll be ready.” She hung up and looked at the man in
front of her.

“If you hurt him or allow him to even
break a fingernail I will hunt you down and kill you slowly. Do you understand
me?” She heard his mother behind her but didn’t stop now. She was fading fast. “It’s
sierra. You say sierra to him and he’ll go with you.”

“Sierra. I got it.” Then he pulled her
to him and kissed her hard on the mouth. “And I won’t hurt him. You will trust
me on this.”

The world blacked out. She knew she was
falling, not to the floor but into the blackness quickly. She had a moment of
panic, then quiet. And the last thought she had was
finally, I’ll be able to
sleep.

She felt fuzzy when she opened her eyes.
She could see feet moving below her. The movement made her sick. Someone said, “She’s
coming back again.” Someone else cursed. She had to smile. This person had a
very good grasp for stringing together bad words. Then she was out again.