She shook her head. As much as she’d like to feel the comfort of Mitch’s arms around her, there was really no place to safely stop. “No…no… I’ll be okay.”
He clicked off the warning lights and resumed his speed. And, even though he’d moved his hands back to the steering wheel, his sideways glances at her said she needed to explain. Explain something she hadn’t thought of in years.
“Looking back, I realize CT came more than one time. My dad always made me hide. Of course, I didn’t know who they were exactly, but it didn’t take me long to figure out they weren’t to be trusted,” she whispered, then swallowed to clear her emotions. “Do you know how many places don’t have windows? How dark the dark can be when you’re twelve years old and alone?”
Slowly, he blew out a long, cheek-puffing breath then shook his head. “I’m sorry you had to experience that. Did you tell your dad how much those times bothered you?”
“No. He wasn’t the same after my mother died. Didn’t laugh as much. His shoulders slumped, and…his eyes lost their happiness.” She dabbed at the tears in the corners of her eyes. “Don’t get me wrong, he was always there when I needed him. But I tried not to bother him with my personal problems.”
“I’m sure you weren’t a bother to him.”
She nodded as a sarcastic smile smirked at her mouth. “You keep on thinking that. He’d always be happier after their visits. Toss a handful of money on the table. Tell me to take care of myself and stay out of trouble. Then go off for days. Come back with a case of Johnnie Walker and a box of cigars. New clothes. New haircut. New woman friend to talk to on the phone.”
They drove quietly for a couple more minutes, then Mitch turned right, onto a road headed toward the shoreline. “Sometimes a man does what he has to do for the good of someone else. Otherwise he can’t live with himself. Then, there gets to be a point where there’s no going back.”
“You sound like you speak from experience.”
His non-answer told her nothing. In her journalistic mind, that made for an interesting answer. Of course, it could be he needed to concentrate on the directions to this hideaway house. He’d made a few turns on smaller and smaller roads, with bigger and bigger houses alongside.
“We’re here. What do you think?” He stopped the car and pointed to a three-story house only steps from the beach. “This is the back of the house. The front faces the water.”
The lines were sleek and modern, sitting a short way back from the dunes bordering the white sand beach that stretched into the blue water of the Gulf. She might not know exactly where they were, but she knew the general location. This was a waterfront mansion.
“Exactly, who is this B-adass, Ba-dass…whatever it’s called? Who owns this place?” Her mind raced, trying to narrow down anything she might have missed in the last few days.
Mitch drove into the garage on the first level, parked in one of the four spots. The one that had a brass sign posted above—MGBa-Dass.
Ba-Dass…Ba…
“By all that’s holy, it’s you. Mitch Granger Bad Ass,” she said.
“Incorporated.” He raised his eyebrows then got out of the car.
She followed his lead as he locked the garage then gestured for her to choose either the steps or the elevator. She chose the stairs because it gave her more time to think. At the top, he opened the door, pushed some buttons on the wall, then moved aside for her to enter.
Thewhooshof sliding drapes sounded from across the room, as the wall of windows revealed the full panorama of the Gulf waves beyond. The floor was marble. The furnishings modern. The fireplace scaled the wall all the way to the peak in the cathedral ceiling. The upper floor, where she imagined the bedrooms were located, had a balcony that reached partway across the spacious great room.
She’d never seen anything so beautiful in all her life.
“You…you own this?” she asked.
“Yeah. It’s all mine.” Mitch half grinned, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Don’t worry about CT finding us here. My corporation is a subsidiary below a lot of other businesses, with many twists and turns.”
“Legal?”
“All legal.”
As a woman who’d spent her entire career trying to get to the bottom of the story, any story, she wondered if this was more than just hiding your assets because you work for OPAQUE. “This had to cost at least four…five million dollars.”
“It’s probably worth between six and eight.” He reset the security system then walked toward the windows, moving a long, sleek, brass and polished mahogany telescope and tripod over to the corner. She figured the lenses in that one had cost more than just a few hundred dollars.
Passing the coffee table, he pressed a button on the remote. Instantly, the wall of windows cascaded back, one on top of the other, until they completely disappeared into the side walls.
“So, was I right about the view?” His tone seemed to want her approval.
Slowly, she nodded then walked out on the deck, taking in the sea spray scent with each breath she took. What was left of her hair fluttered in the breeze. “From what I’ve seen, this place is perfect. And, the Gulf view is fantastic.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her close against his chest. “I hoped you would.”
