Caitlin grabbed his arm, bringing him to a standstill.“I don’t know how he knew about it, but I can assure you, he didn’t see it.”She dropped her hand and faced Don again.“I don’t have time to try to convince your brother of something he should have known to be untrue.I have to get to Hannah.I should have listened to my gut a long time ago.And what it’s been telling me is that something is very, very wrong.”
“I’ll go,” Darryn said.“I can go immediately.Whatever I need to do, I can do from anywhere.You are a family—it’s going to take time to get everyone ready, but I can leave right now.Come when you’re ready.I have a Euro Visa, and I can pack quickly.”
“She doesn’t want to see you,” Caitlin said.
“Well, that’s too damn bad, because I’m going to see her.I want to know…Ineedto know she’s safe,” he ended fiercely.
Caitlin walked up to him, one finger in the air.“If you do or say anything to upset her, I’ll put both our mothers onto you,” she threatened.
“I can’t promise you I won’t upset her,” he said, “but I can promise you I’ll do my best to get to the bottom of this.”
But Caitlin had turned back and was facing the television again.Don had turned up the volume.
“…Not Hannah Sutherland, but Sophie Thomas, who has a similar build…”
“Looks like they’ve been repeating the news,” Don said.
“They didn’t mention before that this woman has a similar build to Hannah,” Darryn said frowning.
Caitlin stared at the screen.“So Hannah could have been the target?”she whispered the words they were all thinking.
It was quiet in the room for a few seconds.
Then he and Don turned to one another.“Get security for her,” Darryn barked while he took out his phone.
Don pushed him in the direction of the front door.“I’ll inform David and Dale you have the plane,” he said, his cell phone also in his hand.“Send it back as soon as possible.Caitlin and I will follow when we’re ready.”
Caitlin grabbed Darryn’s hand.“You make sure she’s safe, okay?”she said in a wobbly voice.
Darryn bent down and gave her a hug.“That I can promise,” he said before a voice answered on the other side of the line.
“I need the plane.Immediately,” he said, and with a last wave, sprinted toward his car.
Chapter Four
Hannah opened hereyes, hanging on to that perfect moment between sleep and reality where everything was entirely fine, where no worry or anxiousness intruded, where she could simply be.
But then she blinked, reality came crashing down, and she was fully awake.Immediately, the feeling of dread, of fear, had her tummy tied in knots.
A loud noise made her sit upright.That was what had woken her.Someone was hammering against her front door.She grabbed her gown and glanced at her watch.It was nearly eleven o’clock.Normally, she wouldn’t still be in bed, but she’d only fallen asleep in the early morning hours.
She really hoped it wasn’t the police.They’d phoned yesterday, asking her if she wanted to file a complaint; apparently the story of Sophie’s near-accident had hit the news.She told them she’d see them sometime today, hoping to delay having to talk about the incident again.
Fortunately, she only had an appointment after lunch with a photographer who did a cover shoot with her last week.She wasn’t quite sure why he wanted to meet again, but her agent asked nicely, and she wanted to keep the client happy.
The hammering continued.Irritated, she walked toward the front door.The block of apartments she lived in had security downstairs, so whoever was knocking had to be someone she’d cleared with them.It could also be someone from her agency.Why the idiot didn’t stop hammering, though, she couldn’t imagine.
She didn’t even look through the peephole, just flung the door open, ready to give whoever was standing there hell.Her words disappeared, as did all the oxygen around her.
Standing on her doorstep, unshaven, drop-dead gorgeous, his eyes red-rimmed, was Darryn Cavallo.
Before she could get anything out, his strong arms folded around her, and he kicked the door shut behind him.He was trembling as he pulled her close to his body.
She tried to push him away even though her body ached for his heat.She was so cold.But this was Darryn Cavallo, the guy who’d broken her heart and stomped all over it.
He ignored her movements, though, gathered her closer, and pressed his face into her neck.“We heard what happened yesterday.Heard the woman had a similar build to you, realized it could have been you.I need to hold you for a few moments…please?”
His unique scent of sandalwood and spices surrounded her, and she nodded.Her arms found their way around him, and for a long moment they stood like that.She sighed and he pressed a kiss to her forehead.She didn’t know why he was there, what he wanted, but she felt safe.For the first time in a long time.
