The Black Sheep's Redemption. Lynette Eason

Charles held his tongue long enough to get it under control. Then he said, “Knock it off, Burke. This is Demi Taylor. She’s the children’s nanny.”

       “Yes, I’d heard you managed to talk someone into taking the position.” Burke smirked and eyed Demi. “Be careful about following in Olivia’s footsteps. Especially if they’re along the edge of some steep cliffs.”

       Charles felt his fingers curl into a tight fist. With effort, he loosened it and forced a smile. He would not sink to this man’s level—or do anything to mess up his father’s chances to beat Burke in the election. “Nice to see you, too, Burke. Now if you’ll excuse us…”

       He placed his hand on Demi’s rigid back and tried to usher her into the rear entrance of the bookstore.

       Burke stepped in front of them, anger smoldering just beneath the surface. Charles felt the tension in his shoulders escalate. Burke jabbed a finger at him. “You know you should be in jail. If the main suspect was anyone else not related to the almighty Fitzgeralds, that person would be rotting in a cell right now.”

       “And if there were any proof that I’d killed Olivia, I’d be there, family or no family. But there’s no proof because I didn’t kill her. Get out of the way, Burke. Now.”

       Demi walked away from the two of them, pulling her keys from her purse. Charles swallowed hard. Was she scared? Repulsed? Had she decided Burke was right and that she was placing herself in danger by just being in his company?

       He remembered the look in her eyes when she’d said she believed him. No, it was something else.

       Turning his back on Hennessy, Charles followed Demi. He saw her hands shaking as she unlocked the door and slipped inside.

       “You haven’t heard the last of this, Fitzgerald!” Burke hollered.

       Charles didn’t bother to turn around and waste any more time or breath on the man. “Demi?” She stopped on the steps and looked back down at him. The fear in her eyes cut him. “Hey, I’m so sorry.”

       “No. Don’t apologize. It wasn’t you,” she said with a shudder. “I had a flash of something. Of violence and anger and…and I just had to get away from that man.”

       Charles hurried up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. “I understand. I was in a bit of a hurry to get away from him myself.”

       “Is he gone?”

       “Yes, I think so. I didn’t stick around to make sure.”

       She took a deep breath and lifted a brow. “Too busy trying not to smash his nose?”

       Charles jerked then gave a surprised laugh. “You noticed?”

       “Oh, yeah. I noticed.” He felt some of the tension leave the shoulder under his hand. She bit her lip then said, “I’m sorry I was such a wimp. I didn’t mean to just walk away and leave you to deal with him, I just…”

       He placed a finger on her lips. Her soft lips.

       He pulled back his finger and rubbed it with his thumb even as he said, “No need to apologize. Burke’s a pain with a loud mouth, but he’s harmless. The trick is to just ignore him.”

       She nodded and finished the trek up the steps. At the top, she turned down the short hallway that led to her apartment.

       Charles caught her before she got to the door. “Demi, I want to make something really clear.”

       “Sure, what is it?”

       He raked a hand through his hair. “The rumor is that Olivia and I were romantically involved.” A frown creased her forehead and he resisted the urge to smooth the shallow lines. “We weren’t. She was my children’s nanny and I trusted her with my children. She was a pretty private person, but I’d like to think we were becoming friends. There were no romantic feelings between us whatsoever.”

       Her eyes stayed locked on his for the longest time and he wanted to squirm under the scrutiny, but he didn’t. He just stood there as she decided whether she believed him or not.

       Finally, she smiled. “I believed you the first time you told me that. Tonight hasn’t changed anything.”

       Key ready, she reached out to unlock the door when Charles stopped her again, his hand on hers. “Wait a minute. It’s open.”

       Demi gripped the keys tighter and pulled back. “That’s weird.”

       “You probably just didn’t pull it shut behind you hard enough when you left earlier.”

       The doubt on her face said she wasn’t buying it.

       And after the night he’d just had, he wasn’t sure he was, either.

      * * *

       Demi stared at the door. “Maybe Fiona needed to get in for some reason.” But why? And why would she leave the door open? “The furniture was delivered last week. Maybe they had something else to bring up…or…or…something.”

       And what about Chloe, the stray cat she’d taken in the day she’d moved into the apartment? Chloe had followed Demi up the stairs and sat outside the door meowing until Demi had finally let her in. Chloe had made herself at home and some of Demi’s loneliness had dissipated.

       Had Chloe slipped out the open door?

       Worry for the cat and other emotions swept through her.

       Unexplainable fear.

       Breath-stealing panic.

       Something flashed in her mind. A clenched fist, a harsh yell. Pain lancing through her head. She blinked, raised a hand to her forehead, felt the scar.

       Then the image was gone, leaving a pounding headache in its wake.

       “Demi? What is it? What did you remember?”

       “Fear,” she blurted out. “Just a horrible fear, but I don’t know the source. I don’t know why!” She lifted a hand to her head and pressed as though she could push the headache out and the memories back in.

       He pulled her to him while she shook. His arms held her, comforted her. Offered her shelter.

       Swallowing, her breath hitched as she gathered herself and pulled away to face the door once more.

       “I’m okay.” Her hand reached out to push the door open. She appreciated Charles’s comforting presence behind her. “You’re probably right,” she said, hating the tremble in her voice, but unable to do anything about it. “I’m sure I just didn’t close the door tight.” From what she could see, all looked normal. Except…

       “Chloe?” she called softly. “Here, kitty.”

       Demi stepped inside for a better look in the kitchen. “Everything looks fine in here. But my cat usually greets me when I come in.”

       She moved to the small living area, Charles right behind her. It was just as she’d left it. The new couch hugged the far wall with the afghan Fiona had given her bunched up against one end. The coffee table held the latest book she’d been reading. Her morning’s coffee cup sat on a coaster on the end table.

       Normal.

       But where was Chloe?

       Her pulse slowed and her breathing evened out. But sorrow hit her. If Chloe was gone, Demi knew she would miss the cat who, for the most part, had been her only company in the evenings for the past week.

       She walked the few steps to the bedroom and peeked in. All looked fine. Just as she was about to check under the bed for the missing feline, her gaze landed on the closet door.

       It was shut.

       “What is it?”

       Charles’s voice in her left ear made her jump. He’d picked up on her sudden stillness.