The Negotiator Read online

  “You look good, Cally.”

  She looked away, feeling slightly embarrassed that she couldn’t say the same for him.

  He smiled unsteadily. “I know what you’re thinking, but the truth is, I’ve never felt better.” He let out a little laugh. His gaze skittered away and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

  She couldn’t help but feel a little unnerved. There was something so restless about him. She didn’t quite know what it was, but he couldn’t seem to stand still and his gaze roved constantly between her and Jack and the playground equipment.

  She looked down at Jack’s tousled head. He was still plastered to her side. Stewart thrust his hands into the pockets of his shorts and jiggled his keys.

  She frowned. “Would you like to sit down somewhere so we can talk properly? There’s a bench over there in the shade. I’m sure there are lots of things Jack would like to ask you.”

  “What have you told him about me?” Stewart’s gaze was suddenly accusatory, trapping her where she stood.

  “N-nothing, really.” She was flustered and all at once irritated that he seemed to be taking the moral high ground. He was the one who’d demanded she have an abortion. That fact alone negated the right to feel put out about the possibility she’d been less than flattering in her description of him to their son.

  His gaze drilled into hers. “I hope you didn’t turn him away from me. I’d be very unhappy if I discovered you’d done that.”

  The threat in his eyes was unmistakable. She gasped and took an involuntary step backwards. Outrage ignited inside her. “You’re kidding me, right? You’re absolutely kidding me?” Recalling Jack’s presence, she reined in her temper and forced deep breaths in her lungs. With an effort, she calmed her voice until her tone was almost even. “If anyone has the right to be upset about how things turned out, Stewart, it’s me. And you darn well know it.”

  Stewart smiled back at her, his face serene, as if what she’d said was of no more consequence than a discussion about the weather. He looked so…so removed from her—from them. She couldn’t help but recall her father’s words.

  She fought against the feeling of uneasiness that had formed in the pit of her stomach. This was Stewart, the man she’d been head over heels in love with. A selfish womanizer he may have been, but dangerous? Not the Stewart she’d known. She was being silly. Just because he was looking at her a little oddly, didn’t mean there was anything to be alarmed about.

  She owed it to Jack to calm down and try and get their meeting back on friendly terms. She’d simply overreacted. That was all. Plastering a stiff smile on her face, she took a deep breath and tried again.

  “Stewart, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gone on like that.” She shrugged in embarrassment and looked away. “I guess I’ve been storing some of that up for a long time—ten years, at least.” She gave a small laugh, hoping to ease the tension, but his gaze remained somber on her face.

  “I’d like to spend some time alone with my son.”

  Her initial instinct was to object and she had to clamp her mouth shut to prevent herself from saying just that. She owed it to Jack to let him get to know his dad, if that’s what he wanted.

  Moving away slightly, she took Jack by the shoulders and turned him around to face her. “Would you like to have some time alone with Stew…your dad? You could go and sit on the bench over there. I guess you have some questions you’d like to ask…?

  She held her breath and awaited his response. Although it would be good for him to talk to Stewart, another part of her wanted to bundle him up and run for their lives. Father or not, Stewart was acting a little too weird for her liking.

  “I guess so.” Jack’s soft reply interrupted her thoughts and she bit down on a sigh. Pulling him in close, she hugged him hard to her side.

  “Okay, sweetheart. You can walk over there to that bench. I’ll stay right here where you can see me and I’ll wait for you. How does that sound?”

  He smiled up at her uncertainly. “I guess it sounds all right.”

  She turned back to Stewart and met his dark, restless gaze.

  “So, what’s it going to be, Cally? Are you going to let my son spend some time alone with me or have I frightened you off? It’s not like I’m going to run away with him or anything.” He laughed uproariously and once again she fought off feelings of unease.

  Giving him a tight smile, she replied as lightly as she could manage. “Jack’s agreed to talk to you alone, as you’ve asked. He’s going to sit on the bench. I’ll stay here.” She pointed to a bench about forty feet away, well shaded by one of the giant oak trees.

  Stewart looked at Jack. “How about it, boy? Wanna get to know your old man?”

  Jack glanced up at her. She gave him an encouraging nod while every maternal instinct she possessed screamed not to let him go. She watched as he took hesitant steps toward his father.

  “Come on, boy! I’m not going to bite.” Stewart laughed again. When Jack was close enough, Stewart slung an arm around his shoulders and pulled him roughly toward the bench.

  Cally forced her gaze away from them and made her way back to where she’d been sitting earlier. She still didn’t know why Stewart had been late. Was she being overly sensitive, or had he purposefully avoided answering her question about that?

  Giving herself a mental shake, she told herself to lighten up. Surely it was normal to be jittery about a meeting such as this? After all, the last time she’d seen Stewart, he’d blithely told her he wasn’t ready for a family and that she best get rid of it. It was as if Jack had been no more than an inconvenience that could be cleared up with very little effort.

  And as for Jack, she couldn’t begin to imagine what he must be feeling. He was perched on the edge of the bench. Stewart’s head was bent down to his. From this distance, they looked like exactly what they were—a father having some one-on-one time with his son.

  She glanced at her watch. A quarter-to-four. She’d give them fifteen minutes. That would be enough. They could always arrange another meeting some other time. A time when Andy was around, she thought—her uneasiness still keeping her belly taut.

  Cally maintained her vigil and did her best to sit still. They appeared to be talking and she saw the ghost of a smile cross Jack’s face once or twice. At one stage, Stewart moved closer and put his arm around Jack’s shoulders and hugged him to his side.

  She tensed and then forced herself to relax. A moment later, she glanced at her watch again. Five minutes had passed. It seemed like a lifetime. With a restless sigh, she stood and walked toward the playground equipment, coming within a few feet of where they sat.

  Stewart glanced up at her and frowned. She ignored his obvious displeasure at her nearness. She was, after all, under no obligation to even let him see Jack, let alone allow him to spend time alone with her son.

  Plunking herself down on one of the swings, she pushed off with her feet, straining to hear their conversation. Stewart had lowered his voice—purposefully she thought—and it annoyed her that he didn’t want her to overhear him.

  She thought she caught the word “Luke” and glanced over at them. Jack’s brow was furrowed in confusion. Stewart’s face was animated and he was gesticulating wildly as he explained something to her son.

  Another five minutes crawled by. Bringing the swing to a stop, she jumped off it and closed the distance between them. Stewart looked up. Jack made a move as if to get up off the bench.

  Stewart’s arm snaked around his shoulders and yanked him back against his side. Jack winced and alarm surged through her. She fought to keep her voice calm. “It’s nearly four o’clock. I’m afraid we’re going to have to go. Jack has homework and—”

  “Jack’s coming with me.” He spoke with cold finality, as if he wouldn’t brook any argument. She froze at the icy bleakness in his eyes. Fingers of fear clutched at her belly. Confusion warred in her head.

  Stewart’s hold on Jack tightened. “D-dad—you’re hurting
me.”

  “Shut up,” Stewart snapped. “You don’t know what hurt feels like.” He glared down at him.

  Cally forced a deep breath down her dry throat. Ignoring the pounding of her heart, she tried to reason with him. “Stewart, you don’t really mean that.” A strained smile widened her lips. She moved infinitesimally closer to where they were seated.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Jack’s fearful face. She clenched her jaw, but ignored him. She had to concentrate all her attention on diffusing the threat Stewart suddenly presented. She forced her lips into a smile and lightened her tone.

  “It’s been great to see you again, Stewart, but we really need to go. Jack’s had a long day at school and we still have a few things to do before we get home. How about we get together again on the weekend? I’m sure we can arrange something.” The lie fell easily off her lips and she prayed he’d fall for it.

  His gaze narrowed on her. His eyes were even more unstable than they’d been a little earlier. His pupils were dilated and the brown of his irises was almost black. His eyes oscillated over her face.

  His lips turned up in a sneer. “Jack tells me you’ve already replaced me. A copper, no less. It didn’t take you long to get over me.”

  She gulped in outrage. “You have to be kidding! It’s been ten years! Ten years, Stewart. I waited a hell of a lot longer than you did.”

  Wild laughter bubbled out of him. His lips twisted into a menacing grimace. “I see someone’s been telling tales. It sounds like your old man has a loose tongue.”

  Anger made her eyes burn. “Considering it was that same loose tongue that helped you find us, I would have thought you’d show it a little more gratitude.”

  He grinned. “Oh, don’t get me wrong. I’m grateful, all right. I’m plenty grateful. If it weren’t for that newspaper article with you and Jack on the front page, I’d have never known to even go and ask him.” His gaze narrowed accusingly on hers. “As far as I knew, you’d had an abortion.”

  Guilt and anger warred inside her. Okay, she hadn’t told him she didn’t go through with the abortion, but she’d known he’d be relentless in his desire to get rid of the problem a baby presented. If she’d told him she’d kept it, he’d have marched her back into the clinic and made sure the deed was done.

  “You gave me no choice,” she hissed, mindful of Jack close by. She so didn’t want to get into this now, but Stewart didn’t seem prepared to let it go. His eyes blazed.

  “You fucking stole him from me. For ten years, I didn’t know he existed. I admit, when you told me you were pregnant, I was furious. I was nineteen. I didn’t want to be shackled with a baby. But things change. People change. You never gave me a chance. For all I know, you were never planning to tell me.”

  Guilt scorched her cheeks. She dropped her gaze. Stewart pounced again.

  “Fuck! I knew it! There are words for women like you and none of them are pretty.”

  Cally gasped from the malevolence in his eyes. How had he managed to make it all her fault? He was the one who’d discarded her and their baby. He’d never once called her to see if she was okay, or to ask her out. He’d washed his hands of her, just like her family had—and that was the truth of it.

  “Not that you deserve any concessions, but for what it’s worth, I was going to tell Jack about you. He’d been asking about you and as much as it pained me, I was going to find a way to contact you and tell you about him. But make no mistake, I was doing it for Jack, not for you.”

  Stewart’s gaze narrowed. “You always were a stuck-up little bitch. My father owns that town. You’re nothing more than the headmaster’s stupid daughter. If it weren’t for the fact that you had big tits and were hankering for some cock, I’d have never gone near you.”

  Cally gasped in outrage. “Stewart, please.” She’d heard enough and so had Jack. She stepped forward and grabbed her son by the arm. Stewart hauled Jack back against him.

  He grinned, a maniacal gleam in his eyes. “Oh no, you don’t. The boy stays with me. I’m taking my son home to Watervale, where he belongs.”

  Fear held her immobile for a moment before she forced herself out of the fog and shook her head in disbelief. “Stewart, you must be mad if you think I’m going to let you walk away with my son. There’s no way in the world I’ll let you do that. Now, stop acting so crazy and let’s talk about when we can get together again.” She took hold of Jack’s arm again and tugged him toward her.

  Rage purpled Stewart’s features. “I don’t think you understand me, Cally. Jack’s my son as much as he is yours. You’ve spent the last ten years with him. He and I have a lot of catching up to do. He’s coming home with me.”

  She scoffed, anger overriding her fear. “You might have donated half the DNA, but that’s all he shares with you. In every way that matters you aren’t his father.” Her gaze burned into his. “You made your decision ten years ago. Don’t make the mistake of thinking you can waltz into our lives and become a part of them. It’s never, ever going to happen.”

  Stewart laughed uproariously. “Cally, Cally, Cally! You always did have a spark in you. Stuck-up bitch or not, it’s one of the things that used to get me all hot and bothered over you.”

  Without warning, he jammed his face against hers, his eyes mean and hard. His voice lowered to a cold murmur that sent shivers down her spine. “You’re the one making the mistake, bitch. Jack is my son and he will be coming home with me, whether you like it or not.”

  Cally’s face was inches from his. She returned his icy glare and willed herself not to flinch. “Over my dead body.”

  He smirked. “That can be arranged.”

  She froze. Fear snaked a path to her belly. Her mind scrambled frantically for a plan of attack and came up empty. Even if she managed to wrestle Jack free from Stewart’s stranglehold, they’d never make it back to the car before he caught up with them. He might have lost a lot of weight, but he was wiry and strong and still a formidable figure and he seemed crazy enough to try anything.

  Her thoughts scattered under the icy weight of her fear. Sweat poured down her face and into her eyes. She didn’t dare wipe it away. Her focus remained on the man in front of her who held Jack captive. A feral glint crept into Stewart’s eyes.

  If only Andy were here. He’d know what to do.

  Andy. She’d call Andy. He’d bring help.

  Slowly and carefully she backed away from Stewart. When she was a few feet away, she forced a shaky smile. “Hey, let’s stop being silly. It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other and we parted on…less than friendly terms. Naturally, there are going to be things we’ve been stewing over.”

  She smiled again, holding up her hands in mock surrender. “But let’s not get into that now. I want to hear more about you, what you’ve been up to during the last ten years. I’m sure Jack would love to hear about it, too.”

  Stewart appeared to consider her request. Some of the tension left his face. Cally prayed he’d fall for the distraction. She smiled again, this time holding his gaze, wanting to reassure him she was genuine.

  “How about you take Jack over to the rock climbing wall? He loves climbing to the top of that thing. Maybe you could help him?” she added encouragingly.

  Stewart’s arm dropped from around Jack’s shoulders and he turned his head in the direction she’d indicated. Biting back a sob of relief, she tried to communicate to Jack with her eyes, urging him to go along with her suggestion. He frowned back at her in confusion and her heart clenched in agony, even while she nodded again and smiled at him.

  “Jack, why don’t you show your dad how far you can climb? I bet he’ll be surprised at how high you can go.”

  Jack continued to look at her, his eyes fearful and uncertain.

  “Go on, honey. It’s okay.” She forced another smile.

  Stewart looked back at her. Some of the craziness seemed to have left his face.

  “Yeah, sure. Why not?” He gave Jack a nudge
. “Come on, boy. I was great at this kind of thing when I was a kid. Let’s see what you can do.”

  Cally held her breath until they headed in the direction of the rock wall. With her gaze glued to their retreating forms, she fumbled blindly in her handbag until her fingers closed around her cell phone. Thank God she’d remembered to bring it.

  She pulled it out and her stomach dropped. It was almost out of battery. Praying it would last, she dialed Andy’s number. The phone rang out. She was nearly paralyzed with dread when the call went through to voicemail. With their lives depending on it, she stumbled through a message.

  “Andy, it’s me. I’m at Fullers Park, near Jack’s school. I need you urgently. It’s Stewart. He’s gone mad, or something. I don’t know, but he’s scaring me. Please hurry, Andy.” She ended the call just as Stewart turned back to look at her. Fear clutched at her throat. She didn’t know whether he’d seen her on the phone, but she knew she’d have to risk another call. If Andy had been called out on a job, it could be hours before he received the message.

  She offered Stewart a friendly wave and another tight smile and prayed he would buy it. He stared back at her with narrowed eyes, his brow furrowed. The menace emanating from him stole her breath.

  With a last, lingering look of warning, he turned back toward Jack, who had started to climb the wall. Her legs nearly collapsed underneath her. With shaking fingers, she dialed 000. A disembodied voice came on the line. “What is the nature of your emergency?”

  “I-I need the police. Please, get the police. It’s my ex-boyfriend, he’s—he’s threatening me and my son.” Her phone beeped. The battery was almost dead.

  “What’s your location?”

  She gave the woman the details. The phone beeped again. Her heart pounded and her throat constricted with fear. Panic nipped at the edges of her control.

  “Is your ex-boyfriend armed? Does anyone have a weapon?”

  “N-no, at least, I don’t think so. I haven’t seen one, anyway.”

  “All right, stay calm. The police are on their—”