“Who told you that?” he asked.
“Izzy. She tells me lots of stuff. About my dad so I can try to remember him and what it’s like to climb a mountain. She says that when adults fight I shouldn’t get scared.”
That got his attention. “Why would you be scared?” Was Ray not the paragon Skye had claimed? Had he frightened his wife and child?”
Erin studied her shoe.
He put down his coffee and leaned toward her. “What is it? Who scares you?”
She looked up at him, her eyes wide. “Grandpa,” she whispered. “Sometimes when he yells, I hide in the closet.”
That bastard, he thought, reaching down to grab Erin and pulling her onto his lap.
“He’s a big guy,” he said as she snuggled close. “But he won’t hurt you.” If Jed tried, he would have to answer to him.
“Will he hurt Mommy?”
A reasonable question. Simple words, easily understood. Would Jed hurt Skye?
Mitch swore silently. Of course he would. Jed would do whatever it was he had to. If he thought there wasn’t a choice. If he felt trapped. He would destroy anyone who got in his way. Even his own daughter.
He remembered making love with Skye. What they’d shared, how she’d touched him. How they’d truly been one. She’d seen him naked, had accepted him-all of him. He knew it in his gut and in his heart. She hadn’t rejected him. She’d been afraid. Beyond afraid. Terrified. And there was only one thing that would frighten Skye into turning her back on him.
Erin.
“Mitch? Will Grandpa hurt my mommy?”
“No,” he said firmly, putting her on her feet and standing, as well. “Not ever again.”
“I don’t understand.”
He crouched in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. “You’re great, you know that? I think you’re the most special girl I know.” There was more he wanted to say. That he loved Skye and he loved her. That he would protect them both with everything he had.
But this wasn’t the time. He wanted to get to Skye, to tell her that he’d figured it out and he was there for her. However Jed had threatened her, they would deal. Together. They would figure out a plan. She didn’t ever have to be afraid again.
“I’m going to take you to the house where you can help Fidela make cookies,” he said. “We’ll go riding later, okay?”
“Okay.”
They turned toward the door. She held out her hand, as if she wanted him to take it. He did. She was so small, he thought. Defenseless. But that didn’t matter. She had her mother and she had him. They would protect her.
They returned to the house. He took Fidela aside to tell her she needed to keep Erin, but before he could say anything, she spoke.
“When Skye dropped Erin off, she was upset. Something’s wrong. She said to keep her girl safe.” Fidela grabbed his arm. “Mitch, what’s happening?”
“I don’t know but it has to do with Jed.” He hugged her. “Don’t worry. I’m going to find out and I’m going to fix it. I’ll go get Skye and bring her back.”
“Jed Titan is a powerful man.”
Mitch smiled. “So am I. I didn’t fight for what I wanted last time. I let her walk away. I’m not going to do that again. I don’t know what hold he has on her, but I’m breaking it today and for good.” He glanced at Erin. “I said you’d let her help you make cookies.”
“Of course,” Fidela said. “Be careful.”
Mitch started for the door. “If you’re going to worry about someone, worry about Jed.”
THE BAR WAS OLD, paneled and catered to rich men with influence. Jed ordered his usual Scotch from the bartender. He was meeting his lawyer for lunch. While he didn’t usually enjoy sharing a meal with a lawyer, these days he didn’t have much choice. They were a reality in his life.
As he took his drink and carried it toward an empty table, he saw another man sitting in the corner. Their eyes met. Jed changed direction and headed toward him.
Garth Duncan stood as he approached. He said something to the person he was with and met Jed in the middle of the bar.
“Afternoon,” Garth said, looking confident. A faint smile pulled at his mouth, as if he had a secret.
There was power in knowledge, Jed thought, not intimidated by his bastard.
“You’re not going to win this,” he said, figuring there was no reason to waste time with niceties. “I’ve been playing this game longer than you’ve been alive and I always come out on top.”
Garth gave in to the smile. “You talk tough for an old man facing treason charges. It’s already over, Jed. You just haven’t figured that out yet. But please, try to defeat me. I enjoy a good fight.”
Jed saw the anger behind the smile, the rage and determination in his son’s eyes. Was that because of him or did it have another source?
“You crossed the line when you hurt my daughter,” Jed said. “Blowing up her oil rig was a big mistake.”
Garth studied him. “I agree. Whoever did it was a fool, but it wasn’t me.”
Jed dismissed him with a shake of his head. “You think I’m an idiot?”
“A question for another time,” Garth said. “I’ll take credit for all I’d done. Your girls have given me a run for my money. You should be proud of them. But Izzy? She doesn’t have anything I want, so I’ve left her alone. I didn’t have anything to do with the explosion. You’ll have to look elsewhere.”
Which was true, but Jed wouldn’t acknowledge it. “Why should I believe you?”
“I don’t care if you do or not, Jed. That has nothing to do with the truth. It wasn’t me.”
Jed leaned close and lowered his voice. “I’m going to take you down, boy.”
Garth looked more amused than afraid. “You’re going to try. There’s a difference. You’re out of your league on this one. You don’t even know what I want, so how are you going to stop me?”
“You want it all. Just like me.”
Garth’s amusement faded. “I’m nothing like you. You inherited a fortune and made it bigger. So what? I started with nothing and built an empire. You’re used up and irrelevant.”
“Then why are you trying so hard to beat me?”
The smile returned. “Because I can.”
SKYE FORCED HERSELF to focus on the goal. Getting out. Erin was safely at the Cassidy Ranch, which meant she was away from Jed and right now that’s all that mattered. Mitch would keep her safe. He might want to eviscerate Skye, but he would die to protect Erin. She was willing to bet her daughter’s life on that.
Because no matter what, in the end Mitch was a good man. The best man she’d ever known.
“Later,” she told herself as she collected her daughter’s clothes and put them in a suitcase. Erin’s toys and books were already packed and in the car. She figured she had the whole afternoon until her father returned, but she wasn’t taking any chances.
Everything was finally clear to her. She was going to fight for what she wanted. She was going to fight her father and then she was going to fight for Mitch. But first she had to get out of Glory’s Gate.
The irony didn’t escape her. She’d spent her whole life trying to be worthy of these walls. Trying to feel as if this was really where she belonged. When the truth was, she wanted Jed’s love. Something she’d never been able to find. Maybe it didn’t exist. It hadn’t for Pru.
She was his daughter and that should matter to him. It didn’t, and the sooner she accepted that, the sooner she could move on. She’d already sold herself once for her father. She wasn’t going to do it again.
When the suitcase was full, she closed it and carried it down to her car. Her things were already packed. She only had to go through her makeup and then she could-
“Going somewhere?” her father asked, coming in through the kitchen. “There seems to be a lot of luggage in your car.”
She raised her chin. “I’m leaving. Erin and I are moving out.”
Jed looked tired and his eyes were red. “I warned you what would happen if you tried that. I’m not going to warn you again. Skye, you will do what I tell you or I will-”
