Nixie

I was still reeling from last night’s revelation as I walked through the enormous Disney store in Times Square. It wasn’t like I’d believed Nash’s proposal meant he was head over heels in love with me or anything, but really—a business deal? And it made what he’d said in the car on the way to dinner seem as unrealistic as the outrageous window displays of the luxury retailers lining Fifth Avenue. And just as temporary.

We were both getting something from our arrangement, I knew that. I just wished Nash had been honest with me. The fact that he hadn’t, that he’d deliberately let me believe his trip down the aisle was out of the goodness of his heart, just made me wonder what else he was hiding.

He had seemed intent on telling me something before dinner—probably just another lie. Nash was no better than Derrick. Dirty liars, both of them.

Nash and I had planned to apply for our marriage license later this afternoon, and I wasn’t sure that I should go ahead with it. Was I just trading one bad situation for another? I’d left the hotel two hours ago, hoping to wander the city and be alone with my tumultuous thoughts, but of course Jay had been right outside my door. Did the man ever sleep?

At least Nash stayed away. I wasn’t ready to deal with him until I’d put some order to my confused mind.

I didn’t have any intention of actually shopping today, but when I passed the iconic store, I couldn’t help but think of Madison and her princess obsession. Christmas was in a few days, and regardless of what I decided to do about Nash, I wanted his niece and nephew to have a gift under their tree from me.

Realizing that I was going to be longer than I had anticipated, I made a quick call to the concierge of the Ritz-Carlton and arranged for someone to take Kismet on a walk. There were definitely a few benefits to hotel living.

Half an hour later, entranced by a towering display of tiaras Madison was sure to love, I was tempted to ignore the phone buzzing from inside my winter coat, figuring it was Nash, who I still wasn’t ready to talk to. But in case it was about Kismet, I pulled it from my pocket. Skirting a little boy with a light saber in each hand, attempting to do battle with a life-size Prince Charming, I squinted at the screen. Instead of a text from Nash, there was image of an ice rink filled with skaters. Enlarging the photo, I tried to discern which rink it was. Definitely not Rockefeller Center. Just as I realized it was Wollman Rink, in Central Park, another picture popped up—this one a close-up of Parker and Madison, sharing a kid-sized walker, sporting helmets and huge grins. My stomach twisted. I was really going to miss those kids.

Me: Eva?

Unknown: Try again.

Me: Nash?

Unknown: Nope.

I frowned over my screen as I searched for an explanation. Me: the kids look so happy, thx for sending the pics! Who is this?

Unknown: Think, Noelle.

A chill raced down my spine and I gasped.

“Everything okay?”

I’d forgotten Jay was right beside me. Forcing the horror from my face, I looked up at him. “Of course. Just a cute photo.” Dropping my phone in my pocket, I straightened. “Do you happen to know where the ladies room is?”

As soon as there was a door between us, I pulled my phone back out. Me: Hanging with the preschool set these days?

Unknown: Why not? It seems you would rather spend time with a pair of four-year-olds than me.

Me: What are you talking about?

Unknown: Don’t play dumb, Noelle. It doesn’t suit you.

Me: Derrick, I’m serious. I don’t understand why you’re sending me pictures of children.

Unknown: You don’t appreciate pictures of your fiancé’s niece and nephew?

My stomach plummeted. Me: Leave Nash’s family alone.

Unknown: No problem.

Me: Thank y—I hadn’t finished typing when another text popped up.

Unknown: Leave Nash.

Was Derrick really threatening Madison and Parker if I didn’t end my engagement to Nash? Knowing Jay was probably wondering what was taking me so long, I started a new text, my fingers moving furiously over the screen. Me: Let’s meet.

Unknown: Ditch your babysitter and come to Wollman. We can get hot chocolate and watch the skaters.

Me: Leave those kids alone, I’ll be right there.

Now I just had to figure out how to shake off Jay.

Splashing cold water on my cheeks, I examined my face in the mirror. My skin was flushed, my eyes glassy and wide. I looked feverish. Good. Hopefully it would work in my favor. I peeked out of the door, dodging a pregnant woman carrying a crying toddler. “Jay,” I called out, hurrying over to where Nash’s driver was waiting just a few feet away. “I’m not feeling well.”

His mouth tightened. “I’ll take your right home.”

“No,” I shook my head. “Can you just get me a bottle of water first?” At Jay’s reluctant expression, I squeezed his thick forearm and began backing away. “Uh oh. I think I need to go again. Would you mind finding a vending machine or something, and I’ll meet you right back here in a few minutes?” By the time I finished my question, I was inside the bathroom again. The toddler’s screams had quieted to a nasal whine, interspersed with hiccups. I sent the woman a sympathetic smile and then peeked out the door again. Jay was gone.

Crossing my fingers, I pulled my hood up over my head and darted out of the ladies room. Heading straight for the elevator, I spotted Jay taking the escalator. I had no idea where he was going to get a bottle of water, my only concern was staying out of his sight long enough to grab a cab. I needed to talk to Derrick away from Jay’s protective presence. No doubt he would be on the phone to Nash in a hot minute if he noticed me sneaking off. And Nash wouldn’t need much of an excuse to go after Derrick by destroying Pappi’s business. I couldn’t let that happen.

With my heart in my throat, I blended into a large family and walked straight through the front door in their midst. For once, I was grateful to be about the same height as a thirteen-year-old boy. Luck was on my side again when a cab pulled to the curb as I set foot on the sidewalk. I jumped in just as Jay barreled through the door, a thunderous expression on his face. “Wollman Rink,” I yelled. “Hurry, please.”

The blocks ticked by agonizingly slowly as I stared out the window. The bright day had turned overcast while I’d been in the store, and now the festive window displays looked more sinister than seductive. I was practically vibrating with the need to find Derrick and get him away from Madison and Parker. He would never do anything to hurt innocent children . . . would he?

The truth was, I didn’t know what Derrick was capable of anymore. Instead of cutting his losses, Derrick’s instinct was to double down, to bet everything he had rather than quit the game. There had been times when his appetite for risk worked in his favor. Today, if Derrick believed hurting Eva’s twins would end my relationship with Nash, I was terrified he would go through with it. And if it meant clearing his debts so he could gamble again, I wouldn’t put anything past him.

The cab finally drew up outside the entrance to Central Park. I shoved cash through the Plexiglass partition and jumped out of the backseat. It had been a few years since I’d been up this way, but I remembered the rink was about a two minute walk from this entrance. Running, I made it through the footpath in less than sixty seconds. Quickly scanning the ice, a high pitched squeak jumped from my throat when I didn’t see Madison or Parker.

“They’ve already headed to the carousel.” Derrick’s voice was gruff, and coming from behind me.

I spun around to face him. “How do I know you didn’t do something to them?”

He shrugged. “I guess you don’t.”

From inside my coat pocket, my phone buzzed. I ignored it. “Derrick, so help me, if you did anything to two little kids—”

A sour smile twisted his lips. “This place would be crawling with cops if those kids went missing, Noelle.” I looked around, unconvinced. “The teachers rounded a whole bunch of kids up, announced that they were going to the carousel. We can walk over there if you want.”

“No,” I gritted out. Realizing he was telling the truth, I shook my head. No way was I going to bring Derrick anywhere near the twins.

“You really think I would hurt them, huh?” Derrick’s hands were shoved into his pockets, his coat unbuttoned as a cold wind rushed through the skyscrapers rising up all around us.

“I don’t know what you’re capable of anymore, Derrick.” It was the truth.

He blinked. Once, twice. His dark eyes appraising me. “Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.”

My phone buzzed again, drawing Derrick’s gaze downward. “That you?”

“It’s not important.”

“You tell Knight where you were going?”

“No,” I said.

Derrick’s face darkened as he grabbed me by my arm, squeezing tight. “Let’s go.”

“Ow!” I tried jerking my arm away, but Derrick’s hold only grew tighter. In my mind, I ran through various moves Nash had taught me, debating whether the situation warranted using one of them.

“Give me your phone,” he demanded.

My eyes darted around, wondering if someone might intervene, but the sun had slipped behind thick clouds and the already cold afternoon was now bitter. The few people still outside were hunched over, their heads ducked down to avoid the wind. Once again I tried pulling away. “Derrick, stop it.”

He held out a hand. “Phone.”

Ignoring the pain in my arm, I tried a different tack. Softening my voice, I forced a smile onto my face and put my free hand against Derrick’s chest. “I’m cold. How about we find a coffee shop and talk. Like we used to, remember?”

Derrick’s grip loosened, his hand sliding up my arm to curve around the back of my neck, fingers threading into my hair to grip my skull. Too hard. “Oh, I remember more than that, Noelle. I remember the scared, sad little girl you were when Dad brought you home to live with us. I remember lying awake nights, listening to you cry in the next room, and thinking of ways to make you smile the next day. I remember the day you didn’t look like a little girl anymore, and lying awake nights for a very different reason. And I remember when we started sneaking into each other’s rooms, when you became my whole world.”

My throat was a desert, swallowing nearly impossible, as I recalled our shared past. Years of good memories that had been overshadowed, but not erased, by the recent bad. “Derrick, I—”

His grip on my head tightened, and I winced. “What? Do you want me to remember how you cut and ran at the first sign of trouble? How you won’t even give me the time of day now that you have a hotshot banker to share your bed with?” Spittle flew from his mouth, hitting my face like sharp flecks of sand.

I tried to shake my head, but I couldn’t move. “That’s not how it is.”

“Save it. I wanted you to meet me here today to prove a point.”

“W-what point?”

“How easy it is to get close to people. If I wanted to hurt those kids, I could have. And the guys that are after me, they want money, Noelle. So if I don’t pay up, you know who they’ll hurt?”

Tears stung my eyes as Derrick’s point stabbed me straight through the heart. “Pappi,” I breathed.

His grip finally loosened. “Yeah.”

“Have you considered asking him for the money? You’re his son, he would do anything—”

A fierce look came over his face, eyes narrowing into slits. “You don’t think I tried? I worked alongside my father for most of my life, I know his business as well as he does. I was able to get some cash out, but the bank notified him about the withdrawal.”

“Did you tell him why you needed the money?”

“Yes,” he howled. “I told him everything. And you know what—he packed me off to some gambling addiction rehab facility out in the mountains. Like hiking in sub-zero temperatures could take the place of a game of game of poker.”

I reached out to rub Derrick’s shoulder. “That’s great.”

He looked at me as if I’d lost my mind. “No. The guys I owe money to think I ran away from them.” He swiveled his neck, eyes darting around the urban jungle surrounding us. “Nowhere is safe. Not until I get them their money.”

I started to open my mouth but Derrick stopped me. “Give me your phone.”

With shaking hands I reached into my pocket and pulled out my mobile. Derrick glanced at the screen. “A dozen missed calls, about as many texts. Looks like you have Knight by the short and curlies.”

I cringed at the vulgar expression, but Derrick snickered and tossed my phone at the nearest garbage can. It bounced off the metal, a spider web of cracks traveling across the glass, and landed face-up on the sidewalk. As if on cue, it lit up again. “Isn’t that sweet? A man who doesn’t give up.” He shrugged. “Might as well leave it there. Maybe some chick will pick it up and soothe your fiancé’s broken heart when he finds out you’ve married me instead.”

A fresh wave of pain slammed into my chest at the thought of anyone else soothing Nash but me. But I didn’t have time to fixate on it, because Derrick was hurrying me out of the park.

“Come on, we have to get to the City Clerk’s office before they close, and they’re all the way downtown.”

“C—City Clerk?” I stuttered, knowing exactly what his intentions were, but needing confirmation anyway.

“Yeah.” As we emerged onto Central Park South, Derrick gnashed his teeth at the congestion of the streets and grabbed for my hand. “Come on. Taking the subway will be much faster than a cab in this mess. If we don’t get our marriage license today, we can’t get married tomorrow.”

My stomach turned over on itself. If today had gone as planned, I would have been at the City Clerk’s office with Nash to get our license this afternoon.

The irony was cold comfort.

Nash

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” How the hell had Nixie managed to slip away from Jay again?

This time I didn’t know whether to fear for her safety, or worry she’d decided to leave me. Or maybe Nixie was just sick of having her every move shadowed and wanted to be alone for a while.

In hindsight, I should have gone to see her after Duncan and I had hammered out the basics of the NetworkTech acquisition, but I figured I would give Nixie some time before attempting to explain myself. And it wasn’t like I’d gone home for a night’s sleep. As soon as Duncan left my office for his hotel, I called in my team and we’d worked through the night. With only a few days left in the fiscal year, countless tax implications and corporate filings needed to be addressed.

My veins were already buzzing from too much caffeine when Jay called, and his news sent my pulse into overdrive. He’d caught the medallion number of the cab Nixie jumped into, which was the only reason I hadn’t fired him on the spot. Katherine, God bless her, managed to contact the driver and he told us where he’d dropped Nixie off, and that he’d watched her enter the Park via Center Drive.

Given the barricades around Trump Tower and the holiday crowds, getting uptown was slow going. After what felt like forever, we finally ran into the park at the Fifty-Ninth and Sixth entrance together. Why had Nixie ditched Jay just to go to Central Park? And why this entrance? Whenever I took the Madison and Parker to the Zoo, we walked in through the Fifth Avenue entrance.

Spotting a sign for the Wollman Rink, I remembered Eva saying something about the twins having a field trip this morning. But if Eva had invited Nixie to meet up with them, why wouldn’t she have had Jay take her?

Scanning the ice, I didn’t see Madison or Parker, and I didn’t see Eva either. I was still calling and texting Nixie’s number when Jay’s quick inhale got my attention. “Boss, he said, pointing at the ground.

I followed the direction of his finger to see my name flash across a cracked screen. Nixie’s phone. The panic I’d managed to keep at bay rose up in my throat, threatening to choke me.

Slowly, I lowered my own mobile and ended the call, putting it into my pocket and reaching for Nixie’s discarded one. Her battery was running low and a dozen cracks zig-zagged across the screen, but I was able to get into her most recent activity. Thank God Nixie still hadn’t installed a password. No calls, only texts to and from an unknown number. I scrolled up to the start of the chain, an involuntary hiss whistling through my teeth as a picture of Madison and Parker popped up on the screen. “Son of a bitch,” I barked, taking off at a run the way we came in.

Not that it mattered, traffic was practically at a standstill.

Once we finally returned to my office, no doubt racking up a thousand dollars in fines from red light traffic cameras, I headed immediately to the suite of office beside mine, slapping my hand against the palm print reader outside the locked door.

A few minutes later, Nixie’s phone was being downloaded into one of my firm’s computers and analyzed by an employee with advanced degrees from MIT, Caltech, and Stanford, and contacts with the FBI and CIA. He assured me that he would have every bit of information that could be gleaned from her device within an hour.

In the office next door was my lead investigator. I’d called him from the car, and he was ready for me. “I had an alert put on Derrick Attwood and Nixie Rowland, separately.” He slid a piece of paper across his desk toward me. “Look what just came through.”