cell phone.
“Are you hurt?” Nick asked.
She shook her head but didn’t say anything. With her breath coming out in rough, jagged gusts, Kelly just stared at him. So did Joseph. The little boy had shoved the jacket from his head, and he looked as if he didn’t know whether to smile or cry.
Nick checked the baby for any sign of injury and didn’t see any. Well, no visible signs, anyway. He silently cursed the men who’d put Joseph through this.
He called 911 and requested police assistance. He made a second call to the security guard he’d posted up the street. For all the good it’d done. But he wanted the guard here at the house in case the gunmen made a return visit.
“Those men wanted to kill us,” Kelly whispered.
Because she seemed on the verge of collapsing, Nick slid his arm around her and pulled her to him. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think they had murder on their minds.”
Blinking back tears, she looked up at him. “Then, what did they want?”
“I think this might have been a kidnapping attempt. If they’d wanted to kill you, they would have stayed in the cover of the trees and fired the shots.”
From that range, they wouldn’t have missed.
“And the one shot they did fire at you was well over your head. I think it went into the roof,” he added.
He watched her process that in the depth of her cool green eyes. She didn’t process it well. “You think they wanted information or something?”
Or something.
And Nick had a sickening feeling that the something was Joseph.
He looked down at her and didn’t pull any punches. “Those men could come back. Next time you might not be so lucky. This isn’t really a request, Kelly. You and Joseph are moving in with me at the ranch. And we’re leaving now. ”
Chapter Six
Kelly’s emotions were all over the place. On the one hand, going to Nick’s ranch wasn’t on the top of her list of fun things to do. But on the other hand, Joseph would be safe. And she’d be under the same roof as William.
She would finally get a chance to see him.
That outweighed the negative part about being Nick’s “houseguest.”
“This way,” Nick instructed leading her through the maze of hallways that made up the main ranch house. It was nearly eight thousand square feet of space, but it felt twice that size.
Kelly followed him, as she’d done since they’d left her house after the police had come and questioned them. She hoped she wasn’t making another mistake by blindly obeying Nick. And by coming to his ranch. However, no matter what she did, it was a risk, especially considering the chaos that’d come from her last visit here. She might be in danger of losing Joseph, and they might be in danger, period.
Someone had tried to kidnap them.
Or maybe worse.
It was that threat that had prompted Kelly to move in with Nick. But once she knew the truth about William and had a workable plan to get custody of him, she would take her sons and get out of there. Well, she would do that after she made arrangements for security, that is. The boys’ safety had to be her top priority.
“This is your suite,” Nick announced, throwing open a set of double doors.
While she kept a firm hold on Joseph, she walked inside. Kelly had expected luxury. After all, Nick was wealthy. But she hadn’t expected it to feel homey, and that’s exactly how the room was. Decorated in varying shades of blue, there was a fireplace and French doors that led to an enclosed glass patio. She had a perfect view of the sun setting on the garden.
“Joseph’s nursery is through there,” Nick said, pointing to the door on the other side of the room. “The nanny, Greta, is available to watch him anytime you need.”
“Yes. I met her the night of the party. She’s William’s nanny.” It wasn’t a question. It was a hint that she wanted to see her son.
“She is,” Nick verified. He deposited her suitcase in the massive walk-in closet.
Kelly waited until
“Are you hurt?” Nick asked.
She shook her head but didn’t say anything. With her breath coming out in rough, jagged gusts, Kelly just stared at him. So did Joseph. The little boy had shoved the jacket from his head, and he looked as if he didn’t know whether to smile or cry.
Nick checked the baby for any sign of injury and didn’t see any. Well, no visible signs, anyway. He silently cursed the men who’d put Joseph through this.
He called 911 and requested police assistance. He made a second call to the security guard he’d posted up the street. For all the good it’d done. But he wanted the guard here at the house in case the gunmen made a return visit.
“Those men wanted to kill us,” Kelly whispered.
Because she seemed on the verge of collapsing, Nick slid his arm around her and pulled her to him. “For what it’s worth, I don’t think they had murder on their minds.”
Blinking back tears, she looked up at him. “Then, what did they want?”
“I think this might have been a kidnapping attempt. If they’d wanted to kill you, they would have stayed in the cover of the trees and fired the shots.”
From that range, they wouldn’t have missed.
“And the one shot they did fire at you was well over your head. I think it went into the roof,” he added.
He watched her process that in the depth of her cool green eyes. She didn’t process it well. “You think they wanted information or something?”
Or something.
And Nick had a sickening feeling that the something was Joseph.
He looked down at her and didn’t pull any punches. “Those men could come back. Next time you might not be so lucky. This isn’t really a request, Kelly. You and Joseph are moving in with me at the ranch. And we’re leaving now. ”
Chapter Six
Kelly’s emotions were all over the place. On the one hand, going to Nick’s ranch wasn’t on the top of her list of fun things to do. But on the other hand, Joseph would be safe. And she’d be under the same roof as William.
She would finally get a chance to see him.
That outweighed the negative part about being Nick’s “houseguest.”
“This way,” Nick instructed leading her through the maze of hallways that made up the main ranch house. It was nearly eight thousand square feet of space, but it felt twice that size.
Kelly followed him, as she’d done since they’d left her house after the police had come and questioned them. She hoped she wasn’t making another mistake by blindly obeying Nick. And by coming to his ranch. However, no matter what she did, it was a risk, especially considering the chaos that’d come from her last visit here. She might be in danger of losing Joseph, and they might be in danger, period.
Someone had tried to kidnap them.
Or maybe worse.
It was that threat that had prompted Kelly to move in with Nick. But once she knew the truth about William and had a workable plan to get custody of him, she would take her sons and get out of there. Well, she would do that after she made arrangements for security, that is. The boys’ safety had to be her top priority.
“This is your suite,” Nick announced, throwing open a set of double doors.
While she kept a firm hold on Joseph, she walked inside. Kelly had expected luxury. After all, Nick was wealthy. But she hadn’t expected it to feel homey, and that’s exactly how the room was. Decorated in varying shades of blue, there was a fireplace and French doors that led to an enclosed glass patio. She had a perfect view of the sun setting on the garden.
“Joseph’s nursery is through there,” Nick said, pointing to the door on the other side of the room. “The nanny, Greta, is available to watch him anytime you need.”
“Yes. I met her the night of the party. She’s William’s nanny.” It wasn’t a question. It was a hint that she wanted to see her son.
“She is,” Nick verified. He deposited her suitcase in the massive walk-in closet.
Kelly waited until
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