Standing in the Shadows (McClouds & Friends #2)(127)

"Connor, please. I—"

"I know that you won't let me go with you, but take someone. Do this one thing for me, and that's it. That's all I'll ever ask of you."

She opened her mouth to argue, and closed it. She nodded.

"Swear it," he said. "On something important."

"I swear it on my honor," she said quietly.

He knew that was his cue, but he was still rooted to the floor.

She picked up her phone and dialed. "Hello, Tonia? It's Erin… yeah, I'm fine. It's been a very strange time… can't talk right now, though… no, just tired. Look, I have a favor to ask. Tomorrow's your day off, right? I was wondering if you would go along with me on a job tomorrow afternoon. To Mueller's… it's a long story. I promised Connor I wouldn't go alone… yes, I know, but I promised… Really? Oh, great. It shouldn't take long. I'll buy you dinner after, if you're free… See you tomorrow afternoon. You're an angel, Ton. Thanks. 'Bye, then."

She lay the phone down. "Done," she said. "As promised."

The silence after her words had a horrible, echoing finality to it.

She'd cut him loose. There was nothing left to say, nothing more that he could do. Maybe she was right, and he really had gone crazy.

He hardly cared. Ghosts, monsters, bring them on. He would welcome them, if they would only agree to put him out of his misery. In any case, he'd better get the hell out of there, to someplace where no one could see his face, because total meltdown was only seconds away.

"OK," he said. "I'll, uh, just get the f*ck out of your way, then."



* * *





Chapter Twenty-Three





"I can't tell you how much I appreciate this," Barbara said into the phone. "I'll be there first thing Monday. This is exactly what I needed."

"I'm sorry it's only a temporary position, Mrs. Riggs, while the office manager is out on maternity leave," Ann Marie said. "But you know the organization so well after all those years of volunteering. We'll all put our heads together and come up with something else when she comes back. Everyone will be so happy to see you. We've missed you."

"I've missed you all, too. See you next week, then. 'Bye, now!"

She hung up the phone, floating with relief. Things were moving again. Her girls were safe, that horrible Novak was burned to a crisp, and Billy Vega was dead too, thank goodness. She was shedding no tears for him. She wasn't having those awful spells, and Erin's life was shaping up nicely. All was looking orderly and positive.

The doorbell buzzed, and she peered out the peephole. Erin's pretty little nurse friend, Tonia. At this hour, on a weekday. How odd. She opened the door. "Hello there, Tonia."

"Hi, Mrs. Riggs. I hope I'm not disturbing you."

"Not at all," Barbara said. "Come on in. Let's make some tea. You're just in time to help me celebrate. I just got a job! I'm so excited."

"That's so fabulous," Tonia said. "Where?"

"The literacy center where I used to volunteer. It's just temporary, but it's perfect to start with. Their office manager is about to have a baby. It's been a while since I've done much typing, but I can practice on their computers after closing time. I'll catch on."

"That'll be so great for you." Tonia followed her into the kitchen. "Look, Mrs. Riggs, I can't stay long, but there was something I wanted to talk to you about. I'm meeting Erin later on this afternoon."

"Oh, really?" She filled the kettle and put it on the stove.

"Yes. Connor made her promise not to go to Mueller's home unaccompanied." Tonia rolled her eyes. "Silly, if you think of it. Not that I mind. But for heaven's sake. She is a grown-up, after all."

"Yes, Connor is very protective," Barbara said. And that suited her just fine, she thought privately. Protection looked very good to her right now. Particularly for her precious girls. She was all for it.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about, Mrs. Riggs. Connor's protectiveness. If you can call it that."

The edge in Tonia's voice made Barbara uneasy. She finished rinsing the teapot and set it down. "Yes, dear? What about it?"

Tonia hesitated. "Connor makes me nervous," she blurted. "He's so jealous and possessive. He's even hostile and suspicious of me."

"Ah, I see," Barbara said cautiously.

Tonia's blood-red fingernails flashed as she gesticulated. "I've seen women get involved with men like that. That's always the first sign of trouble, when a guy cuts a woman off from her girlfriends. It's a classic technique of abusive, controlling men."

Barbara opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

"Family's the next step," Tonia went on. "Snip, snip, and voila, she's totally isolated and in his thrall. Then he gets to work breaking down her self-esteem. Making her think she's nothing without him."

"Oh, my goodness. Really, Tonia, I don't think that Connor—"

"The problem is, she's smitten with him, and I can see why. He's a very attractive man. Handsome, charismatic, compelling. And I mean that literally. Compelling, Mrs. Riggs. He thinks she belongs to him."