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Penelope Donahue
Chapter Two
By the time Parker reached home that evening, he was emotionally exhausted. The news about his parents’ separation had gutted him, but he’d held his emotions at bay. If he’d lost it, then it would have been like a Donahue domino effect with his siblings. He’d forced himself to be strong. But now he was feeling the full force of the announcement. Separation. And perhaps down the road a divorce. He winced at the idea of his family coming apart at the seams. It was something he never would have imagined in a million years.
How had it all come to this? Parker felt like a failure for ignoring all the possible warning signs. Looking back, he knew there must have been a multitude of red flags. But even though there had been increased tension and squabbles between his folks, Parker had believed so fervently in their love, he hadn’t really ever questioned it. It had always seemed as solid as the Rocky Mountains.
Parker stood for a moment and looked out at the ocean in the distance. He let out a sigh. Buying beach front property had been his number one goal when he had purchased his home. Although it had cost him a little more than he’d ever imagined, it had been a great investment. At the time he’d imagined having a wife and little kids running around the place. His chest tightened as images of Cadence flashed into his vision. Still, after all this time, it hurt to think of her. She’d been his whole world. Life had become really bleak after her departure from his world. He shut his eyes tightly and stuffed all memories of her into the deep black hole he’d created for the sole purpose of forgetting Cadence.
He shook his head. So far, it had been a near impossible task to forget the woman he’d loved with every fiber of his being. Maybe he shouldn’t try too hard to achieve the impossible. Perhaps he would always carry a piece of her around with him no matter how hard he tried to erase her memory.
A sudden noise behind him caused him to whirl around. As a PI, Parker knew to always be on his guard. To say he’d gained a few enemies over the years was an understatement. He swiveled around, poised to defend himself. His hand went to his pocket where his gun rested. A figure stepped out of the shadows. Suddenly, all the air left his lungs. He felt as if he couldn’t breathe. Dear Lord. He must be seeing things. His legs shook with the impact.
“Hello, Parker.” Cadence’s soft, cultured voice felt like a shock to the system.
Cadence. He hadn’t seen her for almost three years. And now, on one of the worst nights of his life, she’d shown up at his beach house looking like something the cat had dragged in. Although her beauty could never be denied, she looked far from her best. Dark shadows rested under her eyes. Her face looked tear-stained. Her hair was a wild riot of curls. He wasn’t certain, but it looked as if she hadn’t slept for days.
“What are you doing here?” He spit the words out. His stomach felt sore as if he’d been sucker punched in the gut.
“I-I didn’t have anyone else to turn to. I need you, Parker.”
Parker raised an eyebrow. He made a scoffing sound.
“You need me?” He shook his head. “That’s pretty hilarious.”
“No it’s not,” Cadence said. Tears slid down her cheeks. She swiped them away. “There’s not a thing funny about my situation.” She took a deep breath. “I need you to help me find my son.”
**
The words came tumbling off of Cadence’s lips like an explosion. She immediately noticed the look on Parker’s face. Disbelief. Shock emanated from his soulful brown eyes. She would bet good money he didn’t even know she’d given birth to a child. After all, how could he? After marrying Mason Price, they had moved to his estate in Palm Beach. She’d kept a very low profile over the last few years, even though her marriage to Mason had made the society pages all over the country. For all intents and purposes, Cadence had been living in an ivory tower, unable to live a normal life with freedom or friends or independence. Mason had made sure she was hidden away like a prized trophy.
Logan!! Her baby was missing. She didn’t know how she was even standing at the moment. Her son—the only thing she drew breath each morning for—had been ruthlessly taken from her. Cadence felt herself faltering. Her knees buckled and she felt herself falling toward the ground.
Suddenly, Parker’s strong arms were around her and he was holding her up. He muttered a few words under his breath she couldn’t hear, but she sensed his fury. She couldn’t blame him. How else would one feel about greeting a ghost from the past? Before she knew what was happening, Parker had swept her up in his arms and they were at his front door. She wasn’t sure how he managed it, but he opened up the door with his keys without losing his grip on her as he carried her over the threshold. Once they were inside, he brought her into the living room and gently deposited her on a love seat. She put her face in her hands and gave in to the desire to cry her eyes out.
Each and every time she thought she might stop, her son’s innocent little face popped into her mind. She felt incredibly helpless and scared to death.
“Cadence, you’re going to have to stop crying.” Parker’s voice sounded gentle. That made her want to cry even more. She’d shown up on his doorstep after shattering his heart into a million little pieces three years ago. And he was actually sounding kind.
“I-I’m sorry, but my son is missing. I’m frightened. And I can barely think straight,” she said, her lips trembling with emotion. “I can’t seem to stop crying.”
“You came here to ask me for help. Why doesn’t your husband help you?” Parker asked, his voice now brimming with anger.
“Because he’s the one who took him,” Cadence admitted with a sob. For the last twenty-four hours she’d been so strong. It had all become too much for her. She was dying inside, ready to crack into pieces at any moment. The thought of Mason hurting Logan filled her with dread. And she was powerless against such evil.
Parker winced. “Sounds like a marital dispute.”
“No,” Cadence said with a shake of her head. “It’s so much more than that. He’s doing this to hurt me. H-he’s not a stable person. And my son is in grave danger.”
“There’s nothing I can do.” Parker’s voice was implacable. His features were as hard as granite. He appeared to be clenching his teeth. No doubt he was thinking about how she’d hurt him in the past. Why should he want to help her?
He’d hardened over the past three years. This man standing before her didn’t seem like the Parker she’d known, the one who had gone the extra mile to help others. She’d come here simply because she had no one else to turn to and she knew Parker was as moral a man as one could
ever hope to find in this world. He would never turn down a request from a desperate mother. Or would he?
She leaned forward in her chair. “Yes! There is something you can do. You can put aside the past and help me,” she begged. “I can pay you. I can get money. Please, Parker. If you ever cared for me, please do this.”
As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Cadence wanted to reel them back in. It was a low blow to remind him of the way he’d loved her, but she was desperate. She would walk through fire to get Logan back. Any mother would do the same for their child.
