Chapter Four

Danielle woke up the next morning and knew she’d fucked up big time. She quietly hurried about the room gathering her things, needing to leave before Reed woke up. Looking down at her husband, she was torn. She wanted to crawl back into bed and let him hold and love her again, but on the other hand, she knew that her family would be disappointed, and she wasn’t sure she could trust him with her future. He was a Landry, after all.

With tears flowing, she returned to her room. Danielle was packed and ready to go in ten minutes. Quietly leaving her room and rushing to the elevator, she made it downstairs without Reed catching her.

Once she was at the airport, relief and heartache hit her full force. What happened in that room at the club had been what Reed had warned her about, yet she tried to hang with the big boys. Her drink tasted strong, but she downed it anyway before realizing that there was a grainy feel to it. At first, she thought it was the salt, but a few minutes after drinking it she started feeling nauseated. One of the executives then slid his arm around her shoulder and started to caress it. She felt him push her hair away from her neck and he whispered, “So beautiful.”

Trying to save the deal, she moved slightly out of the position he had put her in and thanked him for the compliment, but he didn’t stop his pursuit. He poured her another drink, but wise to him, she didn’t drink again. He began getting pushy, practically holding the glass to her mouth, so she went off the handle and told them they could fucking forget the deal. Danielle knew that they’d drugged her. That was then they booted her from the room and she saw Reed. A sudden desire for affection grew in her and she wanted him to be the one.

She couldn’t blame the drugs for her actions when it came to Reed. It was his body, hunger and pure unadulterated lust that let him fuck her five ways from Sunday. She caved to every desire possible, letting the drug, which she was assuming was some sort of ecstasy-type party drug, remove all inhibitions.

Sitting on the plane, she already regretted leaving him without saying goodbye. But somehow, she knew if she hadn’t it wouldn’t have played out like she wanted. He’d keep her in bed, fucking her into surrender and she’d knew that she’d cave. He was too much for her to handle—especially emotionally. Of all people, he had to be a Landry.

When she landed, she was going to contact her lawyer about getting a divorce. It hurt her to actually consider it, but her family would never accept him, and she wasn’t sure he could be trusted. He just revealed that his father had a bastard child with his brother’s wife. Who’s to say that he wouldn’t do that to her.

~~~~

“Fucking lazy ass lawyers!” She shouted as she slammed her office phone down.

“Wow, what’s got you pissed off?” Spencer asked as he walked into her office. Danielle hadn’t been herself and her entire family knew it. Their mother insisted that it had to be what happened in Vegas. After the deal had been dropped, she had no choice but to explain to her father what happened at the club. He was so pissed that he went on a mission to destroy all those involved. It wasn’t the Enders Corporation that had been a party to the scandalous behavior, but as employees of theirs, they were the ones who had to deal with the fallout.

“Nothing.” She wasn’t going to tell him that she was trying to divorce his buddy.

“Come on, Dani. This isn’t like you at all. You can tell me. Did more happen in Vegas that you’re not telling us?”

“Look, Spence, I know you guys are worried, but I’m okay—stressed, but otherwise okay. I promise.” Tapping on her desk with her manicured nails, she asked, “So are you really ditching us for Christmas to spend time by yourself?”

“Yep, I am. If my buddy comes back, I’ll hang with him, but other than that I’ll be having a quiet and miserable Christmas,” Spencer muttered. The family had known that Spencer wasn’t himself and was suffering from some sort of depression. We didn’t like the idea that he wanted to spend Christmas alone, but we knew he wouldn’t harm himself. He was too arrogant for that. Besides, the family was going to join him Christmas day. Danielle wondered what buddy he was talking about.

“Buddy? You have friends?” she teased.

“Yeah, but you don’t know him. I was about to introduce you two before his uncle fucked us. Hell, I’ve been considering it for the past few months. You and Reed would’ve hit it off. He’s the kind of guy I could see you settling down with.”

“A crook?” She sat up straight in her chair, eager to hear anything he had to say about Reed. She missed him so damn much it hurt. Just hearing his name did things to her heart and her pussy.

“Dani,” Spencer warned. “He’s my best friend and he’s been going through his own hell since this shit happened. He hated Mitch, and even more so now.”

“Why?”

“Why? Because Mitch Landry is a despicable human being and our name wasn’t the only one to suffer. His was too. He’s had to deal with his own backlash, plus there was something that he learned that crushed him lately. It happened about a month ago, but he refuses to talk about it.”

Danielle’s eyes looked away from her brother, who put his head down. His friendship with Reed was solid, but it was clear that it wasn’t as solid as he believed because Reed hadn’t mentioned their relationship to him. She knew why he was upset. He’d told her about his new sister during their dinner that night. She wanted to talk to him, but he hadn’t even made an effort to contact her since Vegas. As far as she knew, he wasn’t even interested. Maybe he was drunker than she was and was glad that she left. All she knew was that damn lawyer needed to get back to her before she tore him a new one.

“If something was so bad, how come he doesn’t do something about it?”

“I don’t know. I think it’s about a girl. Although, he hasn’t been dating anyone since Eve.”

“Eve?” Danielle was filled with pure jealousy. She didn’t want to know he had a girl. Was he with her after they saw each other the first time, she wondered.

“Yeah, some broad he was seeing a few months ago. It was the same time I was going to introduce you two. I knew he wasn’t serious with her, and hell, I thought he’d be good for you.”

“Why would you think that?” she asked, trying not to show any emotion.

“Because he’s honest, loyal, funny and likes to spend his time off reading. If you do meet him one day, don’t be a bitch about his uncle. He couldn’t care if the fucker lived or died. He’s even given Dad the evidence to land Mitch in prison.”

“For real?” Danielle felt like a total bitch. She ran from a man who was proving to be nothing like his uncle.

“Yep, told you he was a good guy. Although, I do wish he had been able to catch you before that shit went down with those pigs in Vegas.”

“He was in Vegas at the same time?” she asked, boldly lying.

“Yeah, I asked him to check in on you from a distance to make sure you were safe.”

“You sent him to babysit me?” She was outraged. She wondered if it was the reason this all happened. Only he took his duty to a new level.

“No. I figured he was there working and so were you, but it doesn’t matter because he said he lost sight of you on Saturday.” Danielle knew Reed was referring to the fact that she ran out on him that day.

The moment he left her office, she broke down and cried—harder than she had since she’d walked out. Hearing Spencer’s words, she realized that he was a good man and her family didn’t hate him as much as she thought. But she knew she’d crossed the line, and obviously, Reed didn’t want her anymore. He hadn’t made one attempt to contact her, and it broke her heart.

~~~~

It was three days before Christmas when she’d realized that she had missed her period. She couldn’t be, she thought or could she. Then she remembered they hadn’t used any protection because he wanted her to have his babies. Closing her eyes, Danielle relived their passionate evening together. Remembering that he’d taken her several times during the night, she started to feel the delicious ache between her thighs.

She left her apartment and headed to the local Walgreens to pick up a kit. After a two-minute wait, she walked back into the bathroom and the E.P.T stick confirmed it. They made a Vegas baby. Danielle wondered if it would be harder to get a doctor’s appointment than it was to meet with her lawyer.

Having dinner at her parents that night, they knew something was up with her. Her mother knew it first but didn’t mention it until they were alone. Sitting in her parents’ bedroom, wrapping gifts, her mother asked, “Danielle, my angel. You can tell me anything. Did those bastards rape you?”

“God, no! Where did that come from?” Her eyes widened in shock. Thank God it didn’t happen.

“That’s good to know, but then who’s the father?” There was no fooling Rachel Kane.

However, she still tried to play dumb. “What?”

“Danielle Marie Kane, don’t think I can’t tell. I’ve had four children.” Her look told Danielle that the jig was up. She couldn’t keep the truth from her mom.

She let the tears cascade down her face. “It wasn’t them, but it did happen with someone that night.”

“Are you not sure who it is? Being drugged can make you confused. The bloodwork did say you were given MDMA.” Her mom wrapped her arm around Dani.

“I know, Mama. I know who the father is. I’m just not ready to tell anyone. I just found out two hours ago.”

“So, he doesn’t know yet?”

“No, he doesn’t.” Danielle didn’t know how she was going to tell him.

“I haven’t seen you on a date in forever.”

“We only had one date. It was the best date ever, but I ruined it,” she admitted with a sigh laced in sadness.

“We’ll work this out.” Rachel gave her arm a squeeze.

Panicking that the “we” would include the rest of the family, she requested a favor. “Please don’t tell anyone yet.”

“I won’t, not even your father. Just take it easy and think about what you want for this baby. Is the baby’s father worth giving the relationship a go?”

“He’s more than worth it, but that doesn’t mean he wants me anymore.” The pain tore at her as she thought about how she hadn’t heard from Reed.

“Who couldn’t want someone so wonderful? Whatever you did it can’t be that bad.”

“I ran out on him the next morning without a word,” she confessed and dropped her head.