Part 23 (1/2)
If she'd already told someone, and that person believed her ... Craig closed his eyes. He had to keep his father out of this.
Containment. At any cost.
Jaw set with determination, Craig got out of the car to search Kaitlan's apartment one more time.
CHAPTER forty-one
”Where's Kaitlan, what took you so long?” Darell pounded his cane against the kitchen floor, his cheeks heating with anger born of relief.
”She's right behind me, just getting her things.” Margaret looked fl.u.s.tered and shaky. She dropped her purse on the counter, hands fluttering about. ”I got lost. Couldn't see the street signs in the dark-the lamp posts are so far apart out there. I thought I'd have a heart attack. And then-there she was. On the street.”
”On the-”
”Grandfather!” Kaitlan drew out the greeting, as if she'd thought never to see him again. She dragged in from the hallway, threw some plastic bags and a purse beside Margaret's, and came at him, arms out. Before he could say a word, she wrapped him in a hug.
Kaitlan hung on. He could feel the s.h.i.+ver of her body. Or maybe it was his own. How many years had it been since a family member had hugged him like that?
Darell's left hand lifted and found its way around her back. He patted her gently.
She drew away, hands sliding to his shoulders. Her eyes glistened.
Her face.
Darell's jaw sagged open. He touched her left cheek. It was purple red with multiple small abrasions. Streaks of dirt ran down to her chin. Pieces of leaf and twig were stuck in her hair. ”This where he hit you?” His voice was gruff. Rage popped around in his chest like oil in a wet pan.
Kaitlan winced. ”Does it look bad?”
”Oh, my.” Margaret looked sick. ”I hadn't noticed in the dark.” She plucked a broken leaf from Kaitlan's scalp.
Kaitlan backed up, rubbing her arms. Exhaustion pulled at her mouth. ”I fell. And I had to hide in the forest so ...”
Darell stared at her, searching for words. What on earth had happened? His rage spattered higher, its heat turned up. He would trap Craig Barlow if it was the last thing he did. If he had to die in the process.
He inhaled deeply. ”Let's sit down in the library so I can hear what happened. And I will lay out our plan.”
Margaret's eyes rounded as though she was shocked he could come up with anything. He threw her a look.
Kaitlan's gaze cruised the cabinets as if she'd only half heard his words. ”I need some water.”
”I'll get it.” Margaret fetched a gla.s.s and started to fill it from the refrigerator.
”No, just tap.” Kaitlan ran a distracted hand through her hair, picking at the debris.
”Okay.” Margaret stepped to the sink.
Kaitlan murmured ”thank you” and guzzled the water. She set down the gla.s.s and swayed against the counter. Margaret reached out a hand to steady her.
”I'm okay.” Kaitlan waved her away. ”I'm just ...”
”Exhausted.” Margaret huffed. ”And I'll bet you've hardly eaten.”
Kaitlan shook her head. ”I couldn't. That dinner with Chief Barlow threatening me-no way. Not knowing what Craig was going to do when we left. And the smell of the food ...” She scrunched her nose. ”I've felt sick all day.”
Her eyelids flickered, as if she'd let something slip. She firmed her mouth.
A warning bell sounded in Darell's head. Was there something she wasn't telling him? An illness? ”Why, what's wrong with you?”
Kaitlan's tired eyes fixed on his. She swallowed, defensiveness falling across her face in pale shadow. The moment stretched, as if she considered what to say.
A sigh escaped her. Both shoulders sank. ”I'm pregnant.” She closed her eyes. ”There. I've said it.”
”Oh.” Margaret's fingers lifted to her lips.
Darell felt the blood drain from his head. Everything he'd planned in the last hour rose before him in a new, tainted picture. ”You telling me Craig's the father?”
Kaitlan focused on the floor. Her chin rose and fell in a tiny nod.
No.
Darell's fingers tightened on his cane. His head pulled back, eyes narrowed. ”How far along are you?” Disdain coated his voice.
Kaitlan bit her lip. ”About six weeks.”
”Good. You've got plenty of time to get rid of it.”
Kaitlan's eyes rose to his face in shock. ”I don't want to get rid of it.”
”Of course you do.”
”No, I don't don't.”
”Kaitlan.” His tone snapped and he didn't care. ”What are you thinking? We want the world and especially you you rid of this man. How do you expect that to happen if he's the father of your baby? Forever, Kaitlan, you'll be tied to him, whether you want to be or not. You want to raise a child who came from that? Whose daddy is a convicted killer on death row?” rid of this man. How do you expect that to happen if he's the father of your baby? Forever, Kaitlan, you'll be tied to him, whether you want to be or not. You want to raise a child who came from that? Whose daddy is a convicted killer on death row?”
Kaitlan's face flushed. She thrust two steps forward, an arm flinging out. ”I don't care care who her father is! What I care is that I'm the mother.” She jabbed at her own chest. ”I care about loving this baby the way my mother never loved me. I want to raise her and be there for her.” who her father is! What I care is that I'm the mother.” She jabbed at her own chest. ”I care about loving this baby the way my mother never loved me. I want to raise her and be there for her.”
”With what means? You haven't got a penny to your name.”
”I'll find a way! What's it to you? You want me to kill my baby just because I'm not rich like you?” Tears sprang to her eyes. ”I want a family, don't you get that? It's more important to me than anything.”
”But Craig is the father.”
A tear spilled down her cheek. ”When he's in jail he won't have any part of my baby. I'll go to court if I have to. Or maybe I won't even tell him it's his. I'll say I was with someone else. She won't tie me to him. My daughter will be mine mine.”
”You don't know it's a daughter,” Darell retorted inanely.
”Son then. Either way, I'm not having an abortion.”