CHAPTER ELEVEN

Derek sat looking at his in-laws, trying to find the words to tell them what he’d come here for. He had a whole speech prepared, but now as he looked at them, he spent a fraction of a second wondering if he was doing the right thing. If Chloe was completely receptive to the idea, he wouldn’t be so concerned. She’d finally agreed to meet them, but she was skittish about it and still so worried about Jesse coming after her, that he almost felt like he was cheating them all over again. They had been cheated out of twenty-four years with her. What if she met them and then she wanted to go on with her life without really knowing them. Would he be cheating them all over again?

“Derek,” Samantha said, gently, “You’re frightening us a little bit.”

“Oh jeez, I’m sorry. I got lost in my thoughts there for a moment.” He looked at Trevor who was trying not to look impatient, but he’d been sitting here for a full fifteen minutes since he’d told them he had “news” about the questions he had come here and asked them the last time.

“I’m just not sure how to say this. It’s not bad news at least not now.”

Samantha reached across the table and took his hand in hers. She looked at him with those soft brown eyes and said, “It’s okay, Derek. Whatever you have to say, we can handle.”

He smiled at her. He knew she was right. They had already lost two children and they were still two of the most amazing human beings he’d ever known. They survived that with grace. They would survive this as well.

“When your girls were born, the doctor who delivered them was involved in a black market baby ring. I spoke to the midwife that was there and I gathered statistics on the infant mortality rate at the hospital where the girls were born. There was an inordinately large amount of infant deaths and still born babies during that time but mostly amongst those having multiple births. The doctor wasn’t able to give me any information. He has Alzheimer’s.” He could already see the hope on their faces and now he was racing to spit out his news. “I don’t think Sarah’s sister died that day.”

Samantha looked both hopeful and confused. Trevor looked almost angry, which was unlike him. Neither of them spoke for a long time until Samantha finally broke the silence by saying, “What do you think happened to her?” Her chin was held high and her posture was perfectly straight, but the look on her face told him she was crumbling inwardly. He hoped that he could make it better.

“She was sold and illegally adopted. I found her, by accident.”

Trevor jumped out of his chair, almost knocking it over. Samantha didn’t even look up at him; her eyes were riveted to Derek’s face.

Samantha managed to croak out a whisper. “Where is she?”

“Derek,” Trevor’s voice was low and husky and it had an almost threatening edge to it that Derek had never heard. “Before you answer that question, please tell me that this is more than a “feeling.” Tell me you have proof. DNA proof.”

“I don’t have DNA, but this woman is the spitting image of Sarah. She changed her hair and eye color and I could still see it. She told me her history of being adopted and I checked it out. There is no trace of the adoption agency these people supposedly went through and no trace of a birth record for her anywhere. She was born on the same day as Sarah; she’s the same age. She grew up in New York.” Samantha let out a strangled sob and Trevor knelt down and took her into his arms.

He still looked skeptical.

“They gave us pictures.”

Derek swiped a hand through his hair. “Doctored photos to make you think the baby was dead and to make you not want to see her like that. He got away with doing this for quite a few years before the hospital finally let him go. There were no charges filed so apparently they had no proof of what he was doing…but he did it and your daughter is alive.”

Samantha was sobbing uncontrollably now and Trevor was trying to break through his own shock and comfort her.

“She was as shocked over this as you are. It took a lot of effort to get her to even agree to meet you, but she is willing at this point to agree to a DNA test. She doesn’t want you to think this is a scam on her part. In fact, none of this was her. It was all my doing. It breaks my heart that all three of you had to endure what you did for twenty-four years. I just want to try and help set some of it back right if I can.”

The silence was deafening again, with the only sound in the room being Samantha’s sobs into her husband’s shoulder. Trevor finally said, “We’ll talk about…”

Samantha whipped her head up and interrupted him. There was finality in her eyes that warned them both not to argue with her as she said, “We don’t need to talk about it. I want to see her.”

He looked from her to Trevor and his father-in-law nodded.

“Good,” Derek said, softly. “I’ll arrange it.”

Derek left that day emotionally spent but encouraged at the same time. They’d all agreed to the meeting. Once that happened, he hoped they could find their way towards forging some kind of relationship. Twenty-four years was a long time, but from what he knew about parent/child relationships, time was rarely a rival for that infinite bond.

As he got into his car, his phone rang. He saw that it was his dad and answered right away. “Hi, Dad. What’s up?”

“I have bad news,” he said.

“What’s that?” Derek felt his stomach in his throat before his father even said, “Jesse gave our men the slip somehow yesterday. They followed him to Long Island and he went into a car lot. Somehow he managed to get out of the car lot without taking his own car. My guys got the salesman to tell them what kind of car he’d driven out in and even the license plate number. That car was found abandoned at the train station in Newark today.”

“Jesus, Dad! So we not only have no idea where he is, we don’t know what he’s driving either?”

“I’m so sorry, son. I went to Vince. He says he has no idea where Jesse is. I’m going to go back at him. He has to be supporting him. At the very least there should be some kind of financial trail we could chase.”

Derek felt like he was going to be sick. “It’s not your fault. Let me know if Vince offers anything. I get the feeling he’d go to his grave protecting his son though. Can you have some of your men help out with the guy who’s been watching her? I’m going to try and convince her again to stay with me, but she’s a little bit stubborn on that point.”

“I’ll send them over today.”

“Thanks.” Derek hung up and just sat there for a few seconds. How long was Chloe supposed to have to live like this? He beat his fists into the steering wheel and finally started the car and left. He needed to get back to Rhode Island. Shit!

**

The next day as Derek left the yacht and headed to his car, he had no idea that he was being watched. Jesse sat in his car on the far side of the lot and watched through binoculars as Derek Stark…arrogant, rich, and apparently very stupid, got into his car. Jesse had been tracking him for two days after he’d given the fools Derek had following him the slip. He didn’t have confirmation they were working for Derek, but he was sure that Kelly didn’t have the kind of money or the pull something like that would take. Stark thought that she was his to protect now. He was in for a very rude awakening. He had no idea who he was dealing with here.

For two days, Jesse followed him everywhere he went, hoping that he’d eventually lead him to Kelly. He had followed him all the way to Albany the first day. Derek had gone into a nice house and was gone for a few hours before emerging with swollen red eyes like he’d been crying. Wuss! Jesse was mildly curious what that was about. He ran the address through his people finder program and came back with the names of a couple that ran a real estate agency in New York: Trevor and Samantha Whitemore. He assumed it was business since that was the business that Derek was in but the tears made him curious.

He waited until Derek left the parking lot and then he pulled his dark gray Prius out into the traffic. There was no better car to become invisible in than a Prius. People barely gave it a glance as it went by. There was nothing sleek or imposing about it whatsoever and it was almost like driving an invisible cloak. He hated how uncomfortable it was, but he’d sacrifice his comfort for now.

Jesse followed him from the Marina to an exit near the beach. The traffic was thick in the late morning and he wasn’t even concerned that Derek would realize he was being followed as he merged off the exit and onto a street that ran parallel to the ocean. He saw Stark’s fancy little car pull off the street into the driveway of a cozy looking little white condominium. It had a little white fence and flower boxes with colorful flowers in the windows. It was like something out of a “Beach Living” magazine. Derek parked and went inside as Jesse cruised by. He parked his Prius a few blocks up and walked back. He knew he would be too conspicuous on the street so he found a spot on the beach where he could use the binoculars without attracting so much as a glance. It was a beautiful day and the tourists were out in force.

Jesse skimmed the water with the binoculars and then the rocks and then he casually turned them towards the condo. There was a huge man sitting on the little deck out back with a pretty little blonde woman. They were having breakfast and laughing and talking. He wondered who they were. Kelly wasn’t the type to maintain close friendships. He let the binoculars skim the horizon once more so that it didn’t look like he was watching them as he casually strolled along the beach with his shoes in his hand.

Turning back once more and placing the binoculars to his face, he was almost knocked down by the initial shock. He’d been searching for her, but he hadn’t realized the impact that first sight of her face would have. Kelly was standing in the doorway on the deck, talking to the blonde haired girl. Her hair was different; she’d ruined the bright blonde by dying it dark brown. It made her look cheap, he thought. She had definitely done some work on her skinny body too. Where she used to be rail thin and almost straight up and down, she now had gorgeous curves. He wondered if she’d gotten the boob job after all. She’d changed a lot, but it was most definitely her, his father had done well.

As he looked closer, he could see that her eyes looked different too, but from where he was standing, he couldn’t tell why. That was alright. Now that he knew where she was, he’d be seeing them up close soon enough.

Jesse didn’t want to stop looking at her, but he knew it was dangerous to stand there too long. He forced himself to stroll in the other direction and watch a flock of seagulls for a few minutes before allowing himself to turn back and look at her again. Just a glance. His breathing grew shallow and he felt himself getting excited again.

He was definitely going to find a place where no one would interrupt them and he was going to take his time with her. He watched her lean down, hug her friend and then lay a hand on the big man’s shoulder and smile as she talked to him. She was definitely different. Kelly used to hide behind that long blonde hair of hers and it was like pulling teeth to coax a smile out of her. God knows he took good care of her and gave her enough things to smile about. Some people were too dense to know what they had until they lost it. Jesse would have to remind her if she didn’t already remember.

He felt the tickle of anticipation in his gut again as he thought about how sweet their reunion would be…and how much fun he was going to have before finally sinking that knife into her soft flesh and watching the life drain from her eyes. He tore himself away and walked quickly back to his car. By the time he got back near the condo, Kelly and Derek were getting into his car. Once more around the block and he caught up with them, headed back towards the Interstate. He hung back and let four or five cars get between them and then he jumped on and followed. He already couldn’t wait to see her again.