Grace Anne - By Kathi S. Barton Page 0,39

too fast and she wasn’t sure if she wanted it to slow down so she could savor it or just speed on by so she could leave before it was too late.

“Do you love them, mi…Grace? The men, do you love them?” Grace nodded at Molly’s question. “Then there you have it. There is no problem that love can’t fix. You just have to trust him. Michael is a good man, a bit on the stubborn side, but a good man. Aren’t you, sir?”

Grace turned to find Michael standing in the doorway looking at her. She felt his love pour over her and she wanted more than anything to do just way Molly had suggested. He stood and came toward her as he spoke.

“Thanks, Molly. And yes, I’m a bit stubborn, but not near as stubborn as some designers I know.” He stood in front of her and pulled her into his arms. “Trace wants you to come and tuck him in. He said he’s never had a person who wasn’t related to him do it before.”

They walked up the stairs together holding hands. Grace knew that they were going to talk and she also knew that what she was about to tell him would either be the end of what could have been or the beginning of his worst nightmare.

“My mother has split personalities,” she told him as soon as his door was closed. “And she murdered at least one man while I was still living at home.”

Chapter 12

Cain looked down at the file in front of him then back up at Drew. Payton was pacing the room and neither man was saying anything. They were waiting on Alyssa to come back from the meeting. Cain started to pick it up again, but couldn’t bring himself to touch it. It was just too…too much.

“I’m sorry I’m late. I have… What is it? What’s happened now?” Alyssa came to sit near him at the conference table. “Cain? Tell me.”

“The money,” he started, and then cleared his throat. “The missing money has been traced to my mother. And she may be in New York.”

“Oh my God, Grace. We have to call her—what the fuck are you two doing standing there? Go and get her and bring her back here right fucking now.” Alyssa stood up, started toward the other two men, and Cain pulled her back.

“We can’t. Not yet at any rate. We need…” Drew looked at Payton before he continued. “He has a plan to catch her in the act. We think she might have been the person all along trying to murder all of us.”

That was the hardest thing to get his mind wrapped around. His mother was a murderer. He thought about all the things she’d been up to, the way she’d been—

“If they catch her in the act of no more than just stealing from you then all she’ll get is a slap on the wrist. If we catch her at trying to get to Gr—”

Alyssa cut Payton off. “If you even whisper the words, ‘I’m going to use Grace as bait,’ I will drop kick you across this room, then out of the building from the highest window.” Her voice was low and Cain knew she meant every word.

“She’ll be watched at all times,” Payton said. “I have a…she’s involved with a buddy of mine. A good friend who served as a Navy Seal. He’s the best at what he does and he’ll keep her from harm.”

“The guy in her bedroom,” Cain asked. “If you pimped out my sister to make this happen, so help me Christ, whatever Alyssa has planned for you is nothing compared to what I’ll do to your sorry ass.”

Payton backed away with his hands up. Cain had a moment to remember he was armed, but kept moving. It wasn’t until Drew stepped between them that he stopped. He glared at the men, but didn’t back down.

“She and Mr. Cunningham hooked up on their own. I swear. Michael called Payton a few days ago to ask him about her and that was before we found out where the money was going. He was asking if she was attached and to tell Payton that he was seeing her. He didn’t know; none of us did.”

“Michael Cunningham of Cunningham and Cunningham? I know him. Well, my father knew him. He is some big deal buyer in New York. He buys and sells…well, everything, I guess. Last I heard he was making arrangements to purchase