Page 55 of Isabelle’s Forbidden Love

“You’re right.” She pointed to the screen. “Fifty-four results.”

“Okay, let’s see them. I should be able to recognize her from her photo.” Even though over forty years had passed since he’d last seen Ines, and she had to be in her late seventies now, he knew he would be able to recognize her. Even the aging process couldn’t erase certain features. If she was still alive.

Isabelle rose from her seat. “Why don’t you sit down and go through the photos as slowly as you need to.”

“Thanks.” He sat down, and Isabelle stood behind him, her hands on his shoulders, rubbing them gently. He put one hand over hers and squeezed it, grateful that she was on his side.

Photo after photo he scrolled through, giving each picture a long look to give himself enough time to give his brain a chance to match the women on the photos to his memory of Ines. It seemed to take forever.

Behind him, Isabelle breathed evenly, but he felt her hands on his shoulders become tense.

“Are you okay?” he asked without taking his eyes off the screen. Ten more driver’s licenses to go through.

“Yes.”

He scrolled to the next picture and leaned in closer. He knew this woman, although she was older now, her hair grey. But behind the wrinkly skin, she was still the same woman as then: Ines.

“That’s her.”

“Great. Let me print that.” She leaned over him and hit a button, then the printer behind them began to whir again. “Grab the print-out, while I log out and shut down, will you?”

He rose and snatched the paper from the printer. When he turned around, Isabelle was already shutting down the computer.

“We’ve gotta go. Now.”

“What’s wrong?” he asked and instinctively looked toward the door.

“I’m sure Thomas has been told to report if I access the Scanguards servers remotely. My father is most likely already on his way here.”

Shock and annoyance charged through him in equal measure. “You knew they were tracking your online activity, and didn’t tell me?”

Isabelle shrugged and grabbed her handbag, took the sheets of paper from his hand and stuffed them inside. “I didn’t want to worry you. Besides, you wouldn’t have agreed to let me come here to do this if I had.”

“You’ve got that right!”

Isabelle already headed for the door, and Orlando was only a step behind her. He flipped the light switch in Damian’s home office, and closed the door behind him.

“I should paddle your ass for putting yourself in danger,” he ground out, when they left the house through the front door and hurried down the five steps to the sidewalk.

Isabelle cast him a sideways glance. “Careful, I might enjoy it.”

“You… you…” He had no words to counter her saucy remark. “We’ll talk about it later.”

But first they had to make it back to the loft. Isabelle hadn’t even given him a chance to look at Ines’ current address.

They were just turning around the next corner, when Orlando heard the screeching of brakes and sound of car engines. They’d just dodged a bullet. Scanguards was on their heels.

29

“They’ll find us,” Orlando said as they turned into the street, where Grayson’s loft was located. “Now they know with certainty that we’re still in the city. Eventually, they’ll come to Grayson’s condo. We can’t stay there anymore.”

Isabelle looked over her shoulder, checking to see if they were being followed. They weren’t. Orlando had already ascertained that. But that didn’t mean they’d be safe for long.

“I agree, but we need to go back there. We need blood supply.” She cast him a sideways glance. “If not for you, then for me.”

He realized instantly what she meant. “I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have taken so much from you.”

“It’s nobody’s fault. It is what it is.”