Chapter 2
Mentally kicking himself for not being better prepared, Grady recklessly drove up and over the curb to get off the traffic-packed street.
After driving through a narrow alley, Grady went down another curb, forcing two cars to stop so he could merge into traffic heading the opposite way.
Ignoring the blaring of horns—Chicago drivers used them often regardless of annoying driving—he managed to put more distance between his Jeep and the black SUV that had taken shots at them.
“Lucy, are you okay?” Lauren’s voice trembled with concern. “You’re not cut by glass, are you?”
“No.” The little girl sniffled and wiped at her face with her mitten. “I’m scared.”
“I know you are, sweetie.” Lauren turned to look at him. “Did you get a good look at the car?”
He shook his head, the bitter taste of failure coating his tongue.
Less than thirty minutes into their time together and he’d almost gotten them killed.
So much for being a good bodyguard. “It was a black SUV with tinted windows. The cars were so close together I didn’t get a good look at the front end to identify a make or model.
Much less a license plate.” He risked a quick glance at Lauren, before turning his attention back to the street.
He forced his Jeep into the next lane of traffic so that he could get off the main thoroughfare sooner rather than later.
No doubt Lauren would call Rex to let him know she wanted someone else assigned to her case. He honestly couldn’t blame her.
For now, he needed to get them to safety. Their plan of stopping for pizza was not happening. He felt bad for Lucy, who’d seemed enthusiastic about having pepperoni pizza for dinner.
It had been foolish of him to think he could do something so mundane as stopping for something to eat.
He took another right-hand turn, then wedged his Jeep across the next lane of traffic to turn left at the next intersection. More horns blared at his aggressive driving.
For a moment, he wished they were in Cody, Wyoming. He was more familiar with his hometown compared to the maze of skyscrapers and narrow side streets he navigated around now.
“Do you mind if I turn up the heat for Lucy?” Lauren’s soft-spoken question surprised him. He’d anticipated she’d be screaming at him for allowing this to happen. Maybe she was holding back until they were safe.
“Of course not.” He pressed a button to increase the heat blowing from the vents. “I’m sorry about this. We’ll be at your building soon.”
“I understand.” Her voice was strained. She turned in her seat to face her daughter. “I’m sorry, Lucy. We won’t get to have pizza tonight after all. But I’ll make sure we can order out for pizza tomorrow.”
“Okay.” Lucy’s small voice tugged at his heart. Grady hadn’t wanted this case, but handing Lauren and Lucy off to one of the other guys didn’t sit well with him.
Not that he would have much choice in the matter.
Taking side streets, he managed to get closer to the black skyscraper, Savion Enterprises. He searched for the entrance to the underground parking garage.
“It’s on the other side of the building,” Lauren said, reading his mind.
“Thanks.” He threaded his Jeep through traffic to circle the building. When he finally got to the entrance, he was stopped by the gate. The barrier was thick and heavy enough to prevent anyone from ramming through.
A man in his mid-fifties, bundled in a thick black coat and hat against the cold weather, stared at him through the window of an enclosed booth. Grady lowered his window, then leaned back so the guy could see Lauren.
“Hi, Trent, it’s me and Lucy. This is Grady McFarland, my fiancé. We just got into a fender-bender accident.” The explanation for the shattered rear window was weak, but Grady didn’t say anything to contradict her. “Please let us through.”
“Sure thing, Ms. Lauren.” If Trent was suspicious of the fender-bender story, he didn’t let on. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Grady, and congrats on your engagement.” Trent pressed a button to lift the heavy gate. Grady didn’t waste any time driving through.
“You shouldn’t have introduced me as your fiancé.” Grady glanced at Lauren as he drove through the parking garage. “That’s going to make it harder to replace me with someone else.”
She frowned. “Why would I replace you?”
He risked a glance at Lucy in the back seat. She looked calmer now that they were off the street. He kept his voice low. “Because I failed you. Which reminds me, we need to notify the police about the shooting attempt. That’s very different from kidnapping.”
Lauren shrugged, then gestured to the right. “We have preferred parking over there. See the Porsche? Pull into the spot beside it.”
Seeing the white Porsche, he pulled in beside it. The fact that Lauren hadn’t instantly fired him was a surprise. He’d expected her to be demanding and somewhat unreasonable.
She was proving to be neither.
He killed the engine and quickly pushed out of the car.
He opened the back door for Lucy, then went around to the passenger side for Lauren.
She had her oversized laptop bag slung over her shoulder, and since he had already underestimated the danger once, he decided to keep both his hands free in the event they stumbled across another threat.
Removing his gun from its holster, he carried it pointed down at the ground in his right hand, resting his left in the small of Lauren’s back. He scanned their surroundings, not liking the fact that there were so many cars parked on this level.
Too many places for a gunman to hide. Despite the security guard, Trent, Grady felt certain sneaking into the structure wouldn’t be that difficult.
“Stay close,” he murmured as he steered Lauren and Lucy to the elevator vestibule. The clear glass walls made it easy to see that the area was empty.
Once they were inside the glass enclosure, Lauren rummaged in her bag. She pulled out a small keycard that she used to summon the elevator.
Less than a minute later, they were inside. Lauren’s key card worked on the inside panel, too, and they headed straight up to the penthouse level without stopping. Thirty-six floors, he thought wryly. As security went, it was decent.
“Wait.” He held his arm out to keep Lauren and Lucy inside the elevator until he could look around. The penthouse apartment sported two white double doors. There were no other doorways in sight.
Personally, he couldn’t imagine living in such a place, but his opinion of Lauren’s lifestyle didn’t matter. He stood to the side as Lauren used the key card to unlock the door.
“The same keycard works on the elevator and the main entrance?” He frowned as he stepped across the threshold behind her. “It would be better to have two different key cards.”
Lauren frowned at him over her shoulder, then turned to Lucy. “I’ll take your coat. Why don’t you run and let Clara know we’ll have a guest for dinner?” Lauren smiled as she ran her hand over her daughter’s silky hair. “Grady and I need to talk for a few minutes, okay?”
“Okay.” Lucy glanced at him, then turned to do her mother’s bidding.
Lauren shrugged out of her leather coat, then proceeded to hang them in the hall closet. He reached past her for a hanger to do the same.
“Please, have a seat.” Lauren led the way into a large sitting room that was bigger than his entire house.
The entire wall of windows offered a breathtaking view of Lake Michigan.
The buttery soft tan leather furniture was surprisingly comfortable, and he eyed the baby grand piano in the corner of the room with interest. Did Lauren play?
Or was Lucy taking lessons? The décor of the penthouse apartment was plush, and he found himself examining the soles of his sturdy boots to make sure he hadn’t dragged dirt and debris inside.
This place was about as far from Cody, Wyoming, as a person could get, but he kept his thoughts to himself. Instead, he watched Lauren. She looked a little nervous now as she dropped onto the sofa beside him, crossing one black-clad leg over the other.
“I’m not replacing you. It’s probably my fault that the kidnapper knew where to find us.
He must have followed my limo driver to the office building.
” She grimaced, then added, “I know you have questions about who is behind the abduction. The person who would normally be on the top of my suspect list is my ex-husband, Nelson Derringer, but it just so happens he’s serving a seven-year stint for manslaughter and still has two more years to go before he’s eligible for parole. ”
The news surprised him. “Who did he kill?”
“His best friend, Bobby, er, Robert Morton.” A flicker of distaste flashed in her blue eyes.
“Bobby and Nelson were in the same college fraternity at Loyola. Nelson was driving under the influence, and since that was his second offense, and the fact that Bobby died in the crash, the judge threw the book at him.”
“I take it that worked out well for you in the divorce.”
“Yes, but we were already separated, and I had a solid prenup. Nelson wasn’t going to get a dime no matter what.
” She stared down at her hands for a long moment, then looked up at him.
“Nelson is the reason I wanted you to play my fiancé. He’s sent numerous letters from prison.
I read the first few, thinking maybe I could save them for Lucy, but all he did was beg me to take him back.
And he never once mentioned our daughter. ”
“Lucy is better off without him.” Grady made a mental note to dig into her ex-husband’s background. Even from jail, the guy could have hired someone to go after Lucy.
“That’s correct.” Her blue eyes hardened. “He hasn’t seen her since she was a baby, and I plan to keep it that way.”
“So you want Nelson to believe you’ve moved on with someone else.” He held her gaze. “What happens when the kidnapper is found and we’re no longer a couple?”