Holden Read online

“When I first started looking into Conceptions. No one at the clinic would speak to me so I asked around and found out that Amanda had once been the manager there. And she was fired.”

  Holden pulled up the rest of her file. Nothing about being fired in there, but then it wasn’t a complete record of her employment at Conceptions. It only covered about a year. “Did she say why she was fired?”

  “Amanda claimed it’s because she had asked too many questions. She didn’t get into specifics, though. When I pressed for details, she said she’d have to meet face-to-face, and she’d call me back to set that up. She never did, and after I found out about Carter, I didn’t follow through on getting in touch with her.”

  Holden would do something about that. He sent a text to Grayson asking him to have someone question Amanda. The woman might have been fired because she’d learned about the illegal operation going on there.

  Holden heard footsteps, and even though he knew nothing had triggered the alarm, he still put his hand over the gun in his holster. However, it was only Landon. At first Holden thought he was just there to refill his coffee—something he’d been doing ever since Holden had gone into the kitchen—but Landon had his phone in his hand instead of his cup.

  “We might have gotten a break,” Landon announced. “The CSIs at the inn found the body of the guy Holden shot. But they also found some blood. Not in the inn itself or by the body, but outside in that same area where we hit one of the kidnappers with the car door.”

  Holden hadn’t noticed the guy bleeding, but the door had slammed into him hard. Or maybe one of the other men had been hurt. That was pretty much the best option here since Holden didn’t want that blood to belong to one of the other babies who could have been born and then taken for ransom.

  “The CSIs will try to match the DNA of the blood they found and the DNA from the body to someone in the system,” Landon went on. “I’m guessing those men had records. Hope so anyway. Then we can get IDs on them.”

  Yes, and once they had a name, they could start looking for connections to their suspects. Of course, right now the only suspects they had were Oscar and Beatrice Minton. Still, this blood was a lot more than they’d had before, and Holden would take what he could get.

  “What about the safe house?” Landon asked. “Anything on that yet?”

  “It’ll be ready soon. I didn’t want to go through normal channels since I wasn’t sure who or what we were dealing with, so I’m having a friend make the arrangements.”

  In an ideal world, he would have wanted those kidnappers caught and behind bars before he moved Nicky and Carter again, but Holden figured it was going to be a while before anything was ideal for any of them.

  Landon went closer to Nicky and glanced down at the baby. Then he glanced at Nicky and Holden. “Makes you wonder why people say ‘sleeping like a baby,’ huh?” The corner of his mouth lifted. “Because babies aren’t especially good sleepers.” Landon’s half smile quickly faded, though. “So, what will happen to him after we catch the dirtbags who brought him into this world?”

  Good question, but Holden didn’t have a good answer. Apparently neither did Nicky.

  “My father won’t back down on getting custody,” she said. “But neither will I. Holden and his brothers probably won’t, either.”

  “We won’t,” Holden assured her, and that meant Carter was going to be at the center of a fierce custody battle.

  “Did Emmett or Annie have a will that might cover this sort of thing?” Landon asked.

  Both Nicky and Holden shook their heads. Not only was there no will, Holden hadn’t even had discussions with Emmett as to who would raise his future children if something happened to Annie and him. Of course, Annie and Emmett had been young, only in their early thirties, and there’s no way his brother could have known that he’d have a son who would be born an orphan.

  Landon made his way to the coffeepot and poured himself a fresh cup. Hesitated. “I know this is an out-there idea, but once we catch these kidnappers, you two should probably consider getting married.”

  Nicky choked on her own breath, and the sound caused Carter to wake up and start squirming. Holden didn’t exactly choke, but he was certain Landon had lost his mind.

  Landon turned back around to face them before he continued. “Oscar has a lot of money, and he probably owns a judge or two.”

  “He does,” Nicky agreed.

  Landon lifted his shoulder then, as if the rest was obvious. And it was. Oscar wouldn’t back down on getting custody of his grandson, and one of the ways to possibly stop him would be for Holden to present a united front—with Nicky. Yeah, a marriage of convenience might work, but there had to be another way.

  Judging from Nicky’s expression, she was on the same page.

  Holden’s phone buzzed, and even though it was in his pocket, the sound still caused Carter to start fussing again. Nicky went over to rock him, but she didn’t leave the room. Probably because she’d seen Grayson’s name on his phone screen and knew this could be an update about the investigation.

  Or bad news.

  “Is everything okay?” Holden asked Grayson when he answered.

  Grayson’s slight pause let Holden know that this wasn’t going to be just a simple update.

  “The hospital just called,” Grayson answered. “Paul’s dead.”

  Holden couldn’t help it. He groaned, and Nicky must have heard what Grayson had just said because more tears sprang to her eyes. Landon must have heard it, too, because he set his coffee aside and took the baby from her. Probably because she didn’t look too steady.

  “There’s more,” Grayson continued. “Paul didn’t die from the gunshot wound. We’re still trying to work out what happened, but someone murdered him in his hospital bed.”

  Chapter Eight

  Nicky had hoped this nightmare would end soon, but apparently it was just getting started.

  Oh, God.

  Paul was dead.

  “He was murdered?” Landon asked the moment Holden relayed what Grayson had told him. “How?”

  “Grayson’s still trying to figure that out, but it appears someone injected him with something.”

  Nicky’s breath was so thin that it took her a moment to gather enough to speak. “Wasn’t there a guard or a deputy outside Paul’s hospital room?”

  Holden nodded. “But he was in ICU so there were a lot of doctors and nurses coming and going.”

  Landon cursed. “And one of those who came and went might not have been a real doctor or nurse.”

  Another nod from Holden. “Grayson’s getting the footage from the security cameras.”

  Nicky heard the doubt in Holden’s voice. Saw it in his eyes, too. Because someone who could have waltzed right into ICU and murdered a man probably could have tampered with the security cameras. Or worn a disguise. Heck, even if they saw his or her face, the killer was no doubt just another hired gun who they wouldn’t necessarily be able to link to the person who’d hired him.

  Holden shifted his gaze to her. “With Paul dead, that means you’re the only person who can confirm those files ever existed.”

  She heard something else in his voice now. Concern. And Nicky was certain she knew why.

  “The kidnappers will come after me again,” she said.

  Neither man denied it. But that did bring her to something she wasn’t sure she wanted to consider, but she had to—for the baby’s sake.

  “Maybe it’s a good idea to put some distance between Carter and me.” Mercy, it hurt just to say those words. She’d just found him and hadn’t had nearly enough time with him. “I don’t want him hurt if those men manage to get to me again.”

  Landon made a sound of agreement. Holden didn’t.

  “I doubt the kidnappers are just going to give up on taking the ba
by. They have a million-dollar incentive to get their hands on him again.” Holden shook his head. “But it might be wise to keep Carter and you apart just so we can spread the kidnappers thin.”

  “They could just hire more kidnappers,” Landon pointed out.

  True, but Nicky was counting on that taking a while, and this way she could maybe buy Carter some time until they could catch the person responsible. Because now that person was also a killer.

  Paul’s killer.

  Nicky squeezed her eyes shut a moment and started to pace. Holden had told her that because Paul was a PI, danger had been part of the job, but he wouldn’t have been on this particular job if not for her. That ate away at her like acid. He’d died because of those files.

  “Don’t go off half-cocked over this,” Holden warned her. “I know you want to avenge Paul’s death, but we have to be smart.”

  Normally, she would have been offended by a warning like that. She didn’t go off half-cocked. Not since the incident with Drury.

  “I have to do something,” she said. And apparently that something caused her to get moving. She walked out of the kitchen, not heading anywhere in particular, but Nicky just had to move.

  So did Holden.

  Because he caught up with her in the massive foyer by the equally massive staircase, and he stepped in front of her.

  “We’ll catch the person responsible for this,” he said, as if it was gospel.

  Nicky knew that wasn’t necessarily true, but she wanted to hang on to the hope. Had to hang on to it.

  Holden gave a heavy sigh, reached out and pulled her into his arms. She could tell from the stiffness of his muscles that this was probably the last thing he wanted to do, and she hated that he felt the need to comfort her.

  Hated even more that she needed the comforting, but it was good to be in Holden’s arms again. He might have thought the same thing—might have—because his muscles relaxed a little, and she felt a tension of a different kind.

  That blasted attraction.

  There wasn’t time for it, and even if there had been, it wasn’t something Holden wanted. Because he would never be able to trust her. Remembering that had Nicky stepping back.

  At least that was the plan.

  But Holden tightened his grip on her. “Swear to me that you won’t do anything dangerous,” he whispered.

  It was another warning, one that she expected, but that wasn’t a warning tone. The attraction again, and Nicky got a full dose of that heat when she pulled back enough for their eyes to meet.

  Their gazes held.

  For a long time.

  And during that long time, his breath hit against her mouth. Almost a kiss. With the way he was looking at her, she thought she might get a real kiss. One they’d both regret, of course, but with the need stirring in her, Nicky thought the regret might be worth it.

  Holden apparently didn’t, though.

  He eased away from her. Oh, no. She felt a lecture coming on, but before he could tell her why a kiss or anything else wasn’t going to happen, his phone buzzed again.

  Another call from Grayson.

  Since this could be news about Paul’s murder, Nicky automatically moved closer to Holden so she could hear, but maybe he’d had enough of their closeness because he put the call on speaker.

  “I have a woman on the other line,” Grayson said. “Her name is Amanda Monroe, and she said she needs to speak to Nicky. Do you know who she is?”

  “I do,” Nicky answered. “She’s the former manager at Conceptions.”

  “Did she say why she wanted to talk to Nicky?” Holden asked.

  “No, but she says it’s important. Is your phone secure?”

  “It is,” Holden assured him.

  “Then I’ll give her your number. I probably shouldn’t have to remind you to record the conversation.”

  “No reminder needed.” Holden hit the end-call button, and they waited.

  Of course, time seemed to grind to a halt, and it didn’t help that Nicky’s imagination started to run wild. Was it a coincidence that Amanda was calling so soon after Paul’s murder? Maybe. But Amanda had said she would get back to her, and maybe it had taken her this long to do it.

  Even though Nicky had been anticipating the call, she still got a jolt when the buzzing sound of Holden’s phone cut through the silence. He answered it and also hit a button to record the conversation.

  “Nicky?” Amanda immediately said.

  “I’m here. What’s wrong?” She could hear the panic in the woman’s voice.

  “Thank God you remember me. I wasn’t sure if you would.”

  “I remember you,” Nicky confirmed. “You said you would get back in touch with me, and you didn’t.”

  “I couldn’t,” Amanda explained. The woman made a hoarse sob. “I’m in so much trouble, and I need your help.”

  “What’s wrong?” Nicky repeated at the same time that Holden said, “Is this something you should be reporting to the police?”

  “Yes, I should,” she said, answering Holden’s question. Another sob. “But I’m not sure who I can trust because someone’s trying to kill me.”

  Mercy. Not this. There had already been too many attacks. Especially on people who might have answers about what had gone on at Conceptions. And as the former office manager, Amanda definitely might have those answers.

  “Where are you?” Holden asked the woman.

  “On the way to the Silver Creek sheriff’s office. I’ll be there in about an hour. Can I trust you? Can I trust Nicky?”

  “Yes,” Holden answered. “But can we trust you?”

  “Yes,” Amanda responded without hesitation. “I’m not the one who tried to kill you.”

  There was enough emotion dripping from her voice, but Nicky knew that emotion could be faked. “Then who is trying to kill us?”

  “I don’t know.” Another sob and then Amanda repeated those three words. “But I have some information that might help. Information that I’ll only give to Nicky.”

  Holden rolled his eyes. “Why only her? If this is a police matter, you should be giving it to the cops.”

  “Because I know she’s trying to make sense of all of this. That’s why she called me to try to figure out what was going on at Conceptions. I want to make sense of it, too. And I want to make sure the baby is safe.”

  Everything inside Nicky went still. “The baby?”

  “The newborn baby boy,” Amanda confirmed. “I was the surrogate who gave birth to your nephew.”

  * * *

  “AMANDA COULD BE LYING,” Holden reminded Nicky again.

  Nicky nodded, obviously understanding that, but that wasn’t going to stop her from seeing the woman. Holden had known that from the moment he ended the call, and that’s why he’d gotten started on making security arrangements.

  Not exactly easy.

  Not exactly foolproof, either.

  Yes, Holden wanted answers as badly as Nicky, but he also didn’t want this to be an opportunity for the kidnappers to come after the baby, or for the killer to come after Nicky. That’s why two of his cousins, Josh and Mason, had come to the house to help guard the baby. Landon would be staying behind with them, too, and Gage and Dade would be following Nicky and Holden to the sheriff’s office.

  This would tie up a lot of manpower—five deputies—so Holden only hoped Amanda would give them some information that was worth the trip.

  “Too bad Amanda didn’t just tell us everything over the phone,” Holden grumbled as he pulled away from the house. It wasn’t the first time he’d grumbled or thought that, and it wouldn’t be the last.

  And it wasn’t as if Holden hadn’t tried to have the woman fess up. He had. But Amanda had been just as adamant about having a face-to-face meetin
g with Nicky. Holden hoped that wasn’t because Amanda was trying to lure them into the middle of another attack.

  “When you first spoke to Amanda, did she mention anything about being a surrogate?” Holden asked.

  Nicky quickly shook her head, and like Holden, she kept watch all around them. It was something they’d have to do on the entire trip to the sheriff’s office. On the return trip as well, since someone could try to follow them back to Kayla’s ranch.

  Nicky made a sound to indicate she was giving his question some thought. “But if she’s telling the truth about being a surrogate, that means she delivered Carter only a week ago. We might be able to tell from looking at her if she recently gave birth, especially since the doctor thought Carter had had a C-section birth.”

  True, but to confirm something like that meant Amanda would have to submit to a physical exam. Since Amanda didn’t seem in a trusting mode, that might not happen.

  Plus, there was something else bugging Holden.

  “If Amanda really was a surrogate, then why would Conceptions Clinic have fired her? Why would they want to risk pissing off someone who was carrying a million-dollar baby?”

  Nicky obviously processed that as well. “Maybe she wasn’t actually fired. Maybe that was a front so she could take maternity leave.”

  And if so, that could mean Amanda might still be working for Conceptions and the person who’d orchestrated all of this. That would also mean just seeing her could be dangerous.

  “If this does turn out to be a trap,” Holden said, “there’s a gun in the glove compartment. That doesn’t mean I want to return fire,” he quickly added. “But I want you to be able to protect yourself.”

  That caused some of the color to drain from her face. Nicky had no doubt already considered some of the bad things that could happen, but it was another thing to hear it spelled out.

  Holden’s phone rang, and he saw Grayson’s name on the screen again. Hell. He hoped this wasn’t more bad news. He put the call on speaker so that he could keep his hands free.

  “No sign of Amanda yet,” Grayson said. “But I just got a visitor. Beatrice Minton. She wasn’t supposed to be here until later, but she said that didn’t work with her schedule.”