Susan Mallery - Lip Service

He motioned her forward.

She walked toward his desk. “What is it?”

He studied her for a long time, as if assessing her. “Do you think you’re tough?” he asked at last. “Do you think you can influence me? You’re a fool.”

She took a step back. “Stop with the sweet talk, Dad,” she said sarcastically. “Tell me what you really think.”

“I will.” He pointed to the files on his desk, then flipped open a couple and turned them so she could read the contents. “I didn’t want to have to do this, but you’re not giving me a choice.”

She stared down at the papers. At first the writing didn’t make sense. She read it a second time, then picked up a letter.

It was on printed stationery, from a doctor’s office. The letter was addressed to Jed and detailed concerns about Skye’s mental stability. About her ability to take care of Erin. The doctor recommended Jed get Skye a psychiatric evaluation as soon as possible.

The second folder contained something worse. Information from a panel of doctors, all claiming she was not only an unfit parent, but a danger to Erin and to herself. It recommended she be put away indefinitely.

“You have a lot of your mother in you,” Jed said casually, as if they were discussing menus for dinner. “They think it goes back to when you were ten and found her body after she committed suicide. That would scar anyone. But you were weak, like her, and you never had a chance. It’s too bad. Erin will miss you. But not to worry. I’ll take good care of her.”

She’d never known that terror had a taste. It was bitter and metallic, almost like blood. It filled her mouth until she thought she might choke on it. She looked at the man she’d loved all her life and saw a stranger.

“I’ll do it,” he told her. “Do you doubt me?”

“None of this is true.”

“It’s not about truth, Skye. Haven’t you learned that? Who is going to fight me? A child is at stake. Don’t you know what we do for our children?”

“Lexi and Izzy know it’s all lies.”

“If you get in my way, I’ll hurt them, too.” He smiled. “There’s an easy solution. Break things off with Mitch and get together with Jack. I’m sure he’s a nice guy. It will be easy. After all, you did it before.”

She didn’t ask how he knew about Mitch. Nor did she bother to point out that everything in the folders was faked. The documents looked real. No doubt he would have doctors prepared to tell any judge that she was crazy. He wouldn’t be questioned-why would Jed Titan lie about his own daughter?

She thought of Erin reading upstairs. Love battled with fear.

“If you try to run, I’ll find you and I’ll use these,” he said. “I’ll lock you away forever and not give a damn. I’ll destroy Mitch and take everything he has. And I’ll have your daughter. Is there any part of you that doubts me?”

Nine years ago he’d threatened to withhold his love. When he’d worried that hadn’t been enough, he’d threatened Mitch. Now he had a much more dangerous weapon. Erin.

She wanted to cry out that this was wrong on so many levels. She wanted to fight him with her fists, and drive him into the ground. She wanted to hurt him as he was hurting her.

If only she could. But she knew in her gut that Jed was willing to go places she couldn’t imagine. That he had a streak of ruthlessness she could never match.

She would run, she told herself. But she needed time to make a plan. Time to make sure he couldn’t lock her away from her daughter. Time had always been her friend, but now it was the enemy.

“Skye,” he said impatiently. “You’re starting to piss me off.”

“I’ll do it,” she said.

Although the room was silent, she could swear she heard a door slamming shut. It was the door that trapped her in Jed Titan’s particular level of hell.

“Good. You won’t regret it,” he told her.

She already did.

She left before she threw up on his desk. Once in the hallway, she did her best to catch her breath.

She’d lost. There’d been a game in play and she hadn’t noticed in time to participate, let alone win. He would do anything-that was the difference. He would do anything, sacrifice anyone, including her. Or maybe especially her. Because she was easy.

Now he was going to force her into another relationship, but that wasn’t what bothered her. What devastated her the most was that she was going to lose Mitch a second time. And she was going to have to make sure it happened in such a way that he believed it was over forever. She couldn’t risk him getting caught in the cross fire.

Her happiness wasn’t the only sacrifice. Mitch was going to lose, as well.

DANA BIRCH DID HER BEST not to grind her teeth. She’d already had to stop pacing because Leonard said it made him nervous. The computer genius kept looking at her over his shoulder, as if afraid she would suddenly karate chop him across the back of the neck. Sometimes being intimidating was a pain.

She glanced at her watch, then back at Leonard. The guy had been at it nearly twelve hours. She’d tried sleeping, but she was too wound up and nervous. This had to work. She had to figure out a way to get to Garth. Using his computer programmer against him was the only plan she had.

Three hours later, when she was so tired she was starting to get punchy, Leonard stood suddenly.

“I got it!” he yelled. “I’m in.”

“Seriously?”

She raced to his side. They were in a hotel room just off the freeway. It was the kind of place that catered to travelers and offered not only a free breakfast but free Wi-Fi. No one had paid attention to them when they checked in and by the time Garth’s computer guy knew what they were up to, they would be long gone.

She stared at the computer screen as Leonard sat back down. “I don’t get it. It looks exactly the same. How can you tell you’re in.”

Leonard grinned up at her. “Because this is his stuff, not mine. Look.” He led her through a menu then found his way into the guy’s online personal information.

Dana made notes. She wanted an address for starters, then enough financial information to scare the crap out of him.

“See if you can find anything on Garth Duncan,” Dana said.

“Like what?”

“A plan of evildoing would be nice,” she muttered. “Whatever you can find.”

After a couple of hours of playing with the guy’s files, they’d uncovered enough to ID him, but nothing on Garth.

“That’s just so typical,” Dana said. “He’s too damn good at covering his tracks. I swear, I will get him. I will park his ass in jail and I will stand there, laughing at him.”

Leonard glanced at her. “You’re a little scary.”

“I know. It’s one of my best qualities.”

MITCH RODE OUT early the next morning. It had been a long time since he’d been so excited about starting a new day. He’d slept great and he felt good. Better than good. Everything made sense to him now.

When Skye had first told him she loved him, he hadn’t wanted to believe her. He hadn’t want to risk it, to go there. Not again. He’d given her everything he had and she’d walked away before.

They’d been kids, he reminded himself. Probably too young to be getting married. While he still believed she’d been wrong to side with her father, he accepted part of the blame. He hadn’t bothered to find out why she’d changed her mind. He hadn’t trusted her or their feelings for each other. He’d reacted and, by picking pride instead of love, he’d lost her.

A course had been set that had brought them to this moment. As a man who owned free-range chickens, he should probably say it was fate. That they were meant to be. As it was, he was happy to finally be back with her.

Skye was the woman he had always loved. Time and miles hadn’t changed that. Part of his anger at coming back was knowing she would be close by. She was easier to ignore from ten thousand miles away.

He rode around the herd, sending the dogs to round up any strays. He checked for cows close to their time and looked for injuries. The sun rose higher, bringing heat to the day, but he didn’t care. If anything, as the day wore on he felt stronger in his convictions. Everything about this was right.

He loved Skye. He’d always loved her. He wanted to marry her and have babies with her. Brothers and sisters for Erin, he thought, grinning as he imagined how she would love being a big sister. He wanted to grow old with Skye. He wanted to see how time would hone her beauty. He’d been damned lucky to find her the first time. What were the odds of it happening again?

He’d gone out before breakfast and hunger caused him to turn around and head back to the main house. He’d barely gone a mile when he saw someone on horseback. His heart recognized Skye before the rest of him did.

“You have it bad,” he said aloud. “If Pete knew…”

He glanced up at the heavens. Maybe Pete did know. His friend would approve.

Pain joined the love, but there was room for both. Pete deserved to be mourned by those who had known him.

Mitch urged Bullet forward. The horse sped toward Skye and her mount. When they were within a few feet, he smiled at her.

“You’re up early,” he said.

“I have a busy day.”

He started to ask her how she was feeling, only to realize there was something wrong. It was as if someone had burned the life off her face. She looked pale and tired.

“Didn’t you sleep?” he asked.

“No, but that doesn’t matter. We have to talk.”

Was she angry that he hadn’t said anything after they made love? Should he have told her then? Only he’d needed time to be sure.

“I agree,” he said, then got off his horse.

She did the same. He reached out to touch her, but she took a step back.