Rush of Innocence (Rush Series #1) (21 page)

She
drove quickly, intent on reaching her destination. She wheeled into the
downtown business district and parked. She stood outside the
DrayCo
building for several minutes, looking up at the
mammoth structure. As she struggled to breathe, she walked quickly through the
building’s lobby and found a huge directory sign posted by the elevator. Rush’s
suite of offices were, of course, on the top floor. Stepping into the elevator,
she pressed the button which would take her to the fifteenth floor. The
movement of the elevator caused her stomach to become queasy again and she
struggled to keep from gagging against the pressure.

As
she stepped from the elevator into the elegant headquarters of
DrayCo
International, she gasped at the sheer beauty of the
surroundings. White marbled floor tile was met by smooth, shiny grey marbled
wall tiles. The building was surrounded by windows which let in so much natural
light it almost hurt her eyes. Plucking up her courage, she walked to the
reception desk.

“I’d
like to see Rush Drayton, please,” she told the pretty brunette at the desk.

The
brunette smiled at her politely. “Do you have an appointment?”

“No.
Can you ask if he’ll see me anyway, please?”

“I’m
sorry, ma’am, but that’s not how we do things here,” she replied.

Tears
of frustration gathered in her eyes. Her chin wobbled and her lips trembled.
“Please, just call him,” she begged.

The
woman eyed her for a long time. “What is your name?”

“Trinity
Grace.”

“Please
have a seat and I’ll see if he is available.”

Trinity
moved to a seating area and sat down on the edge of a black leather couch. She
began to shiver. She was so cold. She didn’t think she’d ever be warm again.
She was digging in her purse for a tissue when a door opened. She lifted her
head and saw Rush moving quickly towards her. He looked tired. Her heart
twisted in her chest.

As
hard as she tried, she couldn’t stop her chin from continuing to wobble. She
stood to her feet as he approached. Her chest was heaving with the need for
air. The room started to become oppressive and her head swam. Her legs were
trembling and her face drained of color. As Rush reached her, her eyes rolled
back and she slumped down just as she had at the charity ball. He caught before
she hit the floor.

Chapter 12

She was lying on a slick, red leather
couch when she regained consciousness. As she fluttered her eyes open, she saw
Rush’s concerned face above her. Her heart clenched in her chest and tears sprang
into her eyes. Within seconds, her memory of the DVDs cascaded back into her
mind. She jerked upright and the movement caused her head to swim. Springing to
her feet, she swayed a little unsteadily. He rose with her and grabbed her arms
to steady her.

“Careful,”
he murmured, concern marring his beautiful features.

She
swung her right hand as hard as she could and slapped him across the face.
“You bastard!”

Shock
crossed his features, then confusion.

As
tears began to streak down, she bunched her fist and launched herself at him,
intent on inflicting as much pain on him as she had clawing at her on the
inside.

“You
sick bastard. I hate you. How could you do that to me? No matter what my father
had done, I was innocent. I didn’t do anything but love you and you’ve taken it
and twisted it into something sordid and wrong!”

She
beat her hands ineffectually against his stone-hard chest as she wailed. He
stood still and allowed her to do it. Eventually, she ran out of steam and
slumped to her knees as her anger ebbed away, leaving her empty. She wrapped
her arms around her middle and rocked herself as she cried.

“Tell
me why? Please tell me why?” she sobbed.

He
sank to his knees as well and gathered her in his arms. She tried to pull away
from him but he just tightened his grip. He pressed his lips against her head
and whispered words of comfort to her. “
Shh
. Calm
down. Everything will be okay,” he murmured.

Sobbing,
she cried, “No, it won’t, you bastard. I don’t know what to do anymore. Nothing
is real. I believed in you. I believed the words you said. I defended you. And
it was nothing but lies.”

He
was silent throughout her tirade. He just continued to hold her and rock her
soothingly. Eventually, she calmed and he helped her up and sat her on the
couch. He walked to a side bar, which included several decanters. He poured
bottled water into a glass and handed it to her. She took it from him, numb
now… numb and frozen.

She
sipped the water and studied the glass. He sat beside her and ran both hands
through his hair.

“Trinity,
what’s going on here?” he finally asked.

In an
emotionless tone, she asked without looking up, “What’s the Embassy Fund?”

She
felt him tense beside her. “The Embassy Fund?” he questioned.

Her
lips trembled. “Do NOT lie to me anymore. If you ever want to see your child,
you will stop with the lies!”

He
exhaled deeply and leaned back on the couch. “The Embassy Fund was a fund set
up by the federal government. The monies for it were secured by using funds
seized during illegal gains, such as drug busts and things like that. The fund
was set aside for use by families who were negatively afflicted, such as in
cases of kidnapping due to their high-profile position… such as your father.”

“Did
my father have my mother killed?” she whispered.

He
rose to his feet and went to the window to stare out unseeingly. “No. I don’t
believe so.”

“What
did you find out between my father and James Franklin?” she asked.

He
remained silent for several minutes. “Your father was the District Attorney and
James Franklin was the sitting Judge. My father and Martin Lord were both
Assistant District Attorneys in your father’s office. Martin Lord somehow came
upon the fund and talked your father into this elaborate scheme of kidnapping
and ransom. As they needed a Judge’s signature to obtain the fund for the
ransom demands, your father turned to his old friend, James Franklin. I think
the original plan was a simple kidnapping, secure the ransom, and then return
you and your mother. But something went wrong and your mother was killed.”

“How
did your father become involved?” she asked.

“Because
there’d been a death, the Governor requested my father investigate for any
improprieties or signs of malfeasance. Unfortunately, my father found the link.
Before he could turn in his findings, Judge Franklin had him picked up for
allegedly consorting with prostitutes.”

“Was
it James Franklin who ordered the hit against your father?” she asked.

Rush
shook his head, still staring out the window. “No, I think his intent was
merely to ruin my father’s credibility. Martin Lord was the one who made the
call.”

“How
can you be so certain?”

“Your
father had captured the call on a security camera. Martin Lord, in an attempt
to throw any possible blame from himself, made the call from your father’s
office. Your father kept the tape for insurance,” he replied.

Her
lips began to tremble as she took in all the information. While her father’s
intentions hadn’t been to kill her mother, his actions ultimately led to her
death. If she closed her eyes right now, she could still feel the ropes binding
her to that damned chair in that empty room where she’d been held captive for
days. Didn’t he care what kind of damage that would do to her?

She
glanced at Rush standing as he had been for the last fifteen minutes. Her chest
burned with hurt and humiliation. Just like with her father way back then,
she’d only been a pawn for Rush Drayton. He’d never intended to have a relationship
with her… and now she was pregnant by him. She chocked back a sob. On unsteady
legs, she rose and began to walk towards the door. She paused when she got to
it.

With
her back to his, she asked with hurt dripping on each word, “Did you try to have
me killed?”

“God, no!”
He
moved from the window and strode to her quickly.

She
flinched at the touch of his hands on her shoulders. She began to open the
door, but he reached over her and placed both of his hands against it,
effectively keeping it closed and her captive.

“Was
it all a lie?” she whispered.

“No,”
he whispered roughly into her hair, as he pressed his body up against hers.

“How
can I believe you now?” she asked raggedly as she leaned her forehead against
the door.

“I
did everything in my power to keep you safe, you have to believe that! My
grandfather was very determined to find my father’s killer. He’s been obsessed
for years. A thug who’d shared a cell with Lars Thorn, the man who’d stabbed my
father, contacted my grandfather about six months ago. He told him he had
information for a price. It was then we began to put all the pieces together.”

“Why
me?” she whimpered.

He
pressed his face into her hair. “I tried to detour my grandfather but he
wouldn’t let it go. When I heard about the attack on your father, I confronted
my grandfather but he denied having any part of that. I was afraid of what
methods he would begin using to pressure your father, so I agreed to get close
to you. But from the very beginning, no matter how hard I fought against it, I
found myself drawn to you. That first night we were together, when I realized
just how innocent you really were, I tried to stop it then. I pleaded with my
grandfather not to involve you in his vendetta, but he wouldn’t listen. I
thought as long as I pretended to go along with him, you’d be safe. And while I
didn’t want you involved, I couldn’t stay away from you. But when you came back
from Vail and your office was ransacked, I knew it had come from my
grandfather.”

“Which
is why you flew back… not because of me,” she said as tears slid down her
cheeks at the loss of that tender memory. She’d been so stupid! She’d actually
believed he’d cared so much for her that he’d dropped everything and ran back
for
her
.

“But
it was for you.”

“Stop,”
she whimpered, not wanting to hear any more lies.

“It’s
true! You weren’t at all what I was expecting. I thought you’d be a product of
your father, but you were warm and funny, and so incredibly beautiful,” he
ended on a whisper.

She
stiffened at his words. Her heart began to jump in her chest. But they were all
lies… had been lies from the very beginning. She tried to shove the door open
again, but he was just too strong.

“Please
let me go,” she whimpered.

“I
can’t. I tried, God, I tried. But you’re in my blood… in my heart… in my very
soul,” he murmured brokenly.

“Who
attacked me in the alley?” she asked, trying to harden her heart against him.

He
exhaled sharply. “I don’t know. I confronted my grandfather but he denied it.
I… just don’t know. But I couldn’t risk you being hurt anymore, so I went and
saw your father to beg, if necessary, for the information. He was willing to
give it to me if I agreed to stay away from you. I couldn’t refuse. I had to
end it before you got seriously hurt... or worse.”

With
her heart tattered into small broken pieces, she asked, “What about the
hit-and-run?”

She
felt his neck muscles move up and down as he swallowed. “I don’t know who was
responsible for that. My grandfather already had the information he wanted by
that time so he had no reason to do it. Maybe it was the same person who took a
shot at your father… the ones who have been threatening him.”

She
let out a shuddering sigh. “I don’t know what to believe,” she said wearily.

She
felt the movement of his throat again. “I know, baby,” he whispered.

“Please
don’t call me that,” she said as her chin began to wobble again. “I can’t take
it. It all hurts too much.”

“I’m
sorry. Please believe that I tried to protect you… that I love you,” he said
raggedly against her ear.

She
shuddered. No! She’d not believe it. She couldn’t believe. “I…. I need time to
think. Please let me go,” she pleaded.

He
stepped back, and as she began to open the door, he laid a restraining hand on
her arm.

“Wait.
Before you go, take my card, my personal numbers are on the back. Please!” he
begged in return.

She
looked at the card in his outstretched hand for a long moment before taking it.
But she knew she wouldn’t call
.

“Goodbye,
Rush” she said softly as she walked out of his office.

Tears
were streaming down her face as she climbed into the elevator. She’d gotten her
answers. For the first time in months, it seemed she was on the same sheet of
music as everyone else. Where did that leave her? She now had no one. She was
alone and pregnant. She needed to get away… she needed to think.

She
blinked against the bright sunlight as she exited the building. She was
surprised to see it still shining. She felt she’d been inside the building for
days instead of only an hour. As she stepped towards the parking lot, she raised
the black SUV clicker on the keychain and pressed the unlock feature.

She
was forced to step back when a brown postal service van turned into the parking
lot. She’d taken one step forward when an ear-shattering explosion rocked her
off her feet, the force so great it threw her several feet in the opposite
direction. A huge fireball burst into the air and raining debris fell
everywhere. Trinity threw her arms up to block the debris from hitting her.

With
her ears ringing, she struggled to rise but her equilibrium was off and she
staggered like a drunk. She saw people running out of the building, and while
she could see their lips moving, she couldn’t hear them. She looked back to the
parking lot to see what exploded. She walked around the brown van, and in the
spot where she’d parked her father’s SUV, now stood a flaming mess. She raised
a shaky fist to her mouth.

“Oh,
my God, oh, my God,” she whimpered. She stood in indecision. She turned towards
the
DrayCo
building and had taken a couple of steps
when someone came up behind her and placed a rag over her face. Instinctively,
she inhaled deeply in panic. She struggled against the hold surrounding her,
but in less than a minute, she was sagging against him. The assailant picked
her up and walked briskly toward a waiting white utility van.

***

Trinity’s muddled mind couldn’t make
sense of her surroundings. She tried to move her hands to brush the hair out of
her face, but she seemed to have no control over them. She had a sickening
headache and her mouth was dry. She struggled to open her eyes, but it didn’t
help due to the surrounding darkness. Once again she tugged at her hands. Now
that her brain was beginning to function fully, she realized her hands were
tied behind her back. Panic flared as memories of the explosion and being
grabbed from behind flitted across her mind.

Her
stomach roiled when she realized she was tied to a chair. Flashbacks from when
she’d been kidnapped as a child flooded her and filled her senses. Her brain
seemed to be short-circuiting and the two began to become muddled together. She
couldn’t breathe. As she began to take in rapid breaths, she felt her head
becoming fuzzy as she began hyperventilating.