A Father's Desperate Rescue (Man on a Mission 5)

Hmm, she thought, making a mental note for the future, I wonder what that signifies. It could be nothing. It wouldn’t be the first time men and women working in close proximity fell for each other. But it also added credence to her theory that neither Vanessa nor Chet could be trusted...yet. Because if the two were romantically linked, it was highly unlikely Vanessa was involved in the kidnapping without Chet’s knowledge or assistance.

Mei-li turned over, careful not to disturb Patrick, who was already asleep. That’s when she saw Dirk was sitting up, wide-awake, his back pressed against the wall. From time to time he glanced down at his hands, then up again, staring at nothing in particular. She hesitated, not wanting to intrude, but eventually she slipped from beneath the blanket and made her way quietly the few feet to where Dirk sat.

She settled against the wall next to him, and in a voice pitched so low it wouldn’t disturb any of the sleepers, she said, “You really should try to sleep, Dirk.”

The grief-stricken face he turned to her shredded her heart. “I tried.”

She desperately wanted to reassure him that his daughters were safe and sound and would eventually be recovered once the ransom was paid. But they’d both know it was a lie. Dirk didn’t need platitudes, and from the little she knew of him he didn’t want them, either. Only the truth would serve with a man like him. But he didn’t need to hear the unpalatable reality spelled out.

“Every time I close my eyes, I see my little girls,” Dirk continued in a hushed voice. “They look so much like Bree it breaks my heart sometimes.”

“Tell me about her.”

“What’s to tell?” He shrugged as if his wife’s death hadn’t been the defining moment in his life, but she knew differently. Infidelity was rampant in the movie industry, but there were a few notable exceptions—her father was one. And by all accounts Dirk was another. “I loved her,” he said distantly, as if he were talking about another man, not him. “She loved me. She got sick. She died.” His voice roughened. “But she left me Linden and Laurel. She trusted I would take care of them...always.”

“You have. To the best of your ability you have.”

He made a self-derisive sound. “Oh, hell, yeah. So why am I sitting here wondering where the hell they are? Wondering if they’re even—” He broke off, as if by uttering the unimaginable he would make it occur. Then he continued in harsh tones, “I’m such a good father I let my little girls be kidnapped.”

Chapter 5

“You didn’t let it happen,” Mei-li asserted. “It just happened...despite your best efforts. It’s true,” she insisted when he attempted to disagree. She put a hand over his. “How many bodyguards did you bring with you to Hong Kong?”

“Three.”

“How many are here to protect you?”

“None, but—”

“A full-time nanny,” she said softly, interrupting him. “Three bodyguards watching over them. And you’re staying at the Peninsula Hotel, just about the safest hotel in Kowloon. Other than standing guard over them yourself twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week—which you couldn’t do, even if you wanted to—what more do you think you could have done?”

“I...” The sense of her words finally seemed to sink in. “You’re right,” he said finally. He glanced down at her hand, lying so reassuringly atop his. He turned his hand in hers and squeezed it in thanks. “It’s just...every time I try to sleep, I hear Bree’s voice in my ears, asking where our daughters are. And I just can’t—”

She cut him off. “Don’t.” Her hand tightened on his. “You’ll get through this, Dirk. I promise you, no matter what, you’ll get through this.” She drew a deep breath, knowing what she had to say to prove to him he’d survive this nightmare, one way or another. “Why do you think I went into my line of work?”

Dirk frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Private investigator...ransom negotiator...these aren’t common occupations for women in Hong Kong.” She smiled faintly. “Don’t get me wrong—women have made strides here, even though Hong Kong is still a man’s world. But I didn’t go into this line of work because it was something I always wanted to do.”

“Then why did you?”