Unfinished Business (9 page)

“Why not?”

“It’s too late for us.”

“I refuse to accept that, Christy. I screwed up, but I intend to make things right.”

“You can’t. Good night, Alex.”

For the longest time Alex held the phone in his hand after Christy hung up. Moments later he sighed deeply. She may be one of the most stubborn people he knew, but when it came to getting something he wanted, he was one of the most persistent.

He would complete this new case he was involved with. Then he would start work on what he considered the most important assignment in his life.

Christy spent the next few days going through loads of documentation, articles, and tons of microfilm while researching information on all the reported kidnappings she had linked to Morganna’s dreams.

Satisfied more than ever that she was on to something, she decided to make a day trip to Columbus, the last place Bonita Patterson was seen alive, and talk with Clara Jenkins, the woman who owned the boarding house where Bonita had lived.

When she had told Shemell what she intended to do, her friend had looked at her like she’d gone crazy, not believing she would waste her time chasing leads to Morganna’s story. But she was doing that very thing, Christy thought as she walked up the steps to the Home Sweet Home boarding house to meet with Clara Jenkins.

Christy had left Cincinnati early and the drive down Interstate 71 had been uneventful except for the heavy traffic she had encountered. During the ride, she had tried not to think of Alex, but she had thought of him anyway. Butterflies had engulfed her stomach at the thought that she would be seeing him this weekend when she returned home to attend the twins’ birthday bash.

She knew he had left Houston for an assignment in South Dakota, but the last time they talked he had indicated that he would be back in time to attend the party. He had called her twice this week, and it still baffled her that he was suddenly taking an interest in her when three years ago he hadn’t wanted anything to do with her.

A shiver ran down Christy’s spine when she thought about the last time they had seen each other and the kiss they had shared in her kitchen. His bruised lip hadn’t hindered his abilities one bit.

Thoughts of Alex suddenly left Christy’s mind when the door to the boardinghouse was snatched open before she had a chance to knock. She looked into the face of the elderly, bedraggled woman who was staring at her.

“Christy Madaris?” the woman asked her.

Christy nodded. “Yes.” She and Clara Jenkins had spoken on the phone earlier in the week, and the woman was expecting her.

The woman moved aside. “I saw you pull up. I’m Clara Jenkins. Come in.”

“Thank you.” Once inside Christy glanced around. The room was crowded. Junky was a more appropriate word. Potted plants were crammed into every corner, and boxes filled with . . . “stuff” . . . were everywhere. There wasn’t much furniture and what there was looked worse than second-hand. The only thing that looked relatively new was the television.

“I collect things,” the woman said when she saw Christy glancing around.

Christy met the woman’s gaze. “I don’t want to take up much of your time, but I was wondering what you could tell me about Bonita Patterson.”

The woman offered Christy a chair. “Not much,” the woman said, sitting on the sofa across from her. “Most of the time the kids who stay here don’t want you to ask them any questions so I don’t. I feel good in knowing that at least I’m providing them with shelter over their heads so they won’t sleep in alleys and on the streets.”

Christy nodded as she took out her writing pad. “And how long did Bonita live here?”

“For about three months.”

“Did she have any friends?”

Mrs. Jenkins nodded. “When she wasn’t working, she hung around with another girl by the name of Lindsay.”

Christy raised a brow. “Bonita worked?”

Clara Jenkins absently picked up a sewing basket that was sitting on the table between them. “Yes, she worked at the car wash on the corner. I’m not sure what Lindsay did, but she always had plenty of money to pay her rent on time.”

Christy sighed. She didn’t want to think about what Lindsay could possibly be doing. “Is Lindsay here? I’d like to talk with her.”

Clara shook her head. “No, I haven’t seen her but once since Bonita left.”

“Is there anything you could tell me about Bonita’s activities, any visitors she might have had, and any other people besides Lindsay that she may have hung with?”

Clara stared down at the basket in her lap, as if trying hard to remember. She then looked up. “No, other than Lindsay, Bonita stayed to herself and kept her place clean.”

Christy closed her writing pad and met the woman’s gaze. “Mrs. Jenkins, do you think something happened to Bonita?”

The older woman snorted a breath like it was an absurd question. “Heavens, no. I think she just moved on like everyone else eventually does. Most of these kids are on the run from something, usually their parents, who oftentimes hire someone to find them. They don’t want to be found, which is sad because unless they get help, some of them will die from some kind of assault, illness, or suicide.”

Christy nodded in agreement. “Do you have any idea where Bonita may have gone when she left here?”

“No, in fact I didn’t know she was leaving since her rent had been paid up for two weeks. But I figured there was a reason she had to get away fast like she did.”

Christy stood. She planned to drop by the car wash where Bonita had worked to see if she could find out anything there. “Here’s my business card. If you see Lindsay around again, please let me know.”

The woman placed the sewing basket back on the table and got to her feet. “What about Bonita? What if I see her again?”

Christy pushed a wayward curl from out of her face. She didn’t want to tell the woman she was operating on the premise that Bonita Patterson was dead. “If you see her, definitely give me a call.”

Christy gazed at the young man who’d told her his name was Michael. “Are you saying that Bonita thought she was being stalked?”

He glanced over his shoulder, not missing a beat in putting wax on someone’s car. “Yep. In fact she asked me to take her home the last time I saw her. It was dark, and she was afraid of walking.”

Christy frowned. “Did you mention this to anyone?”

The guy, who looked to be around seventeen, stopped long enough to shrug his shoulders. “Nope. There was no reason to. When she didn’t come back to work, I figured she decided to split. She always said she was here temporarily and intended to leave one day soon.”

“Did she say where she would be headed?”

He shook his head. “She didn’t say and I didn’t ask, but I could tell she was pretty scared that night.”

Christy nodded. “When you took her home, did you see or notice anything unusual?”

“Nope. I didn’t see a thing.”

Christy reached into her purse and pulled out a business card. “If you can remember anything else about that night, please give me a call.”

Michael watched as Christy drove off. When she was no longer in sight, he pulled his cellphone out of his back pocket and punched in a few numbers. When the person came on the line, he said, “Hey, I thought you’d want to know. This redhead broad, who claims she works for a newspaper in Cincinnati, just left here and was asking questions about Bonita.”

 
Alex walked into the ballroom where the birthday party for the Madaris twins was being held. He had arrived in town a couple of hours ago from his last assignment, and had gone straight home from the airport to shower and change. Now he stood in the huge decorated room and his gaze was searching for one person and one person only.

He saw her, at least he spotted the vibrant color of her hair, and quickly moved in that direction. At the moment, he could barely control his emotions. He had dreamed of her every single night, and in those dreams she had taunted him, teased him, offered him everything, and then haughtily given him nothing. Her goading actions had only made him want her that much more. He had felt entrapped, snarled, wanting her with a passion the likes of which he’d never felt before.

He’d barely functioned to his full capacity while in South Dakota. The only thing that had occupied his mind the entire time was the thought of seeing Christy again, taking her into his arms, and kissing her with the intense hunger he felt. And in his current frame of mind, even death at the hands of the Madaris brothers wasn’t enough to deter him from that goal. He was that far gone. That much out of control.

He continued walking toward her and came to a sudden stop when Syneda Madaris abruptly blocked his path.

“Alex, welcome back.”

He blinked and stared into the sea green eyes holding his. “Thanks, Syneda,” he quickly said, and then made a move to step around her but found that he was surrounded by two other Madaris women. “Caitlin, Lorren,” he acknowledged, wondering what the hell was going on and why the three had singled him out.

“May we speak with you privately for a moment?” Syneda asked, taking his hand and letting him know they would do so whether he assented or not.

He raised a brow. “What’s this about?”

No one answered as the three women escorted him out of the crowded ballroom toward a secluded balcony. He sighed deeply. Whatever was going on must be serious, since Corinthians Grant and his sister-in-law, Felicia, were already there waiting. He turned and faced all five women. “Will someone tell me what’s going on?”

It was Syneda, the most outspoken of the five, who answered. “We’ve taken it upon ourselves to keep you alive.”

She then placed her hands on slender hips, and tossed her head in a way that sent thick golden-bronze hair flying about her shoulders as she glared at him. “What the hell were you thinking, Alex? Jeez. Did you actually believe you could stroll in here and walk straight to Christy and kiss her in front of everyone? And don’t deny that’s what you planned to do, since the intentions on your face were clear as glass. What do you think Clayton would have done?”

“Or Justin?” Lorren Madaris added.

“And let’s not forget Dex,” Caitlin Madaris said, as if anyone could forget the most extreme of the three.

“And what position would your actions have placed Trask in?” Felicia asked softly. “He’s your brother, but he’s also Clayton’s best friend.”

“And let’s not leave out Trevor,” Corinthians added. “The last thing we want tonight is an outbreak of war. It’s the twins’ party. Tonight is not the night to expose your feelings for Christy to the world. Besides, don’t the two of you still have issues to resolve? I would think you’d want as few people as possible in your business until then.”

Alex sighed deeply, deciding maybe it wasn’t a good time to point out that the five of them were all in his business, so what would a few more people hurt? But then again, he fully understood what they were saying. When he had first entered the ballroom he had been acting out of control. Now his head was screwed back on straight and they were right. Tonight was not a night for an outbreak of war, and as much as he and the Madaris brothers were close friends, they would not readily accept the fact that he wanted their sister.

Alex stared at the five women as curiosity ruled his thoughts. “How did you know?”

Corinthians smiled. “We’ve seen how you’ve watched her at other times, at other functions—Gina’s wedding, Rio’s first birthday party, Sir Drake’s wedding. I can go on and on and on, Alex. There was always this longing in your features, so much desire in your eyes. I honestly don’t know how the guys haven’t figured it out. I guess that just goes to show they’re too observant in some things but clueless in others.”

“Your secret is safe with us, Alex,” Syneda Madaris said softly. “When the time comes for the brothers to find out the truth, they will. And we will be there to give you and Christy our support.”

He nodded, knowing when that time came he would need all the support he could get. “Thank you.” He then realized with a sudden rush of affection that the five women standing before him weren’t just beautiful on the outside; they were beautiful on the inside as well. Their husbands were definitely very lucky men.

His thoughts shifted back to Christy. Thinking of her sent his senses reeling, and a deep awareness of desire raced all through him. He still wanted to hold her in his arms, kiss her.

As if reading his every thought, Lorren Madaris smiled. “Give us a few minutes to find a way to occupy our husbands’ time.”

He smiled with appreciation in his eyes. “Thanks.”

He watched as the women walked away, leaving him on the balcony alone. He sighed deeply, thinking about the mistake he’d almost made earlier. When it came to Christy, he needed to have better control of his senses.

Deciding it was time to return to the party, he left the balcony, and the first thing he did upon returning to the ballroom was walk right into Dex Madaris’s hard, solid chest.

Alex swallowed deeply as he glanced up and looked around. Now he found himself staring into five pairs of eyes belonging to the husbands of the women who’d just left him. He knew the men were probably wondering why he’d been out on the balcony with their wives.

“Evening, everyone,” he said in as normal a voice as he could muster. “I guess you’re wondering what I was doing outside on the balcony with your wives,” he decided to cut to the chase and say. Although he didn’t have a clue as to what reason he would give them.

Justin Madaris smiled. “We already know.”

Alex lifted a brow. “You do?”

“Yes, we do,” Clayton said, grinning. “And I hate to say, although it shouldn’t surprise anyone, that my wife is the one behind it.”

“I hope you told them that you didn’t know a damn thing,” Dex Madaris added.

Alex frowned, wondering what the hell they were talking about, but quickly decided to play along. “Yes. I think I convinced them that I didn’t.”

“Good,” Justin Madaris said. “Under no circumstances are we going to divulge the ingredients of that tea recipe. No matter what tricks they have up their sleeves. Understood?”

All the men nodded as Alex released a deep sigh of relief. They were talking about the Whispering Pines tea. The tea’s secret recipe, which contained a special blend of herbs and spices, had been in the Madaris family for almost a hundred years and could only be shared with the men in the Madaris family, but only after they had reached their thirty-fifth birthday. Alex figured that although he wasn’t quite that old, that wouldn’t have stopped the womenfolk from picking his brain anyway, just in case he did know something.

He glanced around the room, his gaze seeking Christy out again. He spotted her. She was standing near where the band had assembled and was talking to her uncle Jake and his wife, Diamond, as well as Sterling and Colby Hamilton and Nicholas and Shayla Chenault.

Then as if Christy felt someone staring at her, she glanced over in Alex’s direction. Their gazes locked. And the desire he felt for her intensified several degrees at that very moment.

“So, Christy, how do you like living in Cincinnati?” Diamond Swain Madaris asked the beautiful young woman who was standing beside her at the punch bowl.

After Diamond had received a deliberate nod from Syneda, she’d known what she needed to do. She smiled. This was definitely a role she could handle. After all, she was a semi-retired Hollywood actress.

“I like Cincinnati, but I miss home,” Christy said. “However, my present job project will keep me quite busy for a while.”

“Oh, what’s it about?”

Christy tried to keep her attention on her conversation with Diamond and not on Alex. He was standing across the room staring at her, and for the life of her she couldn’t help but stare back. He looked gorgeous; tall, dark, and utterly handsome. And although she tried to tell herself that tonight Blade, Slade, and Luke looked just as handsome, just as earthshakingly gorgeous, she was convinced that most of the single women present were checking out Alex.

“Christy?”

“Umm?”

Diamond smiled, fully aware of who was holding Christy’s attention. “This project you’re working on. What’s it about?”

Christy was about to switch her gaze from Alex to Diamond when her heart began beating fast. He had moved away from the conversation he’d been holding with Kyle and Kimara Garwood and was headed straight toward her.

No! She couldn’t talk to him now. Not when she lacked the control she needed to deal with him. She had to leave, walk away, before he reached her. She couldn’t handle it if he were to touch her, breathe on her . . . .

“Christy, are you all right?”

She blinked and, visibly shaken, looked up at Diamond. “No, I’m suddenly not feeling well. I need to leave.”

Diamond reached out and touched her hand. “OK. I’ll find Jacob and have him drive you home. Why don’t you wait for him in the lobby? I’ll send him right on out.”

Christy nodded and then quickly walked away. Diamond smiled moments later when Alex reached her side. A concerned frown was on his face. “Is something wrong with Christy?”

“Oh, Alex, I’m glad you’re here. She isn’t feeling well and needs to go home. I was going to ask Jacob but I don’t see him around now. Do you mind taking her home?”

A smile touched the corners of Alex’s lips. “No, I don’t mind. It will be my pleasure.”

Ashton Sinclair couldn’t help but chuckle as he watched how the scene unfolded. As a marine colonel and former member of the Marines Special Forces, he was a man trained to be alert, observant, and ready for action, at any place and at any time, so it wasn’t unusual that he had picked up on the sideshow that had been going on.

He glanced over at the man standing beside him and, upon seeing the grin on his face, knew that he was aware of the happenings as well. Drake Warren had also been a marine and had recently retired as a CIA agent, and a damn good one. “So, what do you think, Sir Drake? How much longer before the Madaris brothers figure things out?” Ashton asked his good friend quietly, so his voice couldn’t be heard by his wife, Netherland, and Drake’s wife, Tori, who had a side conversation going on regarding some new shopping mall that was opening somewhere in Houston.

“I’ll give it less than a month, since it appears Alex is getting bolder. It won’t be long before he says to hell with the risk of dying and claims his woman.”

Ashton nodded. “And when he does there’s bound to be trouble. Should we give Trev a heads-up?” he asked, thinking of the good friend of theirs who was also a former marine and who happened to be a close friend of the Madaris brothers.

Sir Drake shook his head. “No. This is one of those situations where we should just keep our mouths closed.”

“Keep your mouths closed about what?”

Drake lifted a brow when his wife, Tori, glanced over at them and asked the question. Damn, he hadn’t wanted her to hear what they had been talking about. Sometimes he wondered if she had bionic ears.

“Yes, Ashton, what are the two of you keeping your mouths closed about?” Netherland Sinclair asked her husband when it seemed that Drake wasn’t going to give Tori an answer.

The two men smiled at each other and, as if they read each other’s minds, pulled the women they loved into their arms, looked directly into their eyes, and simultaneously said, “Nothing.”

Christy paced the lobby wondering what was taking her uncle so long. She hated bothering anyone, but there was no way she could stay and subject herself to Alex’s presence without her full guard of armor. It wouldn’t have been so bad if he hadn’t dominated her every waking thought the past couple of weeks. Even trying to bury herself in the Patterson investigation hadn’t completely helped.

“Christy, are you OK?”

She smiled when she glanced around and saw Gina Grant Farrell and her husband, Mitch. They were just arriving. “Hi, Gina, Mitch. Yes, I’m fine but have a slight headache,” she lied. “I’m waiting for Uncle Jake to take me home.”

“If you’d like we can take you,” Gina offered, smiling.

Christy waved off her offer. “No, that’s not necessary. Besides, the two of you just got here and I wouldn’t want you to miss the party. The band is simply wonderful.”

A couple moments later she found herself alone again in the lobby while she waited for her uncle.

Alex watched Christy pace back and forth. His reaction to seeing her, being so close—closer than he’d been since arriving nearly an hour ago—was instantaneous. A rush of blood shot through his veins and his heart suddenly began a rapid pounding.

The outfit she was wearing, a short dress that emphasized the beauty of her long, slender legs, was multicolored and blended well with the coloring of her hair and her complexion. She was strikingly beautiful. There was no other way to describe her.