When You Dare
Page 116
She was so damned intuitive. “Yeah, he’s back there.”
“Just in case?”
“That’s right.” The days were getting longer, but already the skies had darkened. It wasn’t the season so much as the weather. Clouds rolled in, leaving everything gray and downcast. “I’m not worried about the highway. But we have to take a lot of side roads to get to my house, and that could leave us vulnerable.”
Molly reached over and put her hand on his thigh. “Before you say it, I won’t worry. But if you notice anything happening, would you please tell me? I prefer to know what’s going on and I promise I won’t get in the way or panic.”
“You want to be prepared.”
She nodded. “I don’t ever again want to be taken so completely by surprise.”
“All right.”
She put her head back and closed her eyes, but left her hand on him. Briefly, Dare covered it with his own.
It felt good to be going home.
It felt even better to have Molly with him.
THOUGHTS IN TURMOIL, Bishop sought privacy to make his call. No, he didn’t trust the library. But his bedroom no longer felt secure, either. Not for this.
Unsure where to go to avoid the prying eyes and ears of servants and his doting wife, he headed out to one of the garage bays. Head down and guts tight, he went behind the building, uncaring of the landscape he trampled or if he ruined his shoes.
For a while now, he’d had awful, unthinkable, unacceptable suspicions, but as yet they hadn’t been confirmed. Now…now he felt more positive than ever. Though he was due to meet with his discreet investigator for an update in a few days’ time, he no longer wanted to wait.
The second the call was answered, Bishop said, “Do you have anything for me?”
A pause sounded on the other end. “Bishop?”
Though no one could see him, he slashed his hand through the air in a sign of impatience. “Who else would it be?”
“I thought we were going to meet in person.”
“I can’t wait. Now, do you have anything to tell me or not?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.” In a quieter tone, the investigator said, “You were right. I’m sorry.”
Feeling sick, Bishop closed his eyes—and smelled his wife’s perfume. He spun around, and there she was, her gaze on him, searching, caring. She approached cautiously, unsure of the situation.
He was used to her deference, and before now, it had only mildly annoyed him.
“Bishop?” she said, sounding small and afraid. “What are you doing out here?”
Had she followed him? Breathing hard, filled with revulsion, Bishop held the phone down to his side. “It was you, wasn’t it?”
She summoned a small, placating smile. “What was me? Who are you talking to?”
He wanted to tell her that it didn’t concern her. But it did. It concerned her in a very big way. “You’ve been cheating on me, Kathi.”
Alarmed, her head shaking, she fell back two steps. “What are you talking about?”
Lifting the phone out toward her, Bishop shouted, “I have a man following you, damn it. I know. I knew even before I hired him.”
“But…how?”
God, did she really consider him such a fool? Well, no more. “You think a man can’t tell when his wife is f**king someone else?” He moved closer to her. “You honestly believe I’m that obtuse?”
She shook her head. “It’s not like that.” And then, beseeching, “I did it for us. For you.”
Incredulous, Bishop stared at her.
Exasperated, she explained, “To protect your reputation.”
Was she insane? “Having a whore for a wife is supposed to help me?”
“I’m not a whore! How could you say such a thing?”
Bishop just stared at her. “You disgust me.”
“Don’t you see?” Kathi reached out, almost touching him, but he stepped away. “She would have ruined everything.”
Sickness crawled in his guts. He closed the phone, belatedly preserving his privacy.
Already knowing what she’d say, but praying he was wrong, he asked, “Who?”
“Molly.”
Dear God. So it was her.
Energized by his apparent interest, Kathi surged forward, trying to get hold of him, but again he stepped back. If she touched him, he’d kill her.
“What did you do, Kathi?”
“You heard Dare. They’re going to make her book into a movie. Don’t you understand? You haven’t read her, Bishop, or you’d know that I had to do something to protect you, and me, from being tainted by her popularity. Her stories are…depraved, just as you’ve always said. The characters are entertaining, yes, but they’re without moral standards. I tried to tell her, but she’s ignored my letters.”
Sweat gathered on the back of his neck, his temples. “What letters? What are you saying?”
Kathi looked off, talking as much to herself as to Bishop. “She refused to change anything, and now it’s going to be a movie and all the world will know. They’ll find out that she’s your daughter, and they’ll know what type of person she is, what type of daughter you raised.”
She was insane. Trying to make sense of everything, Bishop asked, “You…ransacked Molly’s apartment?”
“I had to. Somehow that horrid man got her out of Mexico. I didn’t know where she was, or what she was doing.”
“Just in case?”
“That’s right.” The days were getting longer, but already the skies had darkened. It wasn’t the season so much as the weather. Clouds rolled in, leaving everything gray and downcast. “I’m not worried about the highway. But we have to take a lot of side roads to get to my house, and that could leave us vulnerable.”
Molly reached over and put her hand on his thigh. “Before you say it, I won’t worry. But if you notice anything happening, would you please tell me? I prefer to know what’s going on and I promise I won’t get in the way or panic.”
“You want to be prepared.”
She nodded. “I don’t ever again want to be taken so completely by surprise.”
“All right.”
She put her head back and closed her eyes, but left her hand on him. Briefly, Dare covered it with his own.
It felt good to be going home.
It felt even better to have Molly with him.
THOUGHTS IN TURMOIL, Bishop sought privacy to make his call. No, he didn’t trust the library. But his bedroom no longer felt secure, either. Not for this.
Unsure where to go to avoid the prying eyes and ears of servants and his doting wife, he headed out to one of the garage bays. Head down and guts tight, he went behind the building, uncaring of the landscape he trampled or if he ruined his shoes.
For a while now, he’d had awful, unthinkable, unacceptable suspicions, but as yet they hadn’t been confirmed. Now…now he felt more positive than ever. Though he was due to meet with his discreet investigator for an update in a few days’ time, he no longer wanted to wait.
The second the call was answered, Bishop said, “Do you have anything for me?”
A pause sounded on the other end. “Bishop?”
Though no one could see him, he slashed his hand through the air in a sign of impatience. “Who else would it be?”
“I thought we were going to meet in person.”
“I can’t wait. Now, do you have anything to tell me or not?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.” In a quieter tone, the investigator said, “You were right. I’m sorry.”
Feeling sick, Bishop closed his eyes—and smelled his wife’s perfume. He spun around, and there she was, her gaze on him, searching, caring. She approached cautiously, unsure of the situation.
He was used to her deference, and before now, it had only mildly annoyed him.
“Bishop?” she said, sounding small and afraid. “What are you doing out here?”
Had she followed him? Breathing hard, filled with revulsion, Bishop held the phone down to his side. “It was you, wasn’t it?”
She summoned a small, placating smile. “What was me? Who are you talking to?”
He wanted to tell her that it didn’t concern her. But it did. It concerned her in a very big way. “You’ve been cheating on me, Kathi.”
Alarmed, her head shaking, she fell back two steps. “What are you talking about?”
Lifting the phone out toward her, Bishop shouted, “I have a man following you, damn it. I know. I knew even before I hired him.”
“But…how?”
God, did she really consider him such a fool? Well, no more. “You think a man can’t tell when his wife is f**king someone else?” He moved closer to her. “You honestly believe I’m that obtuse?”
She shook her head. “It’s not like that.” And then, beseeching, “I did it for us. For you.”
Incredulous, Bishop stared at her.
Exasperated, she explained, “To protect your reputation.”
Was she insane? “Having a whore for a wife is supposed to help me?”
“I’m not a whore! How could you say such a thing?”
Bishop just stared at her. “You disgust me.”
“Don’t you see?” Kathi reached out, almost touching him, but he stepped away. “She would have ruined everything.”
Sickness crawled in his guts. He closed the phone, belatedly preserving his privacy.
Already knowing what she’d say, but praying he was wrong, he asked, “Who?”
“Molly.”
Dear God. So it was her.
Energized by his apparent interest, Kathi surged forward, trying to get hold of him, but again he stepped back. If she touched him, he’d kill her.
“What did you do, Kathi?”
“You heard Dare. They’re going to make her book into a movie. Don’t you understand? You haven’t read her, Bishop, or you’d know that I had to do something to protect you, and me, from being tainted by her popularity. Her stories are…depraved, just as you’ve always said. The characters are entertaining, yes, but they’re without moral standards. I tried to tell her, but she’s ignored my letters.”
Sweat gathered on the back of his neck, his temples. “What letters? What are you saying?”
Kathi looked off, talking as much to herself as to Bishop. “She refused to change anything, and now it’s going to be a movie and all the world will know. They’ll find out that she’s your daughter, and they’ll know what type of person she is, what type of daughter you raised.”
She was insane. Trying to make sense of everything, Bishop asked, “You…ransacked Molly’s apartment?”
“I had to. Somehow that horrid man got her out of Mexico. I didn’t know where she was, or what she was doing.”
