Storm Ravaged (Storm Damages 2) (Storm Legacy) (6 page)

That was saying something since the tutor died eighteen years ago. I lay my hands over hers once more. “You’ve been a good and faithful servant to my mother. And I want you to be happy. So I’m going to reward you with your very own beach cottage in the Caribbean and put enough money in a bank account for you to live comfortably the rest of your life. Is your passport in order?”

As I spoke, her eyes widened until they became huge pools of wonder. She swallows before she responds. “Yes, Sir. Has to be since your mother travels now and then.”

“Good. In a week’s time, you will leave here, and never return. You’ll be safe, I promise. She’ll never find out your whereabouts. Do you understand what I’m asking you to do?” I can’t come right out and ask her to remain silent about the tutor’s murder, but I pray she understands.

She nods and for the first time a smile surfaces on her face, a creaky one like it hasn’t been used for a while. “Yes, Master Gabe. You don’t have to worry.” Her hands turn and she grips mine. “I always loved you and Lady Bri, and that scalawag, Master Royce. Sweet Edward as well. Like you was my own babies. I’d die before I hurt any of you. I’m just plumb sorry I couldn’t stop her from hurting you. She has a bee in her bonnet about you.”

“She wanted Edward to be the heir.” My brother, killed five years ago.

“Yes. But she couldn’t get that so she set out to hurt you as much as she could. In the end, she hurt herself most of all.”

“Why do you say that?”

“She doesn’t have anyone who loves her. And after I’m gone, she’ll be all alone.”

Exactly what I wish.

“Watch her carefully, Master Gabe. Rattlesnakes strike out when they’re cornered.”

A rattlesnake. Such a perfect description of my mother.

Once Tilly leaves, I call Jake and give him orders to put round the clock surveillance on my mother.

“Why?”

“I’m sending Tilly away, and her departure will make my mother very dangerous.”

I wait while the wheels grind in his head. “There’s more to this than a servant leaving.”

“Yes. But I can’t share what prompts me to take such action, not with you, not with anyone. Suffice it to say, once my mother finds out her maid’s gone, she will strike at Liz Watson and that I won’t have.” He knows my past history, so I don’t have to tell him what a sadistic bitch my mother is.

But still, he pauses. Jake’s no pushover. He never does things just on my orders, not unless I provide him with a logical reason for acting on them. But once he agrees to execute a plan, he’ll carry it out with military precision. Which is why I need his approval on this.

“I’ll go along with your plan, mainly because Ms. Watson’s safety hangs in the balance. But your mother will notice the change to her security team, Storm. She’s no fool.”

“I don’t care. Just make sure she doesn’t do anything, including going to the loo, without you knowing about it. And I don’t want her anywhere near a phone.”

“That will be difficult, but not impossible. How do you want to handle it?”

“Be creative. Cut the cable into the castle if you have to. She doesn’t have a mobile, so you won’t have to worry about that.”

“How long do you mean to keep this up?”

“As long as it takes for Liz to marry me.”

He laughs as if he finds the notion of any woman turning me down amusing. “I gather she hasn’t said yes.”

“Not yet, but she will.” No matter what it takes.

Chapter 6

______________

Elizabeth

IN EARLY OCTOBER, a certified envelope arrives at the office from a law firm in town. Not an unusual thing. I'm often sent documents by law firms working on a case. But when I tear open the envelope, the letter inside is from Gabriel's lawyer. He's made arrangements for a Washington, D.C. doctor to draw blood to establish the paternity of the baby.

My breath whooshes out. How dare he have his attorney send this without the courtesy of a phone call to let me know it's coming? Besides, I never agreed to this. My hand itches to toss the letter into the trash and ignore the request. But what good would that do? I’ll still have to do it. If I don't comply, Gabriel will out our relationship to my boss.

But does it really matter if Mr. Carrey discovers the truth now or later? He's going to find out once Gabriel claims the child as his own. Yeah, it does. If the news does not leak out until after the baby is born, it'll give me time to find another job. Because I'll more than likely lose mine at Smith Cannon when management figures out I had sex with Gabriel while the negotiations for the SouthWind deal were taking place.

But would another law firm look the other way about such a breach of ethics? Not likely. Who am I kidding? I'm screwed either way, unless I practice law somewhere they've never heard of Gabriel Storm. Timbuktu, maybe? I drop my head into my hands and let out a mirthless laugh.

"What's so funny?" A male voice asks.

I jerk up my head to find Brian Sullivan, a senior associate at my law firm, at my door.

I paste on a bright smile. "A product review about a banana slicer. I'll send you the link."

"Oh. You want to do lunch?" He comes by two, three times a week and asks me to lunch, dinner, drinks. I'm pregnant, hello? Can't exactly drink alcohol. I turn him down most of the time, not that it stops him from asking.

"Sorry, I can't. Need to read forty pages before my Con Law class tonight."

"Constitutional Law is a bear. But you should have done your reading Saturday or Sunday. Busy weekend?"

The question irks me. He's got no business prying into my private life. We're co-workers nothing more. It's my own fault he's become over familiar. Two months ago, during a weak moment, I accepted his offer of friendship, and now he acts like we're more than office acquaintances, which we're not. There are only two people I trust in my life—Casey and CeCe. But Brian's a senior associate and about to make partner so I can't afford to tick him off.

"Yeah, kind of. Do you have an assignment for me?"

"No, not a thing." Even though he knows I'm capable of analyzing complex financial data, he hasn't given me a meaningful task in I don't know how long, All he seems to care about is engaging in a social agenda with me, something I have no interest in pursuing, not with him, not with anyone. I have enough on my plate, thank you very much.

"Lunch tomorrow?"

"Maybe. We'll see." I'll have to come up with some other excuse. Law school reading assignments get you only so far.

No sooner does he leave that CeCe comes knocking on my door. "Brian bothering you again. What is it with that man, buzzing about you like a honeybee? You ain’t his honey. Humph.”

I laugh. It’s not a happy sound.

“What’s wrong? Did he say something to upset you?” Her mouth twists.

"No. He asked me to lunch, but I turned him down."

"Good. He’s got no business asking you out. Not when you’re pregnant with another man’s baby. You shouldn't be seen with him anymore, Liz." Since our return from London, she hasn’t been shy about her dislike of Brian, but she’s never come right out and suggested such a thing.

"What do you mean?"

She looks back toward the door, probably to make sure it’s still closed, before leaning closer to me. "There's a nasty rumor going around the office,” she whispers. “Because of the way he hangs around you all the time, everyone thinks Brian’s your baby daddy.
And
rumor has it they're holding up his partnership because he knocked you up."

Oh, my god. "But he didn't!"

"Well, you know that, and I know that, but nobody else does.” She props her hands on her hips. “So if Brian’s not the problem, what is?”

“Gabriel Storm.”

“Mr. Tall, blond and delicious?” She’s a huge fan of Gabriel’s. Maybe it’s because he kissed her hand, or because he showed her nothing but courtesy during that weekend in the castle. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s because she knows I’m in love with him. “What about him?”

“This.” I push the envelope toward her.

She picks it up, reads the letter. “So Gabriel Storm wants to verify he’s the father of your baby.” I’d told her about the conversation we had at the hotel, skipping the part about the marriage proposal. “A necessary step if he wants to claim custody. So why are you upset?”

“He should have called to give me a heads up.”

“Yeah, he should have done that. But—” She cocks her head to the side, scrutinizes me. “I think it’s more than that. You don’t have a problem with him raising your child, do you?”

“No. It’s just . . .”

All I get in response are hunched brows over chocolate brown eyes.

“I’ll have to
see
Gabriel,
talk
to him, make mutual decisions about our baby. For the rest of my life.”

“And you don’t want that.”

“No. I don’t.” For years, I’ve known what I wanted. A career in corporate law. I’d fashioned a solution to the pregnancy. By placing him in an open adoption I’d know my child was taken care of while I pursued my life’s goals. Not perfect, by any means, but one which would work for the baby. For me. But now . . .

“You thought you’d put the baby up for adoption and check in on your child’s life once in a while. No complications. No messy involvement.”

“Yes. Does that make me a horrible person?”

“No.” She shakes her head, setting off her tousled curls. “Unfortunately, life’s messy, Liz. It’s rarely that clean cut.”

“I was just hoping.”

“Well, the adoption ship has sailed. What you need to do right now is figure out how to deal with Gabriel Storm, because I can’t see him taking a back seat with your pregnancy. From what I know of him, he’ll want to be involved every step of the way.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.” I prop my elbows on the desk, drop my head into my hands.

“You’re a strong woman, Liz. You’ll figure it out.”

I straighten up and rest back in my seat. “You think?”

“Yeah, I do.” She waggles a finger at me. “I know what you need. A girls’ night out. Doesn’t that sound like fun?” She always sounds so chipper. I envy her that outlook on life.

"I can't. Have class." Like I do every Monday through Thursday.

"You can skip one night, can't you?" She’s relentless, like another person I know. No wonder she likes Gabriel so much.

"Maybe." I
could
get notes from a classmate in my study group. But there is one more problem. "It'll have to be a cheap night out. Budget's stretched thin as it is."

She waves her hand, dismissing my objection. "Don't worry about the money. Dinner's on me."

"Who's going to watch your kids?" With three children, CeCe's always busy with one child-related activity or another.

"I'll get my husband to handle whatever they need to do. About time too." One corner of her mouth scrunches with distaste.

Oh, wow. Is she having problems on the home front? Have I been so troubled by the events in my life, I failed to notice hers? "Anything wrong?"

"He's been working late nights. Weekends too. A lot."

"Well, he is an accountant. Maybe things are busy at the office."

"Yeah. I'm probably worrying about nothing." I can tell by her tone she's not convinced.

She's done so much for me, and right now it looks like she needs a diversion as much as I do. "Okay. Let's do this."

She beams me a wide smile. "All right. We can stop at that Thai place near your house, do a take out, and you can tell MaMa CeCe all about it."

I laugh at the Mama CeCe remark since she's only in her mid thirties. "You're too young to be my mother."

"Older sister then. But right now, I'll go get something healthy from the cafeteria, and we can eat lunch in here. Gotta keep that little one fed." She points to my burgeoning belly.

"You're the best, CeCe."

"Yeah, I know. I won't let it go to my head." She throws over her shoulder before she bounces out of my office.

After I take a deep breath, I call the doctor noted on the attorney letter and make an appointment for the next day. They tell me it’ll take only a few days to confirm Gabriel’s paternity.

The girls’ night out with CeCe recharges my spirits and I get through the next few days in a happier mood. Friday afternoon I have a doctor’s appointment to find out the baby’s sex, so I schedule half a day’s leave. But that morning something happens I didn’t expect, although in retrospect, I really, really should have.

Chapter 7

______________

Elizabeth

SHORTLY BEFORE LUNCH ON FRIDAY, Mr. Carrey asks me to come to his office to discuss a new client. Giddy from the thought of a meaty project, I pick up my notebook and hightail it to his corner digs. Well, hightail’s a bit of an exaggeration. These days all I can manage is a fast walk.

“Liz! Glad you could join us.”

Us? Gosh, the client is here. If I’d known I would have stopped in the ladies’ room to freshen up.

Mr. Carrey waves his hand behind me, toward the side of the room where a couch rests. In my rush, I failed to notice anyone sitting there. “Storm Industries engaged us as their outside counsel. Since you’re familiar with the company from the SouthWind deal, I wanted to bring you on board.”