Saving Me (Finding You #3) Page 5

  “Bye.”

  I had barely disconnected the call and removed the earpiece before Dakota spoke. “What was all that about?”

  “I could tell you but then I’d have to kill you.” I wore a full smile, hoping to ease some of the anxiety I knew this conversation would bring.

  “That bad, huh?”

  “My dad has some video footage of our apartment building. He wants us to go take a look after we pick Daniel up.”

  Dakota didn’t click straight away and looked momentarily confused.

  “Why would your dad have video footage of our apartment?”

  My fingers gripped the wheel tighter as I glanced over to her. “Well, I kind of asked him to get it.”

  “You asked him? Why?”

  “I want to know who delivered your mail this morning. If you’re up to it, I’d like you to take a look and see if you recognize John in any of the shots.”

  There was silence. A long silence. I let her think. After our perfect few hours it was time to face her troubles head on.

  “I can’t.” She couldn’t even look at me.

  “I know it’s hard for you. Seeing this footage may put your mind at rest though. If you don’t find out who delivered that envelope you’ll continue to live in fear.”

  “And what if I recognize John? I’ll be living in fear anyway. I don’t want to have to think about this. Not today. Not ever.” Her breathing became louder as she gripped the door’s armrest.

  “I know. I’m here for you, beautiful. You don’t have to face this alone. Once we figure out who delivered the rose, we’ll decide what to do. He’s not going to hurt you, I promise.”

  “How can you make promises you may not be able to keep?”

  “He’s only one man. Unless he’s superhuman, we can deal with him.”

  All I could manage was a meek smile before I turned and stared out the window.

  One man that seems to have the power to wreak havoc.

  Chapter Seven

  Dakota

  Daniel was waiting at the gate when my Lexus pulled into the temporary pick-up bay in front of the school. Traffic had been thick, causing us to arrive ten minutes late. There were still a few students milling around in the front waiting for buses and parents but apart from that, the usual muddled madhouse was manageable.

  Daniel smiled and waved as he walked over to the car and got in.

  “Hey champ!” Kyle enthused, turning to give Daniel a high five. “How was school?”

  The five foot six thirteen year old glowed. His hunger for knowledge and high IQ meant he excelled at every subject, especially science. He also absorbed the affection and attention we lavished on him like a sponge. It was something that he’d never had but desperately needed.

  “It was great today. I passed my English test with a B+.”

  I pushed my unease aside, not wanting Daniel to pick up on it. It was a hard call though because no matter what, we shared a special bond and Daniel could sense my moods with great accuracy.

  “That’s awesome, Daniel! B+ is amazing, considering you’ve had to teach yourself English from text books. I’m so proud of you.” I meant every word. Watching Daniel flourish, using his intelligence to follow his dreams of becoming a doctor, confirmed to me that he belonged in society and not on a prehistoric island catching fish and picking berries.

  The boy beamed, filling the car with light. His smile was infectious and I couldn’t help but genuinely smile back. The white of his teeth seemed enhanced by his olive skin and ebony curls.

  “Where are we going?” asked Daniel when we passed the usual turnoff to the apartment.

  “We’re going to see my parents and have dinner. We haven’t been over there for a while and they really want to see you again.” Kyle looked in the rearview mirror at Daniel.

  “Yay!” Daniel loved Joseph and Cheryl. Ever since he’d met them the day he’d arrived in Los Angeles with me he’d taken a liking to them. They’d let him watch television and given him nice clothes to wear and treated him as part of the family. “Do you think I’d be allowed to climb the tree out front and play on the swing?”

  “Sure, champ, and I’m sure if you ask Mom really nicely she’ll make you that super-duper ice cream sundae with the works that you had last time.”

  Daniel’s face was one giant smile. Out of all the things he’d tried since moving to Los Angeles, ice cream was his all-time favorite, especially the way Cheryl sprinkled shaved chocolate over the caramel sauce and whipped cream.

  For the rest of the journey the car was quiet. We all appeared lost to our own thoughts. The car seemed to drive itself on auto-pilot through the maze of traffic until it veered off the freeway towards the suburb of La Habra Heights. The rural community was situated on the border of Los Angeles and Orange County, but the Rutherfords’ house was one of the few residences not on a huge plot of land. The street looked like any normal, suburban street. Still, the overall atmosphere was relaxed and peaceful.

  Upon reaching the house and pulling into the driveway, Daniel was first out, joy radiating from him.

  I laughed at his enthusiasm as Cheryl walked out and enveloped him in a big bear hug.

  “How is my favorite boy? she asked, kissing the top of his head.

  “I’m great, Cheryl. I’m so happy to be here.”

  Cheryl’s face shone at Daniel’s flawless manners. Sometimes he seemed so much older than other boys his own age.

  “Hey!” ribbed Kyle as he stepped from the car, walking over to greet his mother. “I thought I was your favorite boy?”

  “You’re my favorite son, who happens to no longer be a boy,” Cheryl corrected as she let go of Daniel and hugged her son.

  “I’m your only son, Mom.”

  “Yes, and that is why you’re my favorite.” She kissed him on both cheeks and smiled playfully at him with a twinkle in her eye.

  “Well, that’s okay then, I guess,” he responded, scowling wickedly at his mother’s humor.

  “Why don’t you two go inside and greet your father while I chat with Dakota. We need some girl time to catch up. It’s been a while.”

  I was limping towards the trio but Cheryl met me first. Kyle hovered, using his gaze to ask if I would be okay.

  I grinned and motioned with my head for them to go on inside without me, not wanting to give away my growing queasiness and nerves at the task ahead.

  “Dakota. How are you darling?” Cheryl’s arms were around me, drawing me close in a loving embrace. “Joseph filled me in on what’s been happening. I’m so sorry you’ve visited us under these circumstances. How about we go out back and talk?”

  Cheryl was the closest thing to a mother I had in America. I had been welcomed into the family with open arms and I loved her to bits. Discussing John was hard enough with anyone though, and the way my nerves were, I didn’t know if I was going to be able to talk.

  “I’m doing okay.” I returned Cheryl’s hug, not being totally honest.

  Cheryl was a smart woman though and picked up on the tension. Grabbing my hand, she led us around the back to a wrought iron seat perched in the shade of a large tree.

  As we sat down, Cheryl clasped both of my hands in hers and said warmly, “How are you doing, really?”

  How could words describe what I was feeling? What I’d gone through? It was impossible to try and explain how my deep, dark nightmares were now coming back to haunt me and I was afraid. So very afraid. Not just for myself now but for Kyle and Daniel. It could very well be that I’d put them in jeopardy by even being associated with John. How could words describe how it would kill me to see any harm come to them?

  Cheryl’s presence was comforting and grounding. She was a strong and very caring woman I felt close to, and yet trying to express my feelings, well, I just couldn’t seem to piece together a sentence.

  Cheryl pushed my hair off my shoulder. “Honey, I know you must be scared but Kyle and Joseph will do everything in their power to get this sorted out and d
ealt with, okay? We won’t let anything happen to you.” Her eyes were level with mine.

  I knew that Cheryl believed her own words but it just wasn’t possible to make promises that may get broken. None of them should be doing that.

  “I just don’t want to drag you all into this.”

  “Don’t be silly! We’re family. We are fiercely loyal and are there for each other no matter what. You became a part of this family the moment Kyle fell in love with you. We’ve seen how good you are for our son and how much he’s changed because of you.”

  My mouth turned up at the corners. It was nice to be part of a surrogate family when my own was so far away. In many ways Kyle had changed me and not the other way around but I didn’t say it. Instead I hugged the woman sitting beside me whose eyes were filled with concern.

  “Thank you,” I voiced as tears loomed. It had been such an emotional day and to be sitting with such a kind woman was a tad overwhelming.

  “What for?”

  “For accepting me into your family so easily, especially with all the baggage from my past. I never imagined it would follow me to America.” My gaze fell to the grass at my feet so Cheryl couldn’t see my emotions.

  “Dear, we’ve all got baggage of some sort. Some people have more than others but at the end of the day you need to share that baggage with the ones that love you so you don’t have to carry it alone. All for one and one for all, that’s our family motto, and we stand by that. Now, let’s not keep those boys waiting any longer. We need to go and view that camera footage to put your fears at ease and then we can sit down with a glass of wine and enjoy the Mexican feast I’ve prepared.”

  I looked up at her, trying to absorb some of her positivity. Being in the company of such loving people, I did feel safer.

  ***

  Inside, Kyle and Joseph were already in the office, chatting. When Cheryl and I entered, both men stopped talking and smiled at their women. Kyle held out his hand and I walked over to take it as we all gathered around the computer screen.

  “You sure you’re okay with this?” he whispered in my ear as one hand grabbed my hip, pulling me into his side.

  “Yes. Let’s just get it over with.” My heart knocked on my ribcage and I could taste acid in my throat…an instinctive reaction that John brought out in me.

  Joseph clicked on the attached email file and in an instant the screen was covered in a black and white image of the front door of Kyle’s apartment and the surrounding area around the elevators.

  I didn’t know what to expect and found myself holding my breath.

  For a while nothing happened, so Joseph fast-forwarded the recording. The image lightened somewhat as the sun came up and shone through the foyer window.

  Out of the blue, causing me to suck in a breath, the elevator doors suddenly opened and a person exited. He was wearing overalls and a cap with writing on the front that couldn’t be made out. White curly hair sprung out from beneath the cap. It was a man and he looked like a company worker. He scanned the foyer and then walked over to one of the large pots that sat beside the door to Kyle’s apartment.

  “What is he doing?” I asked as everyone watched the man drag the pot to the corner where the security camera hung from the wall.

  No one said anything as the man climbed onto the pot as if he was going to do something to the camera and then the screen went blank.

  “Son of a bitch!” mumbled Kyle.

  “What happened?” I asked, anxiously.

  Joseph looked up at me. “I think he just covered the camera so we couldn’t see what he was doing.

  “So you think he was the one that delivered the envelope?” I hadn’t recognized the man but I hadn’t been able to get a clear look at his face.

  Kyle and Joseph exchanged a glance before Kyle spoke. “I would say that it was probably the guy. Dad, can you play back the footage? Dakota, I want you to really look at him and see if you notice anything familiar at all.”

  I nodded as Joseph rewound the video to the exact point where the man exited the elevator. He paused it. I moved closer to the screen and studied it, looking for anything that might give away the man’s identity.

  The baseball cap kept the man’s face hidden so I observed his size and height. He could be around the same build but the angle of the camera made it hard to judge.

  “I…I’m not sure. He doesn’t look like John at all. John doesn’t have curly, white hair. His build—well, it’s hard to tell in those baggy overalls.”

  “So to look at him, your instant reaction would be that it isn’t John?” Joseph asked kindly.

  “That’s correct. I would say at first glance that it isn’t him.”

  Everyone in the room seemed to exhale at the same time but the fact that the stranger on the screen had hand-delivered a dried rose with John’s scrawl on the front and hidden himself from the camera still told me I had cause to worry.

  “Well, I’ll contact Mike and see if he can do anything with it. He may be able to make an identification of some sort. Maybe this guy is wanted for other crimes. I would say he’s definitely the one that put the envelope under your door, otherwise why cover up the security camera?” Joseph stood and put both hands on my shoulders. “I don’t want you to worry, though. Your ex-husband may still be in Australia and may have pulled this stunt to try and scare you.”

  I hoped that was the case. “Thank you. I appreciate all you are doing for me. I mean that. You’ve been a huge support since I arrived in Los Angeles. I don’t know what I would have done without your help.” I looked at Cheryl and put a hand on her arm. “Both of you.”

  Cheryl smiled with love. “You’re very welcome. Now let’s forget all about horrible men and video footage and go get some Mexican.”

  She led the way out of the office and into the family room where Daniel was watching television.

  He was engrossed in a Dr. Oz show and barely heard us enter.

  Kyle and Joseph sat down on a recliner chair each and I asked Cheryl if she needed a hand in the kitchen.

  “Thank you. It’s all cooked, we just need to dish it up. Come on, let’s leave the boys for a few minutes.”

  She grabbed my arm and led me into the large kitchen. The smell was heavenly and even though only some of my earlier nausea had waned, the smell of Mexican had my appetite elevate a notch.

  “You can set the table, dear,” offered Cheryl.

  I was getting familiar with the layout of the kitchen, so I walked over to the cupboard with the plates and took five, placing them around the table before adding cutlery and condiments.

  There was an easy silence before Cheryl spoke. “How did the house hunting go today?”

  “Oh, I forgot to mention it when we arrived. Kyle bought a house by the beach.” My voice changed to a more excited tone as I remembered the morning’s outing.

  “That’s wonderful! I’m so happy for you. Kyle has always loved the beach.”

  “It’s beautiful, Cheryl. It’s modern and light. There’s a pool and huge backyard. I think we’ll all be really happy there.”

  “I’m sure you will. I’m looking forward to seeing it. When do you move?”

  “Well, Kyle has asked for a quick settlement of two weeks, so all going well, we’ll move after that.”

  “Who’s moving?” Joseph, Kyle, and Daniel appeared in the doorway.

  “I bought Dakota a house this morning. With everything that’s been going on I forgot to mention it to you both.” Kyle walked over to me with an adoring gleam in his eyes before placing a soft kiss on my forehead.

  That lightened the mood and had everyone discussing the house as we found our places and sat down, Daniel listening quietly.

  Kyle and Joseph discussed the finer details of the sale, while Cheryl and I became engrossed in talk about home furnishings.

  The evening coasted along. A bottle of wine had gone down well with dinner. Kyle and Joseph had gone out the front with Daniel so he could swing and climb the big tree wh
ile Cheryl and I cleared away the dishes.

  “Now that the boys are gone, I wanted to give you something,” said Cheryl, walking out into the family room, leaving me wondering what it could be.

  When she returned she handed me a small unwrapped box.

  “What is it?”

  “Open it and find out.”

  I carefully opened it, not expecting to find an exquisite old silver necklace with a teardrop pendant hanging from it. In the middle of the teardrop was a stone the same color as Kyle’s eyes.

  My head snapped up to find Cheryl’s eyes crinkled in delight.

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “It was my mother’s. She wore it on her wedding day and I wore it when I married Joseph. I don’t have a daughter that I can pass it down to, but I’d like to give it to you so that maybe some time in the future you can wear it.”

  I picked up on the hidden meaning. She could see Kyle and I getting married down the track. As nice as that thought was, I wasn’t ready for that huge step. I needed to get divorced first. There was too much else in the way. I was about to protest about the necklace and hand it back to her but when my eyes connected with hers. I could see with absolute clarity that she wanted me to have it. She bobbed her head up and down, encouraging me to accept it.

  Tears built in my eyes as I hobbled closer and hugged her. “Thank you. I will wear it with pride.”

  “Here,” she offered, taking the necklace. “Turn around.”

  I did and pulled up my hair to allow her to put the necklace on. It hung perfectly, not too high and not too low. I fingered it and turned back around.

  “I don’t know what to say. Are you sure you want me to have it?”

  Cheryl placed both hands on my cheeks. “Yes, honey. You’ve already become like a daughter to us. I think of you as my own.”

  “That means a lot to me.” We hugged again and then went outside to join our men.

  Chapter Eight

  Dakota

  Moving day fast approached and I was grateful for the distraction of packing and cleaning up the apartment.