Paying off her farm.

Yeah, it was likely not the smartest move, considering she would be selling the thing. Pride, however, made the transaction necessary. Pride, and a sense that she needed to feel that she had achieved the goal she had started with when shed bought the place.

She had always wanted something that was her own in the world, a home that she established and paid for and maintained without help from anyone else.

The fact that she now didnt owe a red cent on the land was a counter- balance to everything else she was feeling.

{ 375 }.

Proof positive that she hadnt completely failed to look after herself.

L ane returned to Easterly as soon as he was released.

Well, minus the trip back out to Samuel T.s to pick up his Porsche.

He entered his familys property via the back way, driving past the fields and the greenhouses for two reasons. One, because there was press at the main gates; and two, because he wanted to see whether Liz- zie was on site.

She was. Her maroon farm truck was parked in the lot along with the other vehicles of the staff.

Damn it, he exhaled.

Continuing up to the garages, he parked his car under the magnolia tree and went directly to the rear entrance of the business center. After he entered the code Edward had had him use, he yanked open the door and stalked his way to the reception area, passing those offices, that conference room, that dining room.

Men and women in suits looked up in alarm, but he ignored them.

He didnt stop until he was inside the glass office of his fathers as- sistant. Im going in to see him now.

Mr. Baldwine, you cant"

The hell I cant.

Mr. Baldwine, hes"

Lane threw the door open and"

Pulled up short. His father was not behind that desk.

Mr. Baldwine, we dont know where he is.

Lane glanced over his shoulder. What?

Your father . . . he was supposed to be traveling this morning, but he never showed up at the airport. The pilot waited for an hour.

You called the house, of course.

And his cell phone. The woman put her hand over her mouth.

Hes never done this before. No one has seen him in the mansion.

{ 376 }.

Shit.

Dear Lord, now what?

As Lane bolted out of there, the assistants voice called after him, Please tell him to call me?

Back in the morning sunshine, he fell into a flat- out run for Easter- lys kitchen entrance. Busting through, he ran past the stainless- steel counters and punched open the door into the staff hallway. He took the back stairs two at a time, nearly plowing into a maid who was vacuum- ing her way to the second floor.

Down the hall. Past his room. Past Chantals.

To his fathers.

Lane skidded to a halt in front of the door, and thought that he re- ally wasnt ready to have a Rosalinda, Part II, with his own father" but not because he didnt want to see the dead body of one of his parents.

No, it was more because if the man was going to need a coffin, Lane was going to damn well be the one who put that bastards head on the tufted pillow.

Lane threw things open. Father, he barked. Where are you.

Marching in, he listened for a response and then shut the door be- hind himself" just in case the man was alive: He was going to hurt the sonofabitch, heaven help him, but he was so going to hurt him.

Chantal might be a slut and a liar, but a woman should never be hit.

No matter the circumstance.

Where the fuck are you, he demanded as he opened up the bath- room.

When he didnt find the man hanging in the glass shower enclosure, he doubled back and went into the wardrobe room.

Also nothing.

No, wait.

His fathers suitcase, the monogrammed one he used so often, was open and partially packed. But . . . packed badly. The clothes were messy inside, hastily thrown in by someone who had little to no experience in doing the duty for himself.

Rifling through the contents, Lane found nothing of note.

{ 377 }.

But he did notice that his fathers favorite watch, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, was missing from the lineup inside the velvet- lined watch case. And his wallet was gone.

Heading back into the bedroom, he surveyed the furniture, the books, the desk, but had no idea if there was anything out of place. Hed been in here only a handful of times . . . and not for at least a good twenty years.

What are you up to, Father, he asked the quiet, still air.

Following an instinct, he went out, reshut the door, and jogged back down the staff stairs to the first floor. It took him less than a minute to get out to the garages and once inside, he counted the cars. The Phantom was still there, but two of the Mercedeses were missing. Chantal had obviously been in one.

His father had to have taken the other.

The question was . . . where.

And when.

{ 378 }.

FORT Y- FOUR.

Yall cant be doing this again. Come on, now, wake up.

Edward batted at the hand that pulled at his arm. Lea . . .

me lone.

The heck I will. Its cold in here, and youre not up to this.

Edward opened his eyes slowly. Light was coming through the open bay at the end of the stable, catching swirls of hay dust and the profile of one of the barn cats. A mare whinnied across the way, and somebody kicked their stall" and off in the distance, he caught the low- pitched growl of one of the tractors.

Holy shit did his head hurt, but it was nothing compared to his ass.

Funny how a part of the body could be both totally numb and in pain.

Yall need to get the hell up . . .

All the chatter made him curse" and try to focus.

Well, what do you know. There were two Shelbys talking at him: His newest employee was standing over him like a disapproving teacher, her hands on her lean hips, her jeans- clad legs and booted feet braced as if she were considering soccer-balling his head.

I thought you didnt curse, he mumbled.

{ 379 }.

I dont.

Well, I believe you just said a bad word.

Her eyes narrowed. Are you getting up, or am I sweeping you out of here with the rest of the debris.

Dont you know that hell is a gateway word? Its like marijuana.

Next thing you know, youll be dropping fuck bombs left and right.

Fine. Stay there. See if I care.

As she turned and walked off, he called out, How was your date the other night?

She pivoted back around. What are you talking about?

With Moe.

At that, he struggled to get himself up off the cold concrete floor of the stable. When he couldnt manage it, she lifted a brow. You know, I do believe I will leave you there.

Above his head, Neb snickered like the stallion was laughing.

I didnt ask for your help, Edward gritted out.

Without warning, his hand slipped and his body slammed down to the concrete so hard his teeth clapped together.

You are going to kill yourself, she muttered as she marched back over.

Shelby picked him up with all the care one might offer to a fallen pitchfork" but he had to give her credit. Even though she came up to only his breastbone, she was more than strong enough to get him down the aisle, out of the bay, and across the lawn to his cottage.

Once they were inside, he nodded to his chair. Over there would be"

Yall hypothermic. Thats not going to happen.

Next thing he knew, shed sat him down on his toilet seat and was starting the bath.

Ill take it from here, he said, leaning to the side and letting the wall catch him. Thanks.

He was just shutting his eyes when she slapped him in the face.

Wake up.

{ 380 }.

The sting did bring him around, and he rubbed his cheek. Did you enjoy that?

Yes, I did. And Ill do it again. She shoved his toothbrush into his mouth. Use that.

It was hard to talk around the damn thing, so he did what he was told, working the left side, the right, the front, the under parts. Then he bent over and spit in the sink.

Its not that cold, he said.

How would you know. Youre saturated drunk.

Actually, he wasnt" and that was probably part of the problem. For the first time in how long, he hadnt had anything to drink the night before"

What are you doing? he said as her hands went to his fleece.

Im getting you undressed.

Really.

While she worked his clothes, he looked at her body. It was hard to see much of it, what with her sweatshirt, and he decided to reach for her to test out that waist.

She stopped. Stepped back. Im not interested in that.

Then why are you taking my clothes off.