“No,” she told him, holding his hand tighter. “I need to tell you everything. It’s just hard to remember. Stephan has this half-brother, Evan. We didn’t see a lot of him, thank goodness. He scared me, he was always watching me with these cold eyes. I knew he didn’t have much of a conscience and I could never understand why Stephan was so close to him.
“Stephan was very big on image, he was forever dictating to me about the way to act and dress in public. Honestly, you’d have thought he was royalty, the way he carried on. Evan was coarse and rude, he dressed in jeans and t-shirts, watched football and when he drank he became more obnoxious. All things Stephan would never dream of doing. He wanted to promote himself as a perfect, upstanding family man. But then I found out exactly what Evan’s function in Stephan’s life was.”
She swallowed, growing paler.
“Stephan had an assistant, Gerry. He was a nice man, well, he was always kind to me. Turns out, Gerry must have been gathering information about Stephan to blackmail him. I was supposed to be at my parents for a weekend visit, but they’d had to suddenly go to New York, so I came home early. No one heard me return, I guess. I thought no one was home. But as I walked toward the stairs, I heard this noise. For some reason I didn’t call out. I don’t know why, but I just tiptoed to Stephan’s study.”
Jacey licked her lips.
“The door was partially open. Inside…inside, Gerry was on his knees, his hands and feet tied. Evan had a gun held to Gerry’s head, while Stephan paced back and forth. Stephan was furious, I’d never seen him so angry. He was accusing Gerry of trying to blackmail him, of betraying him. He held this notebook in his hand. I don’t know what Gerry had on him, but it must have been significant for Stephan to be so angry.”
Christ. He knew where this was going. He could see her standing there, terrified, watching everything unfold.
“Gerry was crying, begging them to let him go, not to kill him. I-I wanted to do something, but it was like I was frozen, I couldn’t move, I couldn’t speak.”
“If you’d tried, they’d have killed you.”
She raised her gaze to his. “They still might,” she whispered. “Gerry was trying to explain, making up excuses. Stephan was nodding, as though he were actually listening. Then he grabbed a lighter and set the notebook on fire before throwing it in the fireplace. He was asking Gerry if there was any more evidence. Gerry kept saying no. Evan told Stephan he was lying. Evan stepped around Gerry and kicked him in the crotch. He fell onto his side, choking and screaming. That’s when I saw his face. They’d beaten him up, well, Evan must have. Stephan wouldn’t have lowered himself to actually doing anything physical. Gerry’s eyes were swollen, his nose looked broken.”
Derrick moved so he sat beside her. Leaning against the headboard, he pulled her onto his lap, holding her tight as he rocked her. Her body was shaking.
“Evan pulled him up onto his knees and whispered something to him. Stephan crouched down and looked at Gerry, told him that he’d made a big mistake by crossing him. Then he turned away and-and Evan, he shot him. One shot, right in the head.”
Her eyes were wide, her breath coming in short, shallow pants.
Derrick held her closer. “Jacey, look at me. Look at me,” he demanded. Immediately, her gaze met his. “He can’t hurt you.” He didn’t make it a question. There could be no doubt in her mind.
She nodded. Tears glistened in her eyes.
“Did they see you at the door?” he asked.
Jacey shook her head. “I thought I was screaming, but it must have been in my head because they didn’t turn to look at me. I-I stepped away from the room as quietly as I could. Then I left the house, got in my car and drove off. I just drove and drove. I stopped once and got some money out of an ATM. Then I drove again. When I was so exhausted I could barely think I checked in to a hotel under the name Jacey Reynolds and slept. When I woke up, I had to come up with a plan. I knew I had to disappear. So I sold my car and dumped my phone and all my ID.”
She rubbed her forehead tiredly and his heart ached at how alone and terrified she must have been.
“I knew it wouldn’t take Stephan long to figure things out. He would send Evan on my trail. I had about a thousand dollars and no idea what I was going to do. I figured I couldn’t do much without a social security number or ID, but I thought I might be able to get some sort of job, maybe rent a room. Start over. So I brought a bus ticket to Austin. I’d never been to Texas.”
“You were very brave.”
“I was terrified,” she confessed. “I didn’t know what I was going to do. I always figured that Stephan would find me eventually and kill me, but after I found out I was pregnant, I knew I had to do whatever I could to stay alive, at least until the baby was born.”
“He’s not going to get to either of you now.”
“But he can’t let me live, Derrick. He must have found me. Evan was probably the one driving that car the other night. They’ll kill me when they find me, and anyone who is helping me. Anyone close to me is in jeopardy.”
“I’m not without my own resources. I know it must seem like Evan and Stephan are infallible, but they’re not. They’re just men.”
She shivered. “I’m not sure they are. They have no conscience. Evan actually smiled as he shot Gerry. He liked it. And Stephan, he’s not any better. He gets Evan to do his dirty work, but he’s just as evil. They have no honor. They don’t fight fair.”
“Oh, baby, neither do I. Not when it comes to protecting those I love. Where I grew up you were either a leader or a follower. I always led. I know how to fight dirty and I know how to protect those I love. Now, tell me their names. Their full names.”
“Evan Sanders and Stephan Worthington.”
Derrick frowned for a last moment. “Stephan Worthington, I know that name.” Suddenly it hit him. “Jesus Christ, Stephan Worthington is the Illinois State Attorney General.”
She nodded. “Yes, and he’s planning on running for Governor. My full name is Jacinta Worthington. My father is George Peters of Peters, Reynolds and James. He’s backing Stephan’s campaign. What I know would ruin him and my father and his family. You see why he has to get rid of me?”
He’d known her husband must be someone with connections, but he hadn’t realized that he’d recognize his name. Stephan Worthington was good friends with the Vice President of the United States and had backing from a number of very prominent people. Shit, this would rock the State of