The really frustrating part was that Carson left Annette feeling exactly like that little girl who’d awakened one morning to find her mother still hadn’t returned. Was gone for good. Annette and Paula had walked home from the Walmart. Annette remembered sitting by the window and watching for hours, hoping her mother would come back. Paula had moaned and called out over and over again from the other room. But Annette had ignored her. She had been certain if she watched long enough, eventually she would see her mother coming.
But she hadn’t.
No one came until three days later when a nosy neighbor had reported the children being left alone for an extended period.
Annette had tried to hide herself and Paula when those people had arrived. But Paula wouldn’t stop making sounds. Even when Annette put her hand over her mouth, she kept moaning and crying out.
Then the police had found Reggie’s decomposing body under the back porch.
Years later when Annette had finally escaped, she had promised herself she would never be afraid again.
Never.
She was afraid now.
The realization sent another tremor quaking through her.
Afraid for Paula. Afraid of the ... unknown. Maybe afraid of Carson Tanner and what he could make her feel. Her body melted each time she thought of him. The sensations, the heat. All of it was new to her, all of it prompted by him. Only him.
Control had been essential to her life for more than a decade. Now it was gone. She was in a reactive state. She hated that place. Hated it. Hated it.
Fury burned away some of the more fragile emotions, and she was glad for it. She wanted to be angry. She wanted to feel anything but this weakness. This need.
The door opened and Otis appeared, looking regal as always.
Annette rearranged her expression into one he would expect. Courage, determination. “Good afternoon, Otis.”
When he came close enough, she kissed his cheek.
He stepped back, surveyed her closely. Uncertainty broke out on her skin as tiny beads of perspiration. He never missed anything. He would know something was wrong.
This was the first time in all the years they had been together that she had hidden anything from him. He didn’t know about the rings. And he couldn’t know what she had done for Carson Tanner.
Never, never, never.
“You look a little flustered,” he noted. “Things are not as they should be.” That wise gaze met hers.
She flashed a pathetic attempt at a smile. “Things are ... complicated.”
“Yes.” He stroked his chin and seemed to reflect. “Things are very complicated.”
“Daniel is dead.”
“I hadn’t heard that.”
Who was he kidding? He heard everything. Otis Fleming generally knew a man was dead even before the dead man recognized it. Annette resisted the urge to knot her hands together. “I need your help, Otis.” She hated the feeling of not being able to handle her own affairs. But this was way beyond anything she could hope to turn around.
“I understand you’re concerned for Paula,” he announced. “I’ve been looking into centers of the same caliber as the one here. There is one in the Caymans that I would recommend.”
The chill that had been hovering around Annette settled deep into her bones. “That’s probably a prudent move.” The American authorities couldn’t touch her there. Both murders would be pinned on her. She didn’t need to be able to see the future to speculate. She knew.
His gaze locked on hers once more. “As dear as you are to me, Annette. The time has come for you to go.”
She’d known this was so, but she hadn’t wanted to face that reality. “Yes. I’m aware that I’m fighting a losing battle.”
“They have formed an alliance against you. They will do whatever it takes to bring you down in order to protect themselves. As we speak they are working to tie Zachary Holderfield’s murder to you. As well as Senator Drake’s.”
A frown worried her brow. “I’m aware of their proposed strategy.” All too aware.
